Looking to enrich your life with healthier choices?
Then it’s time to include three natural and essential ingredients in your life:
honey, ginseng, and kombucha. The first you probably have in your cabinet, the
second sounds like an entertaining alcoholic liquor, and the third probably makes
you scratch your head while repeating its name.
Honey
Ok, let’s ease into these power ingredients nice
and slowly with good, familiar honey. Honey is a natural sweet yet sticky food
made from flower nectar. Fun fact, did you know that honey was used as an
Egyptian medicine to treat wounds and the Greeks ate honey to live longer?
While science didn’t influence their decisions back then, modern study of this
natural ingredient has proved numerous benefits.
· Natural First Aid. The
Egyptians had it right! Honey has been used for thousands of years to help
treat wounds. Honey works to stop the growth of certain bacteria and acts as a
sealant to protect wounds from infection. It has also been known to reduce
swelling, pain, and scarring.
· Help With Hangovers. While
it may not immediately take away the consequences of heavy drinking immediately,
honey acts as a gentle but effective tool to help metabolize alcohol. Honey
chaser anyone?
· Great Energy Source. Honey has
17g of carbs per tablespoon! Ready to work out? Add some honey to your bottle
of water for an extra boost of energy during your workouts. Rather eat it?
Snack on some honey sticks before and after.
Ginseng
Looking to add some entertainment to your next
party? Make sure to bring some Gin that Sings…. Just kidding! Bad pun I know. Ginseng
is a very popular herbal and natural remedy derived from a plant root. The
history of ginseng comes from China about five thousand years ago and was used
for its “rejuvenating powers”. Chinese emperors used ginseng for medicinal
purposes and also included it within soap, lotion and cream mixtures. Today,
ginseng is used for a variety of purposes, including:
· Energy Boost. Ginseng
is believed to reduce fatigue and stimulate energy: physical and mental.
Feeling tired? Take some ginseng herbal supplements to pep your step.
· Lower Blood Sugar Content.
Ginseng has been used to assist in type 2 diabetes. Those who have taken
ginseng has seen an improvement in blood sugar control.
· Annoying Menstrual Symptoms. Are
your cramps pretty bad? Try some Ginseng Tea to help remedy annoying menstrual
symptoms.
Kombucha
Say what? How do you even pronounce that? All you
have to know is that it is full of probiotics, antioxidants, vitamins and more,
making it a power ingredient for sure! Kombucha is actually a tea that is made
with tea, water, sugar, and Scoby. I know, I know. I keep throwing more weird
words at you. Scoby is a fermented culture that promotes good bacteria and
yeast. Don’t get scared! It’s like yogurt…but better! And it’s been used since
the Tsin dynasty with the nickname of “elixir of life”. Are you jumping in the
bandwagon yet? No? Well here are some great reasons to sip on some kombucha:
· Better Immunity. Allergies
and colds bringing you down? Kombucha can help boost your immune system
naturally. Bye bye, lab made pills! Why put something synthetic in your body if
your can get the same if not better results with a natural remedy?
· Detox, Detox, Detox. Have a
bad habit of drinking and eating things that may not be good for your body?
Drinking kombucha can help add good bacteria to your body, promoting detox.
· Increase Metabolism. Add
beneficial enzymes and bacteria that help your body function and absorb better!
Remember those days where your mom (or dad) always told you to finish your peas and broccoli? Oh the face you made as you were tortured and tried swallowing it whole so you didn't have to taste it! Or, if you were smart and lucky enough to have a dog, you slid the food under the table to feed good ol' Fido. Yes, a (wo)man's best friend for life!
Back then we thought it was a form of torture, stopping us from playing outside or actually enjoying life. Mom and dad had a point though. Those fruits and veggies actually do a body good. In the hustle and bustle of our life, we often choose to eat fast food that, unfortunately, do not supply our body with the healthy nutrients that fruits and vegetables provide. And even when we do have time to eat at home, we forget to include that side dish of fruits or veggies. Here are some recipes that will include a couple servings of fruits and veggies into your daily diet.
If you like to eat muffins, bagels or donuts in the morning, opt for the Banana Crumb Muffin. This muffin only takes 15 minutes to prepare, 20 minutes to bake, and provides 10 muffins in a single recipe. The nutrition for the Banana Crumb Muffin include: 263 calories, 40mg Cholesterol, 1.5g Fiber, 352mg Sodium, 46g Carbohydrates, 8.1g Fat, and 3.2g Protein.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
- In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
- In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
- Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.
Who says you can't have delicious and healthy? The Country Apple Dumplings recipe is just for you. This will take about 20 minutes to prepare, 45 minutes to bake and makes 16 dumplings. The nutritional value includes: 333 calories, 31mg of Cholesterol, 0.6g of Fiber, 350mg Sodium, 38.5g Carbohydrates, 19g Fat, and 2.7g Protein. To make this more waist friendly, opt to reduce the butter to 3/4 stick, 1/2 cup of Splenda, and use Diet Mountain Dew. Serve with light vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 cup butter (or 3/4 stick melted butter)
1 1/2 cups white sugar (or 1/2 cup Splenda)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Mountain Dew (or Diet Mountain Dew)
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew™ over the dumplings.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.
If you're a lover of soup or looking for a way to veggie up your soups, the Italian Sausage Soup is perfetto for you. This recipe takes 10 minutes to prepare, 40 minutes to cook, and provides 6 servings. The nutritional value for this buono recipe is 385 Calories, 58mg Cholesterol, 5.7g Fiber, 1259g Sodium, 22.5g Carbohydrates, 24.4g Fat, 18.8g Protein. The sausage can be removed to opt for a healthier choice.
Ingredients
1 pound Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
- In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
- Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
- Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.
Hello Ladies and Gents,
Thanksgiving is almost here. It is almost time for long hours cooking, great company (hopefully, I'm crossing my fingers for you), great food, and then an amazing food coma on the couch afterwards. This year, our family has decided to order out so we do not have the stress of cooking for days before. However, for some of you, you still plan on experiencing Thanksgiving in the traditional way: hours and hours slaving away in the kitchen.
So for the troopers out there, I have included a few great recipes to include with your lunch/dinner/lunner menu to help keep the food options fresh and healthy! More power to those of you who are putting forth the effort, blood, sweat, and stress for this day!
Appetizer: Artichoke Hearts Gratin
Servings: 4
Ready In: 35 minutes
Nutrition: 89kcal; Cholesterol: 4mg; Fiber: 1.6g; Sodium: 326mg; Carbohydrates: 6.3g; Fat: 6.2g; Protein: 3.3g
Ingredients
- 6 canned artichoke hearts, drained and halved
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges
Preparation
- Place artichoke heart halves on a paper towel cut-side down to drain for about 15 minutes.
- Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with vegetable oil.
- Place artichoke heart halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut side up. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and drizzle with olive oil.
- Broil artichoke hearts until browned on top, about 7 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Side Dish: Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole
Servings: 6 cups
Ready In: 1 hour
Nutrition: 229kcal; Cholesterol: 54mg; Fiber: 1.9g; Sodium: 187mg; Carbohydrates: 30.1g; Fat: 11.1g; Protein: 2.9g
Ingredients
- 1 cups sweet potato, cubed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preparations
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.
- In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- In medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.
Stuffing: Slow Cooker
Servings: 16
Ready In: 9 hours 20 minutes
Nutrition: 201kcal; Cholesterol: 58mg; Fiber: 1.5g; Sodium: 772mg; Carbohydrates: 16.9g; Fat: 13.3g; Protein: 4.2g
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter or margarine
- 1 cups chopped onion
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 12 ounches sliced mushrooms
- 12 cups dry bread cubes
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 1/2 cups chicken broth or as needed
- 2 eggs, beaten
Preparation
- Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, mushroom, and parsley in butter, stirring frequently.
- Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper. Pour in enough broth to moisten, and mix in eggs. Transfer mixture to slow cooker, and cover.
- Cook on High for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to Low, and cook for 4 to 8 hours.
Side Dish: Quick Brussels And Bacon
Servings: 6
Ready In: 30
Nutrition: 189kcal; Cholesterol: 19mg; Fiber: 3.1g; Sodium: 255mg; Carboyhydrates: 11.2g; Fat: 14g; Protein: 6.4g
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 1 (16 ounce) package frozen Brussels Sprouts, thawed and halved
Preparation
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp; drain on paper towels and crumble.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the onion in the oil until soft; stir in the bacon and cook until bacon is heated through. Add the Brussels sprouts; cook and stir until the sprouts are browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
Small Main Dish: Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Breasts
Servings: 10
Ready In: 2 hours
Nutrition: 387 kcal; Cholesterol: 34mg; Fiber: 3g; Sodium: 858mg; Carbohydrates: 32.6g; Fat: 18.4g; Protein: 23.2g
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package herb-seasoned bread stuffing mix
- 1 skinless boneless turkey breasts
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 (8 ounce) packages dried, sweetened cranberries
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 lettuce leaves
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
- With a sharp knife, butterfly breasts open to lay flat. Place each breast between two sheets of waxed paper, and flatten with a mallet. Spread the prepared stuffing to within 1/4 inch of the edge of each breast. Sprinkle each one with chopped pecans and dried cranberries, reserving some of the cranberries for garnish. Roll up tightly in a jellyroll style, starting with the long end. Tuck in ends, and tie in sections with string, about 4 sections around the middle and one running the length of the roll to secure the ends.
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully brown rolls on all sides.
- Place skillet in oven, uncovered. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature is at 170 degrees F (78 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Do not let these get overly dry.
- Allow rolls to set for 15 minutes before removing string, and slicing into 1/2 to 3/4 inch circles. Leave one roll whole, and slice the other for presentation. Stuffing will be spiraled into meat. Present on your prettiest platter on a bed of curly lettuce, and garnish by sprinkling with the remaining 1/2 cup pecan halves and the reserved dried cranberries.
