Patriotic Trifle

An easy, fresh and naturally sweet dessert is attractive & always a family favorite.

Cube some pound cake (I use Better'n Eggs to lower fat), sprinkle some cubes on the bottom of a glass dish, top with sliced strawberries, then blueberries, a thin layer of Light Cool Whip (or regular whipped cream because not much is needed), then top with another sprinkle of cake cubes, and more strawberries and blueberries.  It looks tasty from the top and the sides!

Olive Oil has Health Benefits and Tastes Wonderful

For those readers who live near Darien, there is a new shop open named Olivette.  The owner Alina has rows and rows of virgin olive oils, infused olive oils, balsamics and more

Infused Olive Oils can be used in place of vegetable or plain olive oil to add subtle flavor in sautés, vinaigrettes or marinades.  Drizzle on fresh and grilled vegetables, grilled steaks and meats or use simply on its own as a dipping oil with crusty bread.  Instant Flavor!

 

 

It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps.

The main type of fat found in all kinds of olive oil is monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). MUFAs are actually considered a healthy dietary fat. If your diet emphasizes unsaturated fats, such as MUFAs and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), instead of saturated fats and trans fats, you may gain certain health benefits.
MUFAs and PUFAs may help lower your risk of heart disease by improving related risk factors. For instance, MUFAs may lower your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. MUFAs may also help normalize blood clotting. And some research shows that MUFAs may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes.
But even healthier fats like olive oil are high in calories, so use them only in moderation. Choose MUFA-rich foods such as olive oil instead of other fatty foods — particularly butter and stick margarine — not in addition to them. And remember that you can't make unhealthy foods healthier simply by adding olive oil to them.
 

Help a Friend or Family Member Be Healthier

"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." -Albert Pike

Make someone you love a healthy snack.

Go Red For Women is Feb 3rd

Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year.

 

Women are  dying from heart disease at the rate of one per minute.

 

Heart disease claims the lives of more than 422,000 American women each year.

 

 The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women^® movement works every day to fund research and fight this killer so more women can be saved. 

They have created National Wear Red Day^® on Friday, February 3 to raise awareness about heart disease among women and to raise funds to ensure they never have to deny research that could save a woman’s life. It is the mission and belief of Go Red For Women that together we can make a difference.

CLICK HERE to go to American Heart Association and Donate.

Everyone Loves Carrots

Carrots are good for Children, Adults....and Grasshoppers????

Give Thanks

Thanksgiving....."and serve it forth"

“…and serve it forth”

In 1621, the surviving Plymouth colonists who had arrived on the Mayflower and the Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast.  The menu for the first Thanksgiving feast was quite different than ours is today.

A recipe from “The English Housewife” from 1615 recommends boiling chickens, young turkeys or any house fowl daintily…with the bellies as full of parsley as they can hold, then lay the chickens, and trim the dish with sippets (toasted bread )…and so serve it forth.”  Other foods and recipes that were mentioned in “Giving Thanks:  Thanksgiving Recipes and History, from Pilgrims to Pumpkin Pie” by Kathleen Curtin, Sandra L. Oliver, and Plimoth Plantation were:   Seethed Mussels with Parsley and Vinegar, Stewed Pumpkin, Stewed Turkey with Herbs and Onions, dried Indian corn, dried ham , cod, eel, clams, mussels, bass, peas, corn, beans, radishes, carrots, onions, walnuts, chestnuts, acorns, cranberries (but they didn’t have sugar so there was no cranberry sauce).  The same problem precluded them from making pumpkin pie—plus they didn’t have ovens to bake the pies in!

There were 53 Pilgrims at the First Thanksgiving; four married women, 5 adolescent girls, 9 adolescent boys, 13 young children and 22 men.  In the seventeenth century, people ate with spoons, knives and their fingers  (no forks).  There would be salt on the table to use, but pepper was only used in cooking and not added at the table. 

For all the menu differences from 1621 to 2011, Thanksgiving is a reminder of the bounty of the Earth and the importance of hard work and cooperation.  Now, “seethed mussels” or boiled turkeys are not standard menu items.  Whatever your meal is, “serve it forth” with friends, family and a thankful heart