04 Monday Mar 2013
Posted in General
Have you noticed that everyone seems to be jumping o the “Green Coffee” bandwagon. Apparently, green coffee extract may help the body burn fat. However, it may also inhibit trace minerals like iron from being absorbed as efficiently.
So, I guess I’d have to say that a healthy diet and exercise are still your best bet! 🙂
♥ ♥
27 Wednesday Feb 2013
This is a a recipe that was featured in the Penzey’s spice catalog. It’s my favorite pumpkin pie recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
One 9 inch unbaked pie shell
One 15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. china cinnamon
3/4 tsp. powdered ginger
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup milk
TOPPING:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, vanilla, eggs, and milk. Mix until well blended. Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Meanwhile mix the last 3 ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle the toping on the pie and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool and refrigerate at least a few hours for easiest slicing.
♥ ♥
.
23 Saturday Feb 2013
Posted in General
I posted earlier about my hatred of how dry my skin gets during the winter. The heater always dries me out but I can’t do without it. I always like to take 2 showers a day which makes things worse. 🙁 I posted earlier about some things that may give you some temporary relief…exfoliating, tips to avoid using the heater, etc. However, they were all temporary fixes. This is the first thing I tried that actually works. I use this loton just once every day and it really helps! It actually took my skin a week to respond but it REALLY works for me. Most lotions give you only temporary relief. I feel better all of the time When I use Sebamed. It never feels greasy and leaves your skin feeling healthier all the time, not like other moisturizers that make you feel better for just a short while.
It is a bit more expensive, but my sister said she picked it up at Costco a couple of weeks ago. 🙂
♥ ♥
19 Tuesday Feb 2013
Posted in General, Healthy Inspirations
Furikake is a Japanese rice seasoning. It’ one of my favorite ways to add some personality to any kind of plain rice. Above it is pictured paired with some brown rice. The traditional mixture is dried seaweed, sesame seeds, dried fish, sugar, salt, and other seasonings. However, I buy the simple stuff…just seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, and salt. That way, you can be sure that it’s MSG free! 🙂
Traditionally it is paired with rice to make Japanese rice balls (onigiri) or is sprinikled on rice and topped off with some green tea (ochazuke)…a major confort food. I just love it on top of plain rice of any kind. Because the seaweed is dried, the seasoning is light and crispy and goes great with plain hot rice…yum! My co-blogger Jennifer loves the Furikake Crusted Ahi served at the local Japanese restaurant, Bachan’s.
♥ ♥
14 Thursday Feb 2013
Tags
bon appetit soup recipe, ritz carlton spicy vegetable soup, ritz carlton spicy vegetable soup recipe, spicy vegetable soup, spicy vegetable soup recipe, vegan soup, vegan soup recipe, vegetarian soup, vegetarian soup recipe
This is a recipe my mom found in Bon Appetit Magazine back in 1996. We have been enjoying it ever since. I hope you do too!
Ritz Carlton Spicy Vegetable Soup
¼ cup bulgur
2 ½ cup boiling water
¼ cup olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped carrots
1 ½ T. minced garlic
2 T. tomato paste
2 T. chili powder
1 ½ T. ground cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¾ C dry white wine
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 small zucchini, chopped
½ cup canned chopped tomatoes
½ cup well-drained canned garbanzo beans
½ cup well drained canned kidney, pinto, or black beans
2 T. chopped fresh basil
2 T. chopped fresh oregano
Place bulgur in medium bowl. Pour ½ cup boiling water over the bulgur. Cover and let stand until softened (about 15 minutes). Heat oil in a heavy, large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and sauté until tender, about six minutes. Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper and stir until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add bell peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes to saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until all vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Add bulgur, beans, basil, and oregano to chili. Simmer until chili is thick, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to a simmer before serving, thinning if chili is too dry).
♥ ♥
10 Sunday Feb 2013
This is a book that I actually used as part of the reading materials for one of the courses I teach. For the most part, it is a good, easy to read reference, but there are some negatives.
GOOD THINGS: The book is easy to read, and the information is evidence based. The book is written by an RD, so that’s a defininte plus! There are lots of topics covered from grocery shopping to motivation and behavior modification, and wt. loss surgery options.
NOT SO GOOD THINGS: The book has not been updated since 2004. The sections on wt. loss medications and Dietary Guidelines for Americans are a bit archaic.
On the whole, though, it is a simple, and easy to read book for someone wanting a general overviw of aspects of healthy eating and weight control.
♥ ♥
04 Monday Feb 2013
Posted in General, Healthy Inspirations
Tags
french fries, garlic parsley french fry seasoning, sur la table, sur la table garlic parsley french fry seasoning, unfried french fries
Anyone that knows me fairly well knows that my weakness is french fries. I can’t resist them. 🙁 My sister picked this french fry seasoning up for me at Sur La Table, www.SurLaTable.com . It helps me quench my craving for french fries. All you have to do is sprinkle this on some raw potatoes and add in a small amount of olive oil and bake them. I think they come out really yummy so I thought I’d share it with you. 🙂
♥ ♥
01 Friday Feb 2013
Posted in Appetizers & Snacks
Tags
edamame, edamame hummus, edamame hummus recipe, freezing hummus, vegan recipe, vegetarian recipe
Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on February 1, 2013
I don’t usually freeze anything, but this recipe held up pretty good in the freezer when I couldn’t eat it all.
Ingredients:
Put all ingredients in a cuisinart or blender and blend together until it resembles the consistency of chunky peanut butter. If you feel it needs to be less stiff, you can a littlge water. Spread on crackers and enjoy!
♥ ♥
01 Friday Feb 2013
Posted in General
I love to freeze avocado bought duing the summer when they are cheapest and most abundant. I put them in foodsaver bags when ripe (sliced) so I can have fresh avocado all year.
♥ ♥
31 Thursday Jan 2013
Posted in General, Healthy Inspirations
All of us have our exercise routines, or at least we try to have them. However, sometimes we fall short…maybe we work a little longer than usual or are feeling a little lazy and fall of the wagon. My back up plan is my dog Kasper. He ALWAYS stares at me, JUST AS HE IS IN THIS PICTURE until I take him for a walk. We usually walk about a mile and a half several times per week. He’s a great motivator! Everyone should have a back up plan…maybe jogging 30 minutes on the treadmill when it’s raining too hard to go to the gym, or popping in an exercise DVD when you may not want to get dressed and get out of the house, etc.
♥ ♥