tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55326151372955490432024-02-20T18:29:23.367-08:00youthful eating...the quest to live a happy, healthy and youthful life
through mindful, thoughtful eatingLiz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-33045588363691323852016-06-28T19:56:00.000-07:002016-06-29T06:16:21.230-07:00Simple San Marzano Tomato Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I found this simple
recipe in the New York Times Cooking section about 6 months ago and have been
using it ever since. It’s simple - only
a handful of ingredients, and it’s versatile - I use it as a pizza sauce, pasta
sauce, eggplant Parmesan and the list goes on.
The best part is it only takes 30 minutes or less to make. The most important thing about this recipe is
to use certified canned San Marzano tomatoes from Italy. If you’re on the lookout, it’s pretty easy to
spot these beauties at your local grocery store which should carry a few certified
brands. If you have access to an Italian
grocery store, even better because they carry a variety of brands and price
points.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">San Marzano
tomatoes are grown just south of Naples in volcanic soil courtesy of Mount
Vesuvius.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">They have a distinct flavor
that is hard to find anywhere else – the perfect balance of acidity and
sweetness.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When I made a pizza with
canned sauce (Oh...My...God!) my kids complained that their mama’s homemade pizza
didn’t taste right.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">They were used to the
glory that is San Marzano tomatoes, so of course I can’t take shortcuts ever
again…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The original
recipe calls for 7 cloves of sliced garlic.
While I do enjoy garlic, I think that’s a bit much. I use about 3 cloves sliced and then remove
them when the sauce is done but that’s just my personal preference. I love that you use your clean hands to crush
the tomatoes and when you add them to the olive oil and sizzling garlic it
looks like velvet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">1 28 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes,
D.O.P certified if possible<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">1 pinch of red pepper flakes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">1 teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">1 large fresh basil sprig, or ¼ teaspoon
of dried oregano</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> Pour
tomatoes into a large bowl and crush with your hands. Pour 1 cup water into can
and slosh it around to get tomato juices. Reserve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In a large skillet (do not use a deep pot) over
medium heat, heat the oil. When it is hot, add garlic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it
brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. Add red pepper
flakes, oregano (if using) and salt. Stir.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Place basil sprig, including stem, on the
surface. Let it wilt, then submerge in sauce. Simmer sauce
until thickened and oil on surface is a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (If
using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, adding more salt and
oregano as needed.) Discard basil.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Enjoy!</span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</div>
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Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-35536862839757422662016-01-27T15:39:00.001-08:002016-01-27T16:37:56.117-08:00Italy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Over
Thanksgiving, I went to Italy for the first time. This is something I’ve wanted to do for so
long I was thrilled beyond belief to do so.
Now, all I want to do is plan our next trip to Italy. In fact, I want all my vacations for the rest
of my life to be in Italy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It was better
than I could have imagined. We planned
only a couple of guided tours in Rome, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, and left
the rest of the time for us to wander about on our own in the beautiful city
that truly is Eternal. In Florence we
visited five museums in two days, but still had time to explore the amazing street
life in this magnificent Renaissance city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Oh, and the
food. Obviously, it was something I was really
looking forward to. I’ve been cooking
most of my life and when I entertain, the only thing I can really cook is
Italian. Over the years I’ve made
home-made gnocchi and ravioli but upon returning from Italy we dug out the
pasta maker and made fettuccine a few times just to bring us back to vacation
mode. One of the things that had a huge
impact on me was the fresh marinara sauce.
Made with just a handful of ingredients and cooked for only 30 – 45 minutes. It tastes so fresh. Of course you need to use quality ingredients
for this to happen, but once you do, it will be your go to sauce and you’ll
never look back. I will share this
recipe in a separate post. Here I want
to show some of my favorite foods from our trip because it really is all about the food, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This was one of my favorite pastas. It's called cacio e pepe (cheese & pepper) and is a mainstay in Roman restaurants. So simple but delicious. It doesn't usually have the basil on top, but I added it since my son didn't want it on his pizza. I had this at Il Passetto in Rome.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prosciutteria Coronari - wine bar in Rome</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Next on my list of favorites was this homemade pasta with pomodoro fresco - fresh tomato sauce. I had it in a restaurant in Florence near the Duomo. It tastes as good as it looks. So fresh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While in Florence, we stumbled upon Mercato Centrale - an Italian food court with a cheese monger, craft beer, wine, salumi, pizza, gelato, fresh-made pasta and chocolate. I think this is where we had the best pizza the entire trip which is the reason there is no photo. We were too busy eating it. We did have Florentine steak here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My absolute favorite meal was on Thanksgiving day. We arrived mid-afternoon in Riomaggiore which is the first of 5 small villages in the Italian Riviera called Cinque Terre. Not only was it a beautiful sunny day, the views from our apartment and restaurant below were breathtaking. The best food we had was here at Dau Cila Ristorante. Fresh-made pasta with pesto, anchovies and fish caught just steps away and the best wine made right in Riomaggiore from a small vineyard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The gelato was pretty consistent throughout Italy. Our favorite was Vivoli in Florence, but Rome has some great ones too. My favorite was the mocha mousse from Vivoli in Florence.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mocha Mousse on the far right...heavenly.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a beautiful site along side the gelato</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me and my boys eating gelato in Rome</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruit & Vegetable stand in Florence</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son Joey's rum-soaked chocolate cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizaAWvHYGrMbOF3ZYgsrf1nRyRtjfXkEr3TXZo74cjRD-rXmppZUdh1uQEUbmLTWg0s38hyphenhyphenqOnG_qJl9dTVPPNWYPU6QO49woNbDoWT5ZWQdQrvYnWZtAnkNF8mz6FAUzoSZDwXNWqfU/s1600/IMG_0998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizaAWvHYGrMbOF3ZYgsrf1nRyRtjfXkEr3TXZo74cjRD-rXmppZUdh1uQEUbmLTWg0s38hyphenhyphenqOnG_qJl9dTVPPNWYPU6QO49woNbDoWT5ZWQdQrvYnWZtAnkNF8mz6FAUzoSZDwXNWqfU/s400/IMG_0998.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pretty cake at the Uffizi Gallery</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KlUmfdKWf3t5WjryBzJRNfZl6t26AZuXUjJoRjKqO0dcDCvWJu8O4FxdnCLKHcBpxcoza2xhC9x7Hday4ZKT0MVIrIvmbsBHnk_jkF53USR9Vh1xLNmIw0mr2cOYQhIMFRFoVbgerr0/s1600/IMG_1170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KlUmfdKWf3t5WjryBzJRNfZl6t26AZuXUjJoRjKqO0dcDCvWJu8O4FxdnCLKHcBpxcoza2xhC9x7Hday4ZKT0MVIrIvmbsBHnk_jkF53USR9Vh1xLNmIw0mr2cOYQhIMFRFoVbgerr0/s640/IMG_1170.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riomaggiore</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2ImyOQHeY_IlQCp4aPjDQfRoNAXWhIKg2xjBFMvUQkY5-DV7COWWDvjrqRHkHFbWxtP7gz45eCWTUaeT3GxWdWh1DdLg8PWC7dvt9cV-IElYbCUTOWdkD254a8qS7JkAbZ4y1gPU0jA/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2ImyOQHeY_IlQCp4aPjDQfRoNAXWhIKg2xjBFMvUQkY5-DV7COWWDvjrqRHkHFbWxtP7gz45eCWTUaeT3GxWdWh1DdLg8PWC7dvt9cV-IElYbCUTOWdkD254a8qS7JkAbZ4y1gPU0jA/s400/IMG_1382.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Espresso in Rome</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_oKW8YCqYfDp1Q08jjDn_4Niwsp_dSRm5BRfpfiPSHIgl4jOzXx2lRZ1N7q_c12IZedWWgzzala2ZQPsMuUIQ02HN4gmlwJRFlhMhj33z-e6KPU8rcMrzptxIQP4w1vEBOFF9Dc4SB0/s1600/IMG_0909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_oKW8YCqYfDp1Q08jjDn_4Niwsp_dSRm5BRfpfiPSHIgl4jOzXx2lRZ1N7q_c12IZedWWgzzala2ZQPsMuUIQ02HN4gmlwJRFlhMhj33z-e6KPU8rcMrzptxIQP4w1vEBOFF9Dc4SB0/s400/IMG_0909.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wine bar in Florence<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is only a fraction of the photos I have. If you've ever wanted to go to Italy, don't delay. You will wonder why you waited so long.</span></div>
Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-88169250243628382182014-11-12T10:54:00.000-08:002014-11-12T14:30:13.126-08:00Feel a Little Better Chocolate Chip Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I pack my oldest son's lunch everyday because he's a picky eater
and won't eat school food. My younger son eats school lunch a few times a
week depending on what's being served, so I pack his lunch on Fajita Rice Bowl
and Pizza Dipper days. </span></span><br />
<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">For a lunch treat
I was buying organic cookies. I've also tried WhoNu?, the cookies that
look and taste exactly like Oreos and Chips Ahoy, but claim to be
"nutrition-rich" compared to other leading brands and are made without
high-fructose corn syrup. I've been growing a little weary of them
because they are, after all, still processed, packaged cookies even if they are
as nutrient dense as they claim to be. This prompted me to start baking my own
cookies to pack in their lunches so I can feel a little better about their
treat situation. </span></span><br />
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I altered the standard Toll House cookie recipe by cutting down on
the sugar, replacing half of the white flour with rolled oats, adding ground
flax and chia seeds, ground ginger and orange zest. They are
delicious. Both my boys love them - especially the super, ultra, mega picky
one. And, yes, they <i>are</i> still full of butter and chocolate chips - so who wouldn't love
them, right? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lately I've been
loving these chocolate chips, not only because of the beautiful red packaging
but because they are 63% cocao<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I keep the cookies in the freezer and pack them frozen so they have all
morning to leisurely defrost. Also, by
keeping them in the freezer, there is a slightly less chance that I will eat
them on a regular basis. I hope you like!</span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Feel a Little Better Chocolate Chip Cookies</b></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1 & 1/3 cups of unbleached, all purpose flour</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21s5UrHF187Q9MzNbr9-VaXJYonTKOcrDT9IJdDn5qHsumjFv8znLBowh9PRYzn2toQ4p1oL9xIii4fUm35Rod2O5TBgSP8HiMQ2TfroKaVPMo1Dqya8idWQRu4RwN8WLizEnVYjQijQ/s1600/baking+sheet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21s5UrHF187Q9MzNbr9-VaXJYonTKOcrDT9IJdDn5qHsumjFv8znLBowh9PRYzn2toQ4p1oL9xIii4fUm35Rod2O5TBgSP8HiMQ2TfroKaVPMo1Dqya8idWQRu4RwN8WLizEnVYjQijQ/s320/baking+sheet.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1 & 1/2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1/4 cup ground golden flax seeds</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2 Tablespoons chia seeds</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1 teaspoon salt</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1/2 cup brown sugar</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1/2 cup granulated sugar</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> 2 large eggs</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">zest of one orange</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1 12 oz package dark chocolate chips</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">chopped walnuts (optional)</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2.) Combine flour, oats, flax, chia, baking soda, salt and
ground ginger in small bowl.</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">3.) Beat butter, sugars, vanilla and orange zest in a large
bowl until creamy.</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">4.) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
addition.</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">5.) Gradually beat in flour mixture.</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">6.) Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts if using)</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="yiv7699802312"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">7.) Form dough into teaspoon size balls and bake on a
parchment lined baking sheet for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool
on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Cookies freeze well. Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet
Virgil</div>
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"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy
Food." - Hippocrates<o:p></o:p></div>
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Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-4391079586781690112013-12-09T17:26:00.001-08:002013-12-10T06:44:19.900-08:00Rosemary Shortbread <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I
found this simple shortbread cookie recipe in the Chicago Tribune last year
around the holiday season, and it has quickly become one of my family's
favorites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I slightly tweaked the recipe
(I added a touch of vanilla and a dusting of pink salt crystals on top) and
I'm very happy with the outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
vanilla gives it a more balanced flavor and I love the subtle touch of color
and taste from the salt. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cornmeal may seem
like an odd ingredient for a cookie, but it gives this shortbread a crunchy, gritty,
yet pleasing texture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The fresh rosemary adds a savory taste and aroma that works magic into this cookie.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I'm
not a fan of sweet, gooey cookies and tend to favor those that go well with a
hot cup of coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost all of my
cookie recipes are low in sugar, but over the top with flavor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I have to warn you, it is nearly
impossible to eat just one of these cookies, but I wish you luck in trying.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Rosemary
shortbread</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2 cups flour<br />
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar<br />
2 egg yolks</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 teaspoon pure vanilla
extract<br />
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Himalayan pink salt crystals
(or coarse sea salt)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a small bowl, whisk together
flour, cornmeal and salt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a bowl with a hand
mixer, beat together butter and sugar. Mix in egg yolks and vanilla, then
rosemary. Add dry ingredients and mix just until dough holds together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roll dough into 2 logs, each about 6
inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap with cling and chill until firm, at
least 1 hour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
4. Slice logs into 1/4-inch thick disks. Settle shortbread disks on
parchment-lined baking sheets; sprinkle and press a small amount of the
coarse salt into the cookie. Slide into a 350-degree oven, and bake until
golden at the edges, about 11 - 12 minutes. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Cool and Enjoy!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> "The Greatest Wealth is
Health" - Virgil</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Let Food be thy
Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates</span></div>
Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-8536255783803619732013-11-19T17:40:00.000-08:002013-11-20T06:50:36.863-08:00Chocolate - Cardamom Cake<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When my husband and I were
recently out for dinner, we shared a mini chocolate cake with Turkish coffee
ice cream for dessert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a moment
or two for us to realize the cake was infused with cardamom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had often paired cinnamon and ginger with chocolate, but had never
thought about cardamom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've had other
sweet treats with cardamom before -mostly from a local Scandinavian bakery and
I've made a panna cotta with this warm spice, so naturally I had to recreate
this lovely chocolate cake at home.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Cardamom is a peppery,
citrusy spice, common in Indian food and is a close relative to cinnamon and
ginger; and like these spices, it's loaded with health benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just to name a few, it's an antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory, aids digestion and detoxification, and if it couldn't get
any better, it's also an aphrodisiac.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I loosely based this recipe
on my recently posted Nigella's chocolate olive oil cake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cut the sugar in half and made a few other
adjustments that my taste testing family approved of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the warmth of the cardamom, this cake
will make a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wonderful accompaniment to
the pumpkin pies on your Thanksgiving dessert table.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Chocolate-Cardamom Cake</span></span></div>
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6 Tablespoons good quality cocoa powder
(unsweetened)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup boiling water</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 cup ground almonds or almond flour/almond meal</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt</span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 teaspoon ground cardamom</span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup sugar (I use evaporated cane juice which is an unrefined, unbleached sugar)</span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">4 eggs</span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for
greasing pan)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">powdered sugar for dusting</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1.) Heat oven to (325 F).
Grease a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(9-inch) spring form pan with a
little oil and line base with parchment paper cut out in a circle to fit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2). Measure and sift cocoa
powder and espresso powder into a bowl and whisk in boiling water until you
have a smooth, chocolaty, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in vanilla,
then set aside to cool a little.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3.) In another small bowl,
combine almond meal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set aside.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">4.) Put sugar, olive oil and
eggs into bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other
bowl and hand mixer) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you
have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">5.) Turn speed down a little
and pour in cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in, you
can slowly tip in almond meal/flour mixture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">6.) Scrape down, and stir a
little with a spatula, then pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 25 -
30<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>minutes or until the center puffs up
and a toothpick comes out clean with a few crumbs clinging to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not over bake, it can dry out quickly.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbymaO6xJf8zo4qVEuf3t9LIvUP4FH5XXXhD_JAwNuqLFj9E7-zt1Tw2l1dvMkwfQ0sm-JlaWd1ZkEZN4vkR3M0ASodFclEcKTFURJXi-DzHeOuC0LEqJ66NKv08GM2rLcQ9l6KLMxavw/s1600/chocolate-cardamom+cake+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbymaO6xJf8zo4qVEuf3t9LIvUP4FH5XXXhD_JAwNuqLFj9E7-zt1Tw2l1dvMkwfQ0sm-JlaWd1ZkEZN4vkR3M0ASodFclEcKTFURJXi-DzHeOuC0LEqJ66NKv08GM2rLcQ9l6KLMxavw/s400/chocolate-cardamom+cake+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">7.) Let cool for 10 minutes
on a wire rack still in its pan, and then ease sides of the cake with a butter
knife and spring it out of the pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dust with powdered sugar and/or serve
with whipped cream.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Makes 8 to 12 slices. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Enjoy!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">"The Greatest Wealth is
Health" - Virgil</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Let Food be thy
Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates</span></div>
Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-70173284135691343562013-11-11T18:12:00.000-08:002013-11-11T18:19:54.832-08:00Charlie Trotter 1959-2013<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Today Charlie Trotter's body
was laid to rest. When I heard the news last week of his unexpected
passing, I was shocked and saddened. While I didn't know him
personally, I was fortunate enough to eat at his ground-breaking restaurant
twice. Once in 1989, just two years after he opened his famed name-sake,
and again in 2001; this time working an event for a friend. The
second visit was unique because not only did I have the meal in his studio
kitchen, I actually got <i>paid</i> to eat this amazing
food. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Charlie Trotter, considered
one of the finest chefs in the world, changed the fine dining scene in </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Chicago</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">, helping the city become the food capital it is
today. So many current </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Chicago</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> (and beyond) chefs have learned so much from this
talented, culinary master. Trotter closed his 60-seat restaurant in
August 2012 after 25 incredible years.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-charlie-trotter-memorial-20131111,0,7349283.story">Click Here </a>to read a Chicago Tribune article about the memorial service. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My "take-away"
from this intensely, creative chef fits the "youthful eating"
philosophy I try to incorporate into my everyday life:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trotter strived for excellence, not
perfection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excellence allows for the
human element which will never be perfect.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even in his early days, Trotter veered away
from cream and butter in favor of vegetable based sauces that didn't mask the flavor
of the food as heavier sauces would have. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also stopped serving foie gras long before </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Chicago</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">'s temporary ban of the luscious fat duck livers, because
of the in-humane way it is made.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">3.) Trotter did not serve
hard alcohol in his restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt
that too much alcohol interfered with the appreciation of food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wine was served with every course, and
champagne to begin, but no hard alcohol.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">4.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Trotter was known for his degustation
menu, 12 courses in one sitting, his portions were small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This allowed guests to enjoy multiple courses
without feeling as if they were in a food coma at the end of the meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted people to be energized from his
food, not lethargic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">RIP Chef.</span></div>
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Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-84641208440178400812013-07-01T07:52:00.000-07:002013-11-06T00:03:09.066-08:00Lemon-Lavender Olive Oil Cake<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I love using fresh herbs to cook with, but I especially love
using them in baked goods because they're unexpected and deliver amazing
flavor. Fresh rosemary and thyme are my favorites for
cookies and cakes. </div>
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This past weekend I did some baking for my niece's
college graduation party and decided to try a new recipe. Ever since
I made Nigella's chocolate olive oil cake, I've been wanting to try a lemon
version of it and I've noticed dried lavender paired with lemon before, so
I knew it'd be the perfect addition to this cake, and it was. I will
definitely be making this one again. </div>
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The single-layer cake tasted like something I would
imagine is served during Afternoon Tea at the Plaza Hotel. If I had a
daughter, she would be serving this to her dolls with a miniature tea
set. It's very light with a subtle lemon-lavender flavor that isn't too
floral or too sweet. Just lovely.</div>
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If you don't grow and dry your own lavender, you
can find dried lavender in the spice section of your grocery store.
Target's Archer Farms brand is actually pretty good (and the one that
I use). Although I used mostly almond flour with a small amount of
all-purpose flour, you could use all almond or all regular flour. If
you can't find almond flour, you can make it by grounding raw almonds in a
food processor. Really, any flour will work in this
simple, easy recipe.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghce_wfibUx5Hh34l_RnA3WcIt_YVI27yuEIHvKJiIZ49OG1RKsUqL5EzJVbpsJQua0AtaWk7rQGD_lYfJSkdrf6eJRnTB0LzMsWZxi_qKb7_j4TaqEGuF6UdESmJ80z8CBD7F_P_d0ec/s1600/Spring-Summer+2013+073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghce_wfibUx5Hh34l_RnA3WcIt_YVI27yuEIHvKJiIZ49OG1RKsUqL5EzJVbpsJQua0AtaWk7rQGD_lYfJSkdrf6eJRnTB0LzMsWZxi_qKb7_j4TaqEGuF6UdESmJ80z8CBD7F_P_d0ec/s320/Spring-Summer+2013+073.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Lemon-Lavender Olive Oil Cake</b></div>
<ul id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_80" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span class="yiv1596050420quantity">4</span><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">
large eggs</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_115" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_113"><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">1/2
cup natural cane sugar</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_115" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_113"><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">1/4
cup fresh squeezed lemon juice</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_115" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_113"><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">zest
of one lemon</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_115" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_113"><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">1/2
cup extra virgin olive oil</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_115" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_113"><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">1
teaspoon pure vanilla extract</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_115" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_113"><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">1
cup almond flour</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_115" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_113"><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">1/2
cup all-purpose flour</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_115" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_113"><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">1
teaspoon baking powder</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_115" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_113"><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_115" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_113"><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">1/2 Tablespoon dried lavender </span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_115" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_113"><span class="yiv1596050420item-name">powdered sugar to dust top of cake </span></span></li>
</ul>
<ol id="yui_3_7_2_30_1372688274619_84" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch spring
form pan with olive oil. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of
the pan and trim it so it lays
flat. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">With the whisk attachment of
an electric mixer or an electric hand-mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until
they are light, fluffy and pale yellow - about 2-3
minutes.
</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Add the lemon zest, lemon
juice, olive oil and vanilla extract. Beat well. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Add the almond
flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking
soda
</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Mix just until combined and
then add the dried lavender.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"> Pour into the prepared
pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top no longer feels
jiggly to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with
crumbs attached. The top of the cake will be quite
dark.
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"> When the cake is
cool, remove the outside of the spring form pan. Just before serving, sprinkle
the top of the cake with powdered sugar shaken through a small sieve or tea
strainer.
</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKTSndB1IlOZcYLESENGd-9PjLbkhupFG7kwAnO2Sa812RgZ0a8JXGkfK9IseeM9ADMhyksnvdhdpYQiQIpW9DbkOwldu7kAa13cCT16qHQ5uPbVDZty_NhmXZHz8jhttxi-dXGdAGUQ/s1600/herbs+and+food+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKTSndB1IlOZcYLESENGd-9PjLbkhupFG7kwAnO2Sa812RgZ0a8JXGkfK9IseeM9ADMhyksnvdhdpYQiQIpW9DbkOwldu7kAa13cCT16qHQ5uPbVDZty_NhmXZHz8jhttxi-dXGdAGUQ/s320/herbs+and+food+013.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet
Virgil</div>
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"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy
Food." - Hippocrates</div>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-68996428248819953192013-03-11T13:26:00.000-07:002013-11-20T06:21:29.818-08:00Nigella's Chocolate-Olive Oil Cake (and meeting her Highness!)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Y7NeI2MT7IO4WWV_HIL3MmG8zU9IekPPWxzrBF2LoLPFOkLr7h7FI9yyZC9NdvgXrrBCRotM2VJ0f7VzXplSfNmyuJRrV_znxKwlfAo6W8a4nmbMWdh_fKyVCjqIqI6N81QpvmAK1hI/s1600/winter+2013+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Y7NeI2MT7IO4WWV_HIL3MmG8zU9IekPPWxzrBF2LoLPFOkLr7h7FI9yyZC9NdvgXrrBCRotM2VJ0f7VzXplSfNmyuJRrV_znxKwlfAo6W8a4nmbMWdh_fKyVCjqIqI6N81QpvmAK1hI/s640/winter+2013+019.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chocolate-olive oil cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I'm a
huge fan of Nigella Lawson "the </span></span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">UK</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">'s
domestic goddess" so when the opportunity arose to hear her speak about
her new Italian-inspired cookbook <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nigellissima</i>,
I jumped at the chance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a very cold
February night, I ventured out to the Union League Club </span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">in</span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><st1:city><st1:place><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Chicago</span></span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> for a
fun and interesting evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
Nigella signed copies of her book, the guests were treated to a sampling of
recipes from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nigellissima</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then she took the stage and was interviewed
by long-time </span></span><st1:city><st1:place><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Chicago</span></span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> restaurateur,
Ina Pickney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTvz_s3P7eDmG2a4Wk6jTU3viiB2UgnMpYg4s2G6vzAlvTwK1dNGGMbYKNQ272h6cicR53-3LhHNcQ5CAt64UntYDMD_PBcOoDrqag3vyv8I-1Y3M-5CU8tvhCzA3KaZhK_lG0x4w92g/s1600/Nigella+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTvz_s3P7eDmG2a4Wk6jTU3viiB2UgnMpYg4s2G6vzAlvTwK1dNGGMbYKNQ272h6cicR53-3LhHNcQ5CAt64UntYDMD_PBcOoDrqag3vyv8I-1Y3M-5CU8tvhCzA3KaZhK_lG0x4w92g/s320/Nigella+book.jpg" width="240" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9yTdyhzlFb9YJTHC91k-1n3_EPtJXVlX55h4EywFzq70RGoXCodlAS5J_ZBinQNzxNMQzNKEO1IB0MJXOt6apCu_4kjTVadQ7xMlJ4_dhHt8YV7isB_SiXCgMGkAvnhWMYvtby9Qqg0/s1600/Nigella+speaks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9yTdyhzlFb9YJTHC91k-1n3_EPtJXVlX55h4EywFzq70RGoXCodlAS5J_ZBinQNzxNMQzNKEO1IB0MJXOt6apCu_4kjTVadQ7xMlJ4_dhHt8YV7isB_SiXCgMGkAvnhWMYvtby9Qqg0/s320/Nigella+speaks.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The
first time I watched one of Nigella's cooking shows I was hooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved her unbridled passion for food and her
"free-form" way of getting around a kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She makes no claims to be a chef, or that she's had any formal training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unapologetically, she is a home-cook who needs to get supper on the
table for her family. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="yiv1901820608" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">While it was awesome to
listen to her talk about her career and how she was influenced by Italian food
while living in </span></span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Italy</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, the
main take-away I got from the entire experience was a bit melancholy. She
talked about her mother who had an eating disorder and eventually died of
cancer at the age of 48. While her mother was a great cook, food was always a
source of stress and, more often, guilt. Her mother never ate with the
enjoyment and pure bliss Nigella is so famous for. In fact, Nigella said the
only time her mother ever ate food with joy or pleasure was when she knew she
only had two weeks to live. Nigella swore she would never be that kind of
person which is why she takes such delight in food - whether she is cooking for
her family, friends or just for herself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I found this revelation
about Nigella's mother to be very sad. If we're making the effort to eat
healthy most of the time and taking care of ourselves as best we can, we should
be able to enjoy the occasional treat without feeling guilty about it, right? I
know for myself, if I can't have pizza and ice cream every now and again, I'm
not living.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In addition to Nigella's
ability to make food sexy, I love that her recipes are simple and uncomplicated
to prepare. She focuses on real, whole foods - nothing fat-free or artificial.
And, I love how she claims to be "greedy" about food saying she
doesn't like to waste any meals on eating something that isn't delicious.
"It's never worth cooking anything for supper unless it can stand on equal
footing with one of life's great and simplest gastro-delights, boiled egg on
toast." Not that she wants to eat it every day; "...however little
time or effort I can expend on the day's supper, I have to know it will deliver
nothing less than pure pleasure." I agree.</span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmjHwIviT9XSwhLmkmqHTnwVwd802GCEnbV4E-60eq3wHAmpKHgrucq2_6C2pMIOf4haDeVfQMWMv6r1aFsmDxwg8YPHM309FGm3KG2Yn3t4NAQGeQ5J3FLbWXVh_JV1XCS1-jodoVsA/s1600/Nigella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmjHwIviT9XSwhLmkmqHTnwVwd802GCEnbV4E-60eq3wHAmpKHgrucq2_6C2pMIOf4haDeVfQMWMv6r1aFsmDxwg8YPHM309FGm3KG2Yn3t4NAQGeQ5J3FLbWXVh_JV1XCS1-jodoVsA/s320/Nigella.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nigella & me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">At
the moment I've only tried a couple recipes from her new book - but so far so
good. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is the recipe for her Chocolate-Olive
Oil Cake which is <i>amazing!</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's surprisingly light and healthy; it's flour-less and dairy
free, but filled with ground almonds, chocolate and olive oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's very, very easy and you probably have
all the ingredients in your kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It's delicious served warm with some raspberries on the side, as well as
a dollop of fresh whipped cream, mascarpone or ice cream - but I've found it's
also just as good, if not better, the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Enjoy!</span></span><br />
<div class="yiv1901820608" style="margin: 1em 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6Fz0hCoh0TBksg0YX-cTDvIX02rFavl1PImP4UpUvBApNRfu-9MegtcRMriozUXVhnVNyKbfvncD_2ZCHiIOu9hLivBivZRGRm7XivajAMzE_i8fpqlAi9XBH5Lb1glydddpSVmJMug/s1600/winter+2013+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6Fz0hCoh0TBksg0YX-cTDvIX02rFavl1PImP4UpUvBApNRfu-9MegtcRMriozUXVhnVNyKbfvncD_2ZCHiIOu9hLivBivZRGRm7XivajAMzE_i8fpqlAi9XBH5Lb1glydddpSVmJMug/s320/winter+2013+023.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>Chocolate-Olive
Oil Cake<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2/3 cup olive oil (plus more for greasing)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6 Tablespoons good quality cocoa powder</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> (unsweetened)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup boiling water<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 1/2 cups ground almonds<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 cup sugar<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3 eggs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">powdered sugar for dusting</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span>1.) Heat oven to (325 F). Grease a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(9-inch) spring form pan with a little oil and
line base with parchment.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
2). Measure and sift cocoa powder into a bowl and whisk in
boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just)
paste. Whisk in vanilla, then set aside to cool a little.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
3.) In another smallish bowl, combine almond meal with
baking soda and salt.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
4.) Put sugar, olive oil and eggs into bowl of a
freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk
arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes
until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
5.) Turn speed down a little and pour in cocoa mixture,
beating as you go, and when all is scraped in, you can slowly tip in almond
meal mixture.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
6.) Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, then pour
batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until sides are set and
the very center on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come
up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
7.) Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its
pan, and then ease sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it
out of the pan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leave to cool completely
or eat while still warm - center will be very moist, almost pudding like.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Makes 8 to 12 slices.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Virgil</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b>"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy
Food." - Hippocrates<o:p></o:p></div>
Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-88909223783690605422013-02-13T07:43:00.000-08:002013-11-06T01:38:11.063-08:00Chocolate Bark<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYi2iRz3G9x0gZyxUsXKlu-yRWFJ5a9kodbAExGdbveW_Q2vtBs7FcKcdsP1JZm889aQzktnqZESrBC2iRZkEEHLisK8o2bSJX-We-Lb8eGLTrSBBKFCyt5CIKIWovp-58D-7e6SzedI/s1600/12-12+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYi2iRz3G9x0gZyxUsXKlu-yRWFJ5a9kodbAExGdbveW_Q2vtBs7FcKcdsP1JZm889aQzktnqZESrBC2iRZkEEHLisK8o2bSJX-We-Lb8eGLTrSBBKFCyt5CIKIWovp-58D-7e6SzedI/s640/12-12+014.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dark chocolate bark with cranberries, pistachios and sea salt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">If you're thinking
about making a chocolate treat for your loved ones this Valentines Day, there's
still time to make this easy chocolate bark recipe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chances are you have all the ingredients in
your pantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All you need for the
bare-bones version is a bag of chocolate chips and some dried fruit or nuts!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Of course if you're
like me, you may want to fancy it up a bit, but still the ingredients are very basic
and simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to start with dark
chocolate that's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at least </i>70% cocoa
for the health benefits, but you can use whatever chocolate you like - milk,
dark or white.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you're going to use
nuts, make sure they are roasted and lightly salted to bring out their flavor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the rest of the toppings, it's completely
up to you and your taste buds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here's a
list of ingredients that work well for chocolate bark:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Roasted, chopped
nuts:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>almonds, walnuts, pistachios,
pecans, peanuts<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Chopped dried
fruit:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>apricots, cranberries, cherries<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Orange zest (my
favorite with chocolate!), candied ginger, sea salt<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1.) To start, you'll
need to melt the chocolate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can do
so in the microwave, but I prefer the stove-top method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don't need a double boiler, but to create
the effect, fill a stainless steel pot with about 1-2 inches of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set a glass bowl on top of the pot so the
bottom of the glass bowl just barely touches the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add about 2 cups of chopped chocolate to the
bowl and heat on a low to medium flame.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2.) Stir the chocolate
with a wooden spoon until it is almost melted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Carefully remove the glass bowl and continue to stir the chocolate until
it is fully melted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point if you
are going to add orange zest, do so now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_4mZXrRXgnrtYIoNelAsEoI4xH_qQg9zBUc1rTMRvXhZt6hzNN0Mw79jTa-VLHgqnltSiZQbpx_kNuix-0WX4B7B46JaYqSjahM4mvWU1BSgInkpK-Rmnl66F4U6RCQ0HdIHDqqB4To/s1600/12-12+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_4mZXrRXgnrtYIoNelAsEoI4xH_qQg9zBUc1rTMRvXhZt6hzNN0Mw79jTa-VLHgqnltSiZQbpx_kNuix-0WX4B7B46JaYqSjahM4mvWU1BSgInkpK-Rmnl66F4U6RCQ0HdIHDqqB4To/s640/12-12+002.JPG" width="420" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3.) Let the chocolate
cool slightly, then pour onto a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with
parchment paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try to keep it an inch
or so from the edges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sprinkle the
toppings evenly over the unset chocolate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I always add a bit of coarse sea salt over the top to bring out all the
flavors.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2o_JpwN57yJt4FqvAkVOtPqdt5IrD1uetLaYow8Szn26qHRj_72kzg4Eimy33fluy8syuSeik3LQXINRhhW3C3zm49fCeNXidLUW6rZdxVIDn2w5FfojbxNHBpdsXjwlq9MmqcB5PfNI/s1600/12-12+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2o_JpwN57yJt4FqvAkVOtPqdt5IrD1uetLaYow8Szn26qHRj_72kzg4Eimy33fluy8syuSeik3LQXINRhhW3C3zm49fCeNXidLUW6rZdxVIDn2w5FfojbxNHBpdsXjwlq9MmqcB5PfNI/s640/12-12+023.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dark chocolate bark with orange zest, apricots and walnuts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3.) Let the bark sit
to harden for an hour or so before cutting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You should be able to drag the parchment paper onto a cutting board
easily.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Enjoy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet
Virgil<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b>"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy
Food." - Hippocrates<o:p></o:p></div>
Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-67934258391786093992013-01-08T18:40:00.000-08:002013-11-06T00:42:26.414-08:00Almond-Walnut Butter<br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I've
been buying almond butter at Trader Joe's for years since it's a staple in my
picky son Jack's diet - and by staple I mean he eats it every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I usually have a pretty impressive stash of it in
my pantry but for some reason Trader Joe's has been out of it for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first I panicked because almond butter is
fairly pricey at most grocery stores compared to Trader Joe's.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the situation, and I'm sure you can
see where this is going, forced me to make my own, and made me realize I should have
been doing this years ago!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's super
easy and delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Jack eats it -
not even noticing that anything has changed - I know it's good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">He
will eat peanut butter but since he eats it every day I wanted him to have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a variety, and it has more health benefits
than peanut butter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almond butter has
less saturated fat, eight times as much calcium, four times the amount of
Vitamin E and twice the amount of iron than peanut butter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, almonds are a powerful anti-oxidant and
have anti-inflammatory properties. So almond butter is the clear winner here -
especially for my son who eats a limited variety of foods.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I
make this easy almond butter recipe almost once a week as Jack and I go
through it pretty fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On my second
batch, I thought I'd add some walnuts to pump up the healthy omega-3 fatty
acids and as it turns out it's a great combination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next, I may try adding some sunflower seeds or
ground flax seeds - any kind of nut or seed should work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Almond-Walnut Butter<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 lb
raw, unsalted almonds<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 cup
raw, unsalted walnut halves or pieces<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2
teaspoons grape seed oil<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">coarse
ground sea salt - to taste<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spread
almonds and walnuts out on an un-greased cookie or baking sheet and season with
sea salt<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toast nuts in oven for 7-9 minutes - just
until you can smell them, make sure they don't burn and let them cool for about
10 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may want to add more sea
salt at this point depending on your taste.</span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3.) When
cool, add to food processor and pulse for a few minutes while stopping to
scrape down the sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mixture should be
a coarse grain at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">4.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add 2 teaspoons of the oil and pulse again
for a few minutes until the nuts release their oils and a paste forms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep on pulse until the level of consistency
you desire is achieved.</span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">5.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Store in air-tight glass jars in
refrigerator.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet
Virgil</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy
Food." - Hippocrates<o:p></o:p></div>
Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-8141249697735902052012-12-10T15:14:00.000-08:002013-11-06T00:44:53.193-08:00Jack's Ginger Snaps (and picky eaters!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBkLHkh7puxKAunFZkR9WkNtgh4XueV3gwDps5RZ93O1MjRoxKcx5rDRbKmBjlOCu8jvZuNIECszqDVxl4LAiQNUyF-mQUFqSvBbrXYwjipsnnGh0iiC4QVHdHs1xXPVxzhErnC227Iw/s1600/Jack's+ginger+snaps+&+chocolate+almonds+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBkLHkh7puxKAunFZkR9WkNtgh4XueV3gwDps5RZ93O1MjRoxKcx5rDRbKmBjlOCu8jvZuNIECszqDVxl4LAiQNUyF-mQUFqSvBbrXYwjipsnnGh0iiC4QVHdHs1xXPVxzhErnC227Iw/s640/Jack's+ginger+snaps+&+chocolate+almonds+004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">My oldest son Jack is
the pickiest eater in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know
I'm not alone and that many parents are dealing with their own picky eaters,
but my son won't even eat "normal" kid foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No pizza, pasta, macaroni & cheese,
grilled cheese or worst of all - no fruits or vegetables of any kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This drives me crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our pediatrician says he's growing just fine
and not to worry, he'll grow out of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, I do worry, and I'm not quite sure what to do about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i>,
however, make sure that of the limited foods he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">does</i> eat, that they are as nutritious as possible even if it's the
same foods day in and day out:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For breakfast it's
organic milk and homemade waffles (loaded with extra eggs, ground flax, oatmeal
and applesauce.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lunch is organic,
sprouted-grain bread with almond butter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For diner it's organic chicken nuggets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I also make sure he has a daily multi-vitamin, a fruit & vegetable
"pill", omega-3 tablets and extra Vitamin C.</span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We have tried to get
him to eat other things, and he did when he was very young, but as he grew up
he got pickier and pickier and the nightly food battles were getting us nowhere
and causing tremendous stress in our family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He claims his taste buds are "different" than ours and that's
why he eats the way he does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will
always worry about his limited eating habits, but he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> growing fine and doing well in school, so we'll keep doing what
we're doing and hope and pray he branches out with his food choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(For the record, my youngest son eats
everything: sushi/sashimi, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, pickled
ginger, sardines, anchovies...quite the extreme)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Because of Jack's
"special taste buds" there isn't much I can cook or bake for him that
he will eat, so when we discovered that he loved my Ginger Snaps we were
thrilled and surprised at the same time because they are rather spicy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I know it's just a cookie and who wouldn't
love a cookie? but believe me, Jack won't eat just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any </i>cookie) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So every year
for Christmas I make these Ginger Snaps specially for Jack who thinks they're
"awesome."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">While I've been baking
these cookies for years, I've always felt bad about using one ingredient:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shortening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is plenty of butter in the cookie, which is fine, but the
shortening is needed to make the cookie perfectly round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm a bit of a perfectionist (perhaps a little OCD) when
I bake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Crisco claims to be
"trans-fat free" it's full of hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated
crap that I just don't feel good about using even if it's a small amount. This year
I used coconut oil instead (in the winter months coconut oil has the same
consistency as Crisco) and I'm happy to report the cookies not only taste great
but are perfectly round and beautiful! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: 1em 0in;">
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p></o:p> </div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Jack's Ginger Snaps<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></b></span></div>
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature <br />
1/2 cup coconut oil<br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2 cups of sugar <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 cup of sugar
reserved for rolling<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">4 cups of all-purpose
flour<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">4 teaspoons of baking
soda<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2 teaspoons ground
cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2 Tablespoons ground
ginger<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup dark molasses<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2 large eggs, beaten<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.</span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a bowl, cream butter, coconut oil, and 2
cups of sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking
soda, cinnamon and ginger.</span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add molasses to butter mixture;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>beat to combine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beat in eggs until well combined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reduce mixer speed to low;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>slowly add the reserved flour mixture, a
little at a time until well blended.</span></span><br />
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">4.) Place the
remaining cup of sugar in a small bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Measure
about 2 teaspoons of dough;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>roll into a
ball and roll dough in sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Transfer
to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Repeat, spacing balls 3 inches apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bake for 11 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool.</span></span><br />
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"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</div>
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"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates</div>
Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-18333471139000250982012-09-10T18:04:00.000-07:002013-11-07T01:19:17.411-08:00Tomato Tart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" hea="true" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUY3Pr8wpMzx_Vx0QUiWggVUPLvg6__7qcDTCwwBVJ1KpJ46EI-6ZnAtezUmbKc796aYI2OESrgY44RLk65FA3c3MsB7EoesAESjftk61NXCFgVd3jIgNAU3jveHGF88c4iMc_pEkceT4/s400/tomato+tart+take+two+008.JPG" width="528" /></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">If you're wondering what to do with the bounty of tomatoes from your garden, try making them into this delicious tomato tart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's fairly easy to make, just a bit time consuming only because the crust has to rest in the refrigerator for 45 minutes, then again for 20 minutes before blind baking it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To make things easier, you could use a store-bought crust but if you have the time, this homemade version is well worth the trouble. Just plan accordingly and you'll be fine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I've made this tart twice and have experimented with the crust's ingredients and the one I'm sharing here is what I believe to be the best option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It calls for all-purpose flour and yellow corn meal but I replaced some of the flour and corn meal with whole-wheat pastry flour which made it, one: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>easier to work with, and two: a tastier, more crumbly crust.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The first time I made this I used two large Purple Cherokee heirloom tomatoes.</span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The second time I used a variety of heirloom tomatoes which gave it this glorious array of colors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I went a bit overboard and used too many tomatoes which took away <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">slightly</i> from the rest of the flavors of the tart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was still wonderful, but next time I will stick to only two layers of tomatoes no matter how beautiful they look.</span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I think I will still make this tart in winter and spring even if I don't have garden fresh tomatoes because it is so good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will probably use vine ripe or hot house tomatoes which are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">acceptable </i>alternatives when garden tomatoes are unavailable because roasting them does improve their taste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm not<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>into canning my tomatoes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yet</i>, but I'm sure that would work just fine. :)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Tomato Tart<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3/4 cup all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1/2 cup yellow corn meal<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 stick cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan-reggiano cheese<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 large red onion, thinly sliced<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2 1/4 pounds fresh garden tomatoes<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Kosher salt<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 cup Asiago cheese, shredded<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 Tablespoon mayonnaise<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 Tablespoon breadcrumbs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3 Tablespoons each - chopped fresh chives and fresh parsley<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Freshly ground pepper<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">To make the crust:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pulse flours, cornmeal and fine salt in a food processor to combine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the butter and 3 Tablespoons of parm-reggiano cheese; pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of butter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drizzle in 4 Tablespoons of ice water and pulse until the dough comes together; add 1 more Tablespoon ice water if necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk with more plastic wrap on top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Keeping the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, roll or press it into a 13-inch round disk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Transfer the dough to a 9 1/2 inch deep pie/tart plate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fold the overhang under itself and crimp the edges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Line the crust with foil, then fill with dried beans (this is blind baking!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake until the edges are golden, about 20 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remove the foil and beans and continue baking until golden all over about 10-12 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Transfer to a rack to cool.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">To make the filling: Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the onion and cook, stirring until golden about 15 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, thinly slice tomatoes, toss with 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a colander. Let drain, gently tossing occasionally, about 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Increase the oven temp to 375 degrees F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a medium bowl, combine the Asiago cheese, 2 Tablespoons of parm-reggiano, mayo, breadcrumbs, 2 Tablespoons each chives and parsley, the thyme, 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper and the sautéed onions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spread in the crust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arrange the tomatoes on top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drizzle with the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil, 1 Tablespoon of parm-reggiano cheese and season with pepper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake until tomatoes are browned, about 40-50 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Top with remaining chopped chives and parsley.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</div>
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"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates<o:p></o:p></div>
Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-62126326753659444582012-08-29T18:05:00.000-07:002013-11-06T00:51:18.557-08:00Heirloom Tomatoes<div class="yiv1826605773msonormal" style="background: white; margin: auto 0in;">
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<span style="color: black;">I started planting heirloom tomatoes in my garden just a few years ago and have never looked back. No, they’re not going to win any conventional beauty contests, but like regular garden tomatoes, their taste is far superior to any perfectly round, plump red tomato you’ll find in your neighborhood grocery store. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">An heirloom is an open-pollinated or naturally-pollinated (non-hybrid) cultivar of tomato which dates back to the early 50's when people saved their seeds each year for next year's crop. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They look odd and deformed but taste amazing. I like to call them the <i>Steve Buscemi of Tomatoes</i> because they’re “kinda funny-lookin’” but outperform their contemporaries. There are hundreds, even thousands of different varieties each with their own unique color, taste and shape. I also love the names: Green Zebra, Mr. Stripey and Purple Russian to list a few.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjl6O7K7-rdJMsQDud_4ZqSUqmetNR7B1lL10yzAc6mY-wOLJhyphenhyphentMqyvON90I4ANvb8c0vpg5CXyMXQHSIokQlHIYHAy-2IyN7xcpcvgKWhu9srOP5lUkfGMLo1_a8DUeiEZOImHR6d9E/s1600/tomatoes+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjl6O7K7-rdJMsQDud_4ZqSUqmetNR7B1lL10yzAc6mY-wOLJhyphenhyphentMqyvON90I4ANvb8c0vpg5CXyMXQHSIokQlHIYHAy-2IyN7xcpcvgKWhu9srOP5lUkfGMLo1_a8DUeiEZOImHR6d9E/s640/tomatoes+020.JPG" width="528" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">two purple cherokees and one brandywine<br />
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<span style="color: black;">Tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants, dietary fiber and vitamins, <i>and</i> they’re naturally low in calories. When cooked, their antioxidant (lycopene) content increases which can help protect you from certain cancers and also give your skin a healthy, youthful glow; but they are still loaded with health benefits when eaten raw. And, I recently read that tomatoes are an aphrodisiac which <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">might</i> be the reason behind that healthy glow.</span> <br />
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<span style="color: black;">Heirloom or not, if you grow your own tomatoes or buy them at a farmer’s market, you know how amazing they taste with little or no enhancement. Their intense flavor can stop you in your tracks. I like them naked, or with a simple dusting of sea salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Here I have some with goat cheese and basil….</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: black;">And here they are made into a pizza…</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Enjoy your fresh garden or farmer’s market tomatoes now….in a month or so they’ll be a distant, fond memory, but something to look forward to next summer for sure.</span></div>
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"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</div>
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"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates<o:p></o:p></div>
Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-77578859395667077392012-08-09T07:28:00.000-07:002013-11-06T00:53:05.336-08:00Pistachio-Herb Pesto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXCP1tU2nuk292pkxO7UVOnb-cLJYfSXQJAImWa-rC5JtrFjP5zZXCbrrbydY0tNyX2t02w9tBxi7VEuDxJAB6IzTQs3jevhDLcolWy8KAIrSDJyaoC8sxKxMqKD57py1SIrbyTEppMw/s1600/foodsummer2012+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" kda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXCP1tU2nuk292pkxO7UVOnb-cLJYfSXQJAImWa-rC5JtrFjP5zZXCbrrbydY0tNyX2t02w9tBxi7VEuDxJAB6IzTQs3jevhDLcolWy8KAIrSDJyaoC8sxKxMqKD57py1SIrbyTEppMw/s640/foodsummer2012+042.JPG" width="528" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">If you have a garden, you most likely have an overload of fresh herbs this time of year and making pesto is probably on your to-do list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a recipe I’ve been making for a few years now and it’s truly wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It uses a variety of fresh herbs, lemon zest and pistachios – one of my favorite nuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can use any nut you like, I think walnuts would also work well with this recipe or you could use the traditional pesto nut: pine nuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">The list of health promoting properties that fresh herbs have is enormous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, parsley which is a main ingredient in this pesto helps with circulation and is a natural diuretic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rosemary is a powerful antioxidant, stimulates the immune system and fights the signs of aging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oregano is also a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the list goes on and on…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">There are unlimited uses for pesto with pasta being the most popular; you can also add it to soups, serve over grilled chicken or shrimp, or use it as a topping for bruschetta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite way to use this pesto is on pizza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a photo of a pesto pizza I recently made, very simply with some Asiago cheese, a small amount of tomato sauce and fresh tomatoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were in total pizza heaven – it was <i>so good</i> .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pair it with a bold red and Bob’s your uncle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><strong>Pistachio-Herb Pesto<o:p></o:p></strong></span><br />
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">1 small clove of garlic, peeled<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">2 cups packed Italian (flat-leaf) parsley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">1/2 cup fresh basil <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">2 Tablespoons fresh lemon-thyme leaves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">1 Tablespoon fresh sage leaves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">1 Tablespoon fresh oregano leaves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary – chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">¾ cup roasted & lightly salted pistachios<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">zest of one lemon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">salt & pepper to taste<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">2/3 cup olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">In a blender or food processor, pulse the garlic until finely chopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add all herbs, cheese, pistachios, lemon zest, salt & pepper to the garlic and blend until finely chopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the blender/processor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream until the mixture becomes creamy and emulsified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may need to add more salt or pepper at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use immediately or when cool, can be refrigerated for a couple of days or freeze for later use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</div>
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"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates<o:p></o:p></div>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-88191103131876270922012-06-19T08:24:00.001-07:002013-11-06T00:54:12.547-08:00Lemon-Thyme Bars<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I don't bake a lot these days
because I don't like to have too many sweet treats around tempting me to eat
them! So when I do bake it's usually for
a special occasion or I'm entertaining.
One dessert I've made several times over are these little lemon-thyme
bars. If you like lemon, you <i>must</i> try these bars. They are loaded with lemon flavor and small
enough not to feel guilty if you have one (or quite possibly three...) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I came across this super easy
recipe a few years ago from Giada de Laurentiis on The Food Network and they
always get rave reviews every time I make them.
I love adding fresh, savory herbs to desserts which is common in Italian
baking, with thyme being one of my favorites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I love the smell of fresh
thyme and have a huge crop of lemon-thyme growing in my garden that returns year
after year. I keep small clay pots of
silver thyme around in the summertime just because I think it looks so
lovely. And of course the lemon juice
and zest add intense flavor to these bars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Lemon-Thyme Bars</span></b></div>
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1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature</div>
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1 cup all-purpose flour</div>
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2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves</div>
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1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt</div>
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1/2 cup powdered sugar</div>
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2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice</div>
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1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</div>
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zest of one lemon</div>
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Glaze:<br />
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1/2 cup powdered sugar</div>
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lemon zest </div>
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1.) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8
by 8-inch glass baking dish. </div>
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2.) In a small bowl combine flour, thyme and salt. Set
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3.) Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or
hand mixer, beat together 1 stick of butter and powdered sugar on high speed
until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.</div>
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4.) Beat in the lemon
juice, zest and vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour
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5.) Using damp fingers, press the dough into the prepared
pan. Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Cool for 30 minutes. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14pt;">For the
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In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice (more lemon zest if
desired) and powdered sugar together until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the cooled crust. Allow
the glaze to harden, at room temperature, for at least 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet
Virgil</div>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-28883650965381395902012-05-22T08:36:00.000-07:002013-11-06T00:55:03.833-08:00Spinach-Berry Smoothie<br />
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A few times a week I make one of these smoothie concoctions
for breakfast. It fills you up and it's
a great way to get more leafy greens and fruits into your diet without even
thinking about it. It may seem odd at
first to include spinach in a smoothie, but fresh baby spinach has a very mild
taste, so the rest of the fruits you add will flavor your smoothie and you won't
even know the spinach is there. I've
experimented in the past with fresh broccoli and, well, I don't use it anymore. I love broccoli but it doesn't make for a
desired smoothie ingredient...at least not for me.</div>
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Besides being incredibly healthy, a smoothie allows you to
be creative by customizing it to fit your tastes and to use up whatever you
have on hand. I tend to use raspberries
and blueberries quite often but really any fruit will work - from strawberries
to avocados. One of my favorites is cocoa powder, banana and peanut butter.
You can also change up the liquid you use - water, milk, almond milk or
juice works just fine.</div>
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A couple things to keep in mind when making a nutrient-rich
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<u>Protein powder:</u><br />
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I use this as an opportunity to add to my days' worth of protein
needs. I use an unsweetened, vanilla protein powder which is a whey concentrate
from grass-fed cows. A lot of protein
powders out there contain artificial sweeteners so make sure to stay away from
them. You can find protein powder in most grocery stores or health food stores,
or you can buy them on-line. You can also use one cup of Greek yogurt to
increase the protein content if you don't want to use a protein powder.<br />
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<u>A banana makes it better</u>:</div>
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Because the protein powder is unsweetened, it's important to
include a banana or some other sweet fruit like mango or pineapple. I add berries - raspberries, blueberries or
strawberries - which add some sweetness but I've found that in addition to the
berries, a banana really adds to the
overall taste. I keep peeled, sliced
bananas in the freezer to use in my smoothies.
This also helps with the "creaminess" factor.</div>
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Of course you don't need to add greens to make your smoothie
taste good, but why not bump up the nutrient factor while you're at it? You could use kale in your smoothie, which is
another excellent "green" but I prefer baby spinach because of the
mild taste. And, spinach juice is loaded
with great health benefits: it's a great
source of vitamin A, C, K, fiber, iron, folate and lutein.</div>
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Please note, the color of your smoothie will no doubt vary
with the fruits you choose and the amounts.
If you use a chocolate flavored protein powder and add blackberries or
blueberries, you're going to end up with a brownish colored smoothie which
really doesn't look that appetizing, but will still taste good I assure
you. Whenever I make one of these my
husband gets a bit squeamish (he hasn't yet embraced my spinach smoothie
adventure) which prompts me to enthusiastically ask him every time if he wants
some. (I terrorize, why? because I love.)</div>
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Here is my recipe for the Spinach-Berry Smoothie I make most
often. Please know this is not an exact
science. Add more fruit, liquid or ice
to suit your preferred taste and texture.
Enjoy!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Spinach-Berry Smoothie<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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1-2 cups fresh baby spinach</div>
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1/3 cup frozen raspberries</div>
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1/3 cup frozen blueberries</div>
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1 banana</div>
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1 scoop vanilla flavored protein powder or yogurt</div>
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3/4 cup water (or milk)</div>
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handful of ice</div>
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In a blender add the ice, frozen berries, protein powder (or yogurt) and banana. Add spinach last. Pour whatever liquid you are using to cover the ice - you may need more if you've added extra ingredients. If your blender has an ice crush button, press that for 30 seconds, then mix & puree. </div>
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If the spinach doesn't blend in by itself, remove the lid and push it down with a spatula.
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A few more seconds of liquefying and you're good to go.</div>
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"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet
Virgil</div>
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"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy
Food." - Hippocrates<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-15905673157334505622012-04-03T06:38:00.000-07:002013-11-06T00:13:14.413-08:00Life Without Bread (Baby I'm-a Want You)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5O-jH8DJkRzsleAWy0QuPD8JY7rsqrSdvcnRFITV9qhsfmDsy-BpFxL73UyTyS4OJ2kRRjLfHhQb95Agu1S0ToXxYwcS32aLsBnkv5DIFxgBKrS5FW_2TCHfAV9nByRVSSXxlb8EZeDI/s1600/ezekielbread.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" width="540" height="405" ><img border="0" dea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5O-jH8DJkRzsleAWy0QuPD8JY7rsqrSdvcnRFITV9qhsfmDsy-BpFxL73UyTyS4OJ2kRRjLfHhQb95Agu1S0ToXxYwcS32aLsBnkv5DIFxgBKrS5FW_2TCHfAV9nByRVSSXxlb8EZeDI/s1600/ezekielbread.png" width="540" height="405" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">In an effort to shed a few pounds, we are most often advised to cut back on starchy carbohydrates and for most of us that means the soft, chewy stuff we like to sink our teeth into:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've tried this and life without bread really is no fun, unless of course we're talking about the 70's folk-rock band <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bread,</i> and in that case I think I could be happy without <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> bread in my life (sorry <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bread</i> fans!)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Eliminating bread from ones' life may work for some people, but it makes me one cranky mama which isn't good for anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consuming moderate amounts of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>carbohydrates releases "feel-good" endorphins in the body which reduce stress, ease anxiety and create a sense of pleasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I definitely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">need</i> those endorphins on a daily basis.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">The good news is I've found an alternative to regular bread: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sprouted-grain</i> bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whole-grain bread is always recommended over white bread because it's more nutritious, but if you want to take it to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">eleven,</i> try sprouted-grain bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's flourless and made from organic, sprouted grains, and it contains all 9 essential amino acids making it a complete protein.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sprouted grain is better for us because it's more nutrient dense, it's digested easier, contains more protein and less starches and has a lower glycemic index making it more suitable for those suffering with blood sugar issues.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">You can easily find sprouted-grain bread in your grocer's freezer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kind I eat is Ezekiel 4:9 from Food for Life.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Here are the plain and simple ingredients:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Organic Sprouted Whole Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Millet, Organic Sprouted Whole Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Lentils, Organic Sprouted Whole Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Whole Spelt, Fresh Yeast, Sea Salt</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">There are definitely occasions when I eat regular bread, white even, when it's in the form of pizza, but I do make a habit of eating sprouted-grain bread on a daily basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a while, but my husband eats it now too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you're not already eating a good quality whole-grain bread, eating sprouted-grain bread may take some getting used to, but you may find as I do that it tastes just like a hearty, whole-grain bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can also try the sprouted-grain English muffins which are outstanding and far superior than the regular version.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, the fact that my 10-year-old, who is the PICKIEST EATER IN THE WORLD (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> exaggerating) eats this bread, makes me one happy mama. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-10710453854794980732012-02-29T09:51:00.003-08:002013-11-06T00:15:28.091-08:00Artichoke Gratinata<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My paternal Grandfather was born on the outskirts of <place><city>Palermo</city>, <state>Sicily</state></place> and made his way to <place>Ellis Island</place> when he was only three years old. His family lived in <state><place>New York</place></state> for a while before being placed with relatives in <place>Southern Wisconsin</place>. With the influence of his Sicilian parents, he was an excellent cook and could always be found in the kitchen whistling while he prepared a meal. One of his specialties was stuffed artichokes - full of breadcrumbs, butter, Parmesan cheese and garlic - a true Sicilian delicacy, one that took time and care and if you were lucky, was personally delivered to you on special occasions.</div>
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Today, most of the world's artichokes come from <country-region><place>Italy</place></country-region>, <country-region><place>France</place></country-region> and <country-region><place>Spain</place></country-region>; while <state><place>California</place></state> provides almost 100% of the <country-region><place>U.S.</place></country-region> artichoke crop. There are several different varieties of artichokes, but all have the same, wonderful health benefits. Artichokes are full of Vitamin C, folate, dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium. They can help "clean" your blood by detoxifying the liver and gallbladder. They have been known to help with circulation and digestive health, and through the ages, Europeans and Egyptians believed that the artichoke <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">enhanced</i> sexual power and aided in conception. So there you have it - many <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fun</i> reasons to eat your artichokes.</div>
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Every bite of this Artichoke Gratinata tastes like the treasured leaf of a stuffed artichoke. The recipe comes from one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Giada De Laurentiis, and will compliment a variety of main courses; or simply pair it with a mixed-green salad and bottle of wine. Enjoy!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">artichoke gratinata (food network photo)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Artichoke Gratinata</span></h2>
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3 Tablespoons olive oil</div>
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1 garlic clove, minced</div>
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1 pound frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (Trader Joe's has the best)</div>
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2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves</div>
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3/4 teaspoon salt</div>
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</div>
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1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes</div>
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1/2 cup chicken broth</div>
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1/4 cup <place>Marsala</place> wine</div>
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1/3 cup bread crumbs</div>
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1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese<br />
2 Tablespoons melted butter<br />
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1.) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.</div>
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2.) Warm the olive oil in a heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat. </div>
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3.) Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the artichoke hearts, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook until the artichoke hearts are starting to brown at the edges, about 3 minutes. </div>
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4.) Add the chicken broth and wine and simmer for 3 minutes. </div>
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5.) Transfer the artichoke mixture to a 2-quart baking dish.</div>
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6.) Melt the butter in the same skillet used to cook the artichokes. </div>
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7.) In a small bowl mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs. Stir in the Parmesan and top the artichokes with the bread crumb mixture. </div>
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8.) Bake until the top is golden, about 10 minutes.</div>
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<span style="color: black;">"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</span></div>
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<br /></div>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-76500762641409464772012-02-14T09:47:00.000-08:002013-11-06T00:56:45.665-08:00Ciocolata! Chocolate Mousse<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xxIMoaffbFhCJ1DkuLmp-3DBs1pRPeAVCHMBO9LhCk1qXUmg_C-mc2HM446b8V2KjGOx4MVF9i510BYxx3wOWzWrVbBOUA3gmX0Au3UdvDF1XDS86F9HdkEwaURQtP8FlFWJEi12o2w/s1600/chocolate+mousse+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xxIMoaffbFhCJ1DkuLmp-3DBs1pRPeAVCHMBO9LhCk1qXUmg_C-mc2HM446b8V2KjGOx4MVF9i510BYxx3wOWzWrVbBOUA3gmX0Au3UdvDF1XDS86F9HdkEwaURQtP8FlFWJEi12o2w/s320/chocolate+mousse+005.JPG" width="528px" yda="true" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Chocolate...is there anything it can't do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've said this before, but I love chocolate and I eat it everyday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I will go so far as to say I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">need</i> chocolate everyday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to the health benefits dark chocolate provides, it's also an excellent mood enhancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband occasionally suggests to me - as diplomatically as possible - "I think you need some chocolate..."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To which I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i> to reply, "You don't tell <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">me</i> when I need chocolate, I tell <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> when I need chocolate!" But before I blurt this out, I realize how ridiculous it sounds and then I'm just thankful someone is ordering me to eat chocolate.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">But not all chocolate is created equal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To achieve any health benefits at all you must consume chocolate that is 70% cocoa or higher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The greater the cocoa mass, the greater the health benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cocoa beans are bitter and full of an antioxidant called phenol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when processing begins, most chocolate loses a lot of its antioxidant properties and when processed with milk and sugar (milk chocolate) it can actually negate most of the antioxidant activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So by sticking to a higher cocoa percentage such as 70%, 85% or even 90%, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and keeping the portion size to 1-2 squares a day, you're sure to gain the health benefits without all the added sugar and impurities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aS87SI2EDv_9NAFGS2hzsoRbfeQ6EviHairC2watyUPJyo6xMfpl2pusImYoz9s_B9D4W1AQmuWBP__wtog7cp51zkuXZpVCFJV6EINlhM46Vfp_wDWV-5jgsPXKS-gok_8fy8k6TRs/s1600/chocolate+mousse+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aS87SI2EDv_9NAFGS2hzsoRbfeQ6EviHairC2watyUPJyo6xMfpl2pusImYoz9s_B9D4W1AQmuWBP__wtog7cp51zkuXZpVCFJV6EINlhM46Vfp_wDWV-5jgsPXKS-gok_8fy8k6TRs/s320/chocolate+mousse+023.JPG" width="320px" yda="true" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">If you're used to eating milk chocolate, you'll need to work your way up the percentage ladder slowly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start with 60% cocoa chocolate chips (Ghirardelli chips are wonderful ) and move on from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The high sugar content in milk chocolate makes you crave more sugar which is why it can be hard to stick to 1-2 squares at a time. I find dark chocolate to be much more satisfying because of the intense chocolate flavor; and because of the very low sugar content, I'm not immediately craving more which means I can stick to a small amount - albeit daily... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love to enjoy my chocolate with a cup of hot tea - the 90% cocoa squares literally melt in your mouth.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">I recently came across this easy recipe for chocolate mousse in the food section of the Chicago Tribune, and love the fact that it only uses three ingredients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's super easy and luxurious, but also <em>very rich</em> - making it a great treat to share. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enjoy!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; tab-stops: 84.75pt;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Chocolate Mousse</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">makes 4 servings</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">1 cup whipping cream</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">2 1/2 oz good quality chocolate (70 %)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">1.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finely chop chocolate and place in a large bowl; set aside.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">2.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a small, heavy saucepan, heat 1/4 cup of whipping cream to a boil, do not scorch.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">3.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate and let melt for 2 minutes; whisk until smooth, set aside to cool.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">4.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a separate bowl, whip 3/4 cup of chilled whipping cream just until stiff peaks form, be careful not to over whip.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">5.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gently fold half the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fold in remaining whipped cream and mix until smooth.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">6.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spoon into 4 small ramekins or small cordial/wine glasses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">7.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before garnishing them with berries or more whipped cream.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</span></div>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-36190363808909193212012-01-24T08:14:00.000-08:002013-11-06T00:58:24.948-08:00Vitamin C: It's Not Just for Scurvy Anymore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RydV3-bAPdC1cyVZ-aOceGnQxKKaYtwD6kDlWFzoav2iINR2uLhlnC6abOxGUcA9tisiDjWRRjMSyQd9yL_mcQ3ChRyU5qy_vjvHZGwmUA_BlfSchzOxPkX15ERZnJp_nJozcobUSBo/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="316px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RydV3-bAPdC1cyVZ-aOceGnQxKKaYtwD6kDlWFzoav2iINR2uLhlnC6abOxGUcA9tisiDjWRRjMSyQd9yL_mcQ3ChRyU5qy_vjvHZGwmUA_BlfSchzOxPkX15ERZnJp_nJozcobUSBo/s320/004.JPG" width="422px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">This time of year we tend to increase our intake of Vitamin C because we've always been told that it can boost our immune system and ward off a cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, we'd be better off if we added more Vitamin C to our diets year round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two reasons:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One - It can help us live a longer, healthier life and Two -It can help us look better as we age.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">First let's look at the health benefits:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Vitamin C is a powerful immune-boosting antioxidant that is absolutely vital to our good health, but our bodies cannot store it so it needs to come from our daily diet or from supplements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vitamin C fights carcinogenic free radicals, protects DNA from being damaged and can prevent hardening of the arteries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can also promote healing of all body cells, help detoxify our bodies, keep our gums healthy, combat stress, act as an anti-depressant and surprisingly, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so much more</i>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobel prize winner, Dr. Linus Pauling, said we could add 12-18 years to our lives if we took 3-12 grams (3,000 - 12,000 milligrams) of Vitamin C daily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He himself claimed to have lived an extra 20 years because of all the Vitamin C he took everyday.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Now let's look at it's beauty properties:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;">Vitamin C helps to produce natural collagen, which helps the skin to retain elasticity, and keeps our skin radiant and youthful.<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we age, the collagen in our skin breaks down causing wrinkles and sagging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there are many factors <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">other</i> than age that can cause our skin to wrinkle and sag (like too much sugar, alcohol or smoking), the good news is Vitamin C can actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reverse <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>some of these signs of aging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some studies suggest that people who eat foods rich in Vitamin C have less wrinkles (because of its collagen building properties) and less age-related dry skin compared to those whose diets contain small amounts of Vitamin C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other studies say ingesting large amounts of Vitamin C does little to get rid of your wrinkles and that it's best to look for a skin treatment that includes Vitamin C.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Since the jury is still out, I'm doing both by exceeding the Recommended Dietary Allowance of Vitamin C (a mere 70-90 milligrams a day) by taking the suggested daily recommendation for longevity and optimal health which is 1,000 - 3,000 milligrams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also use cleansing and moisturizing products with Vitamin C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a while now I've been using (and loving) Avalon Organics' Vitamin C line which is affordable and available at Target, and has a wonderful orange scent to it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">The best way to get your Vitamin C is through your food;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>raw red peppers, orange juice, kiwifruit, broccoli - are all excellent sources of Vitamin C but to get to 3,000 mg, you'd be eating more red peppers and broccoli than humanly possible in a 24 hour period. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To ensure that I'm getting the amount I want, I take an Emergen-C packet daily which has 1,000 milligrams of Vitamin C plus a lot of great B-complex vitamins in it to boot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also take two 1,000 milligram Vitamin C tablets a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This way when a new study comes out that confirms you really can get rid of wrinkles with large amounts of Vitamin C, I'll be ahead of the game...and who knows, with copious amounts of Vitamin C, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could</i> still be around then. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</span></div>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-19078792307800605992012-01-10T08:00:00.000-08:002013-11-06T00:20:53.495-08:00Olive Oil, Honey & Egg Yolk Facial Mask<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTG1hKqHBQrVsPFjbu5SBmy4D4wfDHm20Pcux7r8uPASquYBZ0ZOyh2i-xbqYUJUk8FKDIrOIwgUfw8dzRVdfco9gvFleMrbZDPEg2iPurX66YgOWYaTjzaMzIzHhg39rpxuq__enkO0/s1600/christmas+2011+and+facial+mask+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360px" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTG1hKqHBQrVsPFjbu5SBmy4D4wfDHm20Pcux7r8uPASquYBZ0ZOyh2i-xbqYUJUk8FKDIrOIwgUfw8dzRVdfco9gvFleMrbZDPEg2iPurX66YgOWYaTjzaMzIzHhg39rpxuq__enkO0/s320/christmas+2011+and+facial+mask+016.JPG" width="480px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I love the way my skin feels and looks after getting a spa facial but I don't like having to pay a king's ransom to get one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore in my search for an inexpensive alternative, I've been making this one at home for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With just three simple ingredients that you'd be hard-pressed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> to find in your kitchen, you've got the makings for a fabulous, moisturizing facial mask.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am a firm believer that to achieve healthy, glowing skin so much more depends on what you put in your mouth than what you put on your face which is why I love this easy, inexpensive mask recipe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don't have to spend a lot of money on expensive creams and lotions as long as you're feeding your body with proper nutrition, foods that give you a natural, healthy glow and keep you well-hydrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, sometimes we need a <em>little</em> extra help in the "glowing" department so it's nice to know we can pamper ourselves naturally with something we can easily whip up at home.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>First, here are the benefits of the three ingredients:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Egg Yolk - Eating egg yolks can make your skin smooth and help preserve your skin's elasticity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When applied to your face, the egg yolk will help remove oil and dirt from your skin and will also help to make the mask smooth and creamy when you apply it to your face.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Honey - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honey has been used for ages as an anti-bacterial agent - you can put honey on an open wound and it will heal faster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using honey in the mask will gently clean your skin, making it healthy and supple by killing germs and reducing swelling and inflammation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Olive Oil - is there anything it can't do? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It truly is the elixir of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Gods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sophia Loren is said to bathe in the stuff as well as ingest two tablespoons a day (neat) which has been attributed to her ageless beauty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can remove your eye make-up with olive oil, use it as a night cream <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> an all-over skin and hair moisturizer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this mask, the olive oil will nourish and clean your skin, and will easily rinse away leaving your skin moisturized and glowing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">1.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Separate one egg <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- using only the yolk - in a small bowl or ramekin</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">2.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of olive oil</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">3.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix until combined and smooth; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>apply to a clean face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rest with it on your face for about 15 minutes then rinse with warm water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to do this mask right before a shower because it can get kind of sticky and hard to get out of your hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Your skin will be well-moisturized, smooth and glowing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can store the extra mask in the refrigerator for about a week or so and use it as often as you like.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><strong><i><span style="color: grey;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="color: grey; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">- </span></strong><strong><span style="color: grey; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sophia Loren</span></strong><span style="color: black;"></span></div><em></em>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-22405409926936818662011-12-15T11:28:00.000-08:002013-11-06T00:22:08.415-08:00Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds with Smoked Sea Salt<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErgYKABoECGcg0bq5Y4hozEu-ic3Nb0Pdn12Z7wVJty3WlehoyFQ1jrI2qAHOX8qCr5Y4YrYAtxH2wWu9O3Grjau2P03pi75xiMKvPuMyvPCsQkfIyDYtXhbdPu6pknTIwJE5e3CeGHc/s1600/chocolate+almonds+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErgYKABoECGcg0bq5Y4hozEu-ic3Nb0Pdn12Z7wVJty3WlehoyFQ1jrI2qAHOX8qCr5Y4YrYAtxH2wWu9O3Grjau2P03pi75xiMKvPuMyvPCsQkfIyDYtXhbdPu6pknTIwJE5e3CeGHc/s320/chocolate+almonds+005.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">These treats are so good that I have to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">give</i> them away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can't have a lot of them in my house because I will eat them all, which is why they are the perfect little gift to give friends and family this time of year. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as far as holiday treats go, they are among the "healthier" treats out there without <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tasting</i> healthy at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While they are loaded with things that are amazingly good for you, they are still somewhat high in calories so sharing or gifting is the way to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you're going to indulge in a holiday treat, why not make it something that is actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good </i>for you? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are flour/wheat/gluten free and contain no added white sugar, no butter or oils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You just need to make sure you use dark chocolate and start with raw, unsalted almonds and roast them yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Store-bought roasted almonds can contain (bad) oils you don't need and you are able to control the amount of salt they are seasoned with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><city><place><span style="color: black;">Cocoa</span></place></city><span style="color: black;"> is loaded with minerals and vitamins, and has a higher amount of antioxidants than many other foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So chocolate <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i> be healthy for us as long as we stick to around 1 ounce per day and choose dark chocolate that is 70% cocoa or higher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dark chocolate of this caliber has a much lower sugar content which is why it's considered healthier than milk chocolate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I eat an ounce of 90% dark chocolate everyday.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">Almonds are one of the most nutritious nuts around:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they are a great source of protein, fiber and healthy fats; they contain vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, iron, and a variety of antioxidants and phytochemicals, which may help protect against cardiovascular disease and even cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almonds can help lower blood pressure and also have anti-inflammatory properties which can prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging even at the cellular level.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">One ingredient I've recently discovered that has enhanced these lovely nut clusters is smoked sea salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course you can use regular sea salt, but if you can get your hands on this stuff - please do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some specialty food stores will make you think you have to pay $10, $12 or even $14 for a small jar, but you don't.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trader Joe's sells a 4 oz jar for $1.99 complete with attached grinder.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">Please note when making these almonds, it's not an exact science.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The amounts can vary depending on how much you have in your pantry and how much you want to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as the chocolate goes, I use a combination of Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips and 4-6 squares of a Ghirardelli 100% cocoa bar - you can use what ever % of chocolate you like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if you don't give them away, be forewarned, they won't be around for long.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZVgt0wRN_YrJr47jejM2HfOQlwESSh1z4B1QHUM3jo_u0U5yvVBDrF3ZQm5ggPwh6Q3v_FsFjqnZE7zF6leaN-JY7hc_SQVNkiAg5VFshseZxdrx2WSFMLB8EUJvK74izNXWIJmKCIY/s1600/Jack%2527s+ginger+snaps+%2526+chocolate+almonds+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZVgt0wRN_YrJr47jejM2HfOQlwESSh1z4B1QHUM3jo_u0U5yvVBDrF3ZQm5ggPwh6Q3v_FsFjqnZE7zF6leaN-JY7hc_SQVNkiAg5VFshseZxdrx2WSFMLB8EUJvK74izNXWIJmKCIY/s320/Jack%2527s+ginger+snaps+%2526+chocolate+almonds+030.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">Dark Chocolate-Covered Almonds with Smoked Sea Salt</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 1/2<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- 2 cups <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>raw, unsalted almonds</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10 - 12 oz dark chocolate chips and/or squares</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">sea salt or smoked sea salt</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">1.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">2.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spread almonds over the pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Season with a few grinds of sea salt and bake for about 6-7 minutes or until you start to smell them and they start to crack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let cool.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">3.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a 3 quart pot/sauce pan, add 1 inch of water and heat over a medium flame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Place a glass bowl on top making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl as much as possible, (creating a double-boiler).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the chocolate and stir until all is melted and smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">4.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn off the heat and add the cooled, roasted almonds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir until all almonds are covered with chocolate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a fork, lift a cluster of almonds out and place onto a parchment lined baking pan or plate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grind the smoked sea salt on each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let set for a good hour or two - you can put them in the refrigerator if you can't wait!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Store in an airtight container.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enjoy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><br />
</div>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-27323232144590445502011-12-08T08:07:00.000-08:002013-11-06T00:23:03.416-08:00Grandma Nettie's Biscotti 2.0<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvcYdWvw8Ilyvman0QQE-8PJcstvmLGsER1gJRJ5Af5PMaXeFgJZ7neHOkOZ9PD_ZTBpQEHrhjjATSPvTHpNWcW45OQFpam4QelyHs9bei2vLyVseQ_-YL-EKFqUDXdFCfDbyiSysSTk/s1600/fall+2011+%2526+biscotti+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480px" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvcYdWvw8Ilyvman0QQE-8PJcstvmLGsER1gJRJ5Af5PMaXeFgJZ7neHOkOZ9PD_ZTBpQEHrhjjATSPvTHpNWcW45OQFpam4QelyHs9bei2vLyVseQ_-YL-EKFqUDXdFCfDbyiSysSTk/s320/fall+2011+%2526+biscotti+008.JPG" width="640px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">almond-cranberry biscotti</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;">My maternal grandmother was an excellent baker. Born in </span><place><city><span style="color: black;">Racine</span></city><span style="color: black;">, </span><state><span style="color: black;">WI</span></state></place><span style="color: black;"> to Sicilian immigrants, she spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and baking. I remember as a child helping her clean her house and taking coffee breaks which always produced a large tin of homemade cookies.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">One of her favorites that I always bake around this time of year is her biscotti. Over the years I've played around with and tweaked the recipe quite a bit. I use extra-virgin olive oil instead of canola oil or butter, I toast sliced almonds with a few grinds of coarse sea salt before incorporating them into the batter, and I add finely chopped dried cranberries and lemon zest. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">Biscotti recipes are easy to customize to suit your taste. My grandmother sometimes used anise to flavor her biscotti, I prefer almond extract. You can use any kind of nut you like or add dried cherries, chocolate chips, orange zest, even finely chopped rosemary or thyme.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">In </span><country-region><place><span style="color: black;">Italy</span></place></country-region><span style="color: black;">, it's customary to eat biscotti with your morning cappuccino or espresso; truly a match made in heaven. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could </i>eat them everyday although I don't; but if you look at the ingredients in my recipe, you'll find these cookies healthier than most holiday cookies (please keep in mind we <i>are</i> talking about cookies, so healthy is relative here). These biscotti come in at about 60-70 calories per cookie, depending on your add-ins, and contain olive oil, eggs and almonds - all of which make your hair shiny and your skin glow! So if you find yourself having a few biscotti breakfasts, a la Italia, at least you've got that going for you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">Another great thing about these cookies is that they have a long shelf life, making them great for holiday gifts. I ship these cookies to family and friends on the East Coast every Christmas. A friend once told me he was still eating the cookies in April - four months after I shipped them - and they were still good. I'm not sure why, but these biscotti get better with age. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxLhHJdxAoei2tbYG9VtL252J7u_K30GFvqnh52zUkJORXssAuENL1iKPtC82nsma95YqOudOwP2oCBBypUqY0W-vTutvQerOLX5nEgAE1ewZJFfavIyo9IGOTWblths6oHqzg-qoMVY/s1600/pizza+and+biscotti+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxLhHJdxAoei2tbYG9VtL252J7u_K30GFvqnh52zUkJORXssAuENL1iKPtC82nsma95YqOudOwP2oCBBypUqY0W-vTutvQerOLX5nEgAE1ewZJFfavIyo9IGOTWblths6oHqzg-qoMVY/s320/pizza+and+biscotti+014.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Grandma Nettie's Biscotti 2.0</span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">3/4 cup sugar</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 Tablespoons pure almond extract</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 eggs </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 3/4 unbleached flour (can use 1/2 whole-wheat pastry flour and 1/2 white flour)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1/4 tsp. salt</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 tsp. baking powder</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">zest of one lemon</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1/2 cup dried cranberries - finely chopped</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 cup sliced almonds</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">coarse sea salt</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1.) Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Spread sliced almonds on ungreased baking sheet and season with coarsely ground sea salt. Toast almonds for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside. Once they are cool, give them a rough chop.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">2.) In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder and set aside. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">3.) In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, sugar, almond extract and lemon zest; stir until blended. Beat eggs into mixture until smooth. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">4.) Slowly stir the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture until well combined. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">5.) Add cranberries and almonds, and mix until they are well incorporated into the batter.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">6.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour. You may need to flour your hands as the dough may be sticky. Divide the dough in half. Mold each half into a rectangular log and place each on the baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">7.) Slice biscotti on the diagonal with a serrated knife into 3/4" slices. Place the slices back on the parchment-lined baking sheet and into the 325 degree oven for 6-7 minutes on each side.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">Enjoy these light & crispy cookies with coffee or tea.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</span></div>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-47711510070451088472011-11-29T07:57:00.000-08:002013-11-06T00:27:23.969-08:00Cooking with Italian Grandmothers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRSvnOss7Lc2R2sF-f5RMqGw2Vyndnvvsn3cqkoXos4oHdrDHwY_UBs48c5aHHkV51ElE3twl2Cs7MbrJhLt2a8vgURyKBs7-_Vzy9v2sjo4oPTdg3cmMAxkuOROo6xT3uzKnKY_qdio/s1600/Thanksgiving+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="480px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRSvnOss7Lc2R2sF-f5RMqGw2Vyndnvvsn3cqkoXos4oHdrDHwY_UBs48c5aHHkV51ElE3twl2Cs7MbrJhLt2a8vgURyKBs7-_Vzy9v2sjo4oPTdg3cmMAxkuOROo6xT3uzKnKY_qdio/s320/Thanksgiving+015.JPG" width="640px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pine nut biscuit cake</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">For my birthday this year I received a lovely book titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cooking with Italian Grandmothers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recipes and Stories from Tuscany to Sicily</i> by Jessica Theroux.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I was fortunate enough to have not just one, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">two</i> Italian Grandmothers, the title is endearing to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But whether they were Italian, Jewish, Irish or Polish (etc..) most of us have fond memories of our Grandmother's cooking: the nostalgia that old family recipes have and how they survive with each generation is priceless.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">The author, Theroux, traveled throughout </span><country-region><place><span style="color: black;">Italy</span></place></country-region><span style="color: black;"> for over a year and spent weeks with each of these fascinating Grandmothers, cooking in their kitchens, learning their secrets and creating with them their culinary specialties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each chapter focuses on one woman, the food she is "famous" for and the Italian region in which she lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the women have lived in the same town and a few the same <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">house</i> all their life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are farmers and one Grandma even grows and raises all the food she and her family needs save for salt, sugar and coffee. She even makes her own soap from "last year's olive oil."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">The photos in the book are beautiful and the stories of the women and the land they love are heartwarming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The theme that carries through the book is that the food they prepare, from local ingredients, and share with those they love does so much more than fill a hungry stomach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It heals, nourishes and provides pleasure and of course conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">One simple thing Theroux said that made all the difference in her cooking was, "Cooking with love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's a very interesting concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I learned there was that...in the act of cooking, you're evoking the memory and thought of someone you love and transferring that to the food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sounds very simple, but more than any technique I have ever learned it profoundly changes the food."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">So far, I have only tried one recipe from this book, but I've made it a few times. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's the Pine Nut Biscuit Cake:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it's more cookie-like than cake, easily made from simple ingredients and it's delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love adding savory, fresh herbs to sweet concoctions, and this recipe does just that with the addition of fresh rosemary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One centenarian Grandmother made this, a favorite dessert from her long-ago childhood, for Theroux when she was feeling a bit homesick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How sweet. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">I'm looking forward to trying more recipes from this wonderful book.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03RjiEtZRuPD_uBKE1rnTEpNW9XpetpMZoeIHZ_A5SmaUyIcCjtQtqfBa8hcXQAUkikz4G915sr7uEeqZ3uSPyyj7B03wf9E1SGFZfL6FB0hIAEIXnIyNtYSpf6RnNv_jPvBjOhFyIEs/s1600/Thanksgiving+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="225px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03RjiEtZRuPD_uBKE1rnTEpNW9XpetpMZoeIHZ_A5SmaUyIcCjtQtqfBa8hcXQAUkikz4G915sr7uEeqZ3uSPyyj7B03wf9E1SGFZfL6FB0hIAEIXnIyNtYSpf6RnNv_jPvBjOhFyIEs/s200/Thanksgiving+003.JPG" width="300px" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBdYHb1ao0wj5JJW4VsqIykCak_-qj7hQ45EcjqOLhlvWwuqaSujRbH1cJ_uDpZUSuQeAp6hNzp8p_CrwkxYHgpkjIRRR3qkaTyFdbfK4E-KUI_87oPApuspAD8sBJriMChyphenhyphenxBFKLyZs/s1600/Thanksgiving+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="225px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBdYHb1ao0wj5JJW4VsqIykCak_-qj7hQ45EcjqOLhlvWwuqaSujRbH1cJ_uDpZUSuQeAp6hNzp8p_CrwkxYHgpkjIRRR3qkaTyFdbfK4E-KUI_87oPApuspAD8sBJriMChyphenhyphenxBFKLyZs/s200/Thanksgiving+009.JPG" width="300px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">Pine Nut Biscuit Cake</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 teaspoons grated lemon zest</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (this was my addition, not in original recipe)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary ( I used 1 Tablespoon)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 egg, separated, 1 egg yolk</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1/8 teaspoon salt</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 1/4 cup flour (I used 1 cup white flour and 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons pine nuts</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">1.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heat oven to 350 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cream together the butter and 1/3 cup sugar in medium bowl;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>stir in lemon zest, rosemary, 2 egg yolks, vanilla and salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir in flour and 1/2 cup pine nuts. (You many need to use your hands to form a workable dough.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using your knuckles, press dough as evenly as possible into a buttered and floured 9-inch round cake pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cover tightly with plastic wrap; let dough rest 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours in refrigerator.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">2.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just before baking, brush with egg white, sprinkle dough with remaining 2 Tablespoons pine nuts and 1 Tablespoon sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake until the thin cake has turned a light nutty brown and pulls away from edges of the pan, about 40-45 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set aside to cool; slice into thin wedges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enjoy!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><em></em>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532615137295549043.post-2094485414883451022011-11-15T08:45:00.000-08:002013-11-06T00:28:55.492-08:00"Everything you see I owe to Spaghetti." <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQJ0cxdoeKkxEz48gz2aB25JwQXeVzOJpoG2p5tarNQpbJvaRguE4NLdGikbcBJ9bXrDvcmEj262qxCPnT4dRsyJwhU61LO0KwIO50LswQvLm9u_LQjbADH7PCAvTxeH0g2LPJCCYDGo/s1600/Sophia_Loren_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384px" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQJ0cxdoeKkxEz48gz2aB25JwQXeVzOJpoG2p5tarNQpbJvaRguE4NLdGikbcBJ9bXrDvcmEj262qxCPnT4dRsyJwhU61LO0KwIO50LswQvLm9u_LQjbADH7PCAvTxeH0g2LPJCCYDGo/s320/Sophia_Loren_300.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophia Loren (photo courtesy of in.com.)</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love this quote from the beautiful, ageless Sophia Loren: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">"Everything you see I owe to Spaghetti."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Born in </span><city><place><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Rome</span></place></city><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">, Sophia grew up in poverty on the outskirts of </span><city><place><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Naples</span></place></city><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"> and had to eat pasta <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyday</i> to survive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I doubt she still eats a lot of spaghetti today, but nonetheless, it's a great quote.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">I love pasta and since <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I am</i> Italian, it was a staple growing up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, we didn't have to eat it everyday to survive, but we had it about once a week and it continues to show up at family gatherings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">These days I don't eat pasta as often as I'd like to - remember what happened to Elizabeth Gilbert in the EAT portion of her book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eat Pray Love</i>? That's right, she had to go out and buy a larger pair of jeans while traveling in </span><country-region><place><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Italy</span></place></country-region><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don't get me wrong, when I get to </span><country-region><place><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Italy</span></place></country-region><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"> I plan to eat my way through it as she did, but I'll just plan accordingly and pack some elastic waste-band pants.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But seriously, there is definitely a place for spaghetti in my life even though the dreaded starchy, refined-white carbohydrates have gotten such a bad rap for a while now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do eat pasta, just occasionally and in smaller portions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, I tend to eat the Barilla Plus pasta which is higher in fiber and protein than regular pasta, and is also enriched with the essential fatty acid </span><state><place><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">ALA</span></place></state><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"> omega 3, making it a healthier option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find there isn't much difference in taste and texture to regular pasta, and I like it much better than whole-wheat pasta which tends to be too heavy and starchy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">There are many different pasta alternatives out there to try, but you can always just stick with a smaller portion of the regular stuff and enjoy it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I do, De Cecco is my brand of choice.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">My husband came across this recipe in Everyday Food a couple of years ago and it quickly became one of our favorites even though it calls for anchovies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've never been a fan of anchovies themselves: I do like anchovy paste in a Caesar salad, but when crushed in this simple spaghetti recipe, it's delicious -so much so that even my 7-year-old loves it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWMcpLLbA6K24laPFba_yvoEeef1g9klsRIWCGJC7k3FfK2R0BKAZSE-KuVr0zL6oBm2ASPIw8v6BYKCChtzT6e5MtfYh-A_dfSc0RVilKATKjD-vkaXuztv4yWfmbupEdd5YFv9AHpo/s1600/spaghetti+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWMcpLLbA6K24laPFba_yvoEeef1g9klsRIWCGJC7k3FfK2R0BKAZSE-KuVr0zL6oBm2ASPIw8v6BYKCChtzT6e5MtfYh-A_dfSc0RVilKATKjD-vkaXuztv4yWfmbupEdd5YFv9AHpo/s320/spaghetti+001.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">Linguini with anchovies, garlic and breadcrumbs</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 pound linguini or spaghetti</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">6 to 10 anchovy fillets plus 2 tablespoons oil from anchovies </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 tablespoons olive oil</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 cloves garlic, minced</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 lemon)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">1/4 cup whole-grain breadcrumbs </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 Tablespoons of grated parmesan/reggiano cheese</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">fresh chopped parsley (for garnish)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">red pepper flakes ( for garnish, optional)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">1.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a large pot of boiling salted water cook pasta according to package instructions. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs and grated cheese and set aside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup pasta water then drain. <span class="googqs-tidbitgoogqs-tidbit-0">Return (empty) pasta pot to medium heat; add anchovy oil and garlic.</span> Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><span style="color: black;">2.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add anchovies and cook until they have almost dissolved, 30 seconds. Add pasta, lemon zest, and enough pasta water to create a sauce that coats pasta; season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the breadcrumbs/cheese mixture and parsley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enjoy!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;">"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; text-indent: -9.75pt;"><br />
</div>Liz Leaheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734365721536532774noreply@blogger.com1