Monday, February 28, 2011

5 Facts About Limes


There is nothing quite like the sour zingy taste from the acidic zesty lime to pucker your face right up!  Limes are another very popular flavoring in my house.  It can really gives food a refreshing taste


Friday, February 25, 2011

Sealed With Goodness


Food that is conveniently packaged, carefully selected for freshness, and then sealed in with its nutrition and flavors all preserved and put into a can… GENIUS!  The ability to preserve foods at the peak of their ripeness and seal them tight to ensure the ultimate freshness, what an idea!  Sometimes I think we overlook a lot of what the can has to offer. 
I am a frequenter in the produce department of my local grocery store and markets.  I like the fruits and vegetables they offer in the produce section of the store, and I also take advantage of the canned section.  So like you when I buy a can whether they are lychee's, rambutans, tomatoes, carrots, mixed vegetables, soup or even meat like tuna or chicken I feel good knowing that the cans go through a thorough process to ensure the ultimate in freshness. 
Some of the canned food like your canned tomatoes and carrots actually carry more nutritional than the fresh vegetables you find in the produce section!  By cooking the food quickly at high temperatures and sealing them in sterilized steel cans, they maintain most of their nutritional value and prevent impurities from entering the cans.   
When I cook I try to ask myself about what am I making, what ingredients do I need, what does the recipe call for and what effect am I going for?  Sometimes it is that crisp crunch that adds to a meal, and sometimes something from a can is exactly what I need for my recipe. 
Cans make many foods you would otherwise not have here readily available to you.  You will find that much of your canned fruits and veggies are fat free with higher vitamin content and some even have stronger abilities to combat against cancers!  A lot of them have the convenient pull tab for opening making it simple to get into the can. The cans specifically made to be tamper free and environmentally friendly, like I said genius! And in today’s world you can buy most cans with salt and or sugar, reduced salt and or sugar or opt out of it all together and have it with no salt and or sugar.  It is all covered!   
Tip:
It’s a good idea to consider creating a section in your home for food storage.  As a part of the canning process they have already been cooked and need only be warmed. Cans are 100% secured and create a protection from the outside contaminants. With a shelf life of at least two years, I keep a food storage area in my pantry in the event of an emergency and I rotate the cans according to their expiration date.  I try to keep it in my thoughts that it’s not a matter of if but when, and so I try to stay as prepared as I can. 

5 Facts about Broccoli

In our house it would be more than fair to say we eat a lot of vegetables.  There is not one person in our house that will not back me up on that comment!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Egg Tip!


Have you ever found yourself trying to remember if an egg is uncooked or hard boiled? Try spinning the egg. If it wobbles, it’s raw. If it spins easily, the egg is hard boiled.  Makes sense right! A fresh egg will sink in water, while a stale one will float.

Click here to read more about eggs

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Baked Chicken


Seared and then baked to perfection, doesn’t that just sound tasty! Skinless chicken thighs brushed with a dark rich homemade teriyaki sauce that delivers a healthy kick from the cider vinegar and spices while livening up the chicken with rich bold flavor.



 Serve with Jasmine rice

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Chocolate-Chip Banana Bread


Imagine this… early morning before the sun rises you wake up to start your day, you brew up your favorite coffee, and then you slice into a moist tasty piece of golden chocolate-chip banana bread.  Now you ask yourself should you warm it up in the microwave or eat it plain.  The answer is it won’t matter it’s so smooth and tasty you can’t go wrong.  What you should be asking yourself is 1 piece or 2?
Click here to read more…

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Monday, February 14, 2011

Bake Less Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies


This yummy sweet treat is great to make with kids; with no baking required you can’t beat it! I love the way this tasty treat is sweet yet not overpowering.  A quick and simple recipe for treats in a hurry! 

Friday, February 11, 2011

Easy Pleasing Healthy Meatloaf Recipe


Surprise them all with a meatloaf they will love with a surprising healthy twist.  By substituting bread/bread crumbs with old fashioned oats I am able to give my family all of the many health advantages that come with it without sacrificing flavor. I use extra lean ground beef to cut out the much of the fat. Olive oil is used in place of vegetable oil for a better way to sauté, and by using low fat milk instead of whole milk I get the nutritional value and less of the fat!




 

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Apple Cider Deviled Eggs


One of the wonderful things about the holidays is the delicious food that is served to go with it!  When I think of deviled eggs two times come to my mind.  Thanksgiving and Easter but really there is no bad time for deviled eggs!  I love me some protein packed creamy deviled eggs  They can be served as a appetizer, a snack or as a side dish the choice is yours.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Soy milk - Soy what about it



What is the only plant-based protein with all the essential amino acids?  Give up?  Well  soy you silly goose!


You can actually get a nutritional punch like POW with one healthy dose from this small super bean!  I first started buying soy after one of my visits at my sisters house a couple of year back.  We had a discussion about milk and how her kids were lactose intolerant and so she was using soy milk instead.


My youngest son tasted it and really liked the vanilla flavored soy milk, so I thought lets try it.  It was a hit so in addition to buying milk when I go shopping I buy soy milk.  The cost is a bit more than milk but when I read the label I am pleasantly surprised to see the health and nutrition in it and I will buy it for that reason alone.


In just one glass of soy milk you will find a protein, fiber and omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid packed drink that is low in the saturated fat and cholesterol free!  When you drink a glass of milk and it is slightly warm like it has been sitting out for 15 minutes you get this after taste, not with soy milk it is brand new to me every time!  It's delicious to, don't try to think of it the same as regular milk, it tastes nothing like it, instead think of it of its own separate entity.  Oh and did I mention this wonderful drink is rich in the very necessary bone-building  calcium, zinc magnesium and iron? 

Give it a try maybe you are cautious if so do it in baby steps, instead of milk in your coffee try pouring some soy milk in, and then graduate to one whole glass, trust me it's a good thing!  They have many flavors available for which ever kind your liking may be.   

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Swag Bucks

Search & Win

I have added a Swag bucks widget as well as a Swag buck banner to my blog.  A widget is a graphic type of computer interface element.  I have done some reading and decided to give Swag bucks.com a shot.  Having a blog I spend some time on the Internet undergoing much searching whether I am shopping or researching how to’s, looking for blogging tips, anything I need to know, and I can use the widget to earn sb's at the same time! 

So being the thinker that I try to be, why not get paid to search?   Just before Thanksgiving I joined Swag bucks for free imagine that! I have already received over 100 sb's (swag bucks), not to bad if I do say so myself!  It has been simple to use for me which is great, anyone can use it. 

Simply go to my Swag Bucks widget on my blog and click on sign up and begin using it to conduct your search the way you normally do, and where ever the Internet should take you, earn swag bucks!  You can also go to swagbucks.com sign-up  It is pretty neat you can turn your sb’s in for gift certificates, I receive at least 9 sb’s every day that I have used it so far. 

Caesar Salad Bliss


Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Red Onion



Sautéed Potatoes with Red Onion




A wonderful and easy way to prepare potatoes
Ingredients

  • 1 lb russet potatoes, washed skinned, peeled and cubed
  • 1/2 red onion, large cut in 1 inch pieces
  • garlic cloves, pressed and set aside for 10-20 minutes
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 7 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp season salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp garlic salt
Directions
  1. Fill a large stock pot at least half full with water and bring to a boil. Add a tablespoon of salt.  Slowly add the potatoes, and give it a stir.  Allow the water to come to a boil again. Boil uncovered, for 10-15 minutes test with a fork for tender but firm.  Drain and set aside.
  2. Pour 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a small pan on high heat, add pressed garlic.  Reduce heat and sauté for 30 seconds, remove from heat.
  3. Add sautéed garlic, paprika, salt, black pepper, season salt, and garlic salt, oil, and butter into a large zip lock bag mix with a wisk for 30 seconds.
  4. Add red onion to seasoning mixture, toss to coat thoroughly remove and set aside.  Add potatoes to seasoning mixture, toss to coat thoroughly remove and set aside separately.
  5. Pour remaining seasoning mixture into a non-stick skillet on medium high heat.  Add red onion sauté for 3 minutes stirring occasionally.  Remove and set aside.
  6. Place potatoes in a single layer in the skillet allow to cook turning the potatoes every 3-5 minutes on each side until all sides are brown and the outside is crisp.  Reduce heat to medium add red onions back in cook an additional 2 minutes and remove from heat.
Serve immediately
This is a dish inspired by my mom. I took the basic concept she gave me and enhanced the flavors with the garlic, seasonings and hint of subtle sweetness from the red onion.  This crispy slightly crunchy on the outside tender on the inside potato sautéed with red onion with just the right amount of seasnoning will add that certain something you are looking for.