This blog will help you to make healthier choices, even if you are not wealthy and are eating out of the local Food Bank! Think it can't be done? Think again, I'm doing it!
This blog will help you towards healthier lifestyle choices!
I owned a State Approved K-6 for over 20 years and when it closed, I was devastated. However, I decided to make lemonade out of lemons and so I thought: I went to school for 40 years (one class at a time) and I have a PhD, I'll just look for a better job.
And, I did.....look that is, the "finding" part eluded me. I was 60 years old, never got sick and could outwork almost anyone half my age but, as I was looking for a job, it was NOT looking for me!
In the first two years after my school's closure, I applied for over 450 jobs (everything from Starbucks, to Admin Assistant to jewelry sales) and had no luck.
Finally a friend asked why I was counting the jobs and I realized I was focusing on what was NOT happening instead of what might happen so I quit counting, but not applying.
In order to survive, I sold my house and lived off the proceeds while I continued applying. I lived extremely frugally because I knew that the money would not last forever.
Over the years, I have continued to live frugally and apply for jobs. However, there truly is ageism in America today and I have been unsuccessful in getting a "real" job.
What I have been successful at is cobbling together a life by working at my many part time jobs! Currently, I have 2 jobs each day (subbing in the Auburn School District and tutoring at Sylvan Learning Centers). And I do other jobs occasionally such as Real Estate Broker, Author, and Editor.
Because I am a Health Coach, my passion is helping people be healthier.
Over the years, I've learned much about how to be healthy even if I wasn't wealthy so I decided to share my expertise with you! I will bring you tips, recipes, and many ideas on how to choose a healthy lifestyle, even if you are eating out of the local Food Bank and/or don't have much money to pay for gym memberships!
And, I did.....look that is, the "finding" part eluded me. I was 60 years old, never got sick and could outwork almost anyone half my age but, as I was looking for a job, it was NOT looking for me!
In the first two years after my school's closure, I applied for over 450 jobs (everything from Starbucks, to Admin Assistant to jewelry sales) and had no luck.
Finally a friend asked why I was counting the jobs and I realized I was focusing on what was NOT happening instead of what might happen so I quit counting, but not applying.
In order to survive, I sold my house and lived off the proceeds while I continued applying. I lived extremely frugally because I knew that the money would not last forever.
Over the years, I have continued to live frugally and apply for jobs. However, there truly is ageism in America today and I have been unsuccessful in getting a "real" job.
What I have been successful at is cobbling together a life by working at my many part time jobs! Currently, I have 2 jobs each day (subbing in the Auburn School District and tutoring at Sylvan Learning Centers). And I do other jobs occasionally such as Real Estate Broker, Author, and Editor.
Because I am a Health Coach, my passion is helping people be healthier.
Over the years, I've learned much about how to be healthy even if I wasn't wealthy so I decided to share my expertise with you! I will bring you tips, recipes, and many ideas on how to choose a healthy lifestyle, even if you are eating out of the local Food Bank and/or don't have much money to pay for gym memberships!
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Sweet Potatoes, Zucchini and Meatless Meatballs with Rosemary
I found these meatless meatballs at Grocery Outlet for only $1.99 and they are very tasty. I have used them in spaghetti and put them into this casserole which turned out VERY yummy.
1 bag of sweet potatoes (diced)
5 zucchini (sliced and quartered)
1 pkg Nate's Meatless Meatballs (quartered)
Rosemary
Sunflower and Red Palm Oil (use your favorite oil if this isn't available)
Dice the sweet potatoes and put them into a large baking pan (or use smaller amounts of potatoes and use a smaller pan).
Slice and quarter the zucchini and put into the pan.
Quarter the meatballs and put over top of the potatoes and zucchini.
Sprinkle rosemary over the top of the casserole.
Drizzle oil over the casserole.
Shake a small amount of salt over the top.
Stir gently.
Bake in 450 oven until potatoes are soft and a little caramelized, gently folding once or twice during baking.
Sweet potatoes have lots of vitamin A so this is a great dish for kids who don't like carrots!
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Gluten Free Spaghetti with Vegan Meatballs
I just found these vegan meatballs at Grocery Outlet and used them in this quick and easy recipe. They are delicious!
1 jar spaghetti sauce (my favorite has basil)
1 pkg De Boles Gluten Free Multi-Grain Spaghetti style pasta
2 pkgs Nates Meatless Meatballs (savory mushroom)
Open jar and put spaghetti sauce and meat balls into a pot. Turn on low heat.
Put distilled water in a large second pot. I usually add basil to this because I like the spaghetti to taste like basil.
Turn water on high and bring to a boil.
Place pasta into water pot and bring to second boil. Boil about 5-7 minutes.
Drain pasta.
Put the sauce and meatballs into the larger water pot and then add the pasta.
Voila! A quick and yummy dinner. Add your favorite Italian side dishes, if you like.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Raw Kale and Beet Salad
I had this salad at a meeting and it was so delicious that I asked for the recipe. It was adapted from www.joyoushealth.com by Stephanie, our leader in the healthy living class.
Ingredients:
4 medium beets, grated (2 cups)
2 bunches of kale, massaged, washed, ripped away from stems, and then finely chopped
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cups cranberries
1/2 cups pine nuts
Dressing:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1/2 cup extra vergin olive oil
1-2 T honey (or to taste)
1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions:
1. Massage kale while still in the bag until it's about half the size it was.
2. Remove kale from stems and chop finely.
3. Put kale into a large bowl and add about 1 tsp each of lemon juice and olive oil.
4. Add the massaged kale, the beets, seeds and cranberries in the bowl and mix.
5. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl.
6. Pour over to of salad and mix well. Let stand 10 minutes to marinate.
7. Serve on a white plate or bowl for optimal eye-appeal.
For a crowd:
8-10 cups grated beets
8 bunches kale
1 1/3 cups sunflower seeds
2 cups cranberries or dates
Optional ingredients: grated carrots, shallots or green onions, walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, flax meal, hemp hearts.
Dressing:
2 cups fresh lemon juice
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
Optional ingredients to dressing: garlic, 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Yummy Breakfast of Gimme Lean and Sweet Potatoes
I made up this breakfast because I happened to have some sweet potatoes and Gimme Lean on hand. It not only tasted good, it smelled wonderful!
5 sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 T rosemary (not ground)
2 T red palm oil
Heat skillet without palm oil. Add red palm oil and let it melt (but not smoking). Add Gimme Lean and fry until slightly brown. Add sweet potatoes, onion, and rosemary. Fry gently, turning a couple of times.
Serves 2
Monday, December 15, 2014
Mexican Hot Chocolate
One reason we love the holidays is the nostalgia, which harks back to those years we were little kids. Snow pants and sledding, fireplaces and family. Unfortunately, we’re adults now and have to beg our bosses for days off between Christmas and New Year's. As a make-good on growing older, we’ve got an iconic childhood treat—a mug of hot-chocolate—and made it adults-only with the help of George Clooney and his small-batch, ultra-premium Casamigos Tequila. Use premium, organic dark chocolate and reap the benefits of antioxidants and a little fiber, plus the compound capsaicin in cayenne acts as a pain reliever, which will be helpful after you wipe out snowboarding. This cocktail version is care of Pamela Wiznitzer , president of the New York chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild.
Ellouise’s Note: Of course, I would never use tequila since I don’t drink but I like the idea of the pain relievers in cayenne because I’m in constant pain!
Mexican Hot Chocolate
INGREDIENTS
High quality dark chocolate hot cocoa
1½ ounces Casamigos Reposado tequila
¼ ounces agave nectar
© Romulo A Yanes
1 pinch cayenne powder
1 pinch salt
1 homemade marshmallow (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Prepare hot chocolate according to package directions. In a mug, stir together 4½ ounces hot chocolate, tequila, agave, cayenne and salt and top with marshmallow, if using. 193 calories per serving.
Pro-tip: If you’re feeling a little pyro, take a kitchen torch—like the one you’d use for crème brûlée—to the top of the marshmallow after you’ve placed it in the mug.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Apple Juice Oatmeal
I have oatmeal nearly every day in one form or another. This is a simple version that requires no sugar to taste sweet!
1/2 cup apple juice (no sugar added)
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup raw hemp hearts
Sugar free syrup, if desired
Soak oatmeal and hemp hearts in apple juice overnight. Add more apple juice if needed.
Cook very slowly until the oatmeal is very smooth, stirring occasionally. Add a bit of syrup of desired.
Acorn Squash, Roasted Carrots, Grilled Onions
Root vegetables on a cold day with a good book!
Acorn squash
Sweet Potatoes
Onions
Wash veggies with Fruit and Vegetable Rinse.
Cut acorn squash in half (lengthwise or crosswise) and scoop out the seeds. Place upside down in about 1" of water in a baking pan. Bake at 400 for about 45 minutes (check by putting a fork into it. When it's soft, it's done.
Cut sweet potatoes about 2" long and into slices. Place in a different roasting pan with a little olive oil, salt and rosemary leaves. Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes or, if you like them caramelized, you can bake longer.
Chop onions and place into a skillet with a little olive oil. Fry the onions until the are caramelized.
Non-gluten Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries
Buckwheat isn't really wheat and so my gluten sensitive friends can eat it without reacting. Yea! Blueberries feed the brain, so this is an excellent breakfast.
Bob's Red Mill buckwheat pancake mix
Frozen blueberries
Sugar free pancake syrup
Mix up the buckwheat pancake mix as directed (I like it a little thinner than the recipe so I put a bit more liquid in)
Heat a griddle fairly hot (like you would for crepes)
Add a little olive oil
Pour in the pancake mix (I like large ones) and let cook for a minute or so
Add blueberries on top
flip the pancake when there are bubbles all over the top
Put Earth Balance on the pancake and some sugar free syrup.
Yummy Sort of Raw Lunch!
My favorite snack is quacamole and cauliflower (I don't like chips). To make that snack into a lunch, just add a few more veggies and some hummus.
Cauliflower
Baby Carrots
Celery
Hummus
Guacamole
Wash veggies with Fruit and Vegetable rinse. Cut cauliflower into medium florets. Cut celery into small pieces.
Dip veggies into hummus and/or guacamole.
My Chipotle hummus recipe works really well for this. It's on a previous post.
Kitchen Sink Blender Drink
For lunch, I love a blender drink. This one is quick, healthy, filling, and tasty!
2 cups cranberry juice (sugar free)
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup raw hemp hearts
1/4 cup cranberries
1 handful raw spinach
1 slice raw pineapple
2-3 bananas
Put ingredients into VitaMix in order listed and blend until well blended. Drink and be healthy!
Cranberry Oatmeal with Blueberries and Hemp Hearts (can be a raw breakfast)
When I was a child, I ate Wheat Hearts every morning because I had to make my own breakfast and that's all I knew how to make. I piled on tons of sugar and butter to make it palatable. This is WAY healthier and much tastier and there's no sugar! Cranberries are very good for the bladder, hemp has a lot of protein and other nutrients, and oatmeal is a heart healthy choice.
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar free cranberry juice (add more as needed)
1/4 cup raw hemp hearts
1 cup frozen organic blueberries
1/4 cup cranberries (optional)
1/4 cup raw walnuts (optional)
2 bananas, sliced
Sugar free syrup
Put the oatmeal in a pan with the cranberry juice and the raw hemp hearts. Soak overnight. If you are going to eat it raw, put the rest of the ingredients into a blender and blend them up. It's delicious that way!
To cook, turn on low heat and cook slowly until the oatmeal is very smooth. Add the blueberries, cranberries, raw walnuts and banana slices. Stir and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add a bit of sugar free syrup for decoration.
Latte with Heart!
I made up this recipe this morning & it is very yummy!
3 cups distilled water
2 packages of instant coffee (regular or decaf)
1/4 cup hemp hearts
1 teaspoon pure Vanilla
2or 3 frozen bananas
Put distiller water, coffee, hemp, & vanilla into blender & blend until smooth.
Add
Pink Applesauce
One of my friends gave me some yellow delicious apples, another gave me some Asian pears and I had some cranberry juice on hand. Put them all together and voila! A yummy hot applesauce!
Yellow delicious apples (however many you have)
Asian pears (however many you want)
Cranberry juice - small amount
First, wash the fruit with Fruit and Vegetable Rinse.
Cut up the apples into small chunks. You can leave in the seeds if you have a VitaMix, it will be extra fiber for your body and you can't taste it. Fill up the Vita Mix about 3/4 of the way with the apple chunks. Fill the rest of the way with cut up Asian pears. Put in about 1/2 cup cranberry juice (I use the unsweetened kind). Blend until well blended. It can be eaten raw or heated in a crockpot. Sprinkle cinnamon on it. if you like. It can be reheated or frozen and reheated.
Anti-inflammation Drink
I have been drinking this drink for about a week and it really helps inflammation! If you like chai tea, you will like it! U got this recipe from my physical therapist, Zachariah. Thanks, Zachariah!
18-20 oz Silk Almond/Coconut milk
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
pinch black pepper
20 oz shaker bottle
Put the milk into the shaker bottle. Add the ginger, turmeric and black pepper. Shake well. Enjoy!
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Raw Refreshing Green Juice with Yellow or Red Bell Peppers and Parsley
This is another of Megan Huylo's juice recipes from Foxnews.com on 8-21-14. As with the other of her juices, she uses a juicer. I prefer to get the fiber that is taken out when foods are "juiced" so I use a VitaMix.
“This one I make for a lot of my clients who are looking for a cleanse or who want to start juicing just to get healthier, promote clearer skin, but they don’t want to drink something that is really loaded with pungent leafy greens,” Huylo said.
Refreshing Green Juice with Yellow Bell Peppers and Parsley
Ingredients:
1 zucchini
1 yellow bell pepper, quartered, stem and core removed
2 green apples, quartered
1 bunch parsley
2 cups spinach, tightly packed
Juice of 2 lemons
One juice a day is good, but to really feel different, drink at least three to feel the full effects, Huylo said.
Raw Green Market Juice with Fennel and Plum
This is another raw juice recipe from Megan Huylo. Her website is listed on the previous post.
This drink will give you a glow. Fennel is high in vitamin C and has a high water content— if we can get as much water and hydration into us as possible… that leads to more supple, glowing skin. Plums have antioxidants, red bell peppers are high in vitamins C and E, which help promote healthy, supple skin. The red-veined sorrel is a healthy leafy green.
“It’s going to protect our cells from any damage from free radicals that’s going to damage skin cell membrane,” Huylo said.
Greenmarket Juice with Fennel and Plum
Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb, quarters, fronds reserved
3 plums, halved and pit removed
1 small red bell pepper, quartered, stem and core removed
1 bunch red-veined sorrel
Juice of 2 lemons
If you’re new to juicing, try Megan’s Refreshing Green Juice with Yellow Bell Peppers and Parsley. Zucchini is mostly water, which will keep your skin hydrated. Green apple has polyphenols, which regulate skin growth. Yellow bell pepper is high in vitamin C— your skin’s best friend. Spinach contains selenium, which protects against un damage and age spots. As for the spinach, Huylo said it’s a mild flavor packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Raw Sweet and Sunny Juice
I found this recipe on Fox news. It sounds delicious. It's by plant based Megan Huylo.
Her “Sweet and Sunny Morning Juice” incorporates pineapple, ginger and lemon. Pineapple is packed with vitamin C, which promotes the growth of collagen and helps the elasticity of your skin.
“There’s also ginger in this juice, which is a really powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant,” Huylo said. “Ginger is also really great for digestion.”
Sweet and Sunny Morning Juice
Ingredients:
1 pineapple, skinned and cut lengthwise into quarters
1” piece of ginger
Juice of 3 lemons
Click for more from Huylo’s site, DowntownEpicure.com.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Raw Vegan Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
This recipe is also from Swayze Foster. I've been looking for salad dressing recipes so I was glad she posted it. Raw Vegan
½ cup cashews
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
½ teaspoon of paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 medjool date
¾ cup of distilled water
2 teaspoons each: dried oregano, dried basil, dried chives and dried parsley
½ of one green bell pepper – diced
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Take cashews, red wine vinegar, garlic, paprika, cayenne, date and water. Put it into blender and blend until well blended. Add seasonings and diced bell pepper and stir it with a spoon. Put into fridge and let the flavors blend in the coolness.
For Salad:
One head of iceberg lettuce (Ellouise: “personally, I don’t care for the taste of iceberg so I would use spinach)”
2 cups of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
½ cup sliced radishes
1 cup of grated carrots
1 cup of shredded radicchio
Pour the dressing over the top (she uses about 8 tablespoons)
Salad with 8 tablespoons of dressing: 280 calories, 9 grams of fat.
Raw Vegan Orange Wild Berry Smoothie
This recipe is from Swazy Foster of "Fit on Raw" and it's very yummy!
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 frozen bananas (be sure to peel before putting into the freezer
2 cups of wild blueberries or huckleberries
Put into blender in order listed and blend for 1 minute. If it is too thick, add some more orange juice.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Natural Immune Boosting Drink
I have not tried this yet and don't know where it came from but it sounds like a good idea!
2 quarts water
8-10 Lemons
9-12 cloves of garlic
1 tsp powdered ginger or one thum-sized piece of fresh ginger
1/4 to 1/2 cup honey (or you can use stevia)
1/2 of a peeled onion
1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper
Pour about one third of water into a blender
Add the juice of the lemons (eight is enough if the lemons are large, use more if the lemons are small)
Add garlic (a medium garlic bulb breaks into section similar to an orange, called cloves). Peel the skins of the cloves before adding to blender. You can more for extra strength.
Peel and chop your onion and add to blender. You can use brown, red, white onions it doesn't matter.
Blend very well and then add remaining water.
Make the Natural Immune Boosting Drink first at the start of the day and have the sick person drink a glass every 3 to 4 hours until symptoms are gone. Begin using drink a the first sign of cold or flu. It is great for any upper respiratory problems or infection in general. you usually to take this for 3 to 4 days. Soaking in a hot tub of water for 30 minutes before retiring also boosts the effectiveness of the natural antibiotic drink. When you get really warm, put a cold rag on the head and face to keep the brain cool. For a child, you might consider cutting back or even eliminating the cayenne. You should also use less garlic. If the sick person has objections to take cayenne or ginger, they can be omitted. An equivalent circulation booster would be to take a brisk 15 minute walk after each glass of drink.
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