Sweet Dimensions

Bigos

2011-12-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

Bigos (Polish pronunciation: [ˈbiɡɔs]), known as a Hunter's Stew, is a traditional meat stew typical of Polish, Lithuanian, Belarusians and Ukrainian cuisine, considered to be the Polish and Ukrainian national dish.

Ingredients

In order of volume: 2 lb sauerkraut, washed and drained; 2 lb white cabbage, shredded; 1 lb sausage, sliced into ½" pieces; ½ lb smoked ham, cubed; ½ lb smoked pork, cubed; ½ lb bacon, chopped; ½ lb beef or venison, cubed; 2 oz dried mushrooms; 4 pitted prunes, chopped; 2 apples, cored and cubed; 1 tomato, cubed; 1 onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp allspice; 2 bay leaves;: 1 tbsp peppercorns.

Directions

Prepare the ingredients as listed above. Simmer the cabbage until soft (1/2 to 1 hour), then drain. Meanwhile, cook the bacon and set aside, preserving the fat. In the bacon fat sauté the onions and garlic, and brown the remaining meat except the sausage. Combine all ingredients in a pot and cook: in a slow cooker, set on "low" for 5–10 hours; on the stove, cook briefly on medium and then simmer 2–3 hours.
Refrigerate any leftovers and reheat for serving. The flavor improves each time, peaking around the third day. Many like to freeze it solid before thawing, heating and eating. Traditionally, it was left out in the freezing cold to store.

Recipe and Photo credit: Wikipedia

Do you Love Cookies???????

2011-12-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

Brush up on some old favourites at Epicurious.com, just in time for the holidays....of course....what else would we be thinking of???

40, 50, Fit & Fabulous

2010-07-25T20:41:00.001-07:00

Well, it's been a little while since an update. Unfortunately my internet connection has been severely lacking and I haven't been able to post on blogger for so long.

I've been working hard, although a little lax in the exercise department. I've managed to do a bit of walking and riding my bike, but it's been deadly hot (for exercise at least), and considering we have no a/c I'm afraid it's been a major setback. I really can't believe we on to our 6th week of temps well over 90 F. In all 15 years I've been back in NY I've barely counted 6 days that hot during any summer.

But the good news is, I've been eating lots of fuit, salads, and smoothies. This is my green smoothie...spinach, strawberries and a banana. Almonds can be thrown in for protein (I own a Vitamix, but I don't think I'd try them with a normal blender). I have found when I'm eating well, that I have more energy, and my muscles are not sore and weak. Today it cooled down a little, so hopefully we'll get a break, I'm badly in need of some stretching. Back on the treadmill this week! Wish me luck!

40, 50, Fit & Fabulous

2010-05-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

So around rolls another week, and I've been having a terrible time committing to exercise everyday. I can manage about 3 days a week, but it's often thrown in at the moment I remember I'd forgotten. Clearly, I need to commit to more of a scheduled time...something which...when I find a moment for myself...I like to use for something other than exerise. So I hereby away sign my time after breakfast on the dotted line. No more laundry, or dishes or 'gasp' blogging!

On a more positive note...it's only fair to mention the achievements for the week. I have been out and about, walking here and there, with a lovely stroll thru Central Park yesterday...oh and does chasing a toddler count, I've done many hours of that, with about 10 loads of laundry carried up and down 2 flights of stairs the past couple of days.

So now let me go have breakfast, and no more excuses after that!

Some of the areas I intend to focus on this week, tummy & arms - lots of good old fashion situps & pushups! There's nothing like a free workout!

Menus & Shopping Lists

2010-05-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

I've been having a terrible time getting meals together and shopping since I had my last little munchkin. We're be living on milk and bread too much from Costco, with a pizza thrown in for good measure. I've been trying to get an idea of how much food I need to buy in bulk per month and found this list, with most of the stuff I need...although looking at it this is what we'd go thru in a week easily. We're still waiting on the food stamps...we got some emergency funds in February, and hubby went to see the supervisor a couple of weeks ago to see why we still don't have them. I really don't know what's going on, but she put another month on our card. Each case worker has around 1,500 applicants to work thru, how crazy is that. I don't know if we'll get any more, we'll see. Hopefully hubby will have some work, he's had a bit here and there, and we've had good tax returns, we were a couple of years behind. He had a job for a supervisor with a friends site in the city, but that hasn't started yet.

I'm finding the womans day monthly menus great too, I just tweak them for our needs.
http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Food/Month-of-Menus!
http://www.byui.edu/ce/assets/documents/conferences_homeandfamily_handout_lindsey-dewey_groceryList1_2010.pdf

http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/family_meal_planning_grocerylist.pdf

Here is the list for us:

1 lrg Oatmeal
1 bag Grits
10lbs Flour (5lbs All-Purpose and 5lbs Whole Wheat)
10lbs Sugar
2 lb Brown Sugar
5lb Potatoes
5 bags frozen veggies
3 bags frozen broccoli
6 cans tomato sauce
8 cans tomato paste
6 cans diced tomatoes
10 pkgs raman noodles
2 bags dried beans
6 cans beans
4 lbs spaghetti pasta
1 lb elbow pasta
2 bags egg noodles
6 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 tub margarine
1 lb butter
3 doz eggs
4 gallons milk
1 dry milk (last 2 months)
4 gallons Apple Juice
5 lbs various cheeses
2 lrg containers vanilla yogurt
1 lb lunch meat
1 bag popping corn
3 boxes Graham Crackers
2 boxes Saltines
1 jar Peanut Butter
1 jar Simply Fruit Grape spread
1 bag Choc Chips
1 box Family Size Tea Bags
10 pkgs flavored drink mix
3 boxes instant pudding
2 boxes Pancake/Waffle Mix
1 Pancake Syrup
1 Lrg bag Dog Food

Meats I buy when I find Manager's Specials and Markdowns so I never really pre-plan. Generally I have a good freezer selection of meat. I want to limit myself to $40 per month of fresh meat. Things I look for marked down are:

whole chickens
chicken thighs
chicken breasts
Beef Roasts
Top/Chuck Roasts to cut into stew meat
Ground Turkey
Sweet Italian Sausage
Ground Beef
Pork Butts
Bacon

All of this based on our current prices runs right at $200/month. We like soups/stews, casseroles, pasta meals and baked potato dinners. And, since we homeschool all our meals are at home. With this list I should be able to add another $50 per month for misc (spices, baking needs etc as needed) or a special treat here or there. And then another $50 for diapers and HBA items. That should get me to $300!
http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/kitchen-basics/92606-monthly-grocery-list.html

Sat 1st – Salmon en croute with red pesto, roasted sweet potato, asparagus, baby corn, carrots
[Salmon fillets spread with red pesto and wrapped in filo pastry]

Sun 2nd – Falafels, pitta breads, salad
[First attempt at these – basing mine on an Ainsley Harriot recipe]

Mon 3rd – Vegetable biryani
[Usually make this with prawns but trying a veggie version this time – onion, garlic, carrots, peas, green lentils, tinned tomatoes, curry paste, basmati rice, veg stock made from stock cube]

Tues 4th – Greek salad frittata, jacket potato, salad
[Another new recipe, can’t remember what inspired it now! Red onion, feta cheese, eggs, olives, tomatoes, oregano]

Wed 5th – Chilli con carne pie, carrots
[Chilli con carne base already in freezer, frozen peas to be added to base, then top with mashed potato with tinned sweetcorn mixed in and some grated cheddar on top]

Thu 6th – Pasta with spicy tomato sauce, roasted peppers, capers, olives and fennel seeds
[Peppers roasted in oven with a sprinkling of fennel seeds, then added to cooked pasta along with homemade spicy tomato pasta sauce, some olives and some capers]

Fri 7th – Chicken fajitas
[Chicken breasts, tortilla wraps, Chicken Tonight fajita paste, mixed peppers, onion]

Sat 8th – Sausage and pea risotto
[Grilled sausages chopped and added to fried onion and garlic, along with frozen peas, rice, chicken stock made from stock cube, oregano, chilli flakes and Worcestershire sauce…if I’ve got any in the cupboard I sometimes add sundried tomatoes to this]

Sun 9th – Caramelized onion soup, garlic bread
[Been bumping this on and off my menu plans for months now, but WILL make it this month! Onions, garlic, stock, herbs, little bit of sugar to encourage the onions )

Mon 10th – Tuna and mushroom pasta bake
[Cooked pasta mixed with tinned tuna, chopped fresh mushrooms, tin of low fat condensed mushroom soup, herbs, chilli flakes and a drop of water, then topped with grated cheese]

Tues 11th – Lentil soup, pumpkin bread, cheese
[An old favourite – onion, carrots, celery, red lentils, veg stock, peppercorns and herbs]

Wed 12th – Salmon with fennel, mash, broccoli, carrots

[Another new experiment…thought I’d bake some salmon fillets topped with fennel seeds and maybe a little dab of butter, then served with mashed potato with stir-fried fresh fennel added to it, and the other veg listed]

Thu 13th – Chickpea and spinach curry, naan bread
[Chickpeas, homemade tomato sauce, spinach, curry paste, mustard seeds, cardamom pods, ground coriander, veg stock, will get OH to rustle up some home made naan bread!]

Fri 14th – Spaghetti Bolognese
[Another old favourite! Beef mince, onions, garlic, celery, carrot, mushrooms, streaky bacon, tinned tomatoes, beef stock made from stock cube), oregano, bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce]

Sat 15th – Off to best friend's hen do – Pizza for OH

Sun 16th – Mushroom and spinach risotto
[Another new dish to try – onion, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, chilli flakes, rice, veg stock, herbs]

Mon 17th – Bacon and roasted pepper tortilla, salad
[Fancy omelette type thing really! Fry bacon and onion in large frying pan, then sliced cooked potatoes, roasted pepper pieces and herbs, then add beaten egg and cook until egg is nearly set on top…finish under the grill making sure frying pan handle is not directly under the heat…not that I would do a thing like that of course…]

Tues 18th – Chorizo and chickpea soup, crusty bread
[An unusual but tasty soup, very filling! Fry onion and chorizo…fat from chorizo should be sufficient to cook these in…add chickpeas, chopped savoy cabbage, chicken or veg stock, chilli and herbs…simmer for a bit and serve with some nice crusty bread to dip in]

Wed 19th – Cheese and red bean pie
[Another pie without a flake of pastry in sight! A base of onion, garlic, red kidney beans, chilli, and homemade tomato sauce, topped with a mashed potato and grated cheddar…very simple, cheap and very tasty!]

Thu 20th – Salmon with garlic, ginger and chilli, roasted sweet potato, broccoli, carrots
[Salmon fillets topped with crushed garlic, grated fresh ginger and dried chilli flakes and roasted in oven wrapped in foil]

Fri 21st – Spanish chicken risotto
[A special request from OH…red onion, garlic, chicken, chorizo, peppers, olives, herbs, rice and chicken stock]

Sat 22nd – Moussaka, salad
[Made with Bolognese sauce as I don’t like lamb]

Sun 23rd – Chicken en croute with red pesto, potato gratin, courgettes, braised celery
[Using up some more of that filo pastry]

Mon 24th – Carrot and coriander soup, bread, cheese
[Can’t beat a bowl of homemade soup can you? )

Tues 25th – Cottage pie, brussel sprouts, swede
[Made with Bolognese sauce, tin of baked beans on the bottom, then mashed potato on the top]

Wed 26th – Cauliflower and green bean curry, rice
[Cauliflower, green beans, homemade tomato sauce, curry paste, mustard seeds, cardamom pods, ground coriander, veg stock]

Thu 27th – Rustic pasta
[Another of OH’s favourites – grilled sausages added to homemade tomato sauce along with frozen peas, and then mixed into cooked pasta]

Fri 28th – Steaks, homemade potato wedges, salad
[OH’s birthday so using the last of the lovely sirloin steak we bought back from Devon with us at Christmas]

Sat 29th – Have left this day blank for now as OH’s family are coming for the day – there is talk of a big picnic but will make firmer plans nearer the time

Sun 30th – Chickpea enchiladas
[Chickpeas, homemade tomato sauce, cumin seeds and chilli flakes, spooned into tortilla wraps which are then rolled up and popped into a baking dish, top with some grated cheddar and bung in oven until cheese is melted and browning a little]

Mon 31st – Toasted sandwiches, salad

Avocado, Tahini & Tomato Sandwich

2010-05-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

Someone made this for me in my hippie days, out in the boonies, where everything is still wild, and the home grown food tastes delicious. It's still one of my favourite lunches. It's also great as an open sandwich on homemade bread or toast.

Pretty simple to make ;) spread tahini, avocado on bread, it's better on homemade...slice a tomato, and salt and pepper. Also great on an open sandwich, with toasted bread! Enjoy!

40, 50, Fit & Fabulous

2010-05-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well this week was a very slow start....in the beginning of the week, I scratched a mole off my back, and it's been very sore...so i didn't want to do more damage...must go to a doc.

I did take 3 lovely walks, and managed to start eating healthier. including in the menu this week, fruit salad for breakfast, 2 salads, I made my pasta sauce with a bunch of fresh tomatoes added. I managed to make some green drinks - my preference is kale and strawberries, so refreshing! Snacks consisted of raisins & almonds, fruit.

This week I really have to start stretching my aching bones...and I will start juicing, my juicer is ready to go again. I will make a note to put my vitamins out, and take a multivitamin every day, and the big one...I need to get to bed earlier...I'm a night owl. I'm hoping for more energy and less aches, because then I will be happy to be more active.

Goal is to enjoy whatever I'm doing.

2 tips...

TOMATOES - I really liked having fresh tomatoes in my pasta sauce...I always go by the reduced produce stand...there are often packs of tomatos that are very ripe. I wash them, slice the tops and put them in the freezer whole and cook them as needed. If you're adding to cooked food...just pop them in 1/2 cup water and boil for a few minutes, the skin comes off very easily when pulled with tongs. They can also be used uncooked for cold soups. I would like to make my own from scratch like this or this and keep it in the freezer for when I need it.

STRAWBERRIES - I like to buy frozen strawberries, i find they're often cheaper and don't require cleaning, don't go bad immediately, and my kids don't eat them as soon as they come into the house. My husband was buying them from Costco...but I bought some from Trader Joes this week and they were smaller, riper, and had so much more flavour. We cooked some with a little organic sugar and made strawberry syrup for our pancakes (recipe), and of course I used some in my green drink.

Here's a nice little blog on organic vegetable gardening in case you're really adventurous...now is the time to get planting.

40, 50, Fit & Fabulous

2010-04-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

This is the first week of my very own fitness program. Come join me.

40, 50, Fit & Fabulous

Here is my plan:

1 - 5 minutes of stretching....more if I want, the goal is to get my body moving, get rid of the aches & pains, and become more limber.

2 - There are four areas I'm unhappy with right now...arms, legs, hips, and waist so I will try to do an extra toning exercise in one of those areas each day.

3 - Funfilled activties, is really something I'm looking forward to - I would like to try a brisk walk Monday morning with my toddler after I take my prek'er to the bus. Just to take a deep breathe of fresh air, clear my mind for the week....let it go from there. Wednesday I would like to commit to playing raquet ball with my girls down the street at the local basketball courts...even just for 1/2hr, and Friday I would like to walk down to the library with my young children. 2 miles. I also walk to any afterschool sports, which during spring will be maybe once a week for my 2 oldest. I would love to find someone to walk with, so I will see if I can find a willing partner.

4 - My plan of healthier eating is to try and eat at least 2 salads for lunch, fruit in the mornings, start making fresh juices, and we're already eating a lot more vegetables with dinner eat week, and being warmer weather, I'm making a salad niscious once a week, and salad as a side at lease once. My pitfall right now is just eating cereal or bread or toast all day...so it's just carbs with little nutrition. I think for this week I will make the fruit and juices the priority.

Thai Red Curry Paste

2010-04-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 shallot OR 1/4 cup purple onion, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, minced ( see instructions below) OR 2 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass (available at Asian stores)
1-2 red chilies, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, OR 1-2 tsp. Thai chili sauce
4 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, sliced
2 Tbsp. tomato ketchup (OR 2 Tbsp. tomato paste + 1/2 tsp sugar)
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper (available at your supermarket or Asian food store)
3 Tbsp. fish sauce (OR 4 Tbsp. soy sauce if vegetarian)
1-2 tsp. shrimp paste (omit if vegetarian), available by the jar at Asian stores
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. regular chili powder
1/4 can good-quality coconut milk (or just enough to keep the blades turning), reserve remaining for the curry
2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
Optional: 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (OR add 1 cinnamon stick to your curry pot)

Recipe
Photo

Spicy Asian Noodle and Chicken Salad

2010-04-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned style or freshly ground)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons (or more) low-salt chicken broth

3/4 pound linguine or dried chow mein udon noodles
4 cups thinly sliced cooked chicken, cut into strips
2 large carrots, coarsely grated (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili-garlic sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and 3 tablespoons broth in processor; blend until smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water to cool and drain again. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add chicken, carrots, green onions, bell pepper, and cilantro; toss to blend. Pour dressing over and toss to coat, adding more broth by tablespoonfuls if dressing is too thick. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 main-course or 8 side-dish servings

Epicurious.com

Thai Chicken Salad with Rice Noodles

2010-03-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

4 1/2 ounces rice stick noodles (maifun)*
4 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)*
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 purchased roasted chicken breast halves, boned, skinned, shredded
3 cups shredded Napa cabbage (I substituted with lettuce)
1 cup coarsely grated carrot
1 cup red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 medium cucumbers, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted peanuts

Preparation

Cook noodles in small pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain; cut noodles in several places with scissors. Spread out on platter.

Puree next 7 ingredients in blender. With machine running, gradually add oil and blend until dressing is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine chicken, cabbage, carrot, pepper, onion, and cucumbers in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Arrange atop noodles, sprinkle with peanuts, and serve, passing remaining dressing alongside.

*Available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets, at Asian markets, and from amazon.com.

Makes 4 servings

Epicuriuos.com

Toast

2010-03-25T15:11:00.001-07:00

A perfect accompliment to any soup!

from an old magazine....click on image for recipe.

Eggplant Parmesan Rolls with Swiss Chard and Fresh Mint

2010-03-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

The Original: Breaded, fried eggplant with a thick oregano-flavored tomato sauce. Our Version: Broiled slices of eggplant wrapped around a mint-and chard-flecked ricotta filling.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants (about 2 1/4 pounds total), trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Coarse kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 1-pound bunch Swiss chard, center ribs removed (I used frozen chopped spinach)
2 large eggs
1 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 15- to 16-ounce can tomato sauce
1 8-ounce ball fresh water-packed mozzarella,* drained, thinly sliced

Preparation

Cover bottom and sides of each of 2 large colanders with 1 layer of eggplant slices; sprinkle generously with coarse salt. Continue layering eggplant slices in each colander, sprinkling each layer with coarse salt, until all eggplant slices are used. Place each colander over large bowl; let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Rinse eggplant slices to remove excess salt; dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Position oven rack 5 to 6 inches from heat source and preheat broiler. Line 3 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange eggplant slices in single layer on prepared baking sheets. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil. Broil 1 sheet at a time until eggplant slices are tender and beginning to brown, watching closely and removing eggplant slices as needed if cooking too quickly, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove baking sheet from oven and cool eggplant while preparing filling.

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add chard to pot and boil just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Squeeze chard very dry, then chop coarsely. Squeeze chard dry again between paper towels. Whisk eggs and pinch of coarse salt in medium bowl. Stir in chopped chard, ricotta cheese, 1 cup Parmesan, mint, and black pepper.

Lightly oil 15 x 10 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread half of tomato sauce evenly over bottom of dish. Divide chard-ricotta filling among eggplant slices, placing about 1 heaping tablespoon filling in center of each. Starting at 1 short end of each, loosely roll up eggplant slices, enclosing filling. Arrange rolls, seam side down, atop sauce in baking dish. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over. Place mozzarella slices in single layer over rolls. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil and chill.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake eggplant Parmesan rolls, covered with foil, until heated through, about 30 minutes if freshly made or 40 minutes if refrigerated. Uncover and bake until brown in spots and sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Epicurious.com

Crockpot Bread Pudding

2010-03-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

I commented on a post with Tami at Feeding a Hungry Soul and in an email I mentioned the food project we have in the woodworks and she told me about her food business. She has a wonderful homemade Gourmet business and she sent me one of her packets to try. Here is it (photo below), Crockpot Cranberry Bread Pudding. It was so delicious it was gone within the hour. I am very impressed by her system, you should go check it out. Here website...Homemade Gourmet.

This is a recipe I followed for the regular bread pudding. I can't find the photo at the moment but will update.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2 cups milk

2 eggs

4 cups 1/2 inch cubes stale bread or cake

1/4 cup raisins or craisins

Preparation

Beat sugar, nutmeg, milk and eggs. Completely combine. Put cubes in buttered crockpot. Pour egg mixture over them. Allow to stand until liquid is absorbed. Mix in raisins. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours. (I found this easy to burn on high, so keep your eye on it.)

For more crockpot recipes head on over to

This week she has some really yummy recipes on her blog,

not going to spoil the surprise...

Vegetable Latkes

2010-03-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

This lighter take on the classic recipe will be gobbled up as quickly as the original—and is still best served with applesauce and sour cream. Warning this reipe ony makees enough to serve 6....so you'd better do your math.

Ingredients

1 large parsnip, peeled and shredded

2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and shredded

2 large carrots, peeled and shredded

3 leeks (white and light green parts only) or 1 onion, chopped

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 large eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

1. In a colander, rinse the parsnip and potatoes under cold water. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels; transfer to a mixing bowl.
2. Stir in the carrots, leeks (or onion), flour, baking powder, eggs, salt, and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Drop in large spoonfuls of the batter, flattening each with the back of the spoon. Cook, turning once, until brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes a side. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel–lined baking sheet in a 200°F oven until serving.

from epicurious.com

Carrot Soup

2010-03-10T00:08:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

2 pounds carrots, peeled, sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled

5 whole cloves

4 cups (about) canned vegetable broth or water

1/2 heavy cream or half and half

additional goodies

ginger or ginger ale

orange marmalade

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and cloves and sauté until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups broth. Cover and simmer until carrots are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Remove cloves from broth and discard. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to same saucepan. Mix in cream or half and half. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin to desired consistency with more broth. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Stir soup over medium heat until heated through. Ladle into bowls. Drizzle cream over. Top with parsley.

Plain ol' Pancakes

2010-03-08T23:49:00.000-08:00

but they were the best!

I have a great receipe for pancakes with sour cream. The reason I liked to use this was because as a couponer I always had up to 10 tubs of sour cream in my frig, taking up way too much space (tiny frig, 9 people) so I had to find new ways to use it up.

Not having a car, I'm often out of ingredients when I want to cook something, and I've learnt to make do with what I've had instead of bungling up a bunch of kiddies and walking to a store to get one or two things.

All that to say this pancake recipe is a very basic one using the ingredients I nearly always have on hand. If you use bisquick I would liken the mix to that...but better and of course natural. To date I'd rate it the best pancake mix I've tried....it's a keeper!

Ingredients

2 cups ub flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

6 t baking powder

2 t salt

2 T sugar

2 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs

1/2 stick butter (4 t)

Preparation

I confess I love to dump all my ingredients and stir...I know I'm a terrible cook, but you probably would too if you had 7 kids under foot acting like they'd never been fed! Just smother with real maple syrup and you'll be back in heaven, at least til breakfast is over!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-02-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

french toast

lemon pancakes

apple turnovers

crumpets

tuna curry

thai coconut chicken

beef & barley soup

hamburgers

fish & chips

veggie chilli

beef bourginion

split pea soup

Spaghetti with Best ever Bolognese Sauce

2010-02-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

A good old favourite and a giveaway!

Ingredients

1-1/2 lbs. 85 percent lean ground beef chuck

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 tsp sweet basil (dried or fresh)

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1 14- to 16-oz. pkg. dried whole wheat, multigrain or regular spaghetti

Grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese (optional)

Fresh oregano (optional)

Directions

1. In 12-inch skillet brown ground beef, onion, and garlic until meat is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Drain off fat.

2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, seasoning, pepper, and salt. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until thickened.

3. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti, with 1 tablespoon salt added to water, according to package directions Drain. Serve spaghetti with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and oregano. Makes 8 servings.

Variations

This makes a perfect marinara sauce, and delicious with some sliced up, grilled sweet & spicy Italian sausages added.

photo: BHG

Roasted Vegetable Loaf

2010-02-22T16:42:00.000-08:00

This vegetarian entrée will be a hit with meat-eating partygoers since it’s stuffed with lots of flavorful ingredients including walnuts, two kinds of cheese and roasted vegetables. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet on the stovetop to bring out their nutty flavor. Add leftovers of the loaf to chili, or use slices to make “mock meatloaf” sandwiches.

Ingredients

1 cup brown and wild rice blend (such as Lundberg)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 bay leaf
11/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 slices whole-grain bread
11/2 cups chopped red and yellow bell pepper
11/2 cups chopped eggplant
1 cup chopped yellow or white onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup 1-percent reduced-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat white cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1. Combine rice, 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 45 to 50 minutes or until rice is tender. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. Tear bread and place into a mini food chopper or blender. Pulse until it forms small breadcrumbs.

3. Add peppers and eggplant to a large bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt; place on nonstick baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 375 degrees.

4. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for four to five minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and garlic; cook one minute. Remove from heat and add to rice. Stir in breadcrumbs, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, eggplant, nuts, cheeses, parsley and pepper.

5. Reserve 1/2 cup of vegetable mixture. Stir remaining vegetables into rice mixture and carefully fold in eggs; pat mixture into an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan coated with a small amount of olive oil. Arrange reserved 1/2 cup of vegetables across the top of loaf and press down gently with fingers to make them stick. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until loaf is firm. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 to15 minutes before slicing. Cut into 12 slices and serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 12 servings (1 slice)

http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/vegetarian/9243-roasted-vegetable-loaf.html

French Chocolate Bark

2010-02-16T00:52:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

8 ounces very good semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

8 ounces very good bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Melt the 2 chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

Meanwhile, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Using a ruler and a pencil, draw a 9 by 10-inch rectangle on the paper. Turn the paper facedown on the baking sheet.

Pour the melted chocolate over the paper and spread to form a rectangle, using the outline. Sprinkle the cashews, apricots and cranberries over the chocolate. Set aside for 2 hours until firm. Cut the bark in 1 by 3-inch pieces and serve at room temperature.

Food Network

White Chocolate Bark

2010-02-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

I just found this recipe thru Southern Butter and couldn't resist....my first love....ok my 2nd love....what caught my eye is that it is made in the microwave....one reason I haven't been baking and you see nothing sweet on my website is because our oven and 1/2 our stove is broken...like everything in our house right now. The other reason is because my eldest daughter loves to bake and she pretty much takes over as soon as I show her something yummy to make. I've been trying to coerce her into going into the baking business...but she's just too smart for that...just my luck!

I'm rather amazed that Ina Garten's recipes haven't made it to this website yet...I think I've made her monthly recipe (or a variation of) in House Beautiful every month for 4 years. We don't have TV but I must go back to her website, I've yet to eat something of hers that isn't delicious.

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnuts

16 ounces very good white chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup medium-diced apricots

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a pencil, draw an 8 by 10-inch rectangle on a piece of parchment paper placed on a sheet pan. Turn the parchment paper over so the pencil mark doesn't get into the chocolate.

Place the walnuts in 1 layer on another sheet pan and bake for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool and then chop roughly into large pieces.

Place 3/4 of the chocolate in a glass bowl and place it in the microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer - time it with your watch.) Stir with a rubber spatula. Put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds and stir again. Continue to heat and stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate is just melted. Immediately, add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. (If you need to heat it a little more, place it in the microwave for another 15 seconds at a time.)

Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper and spread it lightly into the drawn rectangle. Sprinkle the top evenly with the cooled walnuts, the cranberries and apricots. Set aside for at least 2 hours until firm, or refrigerate for 20 minutes. Cut the bark in 16 pieces and serve at room temperature.

Coq au Vin

2010-02-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

click on image to enlarge

Pioneer Woman also has a recipe for this on her website.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-01-31T15:29:00.000-08:00

beef & barley soup
crockpot italian sausage soup
curry chick peas & naan (trader joe's has the best)
or I could try this atta or pakora (when I was in the south of India they served this on top of a large crepe and topped it with a fried egg and it was delicious
braised chicken
spinach lasagne (ravioli) I have a super easy recipe I'll post the day I make this
leftovers with roasted veggies (I steamed and roasted the potatoes and added a couple of bags of mixed frozen veggies with chestnuts, brocoli, peppers & snap peas....my whole crew loved it, I should've made more coz the baby missed out (he was sleeping).....yeh you snooze you looze in this house!

Last week I did something I don't normally do with our leftovers. I usually do leftovers Friday or Saturday night, so I don't have to do much cooking...but this time I had Indian Chicken leftover and made some roasted veggies on the side, and the leftover beef stew with some frozen steamed veggies, so we got 2 good dinners out of them. I am definitely going to keep doing this...it worked so well.

You don't know how thankful I am that we have food stamps for the moment. Can you believe the amount they've given us is about 3 times what we normally spend on food each month. We went to Costco and stocked up on all the pantry items, chicken. Hopefully i'll find some meat on sale this week and get a few more things we need, then I won't have to buy much except bread, milk & produce each week. It is a little harder living without 'John's farm'....where I've been buying nearly everything between 39c - 99c a lb...but I'm sure we'll manage.

Beef and Sweet Potato Pan Roast

2010-01-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Elizabeth for mention Mr Lents' book. As interesting as it sounded, the thought of involuntarily having to live like that....well....let's just say it doesn't appeal to me. And I don't consider myself a fussy person...I travelled in India for 2 months on about $2 a day (that included accommodation) and I was as happy as Larry (whoever he be).

I'm glad to say, we've been rescued by the Government (now you can't say they're not good for anything)...and have food stamps to carry us thru the next month or two.

In the meantime...I've been thinking more along the lines of good ol steak & veggies...my staple diet. I snagged this from the BGH's site, seeing as they were considerate enough to send it straight to my mail box...and I noticed it didn't have many herbs and spices, which I have depleted in the process of turning mush to gourmet.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp. bottled roasted minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lb. medium orange and/or white sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch wedges
4 6- to 8-oz. beef shoulder petite tenders or 1-1/2 to 2 lb. beef tenderloin
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 recipe Chopped Parsley Topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a bowl combine Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper. Stir in olive oil. Divide seasoning mixture between two large self-sealing plastic bags. Place sweet potatoes in one bag; shake to coat potatoes. Spread potatoes in a single layer on greased shallow roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place beef tenders in remaining bag. Shake to coat. In a skillet brown beef tenders over medium-high heat, turning to brown evenly. Stir sweet potatoes in roasting pan and push to edges of pan. Place beef tenders in center of pan. Roast, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes; roast 10 to 15 minutes more or until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of thickest part of tenders registers 145 degrees F for medium-rare or 160 degrees F for medium doneness. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with Chopped Parsley Topping. Makes 6 servings.

3. Chopped Parsley Topping: Stir together 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley; 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel; 2 cloves garlic, minced; and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

4. Test Kitchen Tip: To substitute beef tenderloins for shoulder petite tenders, prepare potatoes and meat as at left, except do not roast potatoes before adding beef. Place browned tenderloin in center of greased roasting pan. Place potato wedges around pan edges. Roast, uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes for medium-rare (140 degrees F) or 40 to 45 minutes for medium (155 degrees F). Let stand for 5 minutes before carving beef.
5. Beef Shoulder Petite Tenders: The versatile petite tender is relatively new to the market. This juicy, lean cut from the top of the shoulder requires little or no marinating. Serve it roasted, grilled, or stir-fried. Each tender serves two.

BHG.com

Approx costs $12
serves 9

Frittata

2010-01-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

I was happy to find a little salad left in the frig, so I collected all the ingredients and made the best frittata ever! Here's what was in it.

chopped onion

chopped orange pepper

crumbed feta cheese

grape tomatoes, halved

arugula & spinach

salt, pepper, oregano

It was so good all of it didn't even make it to my plate!

Tender-Crisp Spring Braise

2010-01-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking this would make a nice change to chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
4 small carrots with tops, trimmed and diagonally cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups mushrooms, halved (12 oz.)
1 large onion, cut in thin wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1-1/2-inch pieces
2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh tarragon

Preparation

1. In extra-large nonstick skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat Evenly layer potatoes and carrots in skillet. Cook, uncovered, 5 minutes, until potatoes are golden, turning once. Add mushrooms and onions. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring often. Add garlic and asparagus; cook 3 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl; set aside.

2. In same skillet heat remaining oil. Sprinkle chicken with half the salt and pepper. Cook chicken in hot oil about 3 minutes, until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add broth; bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 3 minute or until no pink remains. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in cooked vegetables; heat through. Stir in snipped tarragon and remaining salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings.

from BHG - for more one pot chicken dinners

Quails falling from the sky?

2010-01-20T06:27:00.000-08:00

Well....almost. My hubby was at Costco a couple of days ago and loe & behold what did he find? 2 chickens in a package, sitting in the parking lot.

So I put one in the pot and made some braised chicken.

This is a yummy recipe, one that somehow come over with me from Australia over 20 years ago. I lost the recipe but fortunately I remembered how to make it. My family loves it.

served with skillet corn bread

Ingredients

1 chicken (or pieces)

chicken stock

water

3/4 cup balsalmic vinegar

1 can tomatoes

snow peas

peas

garlic

oregano

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper

Preparation

Generously smother the chicken with crushed garlic, oregano salt & pepper. Brown on both sides in a pan. Add to pot remainder ingredients, except peas. Cover & simmer approximately 3/4 hr. Take lid off and cook 10 minutes for sauce to thicken. Add peas, cook for five minutes and serve.

I usually serve this with couscous, but last night I made mashed potatoes and substituted the canned tomatoes with tomato sauce & sundried tomatoes which was also very good.

It was nice to have a fuller meal after eating this this week. Have to say it's been easier on the cooking side.

Creole-Style Oven Hash Browns

2010-01-19T04:13:00.000-08:00

I used the following recipe for my hash browns.

Ingredients

6 large red-skinned potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning or 1 additional teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook potatoes in medium pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Spread potatoes on heavy large baking sheet. Sprinkle with paprika, chili powder and Creole seasoning. Season with salt. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes and stir to coat.

Bake potatoes until crisp, turning with metal spatula every 10 minutes, about 40 minutes.

Epicurious.com

Grilled Salmon Cakes with Lemon Mayonnaise

2010-01-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

6 green onions (2 minced, 4 cut into 4-inch lengths)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 1/4 pounds skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) or fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Olive oil

Preparation

Whisk 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 minced green onions, lemon juice, and grated lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Season lemon mayonnaise to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Combine remaining 4 green onions and chopped parsley in food processor; blend until finely chopped. Add cubed salmon, Dijon mustard, and remaining 1 tablespoon mayonnaise. Using on/off turns, blend until salmon is coarsely chopped. Transfer salmon mixture to large bowl. Mix in breadcrumbs, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. With moistened hands and using about 1/3 cupful for each, shape salmon mixture into 8 patties, each about 1/2 inch thick. Brush both sides of salmon cakes with olive oil.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Grill salmon cakes to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium. Divide patties among 4 plates. Serve lemon mayonnaise alongside.

Epicurious.com

Every diet

2010-01-15T08:09:00.000-08:00

everydiet.org

Here's a fun site...you can get your exercise for the day....(just one) and

you'll find reviews on every diet out there...just in case you ever wondered if

it would really work.

Weekly Menu - Emergency Menu

2010-01-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.orgjunkie.com/

Well, the rubber's hitting the road this week...I'm going to be challenged (which is nothing new). I shopped 2 weeks ago...with $100. I bought fresh fruit & veggies, a steak, pork, canned salmon, flour. My husband hasn't worked for 2 months so the funds are depleted. We received 2 bags of food from our church, and they have the menu & recipes, so waste not want not....I figured I'd post it all this week, maybe someone else will be facing this challenge and find it helpful.

From the church we have
2 bags rice
4 cans kidney beans
4 cans black beans
farina
1 box raisins
1 packet pasta shells
a bunch of dried chicken soup
1 can campbells chicken soup
4 cans tomato sauce
2 boxes kraft mac & cheese
2 tins powdered milk
4 cans vienna sausage
2 cans spam

I have on hand
2 cans salmon
some organic salad
fresh green beans
1 bag frozen corn
2 yellow peppers
green onions
1lb carrots
1 package cranberry bread pudding
compliments of Tami
2 eggs
flour
sour cream
some frozen peppers & tomatoes
onions
potatoes
1 apple
a couple of bananas
1 cresent bread

dh bought tonight at Costco
1 bag brown sugar
2 gallons milk
1 3lb loaf of bread
2 lbs cheese

Heres a rough menu

Breakfast
farina
mueslie with grated apple
porridge
ww pancakes

lunch
banana sandwiches
toasted cheese sandwiches
pb & jelly sandwiches
salad
egg salad sandwiches
cucumber & salmon sandwiches

snacks
my kids eat more when they come home from school than any other time of the day
rice pudding
cranberry bread pudding

dinner
I made some sofrita for the beans & rice tonight and cooked the green beans
fried rice, made with the spam, eggs, salad, green onions, peas
or I could use the spam as kebabs if I have pineapple, with peppers & onions
mac & cheese with tuna & corn
chili
chicken soup

I don't know what to do with the vienna sausages. My toddler may eat some. My son suggested making mini hot dogs with them using cresent rolls.

Last time I had spam we made these...

and the kids loved them. (I just did a quick search to find the recipe and .......you're gonna love this....spam.) Epicurious has a recipe too....and just in case you are craving more I noticed Top Chef featured a recipe with spam which was a winner! Who knew!

Hope to buy
cucumber
chop meat

click to enlarge

Lentil Soup

2010-01-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 lb lentils

1 onion

4 medium tomatoes

1 parsnips

2 carrots chopped

1 tablespoon each thyme, basil, oregano

salt & pepper

Mrs Dash (if you have)

Preparation

I made this the other night before our blizzard, I literally threw all the ingredients in the pot and we went out shopping (my husband doesn't give me much warning)....so it cooked for 3 hrs. Great to come home to a hot pot of soup. Great served with corn bread.

Tomato tip - If you're luck enough to get very cheap tomatoes or grow your own and find you have excess, you can throw them in the freezer and add them whole to you dish. They break down nicely and you can remove the skin if it's not desired. Much healthier than the canned variety.

Children's Diseases Linked to Chemicals Are on the Rise

2010-01-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent article and just too important to ignore.

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
October 24 2009

Chronic childhood diseases linked to exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment have been surging upward, costing the U.S. almost $55 billion a year.

There are 3,000 high-volume chemicals used today; for roughly half, there is no basic toxicity information publicly available. For the past six to eight years, national surveys have found these chemicals present in the blood and urine of practically everyone in the U.S.

Asthma can result from a range of environmental factors, including tobacco smoke, pesticides, mold and cockroach droppings. Cancer in children has been linked to exposure to radiation, solvents, paints and pesticides.

Sources:
Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel October 1, 2009

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

There are about 75,000 chemicals regularly manufactured and imported by U.S. industries, and of the 3,000 high-volume chemicals (over 1 million pounds per year) used, about half have no basic toxicity information available. What this likely means is that no one knows whether commonly used chemicals all around you … in your food, water, and air … are safe.

And unfortunately it is our future generations who will pay the price for this lack of safety concern.

Pregnant women may be most at risk from environmental chemicals, as an embryo and fetus develop at a much faster rate than adults. While this development occurs, cell division and growth is rapid -- and these rapid changes provide many opportunities for mistakes to occur.

What Happens When Fetuses, Babies and Children are Exposed to Toxins?

If a baby is exposed to numerous toxic compounds in utero, changes may occur that either directly cause cancer, or lengthen the period of sensitivity to carcinogens, therefore making the child more susceptible to cancer, and other diseases, later in life.

Babies are actually born at considerable risk nowadays due to the toxic load of their mothers. One study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that blood samples from newborns contained an average of 287 toxins, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides, and Teflon chemicals.

Of the 287 chemicals EWG detected in umbilical cord blood, it’s known that:

180 cause cancer in humans or animals

217 are toxic to your brain and nervous system

208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests

Children, meanwhile, experience greater exposure to chemicals pound-for-pound than adults, and have an immature and porous blood-brain barrier, which allows greater chemical exposures to reach their developing brain.

Children also have lower levels of some chemical-binding proteins, according to EWG, which allows more of a chemical to reach their organs, while systems that detoxify and excrete chemicals in adults are not fully developed. These factors, coupled with the fact that a child will be around for 80 years or more, allows more than enough time for chemicals to do their damage signals a major challenge for kids born today.

Experts believe rising rates of birth defects, asthma, neuro-developmental disorders and other serious diseases in U.S. children are a result of these early chemical exposures.

How are Children Being Exposed to Chemicals?

Like adults, children are exposed to chemicals every day. During pregnancy, many chemicals are passed on to newborns either in utero or through breast milk, and once born contaminants are literally everywhere … in your home, food, water and air.

In an average day, children are exposed to 61 chemicals in personal care products alone, 27 of which have not been found safe for kids, according to a national survey by EWG.

This means that the simple acts of shampooing your baby’s hair, giving him a bath and putting on some lotion, several times a week or more, is exposing him to chemicals that could very well harm his health. Even though they are likely small exposures at each bath time, over time these exposures add up and may contribute to disease … and the same scenario goes for chemicals that exist all around you.

Of course, this does not mean that the only safe option is to live in a bubble. Awareness is the first step, and I suggest you first become aware of some of the most ubiquitous toxins and begin taking the steps you can to avoid them …

10 of the Most Common Environmental Toxins and How to Avoid Them

1. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls): This industrial chemical has been banned in the United States for decades, yet is a persistent organic pollutant that's still present in your environment.

Risks: Cancer, impaired fetal brain development

Major Source: Farm-raised salmon and other farm-raised fish. Most farm-raised salmon, which accounts for most of the supply in the United States are fed meals of ground-up fish that have absorbed PCBs from the environment and for this reason should be avoided.

2. Pesticides: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides are known to be carcinogenic. Alarmingly, pesticide residues have been detected in 50 percent to 95 percent of U.S. foods.

Risks: Cancer, Parkinson's disease, miscarriage, nerve damage, birth defects, blocking the absorption of food nutrients

Major Sources: Food (fruits, vegetables and commercially raised meats and dairy products), bug sprays

3. Mold and other Fungal Toxins: One in three people have had an allergic reaction to mold. Mycotoxins (fungal toxins) can cause a range of health problems with exposure to only a small amount.

Risks: Cancer, heart disease, asthma, multiple sclerosis, diabetes

Major Sources: Contaminated buildings, food like peanuts, wheat, corn and alcoholic beverages

4. Phthalates: These chemicals are used to lengthen the life of fragrances and soften plastics.

Risks: Endocrine system damage (phthalates chemically mimic hormones and are particularly dangerous to children)

Major Sources: Plastic wrap, plastic bottles, plastic food storage containers. All of these can leach phthalates into our food.

5. VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds): VOCs are a major contributing factor to ozone, an air pollutant. According to the EPA, VOCs tend to be even higher (two to five times) in indoor air than outdoor air, likely because they are present in so many household products.

Risks: Cancer, eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment

Major Sources: Drinking water, carpet, paints, deodorants, cleaning fluids, varnishes, cosmetics, dry cleaned clothing, moth repellants, air fresheners.

6. Dioxins: Chemical compounds formed as a result of combustion processes such as commercial or municipal waste incineration and from burning fuels (like wood, coal or oil).

Risks: Cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, chloracne (a severe skin disease with acne-like lesions), skin rashes, skin discoloration, excessive body hair, mild liver damage

Major Sources: Animal fats: Over 95 percent of exposure comes from eating commercial animal fats, so seek out grass-fed, naturally raised, organic animal foods instead.

7. Asbestos: This insulating material was widely used from the 1950s to 1970s. Problems arise when the material becomes old and crumbly, releasing fibers into the air.

Risks: Cancer, scarring of the lung tissue, mesothelioma (a rare form of cancer)

Major Sources: Insulation on floors, ceilings, water pipes and healing ducts from the 1950s to 1970s.

8. Heavy Metals: Metals like arsenic, mercury, lead, aluminum and cadmium, which are prevalent in many areas of our environment, can accumulate in soft tissues of the body.

Risks: Cancer, neurological disorders, Alzheimer's disease, foggy head, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels

Major Sources: Drinking water, fish, vaccines, pesticides, preserved wood, antiperspirant, building materials, dental amalgams, chlorine plants

9. Chloroform: This colorless liquid has a pleasant, nonirritating odor and a slightly sweet taste, and is used to make other chemicals. It's also formed when chlorine is added to water.

Risks: Cancer, potential reproductive damage, birth defects, dizziness, fatigue, headache, liver and kidney damage.

Major Sources: Air, drinking water and food can contain chloroform.

10. Chlorine: This highly toxic, yellow-green gas is one of the most heavily used chemical agents.

Risks: Sore throat, coughing, eye and skin irritation, rapid breathing, narrowing of the bronchi, wheezing, blue coloring of the skin, accumulation of fluid in the lungs, pain in the lung region, severe eye and skin burns, lung collapse, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) (a type of asthma)

Major Sources: Household cleaners, drinking water (in small amounts), air when living near an industry (such as a paper plant) that uses chlorine in industrial processes, tap water in your shower/bath.

You should also look out for bisphenol A (BPA), a common ingredient in many plastics, including those in reusable water bottles and resins lining some food cans and dental sealants that can change the course of fetal development in a way that increases your risk of breast cancer.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), meanwhile, found in grease- and water-resistant coatings and cookware like Teflon and Gore-Tex, is a likely carcinogen that can be partly avoided by not using Teflon non-stick cookware.

10 Simple, Common Sense Tips to Reduce Your Chemical Exposures (and Your Child’s)

Rather than lamenting over past toxic exposure to yourself or your family it is far healthier to take control over that which you can positively influence, such as your diet, your physical fitness, your emotional state, and your current and future exposure to toxins.

You can limit your exposure to environmental chemicals as much as possible with the following tips:

Buy and eat, as much as possible, organic produce and free-range, organic foods.

Rather than eating fish, which is largely contaminated with PCBs and mercury, consume a high-quality purified krill oil.

Avoid processed foods -- remember that they're processed with chemicals!

Only use natural cleaning products in your home. Most health food stores will have these available or you can search online for them.

Switch over to natural brands of toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. Same sources here, either your local health food store or you can search online.

Avoid spraying insect repellants that contain DEET on your body. There are safe, effective and natural alternatives out there.

Remove any metal fillings. Amalgams are a major source of mercury and any metal, including gold, can cause biogalvanism. Be sure to have this done by a qualified biological dentist. Although nearly any dentist is technically qualified to replace your amalgam fillings, far less than 95 percent have any clue on how to do it properly so your risk of mercury exposure is minimized.

Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances as they can pollute the air you are breathing.

Avoid artificial food additives of all kind, including artificial sweeteners and MSG.

Limit your use of drugs (prescription and over-the-counter) as much as possible. Drugs are chemicals too, and they will leave residues and accumulate in your body over time.

Finally, Dr. Doris J. Rapp, MD, board-certified as both an environmental medical specialist and pediatric allergist, has a web site, www.DrRapp.com, that is an excellent resource for anyone interested in avoiding environmental toxins.

I highly recommend browsing through her site for more information, and also reading Dr. Rapp’s intriguing book Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call. It contains many insights that can protect you and your family from the toxins that are so common in your environment.

Ten Minute Enchilada Sauce

2010-01-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion salt

salt to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning flour.

Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt into the flour and chili powder until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ten-minute-enchilada-sauce/detail.aspx

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

2010-01-02T11:05:00.000-08:00

I've added this yummy recipe to my book from Elizabeth at The Last Door Down the Hall.

This is great on grilled shrimp salad!

Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped green chile, jalapeno or chipotle pepper
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil

Preparation

In a blender, pulse the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chile, honey, salt, and cilantro to a puree. With the machine running slowly add the oil to emulsify. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Whisk before serving to make sure all is mixed.

This is also a good marinator for steaks and chicken.

Lemon Curd

2009-12-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

4 eggs

2 lemons

3/4 of a stick of butter

3/4 of a cup of sugar

Preparation
You can make lemon curd in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, but I use an improvised double-boiler, a stainless-steel bowl set over simmering water. You just whisk together the eggs, the zest and juice of the lemons and the sugar, then add the butter in small chunks and stir constantly with a rubber spatula until everything thickens to a spoonable state, in five minutes or so. (You can substitute lime juice and zest, but cut the sugar back slightly; or you can use a combination.) You have to keep scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to keep the eggs from scrambling, but even if they do you'll be straining the curd and removing all evidence. A piece of plastic wrap pressed right on the surface will keep a film from forming while it chills. And once it has, you just spoon it into a container and wrap. Or not.

compliments of Epicurious.com

Spanish Steak

2009-12-21T15:05:00.000-08:00

Another quick and easy recipe...serve with spanish rice & beans and a vegetable to make a full meal.

London Broil works well for this...I usually buy sirloin, but if it's not on sale top round is fine. I nearly always have one in the freezer, that way if I've been caught out not having anything for dinner, I can slice it up frozen (it's actually easier to slice) for this or in a stir fry.

Slice your steak as thin as possible. Mix the steak with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano. Fry in batches until just cooked so as not to get too tough. I find some extra oil does wonders for the taste.

I also slice and cook onions first....my kids don't like it with the onions, so I serve them first and warm thru for us real people.

(Sorry I didn't get a picture of the finished dish....it was gone so quick!)

Gifts from Whole Foods

2009-12-14T21:03:00.000-08:00

I am beginning to appreciate Whole Foods more and more. Not that I shop there very often, most organic food is out of my budget, but I do buy the bulk foods. I like they way they are making a stand to keep our food....real. With all the 'mutated' food that's sold these days....this store is one of the only ones I have found that haven't compromised. You really should check out their list, they have some great things.

Sofrito

2009-12-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

Sofrito is a traditional Spanish cooking sauce. I usually have a container of Goya's in the freezer which I use in beans, which makes a great instant meal...instead of eating yet another pizza.

If you want to make your own and freeze here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 medium green peppers, seeds removed
1 red sweet pepper, seeds removed
2 large tomatoes
2 medium onions, peeled
1 head of garlic, peeled
1 bunch cilantro leaves
1/2 bunch parsley leaves

Peel garlic and chop ingredients into sizes that are small enough to fit into a food processor or blender. If you freeze them into ice cube trays you need only add them to your food as needed.

Spanish Red Beans

2009-12-11T14:41:00.000-08:00

I have been so blessed to have a Mother-In-Law that catered for 20 years on Long Island. She knows how to cook. But at home she loves her spanish food, which I am not terribly fond of...but some of it is really good. There's nothing like a really good pot of beans with rice, for whatever reason...quick, cheap, easy, nutritious and satisfying. I often serve as a side to Spanish Beef, and I'll post that recipe next week.

Ingredients

3 large cans kidney beans
(if you use small cans make sure you change the
tablespoon measures of the spices to teaspoons
or you'll end up with chili)

1/2 onion diced

1 green pepper diced

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon cumin

2 tablespoon coriander

1 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Cook peppers & onion until soft. Add spices and cook 1 minute. Add kidney beans. Cover and simmer approx 15 minutes. We love diced squash added to the pot. Serve over rice with corn on the side and lots of hot sauce.

Potato & Ham Frittata

2009-12-09T20:08:00.000-08:00

If you want good veg only frittata Baked Asparagus and Yellow Pepper Frittata from Epicurious.com which serves 12. I am using the recipe below but cooking a larger amount for our family.

This is an oven baked recipe for the frittata, I usually make these for lunch when no one's home and throw any leftovers in. I'll use a small pan and fold in half and serve with salad.

Ingredients
8 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons milk
Salt to taste
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 small red-skinned potatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thick
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced ham
1/2 bunch cooked & chopped asparagus

Preparation
Whisk the eggs vigorously. Mix in the mustard, milk, salt, and pepper. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In an ovenproof pan, thoroughly cook the onions and potatoes, in the olive oil. Turn the heat to medium high and pour the eggs into the pan.

Let the eggs set for several seconds. With a heatproof rubber spatula, gently stir the eggs, starting from the center. This stirring makes the frittata puff up more in the oven.

Lift the edges so that the eggs flow to the bottom. When the frittata is half-set, add the ham & asparagus.

Transfer the pan to the heated oven. Cook for about 10 minutes (less if you like runny eggs), until puffed and golden.

Prep: 20 Minutes
Serves 4
Source: Fine Cooking

Weekly Menu

2009-12-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

ham, potato, asparagus frittata

pasta with pesto, tuna & roasted red peppers

roast beef in crockpot with carrots & broccoli

chicken with greek saute (or salad) creamed spinach & new potatoes

lentil soup with skillet corn bread

sausage & arugula pita pizzas (margherita with fresh mozarella for the kids)

pulled pork with coleslaw & baked beans

25 Days of Christmas Cookies

2009-12-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

I just have to pass this on....compliments of Epicurious.com

Edible Christmas Gifts to Make or Buy

Thai-Style Chicken Soup with Basil

2009-11-25T21:45:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

2 fresh lemongrass stalks, root end trimmed and 1 or 2 outer layers discarded
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 quart rich and flavorful chicken stock ; 1 or 2 outer layers discarded
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice
2 ounces tamarind from a pliable block (a 2-inch cube), chopped
3 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
2 (2-inch-long) fresh Thai chiles, thinly sliced
2 fresh or frozen Kaffir lime leaves
1 (2-inch) piece peeled ginger, thinly sliced
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast
1/4 pound snow peas, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/3 cup packed basil leaves (preferably Thai)

Accompaniment: cooked jasmine rice

Preparation

Cut off and discard top of lemongrass, leaving 6-inch stalks, then finely chop. Cook lemongrass, shallots, and garlic in oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add stock, reserved tomato juice, tamarind, fish sauce, chiles, lime leaves, and ginger and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.
While soup simmers, freeze chicken breast just until slightly firm, 20 to 30 minutes, then thinly slice crosswise.
Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Return to a simmer and stir in chicken, diced tomatoes, snow peas, and basil. Gently simmer just until chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional fish sauce and salt.

Feeling Great Menu

2009-11-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

I came across this not-for-profit site one day searching for healthy menus and just have to pass it on. If you're trying to eat healthier, whole foods, this site has it all. I'm just in the middle of making my own full list of recipes to use as an easier shopping list, so I can just pick the meal and highlight all the ingredients and will be adding quite a few of these.

Feeling Great Menu

This menu looks so good...I just wish I had a personal chef to shop and cook it all. There's lots of recipes to choose from...

Over 100 Quick and Easy Recipes

School Lunchbox Ideas

Starting Your Baby on the World's Healthiest Foods

If you use it give me some feeback on how you like it.

Duck-and-Egg Hash

2009-11-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

My food budget's been shrinking but I came across this recipe over the weekend and I just so happen to have all the ingredients (minus the duck) in my frig right now. Looks good enough to eat to me.

From Daniel's Dish: Hearty Hash with a European Accent

Duck

Ingredients
4 fresh duck legs*
1 large onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 sprigs thyme, leaves only, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)
Salt and ground white pepper to taste

Preparation
Preheat oven to 325˚F. Heat a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the duck legs on all sides with the salt and pepper and sear, skin side down, until browned. Flip the legs and sear; remove and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, and thyme to the pan and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes, or until onions are soft and golden brown. Return the legs to the pan, skin side up, and add enough water to reach halfway up the legs.

Cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Braise for 1½ to 2 hours, turning the legs halfway through. The meat should be tender and easy to pull from the bone. Cool the legs in the cooking liquid at room temperature. Strain the liquid (which can be saved for later use as a stock). Pick the meat from the duck legs, discarding bones and skin. Roughly chop meat and onion mixture; reserve. (Duck legs can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.)

* If substituting prepared confit duck legs for fresh, sauté quartered onion and crushed garlic in 1 T olive oil over medium heat with thyme, salt, and pepper until tender and golden brown. Pick the meat from the legs and proceed as directed.

Hash

Ingredients
2 lb. Idaho potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 T olive oil
8 oz. button mushrooms, rinsed and halved
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, ¼" dice
2 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only, chopped
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 T butter
6 eggs
Salt and ground white pepper to taste

Preparation
Place the potatoes in a medium pot with a large pinch of salt and enough water to cover them. Simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Drain and refrigerate the potatoes, covered, until chilled, then cut into rough ½" cubes.

Preheat oven to 350˚F, then heat the olive oil in a medium-size skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté until they are golden brown and tender.

In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms with the chopped-duck mixture, potatoes, cheddar cheese, parsley, and cayenne; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a 10" cast-iron skillet or 2-quart casserole dish. Pack the hash mixture into the pan. Using a large spoon or ladle, press six holes into the hash, one in the middle and five around the perimeter.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and crusty. Crack the eggs into the holes, sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper, and return to the oven. Bake for approximately 8 minutes, or until egg whites are set. Serve immediately. Yields six servings.

Sour Cream & Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancakes

2009-11-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 cups flour (I use 1/2 unbleached and 1/2 whole wheat) King Arthur

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions
I'm usually limited by time, and I tend to throw all my ingredients in together and it turns out fine. That's the way I cook every (same as washing clothes) and if it doesn't work for me I throw out the recipe. The proper way is to mix the dry ingredients with and the wet ingredients seperately and fold together.

You don't need to use as much sour cream. I used to get so much free sour cream, I wanted a way to use it. You can use buttermilk, milk, yogurt as a substitute.

And please no fake maple syrup....only the real thing!!!

Yield: 20 pancakes

Coconut Chicken Balti

2009-11-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

I made this last night and it was SO good. Took about 10 mins. I served it with white rice (butter added) and green beans. Delicious!!

Ingredients

2 lb chicken cut into cubes

olive oil

2 teaspoon spicy balti mix (see recipe below)

½ can creamed coconut

1 can coconut milk

2 tablespoons fresh coriander

2 plum tomatoes, skinned and chopped

Balti spice mix: (makes 30ml)

2 teaspoons paprika

½ teaspoon chilli powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Preparation

Heat the oil and then gently fry the chicken, sealing it until it's golden brown. Add the spices, creamed coconut, coconut milk and cook gently for 6 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Stir in the tomatoes and heat through. Finally, add the coriander just before serving.

Serves 6-8

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Approx cost $5

5 Ways to Burn Fat & Boost Your Metabolism

2009-11-01T17:04:00.000-08:00

Roger Haeske' newsletter: some good motivation.....

*** Lightning Speed Fitness Program ***
Muscle Building, Fat Burning & Time Saving Fitness Tips

"5 Ways to Burn Fat & Boost Your Metabolism"

I'm going to show you five ways to burn off
excess pounds and increase your metabolism. This
means that you'll be burning extra fat even while
you are sleeping and all throughout the day.

Here are the five techniques to boost your
metabolism

1. Put on more muscle
2. Eat more often
3. Interval Training
4. Run sprints
5. Eat a low-fat, 100% Raw Food Diet

1. Put on more muscle:

This is quite simple. A pound of muscle burns an
average of 75 calories per day. A pound of fat
burns only 2 calories per day. If you add more
muscle, it increases your metabolism. That means
that even if you aren't very active that
particular day, you'll be burning more fat, now
that you have more muscle.

The Lightning Speed Exercise quickly builds up
the largest muscles in your body, your legs. By
spending just five minutes a day doing this
exercise, you can dramatically lower your body
fat levels, while building more muscular legs.

I can tell you from personal experience that the
more muscle I put on, the less fat I have. It
just burns up the fat.

For more information on the Lightning Speed
Fitness Program, please visit:

http://www.Superbeing.net/RippedMuscles.html

2. Eat More Often

I bet you'll like this method. That's right -
eating more often, makes you burn more fat. The
key is to eat the right kinds of foods more
often. If you really want to burn the calories,
then add two extra salad or vegetable meals
during your day. These should be raw and with no
overtly fatty foods like oil, avocado, coconut or
nuts and seeds. You can even add oranges or other
citrus fruit or berries to your salad.

Or you can add a couple of extra meals of
melon, to your day. These low calorie and raw
food meals will boost your metabolism and
actually help you to burn fat instead of putting
it on.

Do you want to know how Sumo Wrestlers get so
fat? They fast throughout the day and then late
at night they eat a huge meal. By fasting during
the day, it tricks their bodies into thinking
there is a shortage and so their metabolism slows
down greatly.

So if you want to lose weight, eat low calorie
and high water content, raw meals, throughout the
day.

To succeed at an Optimal Raw Food Diet, please
visit:
http://HowToGoRaw.com

3. Interval Training

There have been a couple of studies done testing
the effectiveness of different kinds of exercise
programs on fitness levels and how much fat these
exercises help you burn.

It turns out that moderate intensity aerobics
was much less effective at burning fat than
interval training. What was found that for every
calorie burned during the workout, that interval
training actually burned, 9 times more fat, per
calorie burned.

The interval training actually burned less
calories (during the exercise) and was a much
shorter workout. But for each calorie burned,
somehow the interval training produced an
increased fat burning effect, by 9 times that
over the aerobics.

I have more detailed information about this
technique at my Lighting Speed Member's Only
Forum. To join please visit:

http://www.Superbeing.net/RippedMuscles.html

4. Run Sprints

Running sprints is another great technique to
build up your leg muscles and therefore burn fat.
It has also been shown that running sprints in 30-
second intervals, actually increases human growth
hormonë production by 500%.

Over twenty years of testing and research in
clinics and universities all over the world have
proven the effectiveness of human growth hormonë .

* Increase metabolism, Decrease body fat &
increase lean body mass
* Restore lost hair and hair color
* Restore collagen levels to erase lines and
wrinkles
* Improve mood, sleep, and organ functioning
* Increase energy and endurance
* Increase mental energy and clarity
* Increase in sense of well-being and emotional
stability
* Increase in bone and joint flexibility

5. Eat a Low-Fat, 100% Raw Food Diet

There's nothing like eating a 100% raw food
diet, for getting that ripped look.
Unfortunately, many people complain that they
look too skinny.

The reason for this is that most people eating a
Standard American Diet are over-fat and under-
muscled. I know when I first went raw I hated how
skinny I was getting. Little did I know at the
time of the health benefits of being very thin.
Then I learned that if I didn't want to look
skinny I had to make sure I had good muscular
development.

Here are some quotes on the benefits of being
thin, from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat to Live,"
page 21:

"After limiting the analysis to nonsmokers, it
was very clear that the ** longest-lived women
were the leanest."

"Dr. I-Min Lee, of the Harvard School of Public
Health, said her 27 year study of 19,297 men
found there was no such thing as being to thin.
(Obviously, it is possible to be too thin,
however, it is uncommon and usually called
anorexia, but that is not the subject of this
book.)"

"Among the men who never smoked the ** lowest
mortality occurred in the lightest fifth."

"We observed a direct relationship between body
weight and mortality. By that I mean that the
thinnest fifth of men experienced the lowest
mortality, and mortality increased progressively
with heavier and heavier weight."

"If you have gained even as little as ten pounds
since the age of 18 or 20, then you could be at
significant increased risk for health problems
such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and
diabetes. The truth is that most people who think
they are the right weight still have too much fat
on their body."

*~* 3 Reasons Why You Lose Fat on a Raw Food
Diet *~*

1. Excess toxins are stored in your fat cells. A
raw food diet is the lowest in toxins out of any
diet. On a raw diet, you have much less of a
daily toxic load; your body will then start
removing the excess stored toxins in your fat
cells. This results in a dramatic fat burning
effect.

Excess fat is due mostly to toxicity and not
calories.

2. On a raw diet it is hard to get fat because
you will feel stuffed before you can possibly
overeat. That is due to the extra fiber,
nutrients and water contained in raw Vegan foods.

You have to eat much more by weight and volume
than you are used to on a cooked diet. So you will
be full and still consume less calories. This is
especially true if you follow an Optimal Raw Food
Diet.

All cooked food is dehydrated. That is why
doctors recommend the extra 8 to 12 glasses of
water per day. On a good raw diet, you will
usually need to drink little to no water at all.
The extra water and fiber will make you full with
fewer calories.

3. You'll also feel more nourished and therefore
won't want to eat as much. With cooked and
processed foods, the nutrient content of the food
is dramatically depleted and you'll tend to
overeat because your body is desperately looking
for more nutrients. Therefore, you end up
overeating in your body's search for nutrients.

If you really want to experience all the amazing
benefits of a raw diet, then join my Raw Food
Diet Success Society at

http://HowToGoRaw.com

Roasted Vegetables

2009-10-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Baby Carrots

Beets

Sweet Onions

Red Potatoes – but Yukon Gold’s are best

Sweet Potatoes

Fennel (optional)

Several heads of Garlic

Olive Oil

Italian Seasoning (I use Mrs Dash, oregano, basil & thyme, ground salt & pepper)

Fresh Rosemary

Preparation
(No quantities were given for this recipe, so adjust according to your family’s size.) Cut vegetables in large pieces. Toss all vegetables, except for the garlic, in olive oil and Italian seasoning to taste. For roasting, I use a large cast iron skillet. Place Garlic in middle and pour some olive oil over the Garlic. Arrange other vegetables around the garlic. Scatter sprigs of fresh rosemary over the vegetables, pulling the leaves off of some to release the flavor. Cover and roast 5 hrs on high. To be most enjoyable, vegetables should be completely done, but still slightly firm. ENJOY!

Orecchiette alla meatloaf

2009-10-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Next time you make meatloaf, make sure to double up and freeze one. You’ll be surprised how quick and easy it is to make a scrumptous pasta w. meatloaf. Just chop the meatloaf into 2 inch squares and toss in any pasta with marinara. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve with fresh broccoli on the side. Yum!

Clean Out the Chlorine

2009-10-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

There are more than 100,000 chemicals out there, and very few of them have been adequately studied to determine their toxicity or effect on hormonal activity. One endocrine-disrupting chemical, chlorine, is commonly found in laundry bleach, household cleaners, and pool cleaners. It's also found in drinking water and industrial waste, and it's used in everyday products that you keep in your kitchen, such as bleached paper towels, napkins, and coffee filters. We are so used to its presence that we probably don't even think about how toxic a chemical it is. Chlorine has the potential to cause respiratory problems (wheezing, coughing, constricted airways), lung pain and collapse, eye and skin irritation, and sore throats. And until we can find out exactly how damaging chlorine and chemicals like it are, be smart and protect yourself. It's easier than you think to rid your home of chlorine. You can start by making some of the following changes.

Paper products: Dioxins, which are by-products of the bleaching of pulp and paper with chlorine, are not only highly carcinogenic but also estrogenic. Choose paper towels, toilet paper, and napkins that are "processed chlorine-free," or PCF.

Coffee filters: Bleached coffee filters leach chlorine into your coffee and release dioxins with every drip. Choose unbleached or oxygen-bleached filters that use chlorine dioxide, a type of bleach that doesn't created dioxin residues.

Antibacterial soaps (or antibacterial anything!): In addition to the harm such products cause by encouraging antibiotic resistance, the triclosan they contain combines with chlorinated tap water to create the carcinogenic gas chloroform, as well as chlorinated dioxins, highly toxic forms of dioxin. Choose natural dishwashing and hand soaps without chlorine or phosphates. Good brands include Seventh Generation, Ecover, and Mrs. Meyer's.

One last tip: Keep the dishwasher closed during the wash cycle! That "whoosh" of steam releases toxic volatilized chlorine, which is formed by the combination of detergent and tap water.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/09/24/green-home-101-guide-to-green-cleaning/#

From LOSING IT! With Jillian Michaels

Beef Ragout on Polenta

2009-10-15T21:44:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe in the Pillsbury Slow Cooker Cookbook I borrowed at the library. I cook it on the stove sometimes too. This has a robust flavour and I would class it as a comfort food alternative to the usual beef stew.

Ingredients

1 chopped onion

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 lb carrots, chopped

2 lb beef stew meat

1/2 teaspoon coarsley ground black pepper

1 14oz jar tomato pasta sauce

cheesy polenta (recipe follows)

Preparation
1n 6 quart slow cooker, layer onion, peppers, carrots, beef, pepper & pasta sauce.
Cover, cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. Serve with cheesy polenta.

Serves 8
Approx Cost $8
Prep Time 20 mins

Cheesy Polenta

2009-10-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
3 cups water
1 cup milk
1 cup polenta
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup parmesan, romano or asiago

Preparation
Bring water to a boil. Add milk, salt and polenta meal. Turn heat down to medium. Remove from heat as polenta thickens. Add cheese and seasonings, stir well. Serve warm or form in a greased loaf pan and cool.

Get it while it’s HOT!!!

2009-10-11T13:33:00.001-07:00

I just read that Conde Nast is ending the publication of Gourmet. As you can see it’s my favourite magazine, it’s really where I learned to cook. It looks like the website won’t be up for much longer either, but many of their recipes will continue to be accessed at Epicurious.com (link is in my sidebar) So as a farewell post to Gourmet, here’s the link to their Thanksgiving menu. Looks good!
http://www.gourmet.com/food/thanksgiving

"3 Swine Flu Immunity Tricks..."

2009-10-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

article by Roger Haeske

Did you know that you never need to worry about germs or viruses or getting the flu if you know the secrit to a low toxin lifestyle? The fact is this Swine Flu is a concocted situation that will be used to try and warrant forced vaccinations around the world. The only people who are going to die from the Swine Flu are the ones who are taking the vaccines for it and then taking additional poisonous drugs to deal with the symptoms. But you can have complete immunity from the Swine Flu and any other flu. I haven't had the flu in at least 8 years.

The reason why is I live the Low Toxin Lifestyle. (Though recently I broke my own rules and paid the price as I mentioned in an email about a month ago. You can read it online here: http://www.aweber.com/b/1gxtQ)

There are at least two major aspects to this you need to understand.

1. What you eat or consume into your body?
2. And what you eliminate.

If you eat a 100% Raw Food Diet, it's unlikely you'll ever catch the so-called flu of any kind, let alone this made up Swine Flu. And you don't really catch it. It has been proven repeatedly that viruses are not the cause of getting flu-like symptoms.

This can be easily proven because many people can be exposed to the same exact virus from sick people and yet never "catch" the flu. I used to teach tennis for years to children and when I went 100% raw I was absolutely immune to getting the flu. What really happens is that there's an excess of toxins and gunk running all throughout your body from taking in so many toxins from cooked food, junk food, polluted air, environmental toxins, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.

The problem lies in that you're body simply can't eliminate the toxins fast enough. You become overloaded with toxins so much that you've surpassed your body's ability to eliminate them. Therefore you're body has to do something with these toxins and they end up getting stored in your fat cells and in other areas of your body away from the vital organs.

NOTE: This is another reason why people on a cooked food diet tend to get overweight.

Hyper Toxemia is what causes you to really get sick. It's a toxin overload, not germs or viruses. This happened to me recently. I wasn't taking as good care of myself as possible. I was getting way less sleep than I'm accustomed to for a long time. As a result, I had these low level cold symptoms for over a month. If I had been eating cooked food I would have been overwhelmed by flem, raging fever and horrible cold symptoms. But because I was 100% raw I was still working and functioning fairly well. Most people could never even notice that I was sick.

When you don't sleep enough, it doesn't allow your body to "fully detoxify" itself. And if you continue to load up with toxins you're going to get sick. This is your body's method of making you rest and allowing itself to eliminate excess toxins.

Why is it that babies are expected to get sick about 13 times per year here in the United States? That's dang crazy...

Yet a raw baby will hardly ever get sick and if it does, the symptoms will be muted compared to what a cooked food child has to go through. Karmyn has noticed this with Non-No Boy. In his first year, he was only sick twice and it was really minor. So if you want to beat any flu and not feel the need to take any poisonous vaccination then you need to do these three things.

1. Eat your Natural Diet a 100% Raw Food Diet.
2. Sleep as much as you need to feel well rested when you wake up.
3. Don't take any poisonous vaccinations.

On to point number three. I've covered this in detail in a few previous emails.If you look at the evidence closely, you'll see that the people who will be dieing from the Swine Flu will actually be the ones vaccinated against it. It's already happening to our folks in the military who are forced to take all sorts of needless vaccines. Vaccines are loaded with terrible toxins.

Below is a list of just SOME of the toxic ingredients in vaccines:

Ethylene Glycol (Antifreeze)
Formaldehyde
Thimerosal (49% Mercury by weight and still found in vaccines as of
2004)
Aluminum
Phenol (carbolic acid)
Antibiotics - Neomycin, Streptomycin, Polymyxin B
Methanol
Borax
MSG
Animal Organ Tissue and Blood
Aborted Human Fetal Tissue and Human Albumin
Latex
Animal Viruses
Human Viruses

For instance, you'd never want to intentionally eat mercury, or anti-freeze or borax yet these and many other super toxic ingredients are included in vaccines and then injected into your blood bypassing your body's natural defense mechanisms. If you want health, you don't inject yourself with poison.

For much more detailed and scientific info on this I highly recommend you check this website out. It has scientific articles by numerous MD's that explain the multi-faceted health problems that vaccinations cause.

http://medicalvoices.org/en/vaccination

Here are the online links to my first two emails on this incredibly important topic.

Which Vaccine Killed 20 Million People? http://aweber.com/b/1laEY

Doctor Rips Into Me Over My Last Email http://www.aweber.com/b/1DAq2

Fried Rice

2009-10-09T17:06:00.001-07:00

This is good with a whole grain rice, like Carolina.

Ingredients
3 cups rice
1 lb bacon
6 eggs
1 onion, or green onions
frozen peas
shredded lettuce
bean sprouts
soy sauce
sesame oil

Preparation
Cook rice. Fry bacon, drain on paper towels, drain fat from pan. Scramble eggs and cook in pan. Set aside. Cook onions in sesame oil, add peas for 2 minutes. Combine all ingredients and warm thru until lettuce wilts. Add soy sauce to taste. This is good with ham or chicken too.

Servings 6-8
Prep Time 25 mins
Approx cost $6

Pasta with Broccoli and Italian sausage

2009-10-09T15:09:00.001-07:00

Ingredients
1 head broccoli (about 3/4 pound)
8 sausages (about 1 lb) sweet & hot Italiana sausages
1 can northern beans (14oz) (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound dried short pasta, such as fusilli, penne, or ziti; or long dried pasta such as spaghetti
1 tablespoon fennel
Salt, pepper
1 ounce pecorino romano or parmigiano cheese

Preparation
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the sausage, cook until the sausage browns.
Cook pasta 6 to 7 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and cook until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes total. Drain; keeping about 1 cup of the water.
Cut sausages into bite size pieces and place back in pan with garlic and cook until the garlic turns pale brown, about 5 minutes, then add beans & fennel and cook for 2 minutes.
Place the skillet over high heat and add the drained broccoli and pasta to the sausage and garlic. Add one-half cup boiling water from the pasta pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the water mostly boils away, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
Divide the pasta evenly among 6 warmed pasta plates and shave pecorino Romano over the top with a vegetable peeler.

Serves 6 – 8
Prep Time 25 minutes
Approx cost - $7

Chicken/Beef Fajitas and Crunchwraps

2009-10-06T11:35:00.001-07:00

I have several ways of making tacos and fajitas. Depending on who I'm making it for. One ingredient that is always the same is Taco Bells little sauce packs. We always have a bunch left over and I use these at home. For some reason it's not a taco without.

For the little ones a simple chicken taco is leftover chicken (I often bake 2 chickens and freeze one for tacos), shredded cheese, lettuce and hot sauce. If they ask for sour cream or refried beans I'll add them, but I don't always have them on hand.

Dh likes the Ortega Fajita seasoning packs, which I get for free with coupons. He likes his with lots of red, green peppers & onions, fried in 1 pan with oil, and the chicken, or sometimes beef in the other with a little water and seasoning. Then they're usually mixed together. We add sour cream, refried beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa (usually homemade), and guacamole (I've been using the wholly guacamole which I got free a year ago and froze. The separate packs are awesome because only 4 of us like guacamole.)

Now my favourite is our homemade crunch wraps, not quite like Taco Bells because they don't have the taco in the middle, but because of the way they're fried they're pretty crunchy anyway.

I like these with beef better. I cook the beef and add all the extras, nothing really special, but they taste great. Cook with the folded side face down first.

Weekly Menu

2009-10-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

lamb chops w rosemary, french green beans, sweet potatos
sweet & sour pork
thai chicken soup
pasta w. northern beans, broccoli, fennel & sausage
fried rice
eggs & fries
crockpot brisket, carrots, mushrooms, mashed potatoes, green peas
tuna paninis
sushi

My New Vegetable Recommendations

2009-10-05T20:20:00.001-07:00

Excerpt from Dr Mercolas article

It may be that as few as one in three Americans are getting adequate amounts of vegetables in their diets

The majority of the benefits from consuming "fruits and vegetables" come from the vegetables, not the fruits. Fruits could virtually be eliminated and we could still be quite healthy.

However, fruits are better choices compared to what most Americans are eating.

Carrots and corn are the two most frequently consumed vegetables while another study found that potato chips and French fries made up over one-third of children’s diets.

With vegetable intake like this it is easy to understand why so many kids are sick.

The other sad aspect of children's diets is their heavy orientation toward milk, juices and sodas as primary beverages. Juices and sodas are likely the worst beverages for most children, but milk is not far behind.

The selection of nearly all breakfast foods for kids is another nightmare that does not improve health but instead hurtles most kids toward a reliance on drugs and surgery as solutions for the inevitable health complications that result from choosing these types of foods.

My previous recommendation was one pound of vegetables for every 50 pounds of body weight. The easiest way to achieve this is be regularly consuming vegetable juice.

Cranberry Raisin Granola

2009-10-03T19:31:00.001-07:00

American Institute for Cancer Research.

Ingredients
3 c. old fashioned oats
1/3 c. sliced almonds
1/3 c. sunflower seeds
2 T. flax or sesame seeds
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. honey
2 tsp. canola oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. dried raisins
1/2 c. chopped, pitted dates

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oats, nuts and seeds in large bowl. In small saucepan, heat maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon and vanilla until mixture is warm, 2-3 minutes. Stir, then pour over oat mixture until evenly coated. Coat large cookie sheet with oil. Spread granola to cover pan in even layer. Bake 5 minutes, remove from oven and stir. Repeat every 5 minutes until oats are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool granola in pan. It will get crisp. Store in airtight container 1-2 weeks.

Approx cost $5

Indian Beef (or Chicken) Curry

2009-10-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

I love Indian, Thai, Japanese and authentic Chinese Food. We get a lot of great Asian food in Australia. I usually cook from scratch but I recently discovered Patak’s Mild Curry Paste (Coriander & Cumin). It is sooo good, I make a curry with it nearly every week. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp oil
1 – 2lb chicken or beef stew meat
3-4 tbsp Patak’s Mild Curry Paste
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup water
salt to taste

Preparation
Saute onion. Add sliced chicken or beef and cook until lightly browned. Stir in curry paste, cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, & salt. Simmer uncovered until meat is thoroughly cooked, about 25 minutes. I add Trader Joes's frozen green beans to this to make it a very quick meal.
Serve over rice.

Serves 8
Prep time 20 mins
Approx cost $11

Spinach Fettuccine

2009-09-29T19:14:00.001-07:00

I usually use fettuccine, but tonight I substituted the shells and it was great, I actually preferred it with the shells. I used the montreal steak pepper (which I use a lot these days) because I was out of pepper and chicken stock and it has garlic in it.

Ingredients
1 lb large shells
1 lb frozen chopped spinach
1 onion chopped
1 cup 1/2 & 1/2
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tspn. McCormick Montreal Steak Pepper
2 pinches ground nutmeg
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
In saucepan, prepare pasta as label directs, drain. Sauté onions in butter. Add thawed spinach. Sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add cheese, flour and spices. Stir to combine. Serve over cooked fettuccini. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens; cook 1 minute. Add sauce to pasta in saucepan. Toss gently until well coated.

Makes 6-8 servings
Prep time 20 mins
Approx cost $4

Chicken Cacciatore

2009-09-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (scant 4 cups)
8 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
1 very large red onion, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 4 1/2- to 4 3/4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, excess fat trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
1/2 cup dry red wine (or red wine or sherry vinegar)
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup thinly sliced basil, divided
2 tablespoons drained capers, divided
12 ounces gemelli or penne, freshly cooked

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine plum tomatoes, mushrooms, and onion in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil and vinegar; toss to blend. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread vegetable mixture in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until onion slices are golden brown and all vegetables are tender, stirring frequently, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon rosemary. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large deep ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to bowl. Add wine to skillet and boil until wine is reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 1 minute. Stir in canned tomatoes with juice, then broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Return chicken to sauce in skillet. Place skillet in oven and roast uncovered until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with knife, about 25 minutes. Remove skillet from oven. Stir in roasted vegetables, remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, half of basil, and half of capers. Simmer over medium heat until vegetables are heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
Place pasta in large shallow bowl. Top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle remaining basil and capers over.

I was in a hurry to get this meal on the table and I skipped roasting the vegetables and just fried them in the skillet after the chicken was browned, then threw it together as a one pot meal. I also had to use water instead of broth, dried basil instead of fresh, and I skipped the capers, but it tasted just as good. My whole family complained while it was cooking....mushrooms & tomatoes, yuk....but it was devoured without a word at the table. Always a tell tale sign. I served it with the rissotto & peas & asparagus.

Makes 8 servings
Prep time 20 mins
Approx $10

Raw Food Diet

2009-09-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to a site I liked on raw foods. She has some awesome info on there and it's not loads and loads of pages and writing, a very simple web page. If you've ever been interested in going raw, it's just a great site to read up about it and there are plenty of links, info, recipes etc to browse thru and try out. From Sad to Raw

Weekly Menu

2009-09-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

minestrone soup w. toast
london broil, corn on the cob, pureed sweet potatoes
chicken & almonds with rice
indian beef curry w. cauliflower & carrots with rice
rissoles and mixed veggies (frozen)
chicken caciatore, crockpot roasted veggies
ravioli, mixed green salad
sushi, crab, carrot, cucumber, avocado
salmon cakes, rissotto w. peas & asparagus

I write my list of meals out and decide what I'm doing for dinner while cleaning up after breakfast. I either pick a meal to fit my schedule, or something I'm in the mood for - I work much better when I'm enthusiastic about something.

Quick Minestrone Soup

2009-09-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press
4 pound prewashed and cut kale (6 cups)
3 carrots diced
4 potatoes diced
2 zucchini diced
1 (14 1/2-oz) can "petite" diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup ditalini pasta
5 1/4 cups chicken broth (42 fl oz)
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (19-oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons each basil, thyme, oregano

Sausage or Bacon (optional)

Accompaniment: grated parmesan.

Preparation
Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add kale and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add vegetables, kidney beans, tomatoes with juice, pasta, broth, water, salt, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until soup is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 6-8 servings.
Prep time 20 mins
Approx cost $7

Raw Food Shopping List

2009-09-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

Fruit
Bananas
Oranges
Grapefruit
Kiwis
Apples
Mangos
Pineapples
Papayas
Limes
Avocados
Frozen Blueberries, Raspberries, Mangos, Cherries, Strawberries, frozen Coconut Milk, sometimes Frozen Durian
Other Fresh Fruit in Season like Melons, Pears, Berries, etc.
Dried Dates, Turkish Figs, Apricots (all Natural, sugar free w/ no preservatives)

Veggies
Organic mixed baby Greens
Sliced Celery for salads
Shredded Carrots for salads
Celery
Beets
Carrots
Ginger Root
Curly Parsley
Italian Parsley
Cilantro
Basil
Tomatoes
Onions
Garlic
Red, Yellow, or Orange Bell Peppers
Cucumbers
Frozen Corn, sometimes

Raw Unshelled Nuts
(keep in fridge for freshness)
Walnuts
Pecans
Almonds
Pine Nuts
Cashews
Sunflower Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Hempseeds
Flaxseeds
sometimes Young Coconuts (white pointed kind)
Raw Tahini
Raw Almond Butter
Seeds For Sprouting
Sunflower Seeds in Shell (for growing sunflower greens)
Unhulled Buckwheat (for growing buckwheat greens)
Hard Red Winter Wheatberries (for growing wheatgrass)
Fenugreek
Alfalfa
Red Clover
Broccoli
Mung Beans
Radish

Spices, Seasonings, and Sweeteners
Cinnamon
Paprika
Cumin
Chili Powder
Curry
Sea Salt
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Nama Shoyu
Agave Nectar
Honey
Vanilla Extract
Raw Carob Powder
Raw Cacao Nibs

Superfoods & Supplements
Cold pressed Flaxseed & Hempseed Oil
Spirulina powder
Chlorella powder
Vitamineral Green
Hempseed Protein Powder
Goji Berries
Mangosteen, Noni, and Acai Berry Powder (pill form)
Grapeseed Powder
Vegan Acidophilus Supplement (pills)
Bee Pollen Granules
Lots of other Vitamins, Antioxidants, and Herbs