Green Smoothie!

 I don't always eat enough vegetables to get my suggested daily intake of nutrients each day.  A while back I started adding some healthier ingredients to my fruit smoothies to make them a little healthier.  Over time I have added more healthy ingredients and now have a power packed green smoothie each day that tastes like a fruit smoothie.  Here is a easy recipe and instructional video outlining what goes into my green smoothie as well as show how easy they are to make. 

  

Do you drink Green Smoothies?

Would you make these yourself?

Going Gluten Free!

For years, well for pretty much my whole life I have been plagued with stomach problems.  It had become a joke that I always felt sick after every meal.  In high school I went to a gastroenterologist and was diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).  After years of being sick it became almost a way of life and was seemingly put on the back burner.  It never really affected me after eating any certain type of food or anything in particular so I was lead to believe I just had a sensitive stomach.  As long as I had a bottle of pepto bismol in my medicine cabinet I was OK.

Over the years I have tried different diets and cutting out certain food groups to try and feel better, but nothing ever worked.  A few years ago with the rise of celiac disease and the concept of a gluten allergy being more in the news I again thought that maybe this could be a reason for my chronic illness.  After having an endoscopy and colonoscopy performed on me along with blood tests it was almost depressing to find out I didn't have celiacs.  Now don't get me wrong I am grateful that I don't have it, but once again I was at square one not knowing why I kept getting sick. 

Up until recently I felt defeated and that I would never get to the bottom of my stomach issues.  After much investigation and research on my part I learned that you can have a gluten sensitivity.  This is not the same as having an allergy to gluten.  If you have also been suffering from symptoms that tend to relate to gluten, it may be that you have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Research estimates that there are 18 million Americans who have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. That is six times the amount of Americans who have celiac disease.  The reason so many people don't know if they have a sensitivity to gluten is because there is no medical test for it.  That is why so many people like me suffer for years and get diagnosed with other ailments like IBS.

Recently I caught an episode of the Doctor Oz Show that dealt with this exact topic.  Watching the people on TV describe their battle was beyond eye opening to me.  A complete stranger pretty much described the last 15 years of my life.  They also showed what they called the gluten spectrum.  It outlines the small number of Americans on one end that have celiacs (a gluten intolerance), and the large portion on the other who are not effected by gluten.  What surprised me was the large number of people in the middle who gave a sensitivity to gluten.

I had already begun to eliminate gluten from my diet to see if I fall into the category of gluten sensitive.  But after taking the self assessment test on Dr.Oz.com I was convinced that my efforts had merit. They created a simple checklist of nine symptoms and if you have four or more of these symptoms you may have a sensitivity to gluten.  I have at least seven of the symptoms listed.  They recommend going gluten free for 2-4 weeks and or consulting your doctor.  Over the last few weeks I have been eliminating gluten from my diet which will hopefully eliminate the symptoms I have been experiencing.  I will have a follow up post with my progress.  If my story sounds familiar to you I urge you to read up on gluten sensitivity.  Also if you have a few seconds take the self assessment test HERE.

Do you have a sensitivity to gluten or another food allergy?

Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Pretzels!

I have come across a delicious new treat I can enjoy while eating gluten free.  As many of you know I don't like anything that tastes "diet-y" ESPECIALLY sweets.  I was nervous when I purchased this bag of Glutino fudge covered pretzels, but I was an instant fan at first bite. They are delicious and taste just like any other chocolate covered pretzel, which is one of my favorite treats.  If you didn't know they were a gluten free product you would guess.  I can’t even begin to describe how good these pretzels are! 

Have you tried these pretzels?

Bottle To Pen!

Knowing my propensity to be "green" whenever possible, a friend of mine bought me a few B2P pilot pens a while back.  I love them and wanted to share this great idea with you all.   Pilot created the Bottle to Pen (B2P), a retractable, refillable gel ink pen, which is made from recycled plastic bottles,

Hopefully you are aware of the alternatives to using disposable bottles and recycle the ones you do use. Here are some facts about how plastic bottles pollute. 

• Plastic bottles take 700 years to begin composting
• 80% of plastic bottles are not recycled
• 38 million plastic bottles go to the dump per year in America from bottled water (not including soda)
• 24 million gallons of oil are needed to produce a billion plastic bottles
• The average American consumes 167 bottles of water a year
• Bottled water is the second most popular beverage in the United States
• Plastic bottles make up close to 50 percent of recyclable waste in landfills

These pens are made from 89% recycled plastic bottles.   One plastic water bottle can be used to create two B2P pens, and the pens use the same gel ink as in Pilot's number one selling gel pen.  They work great and I love the bottle-styled barrel.  It reminds me of the bottles they are made from, and reminds me that we can find all kinds of new ways to go green!

They can be found at any office supply store or online and can be purchased singularly or in multiples.  I found a 5 pack of B2P pens at Staples for $5.99.

Would you buy these B2P pens?

Tuesday's Tip! Storing Fresh Mozzarella!

I love using fresh Mozzarella whether I'm making a caprese salad or a homemade pizza, but I don't always use it all in one recipe.  A lot of people are nervous about saving fresh mozzarella and how you can safely store it.

The best thing to do is only buy as much fresh mozzarella as you think you will need for a recipe or that you will be able to use in a few days.  If you have some left over the best thing to do is store it in a small air tight container.  I usually fill the container with tap water so that the mozzarella is covered and add a pinch of salt.  It will keep like this in the refrigerator for a few days.

Can I Grrow My Own Garlic?

Like I stated in my post yesterday Grow Your Own Garlic? I wanted to try it for myself.  So last night  I planted my own cloves to see if they will grow.

It really was easy!

Using a square glass vase that I had, I filled it with potting soil I also happened to have.  The soil was a bit dry so using a spray bottle i misted water throughout the soil to add some moisture.

Since I am using a container that is bigger than a small plant pot I decided to try and double my chances by using two garlic cloves.  This was also easy since I always have fresh garlic on hand in the kitchen.

 Simply peel the skins off the garlic cloves.  This was a bit funny for me, I haven't peeled garlic in a long time since becoming favorable to quickly pressing each clove with a large knife to remove the skin when using the garlic for cooking.  Obviously that method wont work in this situation.



I made a small hole and placed the clove inside with the pointy end facing up, then covered the clove with a thin layer of soil.  I did the same with the second clove.

When I was done I again misted the top layer of soil with a little water, hopefully to jump start the growing process.

After that it is out of my hands.  I placed the vase in a window where it can receive ample sun light and now I wait!



You can follow my hopeful success, I will be posting all the highlights of this adventure on my Hungry For Living Facebook Page!

Grow your own Garlic?

Did you know that you can grow your own garlic? Supposedly one planted clove can produce up to  twenty cloves! It doesn't seem very hard, So I am going to try this out for myself and keep you updated on the process over at my Hungry For Living Facebook Page.

It doesn't seem that difficult to cultivate your own garlic at home.  Here is how you can try it yourself!

 Simply plant a garlic clove in a small pot. If the clove has started to sprout that is even better. If your cloves have yet to begin to sprout you just want to make sure to plant them with the pointy end up. If you have a bigger pot or flower box you can plant multiple cloves, just make sure to plant them a few inches apart.  You can also plant them in a garden if you have the space.

 You want to make sure it is placed in a location that gets a lot of sun and that the soil isn't too damp.

If you plant your clove inside water it occasionally like you would an indoor plant. As the garlic begins to grow it will sprout leaves. Eventually they will turn brown die.  This is good though, it means it's time to harvest the garlic.

Simply dig out the garlic and hang the bulbs in a cool, dry location to allow them to dry.  After about a week the garlic should be dry.  Now you can clean it off and cook your favorite recipe.

Would you try to grow your own garlic?

Rosemary Chicken!

Below is an easy recipe for a contemporary chicken dish made with fresh vegetables.

Ingredients:

4 skinless/boneless chicken breast halves

1 5.8oz box of quick-cooking couscous

1tsp lemon pepper seasoning

1Tbsp fresh rosemary chopped (or 1/2tsp dried and crushed)

3 garlic cloves minced

1/4tsp salt

1 medium zucchini

1 yellow squash

15 cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup apple juice

2Tbsp apple juice

2tsp cornstarch

fresh rosemary springs for garnish (optional)

• To start prepare your vegetables by slicing the zucchini and squash in half lengthwise, then make 1/4 inch cuts with-wise. 
• Cut each of your tomatoes in half.

TIP: If you are using fresh rosemary the best way to remove the leaves from the stem is to hold the  top of the stem with your left forefinger and thumb with the leaves facing up.  Then with your right hand grasp the stem right below your left fingers with your right forefinger and thumb  and move slowly down the stem easily stripping the leaves off.

Here is an easy tip for shopping the fresh rosemary

• Cut your chicken breasts in half. If your chicken breasts are thick you will want to pound them out.
• Next prepare your couscous as instructed on the box
• Place olive oil in a skillet over medium heat
• Once hot place chicken in skillet and dust the chicken with 1/2 tsp of lemon pepper.

•  After approximately 7 minutes turn the chicken and dust with the remaining 1/2tsp of lemon pepper.  Continue to cook the through approximately 7 more minutes.

• Place chicken aside and keep covered to keep it warm
• Place garlic, zucchini and squash in skillet after 30 seconds add a 1/2 cup of apple juice, salt and rosemary.

• Allow the juice to come to a boil, cover and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes.
• In a small glass mix cornstarch into 2Tbsp of apple juice. Slowly add this slury to the skillet while stiring slowly.  Continue to stir until the broth becomes thick and starts to bubble, then add tomatoes.  
• Plate chicken and vegetables over couscous and garnish with a rosemary spring if desired.

 

What do you think?

Will you try this new recipe?