Sunday, October 31, 2010

 

Happy Halloween! It's our first Halloween in our new home. Not sure if this is a trick-or-treater neighborhood but we went all out and bought about $70 worth of candy and snacks for our would-be hobgoblins and ghouls! I was also in the mood to make a nice big Sunday dinner so I whipped up a delicious organic ham, candied organic yams, steamed organic green beans, and an organic baby spinach salad. For dessert I crafted a plump organic apple pie... Mmmm... time to grab a cuppa while we wait for the ghosties to come out! Xox <3 Udo

Friday, August 13, 2010

Nigella Soup For You!

Mmmm MMM Good! Nothing like a sexy sauce pot to simmer up some soul warming soup! Yeay!!! Today is rainy and dreary and we are in dire need of some super fast super wonderful noodle soup! Nigella's noodle soup is very calming and improvisational! Not to mention sensational! Yummy not to mention I'll be making this for din din tonight. Come and get some! Enjoy! (and add some garlic!) Nice. She uses Udon Noodles! Go for it baby! Xoxo <3 Udo

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Eat! Drink! Stink!

Just confirmed! Mark your calendar’s for October 2, 2010. The Easton Garlic Festival will run from 9am-5pm. The website for the event is in the process of being updated… so in the meantime- check out their site from last year to get the scoop on the ‘goings on’… fun! EAT! DRINK! STINK!

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Pressure Cooker

In the mood for food? How about a documentary on food? Check out this inner-city race to scholarship and cooking masterdom! A must-see! Presure Cooker.

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Compassion and the Golden Rule...

Karen Armstrong explores the importance of compassion and living the golden rule....
XOxo <3 Udo

Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver is transforming the way we feed ourselves, and our children... check him out on TED... a video worth watching! XOxo <3 Udo

Friday, May 21, 2010

Guess who's was featured on the Today Show on MSNBC??

Udo Umami! Yeah!!! Cool beans! Check this out! The Dharma Swan Station LOST cake I made was featured today! Soooo Cool!!!!!

Congratulations! Your content has been featured on TodayShow.com. You can view it at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/37267082 Thank you for sharing your content with the TodayShow.com community.

Xxoxxo <3 Udo

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Want to Get Fit, Gorgeous, and Healthy?



Wow! Check this OUT!!! I am so excited!!! Guess what we can do? Take cooking classes together! ONLINE!!! Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution” is spreading the word about just why we need to eat “real food” for our health. Michael Pollan tells us to cook from scratch — he says, “Eat real food. Not edible food-like substances. Eat things your great-grandmother would have recognized as food.”

It seems simple enough. Eat real food. Cook from scratch. Shop locally. But how do you make it happen in your own kitchen? Especially those of us who never learned how to cook — we were raised on microwave suppers, boxed cereals and toaster pastries. We all face the challenges of a modern life – balancing work and parenthood, all the while trying to feed our families healthier meals.

Our food supply has changed drastically in the past few decades. These days, you have to be a chemist to make sense of it all. Artificial growth hormones. Hydrogenated soybean oil. High-fructose corn syrup. And isn’t organic food more expensive? Sure, eating healthier is great, but not if you go broke in the process. How do you feed your family healthy, nourishing meals without spending all day in the kitchen and blowing your food budget?

You value real food, your local economy and your family’s health. But just how do you get started? Get all the info you need right here: http://www.nourishedkitchen.com/ecourse?AFFID=35590

Enjoy! And get ready to get gorgeous!!
Xoxox <3 Dina Udo

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Creamy Sausage Orecchiette

This entree is one of my best served dishes and I thought you'd like to see how I make it! I've got some KARATE garlic cooking up with my side dish of Rapini... but the real star of this show is the Chive and Onion Philadelphia Cream Cheese added to my sausages, onions, mushrooms, and orecchiette! Enjoy! Xox <3 Dina Udo

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Cream Cheese Rambo

If you have a computer and you go to any recipe, food, or video site, then y'all already know about Ms. Paula Deen's Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipe competition. I've gotta tell you- this competition has been one huge barrell of FUN! I've submitted two video entries for the side dish and appetizer challenges. Now I gotta say I actually thought I might have a shot at this thing- but friends, let me tell you.... After seeing the creative, excellent, and INSANE awesomeness of the videos that are being submitted- I'm not so sure that I'm even a contender anymore! You've just got to check out this video of Jenny Drumgoole- she's a Yale MFA graduate and a SUPERB performance artist! Now of course her video might be breaking the submission guidelines (though I don't see how!) but still- what a romp this submission was! It made my day! What a hoot! I'm telling you... this video could change lives! LOL. Just love it!!!! Brilliant!! Hilarious!! Watch it the whole way through! For more of Jenny you can visit her website and witness her mega-watt talent!!





Xoxo <3 Udo

Earth Day is almost here!!


Hi Friends!
It's almost Earth Day and in case you didn't know, Earth Day is also my Birthday! Yeay!!! I can't wait for April 22nd! What better way to celebrate the earth than with an awesome EARTH BOX!

In case you don't know what an EarthBox is... read about it here on a previous post I did on them... THEN
go to facebook... make EarthBox your friend and please tell your friends, your family, neighbors – even the mailman to become a fan of EarthBox on Facebook!

If they reach their goal of 6,000 fans (or more, of course), on April 22nd (Earth Day), they will be offering a 1-day 20% discount on all EarthBox products to their Facebook fans!!

They are already up to 5,253 fans!! Come on! We can do this!!!
Xxoox <3 Udo

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Udo's MediterAsian Sushi Roll

This exciting, flavorful, and exotic appetizer combines the robust, salty, and delicious flavors of the Mediterranean with the crisp, delicate, and sublime textures of Asian cuisine resulting in a fusion of flavors. This recipe is one that I created based on the marriage of my Italian-American background with that of my husband's Asian heritage. You really get the best of both worlds with this dish and you'll 'wow' your guests (and yourself!) with your new skills as a home sushi chef! Enjoy! Xox  <3 Udo

Monday, April 05, 2010

Philadelphia Freedom!

In case y'all haven't heard... Ms. Paula Deen celebrity chef of the Food Network is holding a recipe contest using Philadelphia cream cheese as an ingredient to your special dish. Guess who's in the running to snag that $25K prize and shot at Food Network fame? Well- I hope it's yours truly! LOL... check out all the fun here and you can even catch a glimpse of me making my famous Pieroghi (Pierogi) Casserole below. Enjoy! Xoxo <3 Udo

Let's get cookin' girls!

Monday, March 15, 2010

It's all about attitude!

It's so easy to forget what really matters in life when we are lulled into boredom by the everyday things we have to do as adults. Practical concearns like keeping house and paying bills can consume you if you let them. Sometimes we forget to nourish our inner spirit and to stay focused because we distract ourselves with things that do not matter. Are you living your life with passion and purpose? What is your passion? What makes you crazy excited? What do you look forward to working on? Instead of comparing yourself to others, remind yourself that there is enough love, abundance, creativity, and great ideas for everyone in this universe! The creative mind is overflowing with peace, joy, and happiness- all you need to do is claim yours.


Remember- being happy is not a gift, it is not a thing that happens to you when you've finally made it, it is not some freak luck thing that happens to some people and not to others... Here's a secret....


BEING HAPPY is a CHOICE.


Make the decision to be happy! =D Make the decision to feel good today. Decide to feel love, to share love, to live today as if it were your last! Don't worry about what will happen this week or next week or if you will figure out your future... just take it one day at a time. The first step towards living the life you want is to live as if you already have it. Cultivate a positive attitude. If you just don't know what to do and you find yourself doing nothing... do this. Turn your thoughts to positive self talk. Instead of sitting on the sofa- go for a walk and on your walk, think positively to yourself. Instead of surfing the internet for hours on end sit quietly in meditation- and focus your thoughts on positive and loving ideas. When worries or anxiety get a grip on you, take a deep breath and use positive self talk. This is the very first step towards creating the reality you deserve.

Here are some videos to help get you started.

Remember...


Every journey towards something...
is a journey away from something else.


Enjoy!
Xoxox <3>Udo











Thought for the day...
I'm too blessed to be stressed!
I have an attitude of gratitude!




Learn it.
Live it.
Pass it on!
Feel good today!


Saturday, February 20, 2010

Will Smith on DECIDING to be who you are.

Just DECIDE who you want to be or what you want to do- and BE it. DO it. I want to represent an idea. I want to represent possibilities! I want to represent magic. There's an incredible power that 'making a choice' has! MAKE A CHOICE. Just decide and then from that point the universe is going to get our of your way!

Great butt? All you need is a chair!

I love Tracy Anderson! And y'all know I just adore Gwen Paltrow and her GOOP. This week they highlighted Tracy's method to toning and shaping your body- which is incredibly effective!! She's the trainer that Gweneth and Madonna use to get into such ridiculous shape! Check out this terrific video for toning butt and thighs. Enjoy! XOxo <3 Udo





And for your upper body.... its so funky and cool!


Total body tone-up

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Toltec Wisdom on Love and Loving

So beautiful. Enjoy this short presentation on Toltec Wisdom this Valentine's Day!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Sprouted Pizza

Last night I made a delicious sprouted pizza to enjoy in place of our usual delivery. So easy to make and really just the most enjoyable way to eat a food that digests like a vegetable! No intestine clogging white flour or sugar here! Nope. Just organic, healthy foods for people who enjoy the simple pleasure and wholesome nourishment nature provides!

Good digestion is key to good health and this sprouted grain flour is easy to digest! Look at that succulent pizza! AHHHHH!! Doesn't it make your mouth water?

The pizza is made with sprouted spelt flour or sprouted wheat flour (you pick - I used a little of both!). I made a red and a white. My husband, who does not like olives, had no complaints and devoured half a pie of the white and quite a few slices of the red! I, of course, am hooked!

Here's the recipe... very easy to do! Just pick up some sprouted flour at the health food store and get cookin' tonight! The recipe is one that I adapted from Janie Quinn's cookbook: Essential Eating.

Xoxox <3 Udo

Sprouted Pizza Crust:
2 tablespoons of organic sucanant
1 cup of warm water (similar to really hot tap water- keep it around 115-120 degrees)
2 tablespoons of country fresh cream butter (any butter will do of course!)
1 teaspoon or so of sweet pink sea salt
3 cups of sprouted flour (wheat, spelt, quinoa, you choose!)

  • In a medium sized bowl, combine the organic sucant and water - swirl about a bit with a fork or wooden spoon or whisk. 
  • Add the yeast and let it stand for a few minutes
  • Swirl it about a bit to get those bubbles foaming. 
  • Let the yeast water stand for a couple minutes. 
  • Add the melted butter and salt to the mixture. 
  • Now begin to add the flour one cup at a time and mix with a wooden spoon.
  • Combine gently until the dough starts to form a ball and pull away from the bowl.
  • If the dough is too sticky add more flour.
  • Knead the dough on a lightly floured (with your sprouted flour of course) surface for a few minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic, and shiny. About 10 minutes?
  • Spray the bowl with a quick shot of Pam Olive Oil baking spray (or you can use a paper towel that has a teeny amount of olive oil on it and wipe the bowl with it. 
  • Place the kneaded dough in the bowl and cover with a damp dish towel. 
  • Let it sit for about 15-20 minutes (I am very impatient and really only let mine sit about 3 minutes. heh) in a warm spot. 
  • Punch down the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin. 
  • Place the rolled out pizza dough on a cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with corn meal.
  • Add your toppings (see below) 
  • Bake at 475 for 10-15 minutes... until it looks like it's done. Cut into 8ths with a pizza cutter
For the white pizza I tried to keep it really low-cal so I didn't add any oil or sauce. I used carmelized onions, black olives, baby spinach leaves, mushrooms that had been sauteed in a teeny amount of butter and olive oil and seasoned with salt and tarragon, pink sea salt, pepper, and a few dollops of salty yogurt. I added some sea salt to the yogurt and mixed it up in a small bowl before I dabbed it onto the pizza (that was my 'cheese'). 

For the red pizza I added baby shrimp that had been sauteed in garlic and butter and seasoned with Old Bay seasoning, caramelized onions, red pizza sauce, and low-fat organic mozzarella cheese.

Soooo good and you won't feel heavy or bloated afterwards! Enjoy your sprouted pizza! We sure did!
My guesstimated calorie count for one whole pizza crust (all cals listed are approx.)

Flour (400)
Butter (200)
Sucanant (60)
-------------------
660 for the crust divide into 8ths = approx. 85 cals per slice (crust only)

Hemp Granola

Let me tell you what... adding hemp granola to the raw carrot cake I made the other day was a GENIUS idea! Wow... this stuff is insanely delicious and now I have a crunchy, sweet, and salty snack to boot! Try some today! Soooo dang good! This is the kind I use. Enjoy! Xoxo <3 Udo

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Raw Goodness - Carrot Cake...

My mouth is watering as I write this post. Last night, I made REAL carrot cake. Raw, uncooked, carrot cake. Wowwiiie! Talk about sinfully delcious - and NO guilt! Here's the recipe...

  • 7 peeled carrots chopped into small pieces
  • 1 cup of almonds (soaked overnight (I didn't have time to soak mine)
  • 1 cup or so of raisins
  • 1 cup or so of shredded coconut
  • 1 splash of vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of honey or agave nectar
  • 3 tablespoons of coarse bran (or psyllium)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 dash of pink sea salt
  • 1/3 cup of ground flax seeds
  • Dashes of cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg to taste
Process the almonds and carrots in the food processor. Transfer to bowl and gently combine the carrots, almonds, coconut, raisins, sea salt, lemon, flax seeds, spices, honey, and vanilla (all ingredients). Press into a 9 or 10" springform pan. Let sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours until set. Add icing (see below) to the top and cover with shredded coconut.

For the icing:
  • 1 cup of raw honey
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • splash of vanilla extract
  • 2 cups of soaked almonds (I didn't soak mine)
Process in food processor and spread carefully onto center of cake and blend outwards. Cover up the edges with shredded coconut.






Outrageously delicious!
Outrageously raw!

Enjoy!

XOxo <3 Udo

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

She's chopping Brocccooollllayyyyy!

Leave it to Dana Carvey to tempt me into making a delicious, wholesome, rockin' broccolli salad last night! Oy Gevault! Ahhhh! I'll never go a week without having my raw broco salad again! This delicious dish is one that will cleanse your body and your palate making you feel light and alive! Enjoy the enzymatic action of raw produce as it nourishes and heals your body... your body needs this! Broccoli is a proven anti-cancer agent... and when I say 'cancer' I don't just mean the googly mess that eats your insides up... I mean negativity, harsh words, negative thoughts, and crappy attitudes... give em the ol' heave ho! with this essential salad!!

Enjoy!

XXoXO <3 Udo


  • Big bowl of tiny chopped broccolli (I bought a very large bag of pre-cut, pre-washed broccoli at Sam's club yesterday so the hard part was already done!)
  • Juice of one lemon. You have to get one of these little wooden dandies. So fun to use and my are they efficient! Wooden hand-held juicer.
  • A dazzle of olive oil
  • A sprinkly of fleur de sol or sweet pink sea salt
  • A sprinkly of cinnamon
  • A sprinkly of garam marsala (it has cumin and other spices in it)
  • A handful of pine nuts (toasted if you like)
  • A clove of garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon of organic sucanat (only 15 calories!)
Flavor and swirl and toss to taste. Let it marinate a bit in a ceramic (non-reactive) bowl. Serve and Enjoy!

Dana Carvey is chopping broccoli....

Monday, February 08, 2010

Outta This World!

Check this out! NASA will be conducting some night launches fairly soon which means you can probably catch a glimpse of rocket fun from your own backyard! To get the details of the when and where click here for the full article.

During the mornings of Feb. 8, 9, 19 and 20 it may be possible to see Endeavour and the space as two separate entities, appearing as bright moving "stars." At all other times during the mission, you'll see only one singular bright moving star, as that will be when the two space vehicles are docked together.


Where to look
  • Southeast U.S. coastline: Anywhere north of Cape Canaveral, viewers should initially concentrate on the south-southwest horizon. If you are south of the Cape, look low toward the north-northeast. If you're west of the Cape, look low toward the east-northeast.
  • Mid-Atlantic region: Look toward the south about 3 to 6 minutes after launch.
  • Northeast: Concentrate your gaze low toward the south-southeast about 6 to 8 minutes after launch.

For most viewers, the shuttle will appear to literally skim the horizon, so be sure there are no buildings or trees to obstruct your view.


UPDATE: Shuttle is in orbit!




Enjoy!

XOxo <3 Udo

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

FREE Global Telecasts on Stuff you like!

I just about flipped out over this news! Check out these free online learning sessions in the areas of health, wellness, and personal development. LOVE IT!!! FREEBIES!!! Terrific! Enjoy! Xoxo <3 Udo

Are you too clean?

Did you know that using common household cleaners like bleach and solvents can harm your fertility? Yep. Check out this terrific short video from Women's Voices for the Earth to learn more... And for goodness sakes, stay away from that crazy bunny!

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Here a fish biscuit there a fish biscuit... Everywhere a Dharma fish biscuit...

Inspired by our friends over at kung foodie I couldn't help but make some LOST Dharma fish biscuits for our gathering... No worries- no fishy or shrimp taste here... just good ol' sugar cookies with a recipe I found here. Added equal parts red and yellow food coloring and hand cut with a steak knife... baked until they fluffed up a bit at 350 (10 minutes) I think. Enjoy! Xoxo <3 Udo



Check out Mr. Friendly's Fishbiscuit Rap:
Hey you got yourself a fish biscuit... how'd you do that?




Oh and can't forget our Dharam Drinks! Dharma Lager anyone? Or Dharma Merlot? Ahahaha! Enjoy! And you too can make your own Lost Dharma products by cutting out and pasting these fabulous logo pdfs  here.
Enjoy!




Sawyer wins a fish biscuit...


Wednesday, January 27, 2010

My Dharma Swan Station Fondant Cake for our LOST Season 6 Party!! Weee!

Yahoo! Look what I did! Weeeee! All by myself! FROM SCRATCH too! I am such a LOST nerd! Ok- so my original plan was to go to Sam's Club or Costco or whatever and ask them to please take this LOST Swan Station logo and airbrush it on to a cake for me...like how they do it with photographs. I just wanted to have a cool cake to bring to our Season 6 LOST Premeire party... so I had the ingenious idea to have a LOST cake made...

Well, I went to Sam's club today and the girl there told me that they weren't allowed to reprint a logo or photo from a television show onto a cake without the express written permission of the copywrite owner. What?! It's a cake people... but point taken - guess a major retailer like Sam's Club can't take any chances... though the evidence would soon be destroyed via someone's piehole. Whateveah. Frustrated... I decided to head up to Michael's. I mean what the heck... how hard could this be? It's a CAKE! And I LOVE CAKE!

Well... guess who taught themself how to make fondant tonight?! I'll give you a hint... it wasn't Benjamin Linus! I picked up a spring form 9" cake pan, some icing, icing coloring (black) and headed home. I didn't even pick up a BOX cake! Nope. This baby was made FOR REAL from scratch.

I found Paula Deen's easy 1234 cake recipe and made that. (I used 1 cup of yogurt instead of one of the sticks of butter to make it a little healthier). I didn't have self-rising flour so I found this recipe online to substitute. The batter was enough for me to make 2 nine inch cakes so I layered them with buttercream icing in between and all over. Wow! A fun double layer cake. I guess I could have used the recipe for my famous coconut cake but I wanted to try something else out... something totally basic. After I made fondant using this recipe, I rolled out the white fondant and dyed the other batch black. Then it was just a matter of using a steak knife to cut out the black parts and the swan and pasting them onto the cake with a pastry brush and some filtered water. Neato!!!!

I had some help cutting out the shape of the swan from the other LOST geek (and a gorgeous one at that) that I live with. I'm not exactly Ms. Artistic when it comes to drawing - and Lord knows I do not have a steady hand nor the patience to be consistent... so lucky me for being able to break my brilliant husband's concentration (he had been writing for 14 hours straight) by giving him a little swan crafting break.

Now- the LOST party is obviously not until Feb. 2nd... and that's like a week away! I'm going to make another cake this weekend ... probably Sunday night to have it ready for Tuesday night... so what to do with this one? I can't wait to taste it!!!!

I think I will treat my LOST obsessed co-workers to this on Friday...or Thursday (the old time LOST watching night circa Seasons 1,2,3)  whattya think? Think they'd like to try it out?



I still have to put the DHARMA letters on there... but for the most part this masterpiece is d_o_n_e.
DONE! Dang, It looks pretty good! hehehehee!



So excited!!
So fun!


Enjoy!
XOxoxo <3 Udo

Kale Chips = OH YES!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! My new obsession..... KALE CHIPS!!!! OMG! These delectable dainty little 'chips' are EXTRAORDINARY!!!! I just love them! Wowow! Good bye pringles and hello slimmer thighs! Ahha... Delicious!

Kale Chips:
1 bunch kale
pink sea salt
extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
lemon juice

Cut or tear up the kale leaves (and stems- or you can remove the stems if you want) and put into a big bowl. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice over the leaves, give it a good sprinkly of sea salt (pink is my favorite). Massage the leaves for a good 5 minutes until they soften up a bit. Places leaves in a dehydrator - careful not to overlap them. Dehydrate on 115 degrees for about 6 hours or until crispy. WOW! My mouth is watering just talking about them!! Wowza kapow! Healthy delicious and full of nutrients! Eeeeee!

Enjoy!
Xoxox <3 Udo

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Wanna feel good?


It's so easy to forget what really matters in life when we are lulled into boredom by the everyday things we have to do as adults. Practical concearns like keeping house and paying bills can consume you if you let them. Sometimes we forget to nourish our inner spirit and to stay focused because we distract ourselves with things that do not matter. Are you living your life with passion and purpose? What is your passion? What makes you crazy excited? What do you look forward to working on? Instead of comparing yourself to others, remind yourself that there is enough love, abundance, creativity, and great ideas for everyone in this universe! The creative mind is overflowing with peace, joy, and happiness- all you need to do is claim yours.


Remember- being happy is not a gift, it is not a thing that happens to you when you've finally made it, it is not some freak luck thing that happens to some people and not to others... Here's a secret....


BEING HAPPY is a CHOICE.


Make the decision to be happy! =D Make the decision to feel good today. Decide to feel love, to share love, to live today as if it were your last! Don't worry about what will happen this week or next week or if you will figure out your future... just take it one day at a time. The first step towards living the life you want is to live as if you already have it. Cultivate a positive attitude. If you just don't know what to do and you find yourself doing nothing... do this. Turn your thoughts to positive self talk. Instead of sitting on the sofa- go for a walk and on your walk, think positively to yourself. Instead of surfing the internet for hours on end sit quietly in meditation- and focus your thoughts on positive and loving ideas. When worries or anxiety get a grip on you, take a deep breath and use positive self talk. This is the very first step towards creating the reality you deserve.

Here are some videos to help get you started.

  • The first one is really upbeat and feel good.
  • The second one is Lilou Mace (a youtube personality) guiding you through a quiet meditation.
  • The third one is a wonderful Reiki meditation from a soundtrack that I use when I do Reiki on my husband (he loooooves his weekly Reiki session - so cute!!! It really soothes his mind from a a hectic work week and bolsters his creativity).
  • The last one takes quotes from the Secret to remind us what to focus on.... whew!

Remember...


Every journey towards something...
is a journey away from something else.


Enjoy!
Xoxox <3>Udo











Thought for the day...
I'm too blessed to be stressed!
I have an attitude of gratitude!





Learn it.
Live it.
Pass it on!
Feel good today!


Saturday, January 23, 2010

Gluten Free is for Me!


Good Morning and Good Afternoon! The gluten free pizza came out delicious!!! My husband and I ate a whole pie ourselves before my mom in law and my aunt in law came over. They really liked it too, but they also really liked the pizza that was delivered! lol... I really and truly enjoyed this gluten free crust and the low fat way the pizza was made.

I used a standard pizza marinara sauce and topped the crust with fat free mozzerella cheese and pink sea salt, with fresh basil leaves. It was INCREDIBLE!!!! Oh my goodness, the crust was so hearty and healthy, you felt good just eating it! I love the yeasty aroma from fresh baked crust too. I will be making this pizza for my cutie pie and myself on Fridays going forward. I still don't know what it means to be gluten free, so if you know of a great website or other educational link to send me- please do!

Meanwhile in the backyard this morning I spotted not one but TWO adorable cats! So funnnn! I love cats. If I wasn't married I would in fact be the crazyazz cat lady. I'd have them crawling all over my tiny house. Just love them!!!! Well I have spotted two feline friends in the backyard of our country home and I am thrilled to have these out door pets. (Aren't I silly? I can't help it. I adore animals but having pets in the house is a no-no due to messes and allergies etc.) I love pups too! And I think our neighbors just got themselves a little canine.

As soon as we replace our dear digital camera I promise to post pics of all things neighborhoody. Speaking of people in your neighborhood... still haven't met any of our new neighbors yet. :\ I'm hoping they will bring us some baked goods once the spring hits... lol.

At work yesterday I was so happy to have some students stop by and chat about nothing in particular. It feels really good when they just pop in to talk about their day!

Well, I'm off for a jog in my cold gear (brrr), on second thought.... hmrph... Why am I so turned off by walking/jogging alone? Gah. So boring! To be fair, a few times over winter break I was all charged up and jogged around the neighborhood (a 3 mile loop) by myself. My dh (darling husband) was home too but no jogging for him when he had a chest cold. I like when we jog together. It's more fun. It's a bit stark out there right now and I know we have a long run planned for tomorrow afternoon... so perhaps I will do The Wave for a good 80 minutes instead. Love the Wave! Yep. That's what I'm going to do. Jog can wait for tomorrow...off to the market for some quinoa and oats...

Later tonight I will be making a delicious dinner for two... I'm going to make the pork tenderloin with eggplant relish found on page 75 of the Food Nework Magazine (Jan/Feb) issue. It looks like a terrific low cal dinner with only 297 cals per serving. Perfect!

Enjoy your day and remember to smile to yourself (you'll look prettier and people will wonder what you're up to!)

XOxoxo <3>Udo

Friday, January 22, 2010

Telescopes & Microscopes and.. TGIF!


Wooo! Here we are... one step closer to the weekend... FRI DAY! FRIIII DAY!!! FRIII DAYYYYY!!! Yeayyyy!!! Tonight I will attempt to make a gluten free pizza. The dough is made and ready to go. It is chilling in the fridge until I get home from work tonight. I think I will either try to make that pear and walnut topping I mentioned here, or maybe I will chicken out and stick with marinara sauce, low-moisture mozzerella, and fresh basil leaves... decisions, decisions....

In other news, I bought a food dehydrator yesterday. Very excited to use this. Funny, for the past several months I've been eyeing up all sorts of wacky raw recipes that require a food dehydrator... and now that I have one... I can't seem to locate one off the bat! What the? I'll have to keep a peep out for some wonderful dehydrator snacks and post them in UdoUncooked.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... the transition back to raw is beginning to pay off in other areas. I've lost 2lbs this week and (if you count back since Christmas) I've lost 6lbs total! The 6lbs have been coming and going over the past 4 weeks so I'm not officially counting it as a total loss... I'm not even really trying to lose weight really, just changing up some of my eating habits to include more fresh fruits, fresh juices and fresh green smoothies, more raw... mid-raw, eh? Certainly not high-raw... (yet) but I hope to venture back that way again in the coming months. And trying to leave out white sugar and flour... hence, the gluten free goodies and sprouted snacks.

Of course this in no way indicates that I won't be gleefully stuffing my pie hole with the REDICULOUS and AMAZING Dharma Initiative cake I am making (read: having someone else make!) for my husband's LOST Season 6 Premeire party in 2 weeks.... Weeee!

Onward! To a wonderful weekend!!! I feel like we are on the verge of something beautiful... something magical is in there air... I hope that you will embrace that feeling too this weekend... and keep a sense of anticipation about you!

Today's quote:


Love looks through a telescope, while envy looks through a microscope.

Ponder it.
Practice it, even if just for today. 
Please share it.

Enjoy!
XXOoxoXO <3>Udo

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Gluten Free Pizza and Avocado Ice Cream!





Stopped at the health food store on the way home from work tonight and picked up some wonderful gluten free pizza dough. From what I understand gluten free also digests like a vegetable just like sprouted... is this correct? I must research this further... The man at the store said that gluten free products digest like vegetables. He asked me if I was moving away from a flour based diet... and I said... I wasn't sure what I was doing yet but I was definately incorporating more sprouted products into my diet. We talked about flour and how it is very binding and clogs up your digestive system... just like GLUE! Flour and water together are the same things we used to make paste in kindergarden, remember?

At any rate I am thrilled and excited to make this gluten free pizza on Friday! I also picked up some organic succutant, some more sprouted spelt and sprouted spring wheat flours,an additional bag of sprouted poppy seed bagels, and these mind blowing vegan spice bars... I have to find out how they were made- OUTRAGEOUSLY DELICIOUS!

For dinner tonight we had a delicious bowl of chicken pot-au-feu. It was light, airy, and very filling! Recipe is found on page 89 of the food network magazine in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue.

Dessert was a bowl of banana avocado icecream topped with agave nectar chocolate sauce!!!

Banana Avocado Ice Cream
3 frozen bananas
1/2 avocado
1 dash of organic vanilla extract
3 soaked dates

Process in food processor until smooth and creamy. Serve in a small beautiful china bowl and top with agave nectar chocolate syrup... (make this by swirling two tablespoons agave nectar in a small bowl with a nice big dash of dark organic cocoa, thin with a teeny bit of water, swirl with spoon and drizzle over ice cream). AHHHHHH!!! SOOO GOOD!! and so good for you! ;)

Weee! Xoxox <3>Udo

Friday, January 08, 2010

Get ready to raw and roll!


Woo! Get ready to Raw and Roll! In the middle of my LOST Season 5 marathon with my darling hub-bub, I decided to branch off Udo Umami into other areas of interest... check out the latest blog addition to the Udo family: UdoUncooked.

Ok- so it's not just a blog dedicated to raw foods, nor is it a blog strictly about vegan or vegetarian related topics... but it IS a fun new blog about all things healthy, vital, and full of nutrients! Stop by the Udo Umami sister blog for great recipes and products that feature health and wellness. It's sprouted grains, it's grass-fed beef, free range chicken, and breads and soups that are all chockful of vital, life-giving nutrients. Mmm! It's UdoUncooked!

Enjoy!
XoxoX <3>Udo

Thursday, January 07, 2010

30 savory soups~


WOw! Check out this great resource for making 30 savory soups in no time! So delicious and fun! Don't you just love soup in the winter months? It's a great way to stay healthy, warm, and low cal! Enjoy! XOxox <3>Udo

Monday, January 04, 2010

Handbook for 2010


Passed along from an email... Love it!


Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner 'most' is always happy. So, be happy.
Here's to 2010... the BEST YEAR EVER!!!! Weeee!
Enjoy!
Xoxoxoxox <3>Udo