Friday, January 18, 2008

Sweet Potatoes!



Eating healthy foods will help us live longer and feel better. Healthy eating has been proven to lead to a longer and more satisfying life. You don't have to lose flavor to gain health. Heart healthy cooking simply means making dishes that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and moderate in total fat.

Here's one healthy choice to add to your diet.

What you'll need:

1 cup sweet potato, cooked, mashed

2 small bananas , mashed

1 cup evaporated skim milk

2 Tbsp packed brown sugar

2 egg yolks (or 1/3 cup egg substitute), beaten

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup of raisins

1 tblsp of sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Let's get cookin:

1. In a medium bowl, mix sweet potato and banana.
Add milk, blending well.
2. Add brown sugar, egg yolks, and salt, mixing thoroughly.
3. Spray 1-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray.
Transfer sweet potato mixture to casserole dish.
4. Combine raisins, sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over top of sweet potato mixture.
5. Bake in preheated 325ยบ F oven for 40-45 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.


Enjoy this delicious and nutritious dessert with friends and loved ones!

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Saturday, January 12, 2008

A Dad's joy



"Can I help, Daddy?" he asked with a hint of excitement in his young voice. I love this part of being a Dad. He still has not outgrown the desire to spend some time with his old Dad.

"Sure pal" was my immediate reply. He wanted eggs on that chilly winter morning. I mixed up the easy omelet mix. Just add water. No time for cutting up the onions and green peppers today, I thought. I like easy. Especially on these winter mornings where time seems to go way too fast. Before we know it we have to hit the door for another day at school.

I put a couple of tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in my 12" fry pan carefully chosen from our best stainless steel cookware. After half a minute or so the pan was ready. He helped me pour the eggs into the nicely warmed pan. I added a slice of cheese and a couple slices of ham. And in just a matter of minutes my little schoolboy was eating a warm and nutritious breakfast.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Going Green



Eating whole, unprocessed foods is one of the best ways to enjoy the most benefits from nature's food bounty. Canned carrots lose about 20% of their antioxidant value. Wouldn't you rather spend a minute or two rinsing and cutting the carrots in order to enjoy the maximum benefit?
Try a homemade salad with a mix of your favorite vegetables. See how many colors you can blend in your salad creation. Here's one idea for a variety of healthy choices.

Here's what you'll need:

4 cups fresh spinach
4 cups Romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped green pepper (or use red, yellow, or orange)
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 sliced red onion
2 cups sliced cucumber
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup sliced zucchini

Simply wash all the veggies, mix in a large salad bowl and enjoy with your favorite dressing. If you're like me and trying to watch those calories have your low fat or nonfat dressing on the side.
For even more flavor and some healthy fats - add some chopped walnuts or whole pumpkin seeds. Eating healthy is so much easier when we include whole foods in our daily diet.

So get out your best stainless steel cookware and prepare a wholesome and healthy meal for your loved ones. And don't forget the salad!

Friday, January 4, 2008

Easy, breezy and healthy too



Try this easy and healthy dish for a nice warm weekend lunch or supper anytime.
Add a nice tossed salad with lots of spinach, your favorite lettuce, some shredded carrots and diced tomatoes! And don't forget your favorite wine!

Share with a loved one!

Here is what you'll need:

4 medium potatoes - sliced into 1/4 in slices
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cut into 3/4 inch cubes
4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 cup salsa (optional)
1 can (15 ounce) drained whole kernel corn

In a 4 quart sauce pan from your best stainless steel cookware, cook the potatoes on med-high for 12 to 15 minutes. They should now be nice and tender.

In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil on med-high for 5 minutes.

Add potatotes; cook until potatoes are lightly browned.

Add salsa and corn. Cook until heated through.

Enjoy with someone you love!

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The sweets we love to eat



I love donuts. And muffins, and pancakes with lots of syrup. Coke is my 2nd favorite beverage - I drink way too much Coke. I love breakfast cereals that have sugar on them - Frosted flakes and capn crunch are a great way to start just about any day!

Well, no dang wonder I'm so disgustingly overweight. I consume way too much sugar. Sugar calories are of no value at all. As Natalie the nutrition expert points out in the videos below.

Every cloud has a silver lining. Eating healthy can be as simple as small changes to eliminate most of the sugary foods.

Natalie - the nutrition expert at NutritionbyNatalie.com has published a couple of informative videos about the sugar we find in our everyday diets.



Here is Part 2 of Natalie's excellent video about sugar -




So, lets all get out our best stainless steel cookware and cook up something low in fat and without all those sugars we Americans seem to love so much.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Start 2008 off right - or at least better than I did!



"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

What is it about this time of year that causes us to think about setting goals? The newness of each New Year ( does that sound right? ) can give us a renewed sense of hope to set and achieve our goals. The most widely sought after goal I've been reading about seems to be the almost universal desire to lose weight.


Last night as I sat there watching the game in my easy chair and devouring various sugary snacks I thought of the simple rules for losing weight. We all know the rules. Losing weight is not rocket science. Eating healthy is not all that hard. A few simple changes to our diet can yield visible results in our quest to eat healthy , exercise, build muscle, and lose weight fast.


So watch Natalie - the nutrition expert as she shares some easy ways to reduce calories and prepare much healthier meals. Then get some of your best stainless steel cookware out and cook up a nutritious meal for you and your loved ones!