Diary of a foodie

Posted by Lynsie Watkins Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:04:00 GMT

I've just sat down from making a long awaited recipe. For years I've sampled a certain type of muffin in many coffee shops and have always loved the flavor. Some call it morning glory, some call it glorious morning, and others call it something else! I've even had the chance of baking a pre-made mix of morning glory muffins for a coffee shop that I've worked for here in Charlottesville, BUT I've never known the recipe.

What I do know, or notice rather, is the unhealthy product cloaked in a healthy ingredient list and amiable name. Who wouldn't want to start their day with a glorious morning muffin?? With carrots, apples, raisins, bran, and nuts, the selling point is pretty high to a foodie like me, and to the “quick-coffee” crowd, most of all.

As a woman who is constantly working on finding the BEST foods to put in my body, I was always wary of eating the muffins I happened to find in stores. In fact, when I did, my stomach would cramp up I would feel sick for the rest of the day. Why? Well, my first gut feeling (and reaction) was due to the inclusion of partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats/P.H.O.'s) in the product. I thought to myself...why did such a good list of ingredients have to get so badly ruined just for the sake of industrial food? That's a good question and one that surely cannot be answered in this entry alone. However, having become so frustrated over the years with P.H.O.'s getting in the way of the foods I love, I've decided to find new alternatives to the foods I find in stores. This is the reason I make my own bread, yogurt, caramel, tortillas, to name a few. Why not try glorious morning muffins?

As small asides go, it's important to note that since leaving the world of P.H.O.'s behind, and since also becoming a vegetarian, I've been finding it difficult to keep my body at a steady size and weight. I feel fine, but everything's all topsy turvy, and also a little curvy. I wanted to learn to regulate the reaction my body had to food in a better, more learned way. So I called on my wonderful friend, Lynn, for some advice. She is by training a nutritionist and personal trainer, and might I add, is in amazing shape! We have the same body type, so I asked her how she does it. She then asked me to keep a food diary of everything I ate for a single week. I began that very same day, and here we are a week later. I have submitted my results and will include a follow up blog to let everyone know my discoveries.

However, perhaps the results are not the important part of this exercise. Maybe just becoming more aware of what I was consuming simply through the task of recording everything I ate was all I needed. I look at food differently now. Sure, roasted carrots and parsnips are great-but drenched in olive oil?-not so much. In this awakening of a deeper consciousness on my part, I am learning that it is alright to want certain foods I see in coffee shops, restaurants, and stores. However, if I can make them and be in control of what goes into them, I can control my body's response to the food I consume in a much better and effective way.

I made glorious morning muffins, and I just ate two mini-sized versions still warm from the oven. Not only were they delicious, but my stomach feels great. In fact, as soon as I'm done with this blog I'm going to hop into some workout clothes and do some Bhangra. I don't have fat content, calorie counts, or sodium miligrams. I do have a better appreciation for my body and for the preperation of the food that goes in it. Perhaps by sharing my recipes with you over time, I'll be lending you the tools to take charge of what you eat and gain this higher level of food consciousness that I have found!

Bon appetit, and remember, it's just food: experiment, and don't worry about making mistakes. If you use good food, how wrong can you really go?

Lynsie's Glorious Morning Muffin Recipe

1 ½ cups organic whole wheat flour

½ cup oats

½ cup wheat germ

½ cup organic brown sugar OR honey

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger (or 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger)

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups peeled and grated organic carrots (1 large carrot)

1 medim organic zucchini, peeled and grated

1 large organic apple, peeled and grated

½ cup raisins, soaked in hot water until plump then drained

½ cup toasted walnuts

3 large organic eggs

2/3 cup veggie oil

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

It's easy. 1.Mix dry ingredients 2.Add fruit and veggies 3.Mix wet ingredients and add to mixture

Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. If possible, bake at the highest level of your oven (this allows for a crusty, peaked top).

Enjoy!