For Better Nutrition Be Bold!

For Better Nutrition Be Bold!

Is losing that extra poundage you’ve gained during the last 2 months of feasting a New Year’s Resolution? So here we are…it’s the first Monday of January 2016 and many of us are deciding to kick up health the “diet” we blew over the holiday season. Do not beat yourself up mentally if you’ve gained this past holiday season. It’s the long term eating of better nutrition that will make the difference for you. Here’s some of my ideas on that. Remember variety is good for you mentally and physically.  Good healthy starts in your mindset. Today is the first day of the rest of your soon to be healthier life….don’t think “diet” think health. If you deny yourself the foods and flavors you love you will binge.   The key to losing and keeping it off is to love what your eating and yes smaller portion size too.   Trust me….I know how it is to lose a LOT of weight.  Without weighing and measuring food I took a new and healthy approach years ago and lost well over 100 pounds on my own.  No surgeries or diet pills.   Weight loss starts in you mind!!!  It’s what is

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Busy Morning Corn Muffins

Busy Morning Corn Muffins

There really is nothing like fresh muffins right out of the oven, but who has the time?   You do!  Make these Busy Morning Corn Muffins Here’s how I save time in the morning. If I’m already pulling out all the ingredients, measuring spoons and cups I also pull out a 2nd bowl or more and here’s why:    You can make at least 1 extra dry mix and store individual recipe portions in air tight containers.  Please remember to label them as muffin mix so there’s no confusion later.   Label the container with the liquids you need to add and baking times also.   This is like making your own box mix muffins without the chemicals and with out over paying! Do this the night before, days ahead or even weeks ahead. This is also a nice gift mix to bring with you too  (dress up the packing and attach instructions for finishing and baking) I often use those quart size deli containers since I have so many I’ve saved with Chinese takeout over the years.  Love those containers for portioning and storing soup stocks, marina and other sauces also. These muffins are perfect on their own or slathered

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Dessert in a hurry….Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding

Dessert in a hurry….Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding

Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding This baked cranberry orange rice pudding recipe was one of those on the fly creations. Just headed into the kitchen to see what kind of quick dessert I could create!  It’ is always fun for me to just wing it in the kitchen! Get your creative on When I head to the kitchen I love to change recipes up or make them up as I go along based on what is on hand.  Kind of like a kid in the candy store!  Life should be fun as often as possible. It’s good to play with your usual recipes with new ingredients, update the technique and adjust quantities.  Always great to have a change of pace in life whether it’s wearing something new, trying a new restaurant, or even traveling. . Not everything created on the fly turns out as perfect as it sounded in your head but can be amazing too!  Some creations are better than others My Inspiration Leftover Rice Inspiration for this recipe was a large container of white rice from the local Chinese restaurant that was leftover.   I could have turned this into a quick fried rice but had a sweet tooth

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Super Easy Healthy Granola

Super Easy Healthy Granola

My First Granola Recipe The first time I made granola, I found myself researching for an easy cooking method and just what ingredients should be included in the granola. There were many recipes I found so I gathered from all of them what I liked, merged cooking methods. Next I wrote my own recipe that I believed would work well. With that recipe I created my very “first homemade granola”. Merging at least 12 recipes into my own creation. Since that first baking of this granola, I’ve made this about once a month and I do experiment with ingredients based on what’s on hand at the time. Why you should make granola yourself After I made my first batch of granola I realized that I had greatly over spent for years on boxed granola.  You can’t beat the fresher flavor of homemade granola! You are the boss when it comes to cooking! You know your tastebuds best! Experiment!! I love creating in the kitchen which is playtime for me! The best part of making your own is it’s exactly to your taste with the fruits and nuts you love best! And did I mention that the house smells amazing too?

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Baking Bread 101….The Basics

Baking Bread 101….The Basics

Baking Bread 101…The Basics Whole Wheat bread, bread 101 When I was 10 years old when I taught myself how to bake bread. I’d already been cooking by that time for the family on a daily basis. Baking bread isn’t all that difficult at all! There are some basic steps and techniques to follow. Once you understand those basics, the rest is fun and so rewarding with the way the aroma drifts through the house. After the bread cools down to room temperature who could resist cutting into the loaf and slathering it with a favorite spread, butter or even an herbed butter or, maybe even some olive oil with infused herbs? This is one of my very favorite recipes that I’ve made for many years and the one my kids loved growing up.  A nice basic whole wheat bread that works well for sandwiches and for toasting too.  This will make 3 smaller loaves or 2 good sized loaves. The bread once fully cooled and after about 6 hours can be frozen very well wrapped and air tight in plastic bags such as these.  Use this trick….stick a straw into the bag and suck out the excess air to

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Is the Super Woman Complex Dead Yet?

Is the Super Woman Complex Dead Yet?

Are you trying to do it all and over stressing? Are you trying to be a super woman or superman? All of us lead busier lives than our parents ever did! So how does this affect our home life? Hectic! Feeling stressed out? It is still possible to plan and cook healthy from scratch meals quickly but it just takes a little more thought, organization and planning ahead. I had the super woman complex for too many years, and quite honestly that is an understatement!  Just a tiny bit about me:  I have run multiple corporations — at the same time, while working on a variety of charity projects and also sat on board of directors (mostly children’s issues). I am the proud Mom of four marvelous children – two human and two furry. Some ideas for planning organization and planning ahead One of my favorite “kitchen tools” over the years had been a stand alone freezer which I no longer have now that I am living in NYC. The freezing ideas I’m sharing will still work. So many things can be made ahead and even frozen for quick weeknight meals.  I love love love entertaining friends and family!  Drop

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Experimental Food Ideas – Irish Eggs in a Well

Experimental Food Ideas – Irish Eggs in a Well

Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment with Food! Irish Eggs in a Well All recipes were creative projects at some point in time! Last week I was looking in the refrigerator not sure what I wanted to eat for breakfast.  So, I decided to be a little creative!   Creative Breakfast Food Ideas So, what food is in the fridge that might help with the creativity today?  Eggs, and leftover steel cut oatmeal. My favorite oatmeal is McCann’s steel cut Irish oatmeal. It takes a little longer prep time but definitely worth the extra time, about 25-30 minutes and I give it rest time also.  I make it as per the tin’s instruction, which makes 4 servings, and will have 3 servings left for other days unless I have people here to help eat it. This oatmeal is fine leftover too, so no big problem with that!  I actually had less than one portion left so what to do, what to do? Get creative! In a small frying pan, I melted a bit of butter (only use real products), added the cold oatmeal to heat it through.Once heated through I made a hole or well in the center and let the

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The Not Always Appreciated Flavor Booster….Flavored and Herb Butters

The Not Always Appreciated Flavor Booster….Flavored and Herb Butters

Herb butter is one of the first recipes I learned in cooking school  Herbed Butter, Fruited butter or Honey butter are some of the best things in life so useful and simple to make. Flavored butters are flavor enhancers for meats and fish, or to spread on muffins or bread. There are endless places to use this simple delicacy. Herbed or fruited butters are lovely spread on a nice baguette too or on some freshly cooked pasta. about to using some flavored butter on popcorn? Included in the category of flavored butters: Fruit butters Honey Butter Herb butters Spiced butters Savory butters Sweet butters I have had strawberry butter served with luscious corn muffins here in NYC.  Great at breakfast or brunch time. Honey butter on toast, waffles or pancakes would be delicious. And, what about garlic butter on bread?   There is no perfect recipe for these butters. Let you own taste be the guide making them. Here’s a few basic recipes, but please play and experiment in your kitchen. Have fun and be creative with these.   The Basic Method Use room temperature butter for easier blending. Add flavoring ingredients mix with hand or stand mixer. You can use

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