Friday, July 27, 2012

One of my recipes has been published in Gooseberry Patch

Yay!

I was so excited when I got the email this morning.  One of my recipes has been posted in the 101 Breakfast & Brunch Recipes cookbook by Gooseberry Patch.  The cookbook will be available on August 16th.  Here is the link to the book on amazon.com and you can quick view it there.
  http://www.amazon.com/reader/1612810853?_encoding=UTF8&new_account=1&page=117#reader_1612810853
It looks there are some super yummy recipes in this book.  I cannot wait to get my copy!  I hope all of you will pick one up too.  The breakfast couscous listed in the amazon preview will probably be my first one to try. 


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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Baked Oatmeal To-Go....Thank You Pinterest!

I AM ADDICTED. I have no shame in saying so either. Hi, my name is Rebekah and I am addicted to pinterest. A dear friend of mine introduced me to it and away I went; diving head first into pinterest. I find funny quips, ideas for work, gardening tips and of course my favorite thing, new recipes.
This one caught my eye right away and I thought it would be perfect to post here. Who doesn't want more quick, easy and healthy recipe ideas for busy mornings? I cannot think of one person who would fall into that catergory, I know I certainly don't.

This recipe is originally from www.fauxmartha.com and it is her version I am posting here. I cannot wait to try these!

Baked Oatmeal To-Go
adapted from Cooking Light; yields 12 “muffins”;
2 c. uncooked oats (quick-cooking or old fashioned work)
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. craisins or other dried fruit
1 tbsp. walnuts, chopped
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. skim milk (sometimes I use 2%)
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce (jarred or homemade works)
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Spray muffin tin or line with paper liners and set aside.
2. Combine oats, brown sugar, dried fruit, walnuts, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Stir.
3. Combine milk, applesauce, butter, and egg in a separate bowl and stir.
4. Add milk mixture to oat mixture. Stir until combined.
5. Using a 2-ounce trigger release ice-cream scoop, add oatmeal to the muffin tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
6. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing, using an offset spatula to loosen. Serve or store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week. Heat for 1-2 minutes in the microwave.



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Saturday, February 25, 2012

Synthetic Food Dyes Raising Health Concerns Among Doctors, Parents

I found this in my newsfeed on FB this morning and knew I had to post it here right away. We took food dyes out of my son's diet half way through his kindergarten year due to behavior concerns and we have never looked back. It made such a difference in a very positive way. I really encourage parents to think twice before buying those colorful fruit snacks, cute crackers and even chocolate and vanilla pudding. Yes, hard to believe but red 40 is in chocolate pudding. Why in the world would chocolate need red 40 to look more chocolate? It is so beyond me! Here is the full article and the link which includes a video.

**
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — When it comes to food, there is more than what meets the eye with synthetic dyes added to everything from cereal to fresh fruit and some believe it could affect our health.

Like the colors themselves, the debate is beyond black and white over the ingredient that for decades has been dripping with questions.

When it comes to behavior of Kelly King’s daughter, she is certain of the difference that food dyes make.

Doctors diagnosed her with ADHD last year and put her on powerful drugs.

“It just didn’t feel right to me,” King said.

A few months ago the Kings heard about a possible connection between dyes and hyperactivity. Within weeks of removing them from her daughter’s diet, she no longer needed medication.

“We’ve had amazing results. She’s like a whole new child and she is herself again,” King said.

“What I look at when I talk to the parents is, ‘what kind of food are you giving your kid,’” Dr. Arlen Liberman said.

Taking dyes out of kids diets is a big part of Dr. Liberman’s practice. At the clinic he shares with his daughter, they have seen again and again the change they make.

“They have risk and they have no benefits. The only benefit that they have is the look,” said Krystle Lieberman, a licensed and registered dietitian.

Food manufacturers in the U.S. can use nine dyes – Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 make up 90 percent of the market. They also cause the most concern.

Take a shopping trip and you will see them everywhere, listed on a bright cereal box or even the more covert packaging of a pickle jar. They can be found in all kinds of products, from cough syrup to toothpaste; waffles to crackers.

Synthetic dyes are sometimes even sprayed on fresh fruits to sharpen their shades.

“They are really ubiquitous in this food supply that we have created,” said Dr. David Wallinga of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

He believes that the science is there for customers to be concerned, saying that they dyes mess with metabolism. He added that yellow dyes deplete zinc levels enough in some kids to cause hyperactivity.

An added concern – the dyes include petroleum products, which he says have been shown to increase the risk for cancer.

Countries across Europe have already responded to the controversy. For the most part, you will not find the dyes on their grocery-store shelves.

Rather than scaring customers away, American companies, like Kellogg’s, General Mills and Kraft, did away with the dyes overseas.

So some foods in Europe, like M&M’s, do not look as bright.

“Why should the U.S. be the dumping ground for a worrisome food diet,” Dr. David Wallinga asked?

The FDA did take up the issue last spring. Its scientists found that dyes could affect children, who already have behavioral disorders.

But the agency said that most children will not see a reaction, so they decided against putting labels on foods, saying that more research was needed.

Some grocery chains, like Whole Foods, decided on their own to stop selling products with synthetic dyes.

“I think it’s great. It’s so unnecessary to put that stuff in the body, especially for young kids,” one shopper said.

“I would ban these dyes in a moment,” said Dr. Liberman.

So does Kelly King, who says the difference in her daughter is beyond coincidence. For her there is no grey area when it comes to removing dyes from food.

In a statement the FDA said, “Approved food color additives are considered safe and they have not found a cause and effect relationship between dyes and hyperactivity in children.”

Meanwhile, natural food colorings are becoming more common — you just need to check the labels.

**
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/02/23/synthetic-food-dyes-raising-health-concerns-among-doctors-parents/

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Sunday, February 19, 2012

Dannon Pure Yogurt

I saw a commercial for this yogurt last week and found it in my grocery store. It was just as the commercial had advertised. Healthy yogurt with pure ingredients, good taste and cheap! What more could a mom ask for?

If you want to see more about this yogurt you can go to www.dannon.com and check out the product.

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Saturday, February 11, 2012

Quick & Easy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

I whipped this up one Saturday morning. I will not lie, Kiddo is not a huge fan of oatmeal. I'm not really sure when this happened either. When he was little he loved it and I could not keep enough in the house. Now, he doesn't care for it at all. This recipe might have turned his opinion into a more positive one though.

Here is what you need:

2 apples chopped (I used gala apples. Use whatever kind you would like but I would stay away from red delicious, they get mooshy.)

3 tablespoons of butter (I used Smart Balance.)

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1 tsp of cinnamon

Juice of half a lemon or half an orange

1 3/4 cups of milk

1 cup of quick cooking oats

1/4 tsp salt

What you do:

Cook your apples in a large skillet with the butter, brown sugar, lemon or orange juice and cinnamon.

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Keep and eye on them and stir them often. Cook them until they begin to soften.

Add milk and water. Bring to a rolling boil. Now add the oats and stir.

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Cook the mixture on the stovetop for a minute. Promptly remove the pan from the heat and cover. Allow it to sit for about 2-3 minutes.

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Remove the lid and stir. If you want to add a little more butter or brown sugar go ahead and adjust it to your taste/texture liking. I added a little more butter.

Now its ready to serve!

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I cannot describe how warm and yummy this breakfast is.

Enjoy!

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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Rosemary Bread

Want a tasty bread to have on your sandwiches during the week? This is the answer to all of your desires. I love this bread and so does kiddo. But warning, once you make this it may not last more than an hour or so. People will eat this bread up and there will be no leftovers. I found this recipe online years ago and it turns out perfect every time.

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Here is what you need:

Rosemary Bread

Ingredients
1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
What you do:

1.Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select white bread cycle; press Start.

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Monday, December 26, 2011

We Are In Our New Home & I Am Cooking Again

Actually we have been here for 2 months now but I am sure you all know how hectic moving in can be. It is not a 2 day project to say the very least. I think we spent our first month here doing a lot of eating out and quick meals. Between unpacking and getting things were I wanted them cooking just did not happen.

Now that things are settling down I hope to begin posting some tasty recipes again.

I hope you all had a great holiday season, see you soon!

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