Diets-Diets and More Diets--They Work (Kind of)

A multi-million dollar business out there of different diet books succeeds daily to take care of our bad eating habits.  Come up with a new diet and you could get rich.  The simple fact of dieting is that if you take in less food than you use up you will start to shed some pounds.  The major problem with diets is—not that they don’t work but most of we mortals will lose the prescribed weight and head back to our old eating habits.  It is hard to give up those chocolate chip cookies. 

I am not going to lecture you here on  what you should or shouldn’t eat, especially during the holiday season where food is everywhere.  There are more calories consumed between Thanksgiving and the first of the year than the rest of the year.  I am fairly disciplined in my eating habits and stick with healthy diet of lots of produce and protein.  I rarely eat anything processed or made with sugar.  However, it is pretty darn hard to avert your eyes from a table full of favorite sweet desserts.  My way of survival here is to scan the table and decide if anything is so wonderful that I must indulge.  I honestly may pick up one thing and it will be very small.  Well—maybe two or three.

A Few Different diets

As you know hundreds of thousands of people make resolutions for the New Year to head to the gym and start losing weight with one diet or another.  And most diets as I mentioned are quite successful.  There are generally new names  for these diets emerging each year.  the old ones were Atkins, South Beach for many years and the one called The Mayo Clinic Diet with grapefruit and cottage cheese—just to mention a few.  Today it is  Paleo and Ketogenic.   Most diets have many similarities so you can pick and choose what appeals to you most.   And of course there are the regular diets of Vegan, Vegetarian, no gluten, no sodium and no sugar.  I did not forget the liquid diet drinks but I hate missing a real meal.  Restaurants have become very creative and offer many alternatives to satisfy customers.  Having a dinner party today one must check with guests as to their preferences. 

What remains most amazing to me with all of these diets—some weight loss, some health oriented —our health care system is still in a mess. Doctor’s offices are continually filled and prescription drugs are purchased at an all time rate.  

Here are just a few of my solutions that I follow to stay slender all year long.

1. Drink lots of water
2. When you are really hungry have a glass of low sodium V8 Juice
3. Eat only when hungry
4. Stop eating just before you are feeling full
5. Avoid random eating
6. If you are to splurge make sure it is something you love

Benefits of Omega 3 --Salads

Most of us know that getting enough Omega 3 each day is beneficial to our health.  I do a lot of research online and have read a lot of negatives about the value of Omega 3 supplements.  As always I personally feel that getting as much vitamins and minerals from our food is the optimum way.  Why not do some of your own research to see just how this resonates with you. As always the goal is to enjoy healthy eating.

Some of the health benefits include:

1.Lower cholesterol

2.Lowers inflammation

3. Depression

4. Arthritis

5.Dementia

The best sources of Omega 3 are flax seed, nuts and seeds, oily fish and grass fed beef.

Personally I sometimes find it hard to cook enough fish dinners during the week due to the high prices and availability.  I have substituted wild caught canned salmon and canned mackerel. I do include lots of nuts and seeds in salads and other dishes. 

Here are two of my  favorite salmon salad filled with Omega 3 and also lots of vitamins and minerals for healthy eating.

Ingredients:

1 can of wild caught salmon

2. 1/2 cup of thinly sliced celery

3. a large handful of sunflower seeds

4. 1/4 cup of Greek yoghurt

5. 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise

6. 1 teaspoon of curry powder, turmeric, fennel seed and coriander

7. Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Blend together the salmon with celery and seeds
2. Add the yogurt and mayonnaise and blend until smooth
3. Blend in the seasonings
4. Add salt and pepper to your taste

Serve the salmon mixture on spinach leaves and sliced tomatoes.

Hot Salmon Salad

Ingredients: 

1.can of wild caught salmon

2.1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds

3. 1/2 cup of chopped sweet onion

4. 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

5. 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese

6. 1/4 cup of dry parmesan cheese

7. 1 teaspoon each of basil, oregano and marjoram

8. Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1 Blend all the ingredients together except for the dry parmesan cheese

2. Put the mixture in small glass round bowl 

3. Preheat the oven to 250

4. Sprinkle the  parmesan cheese over the top and bake for about 30 minutes.

This recipe will serve two people

Salads--Favorite and Healthy

When one thinks of weight loss diets salads often  come to mind,  Salads can be very calorie laden especially if you are including pasta or potatoes or can be very low in calories and still yummy.  I have a wide range of favorite salads and some opt in for a complete dinner either in the summer or when I just want  to make a quick meal.  The biggest secret for successful and healthy salads are having all the right ingredients in your fridge.  I make salads with almost all vegetables—some may need a little cooking, but other than that I can put the wildest things together and come out on top. Most salads are suitable for either a healthy lunch or healthy dinner.

Here is one my favorite salads for a healthy lunch.  This salad is suitable for Vegan diets.

Ingredients:

1 cup of slice radishes

1/2 cup of chopped sweet onions

3 cups of chopped spinach

2 carrots sliced very thin

1 cup of small broccoli flowerettes

1 cup of chopped zucchini

Salad Dressing

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of water

2 teaspoons each of curry powder, turmeric, coriander and garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Blend the ingredients together in a bottle with lid.

Directions:

1 Blend all the veggie ingredients in  a bowl

2 Pour the dressing over the salad 

3  Add 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Salads are the best way to get your daily dose of vegetables.  Including a wide variety of different veggies will give you a suitable dose  of the vitamins and minerals that you need for a healthy lunch or dinner.  Be inventive and add some new veggies you may have never tried.

Here is a list of few  different veggies you may want to try

1. Swiss chard (will need a few minutes of steaming)
2. White radishes
3. Bok choy (similar to celery though more tender)
4. sorrel
5. green cauliflower
6. Baby kale
7. Broccoli sprouts

It is really fun to try new vegetables.  We all know as the cooks in the family, sometimes things get a little boring in the meal department.  Most of us want to create healthy eating programs in our home, so venturing out for some different veggies might really be fun.  

If you omit leafy greens from your salads most will keep in the fridge, even with salad dressing mixed in for about 4 days.  Having salads handy in the fridge shaves off some time while  preparing meals.

Essential Oils--Some New Ones To Add to your Repetoire

I love essential oils and use them often in many of my solutions.  I love making my own lotions and potions, toothpaste, cleaning solutions and mixing and matching. Finding the appropriate oil for different blends is fun and challenging. There are probably about 20 essential oils that people are familiar with.  These oils are the ones that come up first on the list of uses, however there are many more different oils.  I am just beginning to experiment with some different oils.  I want to share with you their benefits and uses.  

As you are well aware of these oils are hitting the market big coming in a variety of different brands. Always check the labels to make sure these oils are pure and always come in dark color glass.

A word of warning:  These oils are highly concentrated and many of them do not blend well together. Also some oils have some warning issues and they often do not mix with prescription drugs and even over the counter medicine.  If you have concerns always do some research and check with your health provider.

Cypress Essential Oil: This oil has been in my repertoire for quite a while.  I use it when I am putting together a blend for pain and discomfort. It is reported to be beneficial for blood clotting and healing wounds and infections.  I enjoy the scent and find it does work well for pain conditions.

Clary Sage Essential Oil:  I add this essential oil to my stress and anxiety blend.  The oil  is touted to fight depression and create a calming atmosphere.   It is reported to help balance hormones also.  When your skin feels dry and itchy this essential oil is very effective.  As we know there is no oil that will take away our problems, but this is just another way to give us some temporary relief while we are processing challenges in our lives.

Roman Chamomile Essential Oil: I always gravitate towards essential oils that have a lovely scent and promote calmness and address stress and anxiety.  This oil is considered to be a natural reliever of allergies as well as its calming effect. I also add it to my insomnia blend and it really seems to work. It is also good for digestion.

Celery Seed Essential Oil

Most of us may have heard of the benefits of eating  celery for high blood pressure.  You have to eat three stalks a day for this benefit.  I use celery seed in my cooking almost daily in place of that.  It is considered safe to add celery essential oil to foods but you may want to look into this more thoroughly. I have never personally used it in cooking.   It can be used in massage oils to help high blood pressure. You can blend it with other compatible oils for a soothing skin lotions such as ginger, lavender and coriander.

Why Take a Vitamin B Complex?

All of the alphabet vitamins are important for our good health such as vitamin A, C,E, D  and of course the wide range of Vitamin Bs.   The good news is that if you are into healthy eating your diet  will be rich in all vitamins. Healthy eating includes an abundance of fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, fish and whole grains.  Most of us are familiar with Vitamin B12 and Folic acid as they are the most commonly known of the B vitamins.

Here is a brief run down of all the the B vitamins

Vitamin B1 also known as Thiamine which mainly supports the nervous system. It is readily found in lentils, pork, sunflower seeds and cauliflower

Vitamin B2 Riboflavin  This supports  cellular energy and its found in eggs, salmon spinach and broccoli

Vitamin B3 also known as Niacin  helps support the cardiovascular  system  This vitamin is  found in beef, poultry, who grains and lentils

Vitamin B5 Pantothenic  acid also helps cellular production in the body and is found in egg yolks, avocados, cashews and brown rice

Vitamin B6  also known as Pyridoxin keeps the body function operating helps nervous system operating.  found in eggs, bananas, poultry and cooked spinach

Vitamin B 7 Biotin  good for healthy hair and skin and nails.  This vitamin is found in cheese, organ meat and strawberries

Vitamin B9 Folic acid  important in fetal health and baby development.a  dark greens , asparagus, beets and avocados

B12 Cobalamin produces energy nervous system and red cell production  foods are mostly  chicken beef, sit and eggs of animal..so vegans need to take a supplement  Taking a super B complex will assist in get enough of all your B vitamins.

I take my Vitamin B complex in liquid form for quick absorption.  Though I have a very healthy eating regime we all have off days where we don’t get all the nutrition we need.  For the taking these vitamins ensures me of getting all the vitamin Bs I need.  We take several supplements each day, but the reality is that nothing takes the places of fresh foods for a healthy diet.  You hear a lot about participating in a healthy lifestyle and everyone will interpret this differently. 

It is so easy to tell someone to eat healthfully, exercise and get plenty of sleep.  Doing all of this in life is no easy feat.  Sure we can follow a healthy lifestyle for a period of time, but until we make a commitment to ourselves it will break our good intentions to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

Lets Talk Mushrooms--Types and Health Benefits

Mushrooms are often referred to as a vegetable but actually are a fungi.  You either have a deep affection for them or will pick them out of a dish and not eat them.  There seems to be no in between feelings about mushrooms.  I cook with mushrooms at least three times a week.  Besides living the taste and texture they offer many health benefits.  Many are not aware of the healthful properties and I frankly wasn't  until recently.  

It is reported that mushrooms offer more health benefits cooked than raw.  When I cook up chicken and vegetables mushrooms are always present.  I use them in salads, soups, stews and  not to forget egg omelets.   This is one way to insure healthy eating.

What you all have been waiting for—the healthy food addition they offer.

Mushrooms are a good source of phosphorous, niacin, potassium as well as vitamin C . They also provide some protein and iron. I want to mention their selenium content as this is often not found in other fruits and vegetables. Selenium plays a major role in liver enzyme function and prevents inflammation.  And to top it off mushrooms contain Vitamin D.

There  are many types of mushrooms and here are just a few:

1. Chanterelles
2. Cremini
3. Morels
4. Portobello (these start out as brown mushrooms and grow to Portobello)
5. Shiitake
6. Oyster
7. Button

Maybe knowing how healthful these mushrooms are will inspire you to  try them once again.  The taste is fairly bland until you add spices to them but you have to like the texture.

Here is my favorite low calorie mushroom snack.

Ingredients:

1 pound os thinly sliced mushrooms

Garlic powder

Oregano

Basil

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Blend together seasonings and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil

Stir in the mushrooms to this mixture until completely covered

Bake in the oven until the mushrooms become crispy.

This recipe is one that will add to your healthy eating plan.

If you would like more mushroom recipes please email me at: carolstanley1@yahoo.com

What's For Lunch?

We are often home for lunch as I do work mostly at home,  and getting up as early as I do I am really hungry by noon.  Mostly I have some homemade soup in the fridge or the freezer for an easy and nutritious lunch.  I occasionally run out of soup and have to come up with something healthful.  In the summer I continue cooking my weekly soup and freezing it, but sometimes in the heat of summer both of us want something light and cool.

I always have several cans of wild caught salmon in the pantry for just moments like this.  And of course my fridge is always full of a variety of fruits and vegetables to insure a healthy lunch. This recipe is so easy and has many vitamins, minerals and omega three.  I am a huge fan of getting enough magnesium everyday and this lunch provides a walloping amount.

Ingredients and Directions
1. 6 oz. can of wild caught salmon
2. Two tablespoons of either sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
3. 1/2 cup of thinly sliced celery
4.  Seasonings: Turmeric, cumin, curry, black pepper (add as much as you like)
5.  1/4 cup of Greek plain yogurt along with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
6.  Blend seasonings with yogurt and stir  until smooth
7. Blend in the drained salmon from the can
8. Add salt and pepper to taste


This recipe also works well with canned wild caught tuna.


Garnish the plate with spinach or lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes. Add a scoop of the salmon mixture.

You can also use this salmon mixture  as a sandwich filler on whole grain (of course) bread.

This will keep in the fridge for two days.


Here is another way to use canned salmon or tuna for healthy eating.

This healthy  recipe is great for cold weather days and easy to fix.

Ingredients and Directions

1 can of either canned wild caught tuna or salmon
1/2 cup of yogurt
1 tablespoon of coconut milk (or regular if that is all you have)
1/2 cup of dry parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of finely minced sweet white onion
1 teaspoon of fresh parsley
1 teaspoon of of oregano, basil and thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Bend all the ingredients except the salmon
Drain the salmon and add to the mixture.
Cover the salmon with a sprinkle of the parmesan cheese
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes
Serve on whole grain crackers or just use as a dip for veggies

Having healthy recipes available encourages healthy eating.

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Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has hit the market with a vengeance over the past several years.. It has many claims for good health and beauty and a gazillion uses.  I always have a large jar around my house for the  many ways I choose to use this fabulous oil.  Coconut oil is saturated and for years that has been touted as bad for your health.  Now it is touted for being good for your health.  You can take your choice.  However after doing a lot of research about this oil I find it to be truly amazing. in many ways.  

One of the biggest claims is that coconut oil can lessen the  effects of Alzheimer’s disease.  There have been case studies where regular intake of coconut oil has brought relief for those suffering from this debilitating disease.  My personal feeling here is  that if it truly worked for many people wouldn't everyone with the disease take it ever day.  However it could be worth a try.

Here are some of the claims that you may or may not have read

1. This oil  Improves  your immune system.  Perhaps taking a dose of this oil will improve your immune system staving off bacterial and viral infections.  I do put some coconut oil on my toast everyday.  I will let you know how this works.
2. Coconut oil is reported to aid digestion.  So far my digestive system seems to cooperate and I feel fine. 
3. It is reported to keep all your organs healthy.  I cannot comment on that one but it would be nice to be insured of this. 
4. Many claim adding coconut oil to their diet lessens hunger and it is easier to lose weight.
5. Another report is that coconut oil increases the good cholesterol in the blood.

I use coconut oil as a carrier oil for the many lotions and potions I make.  It does contain a small amount SPF for sunscreen mixtures.  As the oil is in solid state adding different oils and essential oils keeps it easy to apply.  I find it works well with all of my essential oils.

I sometimes just lather coconut oil  on face and hands..  Every once a while I heat up some coconut oil and give myself a hot oil treatment. for my hair.  My hair becomes soft and manageable. 

I  often cook with coconut oil  blending it with other oils.  The oil can easily reach high temperatures. without smoking  I want to be sure I don’t miss any of the reported benefits of coconut oil.  Also one more fact.  Our brains are made up of 60 percent saturated fat and coconut is reported to nourish our brains.   We may want skinny bodies but not skinny brains.  I just touched on this subject a bit as there is so much information about saturated fat and its benefit for the brain.  Please do some research as it may change how you feel about fat in general.

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Healthy Snacks with Eggs

 Healthy Snacks with Eggs

Eggs have been given a bad rap over the years and people with high cholesterol have stayed away from them.  However over the past few years eggs have been given the green light, as long as one does not over do it.  We love eggs in our home and I serve them for breakfast about twice a week.  And to boot they are very inexpensive.  I have tried to serve a omelet for a healthy dinner recipe but my husband sort of says NO, as he thinks it is breakfast food. 

However if I were to make deviled eggs for dinner his tune would change.  I honestly don’t get around to making these very often but  I do think it is a great healthy appetizer for company.  And I always have a dozen eggs on hand.  I think most of us will create snacks and meals with what we have on hand.  And another thing is that people like easy cooking recipes. Being a spontaneous person I rarely plan meals sooner than the day we have them.  Though I admit that would be a great idea to be organized with a meal plan.  Maybe someday!

My husband and I love curry and I create many meals around using curry powder and of course the famous turmeric.  Lots of good press on Turmeric these days to keep healthy brain function.  I have read a lot about this spice and I am not taking any chances, so I use this healthy spice  several times a week. Here are a few easy cooking recipes for healthy snacks.

Curried Deviled  Eggs

Ingredients

As many eggs as you need for healthy snacks or health appetizers

Greek plain yogurt

Mayonnaise  that is made with olive oil

1 teaspoon each curry powder, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, 

paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the eggs
2. Peel the eggs and allow to cool
3. Blend together approximately 1/4 cup each of yogurt and mayonnaise
4. Add the spices except for the paprika
5. Carefully slice the eggs in half lengthwise 
6. Mix together the yokes and other ingredients  ( often take one whole egg and mix it in the blend of the egg yokes

1. Fill the the egg  halves  with the yoke mixture and chill in the fridge.
2. Sprinkle with paprika

Deviled Eggs with Capers

This is a slight variation on the original deviled eggs

Do steps one through three

Add  these different spices —1 teaspoon each of basil, tarragon and lemon pepper spice

Add 2 tablespoons of capers to  mayo mixture

Salt and pepper to taste

Fill the egg halves with the mixture

Chill in the fridge until serving time


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Lets Talk About Curry Powder and Powerful Turmeric

There is a lot of noise on the internet these days about Turmeric.  As most of you know it is one of the primary ingredient of curry.  Many of us think curry stands alone as a spice. It has a variety of at least 10 spices which you can mix and match.  I have experimented with all of these spices.

Curry Spices

Here is the amazing list of all the ingredients you can use. I would advise not using all of them.  I vary my curry powders  according to mood and mostly to what I have on hand.  I am truly a spice nut and love jazzing up recipes with anything I can dream up.  All of these spices and herbs have therapeutic value in their own right.  I will share each one with you in following blogs. Today I am hyped on curry and how many variations you can create.

1.Turmeric

2. Fennel ground

3  ginger

4. cinnamon

5.  cardamon

6, cumin

7. fenugreek (this adds a sweet flavor)

8. red pepper flakes

9. ground coriander

10. Dry mustard

11. Black pepper

You can mix and match these ingredients to your taste  as well as your taste  heat thermometer There are many different curry sauces you cal also make. Some like red curry, yellow curry and green curry. Each one of these sauces is different in its ow right.   I love anything that is hot and spicy so I have certain ingredients I always use.  It is truly amazing the different flavors you can conceive by just mixing and matching.

Slightly Warm curry powder

2 tablespoons of Turmeric

1 teaspoon of red pepper

1/2 test of ground ginger

1 tablespoon of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

This is a fun thing to experiment with.  if you like a mild curry cut out the red pepper and add a teaspoon of cinnamon.

All About Turmeric

The number one ingredient in curry  is Turmeric and this is what gives the curry its yellow color.  Be cautious when using Turmeric as the color can be permanent. I know this from experience.  It is touted to be one of the most healthy spice on earth.  Lots of chatter on the internet if you wish to research.  I personally think it has tons of health benefits but then again I do not believe in any one magic bullet.  It is reported to support brain health, digestive health and ease aches and pains. The curcumin in Turmeric is known for its  anti inflammatory benefits and it is reported to be a strong anti oxidant.  With all of these health benefits something has got to work.  To get full health benefits from Turmeric remember to add black pepper to your cooking.  If you are purchasing a Turmeric supplement make sure it has a high percentage of curcumin.  And when purchasing the spice it is best to buy organic.  To get health benefits from anything in my opinion it is best to use several times a week.  I purchase fresh Turmeric root and put it in soups, salads and even eggs.


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Friendships-The Beginning and The End

I am writing about something different today. My usual topic is generally about  health related topics whether recipes or solutions for a variety of issues.  Actually friendship is a health topic.  We need friends to be happy and healthy.  If the friends are special they are there for us when we need them.  Friends create a sociability in our lives that we need to survive.

I have a friend who has been playing mahjong with the same group of women for almost 50 years.  I am daunted by that. Unfortunately or fortunately we have moved many times and I have left friends behind.  Of course we promise to stay in touch and often that seems to disappear with time.

Friendships begin for many reasons.  When we were very young we met friends at work and through our children. People were where we were and we cultivated those friendships.  Many times we have friends develop who live in our neighborhood or at a place of worship, and when we move the friendship ends. I had a friend who lived across the alley with her two kids and husband.  We met everyday outside with our kids and spent a lot of time together. We moved away only 1 mile,  and we got together once and sadly the friendship ended.

The ending of friendships can be created by several things.  Sometimes the friendship loses its purpose and the friendship disappears.  I had a good  friend who I knew for just a short time and we became almost inseparable.  She was in a state of neediness looking for a job and afraid she would lose her house. I never gave her money but found her a temporary job that tided her over, plus was supportive in many ways. She was also a good friend.  She got her dream job and got married and the friendship slowly ebbed away.  The reason was gone.

Sometimes friends move away to another state and you stay in touch via email etc.  Sometimes these friendships stay afloat for several years and sometimes not.

Sometimes friendships end from a major disagreement and it never get solved. 

Sometimes friends end for no apparent reason…though I don’t completely believe that.  Sometimes sadly friends die.  

If I am at liberty to say I think we have experienced all of these situations at one time or another. Friendships have to be nurtured and kept alive.   And as we age the need for large groups for friends often wanes.  I currently have three friends I trust and are willing to share their lives and we care about each other.  Sometimes you have to do housecleaning of people you thought were friends but leave you unhappy and upset.  There is a jealousy factor that many of us are not willing to admit.

I am happy spending time with my husband and even alone.  I am social but really feel my time is valuable and I want to spend with people that make me feel happy, and we laugh and enjoy life.

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Lets Talk Fresh Foods

I think it is apparent that our food in general today ain’t what it used to be.  Food. including produce is packed in plastic bags some with and some without additives and preservatives.The soil, for the most part has become depleted and not up to the same  quality of twenty years ago.  Food has lost some of its greatest importance and that is to nourish the body.  People are grabbing for fast foods and easily packaged products to turn out a quick meal or worse yet head for fast food places. 

I am very much agains the purchasing canned products, as the research of the materials used in the cans  can scare away just about anybody. We live in a rush, rush world today and many are looking for the quickest way to get a meal on the table.  What is easier than opening a can? What percentage of the food in your house is fresh?

We buy mostly fresh foods and I have been guilty occasionally of purchasing packaged veggies when I cannot find what I want in the totally fresh department. I like to be able to see touch and smell what I buy.   I also am a huge fan of eating food that has not been made from any ingredients.  You then never have to worry about  the ingredients on labels.

Today there is negative information about almost everything we eat. And there seems to be a recall of something at least once a week. There is even negative reviews about eating whole grains because of the gluten content. There are paleo, vegan, vegetarian, low sodium, low sugar and low fat foods circulating in most grocery stores.  What happened to the days when we went to the store and just bought  ordinary food for our family.  Each diet touts tremendous benefits but there is still a health crisis in our country. 

Eating fresh food puts you ahead of the game.  Of course we don’t know all the growing protocols but we  can stay clear of GMO foods for the most part.  Organic is a solution but make sure it is certified.  Remember to wash all produce thoroughly to rid of most pesticides. Here is one of my easy produce cleaner. 

Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to 1 cup of water and put in 1/2 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide or 1 tablespoon of baking soda.  Spray and soak the produce for about 30 minutes. Make sure to rinse thoroughly.

Cooking and living with fresh foods takes out a lot of the mystery of what we eat.

What do you think about eating fresh foods?

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