Happy new year, happy weight loss, happy diets!

So after a long season of weight-gaining, also known as the month of December, it is only appropriate to consider the weight-losing season. Since December, I've personally been trying to be more health conscious knowing that in the new year I'd do my best to stick to my guns and do this thing for real. I want to get into the best shape of my life. As in anything, the first step is research and education. It just so happens that my good friend Tim Ward had planned to release his book, The Theory of Fat Loss, in December. What a great opportunity to educate myself!! So I bought a few of these to give to friends, and for myself obviously. As I'm nearing the end it is definitely an informative read! His concepts are straight-forward, obvious, and he puts things in a new light.

I guess I'll throw my apology in here:

Dear readers, I'm sorry it has been so long since the last post. My computer and I ran into some problems so that definitely delayed me in this post. Good news is, I have purchased a laptop and now I'm up and running again. With absolute confidence I say that I will continue to write and do my part in educating the world about food.
Please forgive me,
E

Back to the food. So with the season of weight-loss, I figured it'd only be proper to follow suit. For now I'll admit that I'm a follower, certainly not a leader of fat losing nutritional trends. Being that my new job, at the country club is seasonal and I am in the off-season now, I have a lot more time to dedicate to fitness and diet nutrition. More time than I could have ever committed to when I was working. Tonight I created a little Quinoa stew with pulled pork and spinach. When eating "healthy" let us remember that we don't have to always eat "Fat Free." Sure sure "fat-free while trying to get into shape," it all makes too much sense. But to be sensible, you're going to consume fat. It happens. Just don't eat this and then, drink 2 cans of soda, and have an icecream shake before bed. First rule is balance. Eat, live, and enjoy life with balance.

What is quinoa? Quinoa is an amazing SUPER GRAIN. It holds the title of being the only grain to be a complete protein all on its own. [ Naturally has a slightly bitter flavor. Easy to digest. High levels of dietary fiber, iron, magnesium ] -- my paraphrase from wiki. Read that page. Its great. So if you're tired of chicken, and are looking for some new meat, try out quinoa, it's a complete protein. Great for gluten-free, vegan, and other common food allergens.

The meal.

Cooking with E! - Small Bites - Part 2 - Savory Tomato Jam and Toast!

"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins." - Laurie Colwin

Here we are again. I hope everyone is keeping up with the season. NOW more than EVER it seems like if your aren't ahead with your shopping and your party plans then you're definitely BEHIND. That is a-okay for the readers of this blog, because I have another simple recipe that doesn't take a lot of prep work.  The catch is that you have to cook it low and slow for some time. This tomato jam recipe was an idea I got after a week of work at the club. We serve this jam with cheese, but it will go just as well with toast (crustini)! For those of you who didn't catch Small Bites - Part 1 - Fast, Simple, Delicous Cucumber Cups w/ Cream Cheese  now would be the time to check it out! Remember, these recipes are meant to be simple, elegant, and not too complicated. Our time is valuable, so let's make the most of the little time there is!

Savory Tomato Jam w/ Toast!

nut free

gluten free with use of Glutino Original Crackers

 

Yields: 1/2 pint jam 30 pieces toast