The Whats And Hows Of A Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salads are, indeed, extremely delicious. Once you squeeze them into your mouth, you just can't stop doing so. They are just so delicious; you just can't get enough of them. Why is that? What is in these savory salads that make them taste so good?

Just so you would know, macaroni salads are made with cooked elbow macaroni pasta that are often served cold and usually done so with mayonnaise. It is oftenly served with the accompaniment of barbecue or other entrees served in a picnic.

And just like all the other salads, there are also regional or national variations in preparing a macaroni salad. For instance, in Australia, they have given the term Pasta Salad to macaroni salads due to the fact that it is made with shell pasta pieces, which are cooked, and can also be bought from various grocery stores.

However, if you would rather prefer making your own homemade macaroni salad, the better, for it will then have that personal taste. The ingredients you will be needing are not hard to find and the procedure of making it is not hard to follow and do as well.

You just need six eggs that you must hard-boil earlier in the day; one and a half diced ham, which you have cooked earlier; a half cup of diced celery; two cups holding macaroni that you have already cooked prior to this procedure; one chopped sour pickle, no problem looking for this one for almost all pickles have a sour taste; mayonnaise of any brand that you prefer; ¼ cup of chopped stuffed olives; salt and pepper to serve as the tasty condiments; and also different kinds of salad greens like lettuce, cabbage, and other sorts of fresh greeny vegetables.

The procedure is very user-friendly, you just have to read well and focus as not to put in the wrong ingredient at the wrong time. Once you are done preparing the aforementioned ingredients, you can set your homemade macaroni salad on a nice bowl for beautification purposes. Just add mayonnaise so that your salad will moisten. Season your creation for a delicious taste, and for that grandeur finish, serve your self-made macaroni salad on fresh salad greens.

Macaroni salads are definitely easy to make and are, indeed, delicious. Therefore, do not prolong your stomach's agony and make that macaroni salad that your stomach has long been waiting for.

Vegetarian Recipes - Crepes with almonds

After growing up eating my grandmother's buttermilk pancakes, I am the last person you would think it is convinced that I do not care as pancakes. But this is not the case. Here is a recipe for really competitive classic breakfast foods with a Twist is super healthy. Try real maple syrup, agave nectar, strawberry jam or honey for a natural increase.

For a recipe yield of about 4 servings Almond Pancakes (two rather large pancakes each), followedInstructions.

Ingredients for making Almond Pancakes

3 cups soymilk Unsweetened Vanilla Westsoy

2.1 cup almonds, soaked and re-hydrate

1-2 teaspoons canola oil

4 floors total Medjool Dates

3 tablespoons agave nectar

1 cup whole wheat flour

1.3 Cup Spelt

2 teaspoons baking powder

can replace an entire Plum (an apple or a banana)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon flaxseed Arrowhead MillsSeed

Optional:

Blueberries, berries or banana

Natural Earth Balance Buttery Spread non-hydrogenated

First mix all the dust (flour and yeast) in a large bowl, sift together and set aside.

Next put the almonds, dates, oil, agave nectar, plum, vanilla, flax seeds and about 1 / 2 cup of soy milk in a blender and mix well. Add soy milk less at this stage helps the processor to chop the ingredientssmoothly.

Mix liquid and dry ingredients together in large bowl, stirring until the mixture reaches a consistent, uniform texture and viscosity. Add the 1 January to 1 / 2 liter of soy milk, stirring until evenly incorporated. Add enough soy milk until the mixture reaches the desired consistency.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom of the pan lightly with canola oil. Add the berries of one or two handfuls of blueberries, bananas or mixed (to taste) for pastabefore digging in the pan for cooking. to an extra fun, add frozen blueberries to the mix, the heat for cooking and correct, but maintain their integrity in the pancake.

Bake in a pan until golden, or until the pancakes are to your liking, flip once on top of bubbles, and cook evenly on the second page. Serve with the recommended ingredients for healthy meal. Use a block to spread buttery flavor even more.

Pork Chops With Tomato Rice, Homemade Salad Dressing and a Bundt Cake All Diabetic Friendly

It's time to bring out the economical family recipes to help struggling families with their food budgets. Here is a menu that will allow you to feed your family without busting your food budget. We start with Pork Chops with Tomato-Rice. In this one dish you have your meat, grain, and a vegetable. Add Homemade Russian Salad Dressing to salad greens with a shredded carrot, and finish off your meal with a dessert of Applesauce-Raisin-Cinnamon bundt cake which adds fruit to your menu. There you have it--an easy, tasty, economical meal for your family. And the whole menu is diabetic friendly.

PORK CHOPS WITH TOMATO-RICE

4 thick pork chops
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 can (16oz) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

In a large, heavy, deep skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, brown chops on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and water; sprinkle with rice. Cover tightly and cook over very low heat for 50 to 60 minutes or until chops are tender. Add more water if necessary later in the cooking process.

HOMEMADE RUSSIAN SALAD DRESSING

1 cup olive oil
1 cup catsup
1 cup Splenda
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, chopped

Place all ingredients in blender jar. Pulse until well blended. Store in refrigerator in a cruet or jar with lid.

APPLESAUCE-RAISIN-CINNAMON CAKE

3 cups water, divided
1 1/4 cups raisins
2 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
3 eggs, beaten, or 3/4 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 cups Equal Sugar-Lite
1 cup canola oil
3 cups self-rising flour
3 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp vanilla extract
Non-stick vegetable oil spray

In a large heavy-duty saucepan, combine 2 1/2 cups water and the raisins; bring to a boil. Continue boiling until water is gone. Remove from the heat. Add applesauce, eggs, Equal, oil and remaining water. Stir to combine well. Sift together flour, cinnamon, and soda. Gradually add flour mixture to the applesauce mixture, stirring after each addition.

Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray. Spoon batter into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Cake should be cut into 28 thin serving slices. Diabetics should only eat one serving per day.

Enjoy!

Spicy Pumpkin Seeds for Halloween

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Halloween's just around the corner! Halloween means pumpkins and pumpkins mean baked pumpkin seeds. Yummy! Try this recipe for spicy pumpkin seeds. You'll love them and your guests and goblins will too.

They are so crunchy, delicious, and fun to eat. They're really easy to do, especially if you've just carved out a pumpkin.

So, don't throw those seeds away! Make this an opportunity to impress not only your friends but all the little gobblins in your life, too.

You can also buy pumpkin seeds if you aren't carving a pumpkin this year.

This is a great, healthy snack for Halloween, but you can also use these pumpkin seeds as a topping on salads or a dessert.

What you'll need:

- 2 cups pumpkin seeds (hulled)

- 1/4 cup water

- 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar

- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

- Dash salt

First things first: preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Then, combine water, the pumpkin pie spice, the brown sugar, and the salt in your choice of saucepan - medium sized is good.

Simmer the mixture over low heat for about 10 minutes making sure you stir it until all the sugar is completely dissolved.

Then, add your pumpkin seeds and cook them for about five minutes while stirring occasionally. You'll need to drain the seeds on a paper towel and then place them on a baking sheet.

Finally, bake the seeds for 10 to 15 minutes, turning them over by stirring them a little. When the seeds turn crispy, you know they are ready.

That's it! How easy is that? You can store the pumpkin seeds in an air tight plastic container until you are ready to use them. They are also very tasty right out of the oven.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of spiced pumpkin seeds.

For a variation, try substituting and equal measure of apple pie spice or a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice with a dash of cloves instead of the pumpkin pie spice. So yummy!

Nutrisystem Sample Menu - A Typical Day's Worth of Food on This Diet

I get a lot of emails asking me about the food offerings, taste, and variety of the Nutrisystem foods.  I understand this because when I was researching this diet, the food was what I was most interested in also.  After all, you're going to be eating this food at almost every meal (unless you go with the flex program) so it's important that you'll actually find it enjoyable or at least tolerable.  Because if you don't, it's just not going to be a positive experience that you'll want to repeat or stick with. So, in the following article, I'll list what would be a sample or typical menu for me so that you can see what a day might be like should you chose this diet.

Decent Amounts Of Variety, Decent Taste: Before I get into the actual meals, I want to take a minute to assure you that the food really is not that bad.  Most of it is not only edible, but actually pretty good. And the choices are pretty plentiful on Nutrisystem. There are over 170 foods to chose from, and much of them are comfort foods, snacks and desserts.  You really do get to eat pizza, burgers, tacos, and cake on this plan.  And while this fare doesn't exactly taste like junk food, it's decent enough and you have to appreciate being able to eat these things because not all diets would allow this.

Sample Nutrisystem Breakfast:  I think that breakfast is really composed of the best that this diet has to offer.  There are so many decent choices here.  I love the blueberry muffins and scones. The pancakes are decent too.  I don't like oatmeal as a general rule, but the diet oatmeal tastes a lot like Quaker brand, and the cereal is a nice option to have, as this is technically a low carb diet.  I suppose the only option that I steer clear of for breakfast is the eggs, but I don't like non diet eggs either.

Nutrisystem Mid Morning Snack Offerings:  The premise of this diet consists of three meals, one snack, and dessert.  I like to have my snack mid morning, but you could have it at any time.  I know a lot of people who have it at around 3 o'clock when they begin to get hungry for dinner.  I like to have the pretzels or the chips here.  You can also have some of the dessert foods as your snack, and although I will do this sometimes, I often try and stick to the salt for my snack rather than the sweet.

Nutrisystem Lunch Sample Menu: If there is a weakness of the  diet, the lunch is it, in my opinion.  There are just too many soup options and I don't like soup.  I finally wised up and learned to just order more dinners with my package.  This doesn't cost anymore and the company allows you to hand pick your foods.  However, if I did have to chose from the lunch foods, I'd go with the cheese tortellini or the fudge bar. The chicken salad isn't too bad either.

Typical Nutrisystem Dinner: The offerings become much better here.  There's a lot to like.  I find the pizza to be pretty good (I like the flat bread variety.) The macaroni and cheese and lasagna are also good.  The tacos require a little dressing up, but they can be made to be tasty.  The mushroom risotto is addictive and I would eat this even if I were not on a diet.  The texture on this is wonderful and very creamy.

Nutrisystem Dessert Choices: This too is where the diet shines.  There is not one option that I don't like in this category, but I'd have to say that my favorites are the almond biscotti and the chocolate cake. If I had to pick my least favorite, it would probably be the strawberry short cake bar as this really isn't like your traditional dessert, but this one is still pretty tasty. I just would rather they have made it an actual cake or muffin rather than a bar.

You would have the same menu if you you went with the flex plan.  The foods offered aren't any different. What's different is that you're only eating the foods five days out of the week rather than every day.  You get any two days off on the flex plan so it's the cheapest option out there.

Nutrisystem Sample Menu - A Typical Day's Worth of Food on This Diet

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I get a lot of emails asking me about the food offerings, taste, and variety of the Nutrisystem foods.  I understand this because when I was researching this diet, the food was what I was most interested in also.  After all, you're going to be eating this food at almost every meal (unless you go with the flex program) so it's important that you'll actually find it enjoyable or at least tolerable.  Because if you don't, it's just not going to be a positive experience that you'll want to repeat or stick with. So, in the following article, I'll list what would be a sample or typical menu for me so that you can see what a day might be like should you chose this diet.

Decent Amounts Of Variety, Decent Taste: Before I get into the actual meals, I want to take a minute to assure you that the food really is not that bad.  Most of it is not only edible, but actually pretty good. And the choices are pretty plentiful on Nutrisystem. There are over 170 foods to chose from, and much of them are comfort foods, snacks and desserts.  You really do get to eat pizza, burgers, tacos, and cake on this plan.  And while this fare doesn't exactly taste like junk food, it's decent enough and you have to appreciate being able to eat these things because not all diets would allow this.

Sample Nutrisystem Breakfast:  I think that breakfast is really composed of the best that this diet has to offer.  There are so many decent choices here.  I love the blueberry muffins and scones. The pancakes are decent too.  I don't like oatmeal as a general rule, but the diet oatmeal tastes a lot like Quaker brand, and the cereal is a nice option to have, as this is technically a low carb diet.  I suppose the only option that I steer clear of for breakfast is the eggs, but I don't like non diet eggs either.

Nutrisystem Mid Morning Snack Offerings:  The premise of this diet consists of three meals, one snack, and dessert.  I like to have my snack mid morning, but you could have it at any time.  I know a lot of people who have it at around 3 o'clock when they begin to get hungry for dinner.  I like to have the pretzels or the chips here.  You can also have some of the dessert foods as your snack, and although I will do this sometimes, I often try and stick to the salt for my snack rather than the sweet.

Nutrisystem Lunch Sample Menu: If there is a weakness of the  diet, the lunch is it, in my opinion.  There are just too many soup options and I don't like soup.  I finally wised up and learned to just order more dinners with my package.  This doesn't cost anymore and the company allows you to hand pick your foods.  However, if I did have to chose from the lunch foods, I'd go with the cheese tortellini or the fudge bar. The chicken salad isn't too bad either.

Typical Nutrisystem Dinner: The offerings become much better here.  There's a lot to like.  I find the pizza to be pretty good (I like the flat bread variety.) The macaroni and cheese and lasagna are also good.  The tacos require a little dressing up, but they can be made to be tasty.  The mushroom risotto is addictive and I would eat this even if I were not on a diet.  The texture on this is wonderful and very creamy.

Nutrisystem Dessert Choices: This too is where the diet shines.  There is not one option that I don't like in this category, but I'd have to say that my favorites are the almond biscotti and the chocolate cake. If I had to pick my least favorite, it would probably be the strawberry short cake bar as this really isn't like your traditional dessert, but this one is still pretty tasty. I just would rather they have made it an actual cake or muffin rather than a bar.

You would have the same menu if you you went with the flex plan.  The foods offered aren't any different. What's different is that you're only eating the foods five days out of the week rather than every day.  You get any two days off on the flex plan so it's the cheapest option out there.

Healthy Dinner Recipes For Vegetarian Lasagna

Are you sick and tired of trying to find healthy dinner recipes that your family will eat? Do your kids refer to the healthy food you cook them as 'seaweed?'

Well, you should know that there are tons of great recipes that are healthy and delicious. Here's one for vegetarian lasagna that the whole family will love. What you'll need -

* 2 26 ounce jars of organic pasta sauce

* 1 8oz package of whole wheat lasagna noodles

* 3 Tbsp Olive Oil

* 2 cloves garlic, crushed

* 1 large eggplant, chopped up

* 2 zucchini, sliced thinly

* 1 cup chopped mushrooms

* 3 Tbsp chopped oregano

* 1 12oz tub of low fat cottage cheese

* 1 8oz package of shredded low fat mozzarella cheese

You want to try and use organic foods as much as possible in your healthy dinner recipes. Organic foods are free of pesticides, hormones and harmful toxins. Here's how you make this delicious lasagna.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, drizzle your olive oil, and allow it to heat up. Then place your garlic in to saute a bit. After it's sizzling pretty well, you want to add your eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and place your lasagna noodles in it. Allow it to boil until your noodles are almost done. This will take around 30 minutes.

Continue to saute your vegetables until they are almost completely done. Then, you will layer your lasagna noodles, veggie mixture, pasta sauce, and cheeses in a large baking dish.

When you have used all of the ingredients, finish off with the last layer of cheese and sprinkle on the oregano. Instead of using salt for your healthy dinner recipes, find a great seasoning that will add flavor without the consequences. Enjoy!

Cooking Recipe - Fresh Greek Style Salad Recipe

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A salad is very quick to prepare. Most people have their own ideas of what to put into a salad. Some salads you may have seen do not look appetizing. They just look plain and boring. That is probably why many people in the western world don't eat enough of these healthy salads. Well, let's do our bit to change that. Here is a recipe for you that is the just opposite. It looks good, tastes good and it is really good for you.

We were camping with some friends and we decided to have a barbeque. We chose what meats to have but struggled to decide what to accompany them. My friend told me that when he went to Greece on holiday he really enjoyed their fresh salads. With the ingredients that he remembered we set about to duplicate the recipe. After we had finished preparing the salad it looked really appetizing.

Here is that recipe for you and I hope you enjoy your fresh Greek style salad as much as we did.

INGREDIENTS

(serves 4)

4 large tomatoes cut into wedges
1 large cucumber
2 large red peppers
1 red onion
Approx 16-20 green and black olives de-stoned
250g of good firm feta cheese
1 small handful of fresh parsley leaves
Approx 1 dozen fresh mint leaves
125ml of extra virgin oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 clove of garlic crushed

METHOD

Take the cucumber, peel it first and cut it in half, length ways. Take out the seeds and then cut into small cubes. Cut the red peppers across into slices. Remove all the seeds and pith. Finely slice the onion. Cut the feta cheese into small cubes. Once you have done this, place the tomatoes, cucumber, red peppers, onion, olives, feta in a large salad bowl. Add half the parsley and mint leaves. Gently mix together.

Put the olive oil, lemon juice and crushed garlic into a container with a lid. Add a little salt and pepper to season. Shake until mixed thoroughly. Pour the dressing over the salad. Gently turn over with a large spoon or spatula to cover the salad evenly with the dressing. Sprinkle the remaining parsley and mint leaves over the salad.

This recipe is a rich source of vitamins, minerals. It is also very good for your heart especially when using tomatoes, red peppers, olives and olive oil. The feta cheese is also a good source of vitamins and calcium. The reason being, it is made from goats milk. Therefore it has far less fat than cows milk which again is beneficial to the heart and weight watching. All fresh food and highly nutritious. Enjoy.

Vegetarianism - Is it Really a Big Deal?

I have been a vegetarian since birth if I can say and so are thousands of people who were born in Brahmin community like me. In Hinduism, we are divided into different groups originally based on profession. Brahmins were typically the educated ones and were expected to teach others and were also priests. As the society evolved, Brahmins took up wider professions like minister, banker, business etc. Some say that in the Vedic period Brahmins were allowed to eat the meat of sacrificed animals. Then with the spread of Buddhism and Jainism, in order to slow down the conversions to these religions, Ahimsa or non-violence was being spread as the key message of Hinduism as well. Following this, several Hindus, especially Brahmins became vegetarian and this was not a particularly difficult change because they were only allowed to have sacrificial meat anyway and not other meat so it was not a big part of their life. This is also not to say all Brahmins are vegetarian as some remained meat/fish eaters. As far as I am concerned, I mean no harm to animals and am a vegetarian. Now, why am I talking about Hinduism, Brahmins and vegetarian? Reason is that to me it is a bit of a surprise to see people being warned about the 'pitfalls' of becoming vegetarian while that has been the way of life for me and for my ancestors with no second thoughts. Also a quick look at where I come from may help you understand why I am surprised. If you have ever been to India, especially southern India, you will find more vegetarian restaurants than non-vegetarian and typically the non-vegetarian ones will say so explicitly on their name board. On the contrary I am yet to come across a vegetarian restaurant in the western world where I live.

Having spent some time in a western country, I do understand that meat is an important part of the diet and hard to let go off. So, for some, it is probably a big deal. Often people are warned against a vegetarian diet mainly because it is said to lack in protein. Proteins contain chains of amino acids which are converted into different kind of amino acid during digestion and absorption. Some amino acids can be secreted by the body but some are required from food. Plant foods are said to lack in at least one of these essential amino acids. However, it does not mean one cannot get enough protein being a vegetarian. It simply is a question of combining food - like combining grains with lentils and vegetables. It was interesting to read that some findings show that an excess protein intake can potentially lead to osteoporosis and kidney problems (remember your kidney has to work harder to absorb the amino acids). A well balanced vegetarian diet, in that way is said to give just enough protein. Even if you are not able to balance in a single meal, you can always achieve your balance in a day. For example, let us say you could not get enough protein in your lunch, you can always snack on some lentils and achieve the balance. In a vegetarian diet one obviously does not get the fat from the meat and also because most plants are fibrous, vegetarian diets are said to be more helpful to maintain a healthy weight.

Now if the issue of not getting enough protein is out of your way, what else could stop one from being vegetarian? Could it be 'limited' choice because most restaurants offer macaroni cheese and salad as vegetarian on their menu, or could it be fear of not treating the palate because vegetarian in bland? If it is either or both, I can assure you, it is a myth. While I cannot put more items on restaurant menus as I do not have control over them, I certainly can assure you that your menu list at home can be made really long. As far as taste and flavour goes, who said spices do not work on vegetables, grains and fruits? There is no limit to the kind of dishes you can prepare with even just a few ingredients.

By making healthy choices, you can very well be a vegetarian and enjoy eating. If you need any help or inspiration to create nice vegetarian dishes, do stop by my blog http://www.tastefullyveggie.blogspot.com/

Halloween Crafts For Kids

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Balloon Ghost: To make this fun Halloween decoration you will need a white balloon, scissors, white plastic grocery or garbage bags, tape, string and a black marker. Cut the plastic bags into strips leaving an uncut edge to hold the strips together. Blow up the balloon. Tape the cut up bags around the balloon to make the ghost's body. Make sure the balloon is upside down when you tape the bags on so that you have something to hang the ghost from. Draw a face on the balloon to make the ghost's head. Tie a string to the balloon and hang the ghost up.

Egg Carton Spider: For this craft project you will need an egg carton, googly eyes, scissors, pipe cleaners and crayons, markers, or colored pencils. Cut one section out of the egg carton. Poke four holes in each side of the cup with scissors. Put a pipe cleaner into each of the holes and bend them to look like spider legs. Draw a face on the spider with crayons, markers, or colored pencils.

Pompom Spider: Supplies needed for this craft are yarn, scissors, pipe cleaners, cardboard, glue and googly eyes. Cut yarn into a 2 foot long piece and a yard long piece. Cut a piece of cardboard into a 3 inch by 2 inch rectangle. Loosely wrap the yard of yarn around the cardboard piece. Take the yarn off the cardboard, being careful to make sure the loops stay together. Put 4 pipe cleaners on the yarn loops. Tie the yarn loops and pipe cleaners together tightly with the 2 foot piece of yarn. Cut the loops in half to make a pompom shape. Bend the pipe cleaners in the shape of spider legs. Glue googly eyes onto the spider.

Pasta and Beans Skeleton: This craft project is made with a piece of black construction paper, glue, dried beans and several types of pasta (small shells, wagon wheels, ziti, elbow macaroni, salad macaroni, spaghetti, spirals, etc.). Lay out the pasta and beans in the shape of a skeleton. Elbow macaroni is good for ribs. Spaghetti can be used as toes and fingers. Small shells or small beans make good joints. Lima beans are perfect for hips. After you are satisfied with the layout of your skeleton, glue it down.

Ghost Necklace: For this craft project you will need Elmer's glue, a small paper clip, googly eyes, wax paper and string. On wax paper, make a ghost shape out of your glue. Unbend the paper clip and reform it into a V. Stick the ends of the V into the glue at top of the ghost's head. Put googly eyes on the ghost's head. After a few days, the glue will turn completely clear. Peel it off the wax paper and thread your string through the paper clip to turn it into a necklace.

Jack-o-lantern Pinata: Make a perfect Halloween party item by gathering a balloon, newspaper, flour, water, a bowl, a pot, a wooden spoon, scissors, orange craft paint, a paintbrush and a black marker. Make papier-mâché glue by mixing 1/2 cup of flour into 1/2 cup of water. Then stir the flour and water mix into 2 cups of boiling water. Simmer for a few minutes. Let it cool. Take newspaper and tear into 1 inch wide strips. Dip strips of paper in the glue and wrap around the balloon. Repeat process, covering the entire balloon. Let a layer dry and then add another layer. It dry completely, then pop the balloon, and remove it. Cut a small hole in the top to put in the candy. Decorate with the orange craft paint and black marker, making a jack-o-lantern face. Hang the pinata and have a party!

Pasta and Pasta-Based Recipes

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Pasta is the Italian word for 'dough', derived from he Latin word pasta of the same meaning. Though these days it's used as a generic term for an Italian version of noodles made from a dough of flour and water (typically durum wheat flour) that can also contain eggs and various flavourings and colourings such as cheese and spinach.

When made the dough is typically passed several times through a series of rollers that progressively thin-out the dough making it elastic. The dough is then cut or shaped into various forms which can be cooked immediately in boiling water or which can be dried for storage.

Today there are over 350 distinct kinds of Italian pasta that range from large sheets such as lasagne to tiny pasta intended for soups, such as orzo.

Below is the recipe for creating your own home-made tagliatelle (ribbon pasta) using nettles to colour and flavour the pasta. You can substitute spinach for the nettles if desired or you can use a mix of 60ml olive oil and 40g grated Parmesan cheese or just add 60ml olive oil and more water to bind.

Nettle Tagliatelle

120ml nettle purée
360g durum wheat flour
2 eggs
generous pinch of salt
generous pinch of black pepper

Method:
Begin with the nettle purée. Take about 200g of nettle tips, add to a pan of boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove to a cloth and wring until dry. Tansfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Keep 120ml and freeze the remainder for later use.

Sift the flour onto a pastry board and add the nettle puree, salt and black pepper. Mix well then form a well in the centre and break the eggs into this. Knead the dough quickly with your hands to form a smooth ball. Cover with a cloth and set aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

At the end of this time divide the ball into three equal pieces and pass through the rollers of a lightly-floured pasts machine (number 3 setting) until you have obtained a smooth and elastic sheet. Now pass this sheet through the cutting blades to obtain tagliatelle that are not too wide. Spread these out onto a cloth and allow to dry at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Cooking this type of pasta is simplicity itself, just add it to a pan of well-salted boiling water and cook for 2 minutes then drain and serve.

To make lasagna just cut the pasta into oblongs from the long sheet you've made.

The next recipe is for a classic Italian pasta-based soup:

Potato and Pasta Soup

25g mixed dried pasta (eg. medium Macaroni, Conchiglie, Farfalle, 5cm lengths spaghetti etc)
1 large onion, chopped
450g chopped tomatoes, with juice
1 large potato, cubed
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Small amount of olive oil
Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, finely grated

Method:
Brown the onion slightly by frying in the olive oil. Add the tinned tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, cook the pasta and potatoes together in large pot. Drain some of the water (but leave enough so that pasta is covered). Add the tomato and onion mix to the pasta and potatoes and return to a simmer. Add the grated cheese into the pot, check the seasonings and serve in soup bowls, garnished with a sprig of basil.

Themed Parties Are No Longer Just For Kids!

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Have you ever attended a birthday party for a child and wondered why your own "grown up" parties are not as much fun? Children's parties always have an activity to do or a cool theme to get everyone in the party spirit. The adults are laughing and talking with each other. The kids are interacting with their friends. And everyone together is enjoying the activities and games!

Let's face it, your childhood years revolve around fun! As we get older, we lose touch with that important aspect of living. We fight through our day to day work and focus less on taking time to enjoy ourselves. Our free time is spent carting the kids around, catching up on errands and chores. We occasionally sneak in a night out with our adult friends or family, but that is usually just a dinner out or a cocktail hour at someone's house. We rarely get to revert back to those fun childhood years where we were the ones enjoying a themed party with plenty of activities and games to keep us entertained.

Well, that is not how our lives have to be. We work hard and we deserve to have some fun! There are plenty themed party options that cater to an adult crowd. Many include games and activities which are guaranteed to create endless fun and laughter. Ideas for a winter time party and a summer time party are listed below. Of course these can always be enjoyable anytime of the year! Just get a good gauge of your guest list and plan accordingly!

Casino Themed Party

A Casino Party is a great way for guests of all ages to get involved with a little friendly competition. It can be hosted any time of the year but it a great way to spark up those cold winter months! A Casino party can be as easy enough as calling a company to bring the tables and staff. They usually handle all the table/game set up. Many offer Black Jack, Craps, Roulette, and Poker on an official table, with hired dealers. Your guests can be experienced or inexperienced because the companies will provide a staff ready to educate any guests new to the Casino world. No real money is exchanged. Chips are used in place and distributed to all guests equally. You can choose to incorporate a prize for whoever has the most chips at the end of the night. It can go along with the Casino Party theme and include games, playing cards, even a Texas Holdem kit for example.

Extra decoration details like festive black and red colors to match the playing cards are an additional idea. You can also stick with the Casino Theme Party when planning your food and drink. Have the typical liquor drinks and beer choices one would order at a real casino. Include a buffet style food set up with traditional pastas, meats, seafood, and salads found at the famous casino buffet restaurants. Maybe even rent a soft serve ice cream machine and include a 'Ice Cream Bar'.

Having a staffed Casino Party allows you to join in on the fun and eliminate some of the hostess duties that come with other parties. Casino Themed Parties incorporate the good old childhood birthday parties that included games and prizes with a typical adult activity enjoyed by all!

Hawaiian or Beach Themed Party

A Hawaiian or beach themed party works well in the warm summer months. It gets your guests in the relaxed and fun environment that one experiences when sitting on a sandy beach. If possible, set up a bonfire outside with tiki torches around the yard. Include decorations like beach balls, beach towels, beach umbrellas and maybe even a sand box. Provide the guests with leis and grass skirts. And, have everyone wear their sunglasses!

Games and activity ideas for a Beach Themed Party are easy! Think back to when you were a child and what you did when you were at the beach. Paddleball, Water Gun fights, Sand Castle building contests, horseshoes are just a few suggestions. If you go with a Hawaiian Theme, you could also include a Hula dancing contest or a Limbo stick.

Food could be traditional barbecue style with hot dogs and hamburgers, corn on the cob, and macaroni or potato salad. And of course, have plenty of frozen drinks - daiquiris, rum runners, pina coladas are a few ideas!

We need to dedicate time to enjoy ourselves and get back to those fun filled childhood years. A Casino Themed Party or Beach Themed Party is a great way for adults to have an entertaining and exciting night!

Grandma Joy's Minestrone

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For our Super Bowl Party this year my mother made her famous Minestrone soup. My brother and I were at her house for the big occasion when she said, "this soup is so thick a spoon with stand up in it."

That's when I said, "let's test it out." You see the results in the picture at The proof is in the pudding, as the old saying goes. Click on the link below to see a silicone spatula standing straight as an arrow in the middle of that pot of soup.

Okay, it's thick, but what about the taste?? I guess you haven't tasted my mother's cooking or you wouldn't bother asking that question. This vegetarian soup is out of this world scrumptious.

It's what every good winter soup should be...thick, hearty and loaded with good stuff. Many Italian soups are light, broth soups with few ingredients, this is an exception.

Ready to get started...

Soak 2 cups dried navy beans in 10 cups of water overnight. The next day bring to a boil, add 1 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of black pepper, cover and simmer for one hour. Saute one cup diced onion and celery until soft, about 5-6 minutes, add 2 cloves garlic minced and saute an additional 2 minutes.

Add saute mixture to beans along with 2 1/2 cups canned tomatoes, 2 cups shredded cabbage and 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour. Add one cup sliced zucchini and 1 cup elbow macaroni, cook for an additional 20 minutes or until pasta is done. If the soup seems too thick add an additional 1/2 cup of water or chicken stock. To serve, ladle generous portions into your biggest soup bowls, finish with grated Parmesan cheese and a quick drizzle of your fruitiest olive oil. If you like it spicy hot add a teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes with the tomatoes, cabbage and parsley.

Serve with your favorite garlic bread for a heart warming dinner that's sure to please...I guarantee.

I tease my mother all the time by saying, "hey mom aren't you glad I taught you how to cook?" In reality it was her who got me started in the kitchen and for that I am very grateful. Thanks mom.

Remember, when your mom makes it, the first ingredient is love.

To see pictures of this soup tap here.

Nice Noshing!

Macaroni and Cheese, Dressed Up

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I'm not sure I've ever met a child who did not like macaroni and cheese. As a mom, it's a quick and easy lunch or dinner for the kids, but not a personal favorite to serve adults.

Here are several ideas to dress up plain old macaroni and cheese and turn it into a true family meal that even adults will enjoy.

Start from scratch. Home made macaroni and cheese beats the taste of a box and powdered cheese any time. Here's a simple recipe to create your base of macaroni and cheese:

1 package macaroni

1 c. grated Colby Jack cheese

1 c. grated Cheddar cheese

Sprinkle of flour

Boil your macaroni shells until soft. Place in a 9 x 13 inch pan and sprinkle enough flour to lightly cover your shells. Add grated cheeses over top. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour. Uncover for the last 5 minutes of baking.

You can add just about anything to this base. You can add ground meat, or ground turkey. You can add cut up hot dogs for the kids. You can add shredded chicken, and of course you can add any veggies you like. To make it simple add the frozen vegetable mixture. There are carrots, peas and corn in the simple mixtures.

Want some crunch for your macaroni and cheese? Add some meat to the mac and cheese and then put the mixture into a taco shell. Top with some lettuce and tomato and you have a very interesting taco.

If you enjoy spicy foods, try adding some spicy sausage to your macaroni and cheese. You can also add half a package of the hot taco seasoning mix for a macaroni and cheese with a kick. You can also add a teaspoon full of hot sauce to the casserole.

Have you ever made a 7 layer dip? Try using hot macaroni and cheese as your base. Then add sliced olives, sliced onions and diced tomatoes on top. Grab some tortilla chips and start dipping.

Have fun with your mac and cheese. Add whatever you have in the refrigerator and create your own wonderful combinations.

Super Salads - A Great Child Lunch Recipe Idea

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Some kids may not like salads but many do. If your child is anything like my 11 year old son, there is little else he likes more than taking a hearty salad to school.

Below are five of my son's favorite salad recipes - a pasta and bean salad I refer to as a Tex Mex Salad; our cold version of Pasta Primavera; a bean and bacon salad made with green beans; a broccoli and cauliflower salad with cheese and bacon; and a carrot, raisin and pineapple salad to ensure that he gets his daily quota of fruits and veggies.

I hope your child enjoys the following salad recipes as much as my son does. All the salad recipes are great made ahead the night before and are ideal for grown-up lunches as well.

Tex Mex Salad

1 cup small pasta (shells or macaroni)

1 mixed beans

1 can corn (or 1½ cup of frozen)

1/2 cup of each of green and red pepper

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup mild salsa

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. vinegar

1/2 cup Cheddar cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix together. Serve with nacho chips. Serves 4.

Pasta Primavera

2 cups pasta, small dried

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

¼ cup water

¼ cup frozen peas

¼ cup frozen corn

1 tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped

½ cup mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes

Salt and pepper

Boil pasta in sufficient water for about 10 minutes until tender. Drain and rinse in warm water. In a small saucepan, sauté olive oil, onions and garlic on medium-low heat for approx. 3 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes, frozen peas, corn and water. Sauté until heated through. Mix in cooked, drained pasta. Let cool. Toss in fresh basil and mozzarella. Portion out in individual containers and salt and pepper to taste.

Green Bean & Bacon Salad

3 cups cooked green beans

2 tbsp. bacon grease

3 slices crisp chopped bacon

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tbsp. sugar

1 medium onion, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

The secret to this recipe is to blend the ingredients with the freshly cooked beans while they're still hot and then chill prior to packing in your child's lunch. Serves 3 to 4.

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

2 cups each of broccoli & cauliflower, chopped

½ cup bacon bits

1 cup of grated Cheddar cheese

¼ cup minced red onion

1/3 cup of ranch or Caesar salad dressing

Combine ingredients. Mix well.

Carrot, Raisin & Pineapple Salad

2 cups carrots, grated

1 small can pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup mayonnaise or whipped salad dressing.

Combine ingredients. Chill and serve cold. Serves 3 to 4.

What's For Dinner? 30 Minute Menus For 2010 - 4th Edition

This is the 4th edition of the weekly 30-minute menus for 2010. These are published on a weekly basis; I like to develop the weekly menus on Thursday or Friday, grocery shop on Saturday, and start the week's menus on Sunday.

Winter is in full-force here in Atlanta; we move between rainy and very cold/clear weather. To help chase away the colds and flu the weather helps bring to us this time of year, the menus this week are hearty to keep everyone at your table warm on the inside.

To help with the budget during these tough times, I have included 'cook once - eat three times' menus. You family will not mind one bit because each menu is so different than the others; they won't even know your clever time-saving and budget-saving trick if you don't tell them!

You will find that I use several cooking methods, mix and match, to get dinner on the table quickly! (The ingredients in parenthesis show some of my quick-prep steps.) You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:
Eye of the Round Roast Beef with Peppercorn Sauce (crock pot, gravy mix; save some beef for Tuesday and Thursday)
Mashed Potatoes (frozen steamers)
Chop House Salad (jarred salad dressing)
Individual Boston Cream Tortes (purchased pound cake, instant pudding mix, prepared chocolate syrup)

Monday:
Spicy Redfish with Pineapple Slaw (bagged slaw mix, jarred slaw dressing, canned pineapple)
Herb and Mushroom Rice (boxed rice mix)
Chocolate Dipped Cookies and Berries (purchased cookies, chocolate morsels)

Tuesday:
Blue Cheese Encrusted Beef Stew (beef from Sunday; prepared pie crust, jarred beef gravy, canned potatoes and carrots)
Fresh Fruit Salad (prepared mayo)
Apple Dumplings a la Mode (purchased ice cream, prepared pie crust)

Wednesday:
Oven Fried Chicken (boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenders, seasoned coating mix for chicken)
Macaroni and Double Cheese (boxed macaroni and cheese dinner, shredded cheese)
Green Beans
Fresh Baked Cookies (take-and-bake cookies)

Thursday:
Mexican Beef and Cheese Soup (beef from Sunday; shredded cheese)
Tortillas with Guacamole Spread
Stacked Brownies (purchased brownies, ice cream, and chocolate syrup)

Friday:
Tortellini Rustica with Fresh Vegetables (vegetarian; prepared tortellini, grated Parmesan cheese)
Three Pepper Salad (jarred Italian salad dressing)
Quick Tortoni and Seasonal Berries (purchased coconut macaroon cookies and ice cream, frozen whipped topping)

Saturday:
Fiesta Chicken (boneless, skinless chicken breasts, Ro*Tel canned tomatoes)
Yellow Rice (boxed rice mix)
Mexi-Corn (canned corn)
Pear Salad (canned pears)
Banana Pudding (purchased vanilla wafers, instant pudding mix)

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation,
Elizabeth Randall and Family

The Elastic Chicken

We’ve all been there… an unexpected bill comes up or you have to drain your savings account for some emergency expenditure. Sometimes, things like this just happen and your food budget is usually the first to suffer because of it. Our family used to live in the country and we didn’t have the luxury of town water. One time our well went dry and we had to spend every penny we had to have another one dug. Of course, this new well had to be deeper than the first which meant the man who did the work dug deeper into our pockets. I started to worry about how we were going to be able to feed the family until I sat down and made a plan. Hence the story of the Elastic Chicken.

I went to our local grocery store who happened to be having a sale on some great Perdue Oven Roaster chickens. I bought one of them that was about eight pounds. I knew my plan and wanted to get the most bang for my buck so I opted for one of the biggest ones they had. That night I fixed Baked Chicken. I simply put little pads of butter on its skin and added a sprinkle of salt and pepper. (I really didn’t have many seasonings to use nor a lot of money to buy any.) We had some mashed potatoes and green beans to go with the chicken and everyone was quite full when we finished dinner. Meal number one was a success! Before I put the leftover chicken carcass away, I picked off as much meat as possible from the bones. I chopped and diced the pieces and came up with nearly 3 cups worth of chicken meat! Hurray! I then took the carcass and placed it into a large storage bag and put it into the freezer.

The next night, I took half of the chicken meat and mixed it with about one cup of mayonnaise. To this, I crumbled up a leftover piece of bacon from breakfast that morning. I also mixed in one celery stalk and one small onion, both chopped up finely. I added a little salt and pepper to taste and served on toasted bread as Chicken Salad Sandwiches. As a side dish, I’m sorry to say we had potato chips. Nothing fancy but it sure did make for a quick and easy meal! I also knew that the next night would knock their socks off!

The third night I made Chicken-Pasta Salad. To make this wonderful meal, I thawed a bag of frozen pea pods in cool water until they were slightly tender then drained them. Next, I boiled about half a box of macaroni adding the pea pods to the water for the last two minutes. After draining the two together, I stirred in a third cup of mayonnaise, a quarter cup of French dressing, a cup of cherry tomatoes cut into halves (regular tomatoes will work but you will need to drain them a bit) and the rest of the leftover chicken meat. Lightly toss everything together and you have an excellent meal that you can serve with some bread and butter on the side. Meal number three was a huge hit!! But wait until you hear about the last meal…

Glorious Italian Food

Italy is known worldwide for its food that is appetizing to the palate. Italian food is renowned for its balance of nutrients & fresh ingredients. With the inventiveness of Italy's chefs, each meal, while simply cooked, becomes rich with a variety of flavors that gourmets find delightful.

Italian breakfast or colazione is usually a light meal of cappucino or espresso-style coffee and a sweet pastry or brioche. Pranzo or lunch usually consists of a starter or antipasto, a primo piatto pasta, soup or rice, a secondo piatto of meat and fish with salad or contorna and fresh fruits. Espresso, grappa or amaro (liquer) may top off the meal. The menu for dinner or cena is similar to the options for lunch.

Italy is known for its pizza which is a twist on traditional bread. The first pizza originates in Naples which was made with bread dough, tomato and mozzarella; thus it was called the Neapolitana pizza. The pizza Margherita was named after the Queen Margherita. During a visit to Naples, the queen was offered a pizza that was made with tomato sauce, mozzarella and oregano to symbolize the Italian flag. Needless to say, the Queen loved her pizza!

Aside from the pizza, Italy is also known for its pasta. The are many varieties to choose from such as lasagna, fettucini, macaroni, tortellini and of, course, spaghetti. There choices of sauces and toppings to pair with the pasta are endless! The more popularly known are pesto, marinara, bolognese and carbonara.

Italy is also a wine-growing country. The soil, climate and traditions of Italy make it beneficial, a natural place for producing great wines in large quantities. A sizable part of the Italian populace contributes to the wine-making industry. Wines in Italy are different in every region and every vineyard. There are apertifs, dessert wines and sparkling wines.

And yet wine is not the only drink that Italy is known for. Your local cafe most likely uses terms coined by Italians to describe their coffee. While coffee was not invented in Italy, the coffee culture we know today has its origins in this country. Italians are very picky with their coffee and may even opt to go to a favorite cafe or bar than to have the drink at the same restaurant where they have their meals

There are many places to eat in Italy such as fancy, formal, and usually family-run ristoranti or restaurants. The less formal are trattoria or osteria where you can find the local specialties. For quick meals, there are paninerias or sandwich bars, and, of course, the pizzerias.

Top 10 Labor Day Activities

Labor Day Weekend is the summer's last hurrah. Soon, the warm sunny weather will be gone, the leaves will start to fall from the trees and we'll all be preparing for the holiday season. Send the summer season off with a bang by celebrating all of its perks outdoors - here are ten great ideas for Labor Day activities that you and your family can enjoy together.

1. Beach picnic - Fill your beach bag with buckets, toys, sunscreen and towels and head over to the beach to float in the warm water and relax in the rays of the summer sun.

2. Backyard Party - Get all of your friends together for a summer-themed soiree in your backyard. Pick a signature cocktail fit for the season, such as Jamaican Breezes or Blue Hawaiians, and decorate your backyard like an island getaway with tiki torches, leis and other tropical touches.

3. Family BBQ - Fire up the grill and feed your kids, parents, siblings and cousins familiar family favorites such as barbecued chicken, hot dogs, burgers, corn on the cob and macaroni salad.

4. Weekend Camping Trip - The nights are going to get chilly soon; sleep under the stars in the warm summertime air with friends and family. Roast s'mores, tell stories around the campfire and revel in the exhilaration of outdoor living.

5. End of Summer Scenic Drive - Take advantage of the last days of lush, green scenery before the leaves start to fall. Bring a picnic basket full of finger foods and a bottle of wine to make it a romantic excursion.

6. Local Parades and Festivals - Many towns have Labor Day activities for all ages including concerts, contests, parades, and art exhibits. Check your newspaper or call your local Chamber of Commerce to find out what's going on in your area.

7. State Park Day Trip - Enjoy the scenery, take part in some fun outdoor activities and learn a little about your local culture with a trip to your nearest state park or recreation area. Take a swim in the lake, go horseback riding, stop by the visitor's center, or simply enjoy the native flora and fauna.

8. Gourmet Cookout - Grilling out can be a 5 star restaurant experience with the right menu. Do some research online at the Epicurious and Food Network websites to find the perfect gourmet cookout recipes, and get yourself a high quality gourmet picnic basket.

9. Fun and Games at the Park - Get some friends and family together and organize a potato sack race, water balloon launch, watermelon eating contest and other great activities for kids of all ages.

10. Family Outing - Take the day to strap the kids into the car and head to their favorite destination, whether it's the zoo, a water park or the carnival. Their memories of childhood will be forever tied to these kinds of fun, kid-centered activities!

No matter what you choose to do with your Labor Day weekend this year, spend it outdoors with your loved ones! These kinds of activities promote togetherness and a healthy lifestyle, and will create memories that will be treasured for a lifetime.

Different Recipes For Baked Macaroni and Cheese

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Baked macaroni cheese is one of the best dishes you can have that will give you so much energy. It is packed with many carbohydrates. Many people also enjoy this dish because it gives them a sense of comfort because it is full of cheese. There are many ways you can follow so you can make the best baked macaroni cheese recipe

1. The ingredients in making the best baked macaroni cheese recipe (home style) are one package of macaroni, two cups of milk, one egg, two tablespoons of butter, two and a half cups of cheddar cheese, pepper and salt.

Cooking Instructions:

a. The first step in making the best baked macaroni cheese recipe (home style) is filling the pot with some water and salt. Then cook your macaroni on it by following the cooking instructions of your package.
b. Beat the egg and mix the milk in a bowl. Add the cheese and the butter to the mixture then stir it altogether.
c. Put the macaroni on the dish for baking then put the cheese and egg mixture on it. Then add some pepper and salt. Mix it all together and press it so that all sides of the dish will have an even portion of the macaroni.
d. The last step is baking it for forty minutes until it becomes brown.

2. Best Baked Macaroni Cheese Recipe with Tomatoes - The ingredients for this recipe one pound of macaroni, one can of condensed soup of tomatoes, one and one fourth cups of milk, three cups of Cheddar cheese, eight tablespoons of butter and one fourth cup of bread crumbs.

Cooking Instructions:

a. You start this best baked macaroni cheese recipe by preheating the oven for one hundred seventy five degrees Celsius.
b. The next step is boiling water with salt and cooking the pasta for eight minutes until it becomes tender.
c. The third step is combining the macaroni, cheese, milk and butter altogether. Put it in the dish. Then top it off with the crumbs and the butter.
d. The last step is baking it for forty five minutes until bubbles appear and the color becomes brown.

Best baked macaroni cheese recipe with some eggs - The ingredients of this recipe are one and a half cups of elbow macaroni, six tablespoons of butter, one fourth cup of flour, one and a half teaspoons of salt, cayenne pepper, six eggs, eight ounces of Cheddar cheese and two cups of milk.

Cooking Instructions:

a. The first step is cooking the macaroni.
b. The next step is melting the butter in a pan and blending the pepper, slat and flour on it then mixing it all well.
c. The third step is adding the milk in a gradual manner then stirring it continuously until it becomes thick.
d. Take it out from the heat and then adding the cheese. Then whisk the yolks of the eggs until it becomes fluffy then incorporate it into the sauce.
e. Then mix the sauce to the macaroni. Then whisk the whites of the eggs and then incorporate it to the macaroni. Put it in a casserole and bake it for ten minutes at four hundred seventy five degrees Fahrenheit. Then after ten minutes lower the heat to four hundred degrees Fahrenheit then bake it for twenty five minutes more.

Fat Loss Isn't Always What it Looks Like

When it comes to fat loss, portion control seems to be used a lot by professionals, myself included. But sometimes portion sizes aren't always what they seem.

For example, if you had a bag of chips and the same size bag of baby carrots, are you eating the same amount of calories? Well, I looked it up on the internet. 4.25 ounces of Koo Koo Roo baby carrots is 75 calories, while 4 ounces of Lay's potato chips is 600 calories. Consequently, you would have to eat a lot more carrots to equal those 600 calories of chips.

So a lot of it does come down to what you are eating, not necessarily how much you are eating. What perfectly illustrates this point is the book Picture Perfect Weight Loss by Dr. Howard Shapiro. I was turned onto this book awhile back by some other fitness professionals. I haven't read the book entirely, but I have looked at the pictures and this is what the book is about.

Dr. Shapiro shows you pictures of foods with equal caloric values and shows that you can eat a lot of healthy foods at one sitting and still not equal the caloric value of a particular junk food.

For example, he shows on one page a picture of a 2 ounce hot dog (really about 1/3 of a hot dog), 2 ounces of sausage (about 1/4 of a sausage), and 1/3 cup of macaroni salad. This equals 530 calories. On the opposite page he shows you 5 ounces of shrimp (about 8 pieces), red bell peppers, and onions, 2 portobello mushrooms, 6 asparagus spears, a potato, zucchini, corn on the cob (probably minus the butter), and 2 lbs of watermelon (about 2 - 1/4 slices). All of those foods equal up to 530 calories total.

He has many more examples of this in his book. It really starts to hit home to some people that you can eat a good amount of food AND stay within a reasonable allotment of calories, IF you make healthier choices with your foods. By looking at all those foods, the visual stimulation starts to kick it in for people.

So remember, you do have to take into consideration how much you are eating, but that can be greatly altered by what you are eating. The fattier foods will always have more calories in them then their healthier counterparts. Check out this book and see what you can learn.

A Weekly Nutrisystem Menu Sample - 7 Examples of Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Meals

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I get a lot of emails from people who are asking for me to paint them a picture of what life on nutrisystem is like. I've written about a typical day on this diet. I've had a few people tell me that this isn't a big enough glimpse of the meals to give them a full idea of what they will be eating. So, in the following article, I'm going to expand on this idea and provide an example of a week's worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and desserts. I will also give you examples of the sides that you are asked to add onto each meal.

An Example Of A Week's Worth Of Nutrisystem Breakfasts: I often say that I think that the breakfasts, snacks, and desserts are my favorite part of this diets. Even though this is a lower carb diet, you are still allowed cereals, muffins, pancakes, and scones. For this example, I've tried to mix things up a bit so that there's a lot of variety. Here are seven typical breakfasts that I chose and the sides which would work well with them. They are: the banana nut muffin with milk; the egg frittata with cantaloupe; the blueberry pancakes with yogurt; the apple cinnamon oatmeal with apple slices; the apple strudel scone with cottage cheese; the cluster crunch cereal with skim milk; and the cinnamon roll with yogurt.

Now, this is only seven choices. There are more. But this does give you a good sampling of the types of products that you will eat. There are different flavors within each category. There are different flavors of oatmeal, cereals, scones, and muffins. What I've given are examples that I enjoy.

7 Days Worth Of Nutrisystem Lunches: People often expect to see a lot of soups here. And, there are some. But there are also pastas, hot dogs, bars, salads, and rice dishes. The examples that I've chosen are: the cheese tortellini and a small salad; the hot dog and celery sticks; the chicken and pasta in cacciatore sauce with carrot sticks; the chicken caesar salad with blueberries; the red beans and rice with red peppers; the minestrone soup with salad; the fettucine alfredo and cucumber slices; and finally, the chicken and noodles with watermelon.

A Weekly Sample Menu Of Nutrisystem Dinners: The dinners are a bit more substantial and they do offer a lot of variety. I tend to like the comfort food options, so if I were choosing for an entire week, I might chose: the Cajun chicken and sausage with fat and sugar free pudding; the lasagne and meat sauce with a salad; the pizza and strawberries; the beef steak with potatoes and cantaloupe; the bar b que pork wrap with celery sticks and fat free dressing; the macaroni cheese and beef with sliced tomatoes; and the mushroom risotto with sliced red peppers.

7 Tasty Snacks: You really can't go wrong with any of the snacks. But, here are seven of my favorites: the nachos; the pretzels; the herb snack mix; the cheese puffs; the bar b que chips; the coconut almond bar; and the chocolate rainbow desserts.

A Week's Worth Of Desserts: This isn't going to be very original, but the desserts are my favorite. I honestly can't think of one that I wouldn't eat, and I pretty much like them all. If I could only chose 7, I'd pick: the almond biscotti; the chocolate cake; the peppermint cookie patty; the nutrichocolates; the golden pound cake: the blueberry lemon dessert bar; and the mint chocolate crunch bar.

All of the meals are meant to be interchangeable. And, nutrisystem does allow for you to buy foods individually, by the week, and by the month. The monthly packages usually work out to be cheaper because you're buying in bulk and because they allow for you to use the most generous coupons with the monthly packages.

What About Salads?

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In case you're not a salad lover, let me be one of the first to tell you that you're missing one of the most delicious foods a person can consume. Salads come in all sorts of styles, combinations, and are served with so many various toppings, that you could probably find a different salad for every day of the month.

One of my most favorite choices in dining is to go to the local buffet (they have a fabulous salad bar) and eat till my heart is content of the salad choices offered.

If you're going to build a great salad, you have to start with a great lettuce. There are more types of lettuce than automobiles, but my personal preference is iceberg and romaine. Once you have the proper foundation, your salad is a breeze. All sorts of toppings can be added, to build the gourmet salad. Fit for even the most discriminating taste.
Usually you find onions, tomatoes, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, banana pepper, ham, eggs, turkey, and cheese. Mushrooms, olives, pickled okra, bacon bits, and macaroni salad. Pepperoni, salami, croutons, and crackers. Cottage cheese, three bean salad, broccoli and cauliflower. If at this point, you haven't already filled the plate too full, you might want to consider simply adding another.

Now we approach the salad dressings. There are so many choices here, that it is often quite difficult for me to choose. I love blue cheese and ranch. I also love balsamic vinaigrette and Italian. Catalina is another favorite of mine.

Alright, we've built the perfect salad. Now would you like to hear about the wonderful health benefits of a salad? You might have to seek a little further than this article. The dismal truth here, is that although you would like to believe all that wonderful produce has provided you with the healthy eating award of the week, it simply is not so. Salads can be as high in calorie and fat content as a cheeseburger from the local McDonalds. That's quite disheartening news isn't it?

How can you eat a salad and still eat healthy? Lay off the cheeses, the meats, the cream based salad dressings. Stick to the pickled, the fresh produce, and the vinegar based dressings. Then you will have provided yourself with a wonderfully nutritious and healthful meal.

It is interesting to note here, that although the salad of your dreams may not be quite a healthful as you first thought, it is still a much better alternative than some of the other lunch options. For instance, pizza and pasta are worse than cheeseburgers for calorie content, and much higher in fat. The salad won't leave you feeling sluggish and sleepy as the cheeseburger would have done, thanks in part to the many vegetables you consumed along with the fat and calories.

So, go ahead, look forward to that next wonderful salad, and maybe don't pat yourself on the back quite so quick for your healthy choice, but you can be satisfied that you made a better choice than many of your peers.

Delicious Homemade Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe

It's not a dish meant for fine dining; nor is it exquisite in any way. But there are very few dishes that soothe frayed nerves like Mac and cheese. This is a world favourite comfort food. There's some magic in the delicious blend of macaroni and cheese that makes us keep wanting more in spite of the fat content it has. And yes! Kids love this dish; some are ready to live on just Mac and cheese topped with tomato ketchup.

Though the origin of this humble dish is not exactly know, what with everyone claiming ownership to its creation, the Mac and cheese has journeyed a lot around the world. The United States has adopted this dish as one of its own ever since Thomas Jefferson served this dish in the White House in 1802. It's now an American favourite dish with lots of customized versions.

Here's a bacon Mac and cheese that's guaranteed to impress you. The bacon not only adds taste to the dish; it also makes it protein-rich and nutritious.

What will you need for Bacon Mac and Cheese?

Elbow macaroni - 1 lb
Milk - 4 cups
Crushed garlic - 4 cloves
Butter - 3 tbsp
White Cheddar, shredded - 5.5 cups
Powdered black pepper
Thyme - 2 sprigs
All purpose flour - 3 tbsp
Onion, cubed - one large
Sliced bacon, cut into strips - 4 slices
Crushed garlic - 2
Fresh thyme leaves to garnish
Flat leaf parsley - ¼ cup
Coarse salt

How to make the dish -

Boil water with salt in a pot. To this boiling water, add macaroni and cook for about nine minutes till it's thoroughly cooked, but still firm. Drain the excess water. Preheat your oven to 400oF. Take a small pan; pour in the mil with thyme and two cloves of crushed garlic. Take a heavy bottomed skillet and melt butter keeping heat at medium. Slowly blend in the flour and keep stirring to prevent lumps. Pass the milk through a strainer and add it to the butter. Keep stirring this mixture hard till you get a thick, lump less texture. Now add in about four cups of cheese and keep stirring till the cheese melts. Add pepper and salt.

This is the time to spoon in the macaroni and parsley. Stir well to cover the macaroni fully with the butter-cheese mix. Shift this to a baking dish and top up with the remaining cheddar. Keep it in the oven and bake for half an hour.

Now to prepare your bacon, take a pan and saute the bacon strips till it's crisp. Add crushed garlic, onion and thyme leaves to the pan and keep cooking till the onion turns pink. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

When the mac and cheese is ready, take it out and spread the cooked bacon over the dish.

Your Bacon, Mac and Cheese is ready. Make sure you include the bacon pieces when you serve this dish. Serve it piping hot and enjoy.

Pumpkin - Its Versatility in Savory Recipes

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Pumpkins are not just for making pumpkin pies and carving into scary faces at Halloween. In fact, there are lots of savory pumpkin recipes including classic pumpkin soup, pumpkin stew and you can even use this tasty squash family vegetable in salad recipes.

The next time you make a salad, why not chop some small cubes of pumpkin and boil them until they are soft, then incorporate them into your rice or macaroni salad for a splash of color and for their nutritional benefits?

Pumpkins and squashes are used all over the world. They are used to make curries and braises in India, risottos in Italy, oriental pumpkin soup recipes in China and Vietnam, and stuffed pumpkin dishes in the Middle East.

The best pumpkin seed oil comes from Austria and this dark green oil, which is nicknamed "black gold," is drizzled over salad recipes for a nutty, sweet flavor, or whipped into soft cheese.

Different Types of Pumpkins

You can get great pumpkins from grocery stores or farmers' markets. If a pumpkin recipe calls for one type of pumpkin and you cannot find it, you can usually use a different variety instead.

Baby Bear is a good variety of pumpkin for cooking. It is firm fleshed, sweet, and suitable for sweet or savory recipes. Delicata is a small white pumpkin with green stripes. This pumpkin has a nutty taste and it dries out when you cook it.

Crown Prince is a bluish gray pumpkin, which is golden inside. It is great for making vegetarian kabobs or roasting. Sweet Mama is richly orange and it is great if you cut off the top, scoop out the seeds, and then bake it whole.

Small Sugar is a medium sized pumpkin with orange flesh. Its high sugar content is the reason it caramelizes so wonderfully. Small Sugar pumpkins are great for making pie fillings. Sweet Dumpling is a small green and white squash, which has a sweet flavor when you cook it and its flesh tastes slightly like chestnuts.

How to Use Pumpkin in a Salad Recipe

The following recipe for Japanese pumpkin salad shows that you can do more with pumpkin that save it for classic pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie fillings.

This recipe is healthy and very tasty. You can use any type of small pumpkin for it. This recipe serves six to eight people.

Healthy Japanese Pumpkin Salad

What you will need:

1 small pumpkin, de-seeded and quartered
9 oz frozen chestnuts
1/3 cucumber, diced
5 oz sliced mushrooms
2 sticks celery
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

For the Dressing:

3 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 crushed cloves garlic

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the pumpkin and drizzle it with olive oil. Bake it on a roasting tray for 20 minutes, then add the frozen chestnuts and bake it for another 15 minutes.

Let the pumpkin and chestnuts cool. Chop the pumpkin into bite-sized pieces and mix it with the chestnuts and the other vegetables.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour them over the pumpkin salad. Toss well and serve.

Marjoram - Don't Overlook This Sweet Herb

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Sweet marjoram is a must in your herb cupboard. It has a sweeter and milder flavor than oregano, with a slightly balsamic flavor. It is one of the essential herbs in Italian cooking, and a main ingredient in herbes de provence along with basil, tarragon, thyme, lavender and fennel. If you haven't tried this particular herb mix, it is absolutely wonderful. Marjoram also pairs well with parsley and dill.

Crush in your hand or with a mortar and pestle before using. It won't overpower most foods, but start with 1/2 teaspoon per 4 servings. To my taste, 2 teaspoons fresh marjoram leaves are about equal to 1 teaspoon dried, but use your own judgement. Fresh or dried, marjoram is excellent. Take care to not overcook; add near the end of cooking so it doesn't lose its flavor.

Marjoram's mellow taste and enticing fragrance make it compatible with a wide variety of foods. Here are some ways to easily incorporate marjoram into your everyday cooking.

Sprinkle one or two teaspoons marjoram leaves over a green salad.
Add liberally to your next omelette, scrambled eggs, or even shake on fried or boiled eggs.
Having macaroni and cheese? Add some marjoram when you mix the cheese powder, milk and butter together.
Chicken, lamb and pork especially like this mild-mannered herb. If you eat a lot of those low-cal chicken dishes, leave the basil out and add marjoram instead.
Almost any kind of sauce, gravy or milk gravy is brightened by marjoram.
For a lightning-fast side dish on a weeknight, heat up the right number of servings of frozen corn in the microwave and sprinkle on some marjoram on the way to the table.
Bean soup, lentil soup, and most any kind of bean dish is improved by a little touch of this sweet herb. Do you find that canned beans and soups lack almost every flavor but salt? Take out your herb shakers and dress them up.
Excellent with cooked apples. Sprinkle a little marjoram on your next apple pie (1/2 teaspoon dried per 9 inch pie).
Enlivens plain buttered toast.
Put a sprig in your next micro-brew or homebrewed beer for a snappy twist.

It's interesting to note that Oil of Sweet Marjoram has been used as furniture polish, and that marjoram and mint tea is a good combination.

Here's a quick and easy recipe that will have you using marjoram in no time:

Herb Marinade for Veggies

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar or lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients and whisk well. Marinate chunks of sweet pepper, zucchini or summer squash, onion, eggplant, whole mushrooms, etc. for about 1 hour. Skewer veggies and grill like kabobs.

Would you like to find a great source for herbes de provence herb mix? Try out the Herb and Spice Adventures Clubs available at the website below. Herbes de Provence is available in the Five Star Food Adventure. Stop in for a look today, and see where your kitchen adventures lead you.

Healthiest Snack Foods Also Most Satisfying

What is it that you crave? You've been there, opening the refrigerator and staring blankly into it, hoping something hits you. "Ah, yes, exactly what I've been looking for" but that doesn't happen much. You stand there letting the cool air pass by you, and finally you close the door and head over to the pantry and open that door and let your eyes glide over the shelves.

Hmm, a package of jello. Too much effort to make. Pudding? Ditto. Macaroni and cheese. What exactly is in that little powdered package of "cheese" anyway? Oyster crackers, cheese curls, Pringles?? How did these things even get in there? And you grab one of them and pour them into a bowl and absent mindedly eat them. Do you realize that a portion of most of those would barely cover the bottom of the bowl, and you are eating a bowl full? And you aren't even enjoying them. Just mechanically shoveling the food into your mouth as your glazed eyes watch Jerseylicious or some other ridiculous waste of time. Most TV is about as satisfying as that snack.

Hopefully the above sounds totally foreign to you. You realize that the first step away from junk food is not putting it into your cart in the first place. One of the worst parts of all the junk food is that it doesn't stay with you very long and you are right back to the pantry for more unsatisfaction. Why is it that people don't think about fruits and vegetables for their snacks?

Whatever you like in a snack is available in the produce department. Do you like crunchy satisfaction? Apples, carrots, celery, radishes, the list of crunchy goodness goes on and on. Like something a bit tart? Grapefruit can really make a nice addition to a fruity snack, and the different varieties run the gamut from really tart to semi-sweet. Raw mangos, lemons, granny smith apples, limes.. the list goes on and on. On the sweeter side, bananas, melons, kiwi, pomegranates..wow that list goes on a long, long time.

And on the veggie side, carrots, cherry tomatoes, celery, and more... Natures finger foods, and you pretty much can eat unlimited quantities and because of the natural fiber content, it will satisfy your appetite and stay with you for a while. You won't get into the grazing habit that often accompanies junky snack food..

The bonus to the natural foods is that they are also loaded with vitamins and minerals that are essential to your health. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C for the citrus, potassium in bananas, tomatoes and oranges, vitamin A in carrots, apricots, and cantaloupes, and that's just touching the tip of the iceberg lettuce. And if you can't decide on just one, fruit salad is yummy.

How to Make Old Fashion Macaroni Salads

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I love old fashion recipes as I really enjoy going back to the basics sometimes. Here are some recipes for old fashion macaroni salads that are very good. These are from the days when we never heard of "pasta salad". We had good old fashion macaroni salad. It is still worth having today. The first recipe below is what I can AF Macaroni Salad. The AF stands for Air Force as in the United States Air Force. When I married back in the 60s, during the Viet Nam War, my husband was in the Air Force. Money was tight and we learned to eat, and I learned to cook, on a very small grocery budget. In fact, all my husband's friends were very envious of him. You see, I don't like steak so he was able to have one once in awhile even on a tight budget. This salad recipe was given to me during those tight budget days. It is still a good recipe for those on tight budgets during our current economic downturn.

AF MACARONI SALAD

I call this recipe my Air Force Macaroni Salad since the recipe was given to me by a lady who worked in a restaurant in New Mexico when I first went there as a young Air Force bride in the 1960s.

2 cups cooked macaroni
1/2 cup diced cheddar cheese
1/3 cup diced green bell pepper
3 tbsps finely chopped onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup chopped sweet pickle (or sweet pickle relish)
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours before serving.

CLASSIC MAYO MACARONI SALAD

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8-oz elbow macaroni, cooked, drained
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, prepared mustard,sugar, salt, and pepper with a wire whisk until combined. Stir in the macaroni, bell pepper, and onion. Mix well. Cover bowl and refrigerate until serving time.

Enjoy!

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Recipe and a Bit of History

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Though many people believe that Thomas Jefferson created Macaroni and Cheese, because of a rumor that came about when Barbara Bell Matuszewski wrote that Jefferson served the dish in the White House in 1802, which he did in fact, it is not known who created the recipe or whether it was even created there for the first time. Karen Hess, well known food historian, states that Jefferson returned from a trip to France with a macaroni mold but did not create the recipe himself.

There is a recipe for Mac and Cheese in the cookbook, "The Virginia Housewife", however, published in 1824, written by Mary Randolph, who was Jefferson's cousin. Perhaps that is the Mac and Cheese that was made in the mold Jefferson bought in Paris!

Miss Myrtle Martin's Mac N Smack Cheese

Lip Smacking' Good!

Ingredients:

3cups elbow or shell shaped noodles or 3 cups LARGE noodles
3 cups shredded mild or sharp Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 8 oz pkg. shredded Colby Cheese
1 8 oz pkg shredded Mozzarella Cheese(for that great stringy texture... can substitute other if desired)
1 8 oz. container of Sour Cream
1 8 oz. carton heavy whipping cream
1 Large or Extra Large (or two small) egg beaten
Salt and Pepper to taste
Paprika to sprinkle on top for garnish
1 cup bread crumbs (preferably homemade, instructions follow)
1tablespoon (T) butter or margarine
(can buy cheeses in blocks and shred or cube to melt in with noodles instead of pre-shredded to possibly save money)
Instructions:

Fill a large spaghetti type pot ¾ full with hot water and bring water to a rapid boil. Salt the water with 1 teaspoon salt, add a couple of drops of olive oil to the water to help prevent boil overs. Add the noodles (into a spaghetti insert if you have one and drop it)into the water and let boil for 15-20 minutes, until al dente to your preference, then drain, saving 1 Tablespoon of the pasta water. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pour cooked noodles into a 4 quart baking dish which has been sprayed with cooking spray and stir in the pasta water (helps the sauce stick to the pasta) Add sour cream, heavy whipping cream, Cheddar cheese, shredded Monterey Jack, salt, pepper and egg. Mix thoroughly then add the remaining cheeses except the Parmesan and stir. Place into the oven for 10 Min's. Remove from the oven and stir again gently. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Combine bread crumbs with melted butter and toss with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over Mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle paprika over if desired. Place the dish back in the oven at 425 for 20-25 Min's or until top layer of cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove from the oven, cool for 5 Min's and serve. This recipe serves 8 to 10 people.

Homemade Bread Crumbs:

Always keep a gallon size zippered bag in freezer to drop left-over pieces of bread.

Cut stale bread into 1" cubes. Spray with butter flavor (or whatever flavor you have on hand) cooking spray, sprinkle with dried parsley, oregano and Parmesan cheese.

Put under broiler until dry enough to crumble... watch it carefully! Turn cubes and do the same on the other side. Crumble by putting in food processor or placing in ziploc bag or dish towel and rolling with rolling pin.

Crumbs are now ready for recipe. For croutons, add garlic with the parsley, oregano and cheese, leave as cubes and brown a little more. Great on salads and in soups!

Note:

Sometimes instead of watching portions, it can be more beneficial to cut down some of the less crucial (to the recipe) fats and keep those that really count. These comfort foods can be reshaped to be tasty on the lips while not so detrimental to the hips! The Comfort Food page will be exploring different comfort foods, even those from different regions and countries. Also researched will be alternate ways to cook them and methods to make those recipes healthier.