When Is Two Teaspoons of Sweetner Not Two Teaspoons?

When it is a packet of Splenda.

I had to go off Splenda to see if it is causing some digestive side effects.

Imagine my surprise when I added 2 teaspoons of sugar to my glass of tea--same size--and it was as if no sweetener had been added.

Thinking perhaps it had not fully dissolved, I whipped up a simple sugar syrup.

Same deal.  I kept adding and adding.  I was over a tablespoon of sugar syrup when it began to taste sweet, but not as sweet as a single packet of Splenda.

I did not realize how I was sabotaging myself using an artificial sweetener by setting myself up to need a lot of sugar to satisfy my sweet tooth.

I've been weaning myself  back to a normal level of sweetness so I can once again be truly satisfied with a small amount of sugar.

In doing so I am finding my sugar cravings to be lessening and hopefully in time a small amount of sugar will be sweet enough.

 ***************************************************

Wondering:  Maybe sugar today is not as sweet as it used to be?  Or maybe it's just that sugar is added to everything these days.  It's in places I'd never expect it to be.  Like canned kidney beans.  In the form of high fructose corn syrup.

Maybe we are eating more sugar for two reasons these days:  one, by default, in that it is added, i.e. we are not adding it ourselves and two, because it is in non-sweet things so when we eat things that are supposed to be sweet it takes a lot more sugar than it did years ago.

At any rate, I'm checking labels and trying to avoid products without added sugar or using low sugar products. 

Delicious Apple Salad Using Carlsons Lemon Flavor Fish Oil: No Fishy Taste!

This is for one serving.  Multiply for more servings.

• One half cup small dice Granny Smith apple with or without the peel
• A few raisins
• One date diced
• A few walnuts
• A sprinkle of ground cloves
• One teaspoon of Carlsons Fish Oil, lemon flavor

Mix together.  Enjoy.

Pam's Pimento Cheese

 Update:  Add a good amount of Louisiana Hot Sauce for an extra flavor boost.!

My ddil recently introduced me to "Pam's Pimento Cheese' made by Central Market in Dallas TX.  I loved it.  It's a nice change from good ole southern style pimento cheese.  I came up with my own recipe so I can enjoy it at home using the ingredient list on the label.  My version is very close to theirs.

Ingredients

8 ounces cheddar cheese
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
chopped pimentos--1 jar
1-2 teaspoons sugar
1-2 teaspoons vinegar
1.5 teaspoons dill weed
1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
mayonnaise to moisten--about half a cup

Grate the cheeses, add the rest.  Stir to combine.  Enjoy

Note:  This version of pimento cheese is very garlicky and very dilly.  You can adjust the amount of garlic and dill per your taste.  The amount of mayo is personal preference....the store version didn't have a lot of mayo.

Coconut Curry Rice: Not the same old rice. Easy, delicious.

I found this recipe on the internet but don't have the information to give credit.

• 2 cups rice
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tb butter
• 3/4 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts
• 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder

Combine first 4 ingredients in a sauce pan and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed. **

In a frying pan melt butter, saute coconut until light brown.  Add peanuts and curry powder.  Stir to combine.
 
Put rice onto serving vessel, top with coconut mixture.

**I used my rice cooker--used two rice cooker measures, plus water as indicated by rice cooker directions , plus the onion and salt.

Coconut Fish (Recipe at the End of the Post)

Have you tried Swai?  It's white fish.  I decided to try it since I refuse to buy  Tilapia that is farm raised in China---and that's all that is available in my locale.  My experience with things made in China is not so good. 

Swai is quite white, has no fishy smell, the boneless fillets are flat and the taste is similar to Tilapia.

The Swai label is required when this species of fish is sold in the U.S..  But it is really river catfish, sometimes called shark catfish or iridescent shark.  My store brand is farm raised--in a river--in Thailand.

What you will see on the label --along with Swaii --is pangasianodon hypophthalmus.  I thought it said hypothalamus--which is part of the brain-- and  I almost didn't buy it.  Yukky to be eating that. (When I was a kid fish was touted as brain food, but eating fish brain???? --that's what went through my fertile mind)  But I did buy it and it did taste good. 

I took the original recipe, which you can find here ( as well as posted below in the print form) and replaced the breadcrumbs--to make it gluten free-- with a combination of Parmesan cheese (the cheap kind that comes in a shaker, sits on the grocery store shelf unrefrigerated-) and some additional finely chopped coconut and nuts.  To get my coconut the same size as bread crumbs I put it in my blender on the grind cycle.

 Below is a copy of the recipe you will find at the above referenced link

* I was out of mustard and omitted it.  .
* I used  pecans, almonds, walnuts and peanuts for the mixed nuts in the recipe.
* Everyone really like this.

Nutty Coconut Fish

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup prepared brown mustard 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs 1/4 cup shredded coconut 1/4 cup chopped mixed nuts

1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 pound whitefish fillets

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
2.	In a small bowl, blend mayonnaise and brown mustard. In a medium bowl, mix dry bread crumbs, shredded coconut, chopped mixed nuts, sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper.
3.	Dip fish in the mayonnaise mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture. Arrange coated fish fillets in the prepared baking dish.
4.	Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until fish is easily flaked with a fork.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2012 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 5/3/2012

Oat Milk

An alternative to cows milk--oat milk.  Easy to make and inexpensive when compared to purchasing commercially prepared non-dairy milks.

To make 2 cups:  place 1/2 cup old fashioned oats into a blender.  Add 2 cups of water.  Blend for 1 minute.  Strain to remove any solids.  Refrigerate to store. 

You might add some vanilla to your milk to enhance the flavor when used on cereal.

To watch a video of this being prepared click here .

Or you can copy and paste the URL:  http://allnaturalme.com/blog/?p=1512

Kitchen Sink Salad

Try this combination.  It's really good.

Mixed organic greens.
Other raw veggies like:  bell pepper, cucumber, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, caulilflower
Dried fruit:  I use a mix of raisins, blueberries, cranberries, and cherries
Nuts:  I use salted pecans, raw sunflower seeds and raw almonds
For protein:  grated cheddar cheese, boiled egg and bacon pieces
Dressing:  I like Hidden Valley Original Ranch

The combination of crunchy, sweet, and salty is dynamite.  We eat this for supper--it constitutes the whole meal.

  

Easy Breakfast Skillet

 You will need:  

2 slices of cooked bacon

1 egg 

1 cup thinly sliced cabbage

diced onion

 garlic

 1 tsp coconut oil 

salt & pepper.

Spray a small non-stick skillet, then melt 1 teaspoon of organic coconut oil.  Add diced onions and garlic.  Saute until translucent. 

Add one cup thinly sliced cabbage.  Saute for a minute or two, then add a little water to help steam/cook the cabbage.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

When tender crisp, move the cabbage to one side of the skillet, respray the now empty side of the skillet and crack one egg into skillet. Cook gently--on low heat--to desired doneness.

Top with two slices of cooked bacon.  Remove to plate.

Enjoy.

Cheery Cherry Pie on Presidents Day

This pie will cheer you.  Why?  Because it's easy to make and easy on the calories.

You will need:

***half a can of cherry pie filling

***6 egg roll wrappers which have been cut into quarters or 24 won top wrappers

***mini cupcake pan with 24 cups

***oil spray like Pam

This will make 24.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray the mini cupcake pan.  Into each cup place a square of wrapper, pressing it into the sides of  the cup.  Place one whole cherry in each cup and top with enough glaze to almost fill.  Press the overlapping wrapper over the top--no need to seal it.  Spray lightly with oil spray.  Bake 15 minutes or until browned.  Allow to cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I used Mussleman cherry pie filling and Nasoya brand wrappers.  Each cheery cherry pie is 30 calories.  

Grown Up Dessert

COFFEE JELLO

• Dissolve one packet of plain unflavored gelatin in 1/4 cup of cold liquid (water or coffee).  Let sit 5 minutes to soften.

• Add 1.5 cups of hot (boiling) coffee. 

• Stir in 1/4 cup sweetener of choice ( I used Splenda...you can use sugar if you wish) and a dash of salt.   Stir until dissolved.

•  Chill until set.

• Serve spooned into coffee cups, top with whipped cream.

A nice addition would be a drizzle of Chocolate Magic Shell for a mocha flavor.  You might add some chocolate syrup too as part of the liquid, reducing the added sweetener to taste.

In the future I'm going to try making this using green tea in place of the coffee.

Easy Table Garden Summer Supper

Our green bean, tomatoes, cucumbers and squash plants are prolific this year .  

A quick and delicious way we have been enjoying them is this:

Roast very young and tender whole green beans in the oven on high heat, drizzled with olive oil, and salt to taste.  

Do the same with zucchini that have been cut into pieces.

While the veggies roast boil some pasta.  When it is done, drain well, add a knob of butter, some olive oil and a good amount of grated Parmesan cheese.  Stir well to mix.

In your bowl--single serve pasta bowl is what we use--place some pasta, top with each kind of roasted veggie and grate some white cheddar or muenster over that.

For a side, and to use all those wonderful tomatoes we've been harvesting, I slice tomatoes and cucumbers, drizzle with Ranch dressing and cover with nutritional yeast--it tastes cheesy and is full of B complex vitamins, plus protein and some fiber.

There you have it--an easy summer supper I think you'll enjoy.

COCONUT GRASS FRUIT SOUP

Perfect for St. Patrick's Day or Spring

If you'd like to make this fun soup here's how:

In a blender combine:

*frozen banana
*frozen peaches
*frozen spinach
*plain yogurt
*protein powder
*ice cold water
*sweetener to taste

Blend until all the solids are liquefied.

Pour into a serving bowl.
Sprinkle with coconut.

The amounts you use will depend on the serving size.

For a single serving I use half a banana, one half cup peaches, about a fourth cup of spinach, one half cup yogurt, and a half scoop of protein powder.  A teaspoon of  sugar satisfies my taste buds.  And I add enough water so everything blends well.

You can't really taste the spinach--but if you prefer another green, you might use kiwi.  And a bit of green food color if needed.

This can be served in an Irish Coffee mug too--as a smoothie.

Fun for kids.  Fun for adults. 

More Goat Cheese Love

 Goat Cheese Salad

Fix your favorite mix of greens and veggies for the salad part.

I use a mix of baby  spinach and iceberg or romaine and iceberg for the greens.  

The veggies I add depend on the season.

For the goat cheese part, using two 1 ounce portions of goat cheese per person, shape portions into a ball, then flatten slightly into a disc.

Roll the edges of each disc in chopped walnuts..

At this point you can gently warm them in a skillet with a little oil, or serve them as is.

Place on top of you salad.

Drizzle with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Basic vinaigrette recipe:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 scant teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

salt to taste

4 tablespoons oil, dripped in slowly whisking all the while to create an emulsion

Note:  for a sweet sour dressing use equal parts vinegar and sugar, i.e. in this recipe use 2 tablespoons sugar.

Serves One or Three

Yummy Jello Sponge Fluff

Light, pastel color..... perfect for Spring.

 

Dissolve one small box sugar free gelatin--flavor your choice--in one cup of boiling water.

Chill until it begins to thicken-- the consistency will be like egg whites.

Stir in one half cup of fat free plain yogurt.

Fold in once scant cup (60 grams/100 calories worth) of fat free Cool Whip.

Chill until set.

Top with additional Cool Whip if desired.

Enjoy.

This whole recipe only has 175 calories.

It yields 3 nice servings--or you could eat the whole thing!

Perfect for those times you want something sweet, but not heavy.

Or you need to budget you calories and don't want to feel deprived of dessert.

More Goat Cheese Love

Goat Cheese.  I love you.  Will you marry me?

Now if I could just figure out how to live near a Costco, where goat cheese is sold in honkin' big hunks.  

Guess you get that I love goat cheese.

Here is a new way to enjoy it.

  Prep half a red pepper and pan roast it on both sides in a small skillet.

When it's roasted to your preference--I like mine with a little crunch-- remove to a plate. 

Top with a bed of baby spinach leaves.

Open a can of tuna, drain it, and dump it onto the spinach.

Top that with an ounce--or two-- of luscious creamy wonderful goat cheese.

Sprinkle with walnuts.

A vinaigrette is nice as a dressing.

Or a just a drizzle of fruity dark extra virgin olive oil will suffice.

Add a side of garlicky crackers or some toasted baguette for some crunch.

Eat. Enjoy. Heaven on your taste buds.

Note:  You can substitute any leafy green for the raw spinach.

TEXAS TWO STEP

For a quick and easy meal, no dancing experience necessary.

Layer 1:  rice or tortilla

Layer 2:    black beans

Layer 3:  grated cheese

Layer 4: raw spinach or lettuce

Layer 5:  one over easy egg

Layer 6:  sour cream

Layer 7:  salsa

DON'T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF

You Were Not Given Good Information.
So it is not all your fault.

 "With more fat-free products than ever, Americans got fatter....this focus only on fat calories to the neglect of carbohydrate calories has contributed to this epidemic of obesity."

The quote you just read is from Dr. Walter Willet.

Here are his credentials:

"Walter Willett is professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, a professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School, and the author of Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating. He is also one of the principal investigators on the Nurses Health Study, one of the largest, long-term studies to look at the effect of diet on health. Willett explains how his research on the Nurses Health Study led him to become one of the USDA food pyramid's greatest critics. "The food guide pyramid that was developed in 1991 really is based on the idea that all fat is bad," he says. "This pyramid is really not compatible with good scientific evidence." In this interview, he explains the reasoning behind his revision of the food pyramid to include exercise at the base and to separate out "good" and "bad" fats and carbohydrates. This interview was conducted on Jan. 9, 2004."  (From the sidebar at the pbs link below.)

If you'd like to read the whole interview--and I suggest you do because not only is it informative, it is  important information. 

FAT IS NOT THE ENEMY.  

And it is easy to read, in lay terms. 

Go to this link:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/diet/interviews/willett.html

or 

CLICK HERE .

Weight Loss Update

Finally.

Reached my second goal.

Thirty--30--pounds gone.

Now I'm thinking about setting a new goal.

But I think I'll enjoy this number for awhile first.

I could tell I'd lost without weighing myself--by the way my watchband fit.

I have a child's pink camouflage watch.

When I started wearing it I used the last hole.

It was tight.

Eventually I was able to use the second to the last hole, though tight.

Now is it loose on the second to last hole.

So I must be losing fat overall.

Let me encourage you to NOT go on a diet.

Instead figure out a way to eat for life that will 'carry' you to your ideal weight.

What worked for me is 6 mini-meals a day.

Six SMALL meals a day.

It is easier to eat less when you know you will be eating soon.

Eating before you get very hungry not only helps you prevent overeating, but helps you to eat less at that meal, and overall during the course of a day.


I always figured the more often I ate, the more I'd eat in the end.

But for me that was not true.

 I encourage you to 'discover' what works for you.

But the bottom line is :

We must all eat/take in less calories than we've been eating if we want to be smaller.

My mantra is :

Eat small to be small.  If you over indulge you will bulge.

Cheeseburger Salad

Dynamite dish.
 

Not original. 

Borrowed it from Deerunstoo

She's a vegetarian so she used a veggie burger.

I used a turkey burger.

Make a green salad.

Top a cooked burger with a slice of cheese and heat to melt.  Put it on top of your green salad.

Now top the cheeseburger with your typical burger toppings.

Mine today were a slice of onion, dill pickle slices, mustard, catsup, and a tiny bit of mayonnaise.

Now eat with a fork.

All I can say is wow.

Didn't miss the bread in the least.

This will definitely go on my supper menu rotation.

Check out Deerunstoo's  website  , her you-tube channel 

and her blog.

And if you'd like to see her 'not cheeseburger salad' video   click here.

Just A Thought

MAYBE

.....it's not what we eat that matters.....

But what we don't eat .