An Easy Way to Cut Down on Sugar

With refined sugar being so prevalent in our food supply, it can sometimes seem like an overwhelming task for reduce your consumption. There is an easy way to do it, though.

Start purchasing products that contain zero amounts of refined sugars or other sugar forms. Sugar forms include refined sugars such as white sugar, molasses, brown sugar, powdered sugar, syrups, high fructose corn syrup and turbinado sugar.

Other sugar forms include maltodextrin, sucrose, glucose and honey - to name a few from the top of my head.

Read the labels to be certain. Labels contain a wealth of information about the product's nutritional value.

Instead of buying your traditional style peanut butter, for instance, that contains added sugar, start buying the brands that are labeled as "all natural". "All natural" usually means the product does not contain any additives, preservatives or commercially-added sugars and/or fats. In the case of peanut butter, it means the product contains only peanuts and maybe salt. Better yet, use one of those machines that grinds the peanuts while you watch.

Getting used to foods in their least processed states is the easiest way to make the transition away from the dependence upon sugar.

Good luck!

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Apologies

Hi everyone,
I need to apologize for the appearance of my last blog post. I don't know why the text came out so large and unappealing. :?

Happy Valentine's Day!

To all my U.S. readers, Happy Valentine's Day! Remember to share smiles, laughter, conversation and love on this special day.

Everyone deserves decadent treats every now and then. Here are some homemade chocolate covered cherries to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper.

Melt 2-3 squares of unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler.
Dip the cherries into the chocolate.
Place the cherries onto the cookie sheet.
Put cookie sheet into refrigerator.
Cool until chocolate hardens.

For extra taste and crunchiness, roll the cherries in crushed nuts after dipping in chocolate.

Enjoy!

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Are Diet Programs Necessary?

OK, like millions of people, you have made your New Year's resolution to lose weight and get in shape. A multitude of diet programs are bombarding our airwaves claiming to do everything they can to help you achieve your goals. All involve a cost, though. What a surprise.

Why is it that we have convinced ourselves that weight loss involves a group effort? I understand how some may believe they cannot lose weight without the support of a group. Whatever it takes, but why do so many people believe we need to purchase prepared foods from a “weight loss expert”? I find it perplexing. It's a form of brainwashing.

There is no miracle formula for losing weight and eating healthy. You do not have to belong to a diet program and take part in a commercially-prepared food program to succeed.

First of all, remove the word “diet” from your vocabulary. It signifies scarcity and leaves you feeling deprived. Instead, use “meal plan”.

Follow healthy eating rules and you can do it. The drawback....it takes more work than that needed to succeed in a commercially-operated program. You have to take control over your eating habits...not someone else (who charges a fee).

Fresh fruits and vegetables are low calorie, highly nutritious foods. Eat more of them. They fill you up, causing you to eat less of other foods. It's surprising how many folk do not like veggies and/or fruit. Look at these people and you will probably see someone who is overweight.

Learn to appreciate the true flavors of food instead of having them covered in high-fat sauces and other goop.

Mainly....stop eating so many processed foods. Do you realize how many calories you will save by simply doing this? And...you'll still get good taste. That is, if you get away from those “healthy” processed foods that are included in many diet programs.

Stay tuned for suggestions on how to take control of and change your eating habits...

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No Time for Hot Cereal?

Sometimes we either oversleep and miss the alarm or simply don't want to take the time to eat hot cereal in the morning. Either way, there is a quick and easy solution to fuel yourself for the day ahead.

Take some time the next before to make a couple batches of your hot cereal. Add dried raisins, dates, nuts or sliced fresh apples to your favorite whole grain cereal. A good combination is some oats, quinoa and flaxseeds for your whole grain cereal base.

Cook up your cereal over medium heat until done. Stir constantly to prevent sticking.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Place into airtight containers. Put into the refrigerator.

When you start your next day, simply take out the prepared cereal mixture and scoop your portion into a cereal bowl.

Heat in a microwave for two minutes to warm thoroughly.

Serve with soy or dairy milk and sweetener, if needed. Or, you can skip the milk. Sprinkle with some cinnamon for extra sweetness and nutrition.

How easy and convenient is this?

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Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to all my favorite readers! Even though it is the season of delicious food that you otherwise may not eat during the rest of the year (in my case..it's gravy)..Remember to eat everything in moderation.

Here's a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without adding excessive calories and all that other "unhealthy" stuff...

Buy a fresh pineapple and dice it up. Snacking on pineapple is simply scrumptious!

You can also make a fresh fruit smoothie by blending together some diced pineapple with plain yogurt. Add flaxseed to get some more nutrients in there.

Or, make a fresh fruit salad by mixing together some pineapple, plain yogurt or lowfat sour cream, mandarin oranges and sliced cherries or blueberries. Yumm!!!


Enjoy!

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Easy & Nutritious Meal for Holiday Season

It's always nice to be able to have a homemade meal that doesn't take much time to prepare. This is especially true when you're tired for any reason including long work hours, tkr recuperation or illness. Here's a recipe that doesn't take much energy to get ready. Plus, it's nutritious. Can't beat that...I remember eating it as a kid when my grandparents would make it. I've added some modern twists..

Enjoy this recipe throughout the busy holiday season or any time of the year.

Boiled Dinner

6-8 cups water

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

1 - 2” slice of cabbage

2 slices onion

2 potatoes, peeled and however you want to cut them

1 chicken breast, skin removed

1 t. Italian seasoning

¼ t dried basil

3 sprigs broccoli

Place water into Dutch oven, crockpot or large cooking pot.

Add all ingredients.

Cook over medium heat until everything is cooked til tender. If cooking on a stovetop, partially cover. If using a crockpot, fully cover for the duration.

Stir occasionally.

There are a variety of ways to serve this:

* You can serve this as a soup by cutting the protein up.

* Remove the veggies and protein to a serving plate and serve with a dollop of plain yogurt.

*Save the broth for other uses. Use the broth instead of canned broth in any recipe.

* Place a slice of whole grain bread onto the plate and pour some broth over it. Eat this in addition to, or instead of, the potatoes.

Freeze or refrigerate unused portions for later use. Store in airtight containers.

What's nice about this recipe, is you can alter the preparation methods according to how you feel. If you lack energy, simply peel the veggies and place whole into the water.

* Or, substitute peeled baby carrots for the carrots that require peeling.

* You can also buy a package of peeled and prepared fresh veggies to open and place into the water. The choice is yours.

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An Easy Way to Avoid Overeating

The holiday season brings with it so many different foods that only come out this time of year. It's the only time of the year that star or Christmas tree-shaped sugar cookies abound, for instance. And, let's not forget everyone's favorite, fruitcake. :) For myself, it's the only time of year I consume gravy and stuffing. Everyone is different, but overeating during this time commonly occurs for many people. The less you eat the less weight you put on your joints and tkr, too. What's a good way to avoid this? Here's my suggestion...

Use a smaller plate. Have you noticed how dinner plates have dramatically increased in size lately? It seems to have simultaneously occurred with the increased obesity epidemic and larger serving portions. Go figure. Dinner plates used to average 8” width, now they can be as big as 12” Yikes. The sight of these larger plates is just not pleasant, in my opinion. It's just so much food. Way too much food.

If you don't have any smaller plates in your cupboard, go to your thrift store. Past generations commonly used dinner plates that were 8” diameter. And, these items abound in thrift stores due to families donating estates. You can get an entire 8-place serving set for $20. If you look around, you may find a better deal.

You may also want to use dessert or salad plates as your main serving plate. This will decrease your portion sizes even smaller. Filling your smaller plates up with food fools your mind into thinking you're eating a lot of food.

Give these suggestions a try. You will like it. Enjoy!

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A Change of Pace

Hi my favorite readers!

The holiday season is upon us and I thought it would be fun to share a nontraditional recipe (for most folks, anyways). How about making a pot of some nutritious, easy to make and tasty black beans and rice? Let's go for it...

Cuban Black Beans & Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/4c olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves

1/2t cumin

2 bay leaves, crumbled

2 15-oz cans black beans, drained

1c water

1c rice

2T olive oil

2t vinegar

Heat 1/4c oil in large saucepan over medium heat

Add onions, pepper and garlic

Cook until onions are translucent and soft

Stir in cumin and bay leaves

Add beans and water

Bring to boil

Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

In separate saucepan, bring 2c water to boil. Add rice.

Cover, reduce heat and cook until rice is done.

Set aside.

Remove bay leaves from beans

Stir in 2T oil and vinegar

Season to taste

Serve beans over rice

Store leftovers in airtight container in fridge. Or, freeze for later use.

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Holiday Carrot Salad

Here's a twist on a traditional carrot salad recipe that I came up with for a recent potluck. I didn't have any raisins, so substituted with a holiday favorite...

3 large carrots, peeled and grated

1 slice pineapple, or 1/8c diced pineapple

handful dried cranberries, sweetened and dried

handful dates, cut into small pieces

2-3 T plain yogurt

pineapple juice to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Place in refrigerator and chill for an hour.

Store unused portions in airtight container in the fridge.

That's it!

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Natural Uses for Honey and Cinnamon

Here's an article I found interesting on using honey and cinnamon for dealing with pesky health ailments:

Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. What it will do is what some call 'turning to sugar'. In reality, honey is always honey. However, when left in a cool dark place for a long time it will "crystallize". When this happens loosen the lid, boil some water and sit the honey container in the hot water, but turn off the heat and let it liquefy naturally. It is then as good as it ever was. Never boil honey or put it in a microwave. This will kill the enzymes in the honey.

Cinnamon and Honey
Bet the drug companies won't like this one getting around. Facts on Honey and Cinnamon:

It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a 'Ram Ban' (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without side effects for any kind of diseases.
Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, when it is taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm even diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, in its issue dated 17 January,1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon, as researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES:
Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply it on bread instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, when they do this process daily, they decrease chances of another attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.

BLADDER INFECTIONS:
Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder..

CHOLESTEROL:
Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS:
Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH:
Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from its root.

GAS:
According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that when Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION:
Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food is eaten relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA:
A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural 'Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY:
Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of water and boil to make a tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans increase and even a 100 year old will start performing the chores of a 20-year-old..

RASPY OR SORE THROAT:

When throat has a tickle or is raspy, take one tablespoon of honey and sip until gone. Repeat every three hours until throat is without symptoms.

PIMPLES:
Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm water. When done daily for two weeks, it removes all pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS:
Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS:
Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER:
Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder three times a day for one month .

FATIGUE:
Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, even when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, when taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M., the vitality of the body increases within a week.

BAD BREATH:
People of South America, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water first thing in the morning so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS:
Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

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Versatile Beets

Here's more fun with beets:

It's that time of year when beets are in season. Beets contain a natural sweetness that lends well to a variety of tasty, budget-conscious foods. While using up a batch of recently-purchased beets (fresh from the farmer's market), I came up with this recipe that doubles as a soup or main dish.

Beet Rice Soup (serves 4)

6 cups water

1 medium beet, peeled and diced

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced

5 slices leek (or ¼ cup cut onion)

½ cup uncooked rice (your choice of type)

¼ t thyme

salt and pepper, to taste

Fill large dutch oven with water. Place in remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat, partially covered, for about 20 minutes. Test rice and veggies for doneness.

For soup, ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or a dollop of plain yogurt, if desired. Store unused portion in airtight container in fridge. Or, freeze for future use.

For a main dish, steam up some skinless chicken. Dice up chicken and place onto serving dish. Remove solid food from the soup mixture with a sieve. Place mixture over the chicken. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese prior to serving. Store unused portion in airtight container in fridge. Or, freeze for future use.

There you have it. A cost-effective, nutritious and versatile way to use beets. Share with your friends so they get an idea about how tasty beets are.

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How To Eat Your Beets, the Tasty & Super Easy Way

Fall season is such a fun time of the year with all the abundance of seasonal foods. Beets are one such food. After recently going to a local farmer's market, one of my friends was stumped about what to do with beets. So, I shared some recipes and thought I'd share another recipe with my favorite readers here...

Beets are tasty either raw or cooked. Having a natural sweetness, you can make them into either savory or sweet dishes. And, no special technique is needed to enjoy these colder-temperature foods.

When purchasing beets, look for firm bulbs and green leaves with red spines. The spines are the center portion of the leaf. Cut off the greens and use them in fresh greens salads for extra tanginess and nutrition.

Here's an easy and tasty way to get accustomed to eating pure beets:

Herbed Beets

1 large beet

¼ t Italian seasoning

Cut off the greens and save for later use. Peel the beet. Cut the beet into wedges or slice into desired thickness.

Use a Dutch oven and fill with about 2” of water. Place a steamer basket into the Dutch oven. Place the beets onto the steamer basket in the Dutch oven. Cover and bring to a boil. Steam for about 5-8 minutes. Remove the cover and poke the beet with a fork to test for doneness. When the fork can easily go into the beet, remove the pan from the heat.

Remove beets from the steamer and place onto serving dish. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning to your taste. Or, just eat the beets plain without seasoning.

Enjoy!

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Enjoying Succulent Winter Squash

It's that time of year again..the time for tasty, succulent winter squash. Winter squash can be so versatile, nutritious and easy to prepare..it can fit into any meal plan. Plus, it fits easily into food budgets.

Do you ever get tired of potatoes and need a healthy alternative? Or...just want to experience a new taste sensation? Turn to winter squash..

Winter squash are nutritional powerhouses that contain minimal calories and large amounts of vitamin A, folate, magnesium, potassium, Omega-3s and B vitamins...among other nutrients. So, not only are you adding variety to your meal plan, you are nutritiously feeding your body!

Plus, if you're watching your weight....viola! This is the food for you! Winter squash contain rich amounts of dietary fiber that fills you up with few calories. :)

Winter squash fall under the 'Red and Orange Vegetable' category on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate website. Check here for more nutritional information. You will be impressed by all this vegetable group has to offer:

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/vegetables_why.html

Here's a recipe that I enjoy instead of..or in addition to..mashed potatoes. It is a hit with my students and friends, as well..

Quick & Easy Mashed Butternut Squash

3-4 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced

¼ cup onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

¼ t Italian seasoning

dab of butter or dash of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Place raw squash and onion into steamer, or dutch oven with steaming basket. Cover tightly. Bring to boil over medium heat. Steam until you can poke a fork easily through the squash. It takes only about 5-8 minutes to cook.

Remove veggies and place into serving dish.

Add a dab of butter or dash of olive oil, just enough to add extra volume.

Sprinkle on garlic, Italian seasoning plus salt and pepper.

Mash ingredients thoroughly together with a fork or potato masher.

Add more seasoning, as needed.

Store any unused portion in airtight container in the refrigerator.

If you're wanting to cut back on fat, prepare recipe without using butter or oil. It takes just as good...

Butternut squash has a sweet, light taste all its own.

Enjoy!

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Easy Teriyaki Sauce

After running out of a bottled version of teriyaki sauce recently, I improvised and came up with a tasty...if I say so myself...version that costs pennies.

Thought I'd share so others can enjoy, as well...

Prepare your plate of food and sprinkle on as much soy sauce (low-sodium version preferred) on as you want. Take a pinchful of brown sugar and sprinkle on top of the food.

Mix all together. Viola! How simple is that?! Enjoy!!

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Using Those Large Cabbage Leaves

So, you have a home garden and are lucky enough to be growing cabbage. The outer leaves that surround the head of cabbage can become very large and daunting. Have you ever thought about what to do with those besides throwing them away? Here's a suggestion I came up with after talking to a home gardening friend. After putting the suggestion into play, I was very pleased with the results. So..it's worth sharing...

Use the leaves to make various versions of stuffed cabbage. Also known as rolled cabbage, you can choose from a number of fillings that satisfy your taste buds. Choosing from ground beef or turkey, cubed or pulled pork, diced chicken, tempeh, tofu or diced fresh vegetables with seasoning added always are some items that come to mind. Alternating fillings can add variety to your meal plan, also.

What's nice about the outer cabbage leaves (the ones surrounding the heads) lies in the fact you can make sliced rolled cabbage. Boil the cabbage leaves until tender, as you would when making any stuffed cabbage dish. Place on a paper towel to cool and drain.

Place an individual leaf onto the preparation area and spread out. Place the filling in a 1” row down the center of the leaf. Thicken the 1” to 2” for more filling and larger appetites. Roll up the cabbage. Cut into 2” serving slices and place onto serving dish. Instead of serving one person per smaller cabbage leaf, you can serve as many as the size warrants. Nice...Not only is it helpful on the budget, but can be an easy way to prepare a dish for potlucks, parties or family gatherings.

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Eating Healthy Is Not That Difficult

It seems no matter where we turn there is some celebrity exclaiming that they are unraveling the difficulties of eating properly. Their program contains a 'miracle cure' that, even though the individual states they want to help us, really is nothing but common sense. Or, the media is making us believe that eating healthy is difficult, time-consuming or some other such negative connotation. It simply isn't true.

Moderation is the key. Stop eating an excess of processed foods. Not only will this help your budget, it will help your waistline. And...it's not that difficult. Totally eliminating your favorite items is not the key, that will just prompt a stronger response to have the food. Instead, eat the item in moderation. Cut the candy bar into bite-sized pieces and free the rest for future enjoyment. Buy a fast-food hamburger, but use the fat and calories content as part of your total dietary intake figures. You are keeping track of your food intake, eh? If not, start. That's the next item...

Use a food diary. Keep track of what you're consuming daily. Record the food item, the calories, saturated and trans fat, and cholesterol count. That's not difficult, either. You'll be surprised at how many unnecessary calories per day you eat.

Start steaming foods. Steaming provides the quickest way to cook foods and avoids all the excess fat usually involved in other food preparation methods. Which reminds me....

Fat is fat. I don't care how much choosing 'healthy' fats over harmful fats invade our literature. Fat is fat. Lowering your fat content will naturally lead you to eating a healthier meal plan. And, it's not that difficult. Learn to enjoy foods in their natural state. When consuming fat, however, choosing the unsaturated versions will be more heart-healthy than the harmful saturated and/or trans fats.

Speaking of trans fat, try to limit them as much as possible...or avoid them. Trans fat not only raise harmful cholesterol, but lower beneficial cholesterol, according to numerous reports done by a variety of sources including the American Heart Association, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, etc.

For a simple, nutritious and tasty meal:
Steam a handful of spinach, one peeled and sliced medium potato, ½ cup of broccoli, one slice onion, 1 medium peeled and sliced carrot with a serving size of protein. Steam until all food is done. Remove and place onto serving plate. Sprinkle with garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Serve with a dollop of low or nonfat yogurt.

For variety, cook up ½ cup couscous or quinoa and mix with the above mixture.

Voila! How easy was that?

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Mixed Cabbage Delight

It's that time of year when cabbage becomes abundant. No matter what type you get, green or red, it provides a tasty and nutritious way to enjoy some veggies.

With warmer weather still upon us, and outdoor picnics and potlucks beckoning our homemade treats...try this mixed cabbage salad that is quick and easy to make. The added flax seeds provide extra fiber and Omega-3.

Serves 4 to 8

2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced and diced
2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced and diced
1/8 cup dried cranberries or raisins
2 T onion or chives, diced
2 T flax seeds

Prepare all ingredients and toss together in salad bowl.
Pour some raspberry or cranberry vinaigrette on top of the salad and thoroughly distribute to evenly coat all ingredients.

Serve chilled.

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Cooking With Fruit Purees

I recently came in contact with a new entrepreneur who opened a fun-filled bakery. We got to chatting about using fruit sweeteners in cookies and the creativity ensued. So, I thought I'd write about the topic here to provide more insight...

Using fruit purees instead of refined sugars in your baked goods and other recipes provides a natural way to obtain more nutrients and taste. I've written previously about how to make your own puree, but do you know how to use it? One of my natural foods cookbooks, Cooking With Fruit Sweeteners, concentrates of using fruit sweeteners instead of refined sugars in everything from baked goods to dinner dishes. So, sharing information is a fun way to get you on the road to experimentation. Here's some info that may help...

Whenever a recipe calls for refined sugar, substitute your dried fruit puree for about 1/2-3/4 the amount of refined sugar. Dried fruits contain much higher levels of sugar than fresh fruit does.

If using fruit purees made from fresh fruit (such as apples, peaches and/or apricots), recipes need less adjusting. Usually, a cup-for-cup substitute works well.

Refined sugar consists of white, brown or powdered varieties. While using fruit purees instead of refined sugars, you usually need to make slight adjustments to the amount of flour in your recipes, especially if using whole grains. That's due to the fact that the fiber found in whole grains soaks up more moisture than refined flours do. I find that adding a little less liquid works well.

When using fruit purees, expect a denser, chewier product than those containing refined sugars. Whenever you see those fluffy, airy baked goods...know that they usually contain refined sugars. Do a test yourself. Find two containers. Fill one container with refined sugar and the other container with fruit puree. Place your hand into the refined sugar and notice how lightweight the granules are. Now, place your hand into the fruit puree and notice how much denser it is. There is substance. Depending upon the extent of processing, some fruit purees contain fiber (small chunks of the fruit still in the mixture). There's no fluffiness or lightness about it.

To find your exact measurements, make a small batch of your favorite recipe while using fruit puree instead of refined sugars. Notice the difference and how you like it. Play around until you find your perfect mixture.

Have fun!

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Enjoy Mac & Cheese...the Super Easy and Cheap Way!

Recently, a potluck was coming up and I was searching for a recipe to share with others. I saw some Ramen noodle soup packets hanging around, and was curious a to what I could make other than soup.

So, I got online and did some searching. Turns out that Ramen noodles can be made into a tasty and cheap version of macaroni and cheese. The dish was a hit at the potluck. Here's my version:

Serves 5-10
3 packages Ramen noodles, broken apart
2 T goat cheese, crumbled
¼ c freshly grated white cheddar
2 T low fat milk
Seasoning: ¼ t garlic powder,
1/8 t Italian seasoning
1 packet Ramen soup seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste.

Boil noodles for two minutes. Drain.
Return noodles to cooking pot and add remaining ingredients. Stir thoroughly until cheese melts.
Add more cheese and/or seasonings to suit taste.

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