Granola bars consist of granola pressed and baked into a bar shape, resulting in the production of a convenient snack. The product is most popular in the United States and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the United Kingdom, parts of southern Europe, Brazil, Israel, South Africa, and Japan. Granola bars have expanded its market into India and other southeast Asian countries.
A glass of fresh-squeezed juice is a great way to meet your fruit and vegetable needs. There are numerous combinations to create a variety of flavors that are packed with a lot of vitamins and minerals.
Note that not all juicers produce the same amount of liquid. Consider buying extra ingredients if your juicer produces a low output. To avoid pesticides and other chemicals, use organic fruits and vegetables and be sure to wash everything thoroughly. Some juicers heat juice slightly, so chill your ingredients before juicing them.
Carrot, Granny Smith, and Ginger Juice
yield: Makes about 7-1/2 cups, 1 serving (3/4 cup)
Special equipment: a juicer (see cooks' note, below)
Preparation Slice apples. Process enough slices in a juicer, skimming and discarding any foam, to measure 4 cups juice, then transfer the juice to a pitcher. Process enough carrots, skimming and discarding any foam, to measure 3 1/2 cups juice, then add to the pitcher with apple juice. Process ginger, then stir 2 1/2 tablespoons of ginger juice into a pitcher. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. Serve over ice, if desired.
Spa Juice
yield: Makes 1 (1-cup) serving
Calories (kcal) 90; Carbohydrates (g) 21; Fat (g) 0; Trans Fatty Acid (g) 0; Cholesterol (mg) 0; Vitamin A - IU (IU) 4988 (99.8%); Vitamin C (mg) 51 (84.6%); Iron (mg) 0.6 (3.2%); Sodium (mg) 67 (2.8%) In addition, the recipe contains Vitamin B1; B2; B6; Folate;
Calcium; Phosphorus; and Potassium
Editor's note: This juice is fruity but not overly sweet. It gets its green color from parsley and spinach, but neither ingredient overwhelms the flavors of the pineapple, grapefruit, and carrots. The recipe is part of a spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Chris Miller, executive chef at Como Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri in Bali.
Use an electric juice extractor or heavy-duty juicer that can process stems, skin, and seeds.
Ingredients 5 ounces fresh pineapple (about 1 cup or 1/8 large pineapple), peeled, cored, cut into large chunks, and chilled
4 ounces pear (about 1 cup or 1/2 medium pear), unpeeled, cut into large chunks, and chilled
2 cups (packed) spinach with stems (about 4 ounces), chilled
1 (2-ounce) bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley with stems, chilled
1/2 medium carrot, peeled and chilled
1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (from 1/2 small grapefruit), chilled
Preparation
In juice extractor, process pineapple, pear, spinach, parsley, and carrot, skimming foam if necessary. Stir in grapefruit juice, chill if desired, and serve. The juice is best served immediately but will keep, refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to two days.
In Memory of Jack LaLanne Jack LaLanne Sings His Theme Song
as I conclude this Blog on Juicers.
In this clip from the Power Juicer infomercial,
Jack LaLanne sings the closing song from his old TV show
as a duet with an old video of himself.
Resource Cheese.com - World's Greatest Cheese Resource Find over 600 specialty kinds of cheese from 53 countries in the world's greatest cheese resource.
Cheese is nutritious food made mostly from the milk of cows but also other mammals, including sheep, goats, buffalo, reindeer, camels, and yaks. Around 4000 years ago people started to breed animals and process their milk. That's when the cheese was born.
Explore this site to find out about different kinds of cheeses from around the world.
You can search the database of 606 kinds of cheese by names, by country of origin, by kind of milk that is used to produce it, or by texture.
Popcorn, also known as popping corn, is a type of corn that expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Popcorn is able to pop because its kernels have a hard moisture-sealed hull and a dense starchy interior. Pressure builds inside the kernel, and a small explosion (or "pop") is the end result. Some strains of corn are now cultivated specifically as popping corn. From Wikipedia
The Difference between Gourmet and Specialty Coffee
There are many coffee companies that like to state their coffee is gourmet. The term “Gourmet” coffee, has no standard definition. Gourmet coffee could be superior coffee, or it is just a term used for marketing.
Grading Coffee Beans, Specialty Coffee
All coffee beans can be graded out of 100. This grading process is called “cupping”. And according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), specialty coffee is Arabica coffee with a cup score of 80+ points.
The coffee must have been cupped by a certified Q grader. On top of that, too many defects in a sample of the green, unroasted coffee beans will automatically disqualify that coffee from specialty status.
Arabica beans are considered the premium, best-tasting type of beans. Robusta is less expensive to grow and tastes inferior. Some blends mix both types of beans, but the best coffees are made from 100% Arabica beans. To improve the taste of the coffee, look for a blend made from only Arabica beans.
Honey
from Wikipedia Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. Honey bees transform nectar into honey by a process of regurgitation and evaporation. They store it as a primary food source in wax honeycombs inside the beehive.
Honey gets its sweetness from the monosaccharides fructose and glucose and has approximately the same relative sweetness as granulated sugar.
It has exception chemical properties for baking and a distinctive flavor leading some people to prefer it over sugar and other sweeteners. Honey sometimes contains dormant endospores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Because of the natural presence of botulinum endospores in honey, children under one year of age should not be given honey.
Honey has a long history in human consumption and is used in various foods and beverages as a sweetener and flavoring. It also has a role in religion and symbolism. Flavors of honey vary based on the nectar source, and various types and grades of honey are available. via GIPHY
Spinach is fat-free; saturated fat-free; cholesterol free; low calorie; high in dietary fiber; high in vitamin A; high in vitamin C; high in iron, high in folate; and a good source of magnesium.
Selecting and Storing Spinach
1. Choose fresh, crisp, green bunches with no evidence of insect damage.
2. Store spinach loosely wrapped in a damp paper towel.
3. Refrigerate in a plastic bag and use within 3 to 5 days.
Oxalic acid and Spinach
The oxalic acid in spinach binds with iron, which inhibits iron absorption. You can improve the absorption of iron from spinach by eating it with foods that enhance iron absorption; such as foods rich in vitamin C.
“Quinoa is considered to be the organic food of the future and holds great potential in efforts to eradicate poverty worldwide and provide global food security and nutrition.”
The world's attention is on the role quinoa´s biodiversity and nutritional value plays, in providing food security and nutrition, the eradication of poverty in support of the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.
Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudo-cereal rather than a true cereal, or grain. Quinoa originated over 3,000 years ago in the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru.
Quinoa Nutritional Information
Quinoa is high in protein, a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also gluten-free.
Preparation. Quinoa has a natural bitter-tasting coating called saponins. Most quinoa sold commercially has been processed to remove this coating. However, the directions may require additional rinsing before cooking.
Quinoa can be added to a wide variety of dishes and substituted in recipes using rice or couscous. Quinoa flour can be used in wheat-free and gluten-free baking. To enhance the flavor, stock can be exchanged for water during cooking. Quinoa also can provide a nutritious breakfast with the addition of honey, nuts or fruits.
Charles M. Roser is known as the man who created the Fig Newton recipe. He would later sell it to the Kennedy Biscuit Works (later known as Nabisco.)
A Fig Newton is a soft cookie filled with fig jam. As of 2012, in addition to the original fig filling, Nabisco also makes several varieties of the Newton, including strawberry, raspberry, and mixed berry. The Fig Newton also comes in a 100% whole grain and a fat-free variety. There are Fig Newton Minis and a crisp version, called Newtons Fruit Thins.
*1 ounce of a bagel equals 80 calories (most bagels weigh about 3 ounces). *Scooped, when the inside of the bagel is removed (Saves about 40 to 80 calories). *Smear equals about one to two tablespoons of cream cheese.
Joy Bauer, RD takes us through the bagel's history from its start in the royal palace of Poland, to the streets of Manhattan's Lower East Side to the plates of millions of Americans. Find out what's in a bagel and how you can enjoy the bagel without the guilt.
January 15 is designated as National Strawberry Ice Cream Day. Many people associate ice cream as a high-calorie dessert, but with portion planning, you can turn ice cream into a healthy snack.
Portion Control
Strawberry Sundae with Granola
Ingredients. 1/4 cup Light Strawberry Ice Cream
1 Tablespoon Granola
1/4 cup Strawberries, chopped
1/2 cup Strawberries
Strawberry Ice Cream with Granola
Ingredients. 1/3 cup Light Strawberry Ice Cream
2 Tablespoon Granola
1/4 cup Strawberries, chopped
1/2 cup Strawberries
1.5 teaspoons Strawberry Preserves
Nutrition Information. 165 Calories; 3 g Protein; 34 g Carbohydrates; 2 g Dietary Fiber; 3 g Fat (g); 7 mg Cholesterol; 49 mg Vitamin C; 120 mcg Folate; 48 mg Sodium
2 slices Rye Bread 1 tsp Mustard Lettuce leaf 2 slices Tomatoes 2 oz Pastrami
1/2 oz Swiss Cheese
Directions
1. Top one slice of Rye Bread with mustard, lettuce, tomato, pastrami, and Swiss cheese.
2. Top with the second slice of rye bread.
3. Heat in oven or toaster oven until Swiss cheese melts.
Notes The sandwich is high in saturated fat and sodium. Balance the rest of your day by choosing foods low in sodium and saturated fat. An educated consumer has the ability to make wise food choices.
I always considered myself an organized person, but sometime in the 1980’s I started saving everything from – old lesson plans; grocery receipts (from recipe testing); scrap papers with numbers (no names); clothes (from size 2 to 24); my son’s artwork; ADA journals; textbooks, VHS; cassettes; broken phones; wires.. the list is too long to include everything here.
In September 2011, I started to go through my collection of “stuff” to see what I had and what I no longer needed. I knew this would be a massive undertaking; this was almost 30 years of my life collecting dust in boxes, files, drawers, cupboards, closets, the garage, and the attic. In just 3 months, I had thrown out over 15 large garbage bags of junk and still did not feel I had made a dent.
This week, I decided to focus only on one part of the house. I chose my office which is connected to my bedroom. I would not be going through my clothes yet, but it was on the to-do list. I gathered all the boxes from my office, bedroom, under-the-bed, cupboards, shelves, draws, filing cabinets, and the hidden closet. I placed everything in my den to use as my staging area. This was also the only place in my home that still had a record player. I thought while I’m going through this massive amount of paper, I would listen to some of my old favorites before I donated (or threw out) my albums. I have to check to see if they are recyclable.
The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) is a group of about 4,200 professional organizers dedicated to helping individuals and businesses bring order and efficiency to their lives. Their vision is to have the world recognize the value of organizing and turn to NAPO as the leading organizing authority. Their mission is to develop, lead, and promote professional organizers and the organizing industry. In addition to serving professional organizers, they aim to help consumers and those interested in becoming professional organizers.
Get Rid of Clutter
Benefits of Organization Organization improves one’s work, life, financial situation, and frees up time and space
10 Benefits of Getting Organized 1. Stress levels will go down and there will be less chaos and more relaxed life. 2. Efficiency gets projects done quicker with less time wasted on looking for things and being able to make quicker decisions. 3. An organized person is able to fit in time for friends, family members, and helping out in the community. 4. Getting organized helps you feel better about your environment and you are more likely to invite people into your environment without embarrassment. 5. You'll be a better role model for your children. 6. Get organized and you'll have more than enough time to exercise and cook healthy meals for yourself and your family. 7. An organized environment also tends to be a much cleaner environment. 8. An organized person gives a much better business impression than someone who can't find a phone number, has an office piled with cardboard boxes or is always late for appointments. 9. When you're organized, you'll always know what you have, before you buy more. 10. Organized people find ways to eliminate tasks that aren't necessary and to streamline those that are taking too much time. This leaves plenty of time to work on achieving your goals. “Organization brings a level of peace and tranquility to your life,” says Jennifer Snyder of Neat as a Pin! Organizing Experts. Snyder also advises people not to keep things around “just in case.” “Clutter makes noise, it makes energetic noise. It sucks your energy from you.” Clutter also attracts dust and pests. “Clutter is basically sending a message there’s something in your life that you need to get at. Snyder organizes for no more than four hours at a time, to give her clients time to adjust to the improvements. “It didn’t get that way overnight. It’s a lifestyle change. You’re changing the way you think about things and becoming more emotionally healthy,” she said. What to do with castoffs. Once space is organized, there will be bags of items to discard. Itemized list of donations to receive tax deductions, and discarding things properly, such as erasing computer hard drives before dropping them off at a donation center.
Being better organized can provide energy, time, and happiness. Get the Children Involved
Resources: National Association of Professional Organizers WebMD. 10 Ways to Cut Clutter in Your Home A Final Message. I read that one should take a photo of your child's artwork and then the boxes of schoolwork can be thrown away. I had one problem - my son. As I was admiring the years of his efforts, he came by to see how I was doing. With a look of shock and horror - Jake told me how could I throw away his work? "I made it for you, mom." So here is the photo. I ended up keeping his cherished work. I guess I'm not ready to get rid of everything yet.
Peach Melba is a dessert of peaches and raspberry sauce with vanilla ice cream. The dish was invented in the 1890s by the French chef Auguste Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel, London, to honor the Australian soprano Nellie Melba.
Recipe.: Peach Melba
Makes: 2 servings
Serving Size: 1/2 peach, 1 tsp. jam topping, 1/4 cup ice cream
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2
cups
water
1/4
cup
sugar
2
tsp.
fresh lemon juice
1/4
tsp.
pure vanilla extract
1
med.
peach, peeled, halved, and pitted
2
tsp.
no-sugar-added raspberry jam
1/2
cup
sugar-free, reduced-fat, Vanilla Ice Cream
Directions
In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to boiling. Add the lemon juice and vanilla. Reduce the heat to low. Add the peach halves to the syrup and cook for 7 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and allow the peach halves to cool in the syrup for 30 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, place the peach halves in dessert dishes. Cut into slices, if desired. Heat the jam in a microwave-safe container for 15 seconds, until melted.
Top the peach slices with scoops of the ice cream, drizzle with the jam, and garnish with fresh raspberries.
Don’t let this basket of fruit fool you. The shapes are made with marzipan. Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar or honey and almond meal.
CHICAGO – A whopping 83 percent of Americans typically desktop dine in an effort to save time and money, but not practicing proper food safety at the office could end up costing them both. When it comes to protecting themselves against foodborne illnesses, many professionals are still "out to lunch."
According to a survey by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods' Home Food Safety program, a majority of Americans continue to eat lunch (62 percent) and snack throughout the day (50 percent) at their desks, while 27 percent typically find breakfast the first thing on their desktop to-do list. Late nights at the office even leave a small percentage (4 percent) dining at their desktop for dinner.
"For many people, multitasking through lunch is part of the average workday," says registered dietitian and Academy Spokesperson Toby Smithson. "While shorter lunch hours may result in getting more accomplished, they could also be causing workers to log additional sick days, as desktops hide bacteria that can lead to foodborne illness." Top of the Workplace To-Do List – Washing Hands and Surfaces
Only half of all Americans say they always wash their hands before eating lunch. In order to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, Smithson recommends washing your hands before and after handling food with soap and warm water and keeping your desk stocked with moist towelettes or hand sanitizer for those times you can't get to the sink. "A clean desktop and hands are your best defense to avoid foodborne illnesses at the office," she says.
According to the Home Food Safety survey, only 36 percent of respondents clean their work areas—desktop, keyboard, mouse—weekly and 64 percent do so only once a month or less. A study updated in 2007 by the University of Arizona found the average desktop has 100 times more bacteria than a kitchen table and 400 times more than the average toilet seat. "Treat your desktop like you would your kitchen table and counters at home," says Smithson. "Clean all surfaces, whether at home or work, before you prepare or eat food on them." Forget the Watercooler, Gather Around the Refrigerator
Even though virtually all workplaces now have a refrigerator, only 67 percent of those surveyed say it is where they store their lunch. Frighteningly though, approximately one in five people admit they don't know if it is ever cleaned or say it is rarely or never cleaned. Smithson recommends not only cleaning the office refrigerator but also using a refrigerator thermometer to ensure food is safely stored below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
When it comes to safe refrigeration of lunches, perishable foods need to be refrigerated within two hours (one hour if the temperature is greater than 90 degrees Fahrenheit) from when it was removed from the refrigerator at home. However, survey results show that 49 percent admit to letting perishable food sit out for three or more hours, meaning foods may have begun to spoil before the first bite. Microwave Continuing Education
Besides a refrigerator, nearly all office kitchens also have a microwave oven (97 percent), making leftovers and frozen meals easy, quick and inexpensive lunch options. It is crucial to follow the microwave cooking instructions on the package closely when cooking prepared food in the microwave.
Microwave ovens can cook unevenly and leave cold spots, where harmful bacteria can survive. The recommended way to ensure that food is cooked to the correct temperature, thereby eliminating any harmful bacteria that may be present, is to use a food thermometer. Re-heat all leftovers to the proper temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
"Food safety is very important, whether at home or at work. Simple things like washing your hands before preparing food and following microwave cooking instructions can really go a long way," said Joan Menke-Schaenzer, chief global quality officer, ConAgra Foods.
*HealthFocus International conducted the home food safety survey in April 2011 for the Academy and ConAgra Foods through an online survey of a random sample of 2,191 full-time employees, both men, and women, who work at a desk. The sample was chosen to closely match U.S. population demographics.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education, and advocacy. Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org.
The National Council on Folic Acid (NCFA). The mission of the National Council on Folic Acid (NCFA) is to improve health by promoting the benefits and consumption of folic acid. Adequate folic acid intake is important for the prevention of birth defects.
1. Folic acid is a vitamin that can help prevent birth defects. Women of childbearing age need an extra 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid each day.
2. Women can get the recommended 400 mcg of folic acid by taking a daily multivitamin or by eating fortified foods. Check the label of your cereal to see if it has 100% DV (daily value) of folic acid.
3. The important growth of the baby happens very early in pregnancy before most women know that they are pregnant. Folic acid can prevent birth defects of the baby’s brain or spine if a woman takes it before and during pregnancy.
4. If you are pregnant, remember to take a prenatal vitamin with iron and folic acid every day.
Nutritional Habits Although all enriched cereals and grain products in the U.S. are fortified with the B-vitamin folic acid, only one-third of U.S. women of childbearing age consume the recommended amount from their diet. Taking a multivitamin with folic acid every day is a key way that women can get the recommended amount of 400 mcg. Be Prepared Before Pregnancy Women need folic acid, even if not planning to become pregnant since 50% of all pregnancies are unplanned. Taking folic acid before pregnancy reduces the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine, called neural tube defects (NTDs), by up to 70%. Message to the Hispanic Community Hispanic babies are 1.5 to 2 times more likely than others in the U.S. to be born with an NTD. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that Latinas in the U.S. consume the least amount of folic acid and have the least knowledge about folic acid among racial or ethnic groups. Food Sources Folate is naturally present in a wide variety of foods, including vegetables (especially dark green leafy vegetables), fruits and fruit juices, nuts, beans, peas, seafood, eggs, dairy products, meat, poultry, and grains. Spinach, liver, asparagus, and brussels sprouts are among the foods with the highest folate levels.
In January 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began requiring manufacturers to add 140 mcg folic acid/100 g to enriched breads, cereals, flours, corn meals, pastas, rice, and other grain products to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. Because cereals and grains are widely consumed in the United States, these products have become important contributors of folic acid to the American diet. The fortification program increased mean folic acid intakes in the United States by about 190 mcg/day. In April 2016, the FDA approved the voluntary addition of up to 154 mcg folic acid/100 g to corn masa flour.
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[image: Selenium Mineral]
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