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Light House Route/Nova Scotia (Canada) shoreline. Lunenburg County, Mahone Bay & Peggys Cove

February 29, 2012 By 1 Comment
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Lunenburg,  Mahone Bay, and Peggys Cove are all popular travel stops along what is known as Nova Scotia’s “light house route”.  Quite unexpectedly, it is the first stop on our “Cajun” tour….

Wanderlust has a sneaky way of weaving people and places together, especially when you least expect it.  So when we went to visit Louisiana to learn about the Cajuns and their local food – the last thing I anticipated was to experience déjà vu…

It was an eerie feeling wandering around the Lafayette Acadian village.  I couldn’t shake that “hey, I’ve been here before” feeling…and then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I had been to Acadia before – only it was the original Acadian site located nearly 2400 miles away in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.  As it turns out, Lunenburg, NS, was the original (French) Acadian settlement of the Louisiana Cajuns before their [British] expulsion in 1755–1763;  the reason why the architecture of the Acadian village in Lafayette, LA so closely resembles that of Lunenburg, NS is because these were (some of) the same Nova Scotia Acadians displaced during the expulsion and who migrated to Louisiana.

Over the shock and once home, I dug through a stack of old photos; the similarities from the light house route’s architecture validated why I had experienced déjà vu in Lafayette, LA.

Lunenburg, NS, now designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, is known to be the best surviving example of a planned British colonial settlement in North America. “Established in 1753, it has retained its original layout and overall appearance, based on a rectangular grid pattern drawn up in the home country. The inhabitants have managed to safeguard the city’s identity throughout the centuries by preserving the wooden architecture of the houses, some of which date from the 18th century.”

 Below – Mahone Bay, NS.

Continuing along the light house route towards Halifax, Peggys cove is a popular destination to view the shoreline.

Next stop:  Louisiana.

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Hike to the MASH Site, Malibu Creek State Park (Los Angeles, CA)

February 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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I have something to confess.  I’m reliving the good old days and I’m having a ball.

Slowly but surely, I’ve been working my way through all eleven seasons of the TV sitcom M*A*S*H — one episode at a time.

Yes, you remember – M*A*S*H*.  Our favorite  70′s TV sitcom.

Until last year, I hadn’t ever considered watching all of the episodes (in sequential order no less)…. that is, until I got hooked into watching the original movie on late night TV.

That’s right.  The original MOVIE.  

(Many of us forgot that it all started with Richard Hooker’s book. And then came the movie. And then came the TV show.)

Oddly, throughout this epic journey I’ve come to realize that:

  • each M*A*S*H episode is roughly equivalent to the DASH diet’s minimum daily recommended exercise allotment,
  • the M*A*S*H theme song has now crept its’ way into my husband’s humming pattern, (unfortunately for him) with a high degree of accuracy.  Guess there’s something to be said about repetition…
  • this TV marathon has inspired us to get off our butts and hike out at Malibu Creek State Park, one of the original M*A*S*H filming locations.
Hiking out at Malibu Creek State Park to the MASH Site.
On weekends, the M*A*S*H site is well traveled by other M*A*S*H enthusiasts and local hikers – and it’s well worth the trip and the park/ing fee.  More recently, there have been a couple of new props out at the site (see pictures below).
Location:  1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California. 91301

 

Things to consider for the hike:
  • We recommend wearing sturdy, hiking appropriate shoes.
  • Food:  It inspired us to bring our own low sodium trail mix , Granola Bars, sandwiches, fruit, and ample water. Note: be prepared to bring enough water and pack out your own garbage.
  • Time/Distance:  If the plan is to have a leisurely picnic at the site, many people allot a generous 3 hours end-to-end.  All in, the total distance is 4.6 miles round trip from the parking lot. If you hike at a fairly quick pace, and don’t plan to picnic –  the three hour allotment is overly generous.
  • Parking: $12 for day use pass within the park.  If you prefer to walk in from the main road, free parking can often be found at the corner of Las Virgenes Road and Mulholland Drive.
  • Dogs are not allowed on the trail.
The hike starts out on a fire road, with a small hill/elevation at the start, and narrows into single track in some spots as the hike progresses.

View of the M*A*S*H camp from the helicopter pad.  We made the unfortunate mistake of scaling up the front side of the hill.  Had we gone a few more feet, we would have found a more gentle approach (the fire road).

Newer props have been placed out at the MASH site:

Picnic area (no garbage cans).

 Happy Trails!

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Make Your Own GORP & List of Low Sodium Trail Mix Ingredients for Inspiration

February 10, 2012 By 2 Comments
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Over hill, over dale,

we have hit the dusty trail….

As our stomachs go growling along….

Up and down, in and out, heart and kidneys right about,

Our trail mix keeps us rolling along.

For it’s low-low-you see, that our blood pressure is to be, Shout out our readings loud and strong.

Till our final ride , It will always be our pride

To keep our commitment moving strong….

I know. Please forgive me, as I’ve just completely defiled the original lyrics.  It’s all the inspiration that I could come up with today (other than the recipe and photo).

Our trail mix recipe, or “GORP” formula has long since evolved from good old raisins and peanuts (a.k.a. granola, oats, raisins, and peanuts; or gobs of raw protein) into something more robust and DASH diet friendly (fruits, nuts, and whole grains).

No matter if it’s a seasonal, gourmet, or whatever-happens-to-be-in-my-pantry blend, I still can’t figure out why our GORP always seems to be the first “healthy” snack food to completely disappear when we’re out and about.  Guess it’s good karma…

Instructions

We generally blend our trail mix using the following proportions:  3 parts dried fruit, 3 parts dried nuts, one part granola, and one part “other” — usually chocolate or candied fruit. Frankly, almost any combination tastes good. Happy Trails!

PS – Keep in mind that these ingredients are high energy and pack a big punch (= serves its’ intended use).

List of Low Sodium Ingredients for Trail/GORP Mix*

Dried Fruit (make sure the manufacturer hasn’t added any sodium)

Dried apples (chopped)
Dried apricots
Dried blueberries
Banana chips
Dried cherries
Dried cranberries
Flaked, unsweetened coconut
Dried dates
Dried figs
Dried peaches
Dried pears
Dried plantain chips
Dried pineapple
Dried prunes
Raisins

Whole Grains

Low-sodium Granola (or other breakfast cereal)/ toasted rolled oats
(Air popped) Popcorn

Nuts – Un-Shelled, Unsalted, and Pan Roasted (see our blog post for more details on pan roasting nuts– sometimes we toss the roasted nuts in a light sugar mix)

Almonds
Brazil
Cashews
Hazel
Macadamia
Peanuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts

Other Tasty Morsels
Crystallized Ginger
Candied Orange Peel
Candied Finger Lime

Chocolate
Carob
Low sodium marshmallows
Peanut butter chips
Freeze-Dried Yogurt

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Guest Post: Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe by Christy Ellingsworth, The Daily Dish.

February 6, 2012 By 3 Comments
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We’re pleased to introduce Christy Ellingsworth as today’s guest blogger.  Christy writes The Daily Dish, a recipe blog that’s geared toward eating low sodium foods and Meniere’s disease. She’s recently released a self-published book, titled Kick the Can! Homemade Low-Sodium Soups that ROCK.
Today, she’s generously sharing a Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup recipe from her new book and she’s penned a few words on what inspires her to write. You can also find Christy on Twitter and Facebook. Happy reading and cooking with Christy!

Before we delve headfirst into soup, let me tell you a little more about myself.

In 2004 I was diagnosed with an inner-ear plague called Meniere’s Disease.  Meniere’s is a chronic illness that affects the auditory and vestibular systems of the body.  Its symptoms include hearing loss, tinnitus, aural pressure and vertigo.  There is no known cure, but many are able to alleviate symptoms of the disease by adopting a strict low-sodium diet.  I am one of them.

In 2005, a year after starting the salt-free diet, I decided to write a cookbook.  I’d always been an avid cook and wanted to use that passion to develop recipes for a low-sodium audience.  I began crafting recipes and by 2006 had assembled dozens of dishes.  In 2007 I made the decision to take these recipes and put them online for free.  The Daily Dish was born.  Some people thought I was crazy, all this hard work for nothing?  But I believed in The Daily Dish.  It was a very personal choice, something I’ve never regretted.  Within weeks I began receiving emails from people who’d found my site, thanking me profusely for what I was doing.  I’ve never looked back.

Last year The Daily Dish won a $2000 grant from Mom Central Consulting.  The grant allowed me to self-publish a cookbook, something I’d longed to do for years.

Kick the Can! came to me as a way of writing a comprehensive low-sodium cookbook while keeping the project very small.  The overarching theme is limited, soup only, but allows for remarkable freedom within that constraint. Out of a book of 20 pages, I managed to squeeze in 16 recipes. And of those 16 there is truly something for everyone. Vegans and vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. From a basic broth to the chunkiest chowder. Beef, chicken, fish and vegetables.  Tofu and tempeh. Two soups you can even eat for BREAKFAST! So even though the book is tiny, it covers a grand spectrum of tastes.

I created today’s Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup for my husband several years ago, when he was suffering through a severe respiratory cold.  It’s made from basic pantry ingredients, comes together quickly, and is phenomenally flavorful with no added salt.  And it really hits the spot on a cold winter day.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Huge thanks to Low Sodium Blog for their wonderful work on our behalf and for allowing me the opportunity to share a recipe from my new cookbook, Kick the Can! Homemade Low-Sodium Soups that ROCK.

Thank you Christy, for sharing your story and a flavorful low sodium recipe with us all! No matter how each of us starts our low-sodium journey, it’s nice to know that there’s a community of low-sodium “dieters” who help to cheer each other on.  Best of luck with the book, and continued success with The Daily Dish!!  All the best, Johanna

… and here’s Christy’s Low Sodium Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe:

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe
by Christy Ellingsworth

Yield:  Serves 8.

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, sliced
3 medium stalks celery, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1- 15-oz. can no-salt-added diced tomatoes (with juice)
1- 8-oz. can no-salt-added tomato sauce
4 c. low-sodium beef broth
2 tsp. dried salt-free Italian seasoning
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Brown ground beef in a stockpot over medium heat.  Once beef is cooked, carefully drain out any excess fat.
2.  Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, raise heat to high and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts* (per serving)**:

Calories  218.4
Total Fat  11.9 g
Cholesterol  42.5 mg
Sodium  181.7 mg
Potassium  396.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate  13.7 g
Dietary Fiber  3.4 g
Sugars  4.7 g
Protein  14.0 g

*Nutrition facts calculations provided by Christy Ellingsworth.

**Please note that specific ingredients that you source can vary significantly (versus calculated 3rd party nutrition “average values”); your ingredient choices may affect the accuracy of the nutritional values listed above.   Please refer to our Disclaimers & Disclosures for further details.

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