Red Pepper Vinaigrette

This salad dressing is nothing like your basic vinaigrette formula — but you'll soon want to use it nearly every day. The classic vinaigrette is made with 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. As you can see, this version has no oil in it at all, making it extremely low in calories.
Once you've tried this I'm sure it'll become your basic everyday staple for salad. And you can never eat too much salad!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried whole oregano
Pinches of rosemary and thyme
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 of a roasted red bell pepper

Per serving:
8 calories
0 g total fat (0 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
2 g carbohydrate
0 g protein
0 g fiber
50 mg sodium

Reprinted from Dr. Weil's website at:

Tasty Mango Pudding

Here is an easy to prepare recipe that is both tasty and nutritious.

1 large mango, peeled
1/2 cup lowfat tofu

Slice mango and let drop into small bowl.
Crumble the tofu into a 1/2 cup, to measure it.
Mash together the mango and tofu.
Stir vigorously until you reach a pudding-like consistency.

Scoop into serving bowls. Place in refrigerator and chill for about an hour.
This is great with fresh chopped mint leaves on top, if desired.

Buying Fresh Seafood

When buying fresh seafood, use your senses of sight, smell, touch.

Look at the seafood to see if there are any spots, discoloring, or brown edges. Don't buy it if it has any of these. They are a sign of aging.

Smell. Simply take a whiff of the seafood. If it has an unpleasant odor, or strong fishy smell - don't buy it. It's been sitting around too long.

Touch. Gently poke the seafood (fish). If the flesh quickly bounces back, it is fresh. If the shellfish has a soft spot when touched - don't buy.

Using your senses when buying fresh seafood will only help you make a healthy, good buying decision.

5 CHEAP Ways to Lose Weight

With our society being known for having an obese population, it seems that there is a multitude of 'ways to lose weight'. Some of pure nonsense, some surgical, and some common sense. Some ways are easy, some take some work. In other words, there is something for everyone. Here are some ways to lose weight that plain and simply – use common sense and are cheap.

1. Drink water. How simple is this? So many people are concerned about how many sodas to drink. Do they need to decrease the amount? Should they drink diet sodas? Come on. Make your life easier. Just do not drink any. DRINK WATER! It fills you up. It is, simply, delicous and satisfying. Part of drinking more water includes water-based drinks such as tea.

2. Exercise more. This is so common sense, it is embarrassing to mention. However, with all the miraculous ways suggested to lose weight, it is basic. Exercise more, plain and simple. No matter if it is as simple as walking more than usual, do it. Do anything that involves more activity than what your current level is at. Even isometrics is good. Just do something physical besides sit in front of your television eating chocolates or junk food.

3. Steam foods. When you prepare your meals, simply use steaming as your method of cooking. It only involves the time to chop your food and place it in a steamer. Usually takes about 10-15 minutes of time. The taste is superb. The cost is cheap. Plus, there is decreased fat. You can experience the natural taste of food.

4. Decrease portion sizes. Our society has become accustomed to HUGE portion sizes of food. When eating out, take half your meal home in a doggy bag. Instead of eating 2 cups of cereal, cut back to 1 cup. Learn to enjoy eating a protein portion the size of a deck of cards. By learning to enjoy smaller portions, you will be amazed at how easy it is. Measure your food intake. It takes time, but is worth it.

5. Eat a well balanced diet. Forget those fad diets that have you totally eliminating certain food groups. Your body needs all food groups to function properly. It does not take a food scientist to know this.

Losing weight is not easy, especially as we age. It takes work and discipline. And, yes, it is easier said than done. By incorporating these weight loss suggestions into your lifestyle – you will reap the benefits. Go for it!

Weight Loss Tip - natural way

For anyone interested in losing weight the natural way - drink more water water. This is so common sense, but it works well. Besides filling you up, it is cheap, delicious, and convenient.

What more can you want?

The Best Natural Pain Med

Having recently undergone a total knee replacement, I have had my fill of 'pain meds'. None work that well. There is one method, however, that is surprisingly great. It is all-natural, cheap, and convenient. In fact, it can be found in everyone's freezer.

This effective pain reliever is known as ice. Plain and simple ice. I was really surprised when the doctor mentioned that the best way to alleviate pain was with ice. I like that. All the other pain meds had awful side effects like nausea and breathing difficulties. :(

Ice has no side effects, of course. The only drawback is the fact it can be cumbersome to fill up an ice bag every two hours. Those large ice gel packs are real nice, however.

The cheapest way, I find, is to simply fill a gallon size plastic with ice. Wrap the plastic bagin a towel to keep your clothes from getting wet. When the ice melts, simply replace it with a fresh pack.

A Natural Digestive Aid

Yesterday was a surprising day. One of my friends was constipated and only knew about Metamucil or prescription stool softeners. That blew me away. There is a wonderful natural digestive aid that is cheap, super effective, and convenient to either buy or make. It is...

Yogurt. I find that plain yogurt works best. By plain yogurt I mean the store bought kind that does not have any sugar, fillers, or fruit...or anything, for that matter...in it. It is labeled as PLAIN.

Simply eat some spoonfuls of this and wait for the magic to happen. For me, it is quick and efficient. Plus, the plain variety is tasty.

Even better than the store bought, mass produced variety is the homemade variety. Making your own yogurt is so easy and cheap that it's surprising more people don't do it. You don't need any fancy equipment or know-how. You can, however, buy a yogurt maker if you'd like.

To make:
I simply bring a quart of milk to the boiling point.
While the milk is heating, I put a tablespoon of plain yogurt (already on hand) in a glass cup. Once the milk starts to bubble, simply pour it into the glass cups.
Cover the individual glass cups with plastic wrap (to keep it from forming a filmy layer).
Either place the cups into the yogurt maker or into a cake pan.
If using a cake pan, pour about an inch of hot water into it, then place the cups in.
Cover with a thick towel to help with the fermentation process.,
Place in a non-drafty area, away from any cold.
Let process for hours. The longer you let it 'cook', the stronger the taste.
Store in fridge when done.

Willow Bark - A Natural Remedy

For those times when you need help with pain relief or inflammation, there is a natural alternative to aspirin or other pharmaceutically manufactured drugs. It is known as willow bark. Willow bark dates back to the days of Hippocrates when he had patients chew on the tree bark to help decrease pain and inflammation.

Being an herb, willow bark takes longer to see results from than drugs. And, the effects can last longer. Willow bark is known to have less side effects than pharmaceutical drugs. We know that acetiminophen (Tylenol) can be damaging to the liver. We also know that aspirin is a blood thinner and can cause stomach problems.

Try willow bark. You can find it in health food stores, or the natural living/healing section of your grocery store.

Also, you can find more information on it by searching the Internet. Enjoy!

Bilberry: Herb for Night Vision

Having suffered with night vision problems for along time, I have found one herb that has a reputation for improving this dilemma. Bilberry....

Bilberry was given to the fighter pilots during the World War to help improve night vision - for some background info.

If you can't find bilberry in capsules, make your own. Here's how:
* Find a health food store that sells bilberry in bulk.
* Buy as large a portion as you feel comfortable with. For about 20 capsules, I find it takes about
1/4 cup ground bilberry.
* Buy some empty capsules. These are sold in health food stores, also. Or, find them in the natural foods aisle of your grocery store. The capsules can be purchased either vegetarian or nonvegetarian. Your choice.

Store the bilberry capsules in an airtight container on your kitchen shelf away from heat.

Why Organic Food?

If one is not familiar with all the benefits of organic food, they are missing out. It is not just a fad or trend. Choosing organic food over non-organic food has many advantages, including:

* Taste. This is the deciding factor for choosing organic food. Once you taste unadultered food, you won't want to go back.
* No pesticides. Many times, a non-organically grown food will have a very strong aftertaste of chemicals. It is just repulsive.
* Environmentally friendly. By not using chemically-produced pesticides, the soil is healthier for all involved.
* Less food allergies. The pesticides used on traditional agriculture crops is known to cause food allergies in a variety of people.

These are but a few of the reasons to eat organic. Yes, the products will cost more than the traditionally grown, but the alternative is well worth it.

Another Way to use Peppermint

Peppermint provides us with a variety of ways to enjoy it. It is soothing, tasty, and versatile. One way to enjoy it is as a coffee flavoring.

Go to your local grocery and buy bulk peppermint leaves. Not only does it smell delicious, but it tastes just as good. Store the leaves in a glass jar, away from heat.

Peppermint is traditionally known to help with digestion. Using it as a coffee flavoring helps decrease the coffee's acidic effect upon the stomach - it works wonders in my case.

Peppermint Coffee
(makes 24 ounces, 4 servings)

4 heaping tablespoons ground coffee
1 teaspoon peppermint leaves
24 ounces of cold water

Place into coffeemaker and brew until done. Serve with milk, if desired.

Soothing Porridge

With colder weather upon us, a very simple way to start your day with a wealth of nutrients is found in what I like to call...Soothing Porridge. It's very easy to make...

1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup oats (no quick cooking, thank you)
2 T raisins
1/2 medium apple, peeled and diced
1 T dried cranberries or other dried fruit
cinnamon

Place all ingredients into small saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and cook until oats are soft.
Pour into bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon. Add milk, if desired. Or, I enjoy it without milk. The sweetness from the fruits doesn't require any additional sugar.

Enjoy!

New Food Producer

When I recently went to the grocery store, I was surprised to see a new line of food items on the shelves. Disney has a line of food items. That's right...Disney. It's not bad enough that every time we turn around, Disney is flooding our airways, movies, and store shelves with their new toys and characters. No, that is not enough....

Disney has entered the food industry. I saw colorful packages of sugary cereal just the other day. Beware......

Easy Citrus Squeeze

This is so easy, it's almost embarrassing. A very easy and tasty way to add some extra pizzazz to some steamed (or baked) seafood is to simply squeeze a fresh orange over it.

As soon as you remove the seafood (salmon is especially scrumptious) from cooking, place it on your serving plate. Cut an orange in half and just squeeze the juice over your piece of seafood.

Besides adding some extra sweetness to your seafood, the citric acid from the orange will aid your digestion.

This works equally well with tangerine, lemon, or lime. I, personally, prefer a nice, sweet orange. Actually, whatever your favorite citrus fruit is, will do.

Now, isn't that easy? Enjoy!!

Natural Healing Remedy

While recently in a pharmacy, someone was asking what to take for motion sickness. He was searching for an over-the-counter product. What's a natural alternative that works just as well, if not better?

Ginger. I've tried this and swear by it. Simply put some ground ginger into a coffee mug. Add hot water and steep. Viola - ginger tea. I steep it for about 2 minutes, and the taste is good. Add sugar, if desired.

If you don't like ginger tea, put the ginger into capsules (which you can buy at any health food store). Simply take a capsule with some water. No big deal.

Ginger has been known to have anti-nausea properties for centuries. It helps with troubled digestion, upset stomachs, and - as mentioned- motion sickness.

This is just one natural healing alternative to the pharmacy-profession produced products.

Disclaimer: This advice works for me, it may not work for you. I am not responsible for any negative consequences from you taking action on my advice.

Scottish Shortbread

Shortbread are popular cookies for everyone. They can be made into rolled, shaped cookies. Or, they can be made into pan cookies. The batter can be pressed into a baking pan and cut into squares or finger-shapes.

Shortbread are recommended for those who have to watch their sugar intake, and they are tasty for those just wanting a wonderful taste treat.

Here's a very simple and quick recipe for all to enjoy! Even though you can save calories and fat by using margaine, I wouldn't touch margarine with a ten-foot pole. The butter is just TOO delish!

Scottish Shortbread

wet ingredients:
1-1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
Mix these two ingredients together until creamy.

dry ingredients:
2-1/2 cups unbleached flour
dash of salt
Stir these ingredients into the creamed mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly grease a 9"x13" baking pan.
Press mixture into pan and even it out. It'll be about 1/4" thick.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until edges are brown.
Remove from oven when done and cool prior to cutting.

Makes about 25 bars.

Back At It

This blog has been on hiatus due to personal obligations. It is starting back up now with the intent of helping others learn about the ease of healthy eating.
Enjoy! MarieB

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Guide to Kids' Holiday Craft Projects

With the holiday season upon us, have the little ones pitch in and make some decorations and/or holiday fare for others to enjoy. Here are some suggestions and how tos for kids’ craft projects: These craft projects are geared toward the 4-7 year old.

Personalized ornaments
Items needed:
Toxic-free glue pencils/sticks
Plain, shiny gold or silver ornaments. The larger ones are preferred since they give a larger working area.
Glitter: different colors; red, gold, silver, green are best
(Put each glitter into its own small bowl)
Papers to cover the table
Pictures of trees and stars

How To Make Ornaments:
Place the papers onto the working area (table). Cover thoroughly.
Have the kids sit around the table.
Give each kid an ornament.
Tell them to be very careful since the ornaments break easy.
Give them each a glue pencil/stick
Tell them to put their favorite person’s name onto the ornament with glue
(Show them by example)
Or...they can draw a Christmas tree, a star, or an angel on the ornament
Once they have completed putting the glue onto the ornament,
Have them sprinkle the glitter over the glue.
They can use a variety of colors, if desired.
Let their imagination go wild!

Personalized Snowflakes
Another great craft project for kids is to make their own snowflakes of different sizes and colors.

Items Needed:
White copy paper
Different colored construction paper
Different sized construction paper (you may have to cut the 8-1/2 x 11” size in half.)
Blunt edged scissors
Crayons or colored pencils

How To Make Snowflakes:
Demonstrate the following before having them start:
Fold the paper in half.
Fold the paper in half again.
Cut triangles along all sides.
Cut triangles of different sizes
For white paper, kids can color as desired.
After done cutting:
kids can write their names on the snowflakes with crayons.

Personalized & Decorated aprons:
For the small cook, nothing would be enjoyed more than to have his or her own personalized apron. Buy a plain apron and let them decorate as their imagination tells them!

Items Needed:
Cotton apron, lighter colors preferred
Permanent magic markers – have red, black, and green available
A large working area such as a table

How to Make a Personalized & Decorated Apron:
Give each kid an apron
Place the magic markers in the center of the table.
Have the kids sit around the table
Explain to them what they are to do
Tell them that they can put their name on the apron. (For instance, show them how they can write “Marie’s (their name) Apron” on their very own apron.
Tell them that they can draw pictures of Christmas trees, stars, angels, etc. on their apron.
Let them know that the apron is a gift that will be used for years to come.
Enjoy!

Easy Wholefoods Cooking

In today’s hurried society, many things we once took for granted are now becoming obsolete. A hand written letter, a hand ironed wardrobe (can’t say I miss this one!), and even a hand prepared meal at home. Yes, cooking is becoming a lost art. The fast food society has fit in perfectly with our fast paced lifestyle. The deli sections in grocery stores are more popular than ever. Some very tasty and quickly prepared foods can be picked up here. The same goes for the frozen food section. There is a wide variety to suit any discriminating palate found here. And, it is all so quick!

Recently, our society is ‘going back’ to eating whole foods. There is a growing trend to steer away from ‘foods’ prepared by huge conglomerates who are only interested in the bottom line. We want to touch, smell, and taste our foods as they were meant to be. Many are experiencing health concerns and turning to natural foods to heal their ailments. Most foods have their roots in medicinal purposes. Remember Hippocrates? That is comforting, I believe.

Contact Marie Buckner at 360.613.1085 to schedule a cooking class.


To show how easy it is to prepare your own healthy meal, let us enjoy a full course meal. I promise that it is all quick, easy, and nutritious!

Avocado Pate (serves 4)
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons Neufchatel cheese or cream cheese
3 small roma tomatoes, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
one-half small celery stalk, diced
one-half orange, peeled and chopped

Mash avocado with fork until smooth. Stir in cheese. Add remaining ingredients. Chill in refrigerator prior to serving.
Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, or fresh veggies.

Beet and Carrot Salad (serves 3)
one-half cup beets, peeled and grated
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
4 tablespoons yogurt, plain
4 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons raisins

Combine all ingredients together in medium bowl. Mix thoroughly and serve as either a side dish or as topping on your favorite wholegrain. Adjust amount of yogurt per your liking.

Miso Greens Soup (serves 2)
4 cups water
1 green onion, chopped
one-quarter cup miso, light variety
1 cup spinach, chopped
one-half cup tofu, firm variety, cubed

In a small bowl, dissolve miso into a small amount of hot water. Set aside. Place all ingredients in large saucepan, including miso mixture. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Serve with whole wheat pita bread.

Broccoli Bravado (serves 3)
1 stalk broccoli, peeled and sliced (stems & flowerettes)
one-half cup peas
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cups brown rice, cooked and drained
one-half cup veggie broth
1 garlic clove, minced
one-quarter teaspoon each parsley, rosemary, thyme
1 tablespoons basil leaves, chopped (fresh)

In large skillet, place all ingredients except for rice. Cook over medium heat until veggies are tender. Add more liquid to prevent sticking, if needed. Remove from heat. In large bowl, combine cooked rice and veggie mixture.

Tropical Mousse (serves 4)
1 12-ounce box tofu, silken variety
1 mango, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons coconut
one-quarter cup pineapple chunks
juice of one orange, freshly squeezed

Crumble tofu into blender/food processor. Add remaining ingredients. Puree until pudding-like consistency is reached. Adjust liquid, if needed. Serve chilled. Sprinkle with more coconut prior to serving.