Martha's Kitchen Korner

Sorry!!!!

2011-07-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

I want to say how sorry I am that I haven't posted to this site in so long. Today is the 1st time I've been able to get into the site since April. Thanks for your patience and I will be posting.

Martha A. Cheves, Author of
Stir, Laugh, Repeat
Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts

10 Ways to Improve Your Memory

2011-04-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

I found these tips on EveryDayHealth and wanted to share

1. Focus on what you're trying to remember. Take time to think about what you need to remember, whether it's a list of names, chores, or items to buy. Spending a few moments actively processing your thoughts can make it easier to recall what you need to remember in the future.

2. Link your list. Try to remember several things or ideas at once by linking them together in your mind. If you want to memorize your grocery list, for instance, connect the items you need together with a specific image or action in your head. Imagine you're in your laundry room holding a container of detergent, then walk into your kitchen to get some bread and milk, then move to the bathroom to replenish the toilet paper.

3. Personalize your list. Organize lists into short, manageable sections, and try to connect items to something that's easier for you to remember. Improve memory by linking lists of numbers, for example, to personally relevant dates like your birthday or interesting historical dates.

4. Create a visual image. If you're trying to remember someone's name, visualize an object that will help remind you in the future. Think of summer for a woman named June or a cat for someone named Catherine.

5. Create an acronym. Train your brain to remember items in a specific sequence by creating a word to represent the objects. Try using the first letter of each item on your shopping list to form a word. For instance, MOST can stand for milk, oranges, soap, toilet paper.

6. Use all of your senses to help improve memory. Afraid you're going to forget your next hair appointment or dinner with a friend? Verbally list your appointments out loud and then think about the softness of your hair after a salon visit and the aroma of the food at your favorite restaurant to help solidify the dates in your mind.

Boost your memory by eating right.

7. Write it down. Even if you don't actually use your list or a note to remind you of an appointment, simply writing the information down will help your brain retain it.

8. Create a rhyme. How did you learn the alphabet or the number of days in each month when you were little? You probably learned them with the help of a song or rhyme. Try doing the same thing with names, appointments, and lists.

9. Make it manageable. Organize a long list into shorter lists that are easier to remember. Instead of trying to remember a dozen different items, create four mini-lists with only three things you need to remember from each.

10. Be positive. Don't doubt yourself — our brains can often do more than we realize. Regularly practice these tips to help improve memory, and you'll be amazed by how much more you can remember.

Slow Metabolisms

2011-04-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

I found this quite interesting and wanted to share.

LOSING IT! With Jillian Michaels
Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Too many lazy years: You've spent a lot of time on the couch. Don't blame your lagging metabolism just because you never exercised.

Too many yo-yo diets: Instead of maintaining a stable weight, you've developed a frustrating up-and-down weight-loss pattern. You know the drill: You've repeatedly gone on extreme diets and lost weight, then you've slipped back into your old ways of eating and regained that weight.

Too many of the same foods, all processed: You've consumed frankenfoods that your body doesn't recognize as real food — because they're not!

Too many pesticides in our food: Some farmers spray harmful pesticides on our food, and you've chosen those over organic foods.

Too many toxins in our environment: More than 100,000 synthetic chemicals have been registered for commercial use — with 2,000 more added each year — but very few of them have been tested adequately for toxicity. You've been exposed to many synthetic chemicals in products in and around your home.

Too many bad bugs — and not enough good ones: You've tried to rid yourselves of pests with an onslaught of antibacterial products, which is pointless and not beneficial for the healthy functioning of your immune system.

Too many hours at work — and not enough in bed: You've let yourself get stressed out. Stress is like kryptonite for your hormones — even just a bit of it can throw them entirely out of whack.

Too many pharmaceuticals — even in our water: You've taken prescriptions dashed off by your doctor and haven't always checked out how they might interact with certain herbs, vitamins, or other supplements or prescriptions. All these pharmaceuticals could have a serious impact on your hormonal health.

Too many cigarettes: You've ignored all the medical findings on the damage smoking can cause. Smoking negatively impacts endocrine glands, which produce hormones, in addition to pretty much every cell in your body.

Fat Burning Foods & Drinks

2011-03-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

I ran across an article that listed the top 15 fat burning foods/drinks and decided to share them with everyone.

Grapefruit: Half a grapefruit prior to dinner can help fill you enough that you can resist second helpings. Also, the soluble fiber in grapefruit slows down the digestion process.

Watermelon: The water from watermelon invades the space that your stomach leaves open for food, thus making you less likely to pig out. Apples and pears produce a similar result, too.

Berries: Instead of a cookie, pop some blackberries or strawberries into your mouth. Frozen blueberries also provide the illusion of enjoying a cold, high-calorie treat.

Cucumber: Cucumber has very few calories and helps to stave off liver disease and pancreatic cancer, and even keeps your nails looking amazing due to the high mineral content.

Hot peppers: Although they haven’t been directly linked to weight loss, spicy habaneros or jalapeños aid in curbing the desire to gorge since we typically eat less when our food has a fiery flavor. Hot peppers also comprise the compound capsaicin, which speeds up the metabolism.

Celery: It satisfies the need to eat something, but it has virtually no calories (one cup of celery equals only nineteen calories. Tip: instead of adding cream cheese or peanut butter to the stalk, give fat-free cottage cheese or fat-free black bean dip.

Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt keeps you satisfied longer because all proteins take their sweet time leaving your stomach.

Eggs: Start the day off right with seven grams of protein! Having an egg in the morning will keep your body busy because digesting eggs burns more calories than a carb-infested breakfast.

Fish: Full of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Wild salmon, tuna, and sardines make your body more responsive to the fat-burning hormone leptin, which is responsible for suppressing your appetite? If you don't like fish, turkey can also help as it encourages the release of tryptophan, which helps you sleep. Remember: lack of sleep wreaks havoc on your waistline!

Green tea: Multiple studies have recommended green tea for when you’re trying to shed pounds because it can motivate the body to burn abdominal fat. Moreover, it is made up of a type of phytochemical called catechins, which can assist the metabolism.

Coffee: Its a metabolism booster.

Ice cold water: Drink eight to ten glasses of ice cold water a day to burn 250 to 500 calories! Your body goes into overdrive trying to heat the water back up to your normal body temperature.

Quinoa: A great substitute for rice because it is as simple to prepare and possesses the same oddly satisfying quality as rice. It has five grams of fiber per cup and eight grams of hunger-rejecting protein.

Oatmeal: Add cinnamon or nutmeg to give your fiber-rich hot cereal a dash of sweetness. A hot bowl of oatmeal will make you feel full and keep you hydrated.

Crispbreads: Whole grains, as opposed to refined grains, such as those found in rye crackers, are the key to keeping belly fat at bay.

Foods and Health Tips

2011-03-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

A friend sent a list of foods that are supposed to help different alignments. Some of you may already know these, some of you may have already tried them. I personally had never heard of most of them and haven’t tried any. So here we go.

1. Head Aches – Eat plenty of fish. Fish oil helps prevent headaches. So does ginger which reduces inflammation and pain.

2. To help prevent strokes drink tea. It helps to prevent buildup of fatty deposits on artery walls. In some cases it even suppresses the appetite and green tea is good for the immune system.

3. Can’t Sleep? Use honey as a tranquilizer and sedative.

4. Asthma – Eat onions. They help ease constriction of bronchial tubes. Years ago mothers made onion packs to place on the chest to help respiratory ailments and make breathing easier.

5. Arthritis – Eat fish. Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines help prevent arthritis. Fish has omega oils which are good for the immune system.

6. Upset Stomachs – Bananas will settle an upset stomach. Ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.

7. Bladder Infections – Drink cranberry juice. It’s high-acid helps control harmful bacteria.

8. Bone Problems – Eat pineapple. Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be helped by the manganese in pineapple.

9. Memory Problems – Oysters – they help improve your mental functioning by supplying much needed zinc.

10. Colds – Eat garlic. It clears up a stuffy head and also helps with lowering cholesterol.

11. Coughing – Use red peppers. A substance similar to that found in cough syrups is found in hot red peppers such as cayenne. Just use with caution so you don’t irritate your stomach.

12. Breast Cancer – To lower your chance of breast cancer, eat wheat, bran and cabbage. These help the body maintain estrogen at a healthy level.

13. Ulcers – Again, cabbage. It contains chemicals that help heal both gastric and duodenal ulcers.

14. Diarrhea – Apples. Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure diarrhea. Bananas are also good for this ailment.

15. Clogged Arteries – Eat Avocados. Mono unsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.

16. High Blood Pressure – Eat celery and Olive Oil. Both have been shown to lower blood pressure.

17. Blood Sugar Imbalance – Broccoli and peanuts. The chromium in broccoli and peanuts help regulate insulin and blood sugar.

Filling Food to Speed Weight Loss

2011-01-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

I received this article from a site called Living with Diabetes. This is not only true for diabetics but for any of us trying to loose weight.

Learn which foods fight hunger by keeping you feeling full longer.

By Madeline Vann, MPH

Medically reviewed by Christine Wilmsen Craig, MD

Print Email

It's the dieter's worst enemy — that gnawing hunger when you're trying to eat less and lose weight.

But fighting off those feelings of hunger could be as simple as a walk to the nearest soup and salad bar for lunch. Here's how you can make food choices that will keep you feeling full and help prevent the hunger pangs that lead to diet-busting snacks or binges.

Food Strategies For Losing Weight

If you want to feel full all day on less food, focus on these eating strategies:

Get enough lean protein and fiber. A study of 22 men who changed the amount of protein in their diets for 18-day periods showed that those who ate the least protein were the most likely to report being hungry. "Protein is the number one thing to help you feel full," says Emily Banes, RD, clinical dietitian at Houston Northwest Medical Center. "The second thing is fiber."
Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. Researchers tracked the weight-loss success of 71 obese women between 20 and 60 years of age on a low-fat diet. Half of the women were also told to increase their fruit and vegetable intake. At the end of one year, both groups of women had lost weight, but the women who ate the most fruits and veggies reported the greatest weight loss and were less likely to say they felt hungry on any given day. In fact, when the researchers crunched the data, they found that whether the women reported feeling hungry frequently predicted their ability to lose weight. Other studies have shown that changing your eating habits to focus on these water- and fiber-rich foods will help you maintain weight loss for up to six years.
Sip soup. Adding two low-calorie soups to your diet every day could stave off hunger pangs and keep you satisfied longer. Choose soups that are broth-based, not cream-based, to reduce the calorie count; also look for soups that are low in sodium. Consider chunky, pureed vegetable soups, as they have been shown to produce the most lasting full feeling. Timing your soup so that you have it before a meal also reduces the amount you eat at that meal by about 20 percent, according to a study of 53 overweight adults.
Eat whole grains. A serving of whole grains will stick with you longer than a serving of refined wheat bread or any other refined flour product, for that matter. Most refined flour is white and often bleached.
Pick "airy" snacks. If you must snack and you don't have a piece of fruit or a veggie tray on hand, choose the snack food that has more air in it — think cheese puffs instead of potato chips, rice cakes instead of cookies. You will feel just as full as you would if you ate the same serving size of another snack, but you will consume fewer calories on average.

Another way to fight off hunger is to develop a "low-energy density" eating plan. This means that you can eat a large quantity of foods that do not have a high calorie count. Learning about portion sizes and counting calories is one way to approach this, but you can also try the plate method, which dictates that half your plate be full of veggies, one-quarter dedicated to a starch (preferably whole grain), and one-quarter to a lean protein.

And speaking of plates, it's worth noting that a study of 45 adults demonstrated that the oft-repeated advice to eat on a smaller plate if you want to feel like you have more food in front of you actually has no effect on the amount you eat at a meal (if you are serving yourself) or your feeling of being full.

Brown Rice Pasta with Apples

2011-01-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled & cubed
1/2 cup Ideal brown sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. spice (your choice. I used apple pie spice)
1 cup uncooked brown rice pasta
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

In a medium size pan cook apples, Ideal brown sugar, butter, pecans and spice until apples are tender. Cook pasta according to package. Drain and rinse pasta. Pour into apple mixture and toss gently. Sprinkle with cheese. Serves 6.

This idea came to me after a friend told me about a dessert recipe made with pasta. I've never had "sweet" pasta and the idea didn't really appeal to me. I had 3 Granny Smith apples that needed to be used or they would go to waste and when I started thinking of ways to cook them I decided stewing would be the best. Then I spotted a box of brown rice penne that was staring at me from it's shelf in the cabinet. What did I have to loose? That's how I came up with the above recipe. I simply decided to "Think With My Taste Buds."

After making this dish I did what I always do which is serve it to some of my food testers. It was sampled by 5 testers. Four gave it a 10 with one of them actually eating 3 servings. Only one didn't like the dish but as she said, it's the concept of eating "sweet" pasta. All in all, this turned out to be a really good dish and a healthy one too.

Holidays and Diabetics

2010-11-29T14:14:00.000-08:00

Below are some tips, that are not only good for diabetics, but for all of us. I hope they will help make your holidays healthier.

Holiday Help for Diabetics

1. Prepare a dish for the party - consider bringing your own festive, seasonal dish for everyone to enjoy. This will not only allow you to have a dish you know is within your diet but it also allows others to see just easily foods can be converted and still be delicious.

2. Drink in moderation. Alcohol and diabetes can be a dangerous mix if you aren't careful. Drinking on an empty stomach directly after administering insulin or shortly after taking glucose-lowering medications can lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), a condition that can cause confusion, dizziness, or even loss of consciousness. (These are also symptoms of drinking too much.)

Be vigilant about only drinking with food to slow the absorption of alcohol, and be sure not to exceed the American Diabetes Association's recommended amounts of alcohol: one drink a day for women and two a day for men. Also, people with complications stemming from diabetes, such as neuropathy (nerve damage) and high triglycerides (fats that circulate in the blood), should speak with their doctor about whether they should abstain from alcohol altogether. Finally, if you're taking medications to control diabetes, check with your doctor or pharmacist about whether the two can be safely mixed.

3. Stress less. For some, the frenzy of the holidays causes stress. And stress, while harmful for healthy people, is particularly detrimental for those with diabetes. Hormones released in response to stress may inhibit the body's ability to produce insulin, which, in turn, causes blood-sugar levels to soar. Manage your anxiety by carving out time for a relaxing activity — something as simple as flipping through a magazine or taking a walk may be enough — and prioritizing your "to do" list so you don't take on too much at once.

4. Get enough exercise. The time constraints of the holidays can make squeezing in a workout a challenge. Still, getting regular and consistent exercise — a minimum of 20 minutes of cardio interval training or core exercises most days of the week — is especially important if you have diabetes. If you're really pressed for time, make several short bouts of activity the goal.

5. Monitor your condition. Making healthy eating decisions is important for weight loss and maintenance, but as a diabetic it's especially important to make other healthy choices to maintain your blood-sugar levels. As always, be sure to monitor your blood sugar — especially before and after a big holiday meal — to ensure it's in the optimal range.

Scrambled Eggs with Cheese

2010-11-28T11:59:00.001-08:00

2 tsp. olive oil

1 whole egg

4 egg whites

1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Fresh ground black pepper

Lightly beat together egg, egg whites, tobacco and black pepper. Fold in cottage cheese. In a sauté pan over medium heat add olive oil. When hot add egg mixture. Cook eggs until firm but still moist. Serve with fresh fruit. Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional Info.

Calories 132; total fat 7 grams; saturated fat 1 gram; % calories from fat 49%; cholesterol 92 mg; carbohydrate 2 grams; protein 14 grams; fiber 0 grams

Diabetic Apple Pie

2010-11-16T14:14:00.001-08:00

One or two pie crusts for 9 inch pie

8 medium apples

1/2 c Splenda or 1/4 c Sweet n Low

1/2 c dried raisins or cranberries

Peel and slice the apples; line the first layer in pie crust. Sprinkle with half the dried fruit and half the sweetner.

Repeat with second layer of apples, dried fruit and sweetner. Top with pie crust or nutty crumb topping.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Recipe submitted by Melanie Read
Author of Face of Destiny

Dry Skin and Diabetes

2010-11-11T14:42:00.000-08:00

A great article even if you don't have diabetes.

Learn how to soothe dry, itchy skin, especially during the cold winter months.

By Lynn Yoffee

Medically reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD

Print Email

Itchy, dry skin, also known as xerosis, is a distraction we can all do without. It's uncomfortable and the cracked, flaky, red skin can be unattractive. If you scratch a lot, bacteria can invade those cracks and then you might even develop an infection.

The good news: You can manage dry skin even if you can't control the environmental conditions that cause it, such as cold weather or central heating.

Skin Care for Dry Skin

First, cut back on washing. "Overwashing, particularly long, hot showers, is the number one reason for dry skin," says Bruce Robinson, MD, Manhattan-based dermatologist and spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

His recommendations for people with dry skin? "Decrease their frequency of bathing, use a mild soap, and don't soap the whole body every day. And, moisturize, moisturize, moisturize."

With so many different types of moisturizers available, finding the right one for your needs can be a challenge — should you choose a lotion, a cream, or an ointment?

Dermatologist Susan C. Taylor, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in New York, recommends moisturizers that contain ceramides, natural lipid molecules that contain fatty acids. "Ceramides have a natural moisturizing factor. If you add ceramide to lotions and cleansers, you replace them in the skin. That's the newest twist on moisturizers," she explains.

Besides looking for a moisturizer that contains ceramides, Dr. Taylor, who is also a spokesperson for the AAD, says it's wise to choose an ointment or cream over lotion. In fact, good old-fashioned petrolatum (petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline and similar store brands) can be the most effective choice.

"The oils in petrolatum trap moisture in the skin and provide a barrier from the outside environment," Taylor says. "As long as you're not acne-prone, I don't have a problem with using petrolatum."

Dry Skin Care in Winter

It can be particularly difficult to maintain soft, pliant skin in colder weather. Take these steps to keep your skin in good shape during the winter:

Take brief, lukewarm showers or baths. Pat dry and then immediately apply moisturizer.
Try using a humidifier to relieve the dryness in the air. Be sure to clean it regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions to avoid mold.
Protect your skin from the elements. Shield yourself from extreme cold and wind with layered clothing, hats, gloves, and warm shoes. Don't forget to use petrolatum-based lip balm to avoid chapped lips.
Always use sunscreen. Regardless of the season or the weather, exposure to the sun can lead to not only dry skin, but also early aging and skin cancer.
Apply moisturizer several times a day if needed. Older adults need to pay even more attention to their skin to keep it supple, attractive, and comfortable. As part of the normal aging process, our skin tends to lose some natural oils, making us dryer, according to Taylor. "Make sure you apply a moisturizer several times a day, particularly as you mature," she says.

Dry Skin Care: Other Considerations

In addition to what you should do, what not to do is also important when you have dry skin. There are products that you may want to steer clear of:

Any health and beauty aid that can be very drying to the skin, like regular, non-moisturizing face and body bar soaps. Unless you are otherwise directed by your doctor, look for a mild, pH balanced soap-free cleanser instead.
Acne-fighting chemicals, like benzoyl peroxide.

How your skin reacts, and what you should avoid, is very unique to each person. Talk to your doctor or dermatologist about your skin care regimen and see if any of the products you’re using contain ingredients that could be making your dry skin drier.

If you can't seem to get a severe case of dry skin under control, and certainly if you develop an infection, see a dermatologist for an evaluation and treatment. A fresh look at how to care for your skin might give you the improvement you’re looking for.

Diabetic Spaghetti Sauce

2010-11-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 1/4 lb. lean ground round
3 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
4 c. water
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. oregano
Dash of garlic

Brown onions in oil; add meat and brown. Drain fat; add rest of ingredients. Simmer 1 hour uncovered.

Chef Tom Cooks

Diabetic Salad Dressing

2010-10-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks Chef Tom for another great tasting and healthy recipe.

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/16 tsp. paprika
Artificial sweetener to substitute for 4 teaspoons sugar

Combine and refrigerate.

Yield: 1 cup.

Chef Tom Cooks

Spice Up Your Cooking With Herbs

2010-10-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

A great article that will help you create great recipes by using herbs. I wanted to share.

Whether you grow them yourself or buy them at the grocery store, herbs are a healthy and delicious way to season foods without extra calories.

By Diana Rodriguez

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Print Email

No one wants to eat bland food, but ladling on sauces and gravies just adds excess fat and calories to your diet. Fortunately, calorie-free herbs add flavor without all that extra baggage, and they’re easy to use.

Herbs are edible, fragrant plants that add flavor and nutrients to many types of foods. By playing with herbal variations in your recipes, you can get a completely different taste every time you cook. Stock up on dried or fresh herbs at the grocery store or farmers’ market, or grow your own herbs indoors or out.

Fresh Herbs, Dried Herbs: What’s the Difference?

The biggest differences between dried herbs and fresh herbs are the taste and the potency of the herb, says registered dietitian Sandra Meyerowitz, RD, LD, MPH, founder of Nutrition Works in Louisville, Ky. Fresh herbs have a subtler, fresher taste, and you’ll need a much greater quantity of fresh herbs than dried herbs for the same taste effect. Be sure to follow recipe directions closely.

As for nutritional benefits, dried herbs and fresh herbs are similar, but not exactly the same, says Meyerowitz. “Leaving dried herbs around for a long time can diminish their potency.” Phytonutrients, the natural components in herbs that provide health benefits, diminish with age.

When choosing dried herbs, she advises, it’s best to buy organic so you’re sure the herbs have not been irradiated. When you're buying fresh herbs, whether at the grocery store or a farmers’ market, be sure to get them as close as possible to the day you plan to use them.

Preparing Fresh Herbs

Before cooking with fresh herbs, you'll need to wash them carefully. Rinse the herbs underneath running water, then place them on a paper towel or shake them off to dry. If you're cleaning large leaves like basil or a large bunch of parsley, place them in a bowl of cool water and swirl it around. Transfer the herbs to a clean bowl of water and continue to rinse until the water stays clear. Then dry them off and prepare them for cooking. Generally, you just want to use the leaves, not the stems, of the herb.

Storing Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs need air to keep them fresh. Store them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag; just make sure that the bag is either open or that it has air holes poked in it. Keep them in the crisper for the most freshness.

Another way to keep herbs fresh is to place them in a glass or vase like flowers, making sure to cut off the ends immediately before placing them in about an inch of water. Put them in fresh water each day, and keep them stored in the refrigerator. Use them as soon as you can, as the flavor can become weaker with time.

Growing Your Own Herbs

Growing herbs is not difficult. Here are some herbs that won’t challenge your green thumb and will add delicious flavor to your meals:

Oregano and basil for pasta dishes and sauces
Rosemary and thyme for chicken and vegetable dishes
Dill for cauliflower, cucumbers, and fish and fish sauces
Parsley for fish, soups, vegetables, and tomato sauce
Mint for salad, beverages, and desserts
Marjoram for stews, soups, and eggs
Cilantro for Mexican and Thai dishes
Tarragon for yogurt and sour cream, beans, and roasted chicken

Besides being easy to grow, fresh herbs are convenient to just pluck as you need them, clean them, and add them to your dish. Try to pick herbs in the morning when the flavor will be best and the herbs will be at their freshest.

Growing your own herbs allows you to control how they’re grown — you can rest assured that they're pesticide-free and grown in organic soil when you have your own indoor or outdoor herb garden. You'll need to follow individual growing instructions for each herb because each one grows best in certain soil and temperature conditions; some may need sun while others prefer shade, and some may require more space to grow than others.

Whether you opt for fresh or dried, herbs are great ingredients in healthy recipes, allowing you to enjoy meals that are full of flavor, while sparing you the extra calories.

Diabetic Chicken Cacciatore

2010-10-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

Another great recipe sent to us by Chef Tom

Ingredients
1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup tomato sauce

1 16-ounce can whole plum tomatoes

1/2 cup white wine (or cooking wine)

1/4 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. oregano

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 chopped onion

4 half chicken breasts, skinned, boned

2 Tbsp. fat-free chicken broth

Directions
Heat liquid chicken broth in a non-stick skillet and brown chicken, onion, and garlic. Add all other ingredients except mushrooms. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer about 30 minutes.
Add mushrooms, cook 10 minutes more. Remove chicken from pan, boil down sauce until slightly thickened. Serve over cooked rice.

Chef Tom Cooks:

Carrot Cabbage Slaw

2010-10-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

I've tried this one and it's wonderful!

1/2 head cabbage
1 sm. onion
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 pkg. Artificial sweetner (such as sweet n low)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. lemon juice

Shred cabbage and carrots. Finely chop onion and celery. Mix together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together sweetner, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Pour over shredded vegetables and refrigerate.

Makes 10 servings.

Chef Tom Cooks

How Fermented Foods Aid Digestion

2010-10-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

Another great article that I wanted to share.

Kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, sourdough bread, and yogurt are all surprisingly good for your digestive system. Get some ideas for adding a fermented food or two to your diet.

By Madeline Vann, MPH

Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

If you think about fermentation at all, you probably think about alcohol. But there are many other kinds of fermented foods — such as yogurt — out there. Fermented food uses microorganisms to convert sugars into lactic acid, creating a signature sour taste.

That sour taste — which many people may find unfamiliar — should not be equated with unhealthy or expired. In fact, including fermented foods in your diet a few times a week or more could be beneficial for your health.

Fermented foods include:

Miso. A paste made of fermented soy beans, it forms the base of soups or glazes.
Sauerkraut. This familiar condiment is made of finely shredded fermented cabbage.
Sourdough bread. Real sourdough bread is made with milk and other foods that have been allowed to ferment before making the bread dough.
Kefir. A fermented drink made from milk.
Yogurt. Yogurt includes live bacteria called probiotics.
Kimchi. A traditional Korean dish made from pickled vegetables like cabbage or radish.
Buttermilk. Buttermilk also includes probiotics.
Natto. These fermented soybeans are a traditional Japanese breakfast dish.
Poi. A fermented paste made from taro root.
Tempeh. A cake made of fermented soybeans.

The Benefits of Fermented Foods

“Fermentation is almost like the beginning of digestion,” explains dietitian Sheah L. Rarback, MS, RD, director of nutrition at the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida. Because of this process, for example, many people who can’t tolerate milk can comfortably eat yogurt.

Fermented foods are not always labeled as such. For example, you may see the term cultured instead of fermented, but these terms refer to foods that have similar health benefits. Foods that are labeled “pickled” are also fermented foods. Also, fermented foods may contain probiotics.

These good bacteria provide the digestive health benefits associated with fermentation.

Rarback says fermented foods “are a way to put your colon back into balance. Also, the fermented foods even help your body digest, absorb, and get better use of the foods you’re eating.” You may need to eat these foods more if you are taking antibiotics or if you have other health conditions that make it hard to digest foods. Some people are less able to digest certain enzymes as they get older. “Fermented foods counter that process,” Rarback says.

Getting Fermented Foods in Your Diet

Even if you know that including kefir or miso in your diet is good for you, adding them into your weekly meal plan can be a bit more challenging. The taste of fermented foods — even a well-known supermarket item like sauerkraut — may seem a bit exotic or unfamiliar.

Rarback advises taking baby steps and gradually increasing your consumption. “Any time you’re adding new foods into the diet, don’t overload,” she says. The last thing you want to do is get turned off or overwhelmed by the new palate.

For example, Rarback says she enjoys plain Greek yogurt now that she has been including it in her diet for a while.

Manufacturers are responding to the public’s wariness with new products. Kefir is a good example. It is increasingly available with added flavors, such as strawberry.

You can also turn to the Internet for recipes and ideas. “A lot of these foods are not a part of our typical diet, so go online and look up miso cooking, for example,” suggests Rarback, who says she took a macrobiotic cooking class that taught her how surprisingly simple it is to prepare miso soup or a miso glaze for fish.

“Just because it’s exotic and new doesn’t mean it’s difficult,” she says.

She also warns against prepackaged foods. For example, you may not get the same fermentation benefits from prepackaged sourdough bread or just-add-water miso soup as you would if you made it yourself or bought it from a local authentic vendor.

Some fermented foods come with a lot of salt. “You still need to read food labels,” says Rarback, who says that people who are watching their salt may need to pay careful attention to the details of the fermented foods they want to try.

Blueberry Crisp - Another Chef Tom Recipe

2010-10-17T04:39:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe sent to me from Chef Tom. If you like blueberries, you will love this one!

2 cups Blueberries -- fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon Flour
1 tablespoon Splenda

--Topping--
1/2 cup Oatmeal (slow cooking- not quick)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 tablespoon Flour
1 tablespoon Splenda
2 tablespoons Butter or Margarine -- melted

Blend together flour and Splenda in a large bowl. Mix with blueberries and
place in a 9x9 inch baking dish or pan.

Topping-
Mix all topping ingredients together in a large bowl. Sprinkle on top of
blueberry filling in pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Chef Tom Cooks

Choosing Kids' Breakfast Cereals

2010-10-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

The statement below has been a fact of breakfast life for as long as I can remember so when I ran across this article about choosing their cereal, I had to share.

You want a breakfast cereal that is high in fiber and low in sugar. Your kids just want the one in the coolest-looking box. Here are 10 tips for choosing a healthy breakfast cereal.

By Beth W. Orenstein

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

A supermarket’s cereal aisle is loaded with breakfast cereal choices — enough to make your head spin. How do you, as a parent, choose wisely so your kids are eating a healthy breakfast? The key is to read the nutritional information and not the marketing slogans shouting from the brightly colored boxes.

Here are 10 tips for choosing a healthy breakfast cereal that will deliver great kids’ nutrition:

1. Go for high fiber. A healthy breakfast cereal should have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, says Suzanne Farrell, MS, RD, a Denver-based spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “Breakfast is an excellent time to sneak more fiber into your kids’ diet.” It doesn’t matter whether it’s soluble or dietary fiber as long as it has at least 3 grams, she says. The higher the fiber content of the breakfast cereal, the longer they’ll feel full after eating it.

2. Count the calories. “A good guideline is a cereal that has about 150 calories or fewer per serving,” Farrell says. Check the serving size. “The serving size of some of your more dense cereals may be smaller than you’re used to.” A good serving size is 3/4 to 1 cup. Your kids should feel full if they eat that amount.

3. Look for low sugar. “I love for the sugar content to be in the single digits,” Farrell says. “So anything that’s less than 10 grams is okay. A rule of thumb is to stick to those that are 6 to 8 grams.” No one type of sugar is better than another, Farrell says. Some studies suggest that consuming high-fructose corn syrup can trigger the body to crave more sweets. High-fructose corn syrup is one of the more popular sugars added to foods, including breakfast cereals, Farrell says, “but sugar is sugar, whether it’s high-fructose corn syrup or molasses or honey, and the body will metabolize it as sugar.”

4. Don’t be fooled by granola. People assume that granola is a healthy breakfast food. “But some granolas can be high in sugar, fat, and calories,” Farrell says. If your kids like granola, buy them some, but use it sparingly. “Think of it as a condiment for the top of a lower-calorie, lower-sugar cereal,” Farrell suggests. Also beware of cereals labeled “low-fat” or “fat-free” as they may actually be higher in sugar and calories. Read the label and see for yourself.

There's more content below this advertisement. Jump to the content.

5. Get the “whole” picture. As with all foods, breakfast cereal ingredients will be listed in the order of their highest to lowest concentration. When looking for the best in kids’ nutrition, you want the very first ingredient listed on the cereal box to be a whole grain. It could be whole wheat, whole oats, or whole oat flour. “When you see the world ‘whole,’ it’s indicative of whole grain,” Farrell says. Just "wheat" alone, however, does not necessarily mean whole wheat.

6. Run hot and cold. Both hot and cold cereals can meet the criteria for healthy breakfast choices, Farrell says. “I buy both and give my daughter the option of whether she’d like hot or cold each day. Variety is key,” she adds. “You want to change it up.” Of course, hot cereal can be especially comforting on a cold morning. Make it with milk to add some protein to the meal.

7. Consider going generic. Choosing brand names over store or private labels doesn’t really matter, Farrell says. Store-brand or generic cereals can be just as nutritious as the brand names. “In these economic times, it’s definitely worth it to check out the generic. Definitely give those a chance,” she advises.

8. Organic isn’t a must. When it comes to cereal, organic is not superior, Farrell says — it’s more a matter of personal preference. If you want your kids to eat only organic, buy organic cereal, but it’s not necessary for kids’ nutrition, she says. When it comes to putting fruit on top of the cereal, that’s where you may want to choose organically grown, she explains. And keep in mind that a cereal labeled “natural” doesn’t mean it’s any better either, Farrell says. It still could be high in sugar and sodium.

9. Go for the vitamins and minerals. Most breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals, enough to supply approximately 25 percent of the daily value. Some have much more. If your kids are taking vitamins, 25 percent is good. If not, maybe you want those with a higher percentage.

10. Pick what your kids like. You might buy the best cereal in terms of kids’ nutrition, but if they don’t like the taste, they won’t eat it, and you’ve wasted your money. If they only want high-sugar cereals or ones with chocolate bits, give them some, but in small amounts. Mix their favorites with yours, Farrell says. That way you both will be happy.

Don’t let the choices in the cereal aisle overwhelm you. Read labels, not marketing slogans, and look for breakfast cereals that are high in fiber, low in sugar, and fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Diabetic Apple Pie - Chef Tom Cooks

2010-10-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

From time to time Chef Tom Cooks will be adding diabetic recipes to the site. Today he has given us a dish perfect for the up-coming holidays.

Yield: 8 Servings

2 Pie crusts. Use your own favorite
8 Medium apples tart are best.
4 Tablespoons Butter or margarine
4 Tablespoons Ground cinnamon
8 packets Sugar substitute (like Equal, Splenda, etc.)
1/2 cup Raisins (optional)

Put one pie crust in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. Use a fork to prick the bottom crust in several places. Using one of the Tablespoons of butter, dot the bottom crust with small pieces of butter. Next put on two of the apples, sliced, peeled and cored. On top of that sprinkle two packets of sugar substitute and a tablespoon of cinnamon. Next sprinkle 1/8 of a cup of raisins, if you're using them. This completes one layer. Start again with the butter, then the apples, etc. Make 4 layers, using all the remaining ingredients. This will give you an over-flowing pie. Place the top crust on pinch the edges and put a vent in the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 - 50 minutes. The pie is done when the crust has turned a nice golden brown.

Chef Tom Cooks

Vegetable Pita Pizzas

2010-09-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

Servings
Contains Wheat/Gluten
Contains Dairy
Vegetarian
Most Popular
Diabetes-Friendly

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 113, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 291mg, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Total Fat: 2g, Carbs: 20g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Protein: 5g

Exchanges: Vegetable: 0.5, Starch: 1, Fat: 0.5

Carb Choices: 1.5

Recipe Source:

Ingredients

2 large pita, whole-wheat
cooking spray
1/2 cup(s) assorted fresh vegetables (such as small broccoli or cauliflower florets, red sweet pepper strips, sliced fresh mushrooms, and/or chopped carrot)
1/4 cup(s) pizza sauce
1/4 cup(s) cheese, mozzarella, shredded

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place pita bread rounds on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, coat an unheated small skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add the vegetables; cook and stir until crisp-tender.

3. Spread pizza sauce on pita bread rounds; sprinkle with cooked vegetables and cheese. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes more or until light brown. Serve warm.

Asian Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

2010-09-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

Sauce:
6 tablespoons prepared hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons Equal® Spoonful*
2 teaspoon lime juice
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Stir-Fry:
1 (3-ounce) package any flavor ramen noodle soup mix
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup baby corn (optional)

For Sauce, combine all ingredients; set aside.
For Stir-Fry, remove seasoning packet from ramen noodles and save for another use. Break noodles into pieces. Place in 1-quart microwave safe bowl; pour warm water over noodles. Microwave on HIGH, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring twice, until noodles are tender; drain. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Cook and stir chicken 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Cook and stir broccoli 4 minutes. Add red pepper and onion; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes more. Add cooked chicken, water chestnuts and baby corn. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in cooked noodles and sauce. Heat until all ingredients are heated through, stirring frequently.

Makes 6 servings.

* May substitute 3 packets Equal sweetener

Nutrition Information Per Serving: calories 221, protein 20 g, carbohydrate 17 g, fat 8 g, cholesterol 44 mg, sodium 641 mg.

Food Exchanges: 3 very lean meat, 1/2 starch, 2 veg., 1/2 fat.

Recipe provided courtesy of Merisant Corporation ® and the NutraSweet Company, makers of Equal®.

Apple Glazed Chicken Bundles

2010-09-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

1 tablespoon stick butter or margarine
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 cups dried unseasoned package bread cubes
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup apple juice
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons Equal® Spoonful*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6-ounces each), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons Equal® Spoonful**
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Melt butter in small skillet. Add green onions. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes until tender. Place bread cubes and dried cranberries in medium size bowl. Stir in onion mixture.
Heat combined 1/3 cup apple juice and 1/3 cup water to boiling. Stir into bread cube mixture until all cubes are moistened. Stir in 2 Tbsp. Equal®, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until combined.
Lay chicken breasts on flat surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Place 1/2 cup stuffing mixture in center of each chicken breast. Fold in sides of chicken to form a "bundle". Secure each with wooden picks.
Place chicken bundles in shallow sprayed baking pan. Bake in preheated 350°F oven 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken and stuffing reach 160°F and chicken juices are clear when chicken is pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups apple juice, 1/2 cup water, cornstarch and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Stir until smooth. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Boil and stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons Equal®. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Spoon glaze over baked chicken. Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings.

* May substitute 3 packets Equal sweetener

** May substitute 3 packets Equal sweetener

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
calories 344, protein 41 g, carbohydrate 30 g, fat 6 g, cholesterol 107 mg, sodium 268 mg.

Food Exchanges: 6 very lean meat, 1 starch, 1 fruit.

Recipe provided courtesy of Merisant Corporation ® and the NutraSweet Company, makers of Equal®.

Aloha Chicken (Diabetic)

2010-09-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces; skinned 2 low sodium chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp. light soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup chopped green pepper 1 cup thinly sliced radishes 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, reserve 1/2 cup juice Freshly ground pepper to taste Hot cooked rice Chow mein noodles (optional)

Place chicken in cooking pot and add enough water to just cover. Bring to a boil; add bouillon cubes and simmer chicken, covered, until tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove meat from bones and cut into chunks. Reserve 1 cup chicken broth
Combine 1 cup reserved chicken broth with the reserved 1/2 cup pineapple juice and soy sauce; set aside.
In small bowl, mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water; set aside.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the green peppers and radishes until crisp tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add pineapple and chicken.
Pour chicken broth mixture over chicken/vegetable mixture; heat to boiling and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened and is heated thoroughly. Season with pepper as desired.
Serve over hot cooked rice and sprinkle chow mein noodles on top, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: (3/4 cup mixture; 3/4 cup cooked rice): Calories 320, fat 7g, cholesterol 58mg, carbohydrate 39g, sodium 314mg.

FoodExchanges: Bread 2 1/2, Meat 2.

Ways to Cut Your Cancer Risk

2010-09-17T02:51:00.000-07:00

I found this informative and decided to share.

You probably already know the top cancer cause — smoking. But you may not be as familiar with all of the other six.

By Lynn Yoffee

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Because of medical advances and new treatment options, many forms of cancer have become manageable chronic illnesses, like diabetes.

And other discoveries have shown that it's possible to cut your cancer risk. From diet and lifestyle changes to avoiding toxic chemicals and too much sun exposure, simple changes can make a big difference.

Cancer Risk No. 1: Tobacco

Tobacco kills. Smoking can damage almost every organ in your body and is a known cause of at least 15 different types of cancer.

The risks for cancer aren't limited to cigarettes. Cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, and the smokelesss tobacco called snuff are all linked to cancer.

Want another reason to quit? Secondhand smoke is a cancer cause, too. Tens of thousands of people — including children — have diseases ranging from asthma and pneumonia to sudden infant death syndrome and even ear infections as a result of secondhand smoke.

There's more content below this advertisement. Jump to the content.

Cancer Risk No. 2: Obesity

Being overweight or obese is a known cancer cause. In fact, excess weight is linked to an increased risk for developing more than a dozen types of cancer, including breast and pancreatic cancers. The American Cancer Society stresses the need to keep your weight in check by, first, eating right:

Eat a diet limited in processed and red meats and including five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Eat whole grains instead of processed grains.
Limit your alcohol intake to one drink per day for women or two for men.

Cancer Risk No. 3: No Exercise

Diet alone usually isn't enough to maintain a healthy body and cut your cancer risk. So, pick an activity that suits your level of fitness and get moving.

Adults should be physically active for at least 30 minutes on five or more days a week.
Children should engage in physical play for at least 60 minutes five days per week.

Cancer Risk No. 4: Sun Exposure

About one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States and most are sun related. Melanoma, the most serious skin cancer, can be fatal. You can lower your risk for skin cancer by limiting the time that you spend in the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Take these additional steps:

Seek out shade, especially during the middle of the day.
Use sunscreen and wear protective clothing, specifically the kind you can't see through when held up to a light.
Wear a hat and protect your eyes with sunglasses that have 99 percent UV absorption.
Follow these rules even on cloudy days.
Avoid sun lamps and tanning beds because they can cause the same type of skin damage as the sun.

Cancer Risk No. 5: Infection

Infections from viruses, bacteria, and parasites are a known cancer risk in up to 20 percent of all cancers. Several of those viruses are sexually transmitted, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

You can reduce your risk for getting these types of viruses by using condoms during sex. Women can reduce their risk of cancer from HPV by getting a vaccine. In fact, the American Cancer Society now recommends the HPV vaccine for girls who are nine and older.

Cancer Risk No. 6: Chemical Exposure

A variety of substances found in common products are known to be a cancer cause. Two of particular interest:

Asbestos, a fibrous substance, is found in many older buildings where it was used as insulation and as a fire-retardant; inhaling it can cause cancer. So be sure to have your home checked for asbestos before beginning any sort of renovation. Carpenters and other skilled workers who deal with remodeling older homes should investigate proper safety precautions before working in buildings that contain asbestos.
Tetrachloroethylene is a solvent used in dry cleaning. While wearing dry-cleaned clothes isn't considered dangerous, those who work in a dry cleaning business should change clothes after work, wash work clothes regularly, and keep their food out of the work area.

Cancer Risk No. 7: Consumer Products

Antiperspirants, talcum powder, hair dye, aspartame, and some cosmetics have all been reported as possible cancer causes, often incorrectly. The truth is that there is no conclusive evidence that any of these products cause cancer. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to monitor various studies and issues periodic updates.

Healthy Snacks

2010-09-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

Low-Carb Snack Ideas for People with Diabetes

If you need a pick-me-up in between meals, a snack with 15-20 grams of carbohydrates is often the answer. For someone with diabetes, it's important to eat a fiber-filled and nutrient-rich snack to curb the appetite before the next meal, says Angela Ginn-Meadow, a registered dietitian and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Talk to your health-care provider about whether a snack will work in your meal plan.

Yogurt

Choose 6 ounces of light yogurt for a carb-friendly snack. Not only is creamy yogurt cool and sweet, it's a great source of calcium, too.

Orange

If you're hungry for a snack, grab one small orange and get a juicy dose of vitamin C as well as fiber, which helps keep blood glucose under control.

Frozen Fruit Bar

Next time those hunger pangs hit, pick a frozen sugar-free fruit bar--it will treat your sweet tooth and might also have extra vitamin C.

Graham Crackers

They're not just for kids! Graham crackers are convenient, portable, and offer that oh-so appealing crunch. Grab three graham cracker squares to get 15-20 g of carbs.

Milk

For a boost of calcium and a dash of creamy goodness, down a 10-ounce glass of skim or 1 percent milk. Opting for low-fat milk is good for your heart, too, because whole milk has five times more saturated fat.

Bread with Peanut Butter

When you need a more filling snack, spread one slice of whole wheat bread with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. It's a hearty treat that's packed with protein and has heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.

Popcorn

If you have a hankering for a crunchy snack, skip the chips and grab 3 cups of light popcorn (no salt, no butter). Plus, popcorn is easy to grab on the go and full of fiber.

Apple

Apples come in so many varieties, it's easy to find the perfect flavor. Choose one small apple at snack time for a serving of fruit that's also a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps prevent cholesterol buildup.

English Muffin with Cheese and Apple Slices

Want a snack with ooey-gooey melted cheese? You're in the right place with this combo snack that includes half of a whole wheat English muffin, 1 ounce low-fat cheese, and a couple of apple slices (about 1/4 of a small apple). Set it in a toaster oven or under the broiler for a few seconds for a chewy snack that hits the spot.

Strawberries and Cottage Cheese

For a snack that mixes a serving of dairy with a serving of fresh fruit, combine 1 cup of strawberries and 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese. The combo provides a boost of vitamin C and calcium to your day.

Grapes

Grape fans unite! Whether you love green, red, or Concord, pick 1 cup of your favorite grapes and munch away for a carb-friendly snack that's full of vitamin C.

Crackers with Peanut Butter

A little bit salty and a little bit sweet, a little bit crunchy and a little bit creamy, this snack combines the best of all worlds. Put together four of your own peanut butter cracker sandwiches or buy a 4-pack from the vending machine. Just make sure to use only 2 teaspoons of peanut butter total to keep it carb-friendly and opt for low-sodium crackers to keep sodium at bay.

Pudding with Banana Slices

Yes, you can have pudding! Just grab 1/2 cup of your favorite sugar-free pudding flavor, top with a few slices of banana, and you're good to go. Look for versions of pudding with calcium for an extra health boost. Plus, convenient snack packs make it even easier to take this treat with you.

Cereal

It works for toddlers and for grown-ups! Tote 3/4 cup of Cheerios for a crunchy, fiber-filled treat.

Carrots with Ranch Dressing

For a boost of beta carotene, fiber, and vitamin A, you can't do much better than snacking on 15 baby carrots with 2 tablespoons light ranch dressing. Many supermarkets sell individual snack packs of carrots, too.

Pita Bread Pocket with Hummus

Hummus isn't just a fun party dip, it's a great everyday snack option, too. Made from ground garbanzo beans (chick peas), hummus is a flavorful way to get your fiber. Spread 1 tablespoon of hummus on half of a pita bread pocket (1 ounce) for a delicious low-fat snack.

Banana Brownie

2010-09-16T15:33:00.001-07:00

1	cup semisweet chocolate pieces
2/3	cup buckwheat flour
2/3	cup sugar or sugar substitute* blend equivalent to 2/3 cup sugar
1/3	cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/3	cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/4	teaspoon salt
2	egg whites, lightly beaten
1/3	cup buttermilk
1	teaspoon vanilla
	Nonstick cooking spray
1	large banana, sliced
	Powdered sugar (optional)
4	cups sliced fresh strawberries (optional)
1	8-ounce container frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed (optional)

1. In a large bowl, stir together chocolate pieces, buckwheat flour, sugar, nonfat dry milk powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together egg whites, buttermilk, and vanilla; add all at once to chocolate mixture. Stir until combined.

3. Lightly coat an 8- to 9-inch cast-iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray. (Or nest two 8-inch square or round disposable foil pans together to make a double thick layer; lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.) Spoon batter into prepared skillet or foil pan. Arrange banana slices on top.

4. Arrange medium coals around the edges of the grill. Test for medium-low heat in the center of the grill (not over coals). Place pan on grill rack in the center of the grill (not over coals). Cover and grill for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges start to pull away from the sides of the skillet or pan. Cool for 30 minutes; serve warm.

5. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with strawberries and whipped topping. Makes 12 slices.

Oven Variation: Lightly coat a 6-inch springform pan or an 8- to 9-inch cast iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Spread batter in pan; arrange banana slices on top. Brush banana slices lightly with lemon juice. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 65 to 75 minutes for the springform pan or 35 to 40 minutes for the skillet or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool springform pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; loosen sides of pan and cool 30 minutes before removing sides of pan. For skillet, cool on wire rack 30 minutes before serving. If desired, melt 1-ounce white baking chocolate and 1/4 teaspoon shortening in a small heavy saucepan over low heat just until melted; drizzle atop brownie. Or, sprinkle top of brownie with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm.

*Sugar Substitutes: Choose from Splenda® Sugar Blend for Baking or Equal® Sugar Lite. Follow package directions to use product amount equivalent to 2/3 cup sugar.
PER SERVING WITH SUBSTITUTE: same as above, except 151 cal., 25 g carbo. Exchanges: 1.5 other carbo. Carb choices: 1.5.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Servings: 12 slices
Calories173
Total Fat (g)5
Saturated Fat (g)3
Cholesterol (mg)1
Sodium (mg)138
Carbohydrate (g)31
Fiber (g)2
Protein (g)4

Diabetic Exchanges

Other Carbohydrates (d.e.)2
Fat (d.e.)1

Apple Crisp

2010-09-16T15:19:00.000-07:00

5	cups sliced peeled cooking apple
2	tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute equivalent to 2 tablespoons sugar*
1	teaspoon lemon juice
1/2	teaspoon apple pie spice
1/2	cup regular rolled oats
1/4	cup sugar or sugar substitute* equal to 1/4 cup sugar
3	tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4	teaspoon apple pie spice
3	tablespoons butter
	Frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. For filling: in a large bowl combine apples, 2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of the apple pie spice. Transfer apple mixture to a 2-quart square baking dish.

2. For topping: In medium bowl, combine oats, 1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute, flour, and 1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping over filling.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until apple is tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm. If desired, top with whipped topping. Makes 8 (1/2-cup) servings.

*Test Kitchen Tip: Sugar Substitutes: Choose from Splenda® Granular, Equal® Spoonful or packets, or Sweet 'N Low® bulk or packets. Follow package directions to use product amount that's equivalent to 2 tablespoons sugar.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Servings: 8 (1/2-cup) servings
Calories142
Total Fat (g)5
Saturated Fat (g)2
Cholesterol (mg)12
Sodium (mg)33
Carbohydrate (g)24
Fiber (g)2
Protein (g)1

Diabetic Exchanges

Fruit (d.e.)1
Other Carbohydrates (d.e.).5
Fat (d.e.)1

Make Water Taste Better - Part 6

2010-08-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

6. Try bouillons, broths, and consommés. If your palate leans toward the savory, you may pass on tea and start sipping one of these hot and savory liquids instead. Choose low-fat and low-sodium versions for maximum health benefits. Because soup is water-based, a cup of hot soup will count toward your daily fluid consumption.

Make Water Taste Better - Part 5

2010-08-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

5. Drink tea. Herbal, fruit, green, white, and red teas are generally considered to be better for you than black teas (or coffee, for that matter) because they contain little to no caffeine. And there are countless flavors of these teas to choose from. Start with the selection at your local market or health food store. If you're interested in pursuing more exotic flavors and sophisticated teas, start researching the vast array of specialty teas that come from all parts of the globe.

Make Water Taste Better - Part 4

2010-08-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

4. Get creative with ice. Some say that ice water tastes better than water served at room temperature. If that's so, flavored ice cubes may make an even better drink. Use some of the flavoring suggestions above and start experimenting with fresh fruit, mint, or cucumber ice cubes. Simply chop your additive of choice, add it to your ice cube tray along with water, then freeze. You may also consider juice, tea, or coffee cubes. If you want to be more creative, use ice cube trays that come in fun shapes, like stars, circles, or even fish.

Make Water Taste Better - Part 3

2010-08-29T13:07:00.002-07:00

3. Make it bubbly. Many people prefer sparkling to still water. If plain old water isn't inspiring to you, try a naturally effervescent mineral water — which will give you the added benefit of minerals. Or try bubbly seltzer, a carbonated water. You can add fresh fruit or natural juice flavors to your seltzer, as suggested above, or look for naturally flavored seltzers at your local market. If you become a seltzer devotee, you might want to consider getting a seltzer maker for your home.

Make Water Taste Better - Part 2

2010-08-29T13:06:00.002-07:00

2. Use juice. Any fruit juice can be a good base flavor for water, but tart juices, like cranberry, pomegranate, grape, and apple, are especially delicious. Go for juices that are all natural, with no added sugars. And remember: Fruits and their juices don't just taste good — they contain vitamins and antioxidants that can benefit your health too

Making Water Taste Better - Part 1

2010-08-29T13:06:00.001-07:00

1. Add fresh fruit. Citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, and oranges, are classic water enhancers, but other fruit flavors might also tempt your taste buds. Try crushing fresh raspberries or watermelon into your water, or adding strawberry slices. Cucumber and fresh mint are refreshing flavors as well — especially in summer.

Can Cinnamon Help Treat Diabetes?

2010-08-29T13:01:00.001-07:00

Some studies have investigated the effect of cinnamon on blood sugar levels, but there aren't enough of them or enough carefully compiled results — or consistency in those results — to draw hard and fast conclusions yet. "There's not very much research on it," explains Philip A. Kern, MD, an endocrinologist and director of the Barnstable Brown Diabetes and Obesity Center at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington. But there is potential.

The studies that have tried to measure the effects of cinnamon on blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes have been small and not well controlled. In general, a reliable study is one that is large (at least 500 to 1000 patients), has patients randomly assigned to different groups, and is double blind — meaning neither the researchers nor the subjects know who is getting the treatment. That type of detailed and careful research just hasn't been done on the subject of cinnamon’s role in diabetes, says Dr. Kern, adding that the results of the small studies that have been conducted "are all over the place."

"Some say that the cinnamon does lower blood sugar or improves some other measure — some studies report a benefit, and some studies don't report a benefit," says Kern. His initial reaction was dubious, he admits, but after studying what little research is available, the effects of cinnamon are "probably something deserving of a larger study."

For instance, one study suggests that cinnamon may be effective in lowering blood sugar levels because it has a similar effect on the body as insulin, the hormone that people with type 2 diabetes produce in insufficient amounts.

Cinnamon: A Dash or a Dollop?

The amount of cinnamon needed to produce a positive effect is unclear. In some of the clinical trials, diabetic patients were given about 1 gram of cinnamon in a capsule — that amount of pure cinnamon is about the size of the tip of your pinkie finger.

Swallowing that much cinnamon powder would be downright painful (and probably not taste very good), so Kern says you shouldn't try to ingest cinnamon on your own in an effort to lower blood sugar. You also shouldn't chow down on a big cinnamon bun or sip a cinnamon latte, thinking you're getting a health benefit — even if additional research concludes that cinnamon is of benefit in lowering blood sugar and managing diabetes, Kern says you're still not getting a free pass for the sugar and calories.

So what's the take-away message? Kern believes it's not so much that people with diabetes should eat more cinnamon, but that "maybe [it] has a property that might be beneficial." He adds, "If you could figure out exactly what it is about cinnamon, you could design a drug that would target that beneficial property.”

So, Kern says, if anything does come of cinnamon as a blood sugar-lowering agent, the recommendations for patients with diabetes will be in the form of a new medication that has captured the properties of cinnamon, not necessarily dietary changes.

Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing

2010-08-29T12:37:00.001-07:00

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

1 small shallot(s), peeled
3/4 cup(s) cottage cheese, nonfat
1/4 cup(s) mayonnaise, reduced-fat
2 tablespoon buttermilk, powdered
2 tablespoon vinegar, white wine
1/4 cup(s) milk, fat-free
1 tablespoon dill weed, fresh, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground, freshly ground

Preparation

1. With the food processor running, add shallot through the feed tube and process until finely chopped.

2. Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder and vinegar. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 3 minutes.

3. Pour in milk while the processor is running. Scrape down the sides, add dill, salt and pepper and process until combined.

Servings
Quick Meal
Contains Dairy
Contains Egg
Vegetarian
Heart-Healthy
Diabetes-Friendly

Nutritional Info (Per serving): Calories: 19, Saturated Fat: 0g, Sodium: 125mg, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Total Fat: 1g, Carbs: 2g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Protein: 2g

Types of Diabetes

2010-08-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

If you have diabetes, your body has problems producing or effectively using insulin, which can cause your blood glucose levels to be out of control. There are several different causes of insulin problems, and your treatment plan will depend on which type of diabetes you have.

Type 1 Diabetes: An Autoimmune Disease

With type 1 diabetes, which used to be called juvenile diabetes, your body does not produce insulin or produces very little. Type 1 diabetes is known as an autoimmune disease because it occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas.

Type 1 diabetes usually develops in children and young adults and accounts for 5 to 10 percent of diabetes cases in the United States. Symptoms may include thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, unexplained weight loss, blurry vision, and fatigue.

People who have type 1 diabetes need to take insulin injections daily to make up for what their pancreas can’t produce.

Type 2 Diabetes: The Lifestyle Connection

Type 2 diabetes, which used to be called adult-onset diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for 90 to 95 percent of diabetes cases. While most people who develop type 2 diabetes are older, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in children is on the rise.

The exact cause of type 2 diabetes is largely unknown, but the disease tends to develop in people who are obese and physically inactive. People who have a family history of diabetes or a personal history of gestational diabetes are also at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes usually develop gradually, and are similar to symptoms of type 1 diabetes.

Treatment for type 2 diabetes usually includes dietary changes, regular physical activity, and oral diabetes medications to help control blood glucose. If left untreated, serious health conditions such as heart disease or stroke can develop.

Gestational Diabetes: A Pregnancy Concern

Gestational diabetes is a condition that occurs in 3 to 8 percent of pregnant women during late pregnancy. Its cause is thought to be pregnancy-related hormonal fluctuations and a shortage of insulin that often occurs during pregnancy.

Many women with gestational diabetes have no symptoms, so it is important to get screened for this condition during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes can lead to problems such as high-birth-weight babies, breathing problems in the baby, and high blood pressure in the mother during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is usually treated with dietary changes and exercise, and sometimes insulin injections.

Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 40 to 60 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years after their pregnancy.

Other Types of Diabetes

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, or LADA, is a less common form of diabetes that usually affects people over the age of 30. In LADA, what looks like type 2 diabetes at first eventually develops into a condition more closely resembling type 1 diabetes.

People with LADA make enough insulin at first, but their immune system later begins making antibodies against insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Patients will usually require insulin injections as part of their treatment. It is estimated that up to 10 percent of people with type 2 diabetes have LADA.

"Double diabetes" occurs when someone with type 1 diabetes develops resistance to the insulin they are taking, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. This condition is more and more frequently seen in children, especially those who are overweight or obese.

All types of diabetes require attention to keep blood glucose in check, but the medical plan differs by diabetes type. Getting the right diagnosis is the first step.

Sauteed Mushroom Caps

2010-08-26T14:40:00.001-07:00

Sautéed Mushroom Caps

8-12 extra large button mushrooms

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3-4 Tbsp. dry vermouth or chicken stock

Fresh ground white pepper

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Lightly clean mushrooms and remove stems. Place oil in sauté pan over medium high heat and add mushrooms. Sauté for 2-3 minutes per side. You could add some freshly chopped herbs after turning mushrooms. Add the vermouth or chicken stock, cover and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove mushrooms to serving platter and sprinkle with pepper and parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Info:

Calories 86; total fat 8 grams; saturated fat 1 gram; % calories from fat 77%; cholesterol 2 mg; carbohydrate 3 grams; protein 3 grams; fiber .6 grams

Roasted Tomatoes

2010-08-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

Roasted Tomatoes

4 firm, medium sized tomatoes, cut in half

2 Tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped

2 tsp. thyme, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

In a sauté pan add oil over moderate heat. When hot, add tomatoes, cut side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes until cut side of tomato is browned and caramelized. Transfer tomatoes to baking dish with cut side up. Season tomatoes with pepper and sprinkle with parsley, thyme and garlic. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes uncovered. Tomatoes will be browned and sizzling. Serve immediately. Serves 4

Nutritional Info:

Calories 97; total fat 7 grams; sautéed fat 1 gram; % calories from fat 62%; cholesterol 0 mg.; carbohydrate 8 grams; protein 2 grams; fiber 2 grams

Haddock with Ginger and Lime

2010-08-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

Haddock with Ginger and Lime

1 cup water or chicken stock

4 haddock fillets

2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp. cornstarch

¼ cup cold water

1 Tbsp. honey

Italian parsley

Lime zest

In a medium sauté pan add 1 cup liquid and bring to a boil. Add haddock and lower heat to a simmer. Poach fish for 2-3 minutes per side, until fish is cooked. In a small dish, combine cornstarch and ¼ cup water. Stir to completely dissolve cornstarch. When haddock is finished cooking, remove from pan. Add ginger, lime, honey and cornstarch mixture to pan. Return pan to medium heat and stir until thickened and reduced by about ½. Spoon ginger sauce over haddock and serve. Garnish with lime zest and Italian parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Info:

Calories 219; total fat 2 grams; saturated fat .3 grams; % calories from fat 7%; cholesterol 110 mg; carbohydrate 14 grams; protein 37 grams; fiber 1 gram

Turkey Scaloppini with Lemon

2010-08-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

1 lb. turkey breast, sliced thin & pounded flat

Juice of 1 lemon, about 3-4 Tbsp.

¼ cup dry vermouth or white wine

2 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped

½ lemon, thinly sliced

Heat oil and butter in sauté pan. Add turkey and cook, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove to warm platter. Over high heat, add lemon juice and vermouth to deglaze the pan. Add the parsley and lemon slices. Heat for about 1 minute. Pour over turkey and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Info:

Calories 243; total fat 9 grams; saturated fat 3 grams; % calories from fat 39%; cholesterol 66 mg.; carbohydrate 8 grams; protein 23 grams; fiber .4 grams

Shrimp Tip

2010-08-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

Did you know that 8 jumbo shrimp have 13 grams of protein, with 63 calories and less than 1 gram of fat? The calories and fat associated with shrimp and shrimp dishes actually come from the manner in which you fix it or the sauce that you serve with your shrimp.

Pepper and Chicken Stir-Fry

2010-08-26T14:22:00.001-07:00

Pepper and Chicken Stir-Fry

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin powder

1 lb. chicken breasts, skinned, boned, cut into ½” wide strips

1 tsp. olive oil

1 cup red bell pepper, cut in julienne slices

1 cup yellow bell pepper, cut in julienne slices

¼ cup chicken stock

½ cup salsa

5 cups cooked brown rice

Combine lemon juice, chili powder, cumin and chicken in bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour or longer. Heat oil in non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken mixture; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add bell pepper, chicken stock and stir-fry 1 – 2 minutes covered. Add salsa and finish cooking for about 1 minute longer. Serve over rice and garnish with fresh diced tomatoes, sliced scallions and fresh basil leaves. This can also be served over romaine lettuce for a hot luncheon salad. Yields 4 servings.

Nutritional Info:

Calories 445; total fat 4 grams; saturated fat 1 gram; % calories from fat 8%; cholesterol 21 mg; carbohydrate 81 grams; protein 18 grams; fiber 3 grams

Apricot Porridge

2010-08-26T14:18:00.001-07:00

Apricot Porridge

1 ½ cups water

3 Tbsp. dried apricots, chopped

1 Tbsp. molasses

2/3 cup rolled oats

2 Tbsp. wheat germ

Place the water and apricots in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add molasses, stirring well. Add oats, wheat germ and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, covered. Remove from heat and let set for 2 minutes. Yields 2 servings.

Nutritional Info:

Calories 287; total fat 4 grams; saturated fat .7 grams; % calories from fat 13%; cholesterol 0 mg; carbohydrate 54 grams; protein 11 grams; fiber .8 grams

Buckwheat Pancakes

2010-08-26T14:16:00.001-07:00

Buckwheat Pancakes

½ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup wheat flour

½ tsp. baking soda

1 ½ cups buttermilk

2 egg whites, beaten

2 tsp. olive oil

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour with baking soda. Add buttermilk, egg whites and oil. Stir together. Heat a large pan or griddle over medium high heat. Add small amount of oil to pan and wipe with paper towel to evenly coat surface. Pour batter onto oiled surface. When small bubbles appear over entire top of pancakes, carefully turn and cook other side. Repeat cooking steps until all batter is used. Do not add additional oil, simply wipe pan each time with oiled towel. Serves 2

Nutritional Info:

Calories 333; total fat 7 grams; saturated fat 2 grams; % calories from fat 19%; cholesterol 6 mg; carbohydrate 52 grams; protein 17 grams; fiber 6 grams

Spinach With Chickpeas

2010-08-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Ingredients

* 2 pounds spinach, baby
* 3 tablespoon oil, olive, extra virgin
* 1 medium onion(s), red, finely chopped
* 5 clove(s) garlic, minced
* 19 ounce(s) beans, garbanzo (chickpeas), rinsed
* 1 1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried
* 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
* 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
* 1 teaspoon salt, Kosher
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika, hot
* 1/2 cup(s) raisins, golden
* 1/2 cup(s) broth, reduced-sodium chicken, or vegetable broth

Preparation
1. Rinse spinach and let drain in a colander. With water still clinging to it, place half the spinach in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, tossing with tongs and adding the remaining spinach by the handful until all is added and wilted, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain in the colander. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.

2. Carefully wipe out the pan, then heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir in chickpeas, thyme, oregano, cumin, salt and paprika.
4. Using a potato masher, mash some of the chickpeas, then cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
5. Stir in raisins and broth, scraping up any browned bits. Add the chopped spinach and stir gently to combine.
6. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil just before serving.

Nutritional Info (Per serving):
Calories: 120, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 260mg, Dietary Fiber: 6g, Total Fat: 4g, Carbs: 19g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Protein: 4g
Carb Choices: 1

Crab Soup

2010-08-24T16:38:00.000-07:00


2 tablespoons canola oil 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 cloves garlic finely chopped 3 fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in water, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 2-inch cubes 1 (1.97-ounce) package MAGGI TASTE OF ASIA Hot & Sour Soup Mix 1 cup fresh or chopped imitation crabmeat 1 large egg, well beaten 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon MAGGI Seasoning Sauce Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Heat canola oil in large, nonstick wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms; cook, stirring constantly
, for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add tomatoes; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
Stir in soup mix and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add crabmeat; bring to a second boil. Turn off heat. Stir soup in one direction with a chopstick or fork and slowly pour in the beaten egg so the egg forms long threads.
Stir in sesame oil and seasoning sauce. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time10 mins

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/6 of recipe): Calories: 130 Calories from Fat: 60 Total Fat: 7 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 50 mg Sodium: 1060 mg Carbohydrates: 11 g Dietary Fiber: 1 g Sugars: 3 g Protein: 6 g

Recipe and photograph from Nestlé®

Veggie Stir-Fry and Diabetics

2010-08-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

For a more exotic lunch, go for a bowl of vegetable stir-fry and brown rice. Avoid the fast-food version, which can be high in fat and sodium, and make it yourself by sautéing the vegetables with a healthy cooking spray and soy sauce. Prepare it the night before for dinner, making enough to bring leftovers for lunch.

Tuna, Chicken, Shrimp Salads and Diabetics

2010-08-17T15:14:00.001-07:00

When you make these protein-based mixes, you can control the mayonnaise and the good-health factor. Choose low-fat mayonnaise, and not too much of it. Add fiber and bulk with chopped celery, diced bell pepper, and chopped onions to taste. Serve on whole-grain bread or scoop onto a bed of lettuce.

Pizza and Diabetics

2010-08-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

Pizza can be a good choice &mash; in moderation. Choose a thin-crust variety, ask for light cheese, and include vegetables as the topping instead of fatty meats like pepperoni.

Pasta and Diabetics

2010-08-17T15:10:00.001-07:00

As long as you choose whole-grain pasta, you can eat all types of noodles, such as penne, angel hair, or spaghetti. Top it with a healthy tomato sauce, then add chicken, shrimp, or turkey meatballs and a variety of vegetables. Add a crisp salad and you have a healthy and filling lunch.

Hearty Soups and Diabetics

2010-08-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

Soup can be a good option for lunch, with many healthy choices to consider. Chicken noodle, chicken and rice, and tomato (made without cream) are all good soup choices. Others include butternut squash, gazpacho and other chunky vegetable varieties, miso, and pasta and bean soups. Avoid cream-based soups and chowders. Remember, soup freezes well. You can make a large batch and freeze it in individual containers; with a microwave you have a nearly instant lunch.

Sandwiches and Diabetics

2010-08-17T15:07:00.001-07:00

As with salads, there are many ways to spice up a sandwich. Start with whole-grain bread or a whole-wheat tortilla. Add lean meat, such as turkey, ham, or grilled chicken; layer on your choice of veggies; add mustard, low-fat mayo, or hummus to the mix — and you have a filling and tasty lunch. Stay away from greasy chips, French fries, and other fattening sides. Instead choose fruit, a few pretzels, or carrot and celery sticks to complement your meal.

Salads and Diabetics

2010-08-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

Salads

Salad should be a part of your lunch menu if you have diabetes. You can create a different salad every day of the week by varying your toppings. Try grilled chicken, shrimp, or fish, but avoid heaping on a lot of fattening ingredients, such as bacon bits and heavy cheeses.

Salads with lots of raw vegetables are best, including carrots, cucumbers, radishes, celery, and spinach. Sprinkle nuts or seeds on top, add a few dried cranberries, and garnish with some avocado chunks to give it zip. Always choose low-fat or fat-free salad dressings or, for a change, flavored vinegars.

Banana Strawberry Shake

2010-08-08T12:13:00.000-07:00


1 large ripe banana, sliced 5 packets SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener 1/2 cup reduced fat milk 1 1/4 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries

Combine all ingredients in the jar of a blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth.
Pour into glasses and serve.

Makes 2 servings.
Preparation Time: 5 Minutes
Total Time: 5 Minutes

Note: Add additional SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, if desired.

Recipe courtesy of Splenda, Inc.

Butterscotch Brownies

2010-08-08T11:56:00.001-07:00


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened 3/4 cup packed SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1 2/3 cups (11-ounce package) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels - divided use 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup morsels and nuts. Spread into ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining morsels.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Makes 48 brownies.

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time 50 mins

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 120 Calories from Fat: 60 Total Fat: 7 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Cholesterol: 20 mg Sodium: 70 mg Carbohydrates: 12 g Dietary Fiber: 0 g Sugars: 8 g Protein: 1 g

Recipe from Nestlé®

Superfoods for Your Diabetic Diet Part 10 Tomatoes

2010-08-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes

Here's another colorful vegetable that contains large amounts of nutrients like iron and vitamins C and E. Tomatoes are very versatile and can be used in many different recipes. Cooked tomato products like stewed tomatoes and ketchup also deliver the important nutrient lycopene.

Superfoods for Your Diabetic Diet Part 9 Whole Grains

2010-08-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

Whole Grains

Any time you want bread, pasta, or cereal, you need to make sure it's made with whole grains. The germ and bran contained in whole grains have large amounts of nutrients like magnesium, chromium, omega-3 fatty acids, and folate; these are stripped out of wheat when it’s processed into white flour products. Whole-grain foods also contain lots of fiber.

Next: Tomatoes

Superfoods for Your Diabetic Diet Part 8 Dark, Leafy Green Veggies

2010-08-07T06:25:00.001-07:00

Spinach, collard greens, and kale pack high levels of nutrients like vitamins A and C and calcium, as well as being low in calories and carbohydrates. Other great choices in this group include bok choy and mustard greens.

Next: Whole Grains

Superfoods for Your Diabetic Diet Part 7 Sweet Potatoes

2010-08-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

Sweet Potatoes

Many people with type 2 diabetes love potatoes, but can't afford the starch. Sweet potatoes are a great alternative, McLaughlin says. They are high in fiber and vitamins A and C.

Next: Dark, Leafy Green Vegetables

Superfoods for Your Diabetic Diet Part 6 Broccoli

2010-08-07T06:21:00.000-07:00

Broccoli

High in vitamins A and C, broccoli is another low-carbohydrate, low-calorie, high-fiber food that has antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, McLaughlin says. Broccoli also is very filling, a plus for people who need to lose weight. "Try eating a six-inch salad plate full of cooked broccoli," she says. "It will fill you up and give you 75 calories at most."

Next: Sweet Potatoes

Superfoods for Your Diabetic Diet Part 5 Berries

2010-08-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

Berries

All berries contain good levels of antioxidants, says McLaughlin. They are heart-healthy, cancer-preventing, and fat-free. Compared with other fruits, “they provide a comparatively low amount of calories and carbohydrates considering their serving size," McLaughlin says. Berries also contain vitamins and fiber.

Next: Broccoli

Superfoods for Your Diabetic Diet Part 4 Nuts

2010-08-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

Nuts

Nuts are very filling and contain high levels of unsaturated fats, the kind that contributes to "good" cholesterol. Some nuts and seeds like walnuts and flaxseeds contain omega-3 fatty acids. Nuts also deliver healthy doses of fiber and magnesium.

Next: Berries

Superfoods for Your Diabetic Diet Part 3 Fish

2010-08-07T06:16:00.000-07:00

Fish

"Salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, halibut, and herring are high in omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to be heart-healthy, as long as these [fish] are not breaded and deep-fried," McLaughlin says. One study also suggests that eating fish at least twice a week may protect people with diabetes against kidney problems.

Next: Nuts

Superfoods for Your Diabetes Diet - Part 2 Beans

2010-08-07T06:13:00.000-07:00

Beans

Incredibly high in fiber and protein, just a half-cup of any type of beans will provide about a third of your daily requirement of fiber and as much protein as an ounce of meat. Because of this, beans are wonderful for managing blood glucose levels, giving the body nutrients to slowly digest and process. "They help control the post-meal blood sugar rise," McLaughlin says. Beans also are great sources of magnesium and potassium.

Next: Fish

Managing Diabetes - The Diabetes Diet Part 1

2010-08-07T06:11:00.000-07:00

A type 2 diabetes diet isn't just about what you shouldn't eat. Add these "superfoods" to give you an edge in managing diabetes.

By Dennis Thompson Jr.

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Everyone knows you have to cut back on or eliminate certain foods once you've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. But there are also foods that can help with managing type 2 diabetes, either by providing powerhouse portions of nutrients or by helping quell the ebb and flow of your blood sugar levels. "Diabetes 'superfoods' are foods that are low-fat and high in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber," says dietitian Sue McLaughlin, RD, CDE, a certified diabetes educator and president of health care and education for the American Diabetes Association. Making these foods part of a comprehensive diabetes diet can make a real difference in managing diabetes.

Next - Beans

Choosing the right Oil

2010-08-07T06:06:00.000-07:00

An article You might enjoy reading.

Before you reach for that stick of butter when sautéing veggies, consider a healthier alternative. Cooking oil, a tasty addition to many dishes, can be healthier than butter and other solid fats and add flavor. With so many vegetable oil and nut oil flavors to choose from, you'll never run out of healthy cooking options.

Choosing Nutritious Oils

Most liquid cooking oil is a better option than butter or margarine, but some types of cooking oil are healthier than others. What makes a cooking oil healthy or unhealthy is the amount and type of fat it contains. Healthy cooking oils are high in monounsaturated fats, which are some of the healthiest types of fats and may help lower blood cholesterol levels. Cooking oils may also contain polyunsaturated fats, which are also healthy and can help improve heart health.

Start your cooking oil selection with plant-based oils like:

Olive oil
Peanut oil
Canola oil
Sunflower oil
Soybean oil
Flaxseed oil
Corn oil
Avocado oil

Next choose from a variety of seed- and nut-based oils, many of which make tasty bases for salad dressings and marinades, including:

Almond oil
Hazelnut oil
Sunflower oil
Grapeseed oil
Peanut oil
Sesame oil
Walnut oil

Choose the Right Cooking Oils — for Great Taste and Nutrition

From olive oil to flaxseed and peanut oils, cooking oils can make or break a meal when it comes to taste and health benefits.

By Diana Rodriguez

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Print Email

Before you reach for that stick of butter when sautéing veggies, consider a healthier alternative. Cooking oil, a tasty addition to many dishes, can be healthier than butter and other solid fats and add flavor. With so many vegetable oil and nut oil flavors to choose from, you'll never run out of healthy cooking options.

Choosing Nutritious Oils

Start your cooking oil selection with plant-based oils like:

Olive oil
Peanut oil
Canola oil
Sunflower oil
Soybean oil
Flaxseed oil
Corn oil
Avocado oil

Next choose from a variety of seed- and nut-based oils, many of which make tasty bases for salad dressings and marinades, including:

Almond oil
Hazelnut oil
Sunflower oil
Grapeseed oil
Peanut oil
Sesame oil
Walnut oil

Cut Back on Unhealthy Cooking Oils

There's more content below this advertisement. Jump to the content.

Some oils contain higher levels of saturated fat, which is considered the "bad" or unhealthy fat because it can clog arteries and lead to high cholesterol levels and increased risk of heart disease.

Avoid these oil varieties, some of which are so high in saturated fat that they have more of it than some meat sources:

Coconut oil
Palm oil
Palm kernel oil
Safflower oil

In general, keep the amount of saturated fats you eat to a minimum; check the labels before you buy any cooking oil to see what types of fat it contains. You also want to avoid any oil-based products with trans fats and hydrogenated oils — even worse for you than saturated fats.

How to Use Cooking Oils

Certain types of cooking oil are best when used for specific styles of healthy recipes, or when you're preparing certain foods. Think about the flavor of the oil, and consider what it might best complement. For instance, nutty cooking oils go well in rich pasta dishes with grilled meats, while a lighter olive oil is a good complement to fish sautéed with herbs. Sesame oil tastes great in an Asian-inspired dish and lightly drizzled on top of an Asian salad.

Healthy Alternatives to Cooking Oil

You don't always have to cook in oil — there are other options that are even lighter and healthier. Try these alternatives:

Lightly coat your pan with cooking spray rather than adding liquid oil
Bake by wrapping food in parchment paper or aluminum foil to steam it and keep it moist
Use broth, such as a low-sodium vegetable, beef, or chicken variety, as a cooking medium and sauce base
Steam food above boiling water
Season food with lemon juice for a citrusy flavor
Marinate or cook with balsamic vinegar for a tangy, rich flavor

A variety of heart-healthy cooking oils can give your meal great flavor. Experiment with light sautés or marinades; if you avoid frying foods or using heavy amounts of oil, nut or vegetable oil adds taste and valuable nutrition to any meal. Just. And remember: A little oil goes a long way.

Breakfast Mix

2010-08-04T16:36:00.001-07:00

Breakfast Mix

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup bran
½ cup wheat germ
1 cup dried fruit, diced
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cups raisins
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a covered container and store in the refrigerator. To serve, place Mix in serving bowl, add yogurt, nuts, seeds or fresh diced fruit. Serve with fruit juice or milk if desired.

Nutritional Data:
Calories 206
Total fat 3 grams
Saturated fat 1 gram
% calories from fat 15%
Cholesterol 0 mg.
Carbohydrate 40 grams
Protein 8 grams
Fiber 4 grams

Damaged Diabetic Supplies

2010-08-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

Heat can affect your diabetes supplies, too. Insulin is particularly vulnerable, but all medications, glucose meters, and testing strips should be kept in a cool, dry place.

Never leave insulin or other medications in hot cars, direct sunlight, or other extremely hot situations. Use a cooler or insulated lunch bag to keep items cool. Testing strips, meters, and pumps should be kept dry and away from extreme heat. Exposure to intense heat may make them unreliable for later use.

Here are other ideas for coping with the summer heat:

Diabetics and Foot Health in the Summer Heat

2010-08-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

Proper foot care is important for people with diabetes. In the heat, your feet can get sweaty and socks stay wet. Make sure your feet are dry and protected when you are outdoors — either with sunscreen or shoes that provide coverage. Check for sores daily.

Diabetics and Summer Heat

2010-08-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Elderly people are at particular risk, but people of all ages with diabetes should be aware of summertime dangers. These include dehydration, heat exhaustion, and foot problems.

Diabetes and Dehydration

Everyone, regardless of their health status, should make sure they drink enough fluids during the summer. People with type 2 diabetes, however, face an additional challenge because when their blood sugar levels are too high, they may be passing more urine than usual — which means they are losing fluids more quickly. Add sweating into the mix and you have a recipe for speedy fluid loss. Certain medications, such as metformin (Glucophage), also increase the risk of dehydration.

If you are out and about on a hot summer day, make sure you have enough of these beverages on hand to stay hydrated:

* Water or seltzer
* Sugar-free lemonade or other drinks

Also, avoid alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks are usually okay in moderation — but too much of either one can cause you to lose more fluids. And remember to bring along snacks in case your blood sugar drops.

If you’re going to be outside, be alert to these symptoms of heat exhaustion:

* Dizziness
* Fainting or near-fainting
* Sweating to excess
* Muscle cramping
* Cold, clammy skin
* Headaches
* Rapid heartbeat

During heat waves and periods of high heat, find air-conditioned places to stay if you do not have central AC or AC in a room at home. Fans can also help.

Diabetic Cooking Tips

2010-08-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Experiment with healthier cooking techniques. One of the best ways to adhere to a diabetes diet is to use non-frying methods of cooking. Stir-fry, bake, or poach instead of frying or sautéing. Baking and poaching require no cooking oil at all. To stir-fry, you heat just a small amount of oil in a wok. Then add fish, chicken, or lean meat. When the meat is almost done, add your veggies and cook for a few more minutes.

Cut the fat. Replace saturated fats, namely butter and lard, with olive oil or canola oil when some fat is needed. Other saturated-fat substitutions for a diabetes diet include:

* Skim milk instead of whole milk
* Fat-free cream cheese instead of regular varieties
* Fat-free plain yogurt when a recipe calls for sour cream

You can often skip the fat-based toppings, too. Lemon or lime on fish and vegetables are much healthier choices than butter or sauces for people with type 2 diabetes.

Make sugar substitutions. Try some of the various artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda (sucralose), to reduce sugar in recipes. With a little creativity, many sugar-free recipes can be just as tasty as standard recipes containing sugar. Instead of sugar in baking, try sweet spices, such as ground cinnamon, or add vanilla extract. If a recipe calls for fruit, it’s best to always use fresh; the next choice is frozen. If canned is your only option, make sure that fruits are packed in their own juices or water, not in sugary syrup.

Stash the salt shaker. Flavor your foods with herbs and spices instead of salt. Try garlic salt to slash the amount of sodium. If you must use regular salt, opt for sea salt. Most sea salts contain slightly less sodium than regular table salt. Another option: If a recipe calls for a teaspoon of salt, use half a teaspoon and substitute fresh herbs for the missing salt. Your food will actually be more flavorful.

Go with whole grains. Refined grains — white bread, white rice, and white pasta — are not good choices for people trying to stick to a diabetes diet because much of the glucose-friendly fiber has been removed in the refining process. Fiber helps keep blood sugar levels under control by releasing glucose at a leisurely rate. If you eat a big meal of refined grains, your blood sugar can soar. So make brown rice instead of white rice and use whole-grain bread for sandwiches. If you’re craving spaghetti, buy whole-grain spaghetti.

Choose cheese wisely. Cheese is loaded with saturated fat, but there are ways to make cheese better for a diabetes diet. Use a strongly flavored cheese, such as sharp cheddar, blue cheese, or feta, instead of mild cheddar, American, or Swiss. A little bit of sharp cheese goes a long way. The stronger flavor will allow you to cut down on the amount you use in recipes and on burgers. And less cheese means fewer calories and saturated fat.

Prepare healthy meats. Use skinless chicken and lean cuts of meat; for example, if you like bacon with breakfast, substitute Canadian bacon or turkey bacon to reduce the fat. Make your burgers with extra-lean ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey. Or use half ground beef and substitute a non-beef ground meat, such as turkey, for the other half. Having a cookout? Use aromatic woods on the grill, such as mesquite, to help disguise substitutions.

Reduce portion sizes. King-size portions of high-carbohydrate foods can send blood sugar levels and your weight skyrocketing. To prevent weight gain and out-of-control glucose levels, cut your portion sizes. When dining out, resist the temptation to finish those generous servings; instead bring half home in a container.

Teriyaki Chicken

2010-08-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

Teriyaki Chicken

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.
2. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
3. Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking.

Makes 12 servings.
Preparation Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Nutrition Info Per Serving (1/12 of recipe): Calories 140 | Calories from Fat 25 | Fat 3.0g (sat 1.0g) | Cholesterol 65mg | Sodium 660mg | Carbohydrates 3g | Fiber 0g | Sugars 1g | Protein 25g

Recipe and photograph are courtesy of Splenda, Inc.

Coffee Cup Scramble

2010-08-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

This economical, fast and easy breakfast is an excellent source for protein, choline, and a good source for vitamin A, vitamin D, folate, calcium and iron

Coffee Cup Scramble

2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

1. Coat a 12-ounce microwave-safe coffee mug with cooking spray.
2. Add eggs and milk; beat until blended.
3. Microwave on HIGH 45 seconds; stir.
4. Microwave until eggs are almost set, 30 to 45 seconds longer.
5. Top with cheese; season with salt and pepper.

Makes 1 serving.

Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 45 to 60 seconds

Note: Microwave ovens vary. Cooking times may need to be adjusted.

Nutrition information per serving (1 recipe): calories: 215 total fat: 15g saturated fat: 6g polyunsaturated fat: 2g monounsaturated fat: 5g cholesterol: 440mg
sodium: 240mg carbohydrates: 2g dietary fiber: 0g protein: 17g vitamin A: 686.2IU vitamin D: 49.8IU folate: 51.1mcg calcium: 190.5mg iron: 1.9mg choline: 258.4mg

Recipe courtesy of the American Egg Board (AEB) and Egg Nutrition Center (ENC).

Sesame-Soy Beef Stir-Fry

2010-08-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Marinade:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1 pound beef round tip steaks, cut 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick
1 (16-ounce) package frozen stir-fry vegetable mixture
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup water

Hot cooked rice (optional)
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

1. Combine marinade ingredients in medium bowl. Remove and reserve 2 tablespoons. Stack beef steaks; cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1-inch wide strips. Add beef to remaining marinade; toss.
2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1/2 of beef; stir-fry 1 minute or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. (Do not overcook.) Remove. Repeat with remaining beef.
3. Combine vegetables and 1/4 cup water in same skillet; cook over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes or until most of water is evaporated and vegetables are hot, stirring occasionally. Combine cornstarch mixture and reserved marinade. Add to vegetables; cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened and bubbly. Add beef; heat through. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 277 calories; 29 g protein; 15 g carbohydrate; 10 g fat; 1335 mg sodium; 69 mg cholesterol; 3.2 mg niacin; 0.3 mg vitamin B6; 2.5 mcg vitamin B12; 3.0 mg iron; 6.0 mg zinc.

Recipe courtesy of the Beef Industry Council.

Best Chili Cheese Dip

2010-08-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

Cream cheese, salsa and chili beans are topped with melted cheese to create this warm dip that will have everyone lining up for seconds.

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chunky salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese - divided use
1 (16-ounce) can BUSH'S® BEST Chili Beans, undrained
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
3 tablespoons pitted sliced black olives (optional)
Tortilla chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Combine cream cheese and salsa and spread in bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Spread chili beans over shredded cheese. Top with remaining shredded cheese, sliced green onions and olives.
3. Bake for 15 minutes until mixture is thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 361; Total Fat: 23g; Cholesterol: 46mg; Sodium: 635mg; Total Carbs: 29.2g; Dietary Fiber: 4.9g;Protein: 10.5g

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Bush's Beans.

Sweet & Spicy Snack Mix

2010-08-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

3 cups crispy rice cereal squares
2 cups toasted O-shaped cereal
2 cups small reduced-fat pretzels
1 cup oyster crackers
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 egg white
1/2 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Beat egg white until foamy; stir in SPLENDA® Granular, Worcestershire sauce and red pepper. Pour over cereal mixture, tossing to coat.
4. Spray a 15- X 10-inch jellyroll pan with cooking spray; spread cereal mixture in a single layer in pan.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool.

Makes 16 (1/2 cup) servings.

Note: Store mix in an airtight container

Nutrition Information per serving Serving Size: 1/2 cup; Total Calories 140; Calories from fat 50; Total Fat 5g; Saturated Fat 1g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 290mg; Total Carbohydrate 19g; Dietary Fiber 2g; Sugars 1g; Protein 4g

Exchanges per Serving: 1 Starch, 1 Fat

Recipe and photograph courtesy of Splenda, Inc.

Brussel Sprouts with Walnut-Lemon Vinaigrette

2010-07-31T16:41:00.001-07:00

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 8 mins
Total Time: 13 mins
Ingredients

* 1 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
* 2 tablespoon oil, walnut
* 1 tablespoon shallot(s), minced
* 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, freshly grated
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon mustard, Dijon, or whole-grain
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* pepper, black ground, to taste

Preparation
1. Place brussels sprouts in a steamer basket and steam in a large saucepan over 1 inch of boiling water until tender, 7 to 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk oil, shallot, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the sprouts to the dressing; toss to coat.
Servings

Contains Nuts
Vegetarian
Heart-Healthy
Diabetes-Friendly
Nutritional Info (Per serving):
Calories: 108, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 188mg, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Total Fat: 7g, Carbs: 10g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Protein: 3g
Carb Choices: 0.5

Type 2 Diabetes: Who Should Get Screened?

2010-07-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

The American Diabetes Association recommends that all adults age 45 or older be screened for diabetes. If you are younger than age 45, talk to your doctor about diabetes screening if you are overweight or obese and you have one or more of the following risk factors:

* You exercise fewer than three times a week.
* A close relative (sibling or parent) has type 2 diabetes.
* You had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes).
* You gave birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds.
* You come from a Native American, Hispanic, African-American, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, or Asian-American background.
* You were diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome — a hormone imbalance in women.
* You’ve been told you had higher-than-normal blood sugar levels before.
* You have a history of heart disease.
* You have high blood pressure at 140/90 mm Hg or above (or are taking medication to lower blood pressure).
* You have HDL "good" cholesterol below 35 mg/dL.
* Your triglyceride level is above 250 mg/dL.

Because diabetes can damage your body for a while before you even realize you have it, it is important in order to make good choices about your long-term health. Ask for a screening if you are at risk.

Type 2 Diabetes - Red Flags

2010-07-31T16:29:00.000-07:00

Type 2 diabetes can cause lots of damage before it's diagnosed.
By Madeline Vann, MPH
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Type 2 diabetes begins as a "silent" condition, because before it does noticeable damage to your body, it has no distinguishing symptoms, other than high blood sugar levels that can be found with a blood test.

But there are signs that diabetes is present, although they are easily ignored. In fact, of the nearly 21 million Americans with type 2 diabetes, about six million don’t know they have it.

Possible symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:

* Being more thirsty than usual
* Feeling more hungry than usual
* Feeling more tired than usual
* Needing to urinate more than usual, especially at night
* Blurry vision
* Unplanned weight loss
* Sores that don’t go away

"There are a lot of people who don’t have symptoms," says Vivian Fonseca, MD, professor of medicine and pharmacology and chief of the section of endocrinology at Tulane University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.

Dr. Fonseca says that many people believe a "silent" condition like diabetes is nothing to worry about because they don’t feel any different. However, higher-than-normal blood sugar levels do damage at the microvascular level (affecting the smallest of your blood vessels), even if you can’t feel it.

"Even milder diabetes with no symptoms can continuously do damage over the years, so that’s where the problem lies," says Fonseca. "When sugar goes from 115 to 130 [mg/dL], you have diabetes. So for example, you can have eye damage, but no knowledge of that happening."

Diabetic retinopathy, which is the result of damage to the blood vessels in the eye that causes progressive vision loss, is one physical change that is most closely linked to the onset of type 2 diabetes. Data from the Diabetes Prevention Program suggest that this gradual damage to the eye occurs in about 12 percent of people within three years of the diagnosis of diabetes.

Although early damage to your eye can be seen using the equipment at your eye doctor’s office, many people will not know they have diabetic retinopathy until it has progressed far enough to interfere with their vision.

Lime Strawberry Dip

2010-07-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

Total Time: 10 mins
Ingredients

* 8 ounce(s) sour cream, light or fat-free
* 2 tablespoon sugar, powdered
* 2 teaspoon lime peel
* 1 tablespoon lime juice
* 3 cup(s) strawberries

Preparation
1. For lime dipping sauce, in a small bowl, stir together sour cream, powdered sugar, lime peel, and lime juice. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.

2. Wash strawberries but do not remove stems or caps. Drain strawberries on several layers of paper towels. Transfer to a covered storage container.

3. Tote lime dipping sauce and strawberries in an insulated cooler with ice packs. Serve berries with lime dipping sauce.

Servings
Contains Dairy
Vegetarian
Diabetes-Friendly
Nutritional Info (Per serving):
Calories: 44, Saturated Fat: 0g, Sodium: 41mg, Dietary Fiber: 1g, Total Fat: 0g, Carbs: 10g, Sugars: 5g, Cholesterol: 3mg, Protein: 1g
Exchanges: Fruit: 0.5
Carb Choices: 0.5

Site Changes

2010-07-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

I've been asked to create a site that caters to diabetics. Right now I work with 5 sites. Stir, Laugh, Repeat is the "mother" site where I post tips, some recipes and activity updates for all other sites. My site A Book and A Dish is made up of book reviews for books I've read as well as the author's favorite recipe. Stir, Laugh, Repeat Cookbook consists of reviews received for my cookbook Stir, Laugh, Repeat. Martha's Recipe Cabinet stores recipes that will go into one of my next cookbooks. And this site Martha's Kitchen Korner consists of recipes that I'm still working with and may or may not make it to a book. I hope you will all continue to follow this site as I make my changes. I would like for all of you to contribute recipes and/or tips related to diabetic cooking and health. To do so, email your recipes/tips to me at marthacheves@bellsouth.net and I will copy and post them to the site. Please remember that you are always welcome to follow any and all of my other sites.

Thanks in advance for your help with this change.

Broccoli/Corn Cornbread

2010-07-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

1 box Jiffy corn/mix (8.5 oz.)
1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 stick butter, melted
4 eggs
8 oz. cottage cheese
3 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
1 onion, chopped
1 cup whole kernel corn
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Pour into an 8 x 8" baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 45 minutes.

The original recipe called for the broccoli to be cooked. I decided to use it raw and let it cook in the oven. Reason - to keep it from being too mushy. The recipe didn't call for the cheese nor corn, I added those and am glad I did. For changes, use chopped squash. This would also be good with a cup of cooked chicken added to the mix.

Grandma's Cheesecake - 1960s

2010-07-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

1 lb. ricotta cheese (or dry cottage cheese)
1 lb. cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, milted
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 pint sour cream

Mix cheeses well with beater. Add butter and eggs. (I added butter, beat to mix and then added eggs). Add remaining ingredients; fold in sour cream. (Note that this says add remaining ingredients - don't add sour cream yet. Also, the next time I make this I'll add the flour and cornstarch before adding the eggs. I believe they will blend better and smoother.) Thoroughly grease 12" Bundt pan and dust with fine zwieback crumbs. (I used just enough graham cracker crumbs to barely cover the bottom of a spring form pan sprayed with non-stick spray with flour.) Pour batter into pan and bake for one hour. Turn off oven and allow to remain in oven for one additional hour. Glaze or top if desired. Refrigerate. Cool completely before slicing.

Notes: This recipe came from my wonderful friend Lillian. She ran across it in a little paper cookbook that she bought many years ago at the cost of 10 cents. It dates back in the 1960s.

I used the graham cracker crumbs because I haven't seen Zwieback crackers since my kids were little. For those of you who don't know what they are, back then they were used for teething cookies for babies. Also, I read the recipe before beginning but didn't keep in mind that you include everything BUT the sour cream. I added that with the other ingredients. It did turn out fine so I have no idea as to what difference it might have made. This is a delicious cheese cake, a little different from what you may be accustomed to. I don't like a glaze on my cheese cakes but you can add strawberries, cherries, etc. and a little glaze. Don't go very heavy, weight wise, with your toppings. This is a delicate cake and a heavy topping will cause it to break up. It might even be best to serve a topping on a piece that's been cut and plated. No matter how you eat and serve this, it's delicious!

Sausage Rice Balls

2010-07-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

1 lb. lean sausage, browned
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup shredded cheese
flour
buttermilk
bread crumbs
cooking oil
white gravy (optional)

Mix cooked sausage, rice and cheese. Form into golf ball size balls. Roll in flour, then buttermilk, then bread crumbs. Slowly place them in hot oil and cook until outside is brown and crispy. Serve as is or with gravy.

Changes - You can use hot sausage, the rice will cool it down some. You can use long grain/wild rice for added flavors. This can be made with well seasoned turkey or chicken sausage. When I worked these up I made about half of them coated with the flour/buttermilk/crumb crust and the other half with no battering. Both are great. Those battered had a nice crispy crust whereas the ones without had just a slight crisp on the outside. These are perfect for breakfast but are good any time.

Pecan Pound Cake

2010-07-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 butter pecan cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup water
3/4 cup oil
1 can coconut pecan frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray Bundt pan with non-stick spray. Evenly sprinkle pecans in the bottom of the pan. Mix cake mix, eggs, water and oil until smooth. Scoop in frosting and mix until blended. Pour into pan over pecans. Bake 60 minutes. Cook completely before slicing.

Strawberry Coconut Bars

2010-06-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

1 Strawberry cake mix
1 stick of butter, softened
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix and butter. Press into a 9 x 13" baking dish. In a medium size bowl beat eggs, milk, and condensed milk until well mixed (about 1 minute). Pour over cake mix. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake 40-45 minutes or until center has set. Chill and slice into bars. Refrigerate.

You can make some tasty changes with this one. All you have to do is change the flavor of the cake mix. You can leave the coconut out if you want. You can scatter a layer of chocolate chips over your dish during the last 5 minutes of baking. You can also add nuts instead or along with the coconut.

Spinach Dip Chicken

2010-06-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

2-3 large, cooked chicken breasts
1 jar (15 oz.) Creamy Spinach Dip
1 cup uncooked rice
shredded cheese
French fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice according to package (you can use instant, you want about 2 cups of cooked rice). Cut chicken into bite size pieces. In a large bowl mix chicken, spinach dip and rice. Pour into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle cheese over top. Sprinkle French fried onions over cheese. Cover with a loose fitting piece of foil and bake 10-15 minutes or until hot and cheese has melted. Uncover and bake another 4-5 minutes to slightly brown onions.

Changes - Use Panko instead of French fried onions. Use about about a pound of shrimp (cooked, peeled and cleaned) instead of the chicken. Use Imitation crab meat cut into bite size pieces instead of the chicken. Think With Your Taste Buds!

Pecan Fudge Pie

2010-06-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup butter
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
3 Tbsp. white corn syrup
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
9" pie crust

Melt butter and chocolate in top of double boiler or over low heat. Meanwhile, beat eggs until light. Beat syrup, sugar, salt and vanilla into eggs. Add the nuts. Now add slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Mix thoroughly and pour into an unbaked 9" pie crust. Bake at 350º for 25-35 minutes or until top is crusty and filling is set but soft inside. Do not over bake. Pie should shake like custard so it will not be too stiff when cool.
Serve plain or with ice cream or whipped cream.

This is another wonderful dish from my Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts Co-Author, Lillian.

Lillian - The center of this may sink in a little and that is ok. It is also, very rich and so you can serve smaller pieces. You can substitute the home pastry with the pie crust found in the frozen foods section or those in the dairy section of your store. You can do so much with this, as you did. I usually serve it with ice cream or whipped cream. The whipped cream can contain a bit of shaved chocolate or flavorings that will work well with the chocolate. You can just use pecans or almonds to top the whipped cream.

Martha - I made 2 of these pies but made a change in both. By thinking with my taste buds I decided to use up a couple of ingredients that needed to be used. One was some large flake coconut, the other was a partial jar of dried peanuts. I also had some chocolate chips that needed to be used but not enough for 2 pies. This is what I did. The recipe calls for 3 squares of chocolate, I used 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and a cup of peanuts one pie. I had about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips left so I made up the difference using white chocolate chips and added a cup of coconut instead of the nuts. I'm not a chocolate lover but I have to say that both of these pies came out making even me want more. I did find that this makes just a bit more than 1 pie filling so I poured the leftover in a small baking dish that I lined with vanilla wafers and baked it along with the full size pie, checking it after about 20 minutes.

The pie on the top is peanut, the one on the bottom is coconut.

Apple Walnut Squares

2010-06-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

4 cups coarsely chopped and peeled apples
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup black walnut pieces

Combine apples and sugar and let stand until sugar is absorbed and moist, about 45 minutes. Beat eggs and vegetable oil together by hand. Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together; stir in alternately with apple-sugar mixture. Stir in black walnut pieces. Grease and flour a 13x9x2 inch pan. Bake in a 350º oven for one hour.

This recipe was sent to me by Lillian, who will be co-authoring my next book Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts. She has some great suggestions for this dish.

Lillian - This was given to me by a friend from a 1976 cookbook that she had. This looks as though it would be very moist and is so simple to put together. Changes may be to use English walnuts or pecans instead of black walnuts, add a bit of coconut, use apple pie spices instead of just the cinnamon.

Martha - I made this dish and it is wonderfully moist! I did make a couple of changes. I found myself running short of flour so I used Cake Flour instead of all-purpose. I also used pecans instead of the black walnuts. For the apples, it takes about 5 small or 4 medium size and I used Granny Smith. This is one great dish to make.

test post

2010-06-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

Angel Hair Shrimp

2010-05-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

1/2 lb. Angel Hair Pasta
1 lb. shrimp, shelled, cleaned & cooked
1 stick butter, cut into chunks
1 Tbl. Minced garlic
1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 1/2 Tbl. flour
1 cup half & half
1 tsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package. In a large frying pan melt butter. Add garlic. On medium high heat saute until lightly browned. Add flour. Stirring constantly, cook for about 1 minute. Stir in half & half and basil. Heat until sauce starts to thicken. Add shrimp, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Cook on medium heat until bubbly hot. Serve over pasta. Serves 4-6

Changes - I originally found two recipes for shrimp with sauce. One was served over Angel Hair, the other was served on it's own. I didn't like some of the ingredients in the Angel Hair recipe and I didn't like some of the recipes in the other recipe. So I decided to Think With My Taste Buds and pulled the ingredients I liked in each and combined them coming up with the above recipe. I did use store bought, pre-cooked and cleaned shrimp which cut the time for making this dish down to just a few minutes. I used fresh basil from my window garden but you can use dried but cut the amount in half. The half & half made the sauce so rich and creamy. I think the only change I would make to this would be to pour everything into a baking dish, top with a few panko bread crumbs and bake until hot. You could add a little cheese but this is really good as it is.

Blueberry Bread

2010-05-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 cup self rising flour
1/2 - 3/4 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. Whisk butter and sugar together. Whisk in egg, then milk, then flour, making each is well blended before adding the next. Fold in blueberries. Pour into pan and bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This idea came to me while surfing some of the food sites. I ran across a recipe for blueberry muffins but they called for 2 cups of blueberries. I only had just over 1/2 cup. These were leftover from my TV segment last Thursday and I'm not fond of raw blueberries but refuse to throw food away, so I had been looking for a way to use them. The muffin recipe called for all purpose flour with baking soda added. I decided to simplify it and use self rising. I also eliminated the lemon zest and juice from the original. I really didn't know if this was going to work but I'm here to tell you it did better than work. This bread is wonderful. I can't wait to have a piece toasted in the morning for breakfast. It's not too sweet, the texture is perfect and the taste is perfect. Changes - add a few nuts, add some lemon juice and zest, or try this recipe with just about any left over berry type fruit.

Crab Toast

2010-04-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

1 can (8 oz.) crabmeat, well drained (can use fresh)
¼ tsp. garlic powder or ½ tsp. minced
1 jar Old English cheddar cheese
1 ½ tsp. mayonnaise
6 English muffins

Mix together crabmeat, garlic, cheese and mayonnaise. Spread on English muffin halves and place on a cookie sheet. Place under broiler until cheese is bubbly. Serve with cocktail sauce.

Think With Your Taste Buds - Use 1( 3 oz.) block of cream cheese, softened and ¼ cup of room temperature shredded cheddar cheese or cheese of your choice instead of Old English. Use 1 container of soft serve cream cheese flavored with chives or add your own seasonings to soft serve cream cheese. Change the bread to rye or use bagel thins. This makes a great appetizer or brunch item. You can also use tuna, salmon or even chicken in place of the crab.

Chicken Pretzel Casserole

2010-04-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

1 bag (10 oz.)Pretzels, broken up (I use Snap, the window looking kind)
1 stick of butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped into bite size pieces
1 Tbl. dehydrated onions (optional)
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Remove pretzels from bag using your hands. You don't want the excess salt that is in the bottom of the bag. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Spread evenly into pan and bake 20-25 minutes. Serves 4-6

Think With Your Taste Buds - I topped mine with French fried onions. You can also add extra cheese, some walnuts would make a nice addition. You might even add some chopped celery.

Baked Potato Ground Beef Casserole

2010-04-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

4 potatoes, cubed and cooked
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 med. Onion, finely chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 Tbl. Minced chives
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl combine potatoes and ground beef. In another bowl combine remaining ingredients, add to potato mixture and gently toss to coat. Transfer to a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Serves 6

Changes – Use chicken or bacon instead of ground beef. Add mushrooms and/or minced garlic for added flavor. Reserve ½ cup cheese to add to during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Stuffed Eggs with Crabmeat

2010-03-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

Need something to do with all of those Easter eggs this year? Try this.

Stuffed Eggs with Crabmeat

12 hard cooked eggs
1 can (8 oz.) cooked crabmeat, flaked and well drained
¼ cup finely chopped celery
2 Tbl. Finely chopped green peppers
2 Tbl. Finely chopped green onion tops
1/3 cup sour cream

Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and mash. Combine yolks, crabmeat, celery, green pepper, onions and sour cream. Blend well. Refill egg whites with mix. Chill until serving time. Makes 24 stuffed eggs.

Changes – Use mayonnaise instead of sour cream or half mayo and half sour cream. Use tuna instead of crabmeat. Just get creative with this one.

Chicken Patties

2010-03-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

1 cup shredded chicken, cooked
1 pkg (6 oz.) stuffing mix for chicken
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup water
2 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup Mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients. Shape into patties. Refrigerate about 10-15 minutes to set. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Spray with non-stick spray, add patties in batches. Spray top of patties with non-stick spray before turning over. Cook about 3 -4 minutes on each side turning carefully once.

Pineapple Crisp

2010-03-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

2 cans (15 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
¼ tsp. vanilla
¼ cup butter, melted
½ cup coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place fruit in a 1 qt. shallow baking dish. Combine flour, sugar, oats, nutmeg and coconut. Mix in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Changes – serve hot with ice cream. Change fruit to apples and add cinnamon or apple pie spice. Add ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese to flour mixture.

Taco Pasta Salad

2010-03-13T15:15:00.000-08:00

2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup water
1 pkg (1.5 oz.) taco seasoning mix
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup crumbled Tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta according to package. In a medium size frying pan, brown ground beef. Drain. Add water, taco seasoning, green peppers and onions. Simmer until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Fold in sour cream and pasta. Pour into a 2 qt. casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Top with cheese and crumbled tortillas. Bake about 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Serves 6.

Last weekend I met 2 ladies who would be new neighbors in my condo building. They moved in this weekend and even though I bought my condo 6 years ago, I still remember how hard and tiring moving can be. So I decided to make dinner for them and hopefully add them to my "food tester" group and invite them to my Sunday morning coffee group. This dish took about 30 minutes to make, I added a salad and a pitcher of tea and ended up with a really great meal.

Changes - when serving top with a little extra sour cream and maybe some salsa. You can also make this with ground turkey or chicken. I used mild taco seasoning but you can heat it up with hot. You might even want to try adding a can of chili beans. This is a really simple yet tasty dish.

Martha's Kitchen Korner

Sorry!!!!

10 Ways to Improve Your Memory

Slow Metabolisms

Fat Burning Foods & Drinks

Foods and Health Tips

Filling Food to Speed Weight Loss

I received this article from a site called Living with Diabetes. This is not only true for diabetics but for any of us trying to loose weight.

Learn which foods fight hunger by keeping you feeling full longer.

Brown Rice Pasta with Apples

Holidays and Diabetics

Scrambled Eggs with Cheese

Diabetic Apple Pie

Dry Skin and Diabetes

A great article even if you don't have diabetes.

Learn how to soothe dry, itchy skin, especially during the cold winter months.

Diabetic Spaghetti Sauce

Diabetic Salad Dressing

Spice Up Your Cooking With Herbs

A great article that will help you create great recipes by using herbs. I wanted to share.

Whether you grow them yourself or buy them at the grocery store, herbs are a healthy and delicious way to season foods without extra calories.

Diabetic Chicken Cacciatore

Carrot Cabbage Slaw

How Fermented Foods Aid Digestion

Blueberry Crisp - Another Chef Tom Recipe

Choosing Kids' Breakfast Cereals

You want a breakfast cereal that is high in fiber and low in sugar. Your kids just want the one in the coolest-looking box. Here are 10 tips for choosing a healthy breakfast cereal.

Diabetic Apple Pie - Chef Tom Cooks

Vegetable Pita Pizzas

Quick Info:

Ingredients

Preparation

Asian Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Apple Glazed Chicken Bundles

Aloha Chicken (Diabetic)

Ways to Cut Your Cancer Risk

I found this informative and decided to share.

You probably already know the top cancer cause — smoking. But you may not be as familiar with all of the other six.

Healthy Snacks

Low-Carb Snack Ideas for People with Diabetes

Yogurt

Orange

Frozen Fruit Bar

Graham Crackers

Milk

Bread with Peanut Butter

Popcorn

Apple

English Muffin with Cheese and Apple Slices

Strawberries and Cottage Cheese

Grapes

Crackers with Peanut Butter

Pudding with Banana Slices

Cereal

Carrots with Ranch Dressing

Pita Bread Pocket with Hummus

Banana Brownie

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Diabetic Exchanges

Apple Crisp

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Diabetic Exchanges

Make Water Taste Better - Part 6

Make Water Taste Better - Part 5

Make Water Taste Better - Part 4

Make Water Taste Better - Part 3

Make Water Taste Better - Part 2

Making Water Taste Better - Part 1

Can Cinnamon Help Treat Diabetes?

Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing

Preparation

Types of Diabetes

Sauteed Mushroom Caps

Roasted Tomatoes

Haddock with Ginger and Lime

Turkey Scaloppini with Lemon

Shrimp Tip

Pepper and Chicken Stir-Fry

Apricot Porridge

Buckwheat Pancakes