Category: Healthy Eating

Juicers 101: A Healthy Start to Your New Year (via Zappos)

You’ve probably heard of all the great benefits of juicing as a way of consuming fresh, raw foods in your daily diet. Sounds simple enough, right? Extract all the nutrients inside fruits and vegetables, drink them and reap the health benefits. But selecting the right kind of juicer can be a bit tricky…

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Category: Healthy Eating

You can't go wrong with Fruit Salad,.  Don't be afaid to experiment with different fruits, the combination can provide a wide range of vitamins.  This summer I had my share of pineapple, kiwi, peaches, melons. Throw berries on yogurt and oatmeal.  Mix in mint for a new twist. 

  Fill up your tank today with frest fruits.

Category: Healthy Eating

As it is the start of a New Year it’s appropriate to think about goal setting. It’s been said that achieving goals is not the problem - it’s setting goals that is the problem. My friend Deb mentioned she got together with her family to create storyboards.  As she told me more about her project, I realized this is a great way to stay on track for different goals in your life. Before I got started on mine own storyboard, I had a few questions? 

What do you put on a storyboard?  What is it made of? How big is it? Where do you put it? Is it secret, or should I share it with my friends and family? 

Turns out, a personal storyboard is exactly that, Personal.  I made 2 boards; Personal and Business. We used poster board of all sizes 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10. As you go through magazines look for your favorite sayings or activities in ads. On mine you’ll see hiking boots, outdoor scenes, and a cool bicycle, among other things. Glue on board then use decopage for the finishing coat.  We found words of wisdom, inspirations and ambitions in print and cut out to create our own personal snap shot of our lives. The best part is sharing with others, its your choice.  I find this is a good way to set your intention, creatively show your values, visualize achievements and its fun without the hassle of trying to write down your goals.  Hang your board in place where you will see it everyday.

I encourage you to start your Storyboard collage for 2012.                  

Category: Healthy Eating

I got this recipe from my friend Theresa years ago.  It's pretty much the perfect meal that my family loves.  It's a go to meal to take to those who are sick or need comfort food.

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup   

1lb Sweet Italian Sausage

1 C Chopped Onion

2 LG Garlic cloves

5C Chicken Stock

I can Stewed Tomatoes

1 15oz can Tomato Sauce

1 LG Zucchini Sliced

1 LG Carrot Sliced

1 Med Green or Red Bell Peper Diced

1/2 C Dry Red Wine

2 T Dried Basil    2 T Dried Oregano 

8-10 oz Cheese Tortellini  

For Gluten Free substitute Tortellini for Quinoa Harvest Penne Gluten Free Pasta

Saute Sausage in soup pot over medium heat, cook through.  Crumble w/back of spoon, about 10 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a large bowl.

Keep 1T of drippings.  Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.

Return sausage.  Add stock, tomatoes, wine, basil & oregano.  Simmer until veggies are tender ( about 40 minutes)  Can be prepared 2 days ahead. 

Bring soup to boil, add tortellini and cook about 8 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and Sprinkle with Parmesean.

Great Leftovers!  Enjoy

Category: Healthy Eating

Butternut Squash White Bean Soup

Crumbled bacon & toasted pumpkin seeds add a salty crunch 

Easy Squash Peeling-Use a potato peeler on the uncut squash. The first pass will leave the flesh yellow. The second pass with the peeler will make it the deep orange color. Cut off top and bottom and cut down the middle, length ways. Scoop out the guts.

• 5 bacon slices
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 garlic gloves minced or prepared garlic
• 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons pumpkin seed kernals

1. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, crumble the bacon and set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the squash, broth, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the squash is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Remove the thyme sprigs and puree the soup in batches in a blender (or food processor) until smooth.

4. Return the pureed soup to the pot. Stir in the cream and white beans. Bring to a brief simmer, then remove from the heat. If the soup seems too thick, thin it out with additional broth or water. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Sprinkle individual servings with bacon and pumpkin seeds. so good I can eat the whole thing.

Category: Healthy Eating

If you are active and always on the go, Healthy Snacking is a great way to fill in the blanks between breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fruits and vegetables are always the smartest snacks: apple, orange, pear, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, carrots, celery and sliced bell peppers. Keep in mind, if snacking is done right, it can maintain blood sugar levels and boost your metabolism. Try having these snacks on hand.  They pack 100-200 calories with protein, carbohydrates and provide an excellent source of nutrients.

Peanut Butter       Fig Cookies         Bananas             Baby Bels

Dried-Fruit          Pretzels ( gluten free)                      Balance Bars

Gluten Free Crackers

Category: Healthy Eating

I've always been a huge fan of  energy snacks , especially when you are on the go and need a quick pick me up or in some cases a full meal replacement.  I've discovered a few great ones that raise the bar on taste while keeping nutrition high and calories low.