Juice

Juice, is it good or bad for us?

Like most topics this one is bigger then it first seems and there is not a clear cut answer. There are two major group of juice, fruit and vegetable. The first thought that comes to mind when you hear the word juice is a clear drink that is made from fruit and we have all heard that this is good for us. And when you chose juice over soda or coffee that would be true. But it is still a beverage that is loaded with a simple carbohydrate also known as fructose or type of sugar. Which bring us to the different types of sugar. All carbohydrates whether simple or complex break down into glucose (sugar) in the body. This is a good thing because glucose is what feeds our brains. The problem with carbohydrates is the type and the amount. Simple carbohydrates are foods that have been striped of their nutritional value such as white cane sugar, white bread, and clear fruit juice to name a few. These foods enter the body, they cause sudden reactions from the pancreas and adrenal glands and then another sudden reaction when this food is gone thus triggering unnecessary hormone secretion. Your brain now wants more of this short lived foods so you crave more. Also because this food in incomplete nutritionally you body tries to make it complete by robing your own body for the missing nutrients. Complex carbohydrates still contain the majority of their nutritional value and are very close to their natural state such as brown rice syrup, whole grain bread, and whole fruit. These supply the body of many needed nutrients while reacting calmly with the pancreas and adrenal glands supporting all of the bodies systems.

So back to juice, when you take an apple and refine it into a juice you are left with a lot of sugar, a simple carbohydrate, and some nutrients. The higher the nutrients in the fruit to begin with such as dark berries like cranberries, the higher the nutrition in the juice. With vegetable juice you are separating the liquid from the pulp but this liquid is not clear, pulp is still present. A vegetable juice will still contain some sugar, a complex carbohydrate, with some fiber and a large amount of vitamins and minerals.

So is juice good for or bad for us? It really depends on what kind of juice you are drinking and how much. For the most nutritous drink try a all fruit smoothie or all veggy smoothie, I will tell you more in my next blog.

Please leave a comment if you have more questions.

What does it mean to be "Green?"

I recently read a study the concluded that most people are not as "green" as they want other to know, basically that many people are faking being green. What does it really mean to be "green?" It is a very loose term and there is no real green standard or check list that says you are "green" if you do all of this and none of this. But there is a political correctness to being green so many just put on their green face in public but say screw it in reality because living up to some phantom green standard they feel is impossible.

There are those who want to scare you into being environmentally conscience by saying we will kill planet earth and have no where to live if we don't fix it right away. Now I do realize the environment is a mess but mother earth will take us out long before she is going down. Most societies around the globe have opted for convenience over sustainability but every thing waxes and wanes in time. So we tried it one way now it is time to try it another way.

Whenever we choose to make a change in our life it is always more successful if we do it in small increments. First we need to decide on a green step that we will be able to see the benefit personally, like choosing to eat less animal products or buying locally. Your health will improve as well as the plants. Or using less water and turning off lights will lower utility bills while conserving natural resources. Soon adding more "green" choices into each day will become natural as we all get healthier then the term "green" will fade away and we will all be living a responsible lifestyle.

If you planted a garden early in the spring then you too are enjoying the first of your bounty. I have been serving very larger salads with tender leaf-lettuce, baby spinach, kale and radishes. A supply of fresh herbs are also enhancing my cooking. Snow and snap peas are just showing themselves and will be ready for picking by the end of the week. A picking tip in the hot weather is to take a bowl of cold water out to your garden and place your just picked vegetables directly into the cold water until indoors. This will keep them fresh and crisp and free from wilting.

Healthy Alfredo Sauce

I saw a similar version of this sauce on The Dr. Oz Show and knew that I needed to play around with it and try it myself. I started by caramelizing 4 medium onions with 3 cloves of garlic in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil seasoned with sea salt. To caramelize onions they need to cook long and low, I let them cook for an hour on low heat stirring every once in a while. They become sweet and almost a creamy texture. While the onions were cooking I steamed a one pound bag of cauliflower until very soft. When everything was finished cooking I put the cauliflower, caramelized onions, and half the water from steaming the cauliflower into a blender. I blended on high for a few minuted then added 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese and some more water from steaming. Again blending on high until completely smooth.

At dinner time I warmed up the sauce and served it over whole wheat pasta and did not tell the family what was in the sauce. My son, 14 years old, said that he really doesn't like alfredo sauce be this was pretty good, the rest of us just loved it and not a drop was leftover. The next time I make this Healthy Alfredo Sauce I will add in some broccoli pieces for some color, it would also be very good with seafood added. It stores very well and warms up easily so there is no problem making this sauce ahead of time for a quick and delicious meal.

Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous family which has been researched greatly and found to have numerous disease preventing properties. That must be because of all the vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals including antioxidants, and fiber.

(Excerpts from Trish’s Dishes Copy right 2009)

Blueberries

Who doesn’t love Blueberries? And they are so good for you being a great source of vitamin C and K plus manganese and loads of fiber. They do have a high sugar content but the fiber content off-sets that. Since I was 15 I had an unlimited source of blueberries, my family had moved to a house that had many blueberry bushes plus many other yummy fruits and berries. Even when I moved away from home I could always go back and get my fill, my mom froze what could not be eaten in the summer so the supply was year round. When my parents were planing to downsize and move we all feared the lack of blueberries, the thought of buying them was foreign. So I decided to proactive and went out and bought three bushes for my yard, planted them in a not so sunny spot and only got a handful of berries. Last fall I decided to move the plants to a sunnier place and now they are loaded with flowers. I was afraid that they would not produce after being moved but they seem well adjusted and happy. I know that they like an acid soil and since I do not have a pine tree near them I collect pine needles from the trees across the street to help nourish them.

Eating blueberries as a teen I preferred them by the bowl- full but now I also love to add them to pancakes, tarts and sauces. I never make blueberries pies because my mom makes the best and mine could never compete.

If you love blueberries try growing your own, they really are low maintenance and in a few years you will be rewarded deliciously.

Yes, Pizza can be healthy and delicious!

Everyone loves pizza but not everyone loves all the dripping grease, quality of ingredients, or the high calorie count. By making it at home you can support your health and enjoy a tasty meal. If you have a bread-maker you can make you pizza dough that way, it is not that much more work if make it by hand. If youo have children get them to kneed the dough, they will love it. Then give them their own piece of dough to create a shape like a car or flower or whatever they may want for their own personal pizza. They will then want to decorate it with their choice of veggies and cheese. No kids? Rounds or rectangles are just as yummy because you get to personalize them with your wholesome ingredients for the perfect pizza.


Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza

Dough

¾ cup warm water
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
½ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. granulated garlic
2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Topping

1-2 cup Tomato sauce or pizza sauce
1-2 cup Mozzarella cheese
1 cup of vegetables for example-broccoli, onions, peppers, spinach, mushrooms, olives etc.

In a large bowl add the yeast to the warm water and let sit for 15 minutes. Next add in the oil and 1 cup of flour slowly mixing. Add the seasonings then the rest of the flour. Depending on the humidity you may need to add a little more water or flour, add slowly. Kneed the dough for 5 to 10 minutes or until smooth. Once the dough is well mixed cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about one hour. Punch down the dough and kneed slightly until smooth again. This will make one large pizza crust or 2 mediums crusts. Cover your pizza pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking. With a small rolling pin (I use one from a child’s cooking set) slowly roll the dough to the size of your pan. Because of the gluten in the whole wheat flour it will not want to stretch all at once so let it rest half way through the rolling process. When the dough is ready cover it with a thin layer of sauce. Put into a 450° oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and add another layer of sauce, vegetables, and the cheese. Return to the oven and reduce the heat to 400° cook until all the cheese is melted about 10 minutes. Let the pizza cool slightly before cutting and serving.

(Excerpts from Trish’s Dishes Copy right 2009)

Don’t Kill the Dandelions!

Have you noticed that the little yellow flowers, known to many as pesty weeds, are just starting to show themselves? This year try to look at dandelions in a different light. Just as many are doing spring cleaning in their homes dandelions can do the same for our bodies. Dandelions are in the category known as bitters because yes, they are bitter to taste but fats and toxins in our bodies do not like that bitterness also and are cleaned out of our blood. Our liver, kidneys, and skin are the bodies major cleaning tools and dandelions help to sharpen those tools and make them work more efficiently. Through-out history all the parts, leaf, flower, and root of the dandelion have been used for medicinal purposes for everything from a spring tonic to jaundice to liver and kidney disorders.

Dandelions also happen to be loaded with vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B6 and minerals calcium, iron, potassium, and manganese. The only thing not perfect about this plant is its taste, but with some thought you can eat it without even knowing it. I like the leaves and flowers best in a salad, a little dressing and you will never notice the leaves. The flowers do stand-out but they look nice too as do many other edible flowers I use through-out the summer. Steaming the leaves or adding them into soups, casseroles, or mixing them with other green vegetables is a great way to enjoy the super food. A tea or coffee can be made from the roots. Dandelions can be bought at many produce stores when in season but I prefer to let them grow in my back yard or vegetable garden, some people think I just don’t like to “weed” my garden but they are food to me and now I they are also food for you!