Thanksgiving!!! Happy Thanksgiving!! My favorite thanksgiving recipes for a traditional thanksgiving.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!


What I have on my cooking list....

Turkey in an Oven Bag
Cranberries...not canned.
Yammies!! Yams.
Green Bean Casserole


Turkey Oven Bag Method

This is the self-basting method of roasting turkey. The turkey cooks up tender and juicy in a Oven Bag with no messy cleanup.

Bags can be found in the Reynolds Wrap aisle at any grocery store.

Appearance—light golden brown with some variation in color. Skin is not as "crisp" as traditional foil tent roasted turkey.

Advantage—often preferred for the most juicy turkey.
How To:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Shake 1 tablespoon flour in turkey-size (19" x 23-1/2") Oven Bag. Use large-size oven bag (14" x 20") for 8 to 12-pound turkeys or for turkey breast. Use small size (10" x 16") for boneless turkey breast. Leave flour in oven bag. This helps blend the fats and juices and protects against bursting. Place bag in roasting pan at least 2 inches deep. The pan should be large enough that the oven bag does not hang over sides and does not touch oven walls or oven racks.

Remove neck and giblets from both cavities of defrosted turkey. Rinse turkey, pat dry and brush with vegetable oil. Slice 1 onion and 2 stalks celery; place in oven bag. Place turkey, breast side up, in oven bag on top of veget
Close bag with nylon tie; cut six 1/2-inch slits in top of oven bag. Insert meat thermometer through slit in oven bag into inner thigh for whole turkey or into thickest part of breast for turkey breast.

Roast until meat thermometer reads 180 degrees to 185 degrees F for whole turkey or 170 degrees to 175 degrees F for turkey breast. For stuffed turkey, add 30 minutes to roasting time. The approximate roasting times are: 1-1/2 to 2 hours for 8 to 12 lb. turkey; 2-1/2 to 3 hours for a 16 to 20 lb. turkey; 3 to 3-1/2 hours for a 20 to 24 lb. turkey.

For easy slicing, let stand in oven bag 15 minutes after removing from oven. To open, carefully cut or slit top of oven bag. If turkey sticks to oven bag, gently loosen oven bag from turkey before opening oven bag.

Cranberries...Not Canned.

The good thing about cranberry sauce is that once you have the base down, you can dress it up a bit.
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 cup (255 mL) water
4 cups (1 12-oz package) fresh or frozen cranberries

Optional Pecans, orange peel, raisins, currants, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice.

1 Wash and pick over cranberries. In a saucepan bring to a boil water and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cranberries, return to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.

2 At this point you can add all number of optional ingredients. We typically mix in a half a cup of roughly chopped pecans with or without a few strips of orange peel. You can add a cup of raisins or currants. You can add up to a pint of fresh or frozen blueberries for added sweetness. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice can be added too.

3 Remove from heat. Cool completely at room temperature and then chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Cranberry sauce base makes 2 1/4 cups.

Yammies!!! Yams! And Sorghum Syrup....

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
9 tablespoons sorghum syrup* or 1/2 cup clover honey plus
1 tablespoon robust-flavored (dark) molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Large pinch of cayenne pepper
8 10- to 11-ounce yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes)

PreparationBeat butter, sorghum syrup, cinnamon, cloves and cayenne in medium bowl to blend; season with salt. (Can be prepared 5 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring mixture to room temperature before using.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse potatoes; pat dry. Pierce each several times with fork; place on baking sheet. Bake potatoes until tender, about 1 hour.

Cut top of each potato lengthwise; press in ends to open top. Spoon some sorghum butter into opening of each potato and serve.


GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE!!
A Recipe Most People are Familiar With BUT is super easy!!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
4 cups cooked green beans
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 1/3 cups French fried onions

PREPARATION:
Mix soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup of the fried onions. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Top with the remaining 2/3 cup fried onions and bake about 5 more minutes, until onions are lightly browned.Serves 6.

Do you like acorn squash?

Never cooked acorn squash? Know nothing about it....ITS GOOD FOR YOUR HEART!!!
Lindsey's random acorn blog....

ACORN SQUASH
The winter squash is a relative of the cucumber and the melon. The inner sweet fiber of the winter squash has seeds in the center. The trick to cooking this veggie is to soften the outside layer, so you are able to get to the sweet fiber. This fiber in "Ancient Times" was once a routine aspect of all diets, and for the most part has been driven out by processing and modern taste preferences. It is essential for digestion and has been found a preventive for various forms of cancer, lung disease and all around good health.The Vitamin A component is good for men's health as well as smokers. It's super good for your heart!! Acorn Squash is abundant in the nutrient beta-carotene. Huh? What does that mean? Oh....Beta-carotene prevents the oxidation of cholesterol in the vessels. Huh? OH!! No plaque developes in the vessels around your heart so that there is no restriction on the blood flow leading to the heart.


Baked Acorn Squash with Mustard and Honey
Recipe courtesy Sara Moulton

There are only 4 ingredients in this recipe (well, 6, if you count the salt and pepper), but it is a hit whenever I make it, an easy, tasty addition to a weeknight meal. Just remember to turn on the oven first thing when you get home. And be very careful when you cut the squash. If you don't really steady it, it's going to start rolling around on the counter, and the next thing you know you'll have cut yourself.

3 acorn squash, about 1 1/2 pounds each, stems cut off
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Set the squash on its side and, with a large knife, cut in half vertically. Trim a piece off the bottom of each squash half so they will lie flat in the pan. Scrape out the seeds and stringy membranes with a large spoon. Place cavity side up in a large roasting pan. Mix the butter, mustard, and honey in a small bowl until blended. Fill each squash cavity with 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until the squash is very tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Note: Sandra Colling from Rochester, New York, called in one night on the show when I was making a dish with winter squash. She pointed out that anytime you have leftover cooked squash you can freeze it for future use. She suggested freezing it in muffin tins for easy single portions. I suggest that you could also turn the cooked squash puree into a soup by adding vegetable or chicken stock to thin, then topping it off with some homemade rye, pita, or Parmesan croutons.

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours Yield: 6 servings

Artificial Sweeteners!!!

You might be wondering what the difference between Natural Sweeteners or Artificial Sweetners....well...let's look at a few!!


Natural Sweeteners
Honey consists of several components: fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose. It is 25 to 50% sweeter than sugar, and has a distinctive flavor. The flavors and colors of honey can vary depending upon the bees' diet--buckwheat honey, for example, is darker and stronger than clover honey. Baked goods made with honey are moist and dense, and tend to brown faster than those made with granulated sugar. Use ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon honey in place of 1 cup sugar, and reduce the other liquid ingredients by 2 tablespoons. Unless the recipe includes sour cream or buttermilk, add a pinch of baking soda to neutralize the acidity.

Maple syrup is made from the sap of sugar maple trees, and is a combination of sucrose and glucose. The sap is boiled down into a sweet, delectable syrup. Grade A maple syrup is golden brown and has a delicate flavor. Grade B is thicker, darker, and is better for baking because it has a stronger flavor--and it costs less. Although maple syrup is only 60% as sweet as sugar, use ¾ cup for every cup of white sugar and decrease the amount of liquid by 3 tablespoons to compensate for its liquid state. Molasses is a byproduct of refined sugar production. It is made up of sucrose, glucose and fructose, and also contains small amounts of B vitamins, calcium and iron. Molasses imparts a dark color and strong flavor to baked foods, but is not as sweet as sugar. When substituting molasses for sugar, use 1 1/3 cups molasses for 1 cup sugar, and reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by 5 tablespoons. Molasses is also more acidic than sugar; add ½ teaspoon baking soda for each cup of molasses used. Replace no more than half the sugar called for in a recipe with molasses.

Corn syrup is known as an "invert sugar;" it is useful in cooking and candy-making because, unlike other sugars, it does not crystallize. Corn is treated with enzymes to break down starch into glucose and maltose. Corn syrup is less sweet than sugar, and does not add flavor like molasses or honey. "Golden Syrup," common in the United Kingdom, is a refinery syrup made from sugar. It is used in place of corn syrup. Some cooks believe sugar syrups have a livelier flavor than corn syrups and add more character to dishes such as pecan pie.


Artificial Sweeteners
These sweeteners have been approved by the FDA and are available for home use. While they provide a sweet taste, artificial sweeteners lack the browning, tenderizing and moisture-retaining properties of granulated sugar. Sucralose is the one sweetener than can be substituted cup-for-cup for granulated sugar in baking.

Saccharine is 200 to 700 times sweeter than sugar. It can be used in baked goods. However, the manufacturer recommends substituting it for only half of the sugar in a recipe. Substitute 6 (1-gram) packets for each ¼ cup sugar. It is sold under the name Sweet and Low®.
Aspartame is 160 to 220 times sweeter than granulated sugar. This sweetener is heat-sensitive: it loses its sweetening power when heated, and cannot be used for cookies or cakes. The manufacturer does recommend trying it in no-bake pies and in puddings after they have been removed from the heat. Substitute 6 (1-gram) packets for each ¼ cup of sugar. It is sold under the names Equal® and NutraSweet®.

Acesulfame potassium is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is heat-stable, so it can be used in baking and cooking. Use acesulfame K in combination with granulated sugar when baking. Substitute 6 (1-gram) packets for each ¼ cup sugar. It is sold under the brand names Sunette® and Sweet One®.

Sucralose is made from sugar, but is not metabolized by the body like sugar. It is 600 times sweeter than granulated sugar. Granular sucralose is the form used when baking. Substitute 1 cup granular sucralose for each cup of sugar called for in the recipe. Recipes made with this product tend to bake faster than usual, so check for doneness sooner than the recipe specifies. It is sold under the Splenda® brand name.

Remember, these substitution guidelines are just that: guidelines. Just like seasoning with salt, sweeten recipes to your tastes.

Unfortunately though...sugar is sugar and will always be...oh, SUGAR!!!

All refined sugars--brown sugar, white sugar, "raw" sugars such as demerara or turbinado--are equal from a nutritive standpoint. Brown sugars simply contain a higher molasses content. Refined sugar is 99 percent pure sucrose, a simple carbohydrate.

Other sugars, such as honey, taste sweeter on the tongue than granulated sugar. You can therefore use less honey to sweeten a batch of muffins than you would sugar. Maple syrup tastes less sweet than sugar, but its unique flavor is prized in baked goods and desserts.


So this is definately NOT healthy....however, it's yummy....
Tiramisu Cheesecake
Follow Master Recipe for Rich and Creamy Cheesecake, brushing 1 3-ounce package (or 24 in a package) soft ladyfingers with a mixture of 6 Tbs. strong coffee and 2 Tbs. rum. Line pan sides with ladyfingers (trimmed to fit). Stir 3 Tbs. espresso powder into the batter. When ready to serve, shave a 4-ounce bar of semi- or bittersweet chocolate with a vegetable peeler onto the cheesecake.

Serves 12 per serving: 396 calories, 8g protein, 29g carbohydrates, 28g fat (17g saturated), 152mg cholesterol, 0.7g fiber, 207mg sodium.

Food Network

Television and Food...a crime of passion. Is our nation getting fat because they watch too much television? Who cares? There's a great network that's like free food!!! It's food and television!!! FOOD NETWORK. I am sure by now in life, you are familiar with their lime-green logo, their incredibly expensive cookery and what-nots that they sell and you will likely never buy but instead receive as a gift you will never use...and likely give to another....YEAH!!! Them!! You know what I'm talking about....but, all kidding aside, Food Network has an incredibly great website when it comes to good and healthy cooking.

Foodnetwork dot com holds TONS upon TONS of recipes that include everything from sugar free to low calorie and anything you can imagine!!! You know that seven-layer dip at parties....even it's there!!!

My tip today is to go and check it out....
Oh, and here's the recipe for the seven-layer dip....


Six Layers and a Chip Dip
From Food Network Kitchens

2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1(15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups lowfat shredded Cheddar
2 ripe avocados, preferably Hass
1 jalapeno, stemmed, finely chopped, (with seeds for more heat)
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cups nonfat yogurt, preferably Greek
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and some stems, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
3 ripe medium tomatoes, diced
5 scallions (white and green), thinly sliced.

Baked tortilla chips, for dipping

On a cutting board, smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Put the garlic, beans, chili powder, water, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Spread in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole or gratin dish, or in individual sized dishes, as desired.
Scatter the cheese over the beans. Halve and seed the avocados, then mash with the jalapeno and another teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Spread a layer of the avocado over the cheese, and then scatter the lettuce on top.

Mix the yogurt with the cilantro and then spread over the lettuce. Add a layer of tomatoes and finally scatter the scallions on top. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with a few cilantro sprigs and serve with baked chips.

Nutrition Information
Calories 252
Total fat 11 grams
Saturated fat 2.4 grams
Carbohydrates 27 grams
Protein 15 grams
Fiber 9.5 grams
Sodium 873 mg

Sugar-Free Recipe (Did that just Rhyme?)

If you are human, and I am guessing you are, you like to eat sugar. Period. Don't Lie. I know you do. Everyone does! Chocolate? It is a must for any dessert.

But did you know....
Sugar is added to whole wheat bread and muffins and even cigarettes. GROSS!! Yes you read that right! Sugar is added to whole wheat items traditionally deemed as “healthy” as well as unhealthy items such as cigarettes for its addictive properties. This just proves how much every must adore sugar. Another piece of information that will not surprise you is that sugar is extremely unhealthy. Sugar has been traced back to many common health aliments since its widespread introduction in the 17 & 1800’s including acne, yeast infections, mood swings, mental health diseases and even Cancer.

All of these health problems were introduced to the public when we went from consuming approximately 10 pounds of sugar a year to 157 pounds a year. Here is a simple list to help you cut the sugar out of your life the healthy way and put your body back to nature.
1. Read labels Look for sugar in the ingredients and not just the nutrition facts. Sugar occurs naturally in many foods and is healthy for the body. The goal of reading the label is to make sure sugar is not an added ingredient. If it is not added then do not worry about the natural sugar on the fact list.

2. Leave the sugar on the table Resist the urge to add sugar to your coffee or tea. Many of our favorite beverages are already full of unnatural sugar. By not adding extra sugar in your drink you have cut sugar, which leads me to my next tip…

3. Go sugar free!! Hard, I know but... Surprisingly, many beverages we have taste just as great sugar free. With the growing popularity of flavored drinks at your local coffee house, companies have started catering to those who desire a sugar free lifestyle by making sugar free flavoring. Next time you order that latte you love so much, try ordering it sugar free. Chances are that you will not notice much difference and you will have done something healthy for your body.


A Sugar Free Recipe....I have no idea who Pauline is, but this is really yummy!!!

Pauline's Apricot-Almond No Sugar Cheesecake
What you need:
For the crust, press into springform pan:
2 cups of finely ground almonds,
1/4 cup of "light olive oil"
1/2 tsp. salt,
and 2 large, rounded tablespoons of flour.
For the filling, cream together in food processor:
Three 8 oz. packages of "reduced fat" soft cream cheese
3 eggs
1 large rounded tablespoon of flour
pinch of salt
4 whole-fresh apricots (with seeds removed)or use 6 halves of canned apricots(packed in it's own juice-no sugar added)
1/2 cup sour cream
16 of the small -individual packets of "Splenda."

What you do:
Pour into pan on top of crust:
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes than reduce heat to 350
and bake another 25-30 minutes, till top is lightly golden and middle section is does not move when pan it tilted.
COOL for 30-60 minutes.

Topping:
Puree 6 fresh apricots (pits removed of course)
along with 1/3 cup of "Simply Fruit" apricot jam.(this- has no added sugar, but only fructose sugar-natural.)
Spread this over top of cheesecake.
Sprinkle over topping:
1 cup of slivered raw almonds and place them in a non-stick fry pan along with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.
Keep heat on medium and stir consistently till almonds are golden brown
Then place on a paper towel to cool.(browning time for about 1-2 minutes)

Mucus...and yeah, a recipe. Still hungry?

"Diets consisting of cooked processed foods force the production of excessive amounts of mucus as a form of protection. Because of the Modern Diet, we are swimming in a mucus fog causing a sluggish, tired mental state that demands a shot of coffee to kick start the body in the morning. With a mucusless diet, the intercellular fluid around the cells will be free of mucus, resulting in better memory and clear, sharp thinking. Instead of waking up in the morning, feeling worse than when you went to bed, you will spring out of bed, sleepy-dirt free, enthusiastically prepared to pounce on a new day's challenge. Eating more naturally will result in the intensifying of the five senses. You will breathe more easily and be far less susceptible to colds and flues. Antibodies from the immune system will not be forced to battle their way through thick, sticky mucus in the blood. Antibodies will be free to travel quickly and efficiently to the areas of need, resulting in a powerful resistance against sickness and disease."

UH..........GROSS!!! Heeeeeeeeeello? I had no idea. So, now that there's proof of why you can feel crappy in the morning after having a unhealthy dinner....let's jumpstart our morning with a healthy breakfast....Well, at least a completely breakfast. Sausage isn't SUPER healthy...but yum!!!

So...I don't really have a recipe for this, but we (meaning my incredibly English Family) call in Toad in a Hole. I figured it fit with the whole mucus thing, gross again...I know.
So...Toad in a Hole.

Toad in the Hole (the hard version)
Ingredients:
4oz Plain Flour
1/2 level teasp Salt
1 Egg
9fl.oz Milk
8oz Pork Sausages (You can use Turkey Sausage to be healthier)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, and grease a shallow ovenproof dish or Yorkshire pudding tin.
2. Place the flour, egg, milk and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and lump free.
3. Place the sausages in the greased dish in a single layer then pour over the batter. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until well risen and golden. ry not to open the oven door during cooking or the pudding may not rise. Serve immediately with an onion gravy and chopped cabbage or other greenvegetable.

Serves 4.

Toad in a Hole (the simple version)
You will need....
1 egg
salt and pepper optional
1 slice of bread
a drinking glass
butter

Instructions
1. Take a big slice of break and cut a hole in it with your drinking cup. Butter both remaining sides of the bread with butter and feel free to eat the round piece you cut out.
2. Put the slice in a warmed frying pan and break your egg in the middle of break slice (aka in the hole). Flip bread and egg together just as if you were doing a regular egg, salt and pepper as you want and WHAM. simple, amazing, healthy... "Toad in a Hole"

Any Questions?

Eating Out...the horror, the horror!!!

I stole these tips for the National Restaurant Association Magazine...
So, if you happen to go to Poudre Hospial and you see this magazine and there is a page missing...these tips are what are missing!!! haha!!

So, eating out, everyone does it and honestly we're not very good at it!!! Sodium, calories...all kinds of intense stuff are in the foods found at a restaurant that do not exist when we eat at home, so it'd be good to attempt to follow some of these tips....

Want to Watch Calories When Dining Out? Tips for Eating Smart

Watching calories while eating out? The good news is in today's restaurants you have plenty of options! Here are a few tips from the National Restaurant Association on how to make the most of your dining-out experience.By Sheila Weiss, R.D.
• Order salad dressings and other sauces on the side.This way, you have control over how much or how little you add.
• When ordering grilled fish or vegetables, ask that the food either be grilled without butter or oil, or prepared "light," with little oil or butter.
• When ordering pasta dishes, look for tomato-based sauces rather than cream-based sauces. Tomato-based sauces are much lower in fat and calories. In addition, the tomato sauce (or marinara sauce) can count as a vegetable!
• Drink water, diet soda, or unsweetened tea or coffee instead of regular soda or alcoholic beverages. This will save a lot of calories each day.
• Share a dessert with a friend. Half the dessert equals half the calories.
• Share an appetizer. Same rule as above applies.
• When choosing a soup, keep in mind that cream-based soups are higher in fat and calories than most other soups. Soup can serve as a great appetizer to a meal, or as an entree. Most soups are low in calories and will fill you up, so you eat less.
Restaurant Trends

Catering to What YOU WantResearch shows that more restaurants are satisfying the ever-changing tastes and preferences of their customers by providing flexibility in food preparation methods, portion sizes and expanded menu offerings.

• Three out of four consumers report they have more restaurants to choose from today than they did two years ago.
• Six out of 10 adults say tableservice restaurants make it easy for them to choose the portion size they want.• 70 percent of customers say they often order larger portions to turn tonight's dinner into tomorrow's lunch.
• Roughly eight out of 10 restaurants offer vegetarian entrees.

Source: National Restaurant Association

THE TIPS
• Order steamed vegetables as a side dish instead of starch.
• Ask for salsa with a baked potato instead of sour cream, butter, cheese, or bacon. Salsa is very low in calories and a healthy alternative with a lot of spice.
• Stop eating when you are full — listen to the cues your body gives you.
• Order sandwiches with mustard rather than mayonnaise or "special sauce." Mustard adds flavor with virtually no calories.
• Take half of your meal home. The second half can serve as a second meal! (Two meals for the price of one: What a deal!)
• If you want to eat less, order two appetizers, or an appetizer and a salad, as your meal.
• If you have a choice of side dishes, opt for baked potato or steamed vegetables rather than french fries. Even if choices are not listed, ask your server to substitute vegetables or a baked potato for french fries.
• Look for items on the menu that are baked, grilled, dry-sauteed, broiled, poached, or steamed. These cooking techniques use less fat in the food preparation and are generally lower in calories.
• Don't be afraid to ask for special low-calorie or low-fat preparation of a menu item. The restaurant industry is one of hospitality and customer choice. We aim to please.
• Plain bread or yeast rolls are relatively low in fat and calories. It's the butter and oil you add that increases the fat and calories.
• Choose entrees with fruits and vegetables as key ingredients. Enjoy the flavors they offer. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of dietary fiber as well as of many vitamins and minerals.
• Choose foods made with whole grains. Examples include whole-wheat bread and dishes made with brown rice.
• Enjoy foods that are flavored with fresh herbs rather than fats such as oil and butter. Herbs add a unique flavor to any dish!
• If you are craving dessert, opt for something low-fat, like sorbet, fresh berries or fruit.
• Remember not to deprive yourself of the foods you love. All foods can fit into a well-balanced diet.

Good Luck Eating Out!!!

Ah...here we are again, Hump Day has come!!!

As we go to eat healthy, the book Nutrition Made Easy has provided us with 10 helpful facts to eating healthier. Many of these ideas are things I've spoken of in the past...but it's nice to see it in black and whtie. There's a lot of new stuff in there too! Like the Healthy Food Pyramid.

10 Tips ToHealthy Eating
Experts agree the key to healthy eating is the time-tested advice of balance, variety and moderation. In short, that means eating a wide variety of foods without getting too many calories or too much of any one nutrient. These 10 tips can help you follow that advice while still enjoying the foods you eat.

Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyrimid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.

Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most Americans don't eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.

Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.

Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice cream contains 4 servings. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for information on recommended serving sizes.

Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.

Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them.

Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat. Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices.
Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.

If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a take-home bag or a smaller portion.
Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to be "perfect." When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.

Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what's wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and veggies? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.

Make changes gradually. Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.

Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is "good" or "bad." Don't feel guilty if you love foods such as apple pie, potato chips, candy bars or ice cream. Eat them in moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.

Healthy Recipe of the Day....
I like easy and fast and yummy and healthy...so, I like a lot of things. What's great is that this recipe is all of them in one!!!

Peanut Butter Cookies that contain NO FLOUR!!!

Things You Will Need:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Combine ingredients and drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool. Recipe doesn't make very many, so you could double recipe as you desire. Also yummy things to add could be vanilla for flavor or brown sugar as half the white sugar...just play with it!!

Another Hump-Day: Keeping Up That Healthy Half-Way Through the Week

Hey, Guess what?
Blueberries and Red Beans-- just a few of the many foods rich in antioxidants--are powerful remedies in the fight against canser. Research shows that fruits, vegetables and other low-fat vegetarian foods may help prevent cancer and even imporve survival rates. What this research is REALLY saying is that a healthy plant-based diet can lower your cholesterol, increase you energy and help with weight loss and diabetes. Well, duh.

So, what are those healthier foods that mean good energy? Here's Five....
1. Blueberries: They're packed with antioxidants that boost brain cells and help keep memory sharp. Toss half a cup onto your cereal. Yummy!!!!

2. Apples: Their high fiber content means they deliver steady energy even hours after you've eaten one! They also are proven to help prevent dehydration....An Apple a day really CAN help keep the doctor away....

3. Fish: The omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish such as salmon are linked to improve concentration and memory.

4. Spinach: TONS of iron, which helps deliver oxygen to your cells. When you're low on this mineral, you'll feel like you're.......about....to...crash!!! It's yummy in pasta and salads or just with some apple cider vinegar (which also helps you to not retain water).

5. NUTS!!! Go Nuts! They help you build energy with a daily handful of almonds, hazelnuts or cashews, all of which contrain fatigue-fighting magnesium. Yay!....wonderful for a busy life-style.

Alicia's Silverstone's PETA recommendation....

So...have you heard about the new PETA commercial/ads with Alicia Silverstone? The links can be found at the bottom of this blog posting. She's very nude...in a tasteful way. Along with her little ads come her favorite vegetarian recipes! One of them I made and found rather yummy. I've posted it below....

Rosemary and Hazelnut-Encrusted Seitan

1 cup toasted hazelnuts
3 Tbsp. minced rosemary
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3-5 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. seitan chunks Place the hazelnuts and rosemary in a food processor and blend until fine. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and add the flour, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine.Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip the seitan chunks in the hazelnut mixture, coating completely. Place in the oil and fry until lightly browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

PETA and Alicia Silverstone: http://www.peta.org/feat/alicia_psa/index.asp

**TIPS**
What is Seitan? A vegetarian meat substitute.
Seitan (say-TAHN) is a spongy food made from gluten extracted from wheat flour. Known as seitan in Japan, kofu in China, and "wheat meat" and "gluten" here in the US, seitan is a low fat, high protein, firm-textured meat substitute that can be cooked like a cutlet, roast, meat loaf or hamburger. As a protein source, seitan contains about 31 grams of protein per 4 ounce serving, provides a modest amount of B vitamins and iron and contains no saturated fat or cholesterol. ...

Does not sound as yummy as I promised does it? Well, give it a try. I love it.

Where do I find Seitan? At any grocery store. I get mine from Whole Foods.

End of the Summer Creamy Lemon-Pepper Coleslaw

Creamy Lemon-Pepper Coleslaw

What you'll need...

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
5 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Only one step...
In a large salad bowl combine mayo, lemon-pepper seasoning, and thyme. Stir in shredded cabbage and sunflower seeds. Toss lightly to coat. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours.


**Tips on Thyme...

No. Not Time, Thyme...like, the herb!! A minor ingredient with LOTS of use!!
It is easy to obtain and relatively inexpensive to purchase fresh or dried. This wonderfully fragrant herb has many uses in the kitchen, but the ones that I wish to discuss here are the ones that most people overlook or never knew of in the first place.

Ancient History:

Thyme is derrived from a Greek word meaning "courage." The roman soldiers of long ago would bathe in it to ready themselves for battle, and the ladies of yore would sew sprigs of the herb into the vests of their errant knights as a token of good luck. The Egyptians used it in their infamous ceremonies as an ingredient in their embalming fluids; it is known to be both a preservative and an anti-fungi agent.

During the plague, townspeople gathered to burn large bundles of thyme and other herbs to keep the dreaded disease from their town.

But what about in today's day and age......
Thyme kills parasites--such as hookworms and tapeworms--within the digestive tract. It is also useful to treat yeast infections.

Thyme tea for relief from coughs, bronchitis, and common colds. Watch out those, thyme is gross by itself. Use a licorice or mint to pep-up the flavor! Thyme has a pronounced effect on the respiratory system; in addition to fighting infections, it dries mucous membranes and relaxes spasms of the bronchial passages (medical dictionary).The ability of thyme to relax bronchial spasms makes it effective for coughs, bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Its drying effect makes it useful to reduce the abundant watering of the eyes and nose associated with hay fever and other allergies. And gargling with thyme tea can reduce swelling and pus formation in tonsillitis.

Sesame Orange Pork with Spaghetti Squash

Hi, back again! Today I begin with a more complexed recipe. Lots of ingredients and even more fun!! Words you'll need to know are:

Julienne:Food is cut with a knife or mandoline into even slices, then into strips.

Zest: Nope, not the body soap...Only the colored portion of the skin (and not the white pith) is considered the zest. The aromatic oils in citrus zest are what add so much flavor to food.

Whisk: A utensil used for whipping ingredients (such as cream, eggs, sauces, etc.),. Strange, but this put air into your food to give it a "whipped" texture. They come in different sizes for different tasks and are most often made of stainless steel or tinned steel.

Sesame-Orange Pork with Spaghetti Squash
1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half, seeds removed (~2lbs. )
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
Juice of 1/2 medium orange (~2TB.)
1 (1/2 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated (~2tsp)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 TB. cornstarch
2 TB sesame oil
2 (12- to 14-oz.) pork tenderloins, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt
1/4 tsp dried rep pepper flakes
2 large zucchini, julienned (~ 2 cups)
12 whol radishes, sliced (~1 cup)
4 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced (~1 cup)
Zest of 1/2 medium orange (~1 TB)
Sesame Seeds

Steps:
1. preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place spaghetti squash on lipped baking sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes. Shred pulp with a fork.

2. Whisk together soy sauce, beef broth, and orange juice in a bowl. Stir in ginger, garlic, and cornstarch; then set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon seasame oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and red pepper flakes; then stir-fry pork in the wok until golden (it takes about 3-5 minutes). Transfer to a bowl.

4. heat remaining 1 tablespoon of seasame oil in the wok. Add Zucchini, radishes, and mushrooms, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in orange zest, add in pork and pour in soy sauce mixture from step 2. Cook until sauce thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and toss with speghetti squash before serving.

Serves:4
Prep time: 40 minutes well worth it!! (this includes roasting the squash)
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serving size: 1/4 stir fry...maybe 3 cups.
Each serving has: 27 g. carbs, 12 g fat, 2 g fiber, 27 g protein.



**Tip of the Blog**
What are net carbs? Where do I find them? That's easy!! By reading food labels. Just take the total carbohydrate grams and subtract the fiber and sugar alcohol grams. The remaining carb grams are considered a given product's net carbs.

Diets that are constructed around the idea of low-carbs consider things such as fiber and sugar alcohols to be "non-impact carbs." This means our bodies can not metabolize then or use them so they don't count. When you work with the equation above what you are doing is taking total carbohydrate grams and subtracting those from fiber and sugar alcohol.

Now the issue is whether or not the packaging really and truly tells the truth about carbs? Well...maybe, but unlikely. All they're trying to do is to sell you a product. So, no, the information they give you is not always EXACTLY what is contained in the foods.

I recommend if you are going to eat low carb, get away from the processed foods, even including those low carb processed foods. These foods have been altered and changed "for you benefit" but the truth is that many processed foods are missing things your body needs. Instead, you should eat things like from nature. Cheesy, I know, but nuts, fruits, vegetables, who grains and healthy oils (olive oil) are things you're body will thank you for in the long run. If you absolutely, positively cannot live without sweets (I understand--I'm like that too) then you can use a more herbal sweetener like stevia that won't upset your digestive system and mess with your metabolism.

Fun and Low-Calorie Dessert!

To start my yummy recipe and healthy-choices blog, I thought we'd start with something everyone loves....DESSERT!!!

All you need is whipping cream, artificial sweetener and cocoa to make this recipe for Low Carb Chocolate Mousse found in the Home and Garden Low-Carb Recipe Book.


INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
4 teaspoons artificial sweetener (splenda works great!)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Optional: spray can real whipped cream

PREPARATION:
Put all ingredients, in order, in a blender. Blend and eat. For that special touch, spoon into a crystal wine glass and top with a small squirt of spray can whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa powder. This is one serving.

If you are counting calories, count the calories on the whipped cream amount.

Super Easy, Yummy and Healthy! Along with every recipe I plan to put in a little tip to make healthy eating a little easier when you are making your own day-to-day choices.

***Tip for Healthy Eating***
The trick to healthy eating is to stock your kitchen for low-carb, low-calorie eating. If you can stop yourself from buying that amazingly yummy, glossy bag of chips from the grocery store you will not have the temptation to eat them later.

If you are currently dieting go to your pantry and cabinets and throw away any edibles that enough you to stay. You'll thank yourself later, I promise!! If you don't like the idea of wasting a bunch of food put all that "junk food" in a box and drop it off at a food drive or Sister Carmen on the way to work tomorrow morning!

The things you should always have in stock are things like lean means, fish, eggs and a type of poultry is always good (like chicken). Buy fresh salad greens and low-carb veggies. For conveniences, wash anjd store the greens as soon as you get from the store. It will make it much easier on yourself and your schedule later when you go to cook. Always keep a variety of sugar free spices, herbs and condiments available.