Category Archives: Vivian Law

Making Life Good Recommends

Posted on April 30, 2013 | Leave a comment

MLG_recommends

You may have noticed that there are a fair number of food, food product and service recommendations on this website. The purpose of these recommendations is to share ways to lead a healthy lifestyle, enjoy food and make life good. A lot of care and consideration goes into the recommendations you find here.

Making Life Good recommendations strive for great taste, nutrition, enjoyment, relative ease of preparation and most importantly a way to Make Life Good through healthy eating. The recipes you find here are created and tested myself and on various guests until there is a high level of taste enjoyment.

Our food and food product recommendations are discoveries that are found anywhere in the world, through a constant journey to locate amazing food experiences everywhere. Whenever possible, I have personal conversations with the purveyors of the product to learn the back story. If not, the products are tested myself and repeatedly with various friends and guests. Every product that I ever recommend here is one that I use regularly myself, share and purchase for others. I hope you enjoy our recommendations and they make life good for you-

Yours Truly,

Vivian Law

 

 

 

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Recipe: Banana Coconut Bread (gluten free)

Posted on April 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

Banana bread is a food that some little people in my life really love to eat. I’ve tried many different recipes and this one is a current favourite. This banana coconut bread is really easy to prepare, delivers great banana flavour, and the extra nutrition of coconut flour (fibre, iron, healthy fat).

3-4 very ripe bananas

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup honey

3 large eggs

3/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mash banana until fairly smooth in consistency. Whisk in coconut oil, honey, eggs and vanilla. Mix in coconut flour, baking powder and salt with a wooden spoon. Stir until well combined, mixture will be thick. Pat batter into mini silicone loaf pans (consistency is best with mini loaf pans). Bake for about 30-45 minutes or until the slightly brown around the edges. Slice and enjoy warm or store in a airtight container, refrigerated for up to 3 days.

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted in gluten free, Healthy food, healthy recipe, Healthy snack, Recipe, Vivian Law

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Recipe: Coconut Black Rice

Posted on April 5, 2013 | Leave a comment

Black rice is something I have tasted sporadically over the years in various forms of Asian  fusion cuisine. Earlier this year, I had coconut black rice served with fish in Kauai and then as coconut black rice pudding at Foxley.  Both were delicious and I had to learn how to make it. Black rice contains fiber and antioxidants in addition to its interesting taste and texture. Here is my recipe for coconut black rice, a dessert I have served topped with mango and strawberry to delighted guests. The rice also makes a nice alternative breakfast topped with fruit and nuts. The grated fresh coconut is a nice touch and dry shredded coconut works as well. Omit the sugar and cook for less time if you wish to serve it as more of a savoury side dish.

1 cup black rice, soaked overnight or a few hours in water and rinsed

2 cups water

1 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons of organic sugar

1/4 cup grated fresh coconut or shredded unsweetened coconut

Bring rice, water and coconut milk to a boil in a pot. Remove the lid and simmer on low heat until water is absorbed or rice is desired tenderness, about 45 minutes. Stir periodically, check for doneness, and add more water if necessary. Stir in sugar and coconut before serving. Serve warm, topped with fresh mango and/or strawberries if desired. Enjoy!

 

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Posted in antioxidant, gluten free, Healthy food, healthy recipe, healthy treat, plant food, Recipe, Vegan, Vivian Law

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Recipe: Sweet Potato, Pineapple and Pork Stew

Posted on April 2, 2013 | Leave a comment

This sweet potato, pineapple and pork stew is a great blend of sweet and sour flavour. The recipe is inspired by one I came across many years ago in Eating Well magazine. Essentially, it has become my healthier version of sweet and sour pork:

1-2 shallots, minced

1 small piece of ginger, minced

1 pound of lean pork stew cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups of strained tomatoes

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, cubed

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1/4 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

chopped cilantro and green onion for garnish

In a large saucepan or pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Lightly brown shallots and ginger for a minute. Add pork, season with salt and pepper, and brown all over. Add strained tomatoes to the pot, then cumin, sweet potatoes and pineapple. Cover, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro and green onion. Enjoy over brown rice if desired.

 

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Tea, Coffee, Energy drink? 3 questions to ask

Posted on March 28, 2013 | Leave a comment

Many of us drink a cup of tea, coffee, a coke, energy drink or any caffeinated beverage regularly. Here are 3 questions I invite you to ask each time you reach for a caffeinated beverage:

What is my energy level?

How steady is the ‘boost’ I receive from the drink?

How much and how well did I sleep last night?

These questions help to give you more awareness in the effects of the caffeinated beverage specific to yourself. The more aware of how a caffeinated beverage affects you at different times of the day, the more you can gain a better understanding of what will help you feel your best. Caffeine is a stimulant and needs to be taken in balance for optimal health.

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Recipe: Sauteed Kale with Apple

Posted on March 18, 2013 | Leave a comment

Here is a recipe that I have used for a few years inspired by Eating Well magazine and Feeding the Whole Family cookbook. I generally like organic black kale best for the milder flavour and texture. The mix of butter, brown sugar, dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar brings the flavours of kale and apple together very nicely. This is a veggie side dish that is finished up quickly!

1 bunch organic black kale

1-2 royal gala apples, cored and sliced thin

1 tablespoon of salted butter

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat, saute apple slices and sprinkle with brown sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add kale and saute until kale is bright green and desired tenderness, 2-3 minutes. Stir in dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar.  Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Sauteed Kale with Apple

Sauteed Kale with Apple

 

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Posted in antioxidant, gluten free, Greens, Healthy food, healthy recipe, plant food, Recipe, Veggies, Vivian Law

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The Bond Workout

Posted on March 11, 2013 | Leave a comment

Daniel Craig as agent 007 James Bond has been a physical fitness inspiration to me since Casino Royale. I like the concept that mental and physical fitness is referenced in the book by Ian Fleming-‘Bond was determined to be completely fit and relaxed…’  Bond has lunch, sits by the window gazing out at the sea as he awaits the massage he ordered. Those are some really good relaxation techniques that he uses…Granted, he is getting ready for a long night of gambling-a performance that requires mental and physical strength, agility and relaxation.

We can take the philosophy of having a balance of mental and physical strength, agility and relaxation and apply it to handling our daily lives even when we are not fictional secret killer agents. We had a lot of fun looking into and testing a Bond inspired workout at our studio recently, here is the workout if you would like to try it:

http://www.befiteveryday.com/the-bond-workout/

Ps. It is challenging and the Indo Row water rower is the icing on the cake for this workout

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Posted in Indo Row, Vivian Law, water rower, Workout

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12 Minute Walk/Run Workout

Posted on February 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

The 12 minute run is a classic fitness test devised in 1968 by Dr Ken Cooper to measure aerobic fitness. A person simply walks or runs as far as he or she can in 12 minutes and the distance is recorded.

The 12 minute run is actually a simple workout that can be used on a regular basis. If you are able to run-you run as many laps as you can on a track or use a treadmill to record the distance you complete in 12 minutes time. If running does not work for you, then walking as far as you can in 12 minutes is also very effective. The key is to push yourself to a point where you feel out of breath and cannot really talk.

I have found the 12 minute run to be an effective way to get me on a treadmill lately, as I have needed motivation to get on a treadmill (I much prefer outdoors). 12 minutes is a short enough time to talk yourself into exercising when you may not feel like it. Once you get going, you may feel like competing with yourself to match or surpass your previous distance. The 12 minute run is a great way to watch yourself improve with the distance you can cover in that time. Give this workout a try-you most certainly can find 12 minutes to get active!

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Posted in commentary, Recommendation, Vivian Law, Workout

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Recipe: Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Posted on February 21, 2013 | Leave a comment

This is a recipe I came across years ago in Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine and have adapted to add a bit more zip. This tasty salsa is great with corn chips, as a condiment for grilled pork, chicken, shrimp or rice. The avocado is a healthy fat and the pineapple contains bromelain, a digestive enzyme with anti-inflammatory properties.

1 ripe avocado, mashed

1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple

1 green onion chopped

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper (optional)

salt to taste

In a medium bowl, scoop out avocado and mash until it is a smooth consistency. Season avocado with salt to taste. Stir in pineapple and green onion evenly. Stir in cilantro and jalapeno. Enjoy!

 

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Posted in gluten free, Healthy food, healthy recipe, Healthy snack, plant food, Recipe, Vegan, Vivian Law

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Recipe: Sweet Potato and Rapini Mash

Posted on February 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

This is a nutrient packed vegan dish I first tried in the fall of 2012 at Mela Cafe. I was told it was yummy, which it absolutely was with the sweet potato balancing the slight bitterness of the rapini in a addition to a topping of homemade tomato sauce. The delicious combination of sweet potato and rapini is a super dose of beta carotene, vitamin C, folic acid, lutein and vitamin K. Here is my simple version:

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 bunch rapini, chopped

Homemade tomato sauce

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook the sweet potato until soft. Drain potatoes and put back into the pot. Using an immersion blender, mash sweet potato to desired consistency. Stir in coconut oil, bring back to medium heat and stir in the chopped rapini. Cover and heat until rapini is bright green and cooked through.

Heat desired quantity of homemade tomato sauce in a saucepan. Serve the sweet potato and rapini mash topped with the tomato sauce.-Enjoy!

 

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Posted in antioxidant, gluten free, Healthy food, healthy recipe, plant food, Recipe, Vegan, Vivian Law

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