Sunday, August 29, 2010

Supper Snacks

Samolina Dishes

Tummy says YES! Mummy says NO! Ya! You must have many times seen this add in television where Kajol (Indian film actress) is getting fussy with her child and finally serving soup.

But why only soup? We can serve something healthy, appealing and YUMMY...tasty to our little ones. Don't worry I have some quick,cheap and easy dishes for you to prepare.

(DISHES FOR TWO KIDS)

1) BREAD PIZZA

INGREDIENTS:

Bread: four slices
Cream from the milk: approx. half bowl
Samolina: 1tbsp.
Tomato: one(small)
Onion: one (small)
Capsicum: one (small)
Carrot and other vegetables are optional. Totally your choice.
Pinch of tomato ketchup
Black pepper: ¼ tsp.
Salt: to taste

METHOD;

1) Blend all the ingredients along with salt and pepper properly.
(NOTE:Make sure the consistency is neither too thick nor too light.It should be easily pasted on the bread.)
2)cut the sides of the bread and put the paste evenly on the bread.
3) heat the pan and put very little oil(just for sauting) and place the pieces on the pan.
4)fry from both the sides.
5) remove when they are golden brown in colour.
6) decorate the dish with finely chopped coriander and potato chips on side.

Bet me, they'll love the dish.
(Page1)

2) INSTANT IDLI

INGREDIENTS:

Curd: half a bowl
Samolina: 1 tbsp.
Salt: to taste
Dry yeast or you can use INO(antiacid):1/4 tsp.
Onion: medium
Sweet neem(Kari Pattta):10-12 leaves
Mustard seeds: ¼ tsp.
Oil: 1 tsp.

1) Mix curd, samolina, dry yeast and salt properly.(NOTE: consistency should be neither too thick nor too light.)
2) Grease the mould with oil and put the mixture in every bowl.
3) Take the big broad utensils and put little water in it, so that the last layer of mould should not touch the water.
4) Put the mould in it and cover with the dish.
5) Simmer the gas.
6) After 5_10 min keep checking.(WAY TO CHECK: put the knife in the idli. If the mixture is stuck on it, then it needs some more times to be prepared.); otherwise you can close the gas. Take the mould out,let it cool down and then take out with the help of a knife carefully.
7) Like this, prepare all the idlis.
8) Take a pan and put oil in it.
9) Add mustard seeds,neem leaves and onion. Fry them till the onion gets golden brown.
10) Add idlis in it.
11) Topsy- turvy the idlis so that they get blend with the ingredients.(But take care not to break the idlis. Do it very smoothly and carefully.
12) Serve hot. Garnish with coriander and tomato ketchup alongwith.
Oh! Within a minute its finished. Isn't it.
(Page2)

3) SAMOLINA POHA

INGREDIENTS:
Samolina: half bowl (dry fried till brown)
Tomato: one
Onion: one
Carrot: small one
Turmeric: ¼ tsp.
Coriander and pepper: ¼ tsp.
Chilli pd.: your wish
Ginger and coriander: accordingly

METHOD:
1) Fry the onion first in the oil in a pan.
2) Add other vegetables and fry them all till golden brown.
3) Add dry fried samolina to the mixture in the pan.
4) Add less than half a bowl of water.
5) Add spices and cover the preparation.
6) Simmer the gas.
7) After 5-10 min it is prepared as a mild dry dish.
8) Serve hot. Garnish with coriander. To increase the appeal and taste you can decorate with market-made tits-bits.
The kids relish the dish.

wine chiller snack set

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Using Potato Chips In Cooking

Many of think of potato chips as those crunchy chips we put on a plate alongside a sandwich. However potato chips can add a wonderful flavor to many recipes.

One of my favorite recipes using potato chips is something I call "Crunchy Chicken". I coat chicken pieces with either melted butter, mayonnaise, sour cream, or plain yogurt. You then roll the chicken pieces in crushed potato chips. My kids have always loved this recipe. If you use flavored potato chips, such as barbeque or sour cream and onion, this will add to the flavor of the chicken. I have always used chicken pieces with skin on. The skin ends up very crunchy and salty from the potato chips.

Have you ever put potato chips ON your sandwich? My kids have always loved putting potato chips right on the sandwich itself. You can do this with tuna fish sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or even egg salad sandwiches. Many of enjoy lettuce on our sandwich's as lettuce is crunchy. Well, so are potato chips.

Have you ever tried potato chip cookies?

Potato Chip Cookies

5 cups crushed potato chips

2 cups flour

1 cup each, brown sugar and white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I prefer omitting these)

Mix crushed potato chips with the two sugars. Beat the two eggs and add to sugar and chips. Stir in milk and vanilla. Mix the flour and baking powder together and then slowly add to other mixture. Mix well. Grease baking sheet and drop by rounded teaspoonful. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, or until golden.

Do you have a favorite brownie recipe? Next time you make the brownies, try adding 3/4 cup crushed potato chips to the mix. If the brownie recipe calls for salt, do not add salt, when adding the potato chips.

Potato chips are not just for munching with your sandwich.

Bon Appetite!!

starchy vegetables

Monday, August 23, 2010

Kahlua Chocolate Bundt Cake

I really love this really moist cake, and am SHOCKED it calls for anything "boxed" because it doesn't taste like it! 1 pkg Dark Chocolate Cake Mix 1 (3.9oz) Instant Chocolate Pudding ( I use Chocolate Fudge) 16 oz Sour Cream 3 eggs 1/3 cup Veggie Oil 1/2 cup Kahlua 2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips (or semi sweet if you prefer) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt Pan. Stir ingredients until well blended but don't over do. In my opinion once the eggs are added if you over beat/stir it can make the cake crumble and/or dry....but blend well. Fold in the Chocolate Chips after all the other ingredients are blended. This batter is THICK, so spoon into the prepared pan. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 10 minutes then turn over on a wire rack. If you like you can dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder. This is a killer cake for a box!

low fat snacks rice crop flavored rice

Friday, August 20, 2010

5 Things I'm Loving Right Now! 3/24/10

This is what happened but you weren't here so you missed it. Fruitables Apple Harvest Juice by Apple & Eve. Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Bowl in various flavors. Garden Veggie Chips & Straws by Sensible Portions. Meatless & Soy free Garlic & Herb Chikn Cutlets by Quorn. Truvia Natural Calorie Free Sweetener.

wine chiller viking wine vegetable supplement

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Healthy Snacks Will Keep You Pumped Throughout the Day

Portable healthy snacks are the latest trend in the snacking industry. Wrapped stringed cheese, Go-Gurt (portable yogurt), individually packaged vegetable portions with low-fat dip and 100-calorie potato chips or cookies are helping us to eat healthy, even when we feel we have no time to do so. To maintain a healthy weight and reduce our risk for heart disease or cancer, we have to be more mindful of eating a balanced diet packed with nutrients and controlling our calorie count. Luckily, manufacturers are responding to our needs with more products and offerings to help, and blogs are spreading more food snacks tips for packing the best lunch possible.

Do you rarely have time for a pleasant sit-down breakfast? Luckily, there are a number of morning-friendly, healthy food snacks to wake up your metabolism and provide you with the nutrients you need to get a fresh start. For a quick solution, try half a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat bread, low-sugar whole-grain granola bars (with at least 3 grams of fiber), 4-6 ounces of low-fat yogurt, some high-fiber cereal with dried fruit or a bowl of instant oatmeal with sliced peaches, if you've got five minutes.

Throughout the day, nothing kills our motivation like a heavy 30-minute lunch. Instead, healthy snacks can keep us pumped throughout the day. Dietitian-recommended options include a handful of unsalted or lightly salted dry-roasted nuts, a single serving pack of unsweetened applesauce with a few dry-roasted walnuts, a small apple with two tablespoons of peanut butter or one ounce of low-fat cheese, half a string cheese with a few pieces of fruit or whole grain crackers or pretzels with low-fat cheese. Raw foods, like vegetables, can be jazzed up with nacho cheese, low-fat ranch or no-fat veggie dip. Lunch snacks manufacturers have been making portable individual packets of carrots, celery, apple slices, nuts, low-fat cheese and other goodies to promote eating healthy.

"Look for snacks that contain protein with healthy carbohydrates and fats, and eat your snacks slowly so they fill you up," advises Baylor nutrition Professor Suzy Weems, PhD. There are many healthy snacks to choose from, so it can be easy to lose track of how our diets are stacking up throughout the day. A free community website, "Sparks People", allows users to enter the food they've eaten during the day into a database, which tallies up protein, calories, fat and other statistics to help keep track of weight loss goals.

italian christmas cookies wine chiller

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Down at the VFC

My co-op Rocks Video Competition entry from Ben Joseph and Patrick of the Viroqua Food Co-op, Viroqua WI Lyrics: Down at the VFC a place where I'm proud to be I'm a Member/Owner G! just like everybody else on my street Most of this stuff's ORGANIC we're into saving the planet our nation's pesticide addiction seems like quite a hurdle folks from different walks of life stand up to do what's right say No more chemo-fertilizers makin' the soil infertile Clones and GMO's seem so scary and crazy How about that new STRAWBERRYFISH baby? Giant corporations are acting so shady all for profit VOID of morals maybe? Seems these frightening times call for a new philosophy A new model to help stop these atrocities So I joined my local food cooperative for ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY! See these beautiful beets? Theyre from a local farm same with the cabbage and carrots same with the 'taters and corn we dont need to ship our apples from so far away Support the LOCAL farmers Support the LOCAL economy Importing from another country make sure it's FAIR TRADE It's simple human decency to make sure they get PAID For working hard to bring us COFFEE, SUGAR, & HAND MADE BASKETS & POTTERY did I mention chocolate G? gettin' hungry n edgy? grab a sandwich to go some fresh fruits and veggies or just a scone and some joe the hot bar's always a treat LASAGNA: Veggie or Meat? grab a plate have a seat Down at the VF C... We've got your cleaning products we've got your pickles and olives chocolate coffee and ...

starchy vegetables

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Decadent ChocoCheesecake Cupcake

Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcake Ingredients- Cupcakes - 2cups (12-ounce package) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 1-1/2cups all-purpose flour 1teaspoon baking soda 1/2teaspoon salt 1/2cup sugar 1/3cup vegetable oil 1large egg 1teaspoon vanilla extract 1cup water Filling 6 ounces of cream cheese, softened 1/4cup sugar 1large egg 1/8teaspoon salt

snickers cookies

Sunday, August 8, 2010

10 Healthy Eating Habits - Ultimate Secrets For Flat Sexy Toned Abs and a Lean Body

You can easily burn belly fat and get a lean body if you follow these ten healthy eating habits. They are very simple tips but may not be easy to do. Eating healthy foods will lessen your cravings for junk food. You will also achieve balance emotionally as you are not eating as much sugar or processed foods which can cause energy spikes and crashes draining you of vitality and energy.

Healthy eating habits will help you achieve flat sexy abs and the lean body you desire.

So the first phase of this wonderful and nutritious eating plan is to be clear about what you cannot eat, junk food has to go! It comes back to the basics of not eating ice-cream, chips, candy and white things. I mean white bread, white flour foods, white rice and pasta. No sugar either!

You must develop good eating habits with foods that contain healthy nutrients:


Eat a large raw salad every day. Not so hard, right? You can eat raw veggies, such as tomatoes, lettuce, shredded carrots, cabbage, raw broccoli, snow peas, beets, green beans.
Eat steamed green veggies every day. Vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, string beans, bok choy and asparagus.
Eat some beans daily, about ½ cup. Kidney, pinto, black or gabenzo beans.
Eat raw seeds and nuts daily. Use more seeds if you want a flat belly.
Eat fruit daily. At least 4 fresh fruits and eat more berries and cherries. If you are trying to lose weight stay away from bananas, pineapple, peaches the real sweet fruit.
Have some veggie juice freshly squeezed.
Try to cut down on meat. Don't eat it every day. And when you do eat it make sure it's organic and lean.
Watch your salt intake, when cooking do not add salt!
Watch your oil intake. You can use a little for cooking since you are cutting down on butter and dairy. Only 1 tablespoon daily, which includes your salad dressing as well.
No coffee or alcohol as these set up cravings. Use herbal or green tea.It is a good idea to have 4-6 meals a day to keep blood sugar levels balanced but for a lot of people this is not realistic. It has been my experience that it can often set up a grazing pattern of non-stop eating! It's Ok if your meals are small and you are actually consuming less calories, no cheating here! As long as it's not a license to overeat and your calorie intake is within reason.

Just in case you are tempted eliminate all tempting foods. Get rid of it all from your house or car. No secret stashes. Remember only healthy foods! So if you do have a desperate attack you can only eat healthy foods because you do not have any candy stashes in the house or car, right?

If you need extra help join a support group (Overeaters Anonymous) especially if you cannot control your cravings. There are many and varied and can offer encouragement without judgment. The rewards are so worth it and the benefits of eating healthy foods are numerous.

snickers cookies low fat snacks Caffeine Energy Gum

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Healthy Menu For Road Trip and Camping Meal Ideas

Traveling with food allergies can be a challenge. And parents who travel with a child or children suffering from severe food allergies have to plan ahead in order to be sure they are stocked with healthy foods to feed the family while away from home.

Here is a list of some of our favorite foods to eat while traveling on long road trips, as well as camping. We make some of the foods in advance and freeze them to be heated in our 12v car cook stove on the road. Since we cannot take the chance of eating out at restaurants, or hope that we stumble upon a health food store out on th back roads during our long road trips, this system has assisted us in getting out of the house, and miles down the road. Other great food options are now available in cans and packages at local health food stores which is very convenient. I make all our bread from scratch, including waffles, donuts, crackers, scones, pie crusts, etc, but many of these items are available dairy free and preservative free at your local health food stores too. Here are some of our favorites:

Breakfast Breakfast that needs to be heated that is vacuum sealed can be put in aluminum pan and heated in lunchbox stove. If your child can have goat milk, then use goat milk/cheese products otherwise omit.

Eggs and Toast served with fresh fruit, bacon, potatoes, and juice
Breakfast bars (homemade of course)
Pancakes and waffles with syrup or Agava nectar served with fresh fruit, bacon, potatoes, and juice
French toast with syrup and powdered sugar served with scrambled eggs, bacon, and juice
Bagel (homemade) served with mayo, no nitrate ham, tomato slice, and goat cheese
granola on yogurt with fresh fruit slices
gluten free cereal with rice milk
Country Skillet with diced potatoes, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, goat cheese, topped with egg, salt and pepper

Snacks Healthy snacks can be served cold, with minimal effort include:

No Nitrate Buffalo Jerky, homemade popcorn, chemical free chips, pretzels, homemade cookies
Fresh fruit, apple slices, bananas, oranges, strawberries, grapes, fresh veggies, carrot sticks, celery sticks, etc.
Dried fruit and nuts, dates, apricots, figs, plums, raisins, etc.
Canned fruit, baby oranges, fruit cocktail, apple sauce, peaches, etc.

Lunch Each meal includes side salad, side fruit, side veggie, and a homemade roll:

Sandwiches, egg salad, tuna salad, BLT, Turkey bacon and avocado, ham and goat cheese, etc.
Pasta, pasta salad, macaroni salad, rice noodle soup, healthy cup of soup, pasta with sauce, pasta with meatballs, pasta casserole
Chicken pot pie, meat pie
Fun food, no nitrate corn dogs, home made gluten free chicken fingers, fish and chips
Hamburger with homemade dairy free preservative free bun with katsup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, goat cheese, and chips, corn chips, or fresh fruit
Fish and rice, salmon, tilapia or other white fish
Dairy free pizza - can be made in advance and heated in 12v car cook stove on the road

Sides Included with each dish are any combination of the following side dishes below:

Baked beans - can make in advance or buy in a can and heat in the 12V car cook stove
Fresh veggies - corn on the cob, broccolli, mashed potatoes, green beans, peas, etc.
Bread - dinner rolls, toast with honey or jam, bread sticks, homemade crackers, etc.
Rice - white rice, brown rice, wild rice, Spanish rice, pilaf, couscous, etc.
Pita chips, corn chips, potato chips, pretzels or other preservative free, dairy free chips

Dinner Main dish items are served with two sides, made in advanced, vacuum sealed and heated in boiling water or 12V car cook stove:

Fish and rice - salmon, tilapia, trout, tuna, etc.
Chicken and rice
Steaks - ribeye, strip, sirloin, etc. Served with baked potato, green beens, broccolli, and a roll.
Mexican food - enchilada, tacos, bean burritos, tortilla soup, green chili, spanish rice, etc. Served with salad, black beans, refried beans, rice, chips and salsa.
Chili with corn bread
Chicken Pot Pie
Stew, Pot Roast, Chili, Sloppy Joes, etc. Served with salad, veggies, and a bun

On the Road Meals These meals are pre-cooked, vacuum sealed, frozen, and ready to heat in a 12V cook stove on the road. Cook time ranges from 30 minutes, to 1 1/2 hours. Simply heat in a 12V car cook stove, camping stove, or boil in hot water, and eat with a side dish.

Mexican food - burritos, enchiladas, tacos, beans and rice
Italian food - pasta, pizza, and soups
Irish food - stews, pot pies, mash
Fish - shrimp, salmon, crab
Beef - stews, steaks, chili's, burgers
Chicken - rotisserie, fingers
Sandwiches - Tuna, egg, PB & J, ham, Turkey, BLT's
Snacks - Chips, crackers, fruit, fresh veggies, breakfast bars, granola, cookies
Deserts - Pies, cobblers, apple sauce, fruit, cake

flavored rice

Monday, August 2, 2010

091209 Feeding T Rex

Feeding his T-Rex toy some veggie chips.

types of wines starchy vegetables italian christmas cookies