Healthy express

Couscous! whole grain couscous. fast. good value. I make mine with veggie broth.

There are so many combinations.
The last time I made it was with diced cukes, garbanzo beans, shrimp and green onions. good eating.

You cannot get any more "express" thank with couscous. and I always love a good pantry recipe in my bag of tricks.

Gardening

The big buzz lately is gardening. My dentist, Real Simple magazine, my mommy friends, all cannot stop talking about gardens. Everyone seems to be trying it this summer.



There is a great article in Real Simple magazine about good gardens for containers. Tomatoes, peppers, herbs. I tend to have good luck with these in containers. My only downfall is that I over "love" and coddle my plants. :b I am trying to ignore them a bit more.

Yummo! Tilapia, budget friendly seafood

Tilapia was on sale this week for $4/lb. that is a sweet deal. That equalled 4 nice fillets for us.

I pan fried in a non-stick pan. I had a 2 step batter. One with rice milk (adults had a dash of hot sauce) and salted flour and fine cornmeal. Two, with egg whites and panko bread crumbs with dry mustard and fresh ground pepper. This is a very crunchy and flavorful batter.

I made a sauce of drippings with rice milk and pesto. We also had a corn and lentil salad. the kids had brown rice. and fresh sliced tomatoes.

Delicious, super fast, and healthy. Yummo! Good eating.

and with gas staying at $4! my pocketbook enjoyed the price of this meal.

Wishing you healthy eating!

Cash crunch; healthy munch

I was a poet
and did not know it. (neither did anyone else, for that matter)

This past Monday while carpooling, I was listening to National Public Radio (NPR) wax manifest about the surge in home gardens, specifically organic gardening. People are still wanting to eat healthier and finding ways to do so, even as their food spending is constricted by rising fuel and grocery costs.

What a great solution a small home garden is to our situation! We have planted peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. but I am seriously considering adding some lettuces and squash to our little cubicle Eden. We already are fairly successful and enjoy our herb garden.

So what do you think? Is this do-able? We just have some containers, nothing fancy. and I am hoping to spark some veggy interest in the kiddos.

Happy planting. and Healthy eating!

Lunch box

Sometimes I just go blank when trying to plan the snacks for school. It has to be healthy, edible (as deemed by the kids), and packs well. Sounds easy enough.



So I made a list of snacks that pass both the Mom test and the picky kid taste test.



Veggie sticks sometimes ranch or salsa

fresh fruit cubes or kabobs

Popcorn

pretzels

nuts

trail mix

celery with pb and raisins

soy yogurt with fresh fruit

crackers

graham crackers

dried fruits

tortilla chips with salsa

soup

pickles

hard boiled eggs

apple sauce

Rooty tooty. Still fruity.

Why are fruits healthy? Good question.



Carotoids in Fruits.

Beta Carotene in Mango, cantaloupe, apricots, papaya, kiwi, pumpkins

good for slowing aging process, reduces risk of cancer, reduces complication associated with diabetes.



Lycopene Watermelon and grapefruit

reduces risk of prostate cancer and heart disease



Flavonoids in Fruits

Anthocyanin, hesperidin, resveratrol, quercetin, tangeritine, phenolic compounds, ellagic acid

limonene

Feeling fruity?

For some reason, spring fever makes me crave fruit. Why is that?!



Crepes are a great way to serve up some fruit. It is no secret that I love french crepes. I served them at our wedding. I thought I would share with you my healthier version.



Crepes make about 15

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I buy in bins from whole foods)

pinch of salt

1 1/4 cups rice milk (or soy)

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons soy margarine, cooled melted

2 Tablespoons margarine



Combine flour, salt, and milk in a large bowl. Beat until smooth. Beat the eggs in a small bowl and stir in teh melted margarine. Add to the flour and milk mixturee and beat until smooth. Refrigerate for an hour and beat again.



Place a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. When pan is hot, add 1/2 teaspoon of magarine. Put the 1 Tablespoon of batter into the skillet and swirl it around to form a thin layer. Pour out the excess.

When batter is dry looking (about 1 minute), flip and cook about 15 seconds.



Crepes can then be filled with fruit or jam. Enjoy!