My Third Blogiversary

It is my 3rd Blogiversary and what a fun ride it has been. I am actually amazed that I have lasted this long as I thought I would run out of ideas within a few months. I might not post as often, but thankfully I am still able to keep going after a bit of scratching around in books and in files on my hard drive.

I want to thank all those great bloggers who take the time to visit. Whether it's for a quick read, to drop a card or taking the time to leave a comment, I still get thrilled every day when seeing who has popped by and I do try to reciprocate and visit them all. I must also thank those who have added me to their blogrolls as that does generate like minded visitors. Thanks guys.

Thanks need to go to those great chefs on the internet from whom I cadge recipes for this blog. I cannot give my own recipes as my meals are made up of whatever organic veggies and other ingredients I am lucky to find that week. Plus I hardly ever measure most ingredients. Probably why I never became any good at baking!

I also thank the owners of the blogging programs where the majority of my visitors originally come from (very few come via search engines despite what the gurus keep saying). I belong to many, some since I started and some quite recently. To name just a few of the many that come to mind, Technorati , Blog Explosion , BlogVillage , FuelMyBlog , BlogCatalog , MyBlogLog, and recently Facebook's NetworkedBlogs.

Thanks again.

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Celebration Raw Chocolate Cake
From The Best of Raw Food
Serves 10

Ingredients for the crust:
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup carob
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1/3 cup agave syrup
1/4 cup coconut or cacoa butter
Pinch of sea salt

For the chocolate filling
2 cups cocoa powder
1.5 cups agave syrup
1 cup coconut or cacao butter
1 tbsp Vanilla extract (optional)
1 tbsp Lucuma Powder (optional)
1 tsp Maca Powder (optional)

For garnishing:
Strawberries, raspberries, or oranges for garnishing.

Crust:
Combine and mix all ingredients. You can best do this by hand or standing mixer). It should have a dough-like consistency. Press the dough evenly into a 7 inch tart pan. (A removable bottom, a plastic cling wrap lining or one of these new flexible silicon pans are easiest.) Chill in the fridge for at least an hour if you have time.

Filling:
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Poor into the cake crust. Put the cake back in the fridge and chill for at least another hour.

Before serving, decorate the cake with the berries, orange or other nice looking fruit.

Technorati Tags: raw chocolate cake the+vegan+diet Blogiversary

Vitamin C Turunkan Kadar Asam Urat

VITAMIN C ternyata tak hanya bagus untuk memperbaiki kondisi tubuh usai operasi atau saat lemah, melainkan juga baik bagi mereka yang menderita penyakit asam urat atau gout, satu bentuk rematik yang menyebabkan munculnya peradangan pada sendi-sendi.

"Asupan vitamin C menyediakan pilihan lain yang bermanfaat dalam mencegah penyakit asam urat," jelas Dr. Hyon Choi dan koleganya dari universitas British Columbia di Vancouver, Kanada.

Korban-korban penyakit gout memiliki ciri biasanya berusia 40-an atau lebih dan pria, meski kadang juga wanita. Vitamin C dikatakan para ahli ini dapat menurunkan kadar asam urat dalam darah.

Gout, merupakan penyakit yang dapat menyebabkan kerusakan permanen pada sendi dan terkait dengan penyalahgunaan alkohol, kegemukan, tekanan darah tinggi dan diet tinggi daging serta keju.

Di Amerika Serikat, penyakit ini nyaris menyerang sekitar 3 juta warga. Sebuah observasi atas 47.000 pria Amerika dari tahun 1986 hingga 2006 dengan beragam masalah kesehatan menemukan bahwa setiap 500 mg vitamin C yang dikonsumsi menurunkan risiko terkena gout hingga 17 persen.

Sementara itu. sekitar 70 mg vitamin C dapat Anda peroleh dari sebuah jeruk. Konsentrasi lebih tinggi dapat diperoleh dari pil suplemen.

Risiko makin berkurang hingga 45 persen bagi mereka yang mengonsumsi Vitamin C 1.500 mg per hari dibanding mereka yang mengonsumsi 250 mg per hari, kata tim yang dikepalai Choi yang sekarang mengajar di Universitas Boston, Amerika Serikat.

Sumber : Yahoo!Health"

Vitamin C Turunkan Kadar Asam Urat

VITAMIN C ternyata tak hanya bagus untuk memperbaiki kondisi tubuh usai operasi atau saat lemah, melainkan juga baik bagi mereka yang menderita penyakit asam urat atau gout, satu bentuk rematik yang menyebabkan munculnya peradangan pada sendi-sendi.

"Asupan vitamin C menyediakan pilihan lain yang bermanfaat dalam mencegah penyakit asam urat," jelas Dr. Hyon Choi dan koleganya dari universitas British Columbia di Vancouver, Kanada.

Korban-korban penyakit gout memiliki ciri biasanya berusia 40-an atau lebih dan pria, meski kadang juga wanita. Vitamin C dikatakan para ahli ini dapat menurunkan kadar asam urat dalam darah.

Gout, merupakan penyakit yang dapat menyebabkan kerusakan permanen pada sendi dan terkait dengan penyalahgunaan alkohol, kegemukan, tekanan darah tinggi dan diet tinggi daging serta keju.

Di Amerika Serikat, penyakit ini nyaris menyerang sekitar 3 juta warga. Sebuah observasi atas 47.000 pria Amerika dari tahun 1986 hingga 2006 dengan beragam masalah kesehatan menemukan bahwa setiap 500 mg vitamin C yang dikonsumsi menurunkan risiko terkena gout hingga 17 persen.

Sementara itu. sekitar 70 mg vitamin C dapat Anda peroleh dari sebuah jeruk. Konsentrasi lebih tinggi dapat diperoleh dari pil suplemen.

Risiko makin berkurang hingga 45 persen bagi mereka yang mengonsumsi Vitamin C 1.500 mg per hari dibanding mereka yang mengonsumsi 250 mg per hari, kata tim yang dikepalai Choi yang sekarang mengajar di Universitas Boston, Amerika Serikat.

Sumber : Yahoo!Health"

Steel Cut Oats...

So, this isn't technically a recipe, more like an idea- but a friend of mine asked me the other day what I eat for breakfast, she was in a breakfast funk! So, I told her about my latest favorite quick & easy breakfast. You can buy steel cut oats anywhere, but I found my favorite brand of quick cooking oats and you guessed it- it's from Trader Joe's! I love this option because it's chunkier than oatmeal (not as mushy) yet it's filling and healthy!

Directions:

Boil 3/4 cups water, add 1/4 cup oats (just like the directions on the container) and I add a handful of raisins, and/or some bits of apple. Cover and let cook for 5-7 minutes, until it reaches the consistency that you like, I stir mine every once in awhile to keep it from sticking to the bottom. You can add some sprinkled brown sugar or a healthier option: honey and some cinnamon. 

 

Breakfast Strata....

How about a little menu for breakfast items- the next few entries will be a few everyday items and some special occasion items. Here we go, for starters, this delicious breakfast strata, great for big groups like showers and perfect for holidays like Christmas morning or EASTER BRUNCH! The best part, you get to make it the night before (in 10 minutes!) and then you are free the in the morning while it bakes away in the oven!

Ingredients:

8 slices of potato bread, cut into cubes (no crust)

8 cups diced ham

2 cups of shredded swiss cheese

8 eggs

2 cups of milk

4 tbsp. melted butter

1/2 tsp. dry mustard (you can use regular mustard if you don't have dry)

s & p to taste

Directions:

Butter a 9x13 dish, layer it with bread, then sprinkle the ham over top, then the cheese. In a bowl whisk the eggs, butter, mustard, and S & P. Pour that mixture over the top of the dish. Cover the dish and refrigerate it over night. In the morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake it for 50 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serve with: fresh fruit and juice!

Marinated Flank Steak...

OK, this is a fabulous way to serve a large steak to a group (anywhere from 4-12). It's a family favorite of the Zaballos' and we often have it for special occasions. It's very simple- marinate and BBQ! The longer you marinate it, the more flavor it will have. Minimal marinating: 2 hours on the counter top or 8 hours in the fridge- BUT for the most flavor- I marinate it overnight in the fridge for at least a day, but up to 3 days!!!! It's soooooo good!

Ingredients:

2-3 lb flank steak (I buy mine at Costco, great prices- use one, freeze the other) 

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup soy sauce

1 tsp. fresh ground ginger (the kind in the jar)

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup pineapple juice (I keep a 6 pack of little pineapple juice cans in the pantry!)

Directions:

Pour all these ingredients into a bowl and whisk them together. Pull out your flank steak, I like to cut mine into steaks (about 4-5 peices from each flank) and then put them into a ziplock bag. Pour the marinate over the steaks, seal it up, and pop it in the fridge. (seem time range above), I like to marinate mine over night. Every few hours, I open the fridge and turn the steaks over and shake up the bag. When you are ready, BBQ it over medium heat, let it cool for about 5 minutes, then slice it into 1 inch stripes. Enjoy!

Is Nicotine Patch really safe? | I Love My Health!

Is Nicotine Patch really safe? | I Love My Health!: "Nicotine patches appear to be safe aide for smoking cessation, even among patients with coronary artery disease and active ischemia, finds a study by Methodist DeBakey Heart Center researchers.

In this prospective, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 55 participants who had a greater than nine percent ischemic perfussion defect size ( based on SPECT scan) and who smoked over 20 cigarettes per day were randomly required to receive eight 21 mg nicotine patches or placebo patches while continuing to smoke."

Is Nicotine Patch really safe? | I Love My Health!

Is Nicotine Patch really safe? | I Love My Health!: "Nicotine patches appear to be safe aide for smoking cessation, even among patients with coronary artery disease and active ischemia, finds a study by Methodist DeBakey Heart Center researchers.

In this prospective, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 55 participants who had a greater than nine percent ischemic perfussion defect size ( based on SPECT scan) and who smoked over 20 cigarettes per day were randomly required to receive eight 21 mg nicotine patches or placebo patches while continuing to smoke."

Balsamic Vinegarette..

Here's a great recipe for a simple, light, low fat salad dressing that you can use as a staple or make in a pinch because you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen! I usually double it when I make it so it lasts for a while.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. garlic powder or one fresh clove of garlic

1/8 tsp. pepper. 

Put it in a jar, give it a shake, refrigerate it and serve with any salad!

Cupcakes!!!

So, recently my daughter turned 1 and I had a blast making her birthday cupcakes. I've had a few people ask me how I did it, and you will be happy to know it was SUPER easy! So, here's some quick tips if your are looking for a way to personalize and top-off your yummy little treats, thanks to ideas from "Hello Cupcake".

To start, I melted some milk chocolate chips in the microwave and then spooned them into a pastry bag (you could easily use a zip lock bag with the corner snipped and a thin metal pipping tip).

I lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper, then went to town making e's everywhere! ( I experimented with different sizes and styles on a paper towel first!)

After the sheet was full of letters, I doused them in little round sprinkles. **Hint, roll the sheet around and trap them all in the bottom corner to "reuse" some of your sprinkles.
Then I popped them into the fridge to harden. I would keep them in the fridge until right before you are going to apply them to the cupcake because they soften up quickly.
Frost your cupcakes, and while the frosting is still tacky, use a spatula to pop the letters off the tray and use your fingers to gently place them on top of the cupcakes. If you want the sprinkled edging around the sides of the cupcakes, pour some sprinkles onto a plate and roll the cupcakes on their side all the way around BEFORE putting the letters on top.
And your done! Here's the finished product, you could get really creative with this- the possibilities are endless! Happy cupcaking!

Obesity and heart transplantation

Being obese should not deny a patient having heart transplantation, say a lecture presented during the 56th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.

Guidelines for listing candidates for heart transplant were recently revised to include obesity ( BMI greater than 30kg/m2) as a potential reason for denial. However, the supporting evidence for the recommendation was very weak, so that researchers from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York examined if there was indeed a link between pre-heart transplant BMI and post-transplant survival using data from United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

In this study, experts looked at more than 18000 first-time adult transplant recipients between 1995 and 2005. Subjects were divided into standard BMI categories: underweight, normal, overweight, obese, severely obese and morbidly obese.

Findings from the study showed that while the normal weight patients had the best survival (10.1 years), there was no statistical difference in the survival after transplantation among obese patients (9.6 years) and among the less severely overweight patients (9.7 years).

The findings, according to Dr. Mark Russo, lead researcher of the study, do not support the recommendation, but that, to the contrary, it shows that obese patients do not face an increased risk of death after transplantation.

all copied from http://ilovemyhealth.blogspot.com

Obesity and heart transplantation

Being obese should not deny a patient having heart transplantation, say a lecture presented during the 56th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.

Guidelines for listing candidates for heart transplant were recently revised to include obesity ( BMI greater than 30kg/m2) as a potential reason for denial. However, the supporting evidence for the recommendation was very weak, so that researchers from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York examined if there was indeed a link between pre-heart transplant BMI and post-transplant survival using data from United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

In this study, experts looked at more than 18000 first-time adult transplant recipients between 1995 and 2005. Subjects were divided into standard BMI categories: underweight, normal, overweight, obese, severely obese and morbidly obese.

Findings from the study showed that while the normal weight patients had the best survival (10.1 years), there was no statistical difference in the survival after transplantation among obese patients (9.6 years) and among the less severely overweight patients (9.7 years).

The findings, according to Dr. Mark Russo, lead researcher of the study, do not support the recommendation, but that, to the contrary, it shows that obese patients do not face an increased risk of death after transplantation.

all copied from http://ilovemyhealth.blogspot.com

Something GREEEN! St.Patrick's Day Soup!

Hey, this isn't the official St. Patrick's Day dish, but it is yummy, delicious and SUPER EASY... and GREEN- what could be better this Tuesday night for St. Patrick's Day dinner???? SPLIT PEA SOUP! I have had many a'bowl of split pea, and this recipe is the best, thanks to my mom, Debbie Doo- and it's so easy, almost nothing to it!

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion

2-3 chopped carrots

3-4 chopped stalks of celery

1 large potato, or 2-3 small ones

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups dried green peas

6 cups chicken broth (or water if you want)

1 hamhock or pork bone

**1 cup diced ham cubes (if there is no meat on your ham bone)

Directions:

Get out a big ol' pot cuz you are going to make yourself some serious soup! Chop your onion, carrots, celery, potato, and press your garlic right into the pot. Wash and drain 2 cups of dried peas and add them. Next, put your hamhock in (ask your butcher for one if you don't see one out) then pour in your chicken broth until all the ingredients are covered with liquid. Bring your soup to a boil, once it boils, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for one hour. Take the bone out, and if it has meat on it, cut the meat off and add it back into the soup and discard the bone. If you have no meat on your bone, throw it away and add your cubed meat. Wha-la! You are done.. told you it was easy... easy as peas, split peas!

Serve with: warm french bread or a la carte- it's that hardy and that good!

NOTE: I think the best way to make this is when you have a left over ham bone with some meat on it (aka after a big feast or holiday dinner) but if that is not the case, just get a regular pork soup bone at the market, and buy a hunk of ham in the breakfast section of the meats and cut it up into cubes. Then add it towards the end since it's precooked.

REHEATING: If you are serving this as leftovers, it's wonderful, you might just need to add some liquid, be it chicken broth or water, because it tends to thicken as it sits.

Baked Penne & Roasted Vegetables....

Okay, it's been a while since I updated, and this is ONE of my FAVORITES- best pasta dish, hands down! I got the original recipe from my sister-in-law, but I tweaked it quite a bit so that the ingredients were things I actually had on hand- hope you like it!

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper

2 green zucchini

2 yellow squash

1 yellow onion

2 handfuls of cremini mushrooms

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. marjoram

1/8 tsp. thyme

Also:

1 lb. penne pasta

3 cups marinara sauce

1 cup peas

1 cup parmesan cheese

+ 1/4 cup parmesan to sprinkle on the top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Put on a pot of water to boil the pasta. Chop all your vegetables from the first list of ingredients, put them in a large bowl, drizzle the olive oil and seasoning on top, toss everything so that it's evenly coated. (Check your water, if it's ready, boil your noodles. You can under cook them a smidge because they will continue to cook when in the oven). Get a cookie sheet (I use parchment paper on my cookie sheet for easy clean up), spread all the veggies on it, and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes until they are roasted. Take them out, scoop them back into your big bowl, pour the cooked & drained noodles on top of that. Add your cup of peas, your marinara (I use the Vodka sauce from Trader Joe's, it's great in this recipe) and your cup of parmesan cheese. Mix that all together. Spray a 9x13 glass dish (or split it in two different dishes if you want) pour the pasta in and sprinkle your remaining parmesan cheese on top. Pop it back in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown on top. Enjoy- I know you will!!! 

Iron in a Vegan Diet

Many ask if I am anaemic as I do not eat red meat....I am not! You do not have to eat red meat , or any animal product for that matter, to get your daily iron requirement. There are many vegetable sources, for instance dark green leafy vegetables and dried beans contain more iron per calorie/kilojoule than meat.

Iron is required in the formation of red blood cells. Lack of iron leads to anaemia which even in a mild form can cause headaches, fatigue, dizzy spells and brittle nails. If not treated severe anaemia can even lead to angina and heart attacks. Iron is also required by the body's enzymes and the immune system for them to function efficiently. Suggested RDA for vegan men and post-menopausal women is 14 mgs per day and pre-meopausal women 33 mgs per day.

Iron comes in two forms, the easily absorbed heme iron and the less easily absorbed non-heme iron. The vegan plant based diet contains non-heme iron. This causes no problems as vitamin C vastly increases iron absorption therefore by adding fruit or veggies to an iron content food is all that is required. Cooking also increases the amount of available non-haem iron in vegetables. This fact does not affect raw vegans due to their high intake vegetables and fruit.

Another interesting fact on absorbtion is that that iron is stored in the liver and if your stores there are high, your body absorbs less iron and if low your body absorbs more. Note also that calcium and tannins reduce iron absorption so tea, coffee, and calcium supplements should be taken several hours before a meal.

If you opt for an iron supplement take the recommended dosage as too much iron can be dangerous. Take on an empty stomach. Some people have poor reactions to them so taking a "gentle iron" form is found much more preferable or taking a liquid iron tonic made up of extracts from fruit, veggies and herbs.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Iron supplements can also cause reactions with certain medicines so check with you pharmacist before taking them.

Examples of veggie iron content (mgs) :

Black beans, cooked - 1 cup - 3.6
Blackstrap molasses - 2 tsp - 2.4
Chickpeas, cooked - 1 cup - 3.2
Figs, dried - 5 med - 2.0
Green beans, boiled - 1 cup - 1.6
Lentils, cooked - 1 cup - 6.6
Oatmeal, cooked - 1 cup - 1.6
Peas, cooked - 1 cup - 2.5
Potato - 1 large - 3.2
Quinoa, cooked - 1 cup - 6.3
Romaine lettuce - 1 cup - 3.4
Soybeans, cooked - 1 cup - 8.8
Spinach, boiled - 1 cup - 6.4
Swiss chard, cooked - 1 cup - 3.7
Tahini - 1 tbsp - 1.4
Tempeh - 1 cup - 3.8
Thyme, dried, ground - 2 tsp 3.6
Tofu, firm 1 cup - 3.6
Tomato, ripe - 1 cup - 4.5
Turmeric, powder - 2 tsp - 1.9
Turnip greens, cooked - 1 cup - 3.2

So it is important to add iron foods daily. This is not hard as a simple bean recipe with fresh tomato sauce or a baby spinach salad with citus juice or fruit can be made in minutes.

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Iron Booster Fruit Smoothie
A great recipe from Smoothie Recipes (Australia)
Excellent for celiac’s and others who suffer from iron deficiency anaemia.

1 cup of apple juice (0.6)
1 cup of prune juice (3.0)
1 medium banana roughly chopped (0.3)
2 tsps Spirulina powder (Brands vary in Iron content) (1.8)
1 teaspoon of magnesium supplement powder * (Optional)
6 ice cubes

Blend and serve. Total Iron content 5.7 mg

*Those suffering from celiac disease may also have trouble with absorbing magnesium. Magnesium deficiency results in your muscles cramping and causes muscle spasms. This smoothie adds a supplement to boost magnesium levels.


Fresh Apple Muffins
From PCRM Recipe of the Week Newsletter
Makes 12 muffins (each containing 3.5mgs iron)

3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar or other sweetener
2 tsps baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups finely chopped green apple (about 2 medium to large apples)
1 1/2 cups fortified soy- or rice milk
2 tbsps cider vinegar
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
vegetable oil spray

Preheat oven to 375F/200C. Mix flour, sugar or other sweetener, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Put apples in a large mixing bowl and add non-dairy milk, vinegar, and molasses. Add flour mixture and stir until just mixed, then stir in raisins and walnuts, if using. Spoon batter into vegetable oil sprayed muffin cups, filling to just below tops. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until tops of muffins bounce back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven and let stand about 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container.


Wilted Spinach Salad with Chickpeas
From Martha Stewart

1 lb/4 cups/450 gms cherry tomatoes
1 lge can 19 oz/540 gms organic chickpeas
4 tbsps olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tbsps vinegar
1 lb/450 gms baby spinach
1/2 cup slivered black olives

Heat broiler. On a broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet, toss cherry tomatoes with chickpeas with one tablespoon olive oil; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Broil, tossing occasionally, until tomatoes are slightly charred, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and white-wine vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add baby spinach, hot vegetables, and black olives. Toss with vinaigrette (spinach will wilt slightly). Serves 4.

Technorati Tags: iron vegan+recipes vegan+health vegan+nutrition vegan+blogs