From the category archives:

Breakfast and Brunch

Vegetarian Recipe: Raw Hummus Romaine Roll-Ups!

by Joi on March 1, 2010

The vegetarian recipe below is from the wonderful cookbook you see pictured above – The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Being Vegetarian. I’ve already reviewed this book on Get Cooking, so I’ll spare you the details about how much you need your own copy (which you do!). You can find my review linked below the recipe. I’m even more impressed with this cookbook now that I’ve re-read it and tried out more of the recipes. There are more than just recipes, of course, there is a wealth of information for everyone – whether you are…

A vegetarian who hasn’t touched meat in years.
A new vegetarian.
A semi-vegetarian.
A fish, and chicken-lover who is trying to eat more vegetables and more vegetarian meals.
Eating a burger right this minute and wish I’d shut-up about veggies.

No matter what category you’re in, you’ll love this book. Personally, I’m a 4… a very happy 4 who is about to eat a fish sandwich for lunch.

Vegetarian Recipe: Raw Hummus Romaine Roll-Ups

Serves 4 | Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Serving Size: 1 Roll-up
1 cup sprouted garbanzo beans (or steamed)
1/2 cup tahini
1 cup olive oil
2 TBS fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 TBS tamari
Salt
Pinch cayenne
Water
Large romaine lettuce leaves (washed, patted dry)
Feta cheese, crumbled
1 tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped

Place the garbanzo beans in a blender or a food processor. Add tahini, olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, tamari, salt, and cayenne, and blend until creamy.

Spread several tablespoons hummus onto 1 romaine leaf, and top with crumbled feta cheese, chopped tomato, and chopped cucumber. Roll and eat.

This makes an outstanding hummus – whether you bring the romaine lettuce to the party or not. I love this hummus served with raw vegetables and/or crackers.

From my own experience (this isn’t from the book), you can substitute creamy peanut butter for tahini and soy sauce for the tamari. Tahini can be pretty costly. It depends on the mood I’m in at the grocery store whether I buy it or just use peanut butter. I’m familiar with both and, honestly, can’t tell a discernible enough difference to recommend one over the other.

The wonderful recipe above is from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Being Vegetarian by Frankie Avalon Wolfe, M.H., Ph.D. You can read my review of the cookbook and see if you’d be interested in a copy of your own. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, this really is an outstanding book.

Burger King to Serve Seattle’s Best Brand Coffee Starting This Summer

by Joi on February 18, 2010

Wow, I didn’t see this one coming. As you know, I am the epitome of a coffee expert. My husband and our oldest daughter (Emily) are the same way. What can I say, we know our java. We always have a fresh pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen and we certainly know the spots around town with the best coffee when we need a quick fix away from home.

Emily and I are completely wild about Burger King’s coffee. For some reason, it is just always tastes outstanding. Apparently it’s about to get even more outstanding, if that’s possible. Starting this summer, new coffee will be served at Burger King’s nationwide.

Burger King will roll-out Starbucks Corp.’s Seattle’s Best Coffee to more than 7,000 of its restaurants in the United States. Burger King’s brand, BK Joe will be forced into retirement. Emily and I will miss it something fierce.

John Schaufelberger, senior vice president of Burger King’s global product marketing and innovation, told The Associated Press that coffee switcheroo is part of a continued effort to improve its breakfast business. He called Burger King’s morning menu one of their “top strategic priorities.”

Seattle Best Brand, which I love by the way, is one of coffee giants Starbuck’s babies. Starbuck’s acquired the Seattle’s Best brand in 2003. Seattle’s Best Brand is already served at 9,000 Subway franchises.

Thomas Jefferson’s Beloved Monticello Muffins

by Joi on February 14, 2010

According to Monticello.org, this muffin recipe was often used, and loved, by Thomas Jefferson and his family. This would be a wonderful recipe to make tomorrow morning – very fitting for President’s Day, wouldn’t you say?

If you’re a history buff like me, you’ll definitely want to click the link above and visit this very informative and beautiful site.

Recipe for Monticello Muffins

4 cups of flour
1- 1/2 packets of yeast
1 -1/2 cups water
cast iron griddle

Silver flatware Jefferson brought from France; photograph by Edward Owen Mix flour, yeast, and water. Dough will be very sticky. Coat your hands in flour before kneading the dough. While kneading, continue to add small amounts of flour to the dough until the stickiness disappears and the dough becomes more solid. You may find you add as much as 1/2 cup more flour during this process.

Put the dough in a large bowl, cover with a towel, and leave in a warm place overnight. The dough should more than double by morning. The underside of the dough may be a bit sticky — if so, knead it a bit more. Using your hands, shape the muffins into small golf-ball sized balls. Set the muffins aside, cover with a towel, and let rise for an hour.

Preheat ungreased griddle over medium heat. Add shaped muffins to griddle and cook for about five minutes on each side.

The muffins will look like biscuits on the outside and English muffins on the inside. Serve immediately. Makes two dozen small muffins.

On Monticello.org, you can even find the Jefferson Family’s Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe!

Recipe for Carrot Cake Muffins

by Joi on February 5, 2010

The recipe below is from recipe from New York Times Bestselling novelist and avid baker Mary Burton.

Just over a year ago, author Mary Burton was quoted in the Richmond Times-Dispatch talking about how her passions—writing and baking—both contribute to her creativity. The article shared a recipe along with Mary’s view that, for her, they are intertwined, most probably because she experiences each as requiring creativity as well as expertise.

So, when the going gets tough, Mary heads to the kitchen where the stress level immediately ratchets down a few notches and she finds herself busy working out dialogue and untangling plot lines before the oven has even preheated. As she told the Times-Dispatch, “…you can tell how the writing’s going by the number of cupcakes on the counter.”

I love that! I find a similar solace in my kitchen as well. In fact, I’m pretty sure there’d be a lot more empty therapist couches is more people took up cooking. What a stress reliever!

For the recently published novel DYING SCREAM, Mary Burton shared her gift with protagonist Adrianna Barrington. Figuring that when Adrianna wasn’t helping track down a serial killer she would welcome a chance to chill, Mary gave her a great kitchen along with a penchant for pastry and other baked delicacies.

And, as long as it’s coming up on St. Valentine’s Day and Adrianna is carrying a torch for Homicide Detective Gage Hudson, Mary also decided it was time for her have her own recipe for readers to bake and enjoy ― Adrianna’s Carrot Cake Love Muffins.

The rest of us get to benefit from her creativity, how cool is that? What’s say, as a thank you (we cooks are nothing if not gracious) to Mary Burton, we all buy her newest novel, Dying Scream? After all, we bakers have to stick together!

For more about Mary Burton and her novels visit www.maryburton.com.

To see last year’s Valentine’s Day recipe for Mary Burton’s Buns— CLICK HERE.

Finally, to see the Richmond Times-Dispatch article— CLICK HERE.

Adrianna’s Carrot Cake Love Muffins Recipe

3 cups of shredded carrots
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

To the shredded carrots add eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla. Mix well. Shift flour, salt, cinnamon, baking power and baking soda into carrot mixture. Gently mix and scoop into muffin cups. Makes about 12. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

(If possible, hand shred the carrots. It takes a bit longer to shred by hand but the carrots hold more moisture and this really enhances the texture of the muffins.)

Muffins can be dusted with powdered sugar or topped with a cream cheese icing. Both are delicious.

Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups of powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons of milk

Cream all together until fluffy. When the muffins have cooled ice with frosting.

New Wheaties Fuel Cereal For The Win

by Joi on January 16, 2010

Like I’ve said a couple of gazillion trillion times, I am slap addicted to having a bowl of cereal right before bedtime. Lately, I’ve been using vanilla rice milk or Vanilla Rice Dream in place of regular milk.

While I do buy my favorites again and again, I also like to mix things up by trying different cereals, especially brand new cereals – they really send me around the bend. While at the store recently, I threw a box into my cart so fast you’d think I was on Supermarket Sweeps. I was rounding the corner, pretty much minding my own business when I see the amazing Albert Pujols staring at me from a shelf. I noticed that he had buddies beside him but it wasn’t until Albert was in the cart (safely between 9 Lives Cat Food and a bag of baby spinach) that I bothered to see who his pals were: Kevin Garnett, Peyton Manning.

I wouldn’t expect Albert to run with anything except a classy crowd.

I am very pleased to announce that Wheaties Fuel is outstanding – absolutely delicious. The cereal is sweet enough for kids to love, but not too sweet. It’s very crunchy and crispy, with a wonderful nutty flavor. It’s the type of cereal that’s so fantastic, you could eat it right out of the box. Trust me, I have.

Try a box of Wheaties Fuel for yourself this week. We’re all trying to eat more foods that are good for us and less things that aren’t, and breakfast is an extremely important time to make healthy changes. Fast food breakfast sandwiches are known to be very unkind to your health and skipping breakfast is almost as bad. Make sure you and your family start the day off on a healthy (and delicious) foot. Wheaties Fuel tastes better than a cereal has a right to – and it’s healthy!

What’s more….. Albert Pujols is on the front of the box! Oh, sure you could buy one of the others. I mean, Peyton Manning and Kevin Garnett are pretty spectacular… but I’m pretty sure the boxes that feature #5 simply taste better. So there.

From Wheaties:

Just in time to jump start those fitness-related New Year’s resolutions, new Wheaties FUEL™ cereal – created with the help of Peyton Manning, triathlete Hunter Kemper, Kevin Garnett, gold medal-winning decathlete Bryan Clay, Albert Pujols and sports nutritionist Dr. John Ivy – is now available in retail stores across the country. Wheaties FUEL is a lightly sweetened, crunchy whole wheat flake with crispy rice and a touch of cinnamon and honey and it represents the evolution of the iconic 85-year-old Breakfast of Champions. Wheaties FUEL is the first-ever cereal designed to help meet the nutritional needs of today’s athletes. The ready to eat cereal provides long-lasting energy from whole grain to help keep you going and 100% of the Daily Value of five B-vitamins to help the body release energy from food.

Continuing the tradition of honoring champions on the front of the Wheaties box, Wheaties FUEL features individual box covers of Garnett, Manning and Pujols. In addition, all five athletes are pictured on the back of the boxes along with Dr. Ivy. All three 17.1 oz boxes are now available nationwide.

“Developing the new evolution of Wheaties has been more than two years in the making, and we’re excited to finally bring FUEL to retail and into the hands of consumers,” said Dan Stangler, marketing manager for Wheaties. “Today’s athletes need a finely tuned diet to allow their bodies to be efficient and competitive, and with the help of our team of champion athletes, a world-renowned sports nutritionist and everyday athletes, we’ve created the first-ever cereal designed to help fuel wins.”

“I grew up eating the original Wheaties, and it was an honor to be one of the athletes hand-picked to create an update of the classic cereal,” said football champion and 3-time MVP Peyton Manning. “I hope Wheaties FUEL inspires the next generation of athletes and competitors.”

“It’s always a tremendous honor to grace the cover of a Wheaties box,” said basketball champion and 12-time all-star Kevin Garnett. “What makes this really special is that our insight was an integral part in the development process of this cereal from start to finish.”

“Helping to create the new Breakfast of Champions was a great experience,” said first baseman Albert Pujols, an 8-time all-star and 3-time MVP. “I think we’ve come up with a unique product that will really benefit all types of athletes. And it tastes great!”

Wheaties FUEL is designed to help fuel athletic performance for active individuals who need a high amount of carbohydrates in their diet to meet their energy needs of activity. Each serving includes 210 calories to kick-start your morning; at least 16 grams whole grain (at least 48 grams recommended daily) for long-lasting energy; 100 percent of the Daily Value of five B-vitamins to help your body release energy from food; 5 grams of fiber to help curb hunger and keep you feeling full; as well as calcium and vitamin D to help promote bone health. Men often do not get the recommended amounts of vitamins A, C and E, and at least 10% of the Daily Value of these three antioxidant vitamins are provided in every serving of Wheaties FUEL*. The sugar level is 14g in order to provide immediate energy to get the day going and replenish the body’s energy stores after an overnight fast.

First announced last July, Wheaties FUEL has previously been available for purchase online only, where collector’s edition boxes of the cinnamon honey crunch-flavored cereal have been sold since last September. Wheaties FUEL will not replace the original Wheaties. Together, the two products will make up the evolved and expanded Breakfast of Champions product portfolio.

Clay, Kemper, Garnett, Manning and Pujols were hands-on in the creation of new Wheaties FUEL, and a six-part web series that chronicles the development process is available for viewing at www.wheaties.com. Both informative and humorous, the series shows the creation from Dr. Ivy’s first meeting with the participating athletes to discussions about what it takes to become a champion. The webisodes serve as a fun behind-the-scenes guide, culminating with a trip to General Mills in Minneapolis.

Born out of a fortunate mistake in 1924, original Wheaties was created when a health clinician accidentally spilled a wheat bran mixture onto a hot stove. The result was tasty, crispy wheat flakes that became known as Washburn’s Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flakes. A year later, the cumbersome name was shortened to Wheaties. Baseball legend Lou Gehrig was the first athlete featured on a Wheaties Box, when he appeared on the back cover in 1934. In 1958, American champion pole-vaulter Bob Richards was the first person to appear on the front of the package, jumpstarting the phenomenon of “being on the Wheaties box,” which has since been graced by some of the greatest athletes of all time, including Bruce Jenner, Walter Payton, Mary Lou Retton, and many others. To view a complete timeline of Wheaties Champions, visit www.wheaties.com.

Cooking 101: How to Make Perfect Boiled Eggs

by Joi on December 11, 2009

How to Boil an Egg

It’s surprising how easy it is to boil an egg, yet how many people get it so wrong. Below are quick and easy instructions on how to make the perfect boiled egg every time.

Tools and ingredients you’ll need to make the perfect boiled egg:

A small to medium sized saucepan
An egg timer or stopwatch
One or more eggs
Water

How to make the perfect boiled egg:

First, run enough cold water in the saucepan to cover your eggs by at least one centimeter, or about a half inch. If your eggs are not fully covered by water, they’ll crack because of the difference in temperature between the part of the shell exposed to the air.

Place your eggs in the water, make sure they’re covered, and turn the heat up to medium high. Once your water starts to boil, turn your timer on – 3 minutes for soft boiled eggs and 6-7 minutes for hard boiled eggs, then turn your heat down to medium. Stir the eggs at least once half way through the boiling process to make sure they cook evenly.

Don’t cook your eggs too long. Boiling your eggs too long will result in a green ring forming around the yolk which is unsightly and makes the egg taste bitter. Generally, 6 minutes at a rapid boil is the limit to how long you want to boil an egg.

When the eggs are finished cooking, there are a number of different ways to serve them. You can simply serve them as-is in an egg cup with toast, or you can cook them a little firmer and use them to make egg salad sandwiches. A lot of people like to dice boiled eggs and add them to a nice garden salad. A few of my daughters, and my husband, love to approach eggs with a bottle of hot sauce in hand. Personally, all I ask for is my pepper shaker and I’m good.

However you decide to cook them, eggs make for a quick, easy and inexpensive way to add extra protein, nutrients and Omega 3 to any diet! Boiled eggs are especially nice because you dodge the frying as well as the butter.

Here’s a short video of another person’s technique for making boiled eggs (This woman is in no way associated with Get Cooking or me, for that matter… but she serves as an excellent video instructor!)

Eating Healthy: My Top 10 Tools of the Trade

by Joi on December 7, 2009

Vanilla Rice Dreams

In the quest to eat healthier and, even more importantly, to feed my family healthier foods and drinks, I have stumbled upon one blinding fact: If you don’t buy it, it won’t be eaten. This fact, of course has a twin: If you buy it, chances are good that it will be eaten.

Fancy that, potato chips left in Kroger stay in Kroger. Soft drinks unpurchased will be unopened.

Cool!

Naturally, some “healthy” foods and drinks fall flat and my husband and daughters let me know they have no desire to ever see it again. However, I’ve been delighted to find that 98 percent of the foods and drinks we’ve tried have become MUST HAVES in our house – and I never allow us to run out… or even low.

Below are my top 10 current healthy food/drink favorites. Some are new to me while I’ve been enjoying others for some time now.

Diet Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng. This is THE miracle worker drink – the drink that got me off of my diet soft drink obsession. I used to go through a 2 liter of Diet Dr. Pepper daily. I tried to switch to other drinks, but to no avail. I’d always go back to “the stuff.” Then I happened upon Diet Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng and have that was that. I think it’s outstanding.
Vanilla Rice Dream Refrigerated Non-Dairy Beverage. How’s that for a mouthful? I just call it the one way I get my calcium. Not only am I a little lactose-intolerant, I’m honestly not too fond of the taste of milk. I always wanted to up my calcium intake but didn’t know quite how to go about it… not with a smile on my taste buds, anyway. Fortunately, Vanilla Rice Dreams doesn’t just make my taste buds smile, it makes them sing, dance, and break out in giggly fits of joy. I love it on cereal as well as straight from the glass. As a matter of fact, I’m enjoying every sip of a glass right now – as I do every evening. It seems to make my sleep even sweeter. Rice Dream is also available in Original, which is also fantastic. Look for them both in the health food section of your favorite grocery store. I just noticed on their website that they have non-dairy frozen desserts. I haven’t, yet, had the pleasure.

Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Bars

Nutri-Grain Apple Cinnamon Bars. Perfectly delicious! I keep intending to try the other flavors, but this one is so remarkable that I can’t tear myself away.
Butterball Turkey Bacon. I’ll admit, my husband isn’t sold on this one, yet. However, my daughters (the two who aren’t vegetarians, that is) and I absolutely love Butterball’s turkey bacon. I’ve tried different brands and Butterball is definitely the best. Makes sense, right?
Stonyfield Farms Organic Yogurt. You can taste the quality and commitment to excellence in each bite. This stuff is creamy and dreamy.
Stonyfield Farms Cream Top. Use Stonyfield’s Cream Top in place of sour cream on bean burritos, potatoes, or anywhere else – no one will ever know the difference. Stonyfield products are often found in the health food section of your grocery store. Personally, I’ve never seen them grouped with the other yogurts.
Sargento’s Reduced Fat Cheeses. Each time I take a bite of one of Sargento’s reduced fat cheeses I think, “Nuh-huh. No way are you reduced.“ Then, I double-check the package, and return to my sandwich, panini, or folded cheese that creates its own little sandwich – sans bread. I’ve used the shredded reduced fat varieties in salads, scrambled eggs, on pasta, pizza, and so on. The slices? I’d challenge you to name one thing I haven’t slapped them on. The reduced fat Colby Jack is stupid good. They even offer string cheese that has been reduced in fat. (Although the taste will make you say, “Nuh-huh.“)
Quaker Oatmeal Squares. I’m huge on cereal – especially now that Rice Dreams has entered my life. For a great, eye-opening article on Choosing the Healthiest Breakfast Cereals, click the link. I had to smile when I saw some of my favorites on the list. Only problem is, where oh where are Coco Crispies?!
Truvia. Nature’s perfect sweetener, and as always – nature knows what it’s doing. If you’re wanting to pull yourself away from artificial sweeteners (and, come on, shouldn’t we all put as much distance between ourselves and artificial anything?) – give Truvia a try. I love it muchly.
Eggland’s Best Cage Free and Organic Eggs. As someone who loves making, serving, and eating breakfast food, I’m delighted with the taste and quality of these wonderful eggs. As someone who loves animals so much it makes her head spin, I’m overjoyed that they’re Cage-Free. From Eggland’s Best.com:Q. What does “cage free” mean?
A. The hens selected to lay Eggland’s Best Cage Free eggs are not kept in cages and are free to roam. The hens are provided with sunlight, shade, shelter, an exercise area, fresh air, and are protected from predators.

Q. What does Organic mean?
A. Eggland’s Best Organic brown eggs come from cage free hens that are fed a certified organic version of the patented, all-natural, all-vegetarian Eggland’s Best hen feed.

I hope you’ll start experimenting with healthier foods in your own home. I wholeheartedly recommend each of the above. I would like to give an extra little push for Cage-Free eggs. I promise you, once you start buying Eggland’s Best Organic and Cage-Free eggs, you won’t want any other eggs… ever.

Eggland's Best Organic Cage-Free Eggs

EDIT: I tried the Nutri-Grain Blueberry Cereal bar today. It’s every bit as delicious as the apple cinnamon variety! Truly, truly delicious. It tastes like a little blueberry pie without the scads of calories. Next up? Strawberry!

EDIT #2: The list has grown to a Favorite Top 11 Healthy Foods and Drinks List. Click the link to see the newest member!

Holiday Baking Begins with Carnation Evaporated Milk

by Joi on October 31, 2009

Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday Recipes

Thanksgiving and Christmas are on the doorstep – two of the most welcomed guests of the year. If I loved this time of year any more, I’d probably explode. From September to January, everywhere you look in our home (and yard), you see pumpkins, happy ghosts (I collect the smiling ones, not the grumps), scarecrows, bats, Pilgrims, Native Americans, turkeys, cranberries, snowmen, santas, angels, Christmas mice, Christmas trees, and or general hoopla.

The room, of course, with the most excitement, is the kitchen – It’s a non-stop party!

An ingredient that I can’t imagine anytime without, let alone the holidays, is Carnation evaporated milk. Not only does it add richness to every recipe it graces, it has a sentimental bond with me as well.

When my husband and I first started dating, I met his adorable mom (Frances) and stepfather (J.L.). They’ve moved on to Heaven now – I guess Heaven needed some extra cuteness. They were an older couple and he looked an awful lot like Abe Vigoda (“Fish” remember him?). When we first started going to their house, J.L. often had coffee made up (loved that about him). I normally put cool whip or whipping cream in my coffee – after all, I was 18-19 and probably didn’t even know what calories were. J.L. always put Carnation evaporated milk in his coffee. The first time he made me a cup, he asked if I wanted “creamer.” I said, “You bet!” To my horror, he reached in the fridge and pulled out a can of Carnation evaporated milk. My mind said, “Whoa, he’s lost it. That’s what my mom puts in Pumpkin pie!”

Never one to hurt someone’s feelings OR turn down a cup of coffee, I graciously accepted the alien cup of coffee. And not only drank every drop – went back for more WITH the evaporated milk.

I still, to this day, love Carnation Evaporated milk in my coffee. It reminds me of afternoons around the table with loved ones – and it tastes fantastic.

I also love evaporated milk in my recipes. Did you know that you can replace whole milk with evaporated milk in just about any recipe. I’ve never run into one that it didn’t work beautifully and richly.

Below is a fantastic recipe from Carnation Evaporated Milk. You have to try it as soon as possible… how about now?!

Carnation Evaporated Milk Recipe - Pear Oven Pancake

PEAR OVEN PANCAKE

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
3 large eggs
1 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 450º F.

POUR melted butter into 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or cake pan. Swirl to coat bottom and sides of plate.

COMBINE flour, 1/4 cup sugar and salt in medium bowl. Whisk evaporated milk and eggs in another medium bowl until blended. Add to flour mixture; whisk for 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pie plate. Arrange pear slices on top of batter in pinwheel design, pushing down slightly. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Sprinkle top with sugar mixture.

BAKE for 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.

TIP: For a harvest twist on this fabulous recipe, substitute sautéed apples for pears. YUM!

This recipe is from Carnation Evaporated Milk’s Holiday Recipe Guide, Full of Flavor. Click the link for your FREE copy. I love mine and have plans to make each recipe over the next 2 months.

Visit The Cooking Milk.com for more recipes as well as an awesome Virtual Kitchen with a friendly and lovely guide filled with great ideas and information.

TIP: Use Carnation Evaporated Milk the next time you make Hot Chocolate. I’d be willing to bet it’s a “secret” ingredient at a lot of coffee houses. It makes it richer and creamier somehow. Don’t forget the marshmallows!

Something Smells Fishy and It’s Breakfast

by Joi on October 23, 2009

Japanese Style Breakfast, Tokyo, Kanto, Japan

Japanese Style Breakfast, Tokyo, Photographic Print
Buy at AllPosters.com

I subscribe to quite a few Health and Fitness newsletters. One of my favorite is Doctor’s House Call by Al Sears, M.D. – In fact, if I had to whittle down my e-mail newsletters and only keep one, his would probably be the one.

This morning’s edition was about breakfast food and the importance of eating a healthy breakfast. His suggestions seemed a little unusual at first, but the more I think about them… the more I climb right up on board!

At the time of writing this particular newsletter, Dr. Sears was eating breakfast: Salmon. I can’t say that I have ever eaten fish for breakfast!

From this issue of Doctor’s House Call:

When the low-fat craze started decades ago, many turned their backs on the breakfast foods enjoyed fifty or sixty years ago. In their place, bread and cereal products took center stage.
Today, millions of people will reach for doughnuts, muffins, bagels, croissants and hundreds of different cereals during their morning routine. The big food makers even claim their cereals are “heart healthy.” That’s good for a laugh.

High-carb breakfasts do the opposite of what a good breakfast is supposed to do.

Instead of feeling alert and energetic, today’s breakfasts make you fat, slow and tired.

Bagels and doughnuts are fun in the morning, but after the initial buzz, your blood sugar will sharply drop. This will leave you feeling tired and sluggish. You’ll also have trouble concentrating. And if you’re busy at the office, that’s bad news.

Don’t forget that spikes in blood sugar trigger a flood of insulin. Do that all the time and you’re on the fast track to obesity and chronic disease.

For breakfast, protein is king. It’s my favorite meal of the day. I try and change it up to keep it interesting, but meat or fish is always the centerpiece of my morning meal.

As strange as it may sound to you, fish is a great breakfast food. The Japanese eat fish and vegetables first thing every morning. They have for over fifteen-hundred years.

To go with the meat or fish, I scramble some eggs and add a leafy vegetable – usually spinach. That way, I get a well-rounded meal; complete with lots of protein, essential nutrients and antioxidants.

All of a sudden, baked fish and scrambled eggs with spinach and tomatoes sound delicious. I’m sure I’d toss in a little of my beloved Sargento cheese and chives. Shrimp would also be fantastic in an omelet or scrambled eggs.

Now the good doctor has me craving fish and eggs. I hope my husband’s ready for some fishy breakfasts!

Organic Yogurts That You and Your Family Will Eat Like Ice Cream

by Joi on September 25, 2009

Stonyfield Farm Yogurt

I’ve been trying to feed my family healthier foods for a couple of years now. When they’re on Fast Food Alley without me, I know full-well that they give in to temptation in the form of burgers, fries, and shakes – so there’s only so much I can do. BUT, at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that when they’re at home, they’re surrounded by good food alternatives. Sure, I frequently make desserts and there’ll be occasional snacks that aren’t 100 percent perfect… but this is still a home, not a Health Food Retreat!

Fortunately, food manufacturers have really stepped up their game. There are SO many healthy foods and snacks that are good for you. I love the snacks that are so tasty, my family forgets all about the labels and doesn’t realize what they’re eating is actually nutritious.

The organic yogurts in this post fit that description perfectly. Pictured above are Stonyfield Farm Yogurts. They’re OIKOS Blueberry Organic Yogurt available in Fat Free, Low Fat, and Whole Milk. When I tried the different varieties, I fully expected to only like the Whole Milk – I was surprised when I found that I liked Fat Free and Low Fat just as well. In fact, if I HAD to pick a favorite, it’d be the Low Fat. It’s creamy and delicious, with or without fruit added.

Another favorite is Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt. Heavenly! I love the flavor of Oikos and Stonyfield Organic Yogurts so much that I’d eat them even if they weren’t nutritious. The fact that they’re good for my health as well as my planet? Creamy icing on the cake. They come in the following flavors and EACH is delicious: Blueberry, Strawberry, Honey, Plain, and Vanilla. Personally? The plain is better with granola and fruit, but the others are amazing right out of the convenient containers.

From the website:

Called “yiaourti” in Greece, Greek yogurt is creamier than regular yogurt. Authentic Greek yogurt like ours owes its extra creaminess to a centuries-old straining process that removes the whey (liquid) from the yogurt.

For hundreds of years, Greeks have prized strained yogurt for its richness and creaminess, and because it makes a wonderful cooking ingredient that’s less likely to curdle when heated. Before the time of mechanical refrigeration, Greeks also knew that yogurt stayed fresh longer with the liquid strained off. Today we know that straining makes Greek yogurt richer in protein than regular yogurt, and lower in lactose.

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt has 0% fat, just 90 calories per 5.3 oz.-serving*, twice the protein of regular yogurt, and fewer carbohydrates. Because it’s organic, our yogurt is also better for the earth. And we think it’s better for you, too.

To read more about these healthy and delicious organic yogurts yourself, visit the links below. Try these organic yogurts on your next trip to the store – you won’t be sorry!

Oikos Organic Yogurt (You can EVEN get coupons! – Oh, I love them so…)

Stonyfield Organic Yogurts

Have a Cow! (enjoyable and educational for children of all ages)

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