Natural Cures Straight From Your Kitchen 04/15/2010
 Why waste money on unnecessary visits to the doctor if you can get natural and effective cures at your home? Most Americans these days rely on home cures and OTC drugs to save money on consultations. While it is still a must for you to consult a doctor for serious ailments, you can treat non-serious ailments right at the comfort of your home. Salt for athlete's foot Soak foot in salt water for five to 10 minutes. This softens your skin in the foot, making it easier for antifungal medicines to penetrate deeper. Lemon for age spots Cut lemons and place them onto your age spots. Do this everyday for 10 to 15 minutes and see the difference in just a few weeks. Acid in lemon juice helps lighten age spots. Honey for scrapes and cuts Honey is not just a sweetening ingredient. It is also a good home remedy for minor cuts and scrapes, as it has three powerful healing components - absorbs moisture, disinfects, and kills bacteria. by: Rcon Pascua 1 Comment Healthy Fast Food 03/30/2010
 Fast foods are not all that bad. In fact, many of the tastiest dishes I know are served at fast food establishments. The trick in eating healthy at fast foods is to choose right. To help you enjoy your favorite meals at fast foods without having to worry about trans-fat and empty calories, read the following tips: * Carefully read food descriptions on the menu. Try to avoid ordering meals that are deep-fried, basted, pan-fried, crispy, or creamy for these often contain unhealthy sodium and fats. Opt for dishes that come with vegetables or leaner meats. * Know the whole package. Be wary of meals that are secretly packed with spreads, sour cream, and fat-packed dressings. At fast foods, do not be shy to order undress dishes. For instance, order a grilled chicken sandwich minus the mayonnaise and just ask for a packet of ketchup separately. This way, you know just how much to put on your meal. * Don't be salt crazy. If you want to order fries, do not ask for salt packets at the counter anymore, as foods like these are already high in sodium. Add more and your blood pressure will suffer. by: Rcon Pascua Healthy Snacks: Bagel Chips 03/25/2010
 Looking for a healthier alternative to chips? Why not try bagel chips then? Bagel chips are perfect substitute for junk foods or potato crisps. These are healthier snacks since they are baked, not fried, hence, fat free! Making baked bagel chips is easy. In fact, you can prepare them for less than an hour. Read on below on how to prepare yummy bagel chips: Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 2 crushed garlic cloves 4 bagels Mix olive oil, oregano, and garlic using a mortar and pestle or a mixing bowl. Cut bagels in thin slices and place them on an oven tray in single layer. Brush both sides of each bagel with mixed oregano, garlic, and olive oil. Bake for about 15 minutes or until slightly browned. Leave chips on trays to cool. Store chips in air-tight containers once cooled. by: Rcon Pascua How to Read Recipes 03/24/2010
 You may be fascinated with recipe books, but reading and understanding them may not be as fun and easy as they look. Recipes are basically a set of instructions in preparing dishes or drinks. Since not all people are gifted with culinary skills, one can get by with cooking just by following the step-by-step instructions of recipes. With this, below is a guide on how to read recipes correctly: * Recipe name The name of the recipe helps you determine what exactly you'll be making. Most recipe names also include descriptions of the dish, for instance sweet sour carrot salad. * Serving The serving size is important in reading recipes, for this is where you'll determine how many serving a recipe can cover. * Nutritional value Probably the most important part of a recipe is its nutritional value. This can help you determine how many calories you'll get from one serving of the recipe. Aside from calories, the nutrition value of a recipe also helps you determine just how much protein, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates you'll get from the dish. by: Rcon Pascua Crash Hot Potatoes 03/01/2010
 I am a big fan of potato, and I'd love to try and eat any potato dish that I haven't tried before. This potato recipe I'm about to share with you is one of my favorites. An original recipe of Jill Dupleix from Pioneer Woman Cooks, Crash Hot Potato is a must-have in every potato-lover's recipe collection. Ingredient: 1 tablespoon olive oil sea salt fresh cracked pepper 12 to 15 red potatoes Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Boil potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes until fork tender. Place potatoes on a cooking sheet drizzled with olive oil and gently smash each potato using a masher. Drizzle the potatoes with pepper, sea salt, and olive oil. After smashing, bake the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown or crisp. You can serve and eat it plain or you can top it with sour cream. Enjoy! by: Rcon Pascua Cashew Chili Soup 02/11/2010
 Want a filling, easy-to-prepare vegetarian soup? Better try this vegetarian soup called cashew chili. Ingredients: 1 stalk celery 1 green bell paper 2 medium onions 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 tablespoon chili powder 1-2 tablespoon cider vinegar 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon minced basil 1/4 tablespoon cumin 1/2-1 cup cashews 1-2 cans kidney beans (with water) 2 cups canned tomatoes (with water) Start off by chopping the bell pepper, celery, and onions. Saute them in olive oil 'till tender. Next is to add the beans, tomatoes, and all the spices. Cover saucepan and let it simmer for five to 10 minutes. Add cashews and vinegar if you like. Then serve and enjoy while still hot. by: Rcon Pascua Super Salad 01/25/2010
 The following recipe addresses the special diet considerations for: dairy-free; gluten-free; low fat; low glycemic index; vegan; vegetarian; anti-cancer; cardiovascular disease; diabetes; inflammatory bowel diseases Serves 4 as a side dish A magnificent salad with bite and gusto that goes with almost anything apart from desserts. Dressing * 2 cloves of garlic, chopped very finely * 2 tsp ginger, grated finely * 2 tbs tamari * 2 tbs unfiltered cider vinegar * 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil Salad * 1 large daikon, also known as Oriental horseradish (approx. 12 oz/350 gr), sliced very thinly diagonally * 3 carrots, sliced very thinly diagonally * 1 beet, sliced very thinly * 4 large handfuls of arugula salad, also known as rocket or rucola, cut 1/2 inch (1 cm) off the stalk at the root end, and tear in half * sea salt * freshly ground black pepper Cooking Instructions 1) Combine all the ingredients for the Dressing in a bowl, stir, and leave for 30 minutes. 2) Leave all of the ingredients for the Salad raw, and combine in a large bowl. 3) Pour the dressing over the salad, add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, stir, and serve immediately.  The following recipe addresses the special diet considerations for: dairy-free; gluten-free; low fat; vegan; vegetarian; anti-cancer; cardiovascular disease; inflammatory bowel diseases Serves 2 The notion that a green banana is a good banana is a grave mistake. Brown spots on the skin are not a sign of spoiling, but a sign that the bananas are ready to be consumed. Green bananas, on the other hand, are rather hard to digest because they are unripe. This dish is meant as a dessert, but it also makes a good snack in-between meals. Do not make this dish with bananas that are not fully ripe. * 4 tbs brown rice vinegar * 4 tsp finely grated ginger * 1 tsp nigella seeds, also called black onion seeds, roasted and ground finely * 12 green cardamom pods, roasted and the seeds ground finely * 2 ripe bananas, still in the skins Cooking Instructions 1) Combine brown rice vinegar, grated ginger, nigella seeds, and green cardamom together in a bowl and stir. 2) Bake the bananas in the skins for 15 minutes in a 400° F (200° C) hot oven. 3) Arrange each banana on a plate and slice both bananas open lengthwise while still in their skins. Pour the rice vinegar/ginger mixture over the openings in the skins and serve the bananas immediately while still hot. Sour Cream-Vanilla Pancakes 01/13/2010
 These are the lightest, fluffiest pancakes imaginable - like eating clouds for breakfast! Ideally, you should separate the eggs ahead of time so that they can come to room temperature, but if you forget and want to make this spontaneously with cold, separated eggs, it will still work just fine. Ingredients: 4 large eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 packets SweetLeaf SteviaPlus 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon powdered vanilla ¼ teaspoon salt 2/3 cup sour cream 6 tablespoons milk Nonstick spray or butter for the griddle Toppings of your choice Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a small bowl and the white in a large one. Preheat griddle. Combine the flour, SteviaPlus, baking powder, vanilla powder, and salt in a medium-large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together the sour cream milk, and egg yolks until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir until thoroughly combined. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then slide the beaten whites into the batter. Use a rubber spatula in a circular motion from the bottom of the bowl to fold everything together. The mixture should be fairly - but not perfectly uniform. Spray the hot griddle with nonstick spray, and if desired, melt in a little butter. Scoop up large spoonfuls of the fluffy batter and place on the hot griddle. Fry the pancakes on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until light golden brown. (Turn only once or they could become tough.) Serve hot, with toppings(s) of your choice. Salmon with Lemon, Capers, and Rosemary 01/08/2010
 Ingredients
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Place the foil packets on the hot grill and cook for 10 minutes for a 1-inch thick piece of salmon. Serve in the foil packets. |
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