The Biggest Loser

Ever been addicted to something? Years ago I had to break myself of sugar. And I used to be addicted to watching Matlock. I think now, though, I must be addicted to The Biggest Loser on Netflix after not subscribing to commercial or cable tv for decades. There are over 180 episodes (and I'm only to 66)! But the reason for loving it so much is that it's giving me the drive to lose weight and exercise the way I should and I'm very grateful. I love the success stories and I also love seeing people care about and help each other. It's so refreshing to see some of them more concerned with becoming healthy and promoting it among teammates, than the quest for winning a cash prize. There's also a website - www.biggestloserclub.com - that I've joined to help me track progress while being able to glean from them information, recipes and support while on this road to better health.

It's true that while I try to use real foods in their whole and natural state, eggs for example, I can adapt recipes and get ideas from what they have to offer and I'm having some fun besides!

It's Not Just Physical

How we see ourselves plays a huge role in what we become. It's important to rationally understand that while we are a work in progress, our worth is beyond measure.

If we truly value ourselves as we should, we must seek for the very best for ourselves and loved ones, so with no regret whatsoever, I have ditched the fat lifestyle for a happier, more fit and healthier one.

little girls photo / fat vs muscle photo

Fourth Cup Vegetable Soup

This recipe takes vegetables from the list of the ones that take more calories to digest than they contain. Be sure to use a frying pan with straight sides because the whole soup will be cooked in it.

1/4 C. chopped Onions
1/4 C. chopped Celery
1/4 C. sliced Carrots
1/4 C. cut Green Beans
1/4 C. Broccoli Florets
1/4 C. chopped Green Cabbage
1/4 C. chopped Bell Pepper
A handful Baby Spinach Leaves
3 C. Vegetable Broth

Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray and saute fresh vegetables except Spinach and Broth. When just fork tender, add Broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for just a few minutes and remove from heat. Add the handful of Spinach and stir in while soup is hot, just before serving. Serves 2

Kettle Popcorn

I love this recipe!
Kettle Popcorn

3 T. Coconut Oil, melted in the bottom of a large saucepan
2 pkgs, or 1t. Truvia, sprinkled over the melted oil.
3 T. Unpopped Corn, sprinkled over oil and Truvia

Allow oil to get hot enough to sizzle corn, cover pan with lid and when the corn begins to pop turn down the heat to med-low. Shake the pan every few seconds to keep the popping going. When the corn stops popping, it's done!

This makes about 6 Cups of Kettle Corn.

Probiotic Smoothie

I like this one because it gives a bit of help keeping intestinal balance, plus, it tastes good!

6 oz. or 3/4 C. Plain or Vanilla Soy Yogurt with cultures
1 Orange
6 Frozen Strawberries
1/2 C. Frozen Blueberries
Truvia if desired

Blend and, Voila!!

Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Nutritarian Food Pyramid

Let's compare food pyramids for just a few minutes.
The University of Michigan was on the right track with their Healing Foods Pyramid, and I do like that they include water, but I think this new one by Dr. Fuhrman is better.
What do you think?
For more information on The Nutritarian Food Pyramid,
click here.

Cream of Potato Soup

When I come off a fast of more than 3-4 days I like to ease my body into it. (I've tried eating heavier foods and meat right after a fast and it's not worth the belly ache!) So, for breakfast I have a smoothie to reintroduce fiber. For lunch I like to have a nice cream soup, bringing back cooked foods and some soy protein. Then for dinner I'll have a big green salad. I use a little apple cider vinegar as a dressing usually, because avocado or olives serve as the oil.
This is today's cream soup.
1 sm. Red Onion
1 Stalk Celery
1 Carrot
1 chunk Sweet Potato
2 sm. White Potatoes
Opt. A couple of Mushrooms
Bouillon Cubes enough to flavor 2C. liquid
Water
2 C. Soymilk

Spray a frying pan with Olive Oil nonstick spray. Add Veggies (about 2 C. total) and about 1/2 C. Water. Cook til veggies are barely soft, adding enough water to the pan to keep the juices liquid. This will save both flavor and nutrients for the soup instead of leaving them stuck on the bottom of the pan.

Pour 2 C. Unsweetened Soymilk into a blender. Add the veggies and juices. Blend til smooth and serve in a nice big mug. Makes about 4 C., enough for 2, 2 C. servings. Garnish with Parsley and Black Pepper.

5 + 8 = -18.5

Well, after 5 days at the beginning of October and now 8 days more of juicing only, I have lost 18 and a half pounds. David and I are enjoying trips to local farmer's markets for fresh organic produce. This last Saturday after shopping for fruits and veggies we found ourselves in a department store buying David some smaller clothes! This combined with what he was doing before has added up to some great changes for him, too! Good things are happening here at our house. Hope they are at yours, too.
Have a happy, healthy day!!
Food photo

I Coulda Had A V-8 ...wait a minute, I DID Have A V-8!

Here is my recipe for fresh V-8 Juice:

3 Tomatoes
2 Celery Stalks
1-2 Carrots
1-2 Kale Leaves
1 sm. Green Onion
1 handfull of Spinach
1/2 sm. Beet
1/3-1/2 lg. Cucumber
1/4 Red or Yellow Bell Pepper

Actually, I guess it's V-9 Juice. I added a green onion.
Sooo good!! Ya gotta try it!

(This great photo came from... www.v8vegetablejuice.blogspot.com )

Juice. Ya Gotta Like It!

With 13 days under my belt and a few more to go, I've got to be able to prepare juices that I can handle on order to keep going. When I started it was a bit difficult because I was so new at it that I had no idea what fruits and veggies to combine, so I just picked out what sounded good and boy was I disappointed! For 3 days in a row I made myself drink juices that were terrible. I even made it a matter of prayer to try to figure out how in the world I could make this work for me. Anyway, as I thought through it I realized that I really like my citrus smoothie so maybe I should try using those fruits for juice. I did and it became a base for doing a little mix and match. This is my basic breakfast recipe with a few variations included:
First I gather my fruit and veggies.

I include:
1 Grapefruit
3 Oranges
2 Carrots
a 3" chunk of Cucumber
2-3 Kale leaves

Then maybe some
Strawberries
Or Cranberries
Or an Apple
Remember that grapefruit and cranberries are a bit sour so you want to combine them with something sweet. It also helps to think the other way around when making up your own recipes. You don't want juices that are too full of sugars, even if they are natural :) Before I finish my batch of juice I taste it to see if I like it. I usually do because I start with a tried and true combination but sometimes I need to adjust for the sweetness level. With the strong flavor of the oranges and grapefruit I can get away with adding things like Kale and Cucumber. After the juice is deposited in the collection pitcher, stir the juices together before serving. I especially like to dilute my juice with some ice.
If you line the pulp bucket with a produce bag it will make clean up easy! Also, you can recycle your pulp and peelings by blending them in your blender and making a lovely garden smoothie for composting the garden!

Juicing

Fourteen pounds ago I started juicing. Five days at the beginning of October, and now again, only this time I'm going for 2 weeks. This is day 4 and I'm really happy about how good I feel! I have increased energy and my thinking is better. I've been able to feel the happy ache of cleansing lungs and liver and head, so I know I'm getting good results already.
I've done cleanses in the past with water only, but it's more difficult both to do and to work into your regular daily life style. The plan is to become primarily plant-based in order to make the changes permanent in the most healthy way possible!
I guess you might say I've made a new lifetime friend, my juicer.
The one I have now is a Jack LaLanne, but I see a more powerful Breville on the horizon!

My Curry Powder

Today I mixed up my own formula for Curry Powder, from the recipe below.

5 1/4 t. Turmeric
4 1/8 t. Coriander
1 1/2 t. Cumin
1 1/8 t. Cardamom
1/8 t. Fennel
1/8 t. Allspice
1/8 t. Fenugreek
1/8 t. Licorice

All the herbs I found already ground except the Fennel and Fenugreek and as I ground them with a mortar and pestle the amounts came out a bit different. I ended up with 3/8 t. Fenugreek and 1/4 t. Fennel. Fenugreek and Licorice can be bought at a health food store.
I roasted them together in a dry pan heated from low to moderate for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Then I let the herbs cool and placed them in a covered jar to be stored for about a month. Then, I'll make curry sauce from scratch. Boy, does my house smell good!

The Purple Sweet Potato

This being my favorite time of year, I look forward to Winter Squash, Pumpkin Pie and Sweet Potatoes.
When we were in Hawaii we went to a buffet restaurant at the Polynesian Cultural Center where a potato salad was offered that was made from the purple yam, or sweet potato and it was delicious. Only recently did I learn that purple yams come from Okinawa!It was on Okinawa that I first tried "ube" (or purple sweet potato) ice cream. Yummy!Here is a recipe that is very satisfying and fun to serve to friends and family if you have an Asian market nearby that carries them. I got mine in Fresno. They are only available until the weather gets cold and they can't be stored in the refrigerator, so now is the time to buy and use them, before they're gone.

Okinawan Sweet Potato Salad:

1 1/2-2 lbs. Purple Yams, peeled and cubed
1 C. Celery, chopped
1/2 C. Sweet Onion, chopped
1/3 C. Mayo, good quality
2 T. Olive Oil
2 T. Coconut Oil
2 T. Apple Cider Vinegar, good quality
1 T. Lemon Juice
1 T. Chives
1 T. Parsley
Salt, to taste

Boil yams 5-7 minutes or till cooked but not mushy. Drain and add remaining ingredients while yams are still warm. Combine thoroughly and chill overnight.

"Let Food Be Your Medicine", Hippocrates

Netflix is running several documentaries regarding eating and health, which I have watched with great interest. So much so that I am on a juice fast after seeing the results that Joe Cross had in his quest for improved health that he journals in "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". In two days I have lost 5 1/2 pounds and I feel great.

But I just finished watching Frontline's "The Medicated Child" (also on Netflix) and I could hardly believe what I saw! Well, actually, I can believe it, but it breaks my heart and makes me angry at this "system" that most of us have been taught to trustingly and innocently follow trying to take good care of ourselves and our families.
I don't profess to be any kind of an expert but as a thinking individual who has been reading alternative health care books for decades I am so very saddened by the fact that America's children are paying such a huge price.
It is my hope that anyone who reads this little piece will consider the insight of Hippocrates who said "Let food be your medicine", and may I add that in doing this we should also consider removing the non-foods, like chemicals, the over-processed and artificial substances from our diet at the same time... or sooner! In "The Medicated Child" not one word is ever mentioned about diet or eating more fruits and veggies. Instead children are filmed eating ice cream and corn dogs and they don't know why they're sick!!
Many thanks again to you Netflix and film producers and yes, some doctors too, :) who put forth time, money and effort to educate individuals and parents on this vital issue, through programs like "Food Matters", "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and " Forks Over Knives". At some point we may hopefully come to realize that our medical profession is wonderful when we need help after we've been injured but most know very little about how to get and keep people truly healthy.
In my humble, albeit emphatic opinion, why not try cleaning up our diets and doing a bit of reading in order to know for ourselves how to cure what ails us. Better yet, how about preventing those ailments altogether.

The Curry Connection

I made curry sauce from scratch using S and B Curry Powder and it was good, but too spicy/hot for me.
One of the first things I learned about curry powder is that it is not a spice unto itself, but is a combination of spices. This is why getting the same exact flavor as Coco's will be a bit difficult.
BUT, thanks to justhungry.com I now have a place to start with my own curry making, and after going over the formula at "just hungry", this is what I came up with:

Mild Curry Powder
5 1/4 t. Turmeric
4 1/8 t. Coriander
1 1/2 t. Cumin
1 1/8 t. Cardamom
1/8 t. Fennel
1/8 t. Allspice
1/8 t. Fenugreek
1/8 t. Licorice

Hot spices can be added according to taste if desired.
Roast ground spices in a dry frying pan for about 2-3 minutes. Cool and let mature in a cool, dark place for about a month.

Well, I've gathered the needed spices but two of them aren't ground so I'll be buying a coffee grinder in the near future.

Mastering The Art Of Coco's Curry - the journey begins...

We're home from Okinawa, Japan and what a wonderful time we had!! Our daughter's family now includes a beautiful addition and we welcome little Miss Olivia.
They took us to Coco Ichibanya Curry House twice and I fell in love! Here are pictures I found online of Coco's:This is a scoop of Potato Salad on top of shredded cabbage which is on top of a bed of lettuce. I chose to have mine served with Sesame Dressing which was yummy!You could also choose to have your curry with or without vegetables.
And now that I'm home I'm going to try to follow our daughter's tradition of Japanese Curry once a week, that is, IF I can figure out how to make it myself. The mix contains both sugar and MSG. It does make a great curry sauce, but I'd like to ditch those two ingredients. Many of the recipes call for an apple that has been liquified in the blender which should sweeten it enough I think. So here I go, on an adventure of creative discovery! I hope I can make mine look and taste as good as Coco's. Wish me luck!!
Pictures: 1. Coco's
2. Salad
3. Curry w/out Veggies
4. Ingredients
5. Curry With Veggies

How To Make Carob Candy Bars and Nut Clusters

I've tried to find carob candies in health food stores and diet sections of the grocery store to no avail, so I've resorted to making my own. The best thing about doing this is that you get exactly what you like! Today I'm just doing candy bars and nut clusters but at Christmas time I'll do some filled "chocolates". Here we go!

It all starts with a bag of Sunspire brand Carob Chips which I buy by the case from Amazon because my store no longer carries carob chips without milk and over-refined sugar, and the price is good.
Empty one 10 oz. bag of chips into a glass bowl with high sides or a large glass measuring cup. Using glass will help protect the carob from becoming too hot.
Add 1 1/2T. Coconut Oil
And 1/2t. Vanilla Flavoring or Peppermint, etc. (does not need to be oil-based)
Sweeten to taste if desired with 1 packet Xylitol or Stevia
Set into another bowl with medium hot tap water, not boiling. Remember that getting carob too hot will cause it to become stiff and chewy so warm only enough to gently melt carob. Stirring will help the chips melt with less heat and will blend in the other ingredients. Once the chips are melted and you're into your candy making, don't add more chips. Remelting means reheating, so wait until you use up what you've already melted and then start again with more chips. This melted carob can be used over ice cream like magic shell, or proceed to make candy bars.

Spoon a little of the melted carob into a chocolate mold. They have some that are meant specifically for candy bars or use whatever shapes you like! Tap the mold on the table lightly to remove air bubbles and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Remove the mold from the freezer and gently loosen the hardened carob. When inverting onto the foil, catch the candy bar and set it down to keep it from breaking. It will be brittle.
If you want to divide the bar, wait until it warms to room temperature. Using a straight edged sharp knife, carefully cut the bar. If you are going to store the candy to serve later, wrap in foil and keep in a cool place or in the refrigerator.
If you are making nut clusters simply drop nuts into melted carob and stir to coat the nuts. I used roasted and salted peanuts. Drop by spoonfuls into candy cups or onto waxed paper. Cool and harden in the fridge or freezer. Store in covered container.
Now, when everyone is having a sweet treat, you can have one too! Or, you can share your goodies with your friends and family, helping them to learn to enjoy something a little healthier.
PS. If the carob turns grey it is only from being cold. Simply let it warm or you can use a blow dryer to warm it and it will brown right up! And by the way, chocolate does the same thing and can be fixed the same way, too :)

Buckwheat Flapjacks

Our daughter, Dawn, came to visit for several days and these delicious flapjacks are one of her favorite breakfasts.
Buckwheat has a distinctive earthy flavor and dark robust color as you may see by the pictures.

BUCKWHEAT FLAPJACKS

1C. Buckwheat Flour
1C. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1t. Baking Powder
1t. Baking Soda
1/4t. Salt

2 Eggs
2C. Coconut Milk or milk of choice
2T. Coconut Oil melted
3T. Pure Maple Syrup or Honey or Agave
1t. Vanilla
1t. Cinnamon

Mix ingredients together and cook as you would any pancake. Remember that they are ready to turn when a number of the bubbles that appear on the top no longer close up.
Serve with the topping of your choice (we still prefer pure maple syrup!).
In this picture you can see how dark these pancakes are! Our little Garret loves "em!

Orange Ambrosia Cup How-To

This little fruit cup is both easy to make and impressive, and I'm no whiz at cutting fancy shapes out of fruits and veggies! First of all I measured from the top of the orange down about 1 1/2". This left enough of the orange to make a nice sized cup. At that point the orange measured horizontally at 10" around. The scallops on my flower cookie cutter are 1 1/4" so this meant I could evenly draw 6 scallops.

Next I cut the top off the orange with a citrus knife taking as much of the ink off with it as I could. The rest of the ink I washed off carefully with water and a scrubbie thingy.
Then I cut and scooped out the fruit of the orange and put the pieces into a bowl for use in the fruit salad.


After getting the orange cut up I added a small banana, sliced, stirring it to coat the slices with orange juice preventing them from turning brown, and 4 cut up strawberries. The empty orange had about a 1/2 C. capacity and this little fruit salad fills 2 orange cups very nicely. I think I could have put more fruit in the cup than the picture shows. Of course you can fill this little cup with whatever combination of fruit is your favorite. I put a little coconut ribbon on top before placing the strawberry.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!