The Fruit Room Clean-up

Here's what I've been doing for the last few weeks. It's still not done, but looking a lot better than the disaster before. I also put in a gift wrap place on the wall for things I use all the time.

I also put in a couple of rotating can holders for canned foods I use a lot.

I still have more work to do, but it's gettting there! So what do you think?

Happy Monday

Sometime, sombody needs to explain to me how to move pictures around on this blog thing. When I go to Edit Html when there are pictures, it looks greek to me.

I bought a book called, "Eat this, Not That". You wanna know the 8 things you're supposed to eat every day?

1. Spinach: rich sourse of plant-based omega-3s and folate. Helps reduce risk of heat disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. Packed with Lutein a compound that fights macular degeneration. Aim for 1 cup fresh or 1/2 c cooked per day (add to salads, eggs, pizza, lasagna or mix with marinara sauce and nuke for dip.
2. Yogurt: helps reinforce beneficial bacteria in your body. helps boost immune system and protection against cancer. Must be probiotic (labels should say "live active cultures." Aim for 1 cup a day
3. Tomatoes: Red are best because they're packed with lycopene. Also processed tomatoes are just as potent as fresh ones because it's easier for the body to absorb the lycopene. Studies show that a diet rich in lycopene can decrease your risk of bladder, lung, prostate, skin, and stomach cancers, as well as reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Aim for abot 8 red cherry tomatoes a day or a glass of tomato juice. Substitutes: red watermelon, pink grapefruit, papaya, guava. Pile on the ketchup and ragu!
4. Carrots: Most red, yellow, or orange vegetables and fruits are spiked with carotenoids --fat soluble compounds that are associated with a reduction in a wide range of cancers, as well as reduced risk and seveity of inflammatory conditions such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, but non are as easy ato prepare or have a slow a caloric density as carrots. Aim for 1/2 c a day.
5. Blueberries: Host to more antioxidants than any other North American fruit, blueberries help prevent cancer, diabetes, and age-related memory changes. Studies show blueberries are rich in fiber and vitamins A and C also boost cardiovascular health. Aim for 1 c fresh blueberries a day, or 1/2 c frozen or dried. Subs: purple grapes, prunes, raisins, strawberries. (blueberries maintain most of the power in dried, frozen, or jam form.
6. Black beans: All beans are good for your heart, but none can boost yur brain power like black beans. That's becuase they're full of anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds that have been shown to improve brain function. A daily 1/2 c serving provides 8 grams of protein and 7.5 grams of fiber, and is low in calories and free of saturated fat. Toss some into your breakfast burrito! Recipe Salsa: Dice 4 tomatoes, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 jalapenos, 1 yellow bell pepper, and 1 mango. Mix in a can of black beans and garnish with 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and juice of 2 limes. Yum yum.
7. Walnuts: Richer in omega-3s than salmon, loaded with more anti-inflammatory polyphenols than red wine, and packing half as much muscle-building protein as chicken--a serving of walnuts about 7 nuts is good anytime, but especially as a postworkout recovery snack.
8. Oats: Packed with soluble fiber, which lowers the risk of heart disease. Oats have 10 grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving. They deliver steady muscle-friendly energy and have the FDA's first seal of approval.

A glass of low sodium V8 juice will knock out 3 of the eight: spinach, carrots and tomatoes.
A bowl of oatmeal with raisins or fresh blueberries takes out 2.
A mid morning or afternoon snack of low fat blueberry yogurt will also take care of 2.
A salad of romaine lettuce, fresh baby spinach, carrots, walnuts, and raisins or blueberries takes out 4.
For the black beans I have a recipe called Fiesta Rice Tacos if you don't already have it, here it is:

1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/4 C olive oil
1 tsp chili powder (I use less)
1/4 tsp cumin (I use more)
Mix together in frying pan and sautee: 1tsp fresh garlic, 1 c chopped green onions (I never have use that much), and some carrots finely chopped.You can add peppers too, but I never do-- never have them on hand. (I'm guessing on amounts because I don't usually measure)
Add to the above:
3 C cooked rice
11 oz can corn (drain)
15 oz can kidney beans (drain)
15 oz can black beans (drain)
1 can sliced olives (drain)
Serve in bowls with cheese quesadillas or fill tortillas with mixture and add grated cheese, salsa etc. Don't forget to add salsa! It's one of my favorite home storage meals. I don't usually add the kidney beans, just black beans. My kids don't like beans that much, but they will eat this. If I don't have green onions on hand, I'll use 1/2 yellow onion, or even dried minced onions. I like to use the bottled fresh garlic you can find in the produce section and keep in frig, rather than messing with my garlic press. (Besides my kids have used the garlic press for creative play doh designs)

Happy eating!

Dad and #4 giving Benny loves before Benny got into #4's dinner.

Benny licking #4's plate with a little help from #3.

Another pic

Here's a better picture

The dog ate my homework?

Several weeks ago, it was my husband's turn to be the greeter at Church. He was given a 'Greeter' name tag that he wore and was supposed to return the following week. He forgot to bring it back, went out of town on business, and well Benny got the tag off the counter and chewed it into what you see in the picture...