Inspiration For Life » Healthy Recipes

Do You Have an Aunt Edna in Your Family?

Dominique — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:45:08 +0000

Every family has an Aunt Edna. She’s the one who’s always cranky and never has anything nice to say. She’s the one who always points out those ten pounds you gained at Christmas and lets you know how your sweet potato casserole could have been better.

Aunt Edna is the one who is difficult to get along with. Yet, she’s always there at Christmas so you can’t really avoid her. This year, find some good things about Aunt Edna.

· Ask about her year. Connect with your Aunt Edna by asking how her year was. Sure, she’ll probably still give you a cranky quick response at first, but if you wait a little bit longer, she just might open up and share a part of herself with you.

· Beg for her special recipe. What Aunt Edna doesn’t like to share her most prized recipes? Show special attention to the dish she brought for Christmas dinner, then ask if you can have a copy of her recipe. Even better, ask what the special ingredient is.

· Volunteer to do something nice for her. One of the reasons why your Aunt Edna is probably so grumpy all the time is that nobody wants to be around her. So she ends up having to do all her dirty work with no help. Offer to rake her yard or shovel the walk.

· Buy her something special. This year instead of passing Aunt Edna over, spend extra time picking out a special gift, just for her. She won’t see it coming, and she just might be so flabbergasted that she won’t be hateful to you anymore.

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Awesome Banana Muffin Recipe

Dominique — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:09:36 +0000

Just tried a new banana muffin recipe from CatCanCook.com and they turned out perfect. I used mostly whole wheat flour, four bananas and a handful of walnuts and the kids loved them. They took them to school for their snack time. The recipe says that they freeze well. I’m looking forward to trying the recipe again and putting in some pecans and chocolate chips.

I love easy recipes that turn out perfect every time! The preparation and clean up time was quick. Visit the site and get a great recipe.

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Great Pantry Recipe

Dominique — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:41:46 +0000

I love to watch Food Network on Saturday and Sunday mornings to get new ideas for healthy meals. You can get a lot of great ideas that can be made into healthy meals just as they are and some may need a bit of tweaking. This weekend I was watching Guy’s Big Bite and saw him make a great 4-Bean Relish. It’s main ingredients were canned beans, vinegar, honey, onions, and red bell peppers. I decided to make it and I thought it was good. The kiddos didn’t like the olive oil in it, but I would make it again. I’m sure it would taste great with dried beans also.

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Ways To Stir Fry Veggies

Dominique — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:42:30 +0000

I’m always looking for ways to get more vegetables into my family’s diet. One quick and easy way is to prepare them stir fried in a bit of olive oil. This is a different way to cook them and the kids just may like it. Try the following recipe or make up your own stir fry recipe to get your family to eat more healthy veggies.

Ways To Stir Fry Veggies
By Christine Steendahl

One of the most exciting dishes that you can prepare on a regular basis for your family is stir fry vegetable dishes. One of the reasons that stir fry veggie dishes are exciting is that they are generally very colorful due to the variety of vegetables included. Stir fry veggie dishes are a great alternative to add healthy vegetables to any meal.

Stir fry veggie dishes are generally prepared on either a large skillet, frying pan or wok. Oil is used for cooking and the best option is either olive oil for a lighter taste or peanut oil for a fuller oriental style taste you might want to create. For those that are monitoring their caloric consumption and looking for a low calorie, but very delicious meal, use one of the spray oil products such as “PAM” and your stir fry vegetable dishes will not only cook well, but still be very low in calories.

For those that would like to cook strictly stir fry veggie dishes that are oriental in nature, purchase a wok. A wok is relatively budget friendly and is ideal for stir fry dishes due to the fact that the wok can get very hot, generally much hotter than even a pan.

Oriental Stir Fry

Oriental stir fry vegetable dishes are extremely easy to make and can be prepared and cooked in less than 20 minutes.

-1 onion

-1 red pepper

-1 large can of Chinese vegetables (usually includes water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and baby corn).

-Soy sauce to taste (try low sodium soy sauce for those trying to reduce their salt intake).

-Olive oil

Once you cut the vegetables up, heat up the wok and then add a little oil, now add your contents into the wok and stir them around. A wooden spoon or other utensil is helpful. It is important to keep the food moving around because the wok can be very hot and burn items that stay stationary for long periods of time. This recipe makes about 2 servings.

Super Easy Stir Fry (about 15 minutes to prepare and cook)

If you are in a rush and would like to make a meal for your family that not only tastes good, but is very delicious, you can buy pre packaged stir fry mixes.

-1 stir fry mix package. These mixes are complete with everything you need. Often times they include vegetables such as green beans, water chestnuts, rice, baby corn, bamboo shoots, peppers, etc. Some might even include chicken, beef or pork.

-A few tablespoons of olive oil

Just lightly oil your wok or pan, heat on a medium temperature and stir away for 10 to 15 minutes. Follow the serving suggestions for your stir fry mix package.

Stir Fry Veggie Variations

Besides the above stir fry recipes, you can easily add fish, shrimp or tofu to your stir fry. Another great idea is to add your stir fry to Thai style noodles which can include a spicy sauce.

For additional great recipes from Christine Steendahl, “The Menu Mom”, log onto http://www.themenumom.com and for another delicious stir-fry recipe log onto http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/stir-fry-vegetable-recipe.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Steendahl
http://EzineArticles.com/?Ways-To-Stir-Fry-Veggies&id=725085

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Great Breakfast & Snack

Dominique — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:55:04 +0000

Here is a great video on making whole grain blueberry chocolate chip waffles and chocolate chip muffins. Kids love waffles and this is a great way to make them without resorting to the frozen waffles in the store with all the preservatives. You can add in blueberries or walnuts and top with maple syrup or honey and you have a quick and healthy breakfast or snack.

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Egg Scramble

Dominique — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:50:33 +0000

Eggs are a great item to have for breakfast because they are so versatile. I like to eat boiled eggs, toast and a smoothie for a quick energizing meal. When you want to do a little more with eggs a scramble is great. A scramble allows you to add in any ingredients you like to eat. Try cheese, olives, spinach, kale, zucchini or bacon. Dani has a great video for a spinach scramble. Enjoy!

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Brown Rice Breakfast

Dominique — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 19:03:15 +0000

Bethenny Frankel has a great video on how to prepare “Brown Rice Breakfast”. It reminds me of rice pudding, but a bit healthier. Whole grain rice can be hard to cook because it takes longer to cook than white rice. I cook mine in the rice cooker and it comes out nice and soft. Alton Brown, on Food Network, has a great recipe for cooking brown rice in the oven. That version takes about an hour and also comes out nice and soft.

Try this recipe for a great snack or a healthy breakfast. It would be a nice alternative to oatmeal if your family is tired of eating it. Have it along with some fruit and this would be a quick and healthy breakfast.

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Recipes — Healthy Snacks

Dominique — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:42:54 +0000

This article has some great ideas for healthy snacks. Smoothies are a favorite in my family. We love them with bananas, nuts, fruit and orange juice. They are a great way to start the day off right.

Recipes — Healthy Snacks
By Vicki Churchill

In today’s hectic life style it probably feels like there is no time for healthy eating, or you simply can not find recipes that are both healthy and quick to make. As a result it is tempting to reach for the quick and easy snacks such as potato chips or candy.

Do you ever run out of healthy recipes for snacks, or find them to time consuming?

Snacking is a major part of our lives, especially when it comes to kids. This article looks at why healthy snacks are important for all the family and will provide you with some straightforward and interesting recipes.

Foods with natural colours are on the whole good for you, like red apples, yellow bananas or orange carrots. Possibly the most important thing to remember is variety, a balanced diet will keep you healthy and fit as well as feeling good.

First of all I am going to give you some snacking tips.

Always make your snacks interesting

A rice cake is better than a packet of potato chips but is probably considered boring, so why not spread peanut butter and raisins on the top, or find some quick recipes for a salsa.

Prepare snacks in advance When you have some time chop up carrots, celery sticks, cucumber portions and other vegetables, place them in a sealed container in the fridge so as soon as you feel like snacking you can reach for the healthier option

Keep snacks with you To save yourself getting caught out needing a snack when you are out keep snacks with you in your bag. Again the easiest and quickest are fruit and vegetables.

Swap food When shopping always think of a healthier alternative to what you pick up. Instead of potato chips go for low fat crackers or rice cakes. If you want biscuits chose one that contains fruit alternatively make your own (see recipes to follow)

Buying packed or ready made food and snacks usually means it will be less healthy than making your own. I will now provide a few easy recipes to make that are both tasty and good for you

OAT BISCUITS Melt in Microwave – 1 dessert spoon golden syrup1 dessert spoon cold water4oz margarine Stir in 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda(It will become frothy)Now add – 1 cup oats1cup SR flour 3/4 cup sugar

Mix together dried and melted ingredients.Roll into balls the size of a teaspoon.Put onto a greased tray and squash balls. Cook 125 degrees 10 – 15 minutes, until light golden brown.

QUICK SMOOTHY RECIPE You will need

2 x bananas

1 tablespoon of honey

2 cups of milk

1 x tablespoon of yoghurt

Method Peel the bananas, break them up into pieces and place them in a large bowl

Take a fork and mash the banana so that it changes from lumpy to soft squidgy and creamy.

Add the honey and yoghurt, mix well with a fork until it’s all creamy

Place the milk into the bowl and whisk the mixture with your fork until everything is mixed and pour into glasses.

MUSTARD AND LEMON CHICKEN 4 skinless chicken breasts halved

1.5 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons of margarine

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

½ teaspoon of tarragon

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken in a shallow oven proof dish

In a saucepan, melt the margarine, add the mustard, lemon juice, and tarragon. Stir well and pour over chicken.

Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until cooked

There are simply heaps of quick, easy, fun and surprisingly nutritious recipes for all the family to enjoy.

Vicki Churchill is the owner of http://www.simplecookery.com, a site that specializes in Recipes and cooking tips to save you time in the kitchen.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vicki_Churchill
http://EzineArticles.com/?Recipes—-Healthy-Snacks&id=308646

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11 Healthy Snacks for Your Heart

Dominique — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 04:32:08 +0000

This article has some great snack ideas for when you are between meals and hungry. Eating snacks that are not healthy is something that we all need to change. I really like the snack about putting prunes in the brownies. Sneaky, but effective!

11 Healthy Snacks for Your Heart by MN Richards

Everybody likes a snack. And it’s not just that you’re hungry between meals and you need a bite to eat, but also because snacks can be a treat for yourself. Treats help make you feel better and raise your spirits. So here’s a list of snacks that can get your heart pumping, both literally and figuratively. They’re delicious alternatives to the traditional bag of chips or candy bar that are not part of a healthy diet. So instead of dropping by the drive-through or heading straight for the candy aisle, you can and load up on some heart-healthy snacks.

1. Vegetables Dipped in Hummus – Fresh vegetables are low in calories and have many antioxidants. Many of them have no fat whatsoever and instead give you plenty of fiber to make your stomach feel full. Hummus, made from chick peas, is a great alternative protein without saturated fat.

2. Fruit Skewered on a Stick with a Little Dark Chocolate for Dipping – Fruit has a variety of antioxidants to fight cancer and heart disease. Dark chocolate has a high concentration of flavinols, which is a type of antioxidant that helps fight heart disease, and is in fact recommended by doctors for this very purpose.

3. Half of a Cantaloupe Filled with Fat Free Cottage Cheese, a Dash of Cinnamon and Some Berries – The cantaloupe and berries are rich in antioxidants, and the fat-free cottage cheese counts as a serving of dairy, while avoiding the saturated fat.

4. Fat-free Yogurt with Fruit and a Sprinkle of Nuts – Here’s a chance of getting another serving of dairy that contains no saturated fat, but plenty of antioxidants from fruit and, on top of that, a bit of healthy, unsaturated fat from the nuts.

5. Smoothies with Silken Tofu and Berries plus a Dash of Grape Juice or Pomegranate Juice As most dieters know, tofu is an excellent alternative protein source without saturated fat. Berries, grape juice and pomegranate juice have a high concentration of antioxidants and are very good for you.

6. Homemade Soup – Start with a vegetable base in order to load up on antioxidants and fiber. Make sure you don’t buy something that’s rich in sodium because that’s something you definitely don’t want for your heart. Add a bag of frozen vegetables and mix in a couple of cups of beans. Canned beans are rich in sodium, so make sure to rinse them thoroughly before use. Season it with fresh herbs.

7. Pureed Prunes — Sneak Them into your Brownies – Pureed fruit is an excellent addition to chocolate brownies because it helps strengthen the taste of chocolate. Another good thing is that you’ve put in something that use less oil or less butter and you’ve also added antioxidants because of the pureed fruit. Also fruit has fiber to lower your cholesterol.

8. Silken Tofu or Soy Milk — Substitute for Regular Milk in Recipes – Using tofu or soy milk instead of regular milk is a good way of adding heart healthy protein, while at the same time cutting down on the heart-clogging calories of the other oils you might have used.

9. Applesauce or Apple Butter — Use in Place of Oil for Muffins – Apple butter is one of best ingredients you can add to moisture the mix and to give it that pleasant fruit flavor that won’t combat your other ingredients.

10. Nuts and Small Chunks of Fruit — Sprinkle on Top of Muffins – If you substitute applesauce for the oil, you’ll be making a muffin low in fat, chock-full of antioxidants from fruit, fiber from nuts, and heart-healthy protein from the nuts.

11. Meatloaf — Use Tofu and Chopped White Chicken Meat Instead of Red Meat – This combination is absolutely great. The result will feel and taste just like meatloaf, but without the downside of eating red meat.

Visit Proactol™ to read more on healthy weight loss and reducing your dietary fat intake.
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Kids and the Kitchen

Dominique — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:53:26 +0000

A great way to get kids to eat healthy is to let them cook with you in the kitchen. My kids love to be in the kitchen helping me. They love to mix, whisk and crack stuff! It is always a great (and messy) time whenever they are in the kitchen. This is a great video of a healthy sandwhich that is easy to make. The kids will love it. Enjoy!

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