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Bad cholesterol or a bad diet is something we all experience at some point in time. It’s impossible to eat healthy our whole lives, even though we may try hard to do it. Eating healthy for your heart is something everyone should try to do, especially when it comes to restoring health and reducing heart attacks.
Your heart and food We know these things for sure – a diet high in saturated fats will help raise your cholesterol, which is a risk factor for heart disease. People that are obese are more prone to heart disease. A diet high in sodium may elevate your blood pressure, leading to inflammation and even heart disease.
To help prevent heart disease and improve your health, put the tips below to good use:
Eat plenty of fish
Herring, sardines, and salmon are all excellent sources of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Other fish are great to, although Omega 3 may help to get your cholesterol down to a healthier level.
Choosing healthy fats and oils
Saturated fat will increase the risk of heart disease. It’s found in meat, butter, and even coconut oil. You should avoid them until your cholesterol levels are down and you are at a healthy weight. Even those that love red meats can enjoy seafood and nuts for their main sources of protein.
Monounsaturated fats
Olive oils will help you to protect your heart. Olive oil is an ideal choice for cooking, dressing, or even as a dipping sauce.
Plenty of fiber
Fiber can help you control your cholesterol. You can find fiber in whole grain products to help control sugar absorption as well, which will help you keep your digestive system healthy.
Choosing carbohydrates
Eating for your heart involves staying away from sugary foods such as candy, cookies, cakes, and pastries. Eating a lot of sugar isn’t good for your heart disease at all. Healthy carbohydrates involve whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, brown rice, and a lot of vegetables. You should make fruits and vegetables the main aspect of your diet.
Healthy cooking methods
Stir frying and sauteing with olive oil or canola oil are both great methods, as you shouldn’t dip your food in batter and fry it anymore. If you cook chicken, remove the skin and bake it in the oven in foil.
Instead of frying your fish you should always bake it. Steaming your vegetables can help maintain the most nutrients. You should use cream sauces or lots of butter anymore either. When you eat vegetables, try squeezing lemon juice on them or using your favorite seasonings.
As you make the proper changes to your diet, keep in mind that it takes time for them to become habits. Eating healthy is always great for your body and your lifestyle, especially when it comes to your heart and the prevention of heart disease.
Chickpea, Onion and Red Pepper Salad
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup red onion, thin sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
Place the chickpeas in a large serving bowl. In a different bowl place the mustard. Pour in the lemon juice, olive oil and vinegar. Add the garlic and parsley. Whisk to incorporate the flavors. Place the onion and bell pepper into the bowl with chickpeas. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat well. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper. Toss again to mix the seasoning into the salad. Place the salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Serve chilled and stir before serving.
Easy Fresh Roasted Turkey
Ingredients:
1 whole fresh turkey, 10 to 14 pounds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
3 carrots, roughly chopped
3 stalks celery, roughly
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves, crushed
Instructions:
Rinse the turkey with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the salt and pepper all over the turkey. In a mixing bowl toss together the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Stuff this mixture inside the turkey. Bring the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Rub the turkey with olive oil under the skin. Tie back the wings. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Roast 3 1/2 hours being sure to baste the turkey with the juices during the roasting time. The turkey should read 170 degrees on a meat thermometer when done and the juices should run clear when pricked with a fork. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to stand 30 minutes to finish cooking. Temperature should reach 180 degrees. Remove the stuffing from the bird and discard before carving.
When it comes to cooking healthy meals for our families, there is always some degree of dissention among the ranks. The good news is that there are recipes that are very healthy but the healthy nature of these recipes is somewhat disguised. What they do not know in these instances truly should not bring harm their way (outside of allergies, which should never be ignored).
Healthy cooking is often difficult as most of us do not want to spend time planning and preparing meals that our families refuse to eat. At the same time, we want our families to be healthy so we feel compelled to learn new and improved ways of cooking healthy foods for our family to enjoy (and unfortunately in some cases scorn).
With weight and nutrition being known as the culprit in so many health conditions it is impossible to ignore the importance of not only eating healthy ourselves but also of teaching our children the importance of eating healthy. One way to insure that your loved ones are in fact eating healthy is to make sure that you are cooking healthy and nutritious foods for them. This does not mean that you cannot enjoy the occasional calorie splurge or even that you shouldn’t. The key to cooking healthy is learning to control portions and understanding the importance of moderation.
For those that are hoping to incorporate healthy cooking habits into their daily routines, there are no more resources available than ever before in order to assist you in those endeavors. You can seek the services of a professional nutritionist, your doctor can offer advice, you can find all kinds of books on healthy eating, cooking, and living at your local library, and the Internet is an outstanding source of all kinds of information when it comes to leading a healthier lifestyle all around.
There are many books and magazines that are filled with recipes that encourage healthy cooking and eating habits. If you truly love to cook, then there is no shortage of recipes that you can try out along the way. The really good news is that you can incorporate healthy cooking into your cooking routine whether you are cooking for one or a household of ten.
There are many that will argue that cooking healthy food costs more than cooking the prepackaged foods that pack on the calories and additives. The truth of the matter is that when you compare the costs with the medical bills of the future for failing to do so, they seem rather slight by comparison. Yes, good food costs more money. In many cases, that is a simple fact of life. However, by learning portion control and eating the proper portions you just may discover that you are actually spending less as you adjust to the proper amounts of food you should be consuming in order to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
Cooking healthy isn’t an overnight change; it is a lifestyle change that should be implemented one step at a time. You do not have to go into your kitchen and through out every little thing that you deem ‘unhealthy’ only work to not buy more of these items once they’ve been used. Make wiser decisions when purchasing fats for food preparation and you will discover that you’ve made a vitally important step in the process of incorporating healthy cooking and eating habits in your home.
It’s those small steps you take towards your goal of cooking healthy foods for your family that will matter far more than any giant leap. Before you know it you will find that you all have more energy and a better sense of overall health than you would have imagined before changing your cooking habits. If that isn’t enough to encourage you however, you can always check out the excuse to go shopping for new clothes after you drop a size or two.
When the weather outside warms up, the kitchen can be a terrible place to be. There are many things you can do however, when it comes to cooking a nice home made meal that doesn’t require traditional stove top or oven cooking. Learn to utilize some of the lesser heat producing equipment in your kitchen, such as the crock pot, in order to truly beat the summer heat and keep your cool while preparing a nice hot meal for friends and family.
So, how does crock pot cooking really help beat the heat? Simply put, the crock pot in and of itself puts off far less heat when cooking than an oven or stove top. This is the first and possibly the best reason to utilize the crock pot in your summer meal planning. You should also consider the fact that by not heating the house by using your stove top or oven you are also preventing your air conditioning (or other cooling methods) from working overtime in order to compensate for the additional heat that other cooking methods introduce.
This makes crock pot cooking a win-win situation as the costs involved in operating a crock pot are far less than the costs involved in operating a stove or oven in general. Whether electric or gas, your stove and oven are often serious energy hogs. Add to that the fact that you are not raising the temperature in your home by traditional means of cooking and you are using even less electricity.
Unfortunately for most, the general consensus has been that crock pots were meant for comfort foods and hearty winter meals. The truth is that the crock pot should be one of your best loved and most often utilized cooking methods if you can manage it. When it comes to cooking with a crock pot, the options are almost limitless. Almost anything that can be baked can be made in the crock pot and many, many more wonderful and enticing meals and treats as well.
Benefits of Crock Pot Cooking
In addition to the cost benefits mentioned above when it comes to crock pot cooking there are many other benefits that are well worth mentioning. First of all, the bulk of the work involved in crock pot cooking takes place early in the day when you are refreshed rather than at the end of a hectic work or play day. This means that you are less likely to forget an ingredient or make other mistakes that often occur as we hurriedly prepare a dinner when we are exhausted from the activities of our day.
Second, many great crock pot recipes include the vegetables that insure we are getting the nutrients we need. So often, when preparing a meal at the last minute, vegetables and other side dishes are left out in favor of expedience. Crock pot cooking in many instances is a meal in one dish.
Another great reason to use a crock pot for your summertime cooking is the ease of clean up. Unlike pots and pans, most crock pot meals are made in one dish. This means that there will not be mountains of dishes to be either hand washed or loaded into the dishwasher (or if you are like me-both) afterwards. You can spend less time cleaning just as you spent less time slaving over a hot stove. Oh wait! Make that no time slaving over a hot stove. Once clean up is complete you can get back to enjoying the sun set, chasing the lightening bugs with your little ones, or waiting for the first star.
While there will never be a one size fits all best cooking method, crock pot cooking comes very close. If you have a crock pot collecting dust somewhere in the back of your pantry it is time to get it out, dust if off, and dig up some great summertime crock pot cooking recipes.
It is often frustrating to attempt to plan meals that are designed for one. Despite this fact, we are seeing more and more recipe books and Internet websites that are dedicated to the act of cooking for one. Divorce and the death of spouses or grown children leaving for college are all reasons that someone accustomed to cooking for more than one would suddenly need to learn how to adjust all the cooking practices utilized before into a streamlined plan of cooking that is more efficient for one person creating less waste.
The mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make cooking for one a challenge rather than a trial. Use this opportunity to try new and exciting cuisines. Perhaps one of the greatest things about cooking for one is the fact that it isn’t quite as expensive as cooking for two. This means that you have a little more money in the grocery budget with which to plan and prepare your meals.
One thing you may want to keep in mind however is that when cooking for one, if you prepare foods that are freezable. It may save more time (and in the end money) if you cook the full 2-4 servings that most recipes call for and freeze the leftovers in single serving portions for a later point in time. This leaves you with a freezer full of foods for those nights when the thought of cooking just seems beyond your capabilities. This also leaves you with doing the work once and enjoying the fruits of your efforts many times over. This is a great position to be in if you ask me.
We are finding more and more recipes and cookbooks that are designed around the concept of cooking for one. No matter what situation placed you in the position of cooking for one, there is no reason that you shouldn’t enjoy great food that is exciting and pleasant simply because you are dining alone. There is no harm in enjoying a fabulous meal with a glass of wine and great music whether you are cooking for one or one hundred.
Remember you are what you eat and if you relegate yourself to boring meals that lack excitement and spice that is what you will become. However if you decide to reach out and try new and exciting dishes with every meal you prepare when cooking for one, it will show in the way you embrace life in other areas as well. While we should not live to eat, we should also not limit ourselves to eating to live. Enjoy the foods you prepare whether the portions are large or small in size.
If you do not want to invest heavily in cookbooks that relate to cooking for one, it is quite possible that your local public library will have a few from which you can find some excellent recipes tips and resources. While you are there be sure to check out their selection of exotic food cookbooks in order to spice things up a bit. You never know what treasures you may discover on the shelves or your local library. You may even find local resources on classes that center on the idea of cooking for one. If the library proves to be a bust as far as resources go, the Internet is full of recipes, tips, and hints for those who are cooking for one.
Want a romantic night out on the town? A fine Italian food restaurant is a safe bet. Italian food has always been romantic and here are some tips to picking a great restaurant.
It’s important to pick a place that serves authentic Italian food; otherwise your date will come off looking like a cheap imitation of the real thing. How do you know what’s authentic? Simply look at the menu; if you understand it, it’s not authentic enough. You’re looking for more Italian food than just spaghetti and pizza. You might also want to talk to some people who work at the restaurant. When I’m looking for an authentic Italian food experience I definitely want the people behind the food to know more Italian than English. If everyone there seems too American you can bet the food is going to be more American-Italian than authentic Italian food.
Once you find a place with a good menu the next step is to learn to understand it. You won’t make a good impression on your date if you order something and are then shocked to find out what it is when it gets to the table. Decide beforehand what you’re going to order and learn how to properly say it in Italian. Then, find out what Italian food your date likes and pick out some recommendations from the menu beforehand and learn how to say them. When it comes time to order and you’re reading off your selection from the menu like an Italian food connoisseur you’ll really impress your date.
Now, Italian food isn’t Italian without a good wine to go with it. Any respectable Italian food establishment should have a nice selection of wine. This is a must for your romantic date. Research what wine will go best will the Italian food you’re ordering. Don’t be scared to ask the server, that’s what they’re there for. However, also be aware that they know it’s easy to rack up your check with expensive wine. Italian food was meant to be enjoyed with wine, so do take some time to make sure you’re getting a good wine for both the food and you’re budget.
Now that the Italian food and wine are squared away, the next thing to look for in a restaurant is ambience. There are really two ways to go on this one. The first is with a more traditional fine dining restaurant with dimmed lighting and maybe some romantic music in the background. This is an excellent choice. However, sometimes the most authentic Italian food can be found at small family owned restaurants with more of a home feeling about them. This can be equally as romantic as long as the restaurant isn’t loud. There you can enjoy not only good Italian food, but it will also be a memorable experience for your date. If the restaurant doesn’t have candles or a flower on the table you may be able to add that romantic touch by asking if you can bring your own candle and rose to decorate the table. Your date will be really impressed with your initiative when your table is distinctly nicer than the others.
Following these steps will lead to an excellent Italian food experience for you and your date. Find the right restaurant and you’re sure to have a romantic evening eating fine Italian food.
Mexican spices are used in many dishes found in Mexico. Some are spices you kind find anywhere, such as Garlic. Others give unique flavors. Epazote is a spice that is not as common. It is also known as “Mexican tea”. It is used to flavor beans and other foods, but should be used sparingly because it can be poisonous in large amounts. Even though it is strong, it is said to be good for intestinal discomfort.
Chile powder is a popular spice in Mexican foods. It is used to add flavor to vegetables, and meats. Another Chile powder that is popular is Chipotle. It is made from Jalapenos that have been dried and smoked. The flavor is one of a kind and goes well with many dishes. It is gaining popularity outside of Mexico. One other type of chile pepper is Ancho. It is different from the other peppers because it has a sweet flavor similar to dried fruit.
Common spices used in Mexico are Cumin, and Oregano. Mexican dishes that include tomatoes are perfect with oregano. It gives the dish an earthy flavor. Cumin gives Mexican dishes a taste that cannot be matched. Cumin takes three to four months of a long summer to grow. Cumin is a dry seed from the herb Cuminum Cyminum which is a member of the parsley family. This spice is the key component in curry power and chili powder. Cumin can also be boiled and served as a tea which is called “cumin cider”. Cumin is a spice that has been used for many centuries and will continue to be used by the people of Mexico.
Recado rojo is a special blend of spices that are from Mexico. It was used as long ago as the Mayans. It the spice mixture is red because of the added annatto seeds, which give food a red look to them when added. The blend contains spices such as cinnamon, clove, cumin, oregano garlic, and more. This blend is associated Mexican foods found in the Yucatan. It would be very easy to make this from your own home.
Achiote is the shrub that the annatto seeds come from which is added to the recado rojo mixture. This shrub is grown in Southeast Asia and was introduced to the Spanish in the 17th century. It is consider an inedible fruit that is used for its seeds. Long ago American Indians used the seeds to make body paints. Parts of the shrub can be used in medical remedies for health problems such as headaches and burns.
If you want to try these spices from your home, they are available at major grocery stores. You can even make your own blend of Mexican spices. Gather a few of the mentioned spices in this article, along with paprika and salt, and blend them together for a sensational burst of flavor. This is a great blend in chili. It can be added to foods that are baked, broiled and barbequed. It is perfect on chicken and pork. It is an excellent addition for your next barbeque. Let the grilling begin!
1 pk Marshmallows Vanilla to taste Green food coloring 1 pk Red hots Box of cornflakes (4 1/2 c)
White angel food cake
Melt marshmallows, add food coloring and vanilla. Add the cornflakes, stir until well coated. Spread this onto a cookie sheet, shaping into holly leaves. Place a red hot in middle. Let dry about 5 hours. Then top a white frosted angel cake with the holly leaves. Makes a very pretty cake.