Fiery Caijun Shrimp with Vegetable Quinoa

No matter how hot and humid the season ,spicy foods always entice me. A summer drink like the water melon spritzer works best for me to cool off the heat after a spicy meal like such. The spicy Caijun Seasoning , commonly used in coastal Lousiania cooking, is pretty simple to put together,goes great on any kind of saute or grilling of seafood. One can serve the spicy shrimp with any kind of whole...

Super Salad Dressing and Why NOT OLIVE Oil

My new favorite oil is macadamia nut oil! This oil has a high smoke point of around 425 degrees Fahrenheit. This is much higher than that of olive oil. I never fry in olive oil, I only use macadamia or coconut oil; they don't break down to products that are unhealthy for the heart. Due to its chemical structure and high amount of unsaturated fats, heating olive oil = oxidative damage. Are you leaving...

Rhubarb Crisp and Fructose Facts

Dietary fructose is present primarily in sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, agave and fruit. Americans most frequently ingest fructose from sucrose (table sugar), which is 50% fructose and 50% glucose bonded together, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is about 55% fructose, honey is also 55% fructose. Agave, while 'natural' 90% fructose...NOT a health food! The average American in 1960 consumed...

OMEGA 3 Waffles

If you have Kellogg's Eggo Buttermilk Waffles in your freezer...throw them out and replace with these!Ingredients: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WATER, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL), EGGS, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SUGAR, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS...

ADOPTION: FIRST VIDEO OF OUR FAMILY

I have been waiting for years to experience this moment. All of my dreams lately have been consumed by my boys. Craig and I made the trip to Ethiopia on May 16th. We are back (with the flu!...the boys were sick, but still so sweet!) My favorite parts of the video is when Micah says "Momme-se" which is 'mommy' in his native language, and when he is playing with some children and when I walk in the...

Shallots Sambar

Wrapped in shiny purple peel ,the mild flavored shallots are said to be cross between sweet onions and garlic.Available in many varities ,shallots are rich in vitamin A, B, C and E.Regular consumption of shallots can reduce cholesterol levels and improve the blood circulation. Its very high concentration of flavonoids can reduce the risk of cardio-vascular diseases.Shallot's delicate flavor is a perfect...

Whatchamacallit Candy Bar

At my baby shower, we played the "poopie" diaper game...where you melt different candy bars in diapers and you pass them around to guess what candy bar it is. One of them was a WHATCHAMACALLIT. That game gave me a great idea! I could make these with Whey Crisps! WHATCHAMACALLITs have a peanut-flavored crisp inside with a layer of caramel and a milk chocolate coating.WHATCHAMACALLITs are a old-time...

Chocolate Nutella Cream Puffs and CHOLINE

Do you know anyone suffering from Alzheimer's? How is your memory? Do you only eat egg whites? If you are, you are skimping on an essential mineral called CHOLINE! Egg yolks are filled with this vital mineral. Choline is a chemical similar to the B-vitamins and serves many functions in our bodies:1. Composes the structure of cell membranes, the flexibility and integrity depend on adequate supplies...

Green Almonds Soba noodles stir fry

Spring special fruit,these tender tangy green almonds have a soft white almond and is completely edible. While the green almonds harvested in late summer have harder shell,with a more firm and brown almond in the core. Originating from Middle East and Mediterranean,these are also grown in California and can easily be spotted in Middle Eastern and other specialty stores,at an affordable price.Tender...

Chicory Root Sweetener

You are going to start seeing my recipes use Chicory Root (Oligosaccharides) instead of Truvia. It is a natural sweetener that has some very helpful properties. The Chicory Root is the root of a perennial plant. It dates back about 5000 years and the Romans believed it kept the blood pure.Chicory Root Benefits1. CHOLESTEROL: It decrease the levels of serum LDL cholesterol in the blood. 2. INFLAMMATION:...

BBQ Chicken Pizza and DEPRESSION Facts

Why don't I eat gluten? Well, for many reasons, but for one, my mood has increased a lot. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Have you put flour and water together to make your own gooey paste? In Poland, they use this for wallpaper paste. I’m not putting that “gummy” paste in my body; it causes way too much inflammation. After the digestive tract, the most commonly affected...

Mango chocolate chip Ice cream, it's dairy-free!

As the weather starts to heat up ,it always tempting to grab a cool treat. Stock up the refrigerator with such nutritious fruity home made ice cream which make best thirst quenching snacks. The best part about a home made ice cream is you control every ingredient that goes in the recipe , use your favorite fruit of the season , a better healthier substitute to sugar,raw eggs and heavy cream.Thanks...

Ice Cream Cone and ADHD

Next time you serve your kids an ice cream cone...remember this:NO one wishes harm on their children, but if you feed them trans-fats, you are unknowingly setting them up for severe health issues. This is because trans-fats in foods are like BIG SUV's trying to park into a "compact" parking spaces of our cells that are reserved for healthy Omega 3 fats (DHA). When this happens, our neurotransmitters...

Crackers and FACTS on Gestational DIABETES

During pregnancy, women become even more sensitive to carbohydrates due to an evolutionary adaption in which they become slightly insulin resistant to allow a positive flow of nutrients to the developing fetus through the placenta. If the mom was more insulin sensitive than the fetus we could end up in a nutrient shortage situation. Biology fixes this problem by making mom a little insulin resistant,...

Eggplant French Fries

SMOKED CHICKEN and EGGPLANT FRIES!I'm not a fan of chicken; it is often too dry for my liking. BUT we just got a smoker and OH MY! Smoked chicken is SO good! The flavor is unbeatable! Click HERE to find the one I use.Smoking meats is one of the most natural (Paleo) ways to prepare meats. Happy Eating!2 eggplants2 cups ground almondsCayenne pepper to tasteSalt and pepper to taste2 eggs, beatenCoconut...

Portabella Pizza

What type of marinara sauce are you using? Does it have soybean oil or olive oil? Does it have sugar? After much searching, I have found Mario Batali's brand being a good store bought option. Here's to a healthy gut-flora!2 large portabella mushrooms1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (freshly shredded)1/4 cup no sugar marinara (Mario Batali brand)1 Bolinski Organic Chicken Sausage (Italian)2 TBS sliced black...

Baked Ricotta Cheese and Coconut Khalakhand

Khalakhand or Qalaqand , is one of the most celebrated delicacies in the Indian subcontinent. My recipe here uses low fat Ricotta cheese in addition with shred coconut ,the milk powder adds firmer texture ,sweetened with condensed milk and hint of aromatic cardamom ,this recipe is incredibly simple and easy when compared to the elaborate traditional method. My sister shared this idea of baked ricotta...

Ranch Dressing and Facts on Vitamin D

Are you using fat free salad dressing? Well, did you know that vitamins A, D, E and K are FAT-SOLUBLE vitamins? You can't absorb these vitamins without a fat, which is why fortifying skim milk with vitamin D is a waste of money! I have so many clients deficient in vitamin D. Could our low fat diets be the problem? Taking a vitamin d supplement with a bowl of cereal and skim milk will NOT let the vitamin...