Most bottles of flavored tea contain artificial colors, preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup. Tea is supposed to be good for you...right? Google "super foods" and Green Tea is at the top of any list you come across. Cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection, impaired immune function are just some of the conditions that green tea has been proven to be helpful. So why cancel out the benefits of green tea by adding ingredients that cause health issues? WHO KNOWS! I decided to add green tea to our everyday by making up a big pitcher at home. I bought the economy size box of green tea bags. I received a box of Celestial Seasoning Fruit Tea Sampler as a gift. It contains 3 bags each of raspberry, peach, wild berry, blueberry, and black cherry. I decided to mix the two one day and came up with our new favorite beverage!
Iced Fruity Green Tea - the kind that's good for you!
1 gallon pitcher
5 green tea bags
3 fruit tea bags
3/4 to 1 cup organic cane sugar
Heat 3 cups of water and the cane sugar on the stove until the sugar dissolves. Pour into the pitcher and add the tea bags. Let steep. Fill the rest of the pitcher with cold water and refrigerate. Super yummy!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
All natural, Low sodium BBQ Burritos
One of our favorites is a recipe I got from a friend of mine many years ago. I think she said it was their version of a Chi Chi's dish. MMMMMM, Chi Chi's. Anyways, I came up with a recipe that fits into our new lifestyle and is just as yummy!
BBQ Burritos
Low sodium tortillas - yes, these are kind of hard to find. Most flour tortillas contain up to 500mg! Giant Eagle has a 6 pk. of brown rice flour tortillas in their all natural, organic freezer section for $3 that has 160mg of sodium. Marc's carries a 10pk of flour tortillas for $4.50 that has 85mg. These are the ones I usually buy but they don't always have them. I'm still trying to master my own recipe :)
1 cup Instant whole grain brown rice
1 jar all natural low sodium salsa - Newman's Own, mild, is the lowest I've found in sodium.
1 cup beans - either a no salt added canned bean - any kind, or prepared dry beans
2 cups roasted chicken
Shredded cheese
BBQ Sauce - I've posted this already but here it is again
1 cup No salt added, All natural Ketchup
1/4 Mustard
1/4 Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Molasses
1 tea. crushed red pepper
Mix the rice, salsa, and beans together. Coat the chicken with BBQ sauce. To assemble - On tortilla, layer rice mixture, then chicken, and top with cheese. Wrap up and place on a sprayed cookie sheet. Cook for about 10 min. at 425 degrees. Enjoy!
BBQ Burritos
Low sodium tortillas - yes, these are kind of hard to find. Most flour tortillas contain up to 500mg! Giant Eagle has a 6 pk. of brown rice flour tortillas in their all natural, organic freezer section for $3 that has 160mg of sodium. Marc's carries a 10pk of flour tortillas for $4.50 that has 85mg. These are the ones I usually buy but they don't always have them. I'm still trying to master my own recipe :)
1 cup Instant whole grain brown rice
1 jar all natural low sodium salsa - Newman's Own, mild, is the lowest I've found in sodium.
1 cup beans - either a no salt added canned bean - any kind, or prepared dry beans
2 cups roasted chicken
Shredded cheese
BBQ Sauce - I've posted this already but here it is again
1 cup No salt added, All natural Ketchup
1/4 Mustard
1/4 Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Molasses
1 tea. crushed red pepper
Mix the rice, salsa, and beans together. Coat the chicken with BBQ sauce. To assemble - On tortilla, layer rice mixture, then chicken, and top with cheese. Wrap up and place on a sprayed cookie sheet. Cook for about 10 min. at 425 degrees. Enjoy!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Finally! My search is over!
I have spent 4 months trying to find or make my kids favorite, mac-n-cheese. My attempt at the homemade all natural, whole wheat version was not good :( We've tried several different organic, all natural store bought brands. Blah! Finally, I found it! Annie's Homegrown Shells and White Cheddar Mac-n-Cheese. All natural made it organic pasta. I wish the sodium content was lower. It's got 530mg per 1 cup serving. That is still lower then leading brands so we'll compromise. At $1.79 a box at Marc's, it a great deal. The kids scarfed it up and asked for more!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Something besides ceral please!
If there's no cereal in the house, no matter how stocked the cabinets are, the kids think there's nothing to eat! Dave and I love Kashi cereal but the kids are not huge fans. Mom's Best makes "kid friendly" all natural cereal but there are only about 8 varieties to choose from at Marc's. I'm constantly trying to come up with a breakfast food that will top cereal as the kids favorite.
English Egg Muffins
Thomas's Hearty Grain Whole Wheat English Muffins - Not all natural, but nothing from the AVOID LIST!
Eggs (you can use just the whites or if making a bigger batch, just use the yolks of half the eggs, this will help cut down the cholesterol content)
paprika, pepper, oregano, flax seed & basil to taste
Skim milk
Shredded Swiss (Shredded Swiss is very low in sodium! Only about 60 mg per serving!)
Mix the egg, milk, and herbs. Lightly spray a pan with canola or olive oil. Make a foil ring the size of the English Muffin and spray the inside with non stick spray. Place the ring in the skillet a slowly pour egg mixture into it. Cover skillet and cook until the egg is cooked most of the way through. Flip, and top with alittle shredded Swiss. Place the egg on a Toasted English Muffin. The eggs stay nicely in the fridge in a tightly sealed container so make extra for quick breakfast through the week!
English Egg Muffins
Thomas's Hearty Grain Whole Wheat English Muffins - Not all natural, but nothing from the AVOID LIST!
Eggs (you can use just the whites or if making a bigger batch, just use the yolks of half the eggs, this will help cut down the cholesterol content)
paprika, pepper, oregano, flax seed & basil to taste
Skim milk
Shredded Swiss (Shredded Swiss is very low in sodium! Only about 60 mg per serving!)
Mix the egg, milk, and herbs. Lightly spray a pan with canola or olive oil. Make a foil ring the size of the English Muffin and spray the inside with non stick spray. Place the ring in the skillet a slowly pour egg mixture into it. Cover skillet and cook until the egg is cooked most of the way through. Flip, and top with alittle shredded Swiss. Place the egg on a Toasted English Muffin. The eggs stay nicely in the fridge in a tightly sealed container so make extra for quick breakfast through the week!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Sauteed Green Beans
I just discovered my new favorite way to have green beans fresh from the garden. In the past, bacon or ham would always accompany my garden beans and they would cook forever in a crock pot. The long cook time removes just about anything healthy a green bean has going for it. Add the ham or bacon and it should no longer be considered a vegetable!
Sauteed Green Beans
1 lb fresh green beans
1 Tbsp olive oil
Garlic powder & onion powder to taste
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add beans and boil for 3 minutes. Drain. Add beans to olive oil and seasoning in skillet. Saute until they start to turn golden brown.
YuMmY! Green beans are very low in calories and super high in many nutrients and minerals. This short cook time keeps them intact. They turn out tender crisp and delicious!
Sauteed Green Beans
1 lb fresh green beans
1 Tbsp olive oil
Garlic powder & onion powder to taste
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add beans and boil for 3 minutes. Drain. Add beans to olive oil and seasoning in skillet. Saute until they start to turn golden brown.
YuMmY! Green beans are very low in calories and super high in many nutrients and minerals. This short cook time keeps them intact. They turn out tender crisp and delicious!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Ravioli Soup
I love making soup! Really , any one pot meal is right up my ally. Who says "you can't have soup in the summer"? Turn on the a/c and enjoy!
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large green onion - chopped
5 cloves of garlic - minced
1 cup Baby Bella mushrooms - sliced
1 28oz can All natural Red Pack tomatoes with Oregano, Basil, and Garlic (low in sodium with only 90 mg per 1/4 cup serving)
1 32oz carton organic chicken broth
Cheyenne pepper, oregano, basil, and rosemary to taste (these 4 spices are in the top ten of healthiest spices and herbs. I am using them in everything these days!
1 bag ricotta filled ravioli (part skim ricotta cheese is very low in sodium at about 65mg per serving)
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
Saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil until almost done. Add tomatoes, broth and spices. Bring to a boil, add ravioli and cook for 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 3 minutes.
I love this soup because it's super easy. You wouldn't know it but the end sodium content is only at about 300mg per bowl if the pot is divided in 8 servings!
Ravioli Soup
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large green onion - chopped
5 cloves of garlic - minced
1 cup Baby Bella mushrooms - sliced
1 28oz can All natural Red Pack tomatoes with Oregano, Basil, and Garlic (low in sodium with only 90 mg per 1/4 cup serving)
1 32oz carton organic chicken broth
Cheyenne pepper, oregano, basil, and rosemary to taste (these 4 spices are in the top ten of healthiest spices and herbs. I am using them in everything these days!
1 bag ricotta filled ravioli (part skim ricotta cheese is very low in sodium at about 65mg per serving)
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
Saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil until almost done. Add tomatoes, broth and spices. Bring to a boil, add ravioli and cook for 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 3 minutes.
I love this soup because it's super easy. You wouldn't know it but the end sodium content is only at about 300mg per bowl if the pot is divided in 8 servings!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Oh no, that wasn't me...I'm a lady!
Vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fiber......Oh my! My research has turned up a few ways to naturally conquer the gas problem that comes along with eating lots of fresh produce and fiber. My favorite so far is Sleepy Time Tea by Celestial Seasonings. It contains 2 herbs that help prevent gas, chamomile and spearmint. I have learned that carminative herbs are herbs that soothe the stomach wall and reduce the production of gas in the digestive tract. Caraway, cardamon, celery seed, chamomile, cinnamon, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, parsley, peppermint, sage, and thyme are some examples of carminative herbs. I've since started useing alot of these types of herbs in my cooking. I do think that gas production is down:)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Forget deli lunchmeat, roast a chicken!
Food prep has become a huge part of my life. Sure, they have "convenient, pre-made" all natural low sodium food out there but our budget doesn't allow for that kind of easy! Therefor, just about everything is made from scratch. Put my in a bonnet and I'd fit right in back in the old'n days. :) For us, the only way to make this work is to have a variety of things prepared and ready to go for the week. I'm an Educational Assistant for my kids school district. While it's easier now that I have the summer off, during the school year was a different story. I would spend a good chunk of Sunday just preparing food for the week. Most of it was for lunches since we all pack for school and work. Here are some yummy tips & ideas!
One of the first things I did was change bread. I have been buying wheat for years but since most bread has high fructose corn syrup in it we switched to Nature's Pride. It is one of the few bread brands I have found that is all natural. They also make hamburger and hot dog buns. It goes on sale for 3 for $5 at Marc's quite often. Acme only carries the hamburger buns and they are over by the deli case.
Juice boxes for the kids - We switched from Capri Sun to Apple & Eve Fruitables fruit & vegetable juice. This is an all natural brand that contains less sugar then Capri Sun's. We can get a case of 36 at Sam's Club for about $9. That's very comparable to Capri's Sun.
Iced Green Tea - (another one of those things that have endless health benefits!) For a 1 gallon pitcher, I use 8 tea bags & 6-8 packets of Stevia (Stevia is a plant that tribes in Paraguay have been using for centuries as a sweetener. It has no impact on blood sugar levels, can help lower blood pressure, and helps promote gum health by acting as an antibacterial that kills the germs that causes gum disease.) Both Green Tea and Stevia break down to an alkaline end product in your body. Google "your bodies pH balance" for more info on alkaline vs acidic.
Mid morning snacks - Even with a nice bowl of oats for breakfast, by 10am I'm starving. I found this mix to be SOOOOOO filling that I packed it everyday. Raw almonds, lightly salted sunflower kernels, & dries cranberries.
Harb boil a whole dozen eggs for snacking or to add to a salad
Chicken & Fruit Salad
4 cups roasted chicken
1 cup red seedless graped - cut in half
1 cup chopped apples - skin on
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 chopped almonds
1/2 ground flax seed
oregano, basil, pepper, & paprika to taste
2 Tbsp mustard
Just enough Hellman's all natural mayo to lightly coat everything
Preheat oven to 375degrees. Place 4 split all natural chicken breasts on a rack in a roasting pan. Lightly coat with olive oil. Season with oregano, basil, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, and rosemary. Roast uncovered for 45 minutes or until internal temp is 170degrees. If the breasts are not the same size, check the smaller ones sooner to prevent them from drying out. Let cool, remove skin, & chop. Mix with remaining ingredients and refrigerate. Serve cold.
Ants on a log - A favorite because I am a peanut butter-aholic. I'm not going to lie...I eat peanut butter right out of the jar. Sadly, before we switched to Smart Balance, my daily intake of hydrogenated oils from Peter Pan was through the roof. Ants on a log can be made up and stored in a sealed container for easy snacking.
Spread peanut butter evenly on a stalk of celery, cover with raisins. Flax seed and or wheat germ can be mixed with the peanut butter for added nutrition.
Add some fresh fruit and veggies with alittle Kraft Tuscan House Italian for dipping and call it a wholesome day's worth of food! I have found that the all natural foods we now eat are so much higher in fiber and protein that I am not eating nearly as much. Did I mention I've now lost 20 pounds!
One of the first things I did was change bread. I have been buying wheat for years but since most bread has high fructose corn syrup in it we switched to Nature's Pride. It is one of the few bread brands I have found that is all natural. They also make hamburger and hot dog buns. It goes on sale for 3 for $5 at Marc's quite often. Acme only carries the hamburger buns and they are over by the deli case.
Juice boxes for the kids - We switched from Capri Sun to Apple & Eve Fruitables fruit & vegetable juice. This is an all natural brand that contains less sugar then Capri Sun's. We can get a case of 36 at Sam's Club for about $9. That's very comparable to Capri's Sun.
Iced Green Tea - (another one of those things that have endless health benefits!) For a 1 gallon pitcher, I use 8 tea bags & 6-8 packets of Stevia (Stevia is a plant that tribes in Paraguay have been using for centuries as a sweetener. It has no impact on blood sugar levels, can help lower blood pressure, and helps promote gum health by acting as an antibacterial that kills the germs that causes gum disease.) Both Green Tea and Stevia break down to an alkaline end product in your body. Google "your bodies pH balance" for more info on alkaline vs acidic.
Mid morning snacks - Even with a nice bowl of oats for breakfast, by 10am I'm starving. I found this mix to be SOOOOOO filling that I packed it everyday. Raw almonds, lightly salted sunflower kernels, & dries cranberries.
Harb boil a whole dozen eggs for snacking or to add to a salad
Chicken & Fruit Salad
4 cups roasted chicken
1 cup red seedless graped - cut in half
1 cup chopped apples - skin on
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 chopped almonds
1/2 ground flax seed
oregano, basil, pepper, & paprika to taste
2 Tbsp mustard
Just enough Hellman's all natural mayo to lightly coat everything
Preheat oven to 375degrees. Place 4 split all natural chicken breasts on a rack in a roasting pan. Lightly coat with olive oil. Season with oregano, basil, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, and rosemary. Roast uncovered for 45 minutes or until internal temp is 170degrees. If the breasts are not the same size, check the smaller ones sooner to prevent them from drying out. Let cool, remove skin, & chop. Mix with remaining ingredients and refrigerate. Serve cold.
Ants on a log - A favorite because I am a peanut butter-aholic. I'm not going to lie...I eat peanut butter right out of the jar. Sadly, before we switched to Smart Balance, my daily intake of hydrogenated oils from Peter Pan was through the roof. Ants on a log can be made up and stored in a sealed container for easy snacking.
Spread peanut butter evenly on a stalk of celery, cover with raisins. Flax seed and or wheat germ can be mixed with the peanut butter for added nutrition.
Add some fresh fruit and veggies with alittle Kraft Tuscan House Italian for dipping and call it a wholesome day's worth of food! I have found that the all natural foods we now eat are so much higher in fiber and protein that I am not eating nearly as much. Did I mention I've now lost 20 pounds!
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