2.23.2012

Take this time to set a healthy goal.



Some of you may be celebrating Ash Wednesday and have chosen something to give up for Lent for the next 6 weeks.  Some of you that are not Christian may simply take this time to give up an unhealthy habit.   Whatever the case may be this is a good time to choose one habit that is not good for your health or wellness, giving it up for the 6 week term.

You can also try to add in something that is really good for you, whatever it may be, exercise such as walking outside in the fresh air instead of a closed in gym environment, adding in a good nutrient dense food like kale (check out new recipes online), getting more sleep by turning off the TV or computers and head to bed an hour earlier.

It is recognized that it takes 6 months to truly break a bad habit, or gain a good habit, so this 6 weeks will kick start it for you!


(Picture from Cabo Mexico, Lover's Beach, in April 2011.)

2.17.2012

Water, how beautiful it is!!!














WATER, something so simple and easy, yet some of us find it hard to gulp down one of natures best medicines.   It can help you drop calories from your diet, keep you naturally hydrated and make you feel better overall.  Drink water instead of soft drinks and specialty coffees loaded with sugar, any of those empty calorie drinks, even black coffee and diet soda that just aren't good for you, especially when intake is daily.   How much should you have in a day?  Many experts suggest 8 glasses a day.  Go by how you feel, how your skin is looking, different body size requires different amounts of water intake.  If you are exercising you will need more water to replace what you sweat out.  If you are drinking alcohol you will need to hydrate to help avoid dehydration, resulting in headaches.  Dehydration, low energy, cravings and other symptoms can be cured by just drinking water.  

The late Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj is a physician that claimed regularly drinking water can treat many illnesses, "You are not sick, you are thirsty," he states in his best-selling 1992 book, Your Body's Many Cries for Water

We all know it is hard to completely give up something we have been having for months/years, so try this........"Crowd Out" unhealthy drinks by adding more water to your day.  Start by drinking a full glass of water upon waking (better than before bed to avoid waking to urinate).  Keep a cup by your bathroom sink so as soon as you wake you can chug it down.   During the day keep a container filled with water by your side and sip all through the day.   While weening off drinks like alcohol, coffee or sodas, drink one glass of water to each glass or cup of those non-nutrient drinks.  If you need to add a little something to your glass of water because you are not a plain water drinker, try a slice of lemon, lime or cucumber.  I add about a 1/8th cup of R.W. Knudsen's Just Cranberry juice (no sugar or artificial sweeteners added) to my glass of water (beware of juices with sugar, natural or artificial).   Is seltzer water considered as beneficial as water?  There are different thoughts on this matter, for now I am focusing on less seltzer and more pure water!! 

Good luck!!!



2.09.2012

Brussel Sprouts and Pancetta Recipe
















Brussels Sprouts recipe with pancetta and feta cheese.  Hi everyone, so yesterday was a day that I had 1 1/2 hours to devote to cooking up some good stuff for the rest of the week.  Seriously, I got home at 11:30, started cooking/juicing at 11:45 and within 1 1/2 hours I made Dr. Oz super green juice drink, pineapple and carrot juice, kale greens with pine nuts and raisins, chopped up my butternut squash to put in something this week, boiled a chicken for my chicken noodle soup, made 2 cups of forbidden black rice, again for this week, and I made the brussels sprout dish you see here.   My friend Caroline hooked me into this dish, here is the recipe......

4 Cups Fresh Brussels Sprouts (or frozen which is what I had on hand so I went with it, thawed of course)
1/2 Vidalia Onion Chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic Chopped
1/2 Cup Pancetta chopped (Italian Ham, or use 1/2 cup bacon chopped)
1/2 Cup Craisins or Raisins
1/2 Cup Feta Cheese
Crane Crest Real French Dressing (or your favorite vinegarette dressing)

Place brussels sprouts, chopped onion and garlic in a 9 x 12 roasting dish, cover, place in 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour (if you use thawed brussels sprouts it will take less time maybe 20 minutes).  Take out of oven, stir, sprinkle pancetta and craisins, drizzle dressing on top, stir, place uncovered in oven for 10 more minutes.  Take out of oven toss and sprinkle the feta cheese on top.  YUM!!!

2.05.2012

Elihu Farm Lamb Burger your kids will love too!!!
















Choose lamb to change your protein up a bit.   Here is a lamb burger with organic lamb purchased at the Saratoga Springs Farmer's Market at Elihu Farm booth.  Their adaptation of the recipe from Bon Appetit in 2008 is quick and wonderfully delicious. 

All you need is 1/2 cup of fresh mint, (or 1 1/2 tsp dried mint), 2 tsp. paprika, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon.   I personally loved using the fresh mint, also available at the farmer's market.    Mix it all together then saute in a heavy skillet if you have one.  Yum in minutes!!  The Meat House has a wonderful Tzatziki sauce for those of you (like me) who love condiments.    My kids loved them!!!!  That meant no leftovers though!! To make dinner quick I also included tomato's 1/2'd with a spoon of pesto of your choice then broiled in the oven for 5 minutes.  I also added in some greens with crumbled feta, chopped red onion, olive oil and red wine vinegar.    For a grain cook up some hearty rice (remember to make extra for lunch the next day).

So next Saturday, pick up your lamb, mint, tomato's, greens and cheese at the farmer's market, and pop out this splendid quick and easy yummy lamb dinner!!!  Thank you Bob and Mary Pratt for good quality lamb!

2.03.2012

Hannaford's Fresh Meals in Minutes

Sorry about the orientation of this photo but I wanted to share with you Hannaford's Fresh Meals in minutes items.

OK, so it isn't organic, BUT for those of us that need a really quick but healthy dinner, I just made it in my WOK in 10 minutes, NO KIDDING!!  The only thing I did was use my sesame oil to cook the chicken and veggies in, then I added their ginger sauce.

I bought the Asparagus Mix, Ginger Scallion dressing and made my own rice, I did buy the sliced chicken but will buy my organic chicken next time.  Depends on how strict you are about organic.  You can purchase whole grain carbs there too.  The nice thing is it is all located in one spot in the store, meat section.  You go in directly to that section and in 10 minutes you are out of the store (unless you are like me and pick up a couple other things....).    Like I said this isn't something for everyday but it does help to make dinners easy and healthy on those fly by nights!!!   I give it a thumbs up!!