Seemingly, everybody. But me.

Ever discover something new and exciting only to realize the whole world got the memo two weeks ago?

That was my relationship with Dooce. I came across Heather Armstrong’s blog from a Google search. I read for an hour, and thought, this woman and I could be friends. We are totally the same kinda people. I almost sent her an email to that effect. Turned out, she’s only the most famous mom blogger in all of existence.

Oops.

I bought some almond milk on a whim last week after seeing some blog posts about it. I have issues with milk, so I usually try to make up the calcium with cheese and yogurt and cruciferous veggies. You know what? Dang, almond milk is tasty. I had cereal with milk for the first time in decades. BOOM. Easy calcium.

It was sort of awesome.

Maybe I live in a cave or something- did you know you can buy almonds in different flavors? Real flavors, not just honey roasted vs dry roasted like peanuts. I picked some Blue Diamond Almonds up, taking the Roasted Salted and Smokehouse almonds for a test drive (literally. I left the cans in the car for emergency snacking). Really super good, people.

So I’ve been all enthusiastic and trying to talk about this new milk replacement/snack choice… and everybody else is like, are you for real? Yes, almonds are good. I’ve known that since I was knee high to a grasshopper.

OK, wise guy. Did you know this?

• A serving of almonds is a handful, or 23 nuts, which is a pretty impressive snack if you don’t shove the whole lot in your mouth at once.
• They’re full of good stuff like monounsaturated fat (that’s the the good kind, and it may be good for brain health and memory, too), fiber, vitamin E, calcium and other important minerals, and phytochemicals (which might help protect against some common diseases).
• They have a high protein content, which aids in lean muscle development, works to fuel my running, and generally helps you feel fuller, longer.

Not bad for something I can use to satisfy that urge for something crunchy (chips have always been my downfall).

Almonds are heart-healthy

Almonds are such nutritional powerhouses that the American Heart Association (AHA) has certified a variety of Blue Diamond Almonds as heart-healthy.

You can find the AHA Heart-Check mark on the packaging of:

• Whole Natural
• Roasted Salted
• Low Sodium
• Sea Salt
• No Salt
• Honey Dijon

meaning that these almonds have met specific guidelines set forth by the AHA. Specifically for nuts it means:

Total Fat: No limit
Saturated Fat: 4 g or less (per 50 g only)
Trans Fat: Less than 0.5 g (also per label serving)
Cholesterol: 0 mg per label serving
Sodium: 140 mg or less (also per label serving)
Beneficial Nutrients: 10% or more of the Daily Value of 1 of 6 nutrients (vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein or dietary fiber)

Keep in mind that heart disease is American’s number one killer. Which is depressing because heart disease is completely preventable by following some common sense measures: eating better, moving more, maintaining a healthy weight, improving your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Can snacking on almonds make that much of a difference?

Well, maybe. I think this is fascinating.

One study that I thought was fascinating found that subjects, when asked to turn to almonds as a snack instead of a less healthy option but given no other diet restrictions, opted for healthier food choices in addition to and independently of the required almond snacks. Their levels of good things like fiber and vegetable protein increased, and their overall levels of bad things like trans fats, cholesterol and sugars decreased significantly.

The implication is that if you swap less healthy foods for almonds as a snack, you’re more likely to become the sort of person who will opt for other good-for-you foods. Pretty cool, right? I’ve read about similar conclusions when it comes to vitamins: if you take them regularly, the real health benefit may be less about the specific supplements received and more about how you become the sort of person to make choices that positively impact your health.

This goes back to my discussion of how a healthy diet and lifestyle is analogous to the green lifestyle: it all starts with one small change. Then another. You keep building until it becomes second nature, and before you know it, you’ve become an eco warrior. Or you’ve managed to lose 25 pounds by making a bunch of small changes.

So that’s my latest small change. Snacking on almonds and increasing my calcium intake and cereal enjoyment with almond milk. A simple step with surprising health benefits.

Wanna learn more about the health benefits of almonds and get some cool almond recipes?

FitFluential is holding a #BlueDiamond chat on the Twitter tomorrow night, 5/21, at 9EST. Join us! Prize details are still a secret, but I hear they are awesome.

Blue Diamond Growers have been growing almonds in the US of A for over a century. There are over 3,000 California almond growers shipping their deliciously nutty wares all over the world. If you haven’t discovered the joy of almonds yet, check ‘em out on their website, on the Facebook and of course on your grocer’s shelves.

Disclosure: I’m the VP of Community over at FitFluential and the woman behind the curtain… er, @FitFluential handle. Blue Diamond is a client but I bought my own almonds and almond milk with my own cash moneys. My opinion is my own and springs from my own brain, whole and fully formed, much like Athena from the brow of Zeus.

The rabbit of Easter. He bring of the chocolate.

―David Sedaris, ‘Me Talk Pretty One Day’

Whether Easter is a religious day for you or no, the theme of hope— resurrection and soul cleansing intersecting with the emergence of spring— cannot be denied.

I find it obnoxious that this day, with all its beautiful natural symbolism, has become yet another opportunity to sell us wasteful trappings: the plastic braided baskets, full of artificially flavored and colored candies individually wrapped in plastic, nestled into annoying plastic “grass.” Plastic eggs, encased in plastic packaging, intended to be thrown away and rebought each year. Cheap toys and poorly made stuffed animals. Even the real eggs are co-opted; there are as many kits out there now offering stickers and bedazzling jewels and plastic wrap thingies to decorate them as there are the standard dye kits.

I’d like to gently suggest that we especially try to tread lightly, when preparing for this day that celebrates new life.

Easy Tips for an Eco Easter

The Basket:

Go reusable. I’m willing to bet you’ve got half a dozen wicker baskets in your house already; just tie a cheery ribbon around the handle and you’re all set. Or think outside the basket! I bought the kids these adorb pails a decade ago and only bring them out for the big day.

The Grass:

Does anyone actually still buy that horrible staticky plastic grass? I’m hoping not, but just in case here are some alternatives:

• run some tissue paper (you hang on to that from Christmas & birthdays, right?) through the shredder. Construction paper works too; bonus points if it’s been already drawn on and being reused.
• A cute t-shirt is both practical and cushion-y.
• You’re also hanging on to your packing materials, right? Styrofoam peanuts can be reused, but bubble wrap doubles as an Easter morning gift. Show me a kid that doesn’t love love popping bubble wrap. Go ahead, I dare you.
• Why not line the bottom of your basket with potting soil and grow some real grass in there? Or something else quick-sprouting; mixed greens, maybe?

The Candy:

Quality over quantity! I’m all for letting the kids eat the heck out of the Easter candy on Easter Day (and only Easter Day), so I prefer not to give them too much of it anyway.

• Go fair trade with chocolate if you can.
• YummyEarth makes delicious organic and natural candies (I’m giving some away right here).
• Throw some homemade treats in there, or these incredibly awesome “surprise” eggs:
  • Treats hidden inside real eggshells
  • Cupcakes baked inside eggshells
  • Brownies baked inside eggshells

The Egg Hunt:

• If you must buy the plastic eggs, resolve to put them away in a box clearly labeled EASTER so you can reuse them for years to come.
• Even better, buy these biodegradable eggs made from corn starch instead of petroleum-based polymers and use them year after year.
• Even better than that: I love these wooden eggs (pictured, available here), dyed with all natural non toxic soy paints and sealed with olive oil and beeswax polish.
• Or even better than THAT, hide dyed eggs. Just make sure you don’t hide them anywhere pesticides have been used; I wouldn’t eat them after exposure.

Speaking of Dyed Eggs:

Yes, the kits you can buy at the store are non-toxic now. But—

• you’ll get more vibrant colors with food coloring, which you probably already have in your pantry.
• This kit uses dyes made from natural and organic fruit, plant and vegetable extracts from annatto seed, curcumin, purple sweet potato and red cabbage.
• Or, have some fun whipping up your own natural dye concoctions! In the past we’ve tried coffee, blueberries, red cabbage, tumeric, paprika, beets, onion skins (red and yellow), and frozen raspberries, with varying degrees of success. Kids love playing mad scientist; try anything that’ll stain your lips, fingertips or napkins. Just boil your base in water (the longer the better), add vinegar, and pour over your egg. The longer it sits, the more intense the color.

The Gifts:

For the kids: skip the cheap stuffies and plastic dollar store toys. Try items that will be used beyond the holiday season, like my list of the best 5 toys for creative outdoor play, or non-toxic art materials. (Might I suggest these paper dolls outfitted with the Great Fashion Designs of the Nineties? Oh em GEE)

For the adults: Confession— I really dislike traditional Easter flowers like hyacinths and lilies, I find their scent cloying. Rather than just suggest finding organic spring bulbs, I’d like to steer you towards the idea of a starter kit for herbs, or an air-purifying hardy indoor plant. It goes without saying that the best gifts don’t come from a gas station with a spray painted sign reading EASTER FLOWERS.

Give a Flock:

Every year I read stories imploring people not to buy baby chicks or bunnies for their kids at Easter. Is this really a thing? I’m not going to tell you not to buy chicks. In fact, I suggest you buy a dozen and send them to me.

Or, you could buy a symbolic donation of a flock of chicks to a family in a poor country through Heifer International. The eggs are a source of sustenance, and a source of income. Heifer offers training  to help the family to learn how to run their own business; once that family’s business is off and running, they then pay it forward (eggs and training) to another family in need.

This is so in line with the Easter themes of rebirth and renewal and hope. It makes my heart glad.

That’s all I’ve got

Any more ideas on how to make Easter a little more “green?”

You can be miserable before you have a cookie

and you can be miserable after you eat a cookie

but you can’t be miserable while you are eating a cookie.

―Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa

I really like cookies. All kinds of cookies.

I really, really, really like Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie cookies. But I haven’t bought them in a while.

See, I really, really, really don’t like the list of ingredients on a Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie box:

Corn Syrup, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Barley Malt, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Vegetable Shortening (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean And Cottonseed Oils), Dextrose, Oats, Water, Sugar, Molasses, Raisins, Contains 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Leavening (Baking Soda, Ammonium Bicarbonate), Whey (Milk), Salt, Emulsifiers (Soy Lecithin, Mono- And Diglycerides, Sorbitan Monostearate, Polysorbate 60), Corn Starch, Eggs, Egg Whites, Cocoa, Coconut (Sulfite Treated To Preserve Color), Evaporated Apples (Sulfite Treated To Preserve Color), Rice Flour, Nonfat Dry Milk, Carrageenan, Spices, Sorbic Acid (To Retain Freshness), Colors (Caramel Color, Yellow 5, Red 40), Natural And Artificial Flavors (this list taken from an online store product description; it is possible the current box reads slightly differently).

I don’t mind in indulging in a little guilty pleasure here and there when it comes to food, but these take the cake (cookie?).  The Good Guide gives Little Debbie’s sinfully tasty wonders a mere 1.1 for nutritional value (and a meager 2.9 overall). Trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and of course the fact that each and every cookie pie comes encased in plastic make these the very very guiltiest of pleasures.

Happily, the DIY route here is not terribly difficult, and every bit as delicious as the original— maybe even better. Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s even better

Not good for you, necessarily, but definitely an indulgence that’s less guilt-inducing!

I give you… homemade oatmeal CREAM pies.

(Real food gets real spelling.)

Make Your Own Oatmeal Creme (nay, CREAM) Pies

Cookie Ingredients:

2 sticks butter at room temperature
3/4 packed cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp honey
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together. Add eggs, honey and vanilla and allow to mix until uniform.

In another bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter, a little at a time, until just blended. Stir in oats by hand. Cool in fridge for 10-15 minutes.

While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges brown. Allow to cool completely (they will fall apart if you try moving them while warm. Patience is a virtue!).

While the cookies are cooling, wash out your mixer bowl and dry thoroughly. Fit with whisk attachment.

Marshmallow Filling Ingredients:

2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar (or slightly less; I thought this could stand to be less sweet)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla (I’ll say that I think using quality vanilla makes a HUGE difference here)

Whisk egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a double boiler over simmering water. (Don’t have a double boiler? You can use a Pyrex bowl over a pot of hot water, just make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Keep whisking until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is frothy (about 160 degrees).

Transfer to standing mixer bowl and whisk on high until stiff peak stage (mixture is sculpted into standing peaks when whisk is lifted). Gently mix in vanilla.

Frost underside of cooled cookie and sandwich with a second cooled cookie. EAT.

HELPFUL TIP:

See the cookies pictured all over this post? Too much frosting. Totally gooped out the other end when you took a bite. A little goes a long way here! (But if you go overboard and wind up with extra, unfrosted cookies, no worries. The cookies are delicious on their own.)

These cookies stored well for 24 hours in a sealed container. God bless ya if you manage to keep them in the house for longer than that!