Week
ofDecember 31, 2010
Homemade
Baked Tortilla Chips
If
you are looking for a healthy alternative for
chips, try making your own. The spices you choose
should compliment your dip or spread. Try the
cinnamon sugar combination with flour tortillas
and serve with a fruit salsa. Or try serving a
combination of garlic salt and cumin with a black
bean and corn salsa. Choose your favorite flavors
and let your imagination go.
10
- 12 flour or corn tortillas
Vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray
Choice of spices
Cut tortillas into 8 wedges. Brush or spray baking
sheet with oil. Arrange tortilla wedges in a single
layer on the baking sheet and brush or spray lightly
with oil.
Sprinkle with seasonings: salt, garlic salt or
seasoned salt, chili powder, cinnamon and sugar,
etc. Bake at 325 until crisp and lightly browned,
approximately 10 minutes.
Week
of December 24, 2010
Entertaining
with a Healthy Attitude and Style
Now
that everyone has stuffed themselves during the
Holidays, every other sentence out of most peoples
mouths is "I need to lose those pounds I
put on". So
what does a caring hostess serve for those New
Year's get-togethers?
For
an elegant and healthy canape tray, try stuffed
vegetables as an alternative to other calorie
ladden appetizers. Make up low fat chicken, tuna,
shrimp, crab or surimi salads or goat cheese and
yogurt or feta and low fat cream cheese or low
fat sour cream stuffings and let your imagination
go. Garnish with chives and pimentoes or get truly
lavish with caviar.
Great
veggies for stuffing are belgium endive, celery,
cucumbers, small plum or cherry tomatoes, small
pimento peppers, cherry peppers, pepperoncini
peppers, anaheim peppers and miniature colored
bell peppers. If your guests like spicy or hot
things, you may also stuff jalapeno peppers.
The
best part is, most of these appetizers can be
made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready
to serve.
Week
of December 17, 2010
Tips
for a Healthy Lifestyle
Be
smart about the foods that you choose to buy.
Always purchase good quality fruits and vegetables,
healthy complex carbohydrates, lean proteins,
and healthy fats.
Portion
control is extremely important. Since 1980 portions
served in resturants and homes have nearly doubled
in size. It is hardly surprising that obesity
has severely increased in the same time frame.
Create
a balance in your life with happy relationships,
satisfying jobs and regular exercise or physical
activity.
-
Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated.
-
Choose
foods low in saturated and trans fats.
-
Eat
lean cuts of meat or poultry and low-fat or
fat free milk products.
-
Eat
a variety of fruits and vegetables and whole-grain
carbohydrates such as brown rice, bulgur,
quinoa, and millet each day.
-
Total
fat intake should be between 20 to 35 percent
of calories ingested. The good fats should
come from sources like vegetable oils, avocados,
nuts, seeds, and fish.
-
Eat less sugar.
-
Refrain
from as much processed food as possible. Try
to fill your diet with fresh produce and fresh
meats, poultry and fish.
-
Add
no more than 1 teaspoon of salt per day when
cooking.
-
Educate
yourself - read the labels of packaged foods.
Finding out what ingredients and calories
a product contains will enable you to make
smarter decisions about what you buy.
Week
of December 10, 2010
Revving
Up Your Body's Immune System
As
we greet this years cold and flu season, why not
strengthen your bodies natural disease fighting
defenses.
- Eat
Colorful Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables that are brightly
colored like red bell peppers, spinach, berries
(blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc)
sweet potatoes, avocados, kiwi and pink grapefruit
contain double the antioxidants of their paler
cousins. They also provide a rich supply of
carotenoids that help keep your respiratory
tract healthy.
- Get
More Sleep
Yes
a rested body is stronger. Getting 8 hours
of sleep every night can make your immune
system 50% stronger. Deep sleep is when the
body replenishes it virus fighting immune
cells.
- Pass
Up Sugary Foods and Beverages
Refined sugars and excess natural
sugars can weaken your immunity as well. According
to a 1977 study published in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking
24 ounces of sugary soda depressed infection-fighting
white blood cell activity by 50 percent for
about five hours after consumption.
- Herbs
like echinacea, Asian
ginseng, eleuthero,
garlic, and white
and green tea all possess elements
that modulate, activate or enhance immune
function and the antimicrobial properties
that fight disease.
- Every
clove of garlic contains over 70 various
sulfur compounds. The body needs these
raw compounds to maintain virus killing
white blood cells. Heating or cooking
garlic inactivates the enzyme that produces
allicin, but if garlic is chopped and
allowed to sit for 10 minutes before cooking,
enough allicin is formed to maintain the
healthful benefits. Exposing garlic to
heat for as little time as possible (lightly
sautéing, for example) will help
retain its enzyme activity.
- Studies
have proven that green tea is rich in
catechins, a natural germ fighting compound.
Now more research reveals that white tea
is even more effective than other teas.
Unlike other teas, white tea undergoes
less processing and contains more protective
natural chemicals.
Week
of December 03, 2010
Original
Spice Seasoning Mixes for Gifts
Are
you trying to come up with some original ideas
for holiday gifts this year. Why not mix up some
of your favorite spice mixes and rubs and place
in pretty jars. You can always top caps with some
pretty fabric and tie with a ribbon or string
bow. Include a small card with what the mix is
and instructions for use like: "Use to season
chicken and seafood".
Here
are a few recipes to get you started . . .
Creole
Seasoning Mix
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon pepper
Yields:
about 1/2 cup. Use to season chicken seafood,
steak or vegetables.
Chicken
Dry Rub
1/4
cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (can use more)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
3 teaspoons mustard powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
Yields:
about 3/4 cup. Rub onto chicken; place in the
refrigerator for 6 - 24 hours.
Moroccan Seasoning Mix
5
teaspoons ground nutmeg
5 teaspoons ground cumin
5 teaspoons ground coriander
2 1/2 teaspoons allspice
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
Yield: about 1/2 cups. Use in any Moroccan dish.
Also good on grill pork chops.
That
is just a start . . . to find hundreds more just
type "spice mix recipes" into a search
on Yahoo or Google and Have
a Very Spicy Holiday Season!
