I'm still here... just trying new stuff out...

I've been having a horrible great time getting our backyard ready for the summer and for eighteen 5th graders here on Wed. for an end of year pool party...

I've also been busy applying for a position at my two older sons high school.  Culinary Arts teacher... we'll see.  Even if I don't get the job, it's got me all excited about putting together a program that features healthy food choices and no processed foods as added class to other schools... Where there's a will... there's a way!

I've also been working my new business venture, and it's getting busier and busier as more people learn about my meals.  I'm sooo excited!  My goal is to have to prepare 30 meals per week.  I think I can do that alone, and if I get more than that on a regular basis... I'll need to hire someone to help... and I am soooo excited about that!!!

I created a healthy version of Baba Ganoush this weekend.  The original recipe is already very healthy, but I've added some fiber and flavorings to it that really made it sing... I'll post it this week after the party on Wednesday.

This will be the very first time I've ever had any of the School Mom's over my house... EVER... and I KNOW.. most of them live in HUGE, houses, with hubby's that are Doctors and such.  How do I know? Well, for the past few years, the parties have been at their houses.. and they were so large my entire house could fit into their three car garage!!!... but I love my little, clean, well kept house, with my new fabulous backyard oasis...and my hard working construction hubby...so I'm excited to share from my kitchen and my home... all 1700 sq feet of it... LOL!

I'll be back to normal soon... I hope... but then... the kids get out of school in a couple of weeks...wish me luck!!!

Zucchini Pecorino

I LOVE EGGPLANT Parmigiana... LOVE IT... it's on my "Death Row Meals" list... {{Don't know what a "Death Row Meal" is?... If I were ever on Death Row, and about to get electrocuted to pay my sentence, My last meal I'd request would be... Eggplant Parm, Cheesecake Factory lettuce Wraps, Sashimi, Blueberry Pie, and Espresso coffee with lemon...}}

But... alas... I ran out of eggplant this weekend... which is a shocker because I buy 8 per week... I must have been really hungry last week...

I did, however, have a couple of lovely zucchini on hand... and decided to throw caution to the wind... and make myself some Zucchini Parm... OOOHHHH...and I'm sooo glad I did!

This is a stove top version... no baking necessary... so it's ready in a snap!!!

Here's what you need to gather...

3 good sized zucchini

Pecorino Romano or Parmigiana Cheese 1/2 - 1 cup

1 can diced tomatoes (no seasoning, just tomatoes) OR

4 plum tomatoes chopped with juice

1 medium onion

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 tsp dried parsley or 4 tsp fresh

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive Oil

Slice the zucchini into either long spaghetti like strands, or into cylinders or matchsticks...

Slice your onion

Combine the parsley, 1/4 cup of cheese, the bread crumbs, salt and pepper in a small bowl, set aside...

Heat the oil up in a large frying pan,

Saute Onion until soft and translucent

Add zucchini and tomaotes and juice

Cook until tender...

Add tomatoes and cook until they break down somewhat...

Sprinkle on the reserved dry mixture in the small bowl

Stir to combine... cook for another minute or so...

Voila!!!

A dish fit for a great vegetarian lunch!!!

Sprinke with additional Cheese if desired!!!

Food for Thought

I just heard on the radio this morning... that the Federal Govt... for the past 60 years, has been using about 800 different pesticides on ALL our fruit and vegetable crops... and that the CDC or some oufit out there... is looking into those pesticides being the reason for ADHD.  YA THINK????

Holy Cow!!! Why on earth do they think Cancer and Diabetes, and a host of other horrible diseases are so prolific these days?  OUR FOOD SUPPLY SUCKS!!!  Our choices are KILLING US!

So the radio program talked about how buying Organic needs to become the norm... but the majority of Americans can't afford to buy organic anything... and if given the chance to buy fruits and veggies or buy junk... junk is the clear choice...

That news made me so sad. 

It is more expensive to buy organic.  It just is.  And it's WRONG...

IT'S WRONG THAT A 2 LITER OF SODA IS 69 CENTS THIS WEEK in my grocer's weekly flyer.

69 CENTS!!!!!

How can green tea or water compete with that?  Why don't they just GIVE IT AWAY... and continue the downward spiral of health and vitality in our country?  Why? Because they don't have to.  They make it up in volume... millions are ADDICTED to Coke and Diet Coke, Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper.. and it won't stop.

You should have seen the display of animal like behavior last year when I was running our local Baseball League Snackbar, and I ran out of Dr. Pepper one night... I thought one hag was gonna grab my neck and strangle me...
over a SODA CAN!!!  It was like her entire world was ending... sooo very sad.

I have this overwhelming need to change the school lunch programs all over the nation.  I'm nobody... but I want to do something.  On my new menu, I've added a lunch making service to my repertoire...and you know what?  It's the MOST POPULAR part of my menu.  Moms everywhere are yearning for healthier, tastier alternatives for their growing kids. French Fries, Pizza and cardboard chicken AREN'T LUNCH... it's POISON!

Last night... and an away baseball game, my oldest son was hungry... and went to the snack bar.  He came back with two bags of trail mix.  I was pleasanly surprised and told him so.  He admitted he chose them because he knew I would approve and not give him grief about it... but he knew I would have if he come back with a dish of Nachos or a hot dog...

He knows me so well...

When we got home, he told me he was still pleasantly full from all the raw nuts and dried fruit he ate, and that he was glad he had chosen better for himself, even though it was because I was there.  He said he thinks he would have had a sour stomach and felt sick if he had chosen the junk food.

I feel like my work is starting to influence them.  When a 16 year old admits he was glad he had chosen better... SOMETHING has to be working... so I don't care that he only chose well because I was present... at least for that snack... he was healthier for it.

Be that light for your kids too... and watch Food Inc, the movie... and write your congressman about changing the school lunch programs all over the country to good, REAL, unprocessed foods... our kids very lives depend on it!

Cookin up a storm!

Catching a quick break from cooking for a few minutes... Whew!!!  My little business is starting to take flight... and I'm working hard... but having fun!  You know what they say... 'If you do what you love, you never "work" a day in your life."  I find that is SO true!!!

I am passionate about cooking more healthily, and started my business of preparing FRESH, handmade food for busy Moms and families... I feel really good providing REAL food meals... and trying to put the fast food business... out of business... for good. Yep... I said it... out. of. business.  They provide nothing of value... but heart disease, diabetes, and sugar...

I've been sort of absent the last few days, cooking up meals and delivering them... and it's such a blessing to be able to do so!!!

If a family stops eating out of a fast food bag, once a week... for a year... it saves... COUNTLESS calories, COUNTLESS pounds of FAT... COUNTLESS amounts of High Fructose Corn Syrup... and A LOT OF MONEY!

I know some people that eat fast food EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT... and it makes my heart break.  I know it's fast... I know it's convenient... I know it tastes really good... but just because something tastes good... DOESN'T MEAN IT IS GOOD...

I like to think of fast food in its separate form... what I mean is... in my mind... separating the lard... "meat"... fillers... pasty white bun... fries... the oil it cooks in... and then think of eating each of those thing ON IT'S OWN... and ask myself if I would still eat it.  The answer is NO!...  I would never just spoon a tablespoon of Lard into my mouth... yet... when eating almost ANY burger... that's EXACTLY what we are doing...
Still want a burger now?  Sometimes... to really eat better... we have to play tricks on ourselves and gross ourselves out enough to sway our thinking to the healthier way of eating.

I am just so happy that my service is being recognized as something of value... Sure... I serve thing I don't eat... like pasta and bread... but I am CONFIDENT in my food, and KNOW it is clean, fresh, healthy and just because I don't eat bread... doesn't mean other people don't... and I feel like EVERYONE deserves to eat good, yeast free, flax seed filled, handmade bread...in moderation... of course...

Soo... that's where I've been... and I will be writing more soon... just need to get a routine going in the beginning of this new business... and when I do... I'll be doing my weekly series more regularly...

Thanks for reading... It's an honor to write for you....

HealthiER Carrot Cake...

WARNING... THIS RECIPE IS NOT FOR STRICT LDL'ers LIKE ME... I make this recipe for my hubby and kids as a healthier addition to their school brown bag lunches...

Here's what you need...

2 cups flour

1/2 cup flax seed MEAL

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup raisins (optional)

1 cup craisins (optional)

1 cup chopped raw walnuts (optional)

2 cup sugar

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup olive oil (NOT Extra Virgin)

4 cups shredded carrot (use only 3 cups if you omit the fruit and nuts)

Stir it all together...and make muffins or loaves.  Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes depending on size of pan... and test for doneness...

I make a cream cheese frosting for them, and smear a thin layer on each muffin...

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

8 oz cream cheese (I use Neufchatel) softened...

Mix together and spread...

Buon Mangiare!

They really are delicous... and PACKED with carrot.. You'll find the batter to be more like a thick, gloppy consistency... don't worry... it makes for a dense, moist bread.

My favorite way to use them is to make square muffins out of them, frost them, and individually wrap them for each kid and my hubby for a lunch treat...

I feel good knowing there is yogurt, flax and carrot in them...

CROCK POT WEDNESDAY!

OKAY!!!

The weather is heating up... and it's an even better reason to use your crockpot... less use of those hot appliances to heat up your house...

So say you want to make a delicious Chicken Cacciatore... but it's 110 outside...and you'd rather be in the pool?

Well... put it all in the crockpot and forget it!

Here's what you'll need...

A bunch of skinless, chicken pieces... I'm not picky...eat what you like... just make sure to take the skin off and all visible fat...

1 whole sliced onion

3 cloves garlic crushed

1 can PLAIN crushed tomatoes (28 oz)

Please... don't buy that sauce in a jar... it offends me... :)

1-2 tsp dried oregano or Italian Seasoning mix

1 lb fresh sliced mushrooms

1 thinly sliced bell pepper (any color)

Salt and pepper to taste

Dump it all in... set it to high... about 1/2 way through cooking (4 hours) pour in a cup of wine you would drink with a meal... stir, cover, and cook another 4 hours or until the chicken falls off the bone...

Serve over brown rice or Pasta and

ENJOY!!!!!

Mama's!!! TAKE BACK YOUR KITCHENS!!!

I know I hound.  I know I preach... I know I sound like a broken record... but times are dire for kids and their diets...  There's way too much out there to entice and beckon to people to "eat this", "It's healthy cuz it has one grain in it" and "isn't this a pretty colored drink?... drink me!"

Mama's... YOU are in control of your kitchens... EVEN IF YOU AREN'T HOME!!!!  If you are the one buying the groceries... YOU are the one in control... WHAT YOU BUY... ENDS UP IN YOUR CHILD... and if your child isn't as healthy as you'd like him to be... CHANGE YOUR BUYING HABITS...

Look... I'm one of those Mom's that couldn't care LESS if my kids want a certain sugary cereal, or a prepackaged, 54 gram of fat, HORRENDOUS Lunchable, or Pop Tarts... "because they like them"... No Freaking way!  EVEN BEFORE our new way of eating... I have never, ever purchased a box of Pop Tarts.  When my boys were little... and the commercials for those foods came on the TV... mine would make snide little comments about how mean I was that I won't buy them, and how much they wanted them...  It all fell on deaf ears...

Just because I have a weight problem... doesn't mean my kids need to have one too.

I've never been a soda drinker... but my husband sure was... and he would buy liter after liter of Pepsi, or Moutain Dew and stash them in our backyard fridge... the kids, as they got older...wanted to drink it too... and when Mom was gone... out came the glasses and the pop.

Hubby and I had a long, loooonnnng looooooooong "talk" about how what we eat and drink directly affects and influences our children... not to mention the empty calories and intestine and kidney eating effects of drinking sugary, fizzy drinks... As my husband's job became more demanding, and he spent more time at work, and I was able to take over FULL control of the shopping as the kids got older and I wasn't breastfeeding a baby anymore... the soda drinking has come to an abrupt HALT...  I even got our Pediatrician involved and asked him to use some scare tactics about soda and eating junk food too often to help dissuade the kids... and it helped...

If you want your kids and grand kids to eat heathily... STOCK YOUR HOUSE WITH HEALTHY foods... it's that simple...  Talk to your kids about calories, and making them count, and talk to them about how our kidneys work 10 times harder to filter soda and sugary juices, and we only have 2 kidneys, and if one shuts down... life can be hard...
Tell them how much better they'll do in school by eating more fruits and veggies, and to only eat junk food on Birthdays and major holidays... with lots of healthy stuff mixed in...  Tell them how many less tummy aches and headaches they'll have by eating good food.  Tell them how they won't break out in zits as often as kids who eat junk a lot.  Feed them positives like that... and you'll start to have good eaters.

Our goal to have good eaters shouldn't be to just have kids that eat whatever is put in front of them... because waaaay too many parents are feeding their kids processed, junk from a box, can or pouch... but to have kids that make good choices...even when faced with a bad choice...

I want my kids to choose water over soda... fruit over chips... homemade over processed... yogurt over ice cream... MOST of the time... I know it's unrealistic to have them choose the best ALL the time... but good habit making is a long arduous process.. that is totally WORTH the time... because the time it takes to do it and do it well... ADDS YEARS TO THEIR LIVES!!!  Good... healthy... never have to see the Dr. years.

So Mama... get out your pen and paper... and make a list of things you want your kids to eat on a regular basis... AND BUY THEM!  Now... remember all those other things you USED to buy...that they loved?  The chips, Cheetos, soda, Pop Tarts, Lunchables, sugary cereals, sugary oatmeal packets, Gogurts, Fruit Roll ups... etc???
DON'T BUY THOSE... really.  You'll hear some whining... some crying... and maybe some unkind words... but chalk it up to DETOXING.  Those food are ADDICTIVE for a reason... they are DRUGS.. and HORRIBLE  for your kids...  And please, please, please, please, please... NO ASPARTAME, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYPUP, SPLENDA, OR TRUVIA.. for the kids...

Buy grapes, and melon, and frozen fruit that you can whiz up in a blender, and whole grain crackers and REAL cheese, and good peanut butter and all fruit jams, and REAL meat... not the junk in the shrink wrap...

Sound expensive?  Think again...your grocery bill and your medical bills will GO DOWN... and so will the mood swings, and acne, and weight gain, and fatigue.  You will see bright eyes... energy... better hair, good teeth, self esteem, looser clothing... and better grades...

Mama... its up to you... it always has been.  If you are wondering why the kids aren't as healthy and slim and energetic as they should be...it's because of the pantry... plain and simple...

Let me know if there is any way I can help you... email me...I'm here...

Corn... Food of the Week.

Corn.  The forbidden veggie on soooo many diets.  Why?  Because it's sweet,  because it's starchy, and because some people just don't know any better.

The corn haters out there... need to get something straight... Corn is good for us.  Yes, it's a grain, and a veggie and the debate goes on and on... but really... it comes down to one thing... It's full of fiber and acts as "nature's broom".

Years ago, I came across a friends notebook full of jokes and one liners... and one entire page was dedicated to
(I'll be nice and not be too graphic here...) Poo. That's not the word it used... and it described all the different types of Poo, in a hilariously creative way... and one stuck in my mind... It said... "Corn Poo... no explanation needed"... and I got it instantly...Stay with me... don't click away yet... I won't stay on this subject much longer...
What it meant was... Corn... ever wonder how you can chew it, and chew it, and chew it for days... and in the end... it still looks like it came out whole? Okay, I 'm done... put the barf bag away...

The reason it does that is the hull... it's indigestible.  THAT is the broom part.  THAT is why it is so much better to eat whole grains and not the stripped way grains... the HULL is what is cleaning the lining of our intestines and taking away bad things with it...

Corn is starchy like bread, and it's gotten a really bad wrap with many diets because of it... but it is a GOOD CARB... it's natural... it's real... it tastes good without having to do anything to it... it can be eaten raw, cooked, steamed, boiled, bbq'd, popped, fried, etc...

Here's my favorite way to cook corn... I never boil my veggies... ever...

Get some corn on the cob... with the husks still one, preferably, and clean the silks off... but keep the husks intact...

mix together in a bowl...

1/2 cup olive oil

salt

pepper

bbq seasoning mix

1/4 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1 clove fresh crushed garlic

Brush the mixture on the corn and BBQ the corn with the husks around the seasoned cob...

The husks will get all blackened and charred... and the corn will steam and get all yummy inside...

Enjoy!!!  No butter necessary!!!

I also add corn to every soup I can... every stir fry, every taco meat mixture... basically to almost everything I eat...  I love it's sweetness, and it's ability to make my body think it's eaten bread.

It's quite a filler upper.

I buy it by the 5lb bag frozen... and keep it handy for all applications...

Corn... Food of the week... A misunderstood, often vilifed food... but a good one to eat...

Mother's Day Food Fest... a day early...

Carrot Cake Muffins sans Frosting

Apricot and Blueberry Preserve/ Cream Cheese  Danish... made with Homemade Challah, fortified with Flax

Fresh Homemade Hamburger buns... ready for the burgers for lunch today...

Cheater, Stealer, Bad Food Eater!!!!

Cheating...

Such an ugly word.  It conjures us visions of philandering spouses, moving one space more on a board game on the sly, and eating something we KNOW shouldn't be eaten.  But wait... is eating a bad food really CHEATING? Who is getting CHEATED?   Is it maybe STEALING?   I mean... Bernie Madoff... MADE OFF with billions of dollars of other people's money... that's called STEALING... but some say he CHEATED them out of it... yeah... they are probably right...

So... for eating's sake... CHEATING  and STEALING are the same thing... Agree or disagree?

We are grown ups.  WE can make choices for ourselves.  We know how to read.  We have mirrors.  We feel guilt.  We know the difference between right... and wrong.  We know that eating Twinkie is bad... and eating an apple is good.  We know we should be drinking water and green tea, and not Mountain Dew and Iced Caramel Frappacino's.

Sooooo... why do we do it?  Why... do we undermine ourselves?  WHY DO WE CHEAT AND STEAL from ourselves?  What?  How can I say such things as we are CHEATING AND STEALING from ourselves?

Simple. 

When we make bad food choices... for whatever reason... "I was at Bunco, and the only food there was junk food" or "All my friends wanted to go to lunch, and they were all having nachos... and I did too" or "My son ordered fried chicken fingers... and I just couldn't let them go to waste... and I only ate 3 fries... so I was "good"."
we are cheating ourselves of nourishment.  We are cheating ourselves of being able to wear that smaller size.  We are cheating ourselves of feeling good all the time.

When we make bad food choices... we are STEALING time from our lives.  We are making SURE that we won't live as long or as well as we possibly could.  THE WORST PART?  In my book... the absolute WORST thing we can do?... is MAKE BAD FOOD CHOICES AND SERVE THOSE CHOICES TO OUR KIDS... to me... that's CRIMINAL.  When we know better, and choose to serve the "convenience" foods anyway... we are STEALING and CHEATING our children of their lives too.  Once we know better... we need to DO better.

My kids are finally getting used to it... but in the last 9 months... I've sort of been a little "fanatical" about what goes into my kids mouths... After shopping for the Snack Shack initial food stores for the baseball season... and after READING the ingredients (science experiment) of the Nacho "cheese" box (that by the way... NEVER has to be refrigerated... hmmmmm)... I've become even MORE crazy controlling about the food they eat...

I've begun to see fast food and canned, boxed and processed food as poison... REAL POISON.  I liken that junk to Crack Cocaine... I really do.

At first... my kids balked...and kicked and screamed foul... but now... if they do happen to eat the junk... they get SUCH horrible stomach pains and indigestion.  They feel lethargic, and sleepy.  They have begun to FEEL their food, instead of just eating it... and when they CHEAT... and they do... they don't like it.  The CHEATING has been less frequent these days... their bodies have LOVED the fuel from fresh and homemade foods, and have begun rejecting and purging the bad food.  HALLEUJAH!!!

I have cooked homemade for them for the past 16 years... We eat IN waaaaaaaay more than we eat OUT... but I wasn't as vigilant about the types of food and drinks allowed in my home as I am now.  The Food Police on ANY show can come in my home and I wouldn't bat on eye...Bring it on! BBBBUT!... my kids are still rebeling a bit...

It's REALLY, REALLY hard to be a kid, and have been allowed to eat bad food in the past...and to completely change now... especially with the kids at school eating junk on a daily basis... BUT... it makes kids stronger in the end.  When my kids share their good food, especially to the kids making the most noise about "eating healthy"... and the kid LOVES the healthy food, and WANTS TO BUY IT OFF YOUR CHILD... it gets easier for my kids.

I preach to them that the food I pack for them is fuel for the day and for practice... Slim Jims, pizza, and soda ARE NOT fuel... it's drugs. Plain and simple. Doritos, Cheetos, Ding Dongs, Fruit Roll Ups, etc... ARE DRUGS...  Just like Pot and Crack and Alcohol.  They are addictive... and they are hard to quit (okay, not as hard as some... I'll grant you that)... but when the CDC says THIS generation is the FIRST generation that WILL NOT live longer than MY generation...WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM!!!  When kids are getting Type 2 Diabetes at 3 and 4... THERE IS A PROBLEM...

Just because kids are thin... DOES NOT mean they are healthy.  WE are the keepers of the food.  WE are responsible to feeding and caring for our kids... IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO STOP THE CYCLE OF processed, easy, boxed, squeeze cheese foods...

Let's not CHEAT our children out of the best health they can have.  Let's feed their bodies, minds and spirit... with an abundance of natural foods... I know, Mom, it'll take a little longer in the kitchen... and it'll INconvenience you... but aren't your kids worth it?

Crock Pot French Onion Soup... low fat version!

Okay...so I'm back, and my computer is fine... and I need to get back to writing this blog... it keeps me on track with my eating... and keeps me in the game... and when I can't post for whatever reason... I find myself NOT putting my best foot forward...whew...

Soooo... It's Crockpot Wednesday... and even though the weather is warming up... I'd like to share a favorite soup... with all it's curative properties, and it's great flavor... it's not TOO hot outside, and we still have cool evenings around here... so this may become a welcome cup of nourishment...

Crock Pot French Onion Soup

4 large sliced onions

4 cloves crushed or chopped garlic

1 cup dry white wine

6-8 cups beef broth

salt

pepper

bay leaf

 tiny pinch of dried thyme

Grated Romano or Parmigiano Cheese

Good, whole grain, crusty bread (for those that eat bread... my family... not me)

Saute ALL the onions in a skillet until wilted and soft.. not brown... or just dump them into the crock sliced and raw...

Add the broth, wine, salt to taste and pepper, bay leaf, and garlic...

Place the lid and cook on low for 8 hours or more...

At the very end... stir in a tiny amount of butter... real butter... maybe about 1 - 2 tsp only... to enrich the soup...

Toast the good french bread... with a brush of olive oil and a sprinkle of the grated cheese

Ladle the soup over the bread in a bowl, and top with more grated cheese if desired...

*Notice I stayed away from the soft, high fat, oily cheese traditionally used in the recipe...this is waaaay better for you...

Enjoy!!!

computer is down...will post when I get it back

Latin Inspired Rice

Quick Healthier Latin inspired Rice

I make this for my family all the time... I do not eat it, not because I don't love it... I do... but because I try not to eat rice very much... but I feel great serving it to my hubby and kids...

What you'll need...

2 packages Trader Joes Brown Rice OR 3 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup frozen corn

1 chopped onion

1 chopped red/green/or yellow bell pepper

1 cup sliced green onions

1 chopped zucchini or grated

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1-2 tsp cumin

salt

pepper

 3 cloves fresh chopped garlic or 1-2 tsp granulated or garlic powder

Heat up a large skillet screaming hot.  Add onion, pepper, zucchini, corn, salt and pepper and saute' until soft...
Add garlic, stir

Add cooked rice, stir to combine...

Add can of tomatoes, stir

Season again to taste

Sprinkle on cumin and chopped green onions...

stir to combine...

Heat Through...

To make this a meal, and a complete protein... add a large can of black beans to the mixture and make it a main dish... add a salad and some fresh avocado... and

yahooooo! Eat well... WITHOUT MEAT!

Brown Rice recipes...

Since I posted a long post about Rice... I thought I'd give some recipes for ya!!!

Brown Rice and Meat stuffed Cabbage

1 head cabbage

salt

3 cups cooked BROWN rice

1 lb ground beef, or turkey, or chicken

1 chopped onion

2 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

Seasonings of your choice, garlic, salt, pepper, dill, steak seasoning, coriander, ALL YOU WANT!

1 cup thawed frozen corn

2 cups black beans (or any bean you like)

Brown the meat and onion together in a skillet... drain fat completely...

add 1 can of  crushed tomatoes, seasonings, rice, corn and beans... and heat through...

Taste for seasoning... add till it tastes right to you... set aside

Boil some water in a large stock pot and add a couple of teaspoons of salt.

Tear off large leaves of cabbage, wash and place them into the boiling water for about 2 minutes... DO NOT OVER COOK...

Take them out with a strainer spoon, and place them on a cotton towel to cool

When they are easy to handle...

Take one, add some meat mixture (2-3 Tbs), roll it up like a burrito, and place into a shallow baking dish.

Continue to do this until all the meat is gone...

Make sauce with the other can of tomatoes... or just pour the can directly over all the cabbage burritos.. add a little salt and pepper on top...

and bake at 350 for 20 minutes...

Enjoy!!!

Rice... I'm a fan...

Rice isn't on my "eating plan".  The author of my book has decided that it's fattening, and should be avoided.  He is certainly entitled to his opinion... but I beg to differ...

I believe... in moderate quanities, BROWN rice is a wonderful alternative to breads and meats...

BROWN rice has fiber and minerals that our bodies require.  It's also a GREAT filling food.

In the past 9 months of my personal plan, I had pretty much followed to the letter, the LDL plan, with a few exceptions...

I eat dried fruit from time to time, I don't worry about eating only chicken breast (I love thighs), and I eat rice... when I eat sushi or want just a "little more" for breakfast.  Do I eat cups and cups of it? Heck no!  But I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Sushi and Sashimi... and you just can't eat those things without rice... and I refuse to do it... It's another "deal breaker" for me.  So when the server asks me if I want a side of white or brown rice... I simply say... Yes, please... brown. 

I know I've been preaching and preaching about not buying things in "boxes" and off the shelves pre packaged... but there is ONE item I love... that I DO buy pre packaged... and that's  Trader Joes, precooked Brown Rice,in the frozen food section... in a green box. I LOVE THAT STUFF!  It has one ingredient... BROWN RICE... and it's the MOST convenient way to prepare it, when in a hurry... 3 packages for 3 bucks... and it's delish!

I don't know about you... but when I cook rice, it sometimes turns out mushy... I still eat it... but when I was lead to this product at TJ's... I was hooked...

No, I will not buy a rice cooker...we have hard water, and cleaning them takes more time than cooking the brown rice...

Don't get wrong... I don't use this ALL the time... just in a pinch... sometimes I need MORE rice than the box can handle...and making it myself is waaaaay cheaper... but... if you work full time, and want a great product.. get it.

Not all rices are equal.  My personal advice is to STAY AWAY from ANYTHING white.  White rice is like white bread... stripped of all goodness and nutrients... why eat it?

I also love a good WILD RICE... technically not a "rice" but a "grass seed" but still delish and healthy and filling. It's pictured above...

Another product I love, for my family, that isn't a rice... and takes VIRTUALLY no time to cook, is Cous Cous.  Actually a small pasta, it is a cinch to cook and it's an AWESOME alternative to rice... if you buy the Whole Wheat Cous Cous... MY FAVE??? Isreali Cous Cous from Trader Joes... {{Hello TJ's... I'm available for radio and TV spots for your fantastic store... call me!)

It's bigger, has a bunch of flavorful little tidbits of wheat berries and other wonderful grains... and cooked with a little chicken stock and some frozen peas and saute'd mushrooms.. and you have a GORGEOUS feast of a side dish.  It's pricier, but I only cook 1/2 a bag at a time for 4 people and it's plenty with leftovers too, so you can get 2 meals out of one bag...

So... just because some would say that Rice is not a good food...I look at it this way...

If I put a greasy, globulous cheeseburger in one hand... and a cup of brown rice with a little milk, and some raisins and tsp of brown sugar in the other...

Which one is better for me?

Exactly... now you see my point...

It's all about choices... and what time of day we are eating our food, and what we AREN'T eating at night before bed...

Rice...

If it's brown, or black, it's a wonderful food.

If it's white... put it back... feed your body... don't just fill it.