Sunday, November 20, 2011

Save a turkey-eat lentil loaf


I made this yummy lentil loaf last night and it was so good!Packed with protein and so filling.It makes the perfect Thanksgiving dish,add some creamy mashed or sweet potatoes and some greens and who needs turkey anyway!!!




Thanksgiving Loaf

2 cups lentils
1 big yellow onion,chopped
3 minced garlic cloves
3/4 cup barchup(half barbecue sauce-half ketchup)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 tsp fresh or dried thyme
2 tbsp braggs
salt and pepper to taste

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add lentils.
Reduce heat and simmer until all the water is absorbed about 50-60min.
Add more water after 30min if needed.
Saute onions and garlic for about 5 min until soft.
When lentils are done,let them stand for about 30min-they will thicken up.
Combine them with all other ingredients and half of the barchup and process them in a food processor.
Press mixture into loaf pan and spread remaining barchup on top.
Bake for about 45min at 350*F.
Let stand for about 10min before slicing.




Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Tacos without the bad stuff!

My husband has Mexican blood flowing through his veins.A week without tacos doesn't exist in our house!
This is our recipe for easy built yourself tacos.



-10 organic corn tortillas (organic is important because commercial corn contains gmo)

-1 cup of cooked black or kidney beans

-2 cups of shredded lettuce


Veggie rice
-1 cup of brown rice
-1/2 red bell pepper
-1/2 yellow bell pepper
-1/2 onion
-1tbsp 21 seasoning
-sea salt to taste

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
Add rice,reduce heat and simmer for about 20 min.
Saute chopped onions in pan for about 5 min.
Add bell peppers and simmer for another 5min.
Add cooked rice,stir and season to taste.
You could also add some green chilies if you like a little heat.


Guacamole
-2 avocados
-1/8 cup of corn
-1/8 cup chopped tomatoes
-1 tbsp chopped onions
-A handful of cilantro
-Juice of one lime
-Salt and Pepper

Mash the avocados,add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.


Fresh Salsa
-3 tomatoes, chopped
-1/2 cup finely diced onions
-1 small green chilies, finely chopped
-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons lime juice

Combine all the ingredients and mix well.




Transfer the salsa,guacamole,rice and beans and lettuce each into separate bowls.
Heat up the corn tortillas on top of the stove for a few seconds.Put on serving plate.

Built your own taco with all the good for you ingredients.


Love and Cookies

Jennifer

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Got a cold?!Please don't pop a pill...


I can not believe it is November already and the beautiful holiday season is just around the corner.
It is getting cold in Chicago and of course everybody is making sure they are getting their flu shots!Flu shot season is making me a little upset.I don't like how people are getting pushed into getting vaccinated,it is just another money making thing.Did you know that more people actually died from a flu shot vaccine than from the flu itself.I am not surprised just look at the kind of ingredients a flu shot contains:
  • Egg proteins: including avian contaminant viruses
  • Gelatin: can cause allergic reactions and anaphylaxis are usually associated with sensitivity to egg or gelatin
  • Polysorbate 80 (Tween80™): can cause severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Also associated with infertility in female mice.
  • Formaldehyde: known carcinogen
  • Triton X100: a strong detergent
  • Sucrose: table sugar
  • Resin: known to cause allergic reactions
  • Gentamycin: an antibiotic
  • Thimerosal: mercury is still in multi dose flu shot vials
SCARY!!!There is no way I would ever put that into my body.
Once again, you don't get sick because you didn't get the flu shot...you will get sick because you didn't take care of yourself and your immune system got weakend.If you treat your body like garbage,year after year,even if you did get the flu shot,sooner or later you will get really, really sick.

The time to treat any kind of disease is when you don't have it.!
Prevention is always better than cure.




I listed some natural ways to prevent and cure a cold or the flu,without and pills,chemical liquids and poisonous flu shots!

DOUBLE UP ON VITAMIN C
Not only is vitamin C a well-known component of your immune system, it is also necessary for collagen, the main structural protein found in connective tissue. A healthy dose of vitamin C will protect your body from infection and maintain healthy bones and teeth, as well as quicken the body's ability to repair wounds.
Along with its immune functions that fight against bacteria, viruses, and infection, vitamin C also serves as an effective antihistamine that will lessen the unpleasant effects of the common cold, including inflammation, stuffy nose and aches.
The best source of vitamins is always fresh fruit and vegetables.
Good sources of Vitamin C are red bell peppers,lemons,kiwis or strawberries.


DON'T EAT ANY JUNK FOOD
When you have a cold or flu your body is under a lot of stress, fighting the viral infection.Almost 80% of our energy is used for digestion. Big, heavy meals take vital energy to digest, resources which your body could be using to fight the infections.If you eat easy to digest foods like fruit and vegetables your body can work on fighting of the cold and doesn't have to focus on breaking down the food.There is a reason why we are not hungry if we are sick!The best thing to do is drink plenty of liquids - water,green juices and herbal teas,but stay away from heavy and highly processed food. High liquid intake is important as the body uses water to carry waste products and toxins to your elimination systems.


CHILL OUT
One of the most important factors in getting cure from cold is a good sleep and generally relaxing. You need to get some good rest in order for your body to resist the cold virus better, faster and more efficient. If you have fever you should definitely stay home, switch off your mobile and try to relax. Most people tend to try and overcome cold with out resting.Stay at home and relax for two days in a warm environment.


GARLIC
What,garlic? I know, it has a strong smell but garlic has anti-bacterial properties that help the immune system to fight infection, it is an excellent boost to the immune system. The reason for this is garlic contains several helpful compounds, including allicin, one of the plant kingdom's most potent antibiotics.So if you can eat it like an apple(-:...LOL..a garlic a day keeps the doctor away!




STEAM BABY STEAM
Boil up a large pot of water. If you're lucky enough to live in Australia, then pop out to the yard and pick yourself a few Eucalyptus leaves to add to the pot. If not, 3 - 5 drops of Eucalyptus essential oil should do the trick. Let the water boil for around 10 minutes.
Inhale the steam through your mouth to alleviate mucus congested in the chest area and inhale through the nose for stuffiness and blockages. Keep eyes closed during the process and take deep relaxing breathes until you feel better.


GET IT ALL OUT
Stop sniffing and avoid using cough medicine!
Sniffing sends that mucus right back to the very place it came from! You want to expel the infected mucus from your body. Stop sniffing and grab a tissue!The same goes for coughing.
Most cough medicines contain ingredients to suppress coughing. You want to shift the infected mucus away from the lungs. Suppressing a cough hinders your body's attempt to heal. A natural remedy will relieve the cough without suppressing it.Drink hot herbal or ginger tea.One tablespoon apple cider vinegar disolved in water works wonders.I will never have a sinus infection again!!!


STAY AWAY FROM CHICKEN SOUP
Please, if you want to eat someting,have vegetable soup which will nourish you with all its vitamins and minerals.No dead chicken will heal you!!!


Love and Cookies

Jennifer