Easy-Peasy Apricot Leather



When I was a kid, I used to love it when my mom would slip a Fruit Roll-Up (aka "fruit leather") in my lunchbox. There was that satisfying, "Screeeeeeeeech!" as you ripped it off the cellophane and all the possibilities! It was the one time it was ok to play with your food. You could wad it up and shove the whole thing in your mouth, cut out eye-holes and make it into a mask or build unidentifiable creatures out of it. Well, with a bag of apricots languishing on my counter and a sense of nostalgia in my heart I decided to embark on making some homemade apricot fruit leather yesterday.  It turned out to be super easy and the kidlets loved it (as did the adults).

Ingredients:

apricots
lemon juice
sugar (honey can be substituted)

[4 cups of diced fruit yields about 1 large cookie sheet of fruit leather]

Instructions:

1. Rinse the fruit. Set 2-3 apricots to the side (for fiber). Peel the rest. (* see directions at bottom).

2. Remove pits and roughly dice fruit (including the unpeeled apricots).

3. Place the diced apricots in a saucepan on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and lemon juice at a time, to desired level of sweetness. (I made 2 sheets of leather and used about 1/2 cup of bakers sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice).

4. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes more.

5. Remove mixture from stove and puree in food processor/blender.

6. Cover a cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Pour the puree evenly onto the plastic wrap to 1/8" thickness. Make sure that none of the plastic wrap is folding over onto the puree.

7. Place on oven rack at lowest setting (ideally 150 degrees, but my oven only went down to 170). Prop oven open a wee bit with a wooden spoon so that air can circulate and dry it out.

8. Bake for 8-12 hours until the mixture dries out. (When the mixture stops being tacky to the touch and feels dry, it's done).

9. Slice leather into strips (I used a pizza cutter).Peel from plastic backing, roll it up in parchment paper and secure with a rubberband. Store in an airtight container.

* How to Peel Apricots Easily

1. Submerge apricots in boiling water for 20-25 seconds.
2. Remove and place in a bowl of ice water for 20-25 seconds
3. Gently slide skin off.
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Popping Up All Over


(photo by Munieca)


What a week! My friend C-Lo at One Smarmy Mama posted a wonderful blog about A Girl and Her Fork and then an email I had dashed off to the Sac Bee last week  turned up online.

One Smarmy Mama : Foooooooooood

Sac Bee: Letters to Living Here - Bok Choy Tipping Point
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Cookbook Review Recipe - Chorizo and Tomato Frittata



At the end of a busy workday I pick up my kids, pull out my hair because they are already driving me nuts, and try to muster up the energy to put some delicious food on the table. Since most of this is done while also having one of them directly underfoot and/or pulling on my pant leg and the other one is barking orders and requests at me, I can really use a meal that requires little brain power and energy. I love hands off meals; the kind that you put very little effort into and yet they still knock your tastebuds around a bit.

Jamie Oliver's cookbook Jamie's Dinners: The Essential Family Cookbook has a great chapter called "5 Minute Wonders" in which he pulls off a meal for one in five minutes or less. I spotted a recipe for a Chorizo and Tomato Omelette and the chorizo was beckoning me. Since this recipe is only for one person, I adapted the omelette into a frittata in order to feed my whole family. It's a meal that can be prepped in 5 minutes and you'll be sitting down to eat 15 minutes later. I can definitely handle that.

Recipe adapted slightly from Jamie's Dinners: The Essential Family Cookbook
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Serves 4

125 g (4.4 oz) hot Spanish chorizo, sliced
2 green onions, sliced (whites and greens separated)
2 roma tomatoes, deseeded and sliced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
6 eggs
1 red chili, chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

If you have an oven proof skillet use it, if not wrap some tinfoil around the handle of your skillet. I think non-stick works best.

Set your skillet over medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Saute the chorizo and whites of onions for 2-3 minutes until the sausage is starting to brown. Add the tomato and parsley and saute another 1-2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the chili and season with salt and pepper. Pour the beaten egg mixture over everything in the pan and sprinkle with greens of onions. Turn the heat down to medium low and let cook for another 5-8 minutes until the bottom of your frittata sets. Then place it in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the top of the frittata is set and your eggs are golden.

Remove from oven, cut into wedges and serve.


Click here for printable version of Chorizo and Tomato Frittata
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THE RESULTS?
The flavor of chorizo is fabulous and all the spices and garlic and paprika kind of melt into the oil when you saute it, which give the entire frittata a nice smokey spicy flavor. Studded with the bits of juicy tomato this meal will surely win you over. The combo is fabulous and the meal is effortless.

If I am being honest about the recipe as written in the book, the process is quite vague. Jamie doesn't give a clear set of directions for actually cooking the omelette, saying only "continue to fry until the eggs set, giving you a lovely little omelette." Ummm...how do you cook an omelette? No seriously. Had I actually cooked an omelette I would have had to google that first, then proceeded accordingly. But the flavors are smashing and lovely and wonderful, so I can't fault him for that :)


Meal Ideas:
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Omega 3 Oil


Question: What’s all the fuss about Omega 3 fish oils? What do they do for my body?

Answer: Omega 3 fish oils are a substance that can be found in the bodies of fish. However, eating fresh fish is no longer recommended. The mercury levels that are prevalent in almost all fresh fish these days can be very detrimental to your health. However, companies have manufactured fish oil that is mercury free by processing the oils that naturally occur in the fish. Omega 3 is a type of fat that is essential for human health. Omega 3 contains two fatty acids that benefit the human body greatly, which are known as DHA and EPA.

These fatty acids have been linked to helping prevent heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. DHA is also required by the human brain. Low levels of DHA in the brain have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and an increased chance of being stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, the regular and repeated consumption of Omega 3 fish oils can greatly help affect the quality of your life for the better.

The American Heart Association recommends the use of fish oils to help your hearts performance as long as you keep your dosage under 3 grams per day, suggesting an amount roughly between 0.5 to 1.8 grams per day. Clinical trials conducted have shown that Omega 3 fish oils can reduce cardiovascular events including heart attacks, strokes, and even death.

Also, research has shown that fish oils can help decrease the risk of arrhythmias, decrease triglyceride levels, decrease the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque, and even slightly lower blood pressure! With all these facts, there is no doubt that the regular and responsible use of Omega 3 fish oils from supplements can be of great benefit to your health.
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8 Tips For Glyconutrients


1- Drink Pure Spring Water. As an absolute minimum, take your body weight in lbs, divide by 2 & drink that many ounces of Pure Spring Water everyday so that your cells get 'bathed' in a bath of Glyconutrients. For example a 120lb woman would drink a minimum of 60 oz of pure spring water per day.

2- Consume Fiber. Using a high-quality fiber supplement or eating a diet very high in fiber & in raw vegetables will enhance the results you get from your glyconutrients.

3- Don't take glyconutrients of any kind on an empty stomach. Why? No, it won't hurt you, but your body will burn it for energy. That is expensive energy. Glyconutrients are best absorbed when mixed with food or stirred into a drink.

4- Do not take fiber supplements within 1 hour of any other supplement.

5- Give Your Body Time to Start Healing. Most conditions develop gradually over many years(or even decades). Just like getting sick, getting well takes time. I have seen many people see no results until the 4th or even 6th month on the discount glyconutrients. Why? It takes months(or even years) for your body to replace sick cells with healthy ones. To learn more about this go to: How soon should I expect to experience the effects of dietary supplements? By Jane Ramberg, MS @ Glycoscience.org .

6- Enhance Your absorption of Glyconutrients. According to Dr. Milner you can enhance your absorption of your discount glyconutrients by simply NOT swallowing your them--instead, you do two easy things:

a. let them dissolve in your mouth, so that it is absorbed in the mouth, not in the stomach (this takes about 1 minute). You do not need water to do this--your saliva is more than sufficient.

b. take smaller amounts more often, like 1/8 or 1/4 of a teaspoon at a time, through out the day, like every hour or two. I have started doing this myself, and I recommend it to you.

(Dr. Martin Milner is the President and Medical Director of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, a Professor of Cardiology, and a research scientist at the Center for Natural Medicine, Inc. Dr. Milner is also a man of great humility and courage to have made a public "confession" and apology in front of 6400 men and women at an international conference at the Dallas Stadium in Texas in March of 2004. Dr. Milner publicly admitted, that for SEVEN YEARS, he had ignored the Glyconutrient technology, and had assumed that the passion many people had about it was based on hype and misguided enthusiasm over nothing of real significance. After all, if it was that significant, surely he would have known about it. He thanked God that someone finally got through to him--that when he actually took time to investigate this new science and technology, he confessed that he had MISSED one of the most significant discoveries of the century. Now Dr. Milner is doing his best to make up for lost time by educating other doctors on this amazing new technology, and of course has ALL his patients on this "edible health insurance.")

7- Use ALL THREE of the basic products: Glyco-Antioxidant, Phytosterol, food-based vitamin. These three products represent four sciences that work together synergistically, like the four wheels on a car work together:

- Cellular communication provided by the glyconutrients

- Anti-Oxidant protection from free radicals and "internal terrorists"

- Natural plant hormones provided by the phytosterol

- Essential vitamins and minerals in a food form state for maximum assimilation provided by the food-based vitamin.

You wouldn't settle for just one or two tires would you? Don't settle for less than what you need either!

8- Take Enough Glyconutrients to satisfy your body's need. Keep in mind that the suggested serving size you see on the label of your glyconutrients supplement bottle is a suggested minimum for young adults in "good" health. If you are unsure what amount is right for you please contact your representative. When buying glyconutrients, remember that a container may not last you a even month if you have a health challenge.

Note: Legal Disclaimer: Glyconutrients are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, but scientific studies have been documented linking the ingestion of certain food nutrients, and the prevention of chronic disease. The information given is not intended to be a substitute for a physician's proven care & advice.
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If Life Gives You Lemons...Make Lemon Rice!




Kids, God love 'em, have got to be the pickiest little eaters on the planet. Being around Mr. S.'s kidlets a good portion of the time these days, I'm learning that the less fussier the food the better the chance they'll eat it. Kidlet #2 loves chicken breasts, so one harried weeknight we went with a simple meal of grilled chicken, veggies (choice of peas or corn) and rice. Sounds healthy but boring, right? Well, we dressed it up just a wee bit so that our adult palates wouldn't cop a snooze from the blandness. So how can you jazz up a blah meal when you're exhausted on a Wednesday night? Simple...for the chicken we punched a few holes in the breasts and did a quick 10 minute soak in Soy Vay's Veri Veri Teriyaki then threw it on the grill. If you haven't tried this stuff, try it NOW! It's delicious and available at most local grocers. (I would like to add that the SV's marinade is even better if you leave it overnight; but hey, if you're in a time crunch then you've gotta do what you've gotta do and this stuff takes to the meat pretty quickly.)

For the rice, I decided to give the Food Wife's Yellow Lemon Rice a go. I hadn't worked with turmeric before and was pleasantly surprised by it's abundance of health benefits, when I Googled it. The rice came out a beautiful electric yellow color that popped on the plate. I thought it had a nice subtle taste but seemed to be lacking some.... je ne sais quoi. If I made it again, I think I'd add some diced onion or some scallions...maybe even throw in some pine-nuts. It's a good dish...it just needs some flair.

Foodie Wife's Yellow Lemon Rice (adapted from a Feast For The Eyes)

1 c long grain white
2 c chicken stock
1/2 t turmeric 
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 t fresh lemon zest
fresh minced parsley, chopped

(I tripled the recipe so we would have enough)

1. Rinse the rice in cold water several times, until it runs clear.

2. Place the rice in a pot and add in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes, covered. Remove from heat. (You can also do this in a rice cooker instead.)

3. Fluff with a fork.

4. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and sprinkle with parsley.

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Paneer Pattice


Today morning Ajoy demanded something fancy and new for breakfast. After thinking for a while I came up with this :) It was tasty and we had it as brunch instead :)

Paneer Pattice
Ingredients
4 Cup Finely diced Paneer
4 Potatoes
3 Spoon Corn Flour
1 Spoon Ginger
3 Green Chillies
5 Garlic Cloves
1/4 Spoon Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
Oil

Method
  • Cook the potatoes in pressure cooker.
  • In a mixie grind ginger, garlic and green chillies with 1/4 cup of water to fine paste.
  • Heat oil in a pan and turmeric powder and the paste in it and saute for couple of minutes
  • Add the diced paneer and salt it in it and cook till paneer is done well. Keep aside
  • Peel off the potatoes and mash them to fine paste.
  • Add in corn flour and salt to taste and knead to nice dough
  • Make lemon sized balls and press down to make cups.
  • Fill these cups with spoonful of paneer we made earlier and add close and flatten it
  • Heat oil really well and fry till brown on all sides. Serve hot with ketchup
Notes
While frying the pattice, the oil should be really hot otherwise the potato coating will stick to the bottom.
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Advantages Of An Alkaline Diet


The premise of an alkaline diet is that the nutrients found in supplements, alkalizing foods, and water can bring the body back to balance. These vitamins, minerals, and herbs infuse the body with new energy, vitality, and better health.

Alkaline foods and water must be consumed in order to provide nutrients the body needs to neutralize acids and toxins in the blood, lymph, tissues, and cells.

When pH balance inside the body is ‘out of balance’ the body tries to correct that sensitive pH balance. That process shows up as uncomfortable symptoms, including colds, flues, allergies, diseases, viruses, and bacteria.

When the pH level in our body is unbalanced, almost any area of the body can be affected. For example when the nervous system is effected as the result of unbalanced pH balance it shows up in the form of the depression. When cardiovascular system is effected we could have heart disease or experience other heart-related problems, including thickening and hardening of the arteries, coronary heard disease, pain or discomfort in the chest, stroke, high blood pressure, and heart failure. When muscles are effected we often feel fatigue and lack of energy. When skin is effected by improper pH balance we age quicker than normal.

When the body’s pH level is in balance, the body reaches ideal weight and corrects negative health challenges naturally.

Transition to a more alkaline healthy diet requires a shift in attitude towards food. The important point to remember is that small changes go a long way. Add more alkaline foods to your diet gradually.

7 Sure-fire ways to make alkaline diet benefit you:

1) Reduce the consumption of sugar and products made from sugar, including soda pop, pies, ice cream, jello, jams & jellies, artificial juices, puddings, doughnuts, corn syrups, chewing gum, sweetened drinks, cookies, breakfast cereals, liqueurs, mixed drinks.



2) Avoid processed foods and condiments including ketchup, salad dressings, pickles, luncheon meats, canned fruits, breads, relish, cheese dips, peanut butter, prepared seafood, frozen vegetables, crackers, canned soups, hot dogs, sausages, sweetened yogurt.

3) Avoid cooking and heating foods and drinks in microwave.

4) Avoid dairy, meats, fried foods and fast foods.

5) Increase your consumption of raw vegetables and raw fresh fruits (without sugar). You should include raw vegetables in every meal. If your breakfast is so small that you only eat toast or cereal, stop eating toast and take fresh fruits or vegetable juices instead. If your lunches are usually consist of sandwiches try to substitute it with a raw salad or a vegetable juice. Have a large salad before you eat a heavy entree at dinner. This way, you will be sure to eat all of the salad instead of finding yourself too full to finish it.

6) Grains form the base of a balanced diet and are important in maintaining the alkaline balance in the body. Grains are great source of vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients, including folic acid, fiber, carbohydrates antioxidants and phytoestrogens. The Department of Food and Science and Nutrition at University of MInnesota determined that consumption of whole grains reduces the risk of chronic diseases including cancer and cardiovascular disease. By eating grains you can eat less but feel full. Grains should comprise about 20% of your diet.

7) Don't forget to hydrate. Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of good quality of water each day. Add liquid minerals to increase the quality of water.

If you follow these easy 7 steps it will allow you to create the proper alkaline balance within your body.

Creating the proper alkaline balance within your body will bring you increased quality of life. You'll start seeing immediate improvements in your health. Your energy will increase, your concentration will be stronger. You'll build strength, stamina, and resistance to diseases. Your entire body will function more efficiently just like it was meant to do.
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Rosemary Marmalade Ham


This recipe was intended to be another cookbook review for Jamie's Dinners: The Essential Family Cookbook, but the eight pounds of ham I had in my freezer was not the same as the one he uses in his cookbook. Are you as confused about hams as I am? Cured, smoked, not-smoked, Virginia, country ham, city ham, bone-in, bone-out, cooked, raw....WHAT IS HAM?!?!

The ham most home cooks would know around Canada is a pre-cooked, smoked ham or pork shoulder. It can be found super cheap for around a $1 a pound in the summer because of picnic season (thus, it can also be found under the name "picnic ham"), and it only needs to be heated in the oven until it reaches an appetizing temperature.

While Jamie uses a raw ham that he boils and then roasts, I skipped all that and went straight to the part about the rosemary marmalade glaze. The sweet earthy combo melds with the rich smokey meat creating a extraordinary ham to serve on holidays, for Sunday dinner, picnic or potluck.


Recipe adapted from Dinner with Julie and Jamie's Dinners: The Essential Family Cookbook
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Serves 6-8

7-8 lb smoked pork shoulder (or other pre-cooked smoked ham)
1/2 cup marmalade
handful of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
Optional: 4-5 carrots, chopped to 1 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the ham in a baking dish large enough to hold it, fat side up. Place into the oven and roast for about an hour.

Remove from the oven. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees. Stir up the marmalade to loosen and smear it all over the outside of the ham. Sprinkle on the rosemary, reserving some leaves for later. If using carrots, toss them in around the ham and place back in the oven for another 30 minute or so. Remove from the oven and scatter the fresh rosemary leaves over all. Scoop the carrots into a serving dish, carve the ham and pour any juices remaining in the pan into a gravy boat to pass at the table.

Click here for printable version of Rosemary Marmalade Ham.

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THE RESULTS?
Before trying this, I never would have guessed how great marmalade and rosemary pair with smokey salty ham. The fat on the ham melted into the pan and mingled with the sweet citrusy marmalade making this incredible sauce that we were pouring liberally over our plates. The rosemary adds an earthy dimension. And those carrots? OH MY GOSH. They suck up all the flavors of the ham and sauce and create these ridiculous little morsels.


Meal Ideas:
Leftover Ideas:
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Cookbook Review Recipe - Smoked Salmon, Horseradish and New Potato Salad


If you have yet to try a warm potato salad, don't be put off by it. The still hot potatoes slurp up all the flavors of the sauce instantly leaving you with potato morsels bursting with pungency. The high electric notes of the lemon are balanced beautifully with the cool creamy sour cream and smokey fish. This is not your typical understated mayo-ey potato salad; it's one with sass. Pretty much perfect in my eyes.

Recipe adapted slightly from Jamie's Dinners: The Essential Family Cookbook
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Serves 4

1 1/2 lb new potatoes, scrubbed
4 heaping tbsp sour cream
zest of 2 lemons, and juice of 1
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
1-4 tsp horseradish (can use fresh grated, or prepared)
a handful of fresh parsley
a handful of fresh chives
a small bunch of green onions, fined diced
7 oz smoked salmon or trout

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. You want potatoes to be a uniform golf-ball size, so add them whole to the pot if they are small enough, and cut others in half if you need to. Get all potatoes into the pot and boil until tender (about 10 minutes or so). Drain and place them back in the pot. While the potatoes are still hot, add the sour cream, zest and juice of 1 lemon and your olive oil. Toss around and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add or grate in your horseradish, tasting as you go, to see how much heat you can handle. Chop up the parsley and chives and throw these into the pot, along with the green onions. Tear up the smoked fish and mix everything together. Now it's very important to balance your salad with more seasoning and maybe an extra squeeze of lemon. You may even want to give it more of a kick by adding more horseradish. Put salad in a nice serving dish and eat as a starter, a side salad or even as a meal itself.

Click here for printable version of Smoked Salmon, Horseradish, and New Potato Salad
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THE RESULTS?
This potato salad is phenomenal. I served this to a bunch of guests at a family gathering and EVERYONE went back for second and third helpings. The flavors are fresh and exciting and paired really well together. What I also loved was how forgiving it is. It tasted fabulous hot, room temperature or cold the next day, which made it perfect to serve to guests as I didn't have to worry so much about the timing.

I will point out that my slight adaptation of this recipe was to use smoked salmon instead of trout or eel as the recipe suggests. In my opinion the whole point is to pair smoked fish with horseradish, lemon and new potatoes, so whichever fish is more easily accessible to you should be your choice. I also cut the amount of fish down by half since it is a very pricey item. You can definitely get away with this since it is an ingredient with such a strong flavor.


Meal Ideas:
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Have You Checked This Out? : Turtle Burgers

Don't worry, it's not what you think!

Hamburger + Hot Dogs + Cheese + BACON ---> Oh my! Words simply cannot express what's going through my mind right now....


(Photo borrowed from Email From Grandma)
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Chicken Rolls


Its been a while since I made any chicken dish.. It was always Ajoy who ended up cooking chicken or mutton which obviously is exactly of one type. Gravy remains same and chicken or mutton changes :) So today I thought probably i can make some chicken dish to surprise him. What would have been better than his favorite roll.

Chicken Rolls
Ingredients
500g Boneless Chicken
2 Cup Maida
1/2 Cup Wheat Flour
1 Big Onion
1 Cup Broccoli
1 Cup finely diced Tomato
1/2 Cup Tomato Ketchup
1/4 Spoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 Spoon Red Chilli Powder
1/2 Spoon Black Pepper Powder
1/2 Spoon Garam Masala
1/2 Spoon Jeera Powder
1/4 Spoon Corriander Powder
1 Spoon Grated Ginger
8 Garlic Cloves
Salt
Oil

Method
  • Mix in maida, wheat flour, salt and couple of spoon of oil and add in water and knead the dough well. Keep aside.
  • Dice the chicken into small cubes.
  • Heat oil in a pan and add in the chicken cubes. Cook stirring it occasionally
  • When chicken turns white in color, add in grated ginger, turmeric powder, red chili powder, jeera powder, coriander powder, garam masala and pepper powder and cook till masalas start to leave aroma
  • Add in tomato ketch up and cook further for 5 more minutes.
  • Add in diced tomatoes and salt and cook till chicken is done completely stirring occasionally. Keep aside
  • Heat a shallow pan with a spoonfull of oil and add in sliced onions, diced garlic and brocoli and cook till they are completely done. Add in salt and a pinch of pepper powder and stir well. Keep aside
  • Beat the egg and put it in wide pan.
  • Make a small lemon sized balls of the dough and roll thin roti
  • Dunk the roti into the egg only on one side and then put it on the hot tawa with the non egg washed side down
  • Sprinkle few drops of oil on to top of the roti and flip it and cook till both the sides are done. Put it on a plate
  • Spread couple spoon of chicken we made earlier in the middle as one line. Add in half spoon of onion-brocolli mixture on it.
  • Fold the roti from the bottom and then folding the left side on top of the mixture and roll tightly to cover the mixture completely. Serve hot with ketchup or just like that.
Notes
I wanted to keep the rotis light so instead of putting a complete egg on top of each roti i chose to egg wash one side and that worked well. rotis were light and the taste of chicken came out really well.
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Benefits Of Coconut Oil


It is a common misconception that coconut oil is bad for you. People all over the world are experiencing the healthy benefits of using coconut oil. It is actually one of the healthiest oils you can consume. Here are the top seven reasons why you should use coconut oil as an alternative to other common cooking oils.

1. Coconut oil doesn't turn to fat in your body.

Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won't make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT's are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.

People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.

Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.

2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.

Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.

Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT's burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT's.

The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman's World magazine stated that coconut oil is the "underground high-metabolism secret."

This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.

3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.

Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

4. Coconut oil gives you energy.

Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life.

This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy.

This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.

5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil.

Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.

Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.

6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.

Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin.

Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.

Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.

7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.

It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don't do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.

It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.

Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won't be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!
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"You Say Tomato and I Say Tomahto..." : Fresh Pico De Gallo

It wasn't a great season for tomatoes in Sacramento this year, but the tomato seedlings Mr. S. planted did bear us a decent amount of fruit. Seen below (being fondled by my lovely assistant) are some of the tasty salsa tomatoes that came in (one of two different varieties of tomatoes that were planted). I'm not a big fan of super-liquidy salsa, so I decided to make some pico de gallo with the tomatoes instead. Pico de gallo is ultra easy to throw together and is great with tortilla chips, atop a quesadilla or my favorite...sprinkled on an omelet.


I dug up a recipe on Simply Recipes and voila! In mere minutes, we had some fresh pico de gallo for a Sunday afternoon snack. (Note: I subbed in 5 salsa tomatoes and sprinkled in a bit of cumin to jazz it up).




Fast & Fresh Pico De Gallo

Ingredients

  • 2-3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (from 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb), stems removed, finely diced
  • 1/2 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
  • 1 serano chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional: oregano and or cumin to taste

Directions

1. Start with chopping up 2 medium sized fresh tomatoes. Prepare the chilies. Be very careful while handling these hot peppers. If you can, avoid touching them with your hands. Use a fork to cut up the chilies over a small plate, or use a paper towel to protect your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours. Set aside some of the seeds from the peppers. If the salsa isn't hot enough, you can add a few for heat.

2. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Taste. If the chilies make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chilies, or add some ground cumin.

3. Let sit for an hour for the flavors to combine.

Makes approximately 3-4 cups.
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Growing Your Organic Vegetable Garden


During the last decades there has been a change towards mechanization and homogenization of farming, which uses pesticides, additives, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers and mass-production techniques. All this is clearly affecting mankind's health, and new diseases are spreading rapidly amongst humans and animals (bird's flu being the most recent one).

The World Health Organization produces reports to show how the use of chemicals and other products on food, coupled with the manufacturing processes involved, are actually a threat for our health.

If you have space for a few pots or even a small piece of land, it is a wise decision to grow your own organic vegetable garden. Today I'm presenting you with seven reasons for doing this:

1. You will have no additives in your vegetables. Research by organic food associations has shown that additives in our food can cause heart diseases, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity.

2. There will be no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers used. These chemical products are applied to obtain crops all the time regardless plagues or weather conditions, and affect the quality of the vegetables. Besides, pesticides are usually poisonous to humans.

3. Your vegetables will not be genetically modified (GM). Antibiotics, drugs and hormones are used on vegetables to grow more and larger ones. One of the consequences of this practice are vegetables which look all the same and are usually tasteless. Besides, we end up consuming the hormones that have been used on the vegetables, with the potential risks for our health.

4. Eating your own organic vegetables will be much more healthy for you. They will not contain any of the products or chemicals named above, and they will be much more natural than any ones you would find at the supermarket. Your health will not be at risk because you will then know that nothing has been added to your vegetables.

5. Your own organic vegetables will be much more tasty. The use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics make vegetables grow unnaturally and take the taste away from them. With organic vegetables, your cooking will be enhanced as their flavour will show fully.

6. Organic farming is friendly to the environment. Because you won't use pesticides or other equally harming products on your vegetables, you will not damage the soil or the air with the chemical components.

7. When you grow your own organic vegetables you are contributing to your own self-sustainability and the sustainability of the planet. Small communities have been founded where members exchange products that they grow naturally, thus contributing to create a friendly and better place for us all.

In the end, eating organic products only means that we do not add anything else to them than they would naturally have. As you can guess, additives, fertilizers, pesticides or hormones are not components of naturally grown food. To better care for your health, grown your own organic vegetables -and a few pots is all you need.
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Something To Sink Your Teeth Into

If you're a Top Chef junkie like I am, take note...Top Chef's new spinoff, "Top Chef : Just Desserts" will be hitting the tube on September 15 (on Bravo). The show will be hosted by Gail Simmons and feature judges Hubert Keller, (hottie) Johnny Iuzzini and Dannielle Kyrillos. Contestant bios can now be viewed on Eater.com.


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Meal Plan 37 - An Ode to Jamie Oliver



The grocery list is back! This time it's easier to use and printable as well. It is color coordinated by meal so you can easily pick and choose which meals you would like to make. Either print and use the grocery list as is and make all the meals I have planned, or cross off the meals you would rather not make. Hopefully this is useful and helpful to you!

Click here to get a printable version of this week's meal plan.


How 'bout I just skip over all the excuses about how I haven't posted in 3 months and we just hop to it, okay?

Day 1: Chicken and Tortellini in Rose Sauce with Fresh Basil and Sauteed Spinach
This is bad for my carb dosages because I can't stop eating it.

Day 2: Rosemary Marmalade Ham with Smoked Salmon, Horseradish and New Potato Salad and Asparagus
Two phenomenal dishes I served for a family gathering.


Day 3: Tomato and Chorizo Frittata with Garden Salad and Passion Tea Lemonade
This is a beautiful lunch for a warm summer day or a late Sunday brunch.

Day 4: Spanish Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Chorizo and Broccoli
This dish is so good I've served it three times this summer.
Day 5: Tender and Crisp Chicken Legs with Sweet Tomatoes served with Parmesan Parsley Spaghetti and Salad dressed with Balsamic and Oil
A simple and rustic looking dish yet the flavors are fantastic. Would be a wonderful recipe to use up your sweet garden tomatoes.


I will admit that most of these recipes are from Jamie Oliver's cookbook Jamie's Dinners, but I wanted to pick up where I left off. Luckily it's a week of GREAT recipes to share. Here's to being back in the saddle!



For more great meal plans, check out my complete list of meal plans or the Menu Plan Monday links at Orgjunkie.
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Antioxidant-rich Foods


6 superfoods for age-defying beauty:

1) Goji Berries

Goji berries, hollywoods hottest new food, are one of the most nutritionally dense foods on earth and house a staggering concentration of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, phytochemicals and essential fatty acids. With such an awesome constitution it is not surprising they are reputed anti-aging marvels. Originating in Tibet and greatly favoured in traditional medicine these dried berries have many noted health benefits including boosting immunity, lowering cholesterol, enhancing vision, fighting cancer cells, relieving depression and aiding weight loss.

Goji berries contain 500 times more vitamin C than oranges by weight and more beta-carotene than carrots making them a superb source of vitamin A. Together with vitamin E and essential fatty acids, these berries are ideal for any anti-aging and beauty regime. They also contain polysaccharides, one of which has been found to stimulate the secretion of the rejuvenating human growth hormone by the pituitary gland, as well as B vitamins, 21 minerals and 18 amino acids.

The most well documented case of longevity is that of Li Qing Yuen, who lived to the age of 252. Born in 1678, he is said to have married 14 times with 11 generations of posterity before his death in 1930. Li Qing Yuen reportedly consumed goji berries daily.

A study cited in Dr. Mindell’s book ‘Goji: The Himalayan Health Secret’, observed that 67 per cent of elderly people that were given a daily dose of the berries for 3 weeks experienced dramatic immune system enhancement and a significant improvement in spirit and optimism.

2) Aloe Vera

Foget botox, Aloe vera increases collagen production 100% naturally for a youthful, wrinkle-free complexion and plump, beautiful skin. The ultimate botox alternative!

The inner gel of the aloe vera leaf contains around 200 active compounds with over 75 nutrients. These include 20 minerals, 18 amino acids and 12 vitamins (even vitamin B12 – one of the very few plant sources of this vitamin). Aloe vera also has anti-microbial properties fighting fungi and bacteria and houses anti-inflammatory plant steroids and enzymes. Aloe vera is known to aid digestion and elimination, boost the immune system, and be highly effective at healing, moisturizing and rejuvianting the skin, naturally stimulating the production of collagen.

Aloe vera is best eaten fresh when possible (you can order large aloe vera leaves which last a few weeks refridgerated). Scrape out the inside gel, avoiding the outside of the leaf which is a strong laxative, and blend with fruit for the ultimate beautifying smoothie. Aloe vera has a mild flavour though a slight bitter edge, hence is best combined with fruit.

3) Avocados

Avocados are smoothing and softening for the skin and easily absorbed; compared with almond, corn, olive, and soybean oils, avocado oil has the highest skin penetration rate.

Avocado also contains vitamin E (excellent for the skin), antioxidant carotenoids and the master antioxidant glutathione that is exceptionally powerful and has anti-carcinogenic potential. High levels of glutathione are found in the liver where the elimination of toxic materials takes place.

Glutathione is effective against pollutants such as cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes as well as ultra-violet radiation. Research is currently exploring the potential benefits of glutathione for numerous conditions including cancer, heart disease, memory loss, arthritis, Parkinson's disease, eczema, liver disorders, heavy metal poisoning and AIDS.

4) Chlorella

The nucleic acids RNA and DNA in Chlorella (one of the highest known sources of such) direct cellular growth and repair and enable our bodies to utilize nutrients more effectively, eliminate toxins and avoid disease. The production of nucleic acids in the body declines progressively as we age, which is no doubt why their intake is recommended by Dr. Benjamin Frank in ‘The No-Aging Diet’. Paul Pitchford in ‘Healing With Whole Foods’ writes that ‘insufficient nucleic acid causes premature aging as well as weakened immunity’, Research at the Medical College of Kanazawa in Japan found that mice that were fed chlorella had a 30 per cent increase in life span. Replenishing RNA and DNA can be key to overall health, immunity and longevity.

In addition to nucleic acids, chlorella is jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes and amino acids, making it an incredibly rejuvinating and health-promoting superfood. Spirulina is a virtuous equivalent.

5) Bee pollen

When it comes to young and beautiful skin, bee pollen has outstanding gifts. Swedish dermatologist Dr. Lars-Erik Essen uses bee pollen to successfully treat acne and other skin conditions and observes it’s beautifying and anti-aging effects. He reports that bee pollen ‘seems to prevent premature aging of the cells and stimulates growth of new skin tissue. It offers effective protection against dehydration and injects new life into dry cells. It smoothes away wrinkles and stimulates a life-giving blood supply to all skin cells.’ He believes it’s skin rejuvintoin properties are due to its high concentration of nucleic acids RNA and DNA, as well as its natural antibiotic action. Bee pollen has a host of other health-promoting benefits that include fighting infections, lowering cholesterol, strengthening the blood, Boosting the immune system, increasing physical strength and stamina, aiding longevity and enhancing libido! It has been called a 'prefect food' because it is so nutritionally complete.

6) Coconut oil

Coconut oil speeds up your metabolism and can actually help you loose weight. It is also incredibly beautifying and moisturizing for the skin and has antioxidant properties which protect against free-radical damage, keeping the skin youthful and healthy. Taken internally or externally coconut oil is a great ally for any beauty skin care regime. It also contains lauric acid, an anti-microbial fatty acid that kills bacteria, viruses and fungi.
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Hole in One : Marie's Donuts

Who says Sacramento has no late night eats? Got the post-bar crawl munchies? Suffering from a bout of insomnia? Or just looking to top off an awesome date? Head to Marie's Donuts. Yes, yes the Marie's on Freeport Blvd...that's the one! Mosey on over there and grab a bag of warm, straight-from-the-oven donut holes at 1am when they open. Nosh on those and you're sure to have sweet dreams.


"Donuts is there anything they can't do?" - Matt Groening
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Event Highlights:Kenya Airways to hold AGM on 24 September

Kenya Airways will hold this year's AGM on 24 September for the financial year ended 31 March 2010
Amongst the highlights of this year's AGM include:

  • The airline carried 2.92million passengers compared to 2.82million  in the previous year
  • Capacity increased by 6.7% as a result of new destinations
  • Increase in earnings per share of 149% over the prior year
  • The airline will appoint PriceWaterHouse Coopers as auditors of the company in place of Deloitte and Touche who retire from office at the conclusion of AGM 
Read Kenya Airways Annual Reports 2010
"Kenya Airways remains focused on its strategic plan of launching new destinations and efficiently expanding city pair connections with particular emphasis on Africa."CEO Titus Naikuni
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Lions on the Move:Brighter Prospects for African Aviation as Airlines start lining up for Africa take-off

The football World Cup is over, the vuvuzelas have been consigned to the dustbin and fans have turned their attention from Africa to Brazil, host of the 2014 contest. But for one group at least, the continent remains in sharp focus: international airlines.

According to the International Air Transport Association, airlines increased the amount of flying capacity to and from Africa by 8.6 per cent over the year to the end of June compared to 2009, more than any other region except for the Middle East.

Over the next three years IATA forecasts that the number of passengers travelling to and from Africa will rise at a compound annual rate of 6.5 per cent, making it one of the fastest growing regions in the world.
While US and European airlines have been cautiously adding capacity to Africa for years, the drive has picked up in intensity in recent months, leading industry executives to talk of a new "scramble for Africa" as airlines position themselves for the future.

Executives point to high growth levels that suggest an increasing need, and ability to pay, for travel by air. Africa's real gross domestic product was $1,600bn in 2008, having grown 4.9 per cent per year since 2000 - more than twice as fast as in the 1980s and 1990s.

Much of that can be put down to Africa's large mineral reserves - which have become a focus of fast-growing Asian economies. Traffic between Asia-Pacific and Africa is forecast to grow at 9 per cent per year over the next decade according to some estimates.

US and European airlines are also boosting their connections to resource-rich regions. In June, Delta Air Lines started a service between Atlanta and Accra and aims to add services to Liberia, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Kenya in the near future.

Lufthansa , Europe's biggest airline group and a key provider to Africa, has ramped up its connections, adding two new services in west and central Africa and expanding several more since 2008. The group now has 222 flights a week to 33 destinations in Africa.

A recent report by McKinsey Global Institute, entitled Lions On The Move, suggests that the economic foundations of Africa's recent success are broader and therefore will have more "staying power".
Natural resources accounted directly for only a quarter of Africa's GDP growth over the decade while "the rest came from other sectors, including wholesale and retail, trade and transportation, telecoms and manufacturing".

Indeed, Airbus , the European aircraft maker, predicts the recent aviation ramp-up will be sustained. Over the next 20 years the amount of filled capacity on flights between Africa and other parts of the world will grow at 5.6 per cent each year, albeit from a low base.

"There is a lot of money in Africa right now," says Glen Hauenstein, head of network planning at Delta Air Lines, the world's largest airline by revenues. "GDP is small in absolute terms but it is rapidly expanding as political stability spreads."

In this newly competitive environment, US airlines are playing catch-up. While European carriers have offered direct services for decades, non-stop flights from North America to Africa have traditionally been limited, and slumped after the industry recession following the September 2001 terrorist attacks.

Mr Hauenstein says Delta began experimenting with flights to Africa in 2006 with a connection between its hub in Atlanta, Georgia, and the tourist destination of Johannesburg in South Africa, via Dakar, Senegal.
The success of that route has led Delta to try others, with an emphasis on west and sub-Saharan Africa where avoiding European connections can save US travellers time.

Part of the problem was aircraft technology, says Greg Hart, vice-president of network strategy at Continental .

Until the Boeing  777 was developed in the mid-1990s, many destinations in Africa were too far from the US for direct connections, and even then the 777 was too big to make some routes profitable. With the arrival of Boeing's much delayed 787, due around the turn of the year, Mr Hart says that many airlines will for the first time have the right aircraft for the job. Continental plans to connect the energy capitals of Houston and Lagos with a service starting in November 2011. Still, considerable obstacles must be overcome.

According to a 2009 World Bank report on Africa's aviation infrastructure, while the continent is fairly well served by airports, lack of taxi-ways and terminal facilities and "inadequate" air traffic control systems are limiting capacity growth.

Safety is another concern. Last year, Africa had the worst record of any region, according to IATA statistics. While most problems relate to aircraft operated by local airlines, several reports have blamed Africa's weak regulatory oversight, which raises wider issues.

In response, airlines have worked closely with government authorities and spent time and money to upgrade local infrastructure for their new services. Continental will help to upgrade the electrical facilities in Lagos airport to receive the Boeing 787.

In spite of those hurdles the airlines remain confident that the efforts will pay off. "The 787 is going to be the pride of our fleet and we are going to put it into Africa. That speaks volumes of our level of interest," says Continental's Mr Hart.
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Mangosteen Juice Benefits


A coworker of mine at work brought in a mangosteen supplement drink and she was selling it for $30 (her price) for a 25 fl oz bottle. She also gave me information and these 22 reasons why everyone should be drinking mangosteen juice:

1. prevents hardening of the arteries

2. protects the heart muscle

3. anti-Parkinson, anti-Alzheimer and other forms of dementia

4. anti-depressant

5. prevents and arrest fungus

6. prevents bacterial infections

7. viral fighters and prevention of infections

8. prevents fum disease

9. anti-diarrheal

10. lowers fevers

11. eye care-prevents glaucoma and cataracts

12. pansystemic - a synergistic effect on the whole body

13. energy boosters - anti-fatique

14. anti-aging

15. weight loss (wooo, I'll drink to this!)

16. lowers blood fat (what the heck, I didn't know there is fat in our blood!)

17. anti-tumor benefits

18. cancer: Mangosteen helps in the prevention of cancer with its powerful anti-oxidants.

19. lowers blood pressure

20. numerous references to "Immunostimulants"

21. blood sugar lowering

22. it tastes good

I thought to myself, holy smokes! Who in the world would buy that? What is mangosteen? I have never heard of it or have the slightest idea what it looks like.

Upon further research, the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a tropical evergreen tree, believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas. The tree grows from 7 to 25 meters tall. The edible fruit is deep reddish purple when ripe. In Asia, the mangosteen fruit is known as the "Queen of Fruits," while the durian (Durio spp.) is known as the "King of Fruits." It is closely related to other edible tropical fruits such as button mangosteen and lemondrop mangosteen.

The outer shell of the fruit is rather hard, typically 4-6 cm in diameter. Cutting through the shell, one finds a white, fleshy fruit 3-5 cm in diameter. Depending on the size and ripeness, there may or may not be pits in the segments of the fruit. The number of fruit pods is directly related to the number of petals on the bottom of the shell. On average a mangosteen has 5 fruits (round up figure).

I have eaten a lot of exotic fruits in my life, including the King Of Fruits - durian, but I have never seen or tasted this Queen of Fruits. I bought the $30 bottle from my coworker and chucked down the mangosteen juice. I do feel more energetic for the rest of day, and I will have to let you know in the near future if it will help lose some weight!
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Pan Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes & Toasted Almonds

(served here with baby bok choy and rice pilaf)

While lazily perusing the Sunday farmers' market recently, I stumbled upon some fresh champagne grapes. Did I need to buy any champagne grapes? No. Did I end up buying some champagne grapes? Of course, they're adorable!

Champagne grapes (also called Black Corinth grapes) have nothing to do with making champagne whatsoever. They are, however, miniature (the size of salmon roe), juicy and intensely sweet. I've heard them described as Nature's Pop Rocks ( maybe that description is going a bit too far but you get the point---they're bursting with deliciousness!). Usually they're dried and made into currants or used for decorative purposes; but you can simply rinse and eat them as well. Anyhow, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with with my wee grapes but then I stumbled across a recipe that sounded like a must make--Bon Appétit's Pan Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes and Toasted Almonds. So tonight for dinner, I tried it out. Not only was it a HUGE hit with Mr. S. but one of his kidlets bravely decided to try a small serving and declared it "REALLY good." Pretty high praise from an 11-year old! The dish comes across as very "gourmet'" when you serve it up, but in actuality it's quite easy to make. Give it a go!

Pan Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes & Toasted Almonds (recipe from Bon Appétit)

Ingredients

• 16 large sea scallops

• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 1.5 Tablespoons minced shallots

• 2/3 cup Champagne grapes (4 ounces) or black grapes, halved

• 1.5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted

• 1.5 Tablespoons chopped parsley

• Salt and pepper


Instructions

• Melt 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the butter until it is browned, about 2 minutes.

• Salt and pepper scallops before adding them to the pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side and transfer to a dish, covering to keep warm.

• Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and grapes; sauce until the shallots are golden brown, about one minute.

• Stir in fresh lemon juice and any accumulated scallop juice from the plate of cooked scallops. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in almonds and parsley.

• Place scallops on individual plates and spoon the sauce over them. Serve immediately.
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Including More Greens In The Family's Diet


We all know by now that we should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they? Sometimes it is just not easy to get them all in there. We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food. If your family is anything like mine, they’d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. So we’ll have to get creative. Here are a few ideas to “sneak” some extra vegetables and fruits in your family’s diet.

1. Start the day with a breakfast smoothie. All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice in a blender. You may also want to add a scoop of protein powder in there for good measure. Just blend for a few seconds and you have the perfect breakfast ready to go. I like to sip mine in a thermal cup on the way to work. To make it even more appealing for your kids, use some frozen yogurt or a scoop of ice cream in the smoothie. They won’t believe that you are letting them have ice cream for breakfast.

2. Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day. Add some small cartons of raisins to your child’s lunch box, pack some yogurt-covered raisins in your husband’s briefcase and keep some trail mix sitting around for snacking. You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning. My family loves banana chips in their breakfast cereal.

3. Add some fruits and vegetables to your family’s sandwiches. You can add some banana, sliced apples or strawberry slices to a peanut butter sandwich. Top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and anything else they will eat. You can even make a sub shop style vegetable sandwich by combining several different vegetables with some mayonnaise and cheese on bread.

4. Have a salad bar at dinner. Set out a variety of chopped vegetables, some cheese and croutons as well as several choices of salad dressing along with the lettuce and let everybody create their own perfect salad.

5. Let them drink their fruits and vegetables. Keep an assortment of fruit and vegetable juices in the fridge and encourage everyone to drink them as a snack. Get creative. You could start “family cocktail hour” by pouring everybody a glass of his or her favorite juice over ice. Add some straws, cocktail umbrellas and sit together to talk about how everybody’s day went.

6. Try this for dessert. Put a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt in a bowl and top it with lots of fresh or frozen fruit.

7. Offer fruits and vegetables as snacks. You can cut apples into slices and top them with peanut butter or cheese. Cube cheese and serve with grapes. Cut up some fresh veggies and serve them with ranch dip. And of course there’s ants on a log. Spread some cream cheese or peanut butter on the inside of a stick of celery and sprinkle raisins on it (wow, fruit and vegetable in one snack).

8. Try some new fruits and vegetables. Pick something exotic to get your family’s curiosity. With a little luck their curiosity will outweigh their initial apprehension to trying something new. You could try artichokes, plantains, papaya, mango, star fruit, or anything else you can find in the produce department of your local store.

9. Make a pot of vegetable soup or a stew that’s heavy on veggies and easy on the meat. Both of these make some great comfort food when the weather gets cold.

10. Start “My Veggie Day”. Each family member gets to pick a vegetable one day of the week. They qualify to pick a vegetable as long as they tried each vegetable the week before, otherwise they loose a turn and Mom gets to pick.

Incorporate a few of these ideas and you will have everyone in your family eating more fruits and vegetables in no time.

Here is another tip:

Now that everyone in the family has gotten a taste for it, make sure you always have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies available and ready to snack on.
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Depression and Fish Oil

Depression can greatly affect our lives. Much research has been done on depression, a state in which a person expresses a low mood and aversion to activity. Depression usually impair their social and occupational experiences. The symptoms of depression are varied, they represent feelings of hopelessness, difficulty in concentration , lack of control over negative thought, lost of appetite, irritability, and difficulty in sleeping.

Much research has been done in treating depression. Several studies found that persons suffering from depression had a deficiency in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and depleted levels of plasma and cell membrane omega-3 EFA's and DHA. This deficiency could trigger fluctuations of serotonin in the brain.

There also seems to show a relationship between fish consumption and depression. Symptoms of depression were generally higher among persons who infrequently consumed fish. Fish is one of the main sources of omega-3; both EFA and DHA are found in fish oil. DHA is necessary to ensure optimum brain cell function. Possibly the reason fish is termed as "brain food"

In a study, clinically depressed individuals were given a daily dose of 1,2, or 4 grams of EPA in addition to their normal therapy. The results showed that a dose of 1 g was sufficient to produce the biggest response.





Courtesy: ww.tinypic.com


The increase in omega-3 fatty acids helped individuals suffering from depression to regain their balance of fatty acids and see dramatic improvement in major neurotransmitters in the brain and improvement in their mood. More research also shows that the EPA and DHA also help relieve depression in a number of related disorders such as dementia, ADHD, Alzheimer's disease, and dyslexia. Also, individuals who were chronically angry, showed a similar deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids.

An increase in omega-3 fatty acids can help many people along these various spectrum regain their balance of fatty acids and see dramatic improvement in major neurotransmitters in the brain and improvement in their mood. Many people will continue to attest to the positive effects of taking fish oil in their life.



Did you know?
Low content of DHA in a mother's breast milk shows a greater likelihood of the mother developing postpartum depression.

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Cardioprotection from Fish Oil

Studies show that the omega-3 fish oil supplements have a positive cardiovascular effects. Omega-3 in fish oil offers for patients with high risk of heart disease an opportunity to manage their illness and reduce possible cardiovascular outcomes of myocardial infarction.

Other studies shows the omega-3 fish oil supplementation with 1 gm fish oil omega-3 fatty acid also help patients reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Some notable benefits of fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids are: protection against pathologic ventricular arrhythmias, improvement in heart rate variability, stabilization of a healthy cholesterol, and decrease platelet aggregation.


Courtesy: www.tinypic.com


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Farmed Raised Fish Safer?

In August of 2001, the Popular Science journal carried an article claiming that farmed raised fish was safer (p.34). This is certainly a controversial topic that seems to be quite heated, especially as we see the growing number of studies done that support the benefits that occur from including omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. What is safer about these industrialised aquacultures?

First, research found that fish raised at southern aquaculture farms carry much lower levels of many pollutants, PCB s, pesticides, heavy metals, mercury, lead, arsenic,and cadmium, than fish caught in the wild. Researchers discovered that mercury levels were 40 to 100 times lower than federal safety standards.

The researchers hypothesize that farm raised fish do not graze on the polluted river bottoms, but rather raised in ponds filled from ground water. But, what about the the growth hormones and genetically modified foods the fish are fed? There is no such answer to these questions in the article.

Farm-raising , specifically of salmon, began in the 1960s in Norway. They were fed pellets to speed their growth twice times faster than those in the wild and pesticides was used in the water to kill lice. Today, this business exceeds $2 billion dollars and over 700,000 fishes are harvested annually.

Farm raising has brought the benefit of decreasing the pressure placed on fishing in the wild, and offers employment in depressed areas.

It does get confusing for the consumer. But, this assertion, do raise some very good ideas and at the same time cautions us as to the type of responsibility we are giving ourselves. Should we opt to raise all our fish food in this way?

For one, many farms are overcrowded and disease filled. Farmed fish may have high doses of antibiotics, colorants, and other artificial chemicals that make them a threat to the environment. Farms also pollute nearby ponds and oceans. Farm fish foul the sea and spread sea lice. This in turn affects wild fishing and creates more danger for wild fish.

But should all farms be given a bad name when there are aqua farms that follow "best practices"? These are the ones we should support, right?

They help make available fish to the general public, especially, salmon, all year round. But the cost of cleaning up the environment is not entirely borne by these large corporations. So they can glut the market with cheaper fish which in turn can be devastating for the small fishermen.
Is it not cheaper and more convenient to become more responsible, control pollution and allow nature to do what it can do, obviously far better than us? i.e Raise fresh naturally grown pesticide free, lice free, antibiotic free ....free fish



Here are some facts you should know:

1. Nearly half of the Fresh salmon in the world are farmed-raised by a few giant multinational aquaculture corporations.

2. Farmed fish are fed antibiotics that enter the environment either through fish faeces or uneaten food. These antibiotic resistant, pathogenic bacteria are transferred to humans, posing a risk to human health.

3. The type of fishes highest in Mercury are: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, tuna, oysters, pike, walleys, white croker, and large mouth bass.
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    Omega-3 Fatty Acids

    The omega-3 fatty acids are part of a group of essential polysaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which comprise of docosahexanoic acid (DHA), eicosapentanoic acid (EPA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). This infographic share more details about this essential polysaturated oil, omega-3 fatty acid.

    Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids have extraordinary benefits; they are excellent in treating bipolar disorder, depression, postpartum depression, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, stress, schizophrenia, and autism. Omega-3 oils are need for normal nervous system function and seems to be able to regulate mood, attention, memory, and pyschosis. These studies and more show that omega-3 are vital for our brain and body health.
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