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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

5 Eye-Healthy Foods To Boost Your Vision Longevity

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You may think that the degeneration of your vision and your eyes in general is just something that is inevitable with aging.  The truth is that if you take care of your eyes and take in the proper nutrition, you can keep your eyes in good shape for much longer.  

The way you live your life really will affect the longevity and quality of your vision as your body grows older.  Try arming yourself with knowledge, and check out a quick overview of some eye-healthy foods you can work into your dietary regimen.  

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Top 4 Foods To Protect Your Teeth Against

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While there are some foods that are beneficial for your teeth, like milk or apples, there are other foods that can actually cause a lot of harm to your teeth if you’re not careful. Not only could certain foods cause your smile not to be as bright and white as it could be, but they can also harm any dental work you’ve had done and cause the integrity of your teeth and overall oral health to be compromised. So to help ensure that this doesn’t happen to you, here are four of the top foods that you need to be careful with and protect your teeth against.

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How Your Diet and Lifestyle Affects Your Eyesight

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A lot of people assume that degrading eyesight is an inevitable part of aging.  However, by living a healthy lifestyle, you can significantly reduce damage on our eyes and even improve your vision.  

So what aspects of our lifestyle may be attributing to damaging our eyesight and what can we do to change it?  Let’s take a look at some of the biggest factors which play a role in our vision.

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3 Simple Ways To Get More Fruits And Veggies In Your Diet

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Many people all around the world aren’t getting their recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. While most people know if they’re getting behind on the fruits and veggies they should be eating, this knowledge doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to get those fruits and vegetables in their diet once they’ve already made skipping them a habit. So to help you more easily get the vital vitamins and nutrients found in fruits and veggies into your daily food intake, here are three simple ways you can get more fruits and veggies in your diet.

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Post-Surgery Recommendations: Diet, Exercise, Meditation

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Surgery is a significant event in your life. Any time a medical professional has to put you under, cut into you with tools, repair any of your internal parts and pieces, or adjust you cosmetically – you are going to require some time to recover. And, the higher a priority you give to the idea of a good recovery, the happier you are going to be with the results, and the more efficiently you are going to get back to leading your best life.

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Family-Friendly Kitchen Renovation Ideas

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Not all kitchens are designed with families in mind. This is unfortunate since the kitchen is often the place where kids do homework, parents make meals, and families discuss their days and find solutions to problems.

You’re not stuck with an unsuitable kitchen forever, however. Kitchens can always be updated to meet your needs. In fact, such a renovation may be one of the wisest decisions you’ll make, as it will likely raise your property values and lead to a quicker sale when the time comes. Consider these family-friendly kitchen renovations for the benefit of your family both now and in the future.  

Open-Concept Floor Plans

Those in the market for a forever-family home often put an open-concept floor plan at the top of their must-haves list.

“For families with young children, an open plan kitchen means being able to do the dishes or prepare meals while keeping an eye on children in another room,” says an article from property management firm Green Residential, pointing out that it also raises property values. “Giving kids a view of mom can also keep them out from underfoot while she works.”

Creating an open-concept floor plan may be as simple as knocking out a wall and adding a bar or island. Don’t try to do this on your own, however. The wall separating your kitchen from your living spaces may be load-bearing, and it would be catastrophic to knock it down without properly reinforcing it.

Raised Wall Oven

The oven is one of the largest safety hazards for families with small children. The solution is a raised oven that’s built into your wall. This is a popular kitchen feature, largely because you don’t have to bend over when checking food or pulling things out of the oven. It makes removing large things like a full turkey much safer and simpler.

Adding a wall oven to your existing kitchen plan may require some space planning. You’ll need to keep your stovetop and find a space on the wall that can sustain this new feature. It might require removing cupboard space, so make sure you’re willing to make this sacrifice.

Large, Walk-in Pantry

When you’re trying to keep your busy family well-fed at all meals and snack times, you need a lot of food. Your fridge is likely overflowing, and you might even have a second one in the garage to hold extras. You’ll also need ample space to keep all your snacks and dry goods.

Convert a corner of your kitchen into a glorious walk-in pantry where you’ll never run out of space for your food essentials. If you don’t have the space, look for ways to increase existing cupboard space. You might extend them all the way to the ceiling or cut off a portion of cupboard/countertop space so that you can install a large pantry instead.

With a larger pantry, you’ll have a little more flexibility to give your kids access to the snacks you want them to eat. Promoting self-sufficiency in the kitchen and healthy eating habits is important to consider,” interior designer Mary Jo Pierce told HGTV. “If you can, make it easy for kids to make the things they like to eat.” She recommends hiding the unhealthy food deep in your large pantry and putting out the healthier snacks so that kids are more likely to eat them.

Kitchen Island with Seats

You’ll never regret having a large island with several bar stools so that kids can gather while you’re cooking dinner.

“Everyone ends up in the kitchen anyway and having family members standing around only causes traffic issues,” Emily Hoefler, kitchen design specialist, told Improvenet. “Make sure everyone is comfortable (and give yourself space to cook) by having designated seating.”

Even if you’re not actually utilizing the kitchen for its intended purpose, this provides an excellent space for you to sit with your children while they work on homework, practice their reading, or talk about their days.

If you don’t have the space to install a kitchen island, consider a breakfast nook or a portable bar that can be placed against a wall, out of the way. This way, family members have a place to congregate without being underfoot.

There’s nothing better than a well-planned kitchen space where everyone can spend time together comfortably. Memories will be made, families will grow closer together, and your home will be worth more to both you and your pocketbook.

Pros and Cons of Good Food and Drink

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What you eat and what you drink is a huge part of how you live. But there are so many different variables into what you consider good and bad that it’s essential to find the contextual definitions of each, and how they can potentially affect your life on a large scale. Everyone has a different version of what is good and bad, but you have to recognize that there is a distinction between what is good for you and bad for you that is different than what you like or what you don’t like as far as personal preference goes. Beyond that, various food and drink can even have effects on your behavior.

Think of a few different ways you can split the positive and negative aspects of different food and drink into various categories. You can look at them from the perspective of healthy and nutritious meals. As far as behavior goes, you can look at what it means to drink alcohol at meals. This is a massive topic because alcohol affects different people in different ways, and then there are the consequences of behavioral patterns and over drinking that can enter the equation. And then there is the matter of emphasizing food that you feel is comfortable or tastes good as opposed to its nutritional value.

Healthy and Nutritious Meals

If you want to prioritize your health, then you have to prioritize healthy and nutritious meals. This means that you have to think of things in terms of a balanced diet. If you look at the latest federal recommendations for food and nutrition, it might not seem like the most appealing process. Nutritionists recommend that the majority of your calories come from fruits and vegetables, and then split the rest between carbohydrates, protein, and dairy. This is not how most people eat. But if you want the best benefits of proper nutrition, that’s the proportion that you should be focusing on.

Drinking at Meals

Alcohol plays a huge part in cultures around the world when it comes to food and nutrition. The right alcohol paired with the right foods makes everything taste amazing. Drinking alcohol at events is a cause for celebration and bonding in many instances. The trouble happens when people drink too much, and their behavior changes, or maybe they drink too much and drive afterward. This is the case where what you intake as a drink can have a negative consequence on your life if you aren’t careful.

Food That Is Comforting and Tastes Good

Finally, there is the matter of eating comfort food. People get caught up in the idea that when they are sad or have certain emotions going on, certain types of food will make them feel better. Unfortunately, the kind of food that they often pick is high in fat, sugar, and empty calories. So even though you might consider this good food, in fact, it is the opposite of being good for you.

Foods that will increase a sperm count

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Are you a man struggling with infertility? Did you know how important eating the right foods was to making a baby?

A healthy diet can have a big impact on improving a man’s infertility. A study conducted by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine showed that nutrition plays a huge role in the production of a healthy sperm count. The study revealed that 83% of men with a low sperm countdid not eat enough vegetables and fruits.

The Society found that when men improved their diet, their sperm count improved too.

So the message is clear, if you are a man struggling to conceive eat more fruit and vegetables.

healthy diet fertility

Below are some of the best fruit and vegetables to improve a low sperm count.

Red peppers, carrots, dried apricots
These are all rich in Vitamin A. Deficiencies in vitamin A in men have been linked to lowered fertility due to sluggish sperm. The vitamin A in these foods can help grow healthy sperm and improve male fertility.

Green Salad and Spinach
The folic acid found in leafy-green vegetables such as lettuce and spinach can lessen the chances of damaged and sperm agglutination (or clumping), which decreases sperm motility. Eat in conjunction with foods high in vitamin C to help absorption.

Oranges, cooked tomatoes, and strawberries
These foods are particularly high in Vitamin C. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, and is thought to prevent low sperm count by decreasing harmful free radicals which can cause damage to sperm. Antioxidants can help protect sperm, ensuring that the maximum number of healthy sperm is available for ejaculation.

Asparagus
In just five spears of asparagus, your body gets 100 mcg of folate. Research has found that folate plays a role in producing healthy sperm in men. Asparagus is also packed with glutathion and rutin which are two powerful antioxidants which will combat free radicals.

Creamy Pesto Pork Pasta

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I have never tried pork with pasta, so this recipe really caught my fancy. It is creamily delicious! The union of pesto and cream is perfect, plus the pork’s tasty juices make it more mouthwatering.

Chili flakes can also be added to this dish for to liven it up. Vegetables like broccoli florets would be an amazing addition as well.

 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 lbs. pork tenderloin

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup pesto

1 cup whipped cream or half and half

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

1 lb. spaghetti noodles

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Combine the salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl. Mix well. Rub it onto the pork tenderloin and allow the flavors to infuse for an hour or up to overnight.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the pork for 4-6 minutes per side or until it is browned. Remove the oil in the pan and reserve some of the oil.

Pour the water into the pan and set the heat to high. Bring it to a boil. After, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10-5 minutes or until the pork is tender and the liquid is reduced to 1/4. Remove the pork from the pan and let it cool completely.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions or until al dente. Drain. Place the noodles back into the pot and drizzle it with olive oil. Toss until the noodles are coated in oil, so that they won’t stick to each other.

When the pork is cool, slice it thinly. After, heat the olive oil in the saucepan and add another 2 tablespoons of reserved oil. Fry the sliced pork for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Add the pesto and cream. Season it with salt and pepper and cook it for another 2 minutes. You may add water if the mixture is too thick.

Place the pasta in the pan and mix well. Transfer it to a serving plate or individual plates. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese before serving. Serve immediately with bread.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  FotoosVanRobin

Chunky Crab and Avocado Dip

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Since it has been raining these past few days I’ve been on a lazy mood and I have been munching whenever I can. I am not really sure why, but the weather makes me think of food. Somewhere along the way I discovered that this dip also goes well with vegetable sticks and even French bread. It can also be used as a sandwich filling. It is best chilled, so you can refrigerate it for an hour or 2 before serving.

I love eating crackers with spread or dips. I often make chunky tuna and apple spread or use cream cheese, so this quick and easy recipe came as a delight. It is perfect for parties or gatherings. Unfortunately, it isn’t good for storing. Perhaps a day or two would be the most.

Be creative with this tasty recipe by using water chestnuts or corn kernels instead of avocadoes or other fruits or vegetables of your choice. Just make sure that these fruits are not watery because they may change the taste and texture of the dip. We do not want it to be soggy.

 

Ingredients:

3 170g cans crab meat

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

A dash of tobacco sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons white vinegar

3 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup thick cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 medium sized ripe avocados

 

Strain the crab meat and discard the juice. Squeeze out the excess liquid and then place the crabmeat in a medium sized bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Combine the mayonnaise, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, tobacco, vinegar, spring onions and parsley in a small bowl. Add the whipped cream and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it as well.

Cut the avocadoes in half and remove the seeds. Discard them. After, scoop out half of the avocado pulp and chop it. Mix the chop avocado pulp, crabmeat and mayonnaise mixture together and then spoon some meat into the avocado halves. Season it with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Margaritas : A Last Toast to a fun Summer

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Well, summer must be just about out the door now as all this rain hasn’t stopped for the past few days. Good bye summer sun and hello rain puddles! I have only hit the beach once this season and that certainly sounds kinda sad being a local in an archipelago that has 7,100 islands to get lost in. Island girl stuck in the city in the heat of the summer season. So much for getting a tan in those new bikinis I just bought. Ha! Well, I can always sit out in my garden in my two piece-kinis and sun myself out starfished on my lawn, eh? I always did that too , but this year, it seemed each day was a little too rushed for me to even take the time to just sit out and tan myself in my garden.
Funny thing is, when I used to do that … my neighbours always have this sudden urge to clean their second floor windows, patch their leaky roof , trim their tress and pick off fruit from their tall trees. What is that all about , yeah? Haha … oh well.
Seriously though, I was thinking of buying a sun lounge chair to put in my garden . It seems like a perfect garden fixture but I would feel bad leaving it out on its own to face the sun and rain if it was lined with cushies. Just me and a big floppy straw hat laid on the lounge sun chair sipping margaritas!

Oooh, did I just say Margaritas? I did , I certainly did. I have a love hate relationship with margaritas. I love ‘em at night but totally hate them in the morning!

How lovely it would be to be able to mix your own margarita at home and just pretend to run off to the beach and be chillin like a margarita villain. Oh , but you could !

There is always a simple way around these essential summer cocktails. Let me show you how it’s done and you can bring this frozen fruity indulgence with you whenever you feel like a drink to quench that summer thirst.

Easy Frozen Ritas

Ingredients
2 quarts ice cubes
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
12 fluid ounces tequila (measure with empty limeade can)
1/4 cup Cointreau
Garnish:
margarita or kosher salt for the rims
lime slices cut in half

Instructions

1. Working in 2 batches, place 1 quart ice cubes in a blender. Add 1/2 can limeade, 6 ounces tequila and 2 tablespoons Cointreau. Blend at highest speed until drink is almost smooth. Pour into a pitcher and repeat with remaining ingredients. Store in the freezer.
2.To salt the margarita glasses, pour a single layer of salt on a salad plate. Moisten each glass rim with lime; dip each rim in the salt. Pour margaritas into each glass; garnish with lime. Serve immediately.

Pitcher-Perfect Margarita Recipe

Ingredients
For the margarita:
8 cups cold water
1 liter 100 percent agave tequila , chilled
2 (12-ounce) cans frozen limeade , thawed in the refrigerator
4 ounces frozen concentrated orange juice (1/2 cup), thawed
1/4 cup bottled lime juice
To serve:
Ice (optional)
4 medium limes , each cut into 6 wedges
Rich Simple Syrup (optional)
Salt (optional)
Instructions
1.For the margarita:
2.Place all the ingredients in a large pitcher or container (at least 1-gallon capacity) and stir to evenly combine. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Stir before serving.
3.To serve:
4.Serve the mixed margarita up or over ice in a chilled margarita glass with a lime wedge.
5.Alternatively, to serve over ice with salt, fill a small, shallow dish with simple syrup and a second small, shallow dish with salt. Dip the rim of a glass in the simple syrup, then in the salt. (If you don’t have simple syrup, rub a lime wedge on the rim to moisten.) Add ice and top with the mixed margarita. Serve with a lime wedge.

Photo Credit: Drunken Monkey

Photo Credit: terceslil

Photo Credit: amandasmith

Get Blown Away by Peanut Butter Bombs

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Anyone who digs peanut butter will always admit to spooning off the peanut butter jar at least once a day. I know I do. I love the stuff and however much it’s something I should be staying away from, it’s a futile battle once I catch sight of that peanut butter jar. I’m sure to go in for that little scoop.

There’s a better way to get your peanut butter fix without having to bother with a spoon though. However, you may just get  so hooked onto these things, sure enough that peanut butter isn’t going to last that long.

Peanut butter balls are your new nutty best friends. Yep, you get that homemade Reese’s peanut butter goodness in a homemade PB ball.  It’s so easy to make and you’re definitely going to make quite a lot of it too!

These yummy treats have the same chocolate covered creamy peanut butter filling it almost feels like you’re eating fudge.

If you’ve ever heard of the term Buckeyes, then you know it’s all about peanut butter bon bon goodness. A buckeye is simply a peanut butter ball except that the top of the bon bon is bare of chocolate coating to let the peanut butter peek through as if it was a like the nut of the Buckeye tree.

For a little bit of trivia, Ohio is home to the Buckeye tree. Peanut butter buckeyes are so popular in this state, that most ball games are never complete without this candy.

Now you can enjoy the same buckeye bonbon goodness with this recipe.

Peanut Butter Bombs

Ingredients:

cups (500 grams) creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 – 2 1/2 cups (230 – 290 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar

Chocolate Coating

9 ounces (255 grams) semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons (25 grams) shortening
INSTRUCTIONS:

Peanut Butter Balls:Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the peanut butter, unsalted butter, and salt in a microwaveable bowl, and heat in the microwave for about one minute or until just soft (check and stir the ingredients every 20 seconds). Stir in the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar and mix until it has the consistency of a dough (add more sugar if necessary).

Roll the dough into 1 inch (2.5 cm) round balls. Place on the cookie sheet and refrigerate for about one hour, or until firm.

Melt the chocolate and shortening in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Dip the balls, one at a time, in the melted chocolate, making sure the entire ball is coated with chocolate. Then, with two spoons or a dipping fork, remove the peanut butter ball from the melted chocolate, allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the chocolate covered balls back on the baking sheet. When all the balls have been dipped in the chocolate, place in the refrigerator until the chocolate has set. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. To serve: place in small fluted candy cups.

Note: If you want to make Buckeyes: place a toothpick into each peanut butter ball and dip, one ball at a time, into the melted chocolate, leaving the top quarter of each ball undipped.

Makes about 40 pieces, depending on size. Preparation time30 minutes.

 

 

Photo Credit: you can count on me

Photo Credit: front studio

Photo Credit: l e n a mnop

Swing that Flavored Butter… Butter… Butter!

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Ahh, breakfast!  The smell of warm bread and coffee often sends me into a food zen state of mind. I have always loved bread whatever time of day and I cannot scrimp on butter when I have good bread. It’s almost pointless to get good quality bread if you’re going to get cheap on the spread.  If you’re the type who likes freshly baked bread in the morning then you know what I’m talking about. There is no substitute for real butter.  Studies actually show that eating real butter is a lot healthier than margarine.

Some  of my favourite breakfast breads are bagels, English muffins, Panini rolls and cinnamon and coffee buns. How I wish I had the luxury of time to bake bread in the morning, but I guess that woman we always see in the movies who bakes bread for breakfast is just some imaginary super mom!

But ,thank goodness for  toasters and ovens for they have made breakfast a real joy even in the most chaotic of days.  I can pass by the bakery to buy my fave bread of the week ,  put it in the freezer for later and just pop it in the toaster whenever. If your weekends are a little bit less hectic than usual, you can try these  recipes for butter to go with your bread. Trust me, you’re going to keep making these to go with a lot of things later on. But if you’re just as much of a bread lover as I am, you know how to make these butter blend recipes work in a lot of other dishes.

You may also want to make  these recipes and gift it to someone . I bought a couple loaves of Italian country bread and a nice container  to put these butter blends in and  gave it to a  friend who just gave birth. Make your own signature butter blend and enjoy it any time.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine butter, confectioners’ sugar honey and cinnamon. Beat until light and fluffy.

ORANGE HONEY BUTTER

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Instructions:

  1. In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Mix in honey and orange zest.

STRAWBERRY BUTTER

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tablespoon strawberry preserves

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, beat together the butter, confectioners’ sugar and strawberry preserves until creamy. Cover, and refrigerate until serving.

TOASTED PECAN BUTTER

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F/165 degrees C.
  2. Spread the pecans onto a baking sheet; toast in the preheated oven until they start to turn golden brown and become fragrant, about 15 minutes. Watch carefully as they bake, they burn quickly. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  3. Pulse the brown sugar, butter, and vanilla together in a food processor several times to thoroughly combine. Butter will be slightly fluffy. Sprinkle in the cooled nuts and pulse several times to combine. For more finely ground pecans, pulse several more times. Serve immediately, or pack into a jar with a lid and refrigerate.

HERB CHEESE BUTTER

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup dried oregano
  • 1 pinch garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Instructions:

In a small bowl, stir together the butter, Parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature for 25 minutes before using.

Photo Credit: sweetblissfl1

Photo Credit: GQjai

Photo Credit: kristin :: thekitchensink

Photo Credit: cbcastro

Ricotta, Asparagus and Arugula Pasta

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Asparagus and arugula are known for their aphrodisiac qualities. Here’s an interesting dish perfect for the love month. If you are planning a romantic dinner, this would be perfect. Pair it with wine and fresh fruits.

Ingredients:

350 grams thin asparagus, woody ends snapped off, cut into 1-inch lengths

350 grams spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine noodles

1/2 cup fresh ricotta

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tightly packed cup of baby arugula or wild arugula leaves, rinsed and spun dry

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Wash the asparagus and cut the ends. Slice it into 1-2 inch pieces.

In a pot boil water and add salt. Cook the asparagus for 2-5 minutes or depending on how thick they are. After, transfer it to a bowl of ice cold water. Drain and set aside.

In the same pot, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Cook pasta according to instructions or until al dente.

In a saucepan over medium low fire, heat the olive oil. Sauté the garlic for 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat and pour in the cream. Mix in the ricotta cheese and lemon juice.

Combine the pasta, asparagus, arugula and the cheese mixture in a big bowl. Mix well and season it with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and lemon zest before serving. Serve warm.

Photo Courtesy Of: wolfsavard

Sunday Sweet Sunday: Ice Cream Party

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I’ve posted before about my struggle to give sugar up completely- but because I’m not the type of person who can do things drastically, I’ve come up with the idea to have sugar only on weekends.

It could work.

And because one of the things my husband and I love most about Sundays is having our families over (we were both raised this way), we decided to make an event of it: hereafter known in these parts as Ice Cream Party Sundays! Here are tips on throwing your own:

  • Ice Cream. You’ll need ice cream, of course. Three plain flavors should do, such as Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry. I like to throw in some unexpected flavors as well, such as Cheese or Ube or Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. Because I can.
  • Accessories. A stack of small bowls, or (as in the photo above) edible waffle baskets. I like to put out a box of sugar cones as well. If we’re expecting mostly adults, we use Margarita glasses for extra chic-ness.
  • Toppings! Here’s where you can go nuts. Literally, with nuts- and crushed oreos, mini M&Ms, marshmallows, fresh fruit, whipped cream in cans… the sky’s the limit.
  • Syrup. I actually prefer my ice cream without toppings, but doused in generous amounts of syrup. Warm up some chocolate syrup, make your own ganache and add a few tablespoons of corn syrup, or perhaps some caramel with about a cup of cream mixed in.
  • Have savories available. Too much sweet can leave your guests yearning for something salty and savory. Try also serving something like a cheese plate or even simply a bowl of barbecue chips.

Healthy Breakfast Choices

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My husband and I, night owls for a long, long time, have become morning people. And by that, I mean really early morning people: we’re up by 5, mostly 4:30. We’ve been getting a lot more done since switching our schedule, but one of the biggest perks has got to be having lots of time for breakfast.

Because, gosh, do I love breakfast. Bacon, eggs, sausages, pancakes, waffles… some of my favorite foods in the world are breakfast foods.

Lately, though, I’ve been wanting to go a little healthier when it comes to planning our morning meal. Much as I love bacon, I realize that having it every day is not a good long-term plan.

So recently we hit the grocery, and picked up some healthy breakfast options, which I share with you here:

  • Oat Bran. As a child, I had porridge every single day. Oat bran, the healthier, more fiber-ous cousin of oatmeal, takes minutes to cook, and is simply delicious with some low-fat milk and raw sugar sprinkled into it. It’s good for my husband, too- who’s a diabetic.
  • Fresh Berries. The aforementioned oat bran becomes even more heavenly with some fresh berries mixed in. I’m partial to blueberries and strawberries, but that’s only because it’s next to impossible to find raspberries where I live.
  • Fresh Melons and Mangoes. A no-brainer. Sweet, smooth, and perfect cold on warm mornings.
  • Smoothies. Truth is, I was wary of the Smoothie Breakfast- I’m the type that likes to bite into her breakfast. Then I made Simply Recipe’s Berry Banana Smoothie, and it. is. wonderful. Really wakes me up- like a shot of sunshine when it’s still dark out. If you’re open to tofu (the silken type) in your smoothie, check out this goodie as well. Yum.

What are your healthy breakfast choices?

Broccoli Slaw – Perfect Companion To Pulled Pork

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Broccoli Slice

Remember that recipe for Pulled Pork that I posted last time? Here is something that will match it perfectly. For those who cannot eat a meal without a dash of vegetables, this broccoli slaw from Food Network will do the trick.

Ingredients
• 4 slices turkey bacon
• 1 12- to 16-ounce bag shredded broccoli slaw or 1 large bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 8-ounce can low-sodium sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion (1/2 medium)

Directions
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning frequently, until crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, microwave on High for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.) Drain bacon on paper towels. Chop coarsely.
If using whole broccoli, trim about 3 inches off the stems. Chop the rest into 1/4-inch pieces.

Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add water chestnuts, onion, bacon and broccoli; toss to coat. Chill until serving time.

I am thinking of using something else rather than turkey bacon but if you think about it, turkey bacon is perfect because it is quite light. Combined with the pork for the main dish, this slaw should be really light. Have any ideas on how to tweak this?

Twinkie trivia

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twinkie

The original filling in Twinkies was banana. It was replaced by vanilla-flavored cream during World War II, when the United States experienced a banana shortage.

7 Ways to Go Light

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weight

All Recipes gives great tips on how to make a lighter version of your favorite recipes:

1. Think baked tortilla and potato chips instead of fried ones
2. Use low-fat or nonfat sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, cream cheese and salad dressing instead of full-fat versions
3. Substitute evaporated skim milk or buttermilk in place of cream (for everything except whipping)
4. To thicken soups, gravies, and sauces, use puréed vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a slurry of cornstarch and cold water instead of cream or roux.
5. It’s a painless sacrifice to use leaner cuts of meat too: skinless chicken breast, pork loin, ground turkey breast and beef round and flank steak are all good choices.
6. Start turning to non-meat sources for some of your protein needs, too: beans come in all kinds of interesting varieties, as do tofu and soy-based meat substitutes.
7. Try whole grains in place of refined ones more often. You just may find that you prefer the taste of whole wheat bread, brown rice, bulgur, barley and quinoa over white bread and white rice.