Green Smoothies – A Healthy Trend

Green smoothies have gained so much popularity these days. These are blended drinks that are made from green- leafy vegetables and are very nutritious. Next to water are fruit juices and this new trend in green smoothies that are both organically produced. They hydrate, refresh and most importantly, they are filled with nutrients that are needed by the body. When they are very fresh, they have natural sweetness that there's no more need to add sweeteners. They can be blended to have different varieties of drinks. They are simply organic greens, natural fruits and wild honey combined all together.

There are benefits that are gained from green smoothies. They help boost the immune system, promote weight loss, increase ones energy and detoxify the body, This is also a way of eating sustainably as all of them are close to their natural state.. Nature prepared them to be balanced in nutrition. When eaten fresh they are at the peak of their flavor, texture and aroma. Since they are produced without using chemicals as in pesticides and other additives, they cause less diseases to humans. They are high in fiber, low in fat and filled with vitamins and minerals though low in protein. They are the richest sources of anti-oxidants nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene.

Green smoothies popularity will remain and will be adapted by every one who wants to live healthy and sustainably. Eating organically green for a healthy you and a healthy environment too.

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How to Liven Up Your Kids Lunch Fare

It is always the concern of parents, mothers in particular to always make it a point that kid's packed lunch is healthy and consumed to the last bite. It is a disappointment on the parents when they come home with packed lunch intact. Kids basically loves variations when it comes to food. It is boring for them to see, the same food on their lunch box. There's always a way to liven it so they can enjoy eating the food they bring to school.

Here are some practical ideas to liven up lunch fare:

• Prepare varieties of bread each day. It may be plain, raisin bread, dinner rolls, mini-bagels, mini muffins or flour tortillas. There are lots of varieties to choose from. Rice cakes can also be a great addition. Use smaller tins if you are making your own recipe that is the child's favorite. Cut sandwiches into different fun shapes like diamonds, triangles and rectangles.
• There's no need to pack a sandwich. You can either pack cheese sticks or ham sticks together with a healthy dip. A dip with honey and mustard is a good choice. Kids love them.
• Knowing your child's favorite, make your own trail mix. This includes raisins, nuts, cereals, mini pretzels tossed with few fruit gummies.
• Variety of fruits can be enjoyed when they are easy to eat and not messy. Peel fruits that needs to be peeled and cut them into finger-sized. Fruits can also be made into kebabs of cubes using thin celery as skewers.
• Vegetables can be cut into finger-food sizes with cream cheese dippings. Carrots can be shred to mixed with plain yogurt with little honey.
• To satisfy the kid's sweet tooth, pack a naturally sweetened fruit cocktail with yogurt in their packed lunch.
• Pop-corn that are low in fat and freshly popped is a great addition. Just have it packed in a sealed bag to retain its freshness and goodness.
• On cold days, include a thermos of hot soup.
• Be creative.

Always remember that the best thing that we can give to our kids are healthy foods for proper growth and development.

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Preparing Cheap Chicken Meals For A Large Family

Feeding a large family is not a joke. This can definitely put so much strain in the budget. I belong to a large family . I got 6 brothers and 5 sisters. So you just can imagine a long table with 14 mouths (includes my parents) to feed day in and day out. This poses really a big challenge to the parents especially the mothers, considering that i'ts not only the quantity of the food to be served that is taken into account  but also the nutrients to be able to feed the members with healthy foods. I'm sharing with you one chicken recipe that will surely go a long way and will suffice a large family. This is very popular as a Filipino cuisine, Chicken Tinola or Chicken Stew, as what it is popularly called.

We need:

• 2 lbs. Chicken, cut into serving size
• 3 cups young papaya (or chayote squash or bottle gourd), quartered
• 3 tablespoon cooking oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb size ginger root, cut into strips
• 1 medium size onion, diced
• 4 – 5 cups rice water or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 cup Moringa or malunggay leaves ( or spinach leaves can be a substitute)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil ever a medium heat in a medium saucepan and saute garlic and ginger until fragrant.
2. Add onions until it becomes soft and translucent.
3. Add the chicken and cook until it turns white for at least five minutes.
4. Add the fish sauce and cook for another 3 minutes.
5. Pour in the rice water or chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil.
6. Place heat into low and let it simmer until chicken is half cooked.
7. Add the young papaya and continue to simmer until both the chicken and the papaya are tender.
8. Put in the Moringa or malunggay leaves, cover and simmer for another 3 minutes until the Moringa are cooked.
9. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Remove from heat.

This recipe makes 8 servings. My mother usually doubles the recipe to feed us all.

Chicken tinola can be served with rice or bread to make a complete meal. This is also a great dish during cold season. The ingredients can be found in most Asian stores. We can never question the nutritional value of Moringa. It can prevent many illnesses too. So, this is one cheap recipe that can feed many and can provide the nutrients for a more healthy body.

What To Do To Get Your Kids To Eat Vegetables

Kids need to eat at least 2 to 3 servings of vegetables a day. This means that they need to eat  a half cup of raw vegetables or three fourths cup of cooked vegetables. They need this for proper growth development and a healthy life. They also need to consume fruits, dairy, proteins, whole grains, and vegetables for a well- balance diet. But one of the hardest task of mothers or parents is how to get their kids to eat vegetables. Given the chance to choose from the types of food, kids will most likely reject vegetables. But then, there are still several ways to get them to eat vegetables.

Getting kids to eat vegetables is not really as difficult as most of us think. The first thing that should be done is to develop in them the habit. Introducing them to vegetables should be done the very first time that they are given solid food as babies. Mix them in the solid food or simply blend them with the cereals.Vegetables should be varied everyday so they will get used to the different taste as  they grow.

Serve colorful vegetables and if possible cut them into fancy shapes to catch the kids attention. Slice raw carrots into sticks and always have them in the refrigerator. Kids get attracted to them and just eat them once hungry. Avoid stocking junk foods in the fridge. This is also a way to avoid eating them. Have sliced vegetables that can be eaten raw and sliced fruits instead. Make sure to place them where kids can easily see them and can easily reach without any assistance. Kids will surely eat them just like finger foods especially if they are hungry.

Sneak in vegetables to their meals. Kids love to eat spaghetti, burgers and sausages. These can be considered as junk foods. When cooking spaghetti sauce, add finely chopped carrots to the mixture. Try using finely chopped banana heart or banana blossoms instead of ground meat when making burger. I tried this and I assure you, this tastes as good or even better as meat burger. My grand kids liked it. Sausages can be nutritious when mixed with some vegetables. Meat sausage can be prepared with green peas, finely chopped carrots, pickle relish, and raisins. Steam-cook it for the first serving. Always cook more than what is needed for the first serving. Refrigerate the extra sausages and serve some other time in different presentation like frying and serve with homemade dips. This way time preparation is also saved.

Be creative in cooking vegetables. Kids love to eat chips and finger foods. Think of some vegetables that can be eaten in these forms. Water spinach can be coated with batter and fried until crisp and brown. This is also appealing to the kids.

Getting kids to eat vegetables maybe a challenge to every mother or parent. But this only takes some of your time, a little patience and effort to make this possible. After all, health is your number one concern for your kids. As the saying goes, "health is wealth," therefore, you should also treat it as one of the best investments your kids can inherit.

Homemade Pizza, Family Activity and Treat

Why do we choose fast food for lunch or dinner many times? There’s no telling how much money we’ve spent on that one meal one or more times a week. Why not get the family together and make pizza at home instead of having it delivered? This is a great opportunity for bonding.

This family activity will surely become a family tradition in time. Choose a day of the week when everyone can get together and enjoy the experience. You can even pretend that you are in a real Italian pizzeria and go all out by decorating the dining room table to resemble a pizzeria.

One great thing about this is choosing the toppings for your homemade pizza. You can choose different toppings that all the family likes or mix them to delight everyone since it is homemade. Or just grab ,anything that you find in your kitchen for your toppings.

What about preparing the crust? This may be simple or a quest for discovery. If you decide to go easy, you can use an already prepared crust from the store or get it from a pizza place. But if you want to treat the family to a high time of flour and dough, make your own crusts. You can even customize your crust. Making your own dough crusts can make use of those handy pantry staples. Recipe for pizza dough can be easily found on the internet or a cookbook and then experiment by adding your own spices for interesting flavors.

Shape the dough into a circle or maybe square according to your desired size. Prevent the sauce from bubbling over the oven rack by forming a rim on the dough. Now this is the most enjoyable part. The dough is ready to be dressed to the hilt.

For the sauce, again you can have the option to use the store bought kind if you wish or make your own with fresh tomatoes from your garden. Spread the sauce over the dough and be sure to cover it to the rim. Next, top the pizza sauce with your favourite cheeses. Buying a block of cheese and grating it for pizza topping is more economical. When using packages where the cheese is already shredded, be sure to get enough as the package contains only a cup or two. Fresh cheese melts better.

Throw a little leftover chicken or hamburger on top or whatever you have around that would make things interesting How about jalapeños? They are good for those who like it hot. Don’t forget the spices. It cannot be a pizza without some thyme, basil and oregano. Want to have even more fun with your family pizza creations? See who can make the funniest pizza. The key is to get the family involved.

If you have two baking stones or pizza trays, make more than one at a time or make small individual pizzas. Everyone can help to clean up while you wait for the pies to bake. When the timer goes off, Bon Appétit!

And don’t forget, if there are leftovers enjoy them the next morning for breakfast!

Home Cooking: Comfortable and Fun

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011

Home Cooking: Comfortable and Fun

Hi Everyone!!

Back to my postings after some weeks of absence. With 2011 to start with, how about some forethoughts on going back to the basic home cooking?

Since the emergence of all these restaurants, food courts just about anywhere and the home deliveries services, home cooking has still its edge over them. To think of the advantages that home cooking brings such as costing less, assurance of fresh and  healthy foods and fosters bonding time, it is still very popular and the most sensible thing to do. So, here are some ways to make home cooking comfortable and a real fun.

Home cooking should have a kitchen setting that has a welcoming effect, a feeling of ease and a feeling that its not a mundane. This can be created by setting up a cozy kitchen that makes one feels a warm,  home-country effect that in spite of the modern kitchen utensils, tools and equipments. To achieve this effect, the first thing to consider is the space. This doesn't matter whether the kitchen is large or small as this depends on how big the size of the house is. What matters is that there's ease and free movement in the kitchen setting. Kitchen gadgets, utensils and equipments should be in proper places where they can be readily reached whenever needed. An easy access to every kitchen implements.

Modern kitchen with a clean, aesthetic stainless settings and with wide array of bright colored, best pots and pans, gadgets and appliances can be complemented with earthen colors as in wood tools and gadgets like chopping board and others. Homey kitchen setting can have rugs on the floor and can be decorated with floral curtains and plaids. Have a soft cushioned chair to add up to its coziness. Place a kitchen table so clutters are not just about anywhere. Small, decorative pots can be planted with herbs that are used frequently. This provides for an easy access to fresh herbs aside from adding ornaments to the kitchen.

Making home-cooking a fun is just part of being creative. Experiment on new recipes with other members of the family or with your friends. Just the feel of anticipating on how the new recipe comes out is already a joy. Have some of your favorite music playing and dance and chop to its beat. Kind of weird but still funny. The fun and the feeling of happiness just being there in the kitchen with rest is great as it is already bonding time. Surely in the future this can bring a smile in everyone's face every time this moment comes to mind.

Always bear in mind that a comfortable and homey kitchen is the busiest place of the house where home cooking will forever be a family fun fare even with the generations to come. So, busy or not, make a habit of preparing foods home cooked. Your loved ones will forever be grateful and love you for that.

Benefits of Learning How to Cook

I grew up in a very large family composed of a dozen of children, 6 boys and 6 girls. One can imagine how a 14-seater dining table is filled with food day in and day out on normal, ordinary days. In a large family like ours, kitchen is always the busiest part. Having a family of my own, I just can't help admiring my parents. They managed to feed us varieties of food daily, complete and healthy. Both my mother and father knew how to cook. During those olden times, mothers usually stayed home, acted as just plain housewives, attending to every needs of the family members. My father cooked more often than my mother did. He really loved to cook and this worked best for the whole household, minus one chore for my mother. We were trained to help in the preparation of the ingredients (and in almost all household chores). Even the smallest task as peeling, mincing or chopping or washing the utensils, was a big deal to us when we were young, For me, I felt I contributed a lot already. We had so much fun and enjoyed each other in the kitchen, until such time that we were the ones cooking for the family already and my parents were just watching

From the scenario in our family kitchen, had my parents didn't know how to cook, bonding with the rest of the family while cooking in the kitchen would never be possible. The point here, it helped greatly in fostering good relationships among family members and at the same time, everyone learned even just the very basic in cooking.

Learning and knowing how to cook can flourish into a food business. And we all know that food- related businesses can most likely succeed than fail, food being a basic need. Even the smallest food stall that carries only a single product and requires a simple cooking technique as frying or grilling can be a good source of income.

On friends and family gatherings, special occasions like weddings and birthdays, food is essential. A gathering or a party can never be called one if there's no food served. And rendering such occasion requires a lot of expenses. Normally, there is a need to hire a cook or a chef or a catering service to attend to the food to be served. But, if one or several members of the family can cook, expenses for this can be lessened. Foods to be served can most likely be delicious and satisfying since they are prepared by cooks who definitely knew the guests likes and tastes.

There are still lots of advantages that cooking brings. All of the above mentioned are just but some reasons why one should learn how to cook. I only have this to say, this is one most satisfying, fulfilling and most gratifying task that one needs to learn.