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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Bows from Magazines

As the holidays approach we can all remember a time when we had a wrapping emergency as we are running out of the house late for a party and we're all out of wrapping paper! Or maybe your just trying to be more conscious of the environment and love to recycle. Well save your old magazines because here is a great way to make a bow from the pages. And don't forget that paper bags, old newspapers, maps, or fabric scraps can be a great eco-friendly gift wrap.
Cut the page lengthwise into nine 3/4" thick strips in the heights shown above. (three 11", three 10", two 9", one 3.5") Its best if the strips are mostly the same color.

Twist each strip to form loops at both ends. Make a circle out of the smallest. Secure ends with a piece of double stick take.

Layer and stick starting with the longest strips. End with the circle in the center.

Wholeliving December 2010

Monday, November 22, 2010

Natural Cane Glimmer Sugar Scrub

This homemade sugar scrub is so easy to make and looks beautiful sitting out in a bathroom. Not only is this a relaxing gift your yourself that leaves you with tight, soft skin but its also the perfect stocking stuffer for friends and family or a great hostess gift for an upcoming holiday party.

Ingredients
1 cup of Florida's Crystals Natural or Organic Sugar
1 cup of vegetable oil
Oil from 1 vitamin E capsule
1 or 2 drops of essential oil, lavender or orange
1 16-oz glass container with lid

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Using a spatula transfer into the container and secure lid. Contents will settle. Mix before using. Scoop a teaspoon or two of the scrub on your hands and gently massage in a circular motion onto wet skin. Leave on for 3-4 minutes before thoroughly rinsing with warm water. The scrub will tighten your skin.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

First of all I am not sure I can even tell the difference between a sweet potato and a yam, aren't they the same thing? I just read an article from self.com about the difference between the two and I was shocked! The sweet potato which is related to the morning glory, is lower in calories, has a lower glycemic load and is much higher in beta carotene compared to the yam which belongs to the lily family. As the sweet potato is considered to be moderately anti- inflammatory a serving of yams is moderately inflammatory. Although the yam does have a few redeeming qualities like higher levels of vitamin C and folate the sweet potato is a better bet, nutritionally.


But don't panic as the US tends to use the terms "yam" and "sweet potato" interchangeably and the odds are that anything you bought from an American market was probably from the sweet potato family. To find a true yam you'll probably have to go to an international market that carries a lot of African or Caribbean foods. True Yams are quite larger than sweet potatoes and can be up to the length of someones arm, as they are usually cut into smaller chunks.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Low Calorie Pizza Crust

Ever thought about using Phyllo Dough for pizza crust? Well its a great low calorie option and simple to make. Just preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 4 sheets of frozen phyllo dough, thawed in half. Lightly coat 1 piece with cooking spray. Place another phyllo half on top of the first; coat with cooking spray and repeat until all sheets are stacked and coated. Bake until golden brown and crispy (10-12mins); cool. Then top with sauteeded veggies, blue or feta cheese and arugula for a great vegetable pizza crisp. Serves 8.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Workout Trick


For decades we've been told to calculate our peak heart rate (a gauge of how hard to exercise) by subtracting our age from 220. But now researchers from Northwestern medicine say that formula yields numbers too high for women- meaning we've been working too hard! Their new female- friendly math: Multiply your age by 0.88, then subtract that number from 206. Stay within 65-95% of that peak heart rate to get the most bang for your cardio buck. HOW TO TELL IF YOUR HITTING THE TARGET: Stop mid exercise and count your pulse for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 to get your heart rate. If it's too high, slow down, if it's too low and you feel good, step up the pace.

Health Magazine November 2010

Friday, November 12, 2010

Anniversary Dinner

Wednesday night my husband and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. Its crazy how fast time flies by! To make the night extra special I wanted him to come home to an amazing dinner that I made from scratch. My menu included: Parmesan Breadsticks, Lobster, Steamed Vegetables, Lemon Linguini and a Lemon Meringue Cake. Everything was delicious so I wanted to share a few of the recipes.
These were so cute standing up in a glass, you can even tie them up with a ribbon and give them as a hostess gift (FYI-I did not take any of these photos).
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 TB chopped thyme, rosemary and or/sage
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
1/4c + 2 TB cold water
1 large egg white
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with nonstick foil. Pulse first 4 ingredients in a food processor. Add oil and pulse until crumbly. With machine running slowly pour water through feed tube just until dough forms.
  2. Transfer dough to floured cutting board; divide in half and let rest for 10 minutes. With floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece into a 7x9 inch rectangle. Cut dough lengthwise into 14, 1/2" strips. Brush with egg whites and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese. Working with one strip at a time, twist and place lengthwise on 1 baking sheet. Repeat.
  3. Bake until golden brown, 18-20 mins. Let cool. Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Per Serving (2 breadsticks): 83 calories, 3g Fat, 11g Carb, 0g Fiber, 3g Protein.

WeightWatchers Magazine Nov-Dec 2010

The lemon linguini was delicious! Also a great summer recipe served cold. You can always add more to this recipe such as shrimp, asparagus, roasted green beans, chicken, or chopped tomatos if you wanted to make it more of a meal than a side dish.
Ingredients
1lb linquini
1/2 c olive oil
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 2 lemons
1/2 c chopped green onions
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper
lots of parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Cook linguini and drain. Combine next 5 ingredients in a large serving bowl and add pasta. Toss well and then sprinkle in salt and pepper. Toss in parmesan to taste.
  2. Serves 6


Lemon Meringue Cake Ingredients
2c cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1c + 2 TB fat free milk
3/4c + 4TB sugar
1/2c + 2TB fat-free egg substitute
1/4c canola oil
5 large egg whites
6 TB prepared lemon curd (I used a little extra)
Frosting Ingredients
4 large egg whites at room tempature
1c sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 9" round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment or way paper and spray paper with nonstick spray.
  2. To make cake, combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Wisk milk, 3/4c sugar, egg substitute, and oil in a large bowl. Wisk in the flour mixture just until blended.
  3. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg white in another large bowl, until soft peaks form. Add remaining 4 TB of sugar, 1 TB at a time, beating until firm peaks form. With rubber spatula, gently fold beaten egg whites into flour mixture until no streaks of white remain.
  4. Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of each layer comes out clean 30-35 mins. Run knife around each layer to loosen it from pan. Invert each layer onto rack. Remove parchment paper and let cool completely.
  5. With long serrated knife, split each layer in half to make a total of 4 layers (*great trick is to use dental floss instead of a knife). Arrange 3 layers cut side up on work surface and spread 2TB of lemon curd on each layer. Place 1 layer cut side up on a serving plate. Top with two more layers filling side up. Cover with remaining cake layer cut side down. If making ahead, wrap cake tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze up to 1 month. Let thaw in frig overnight.
  6. To make frosting, whisk egg whites and sugar in large metal bowl of eletric stand mixer. Set bowl in large saucepan over 1" simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot 5-7 mins. Transfer bowl to mixer, add vanilla extract and with whisk attachment on med-high speed, beat until stiff glossy peaks form and mixture is completely cool, 5-7 mins. Spread frosting at once over top and sides of cake.
  7. To add pizzazz, ignite a hand held torch as directed. Move the flame continuously in small circles over the frosting until it lightly browned.

Per serving (1/16 of cake) 230 cal, 4g fat, 0g fiber, 5g protein, 44g carbs.

Weight Watchers Nov-Dec 2010 magazine

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Meet the FitBit

The FitBit is an incredible product that is a celebrity favorite. This small piece can be attached to a belt or undergarments and it tracks your fitness and sleep. It records the time you went to bed, the time it took you to fall asleep, times awakened, time you went to sleep for and actual time slept. It also records amounts of steps taken, miles traveled, calories burned, calories consumed, and your activity level (light- very active). Its wireless so the health stats are automatically updated to your computer when your within 15 feet. How cool is this technology! Its only $99 and you can visit their website for more information.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Dining out do's and dont's

Dining out while trying to maintain or lose weight doesn't have to be difficult. Use the strategies below to enjoy an evening out without the stress!

  1. Set A Budget- Determine how much you are going to eat before you head out to the restaurant. Remember you can be a little lenient just add some activity or a brisk walk to your day. Also remember to be flexible on special occasions and enjoy life, just make sure you eat carefully most of the time.
  2. Put On Your Game Face- Determine guidelines- such as skipping the pre-set 5 meal menu special and order al carte menu items. Take one piece of bread and then ask the waiter to remove the basket.
  3. Make Special Request-Hold the cheese, sauce or dressing on the side, substitute a side salad or veggies for the french fries etc.
  4. Practice Portion Control- Ask for a to go box when the meal arrives and put away half your meal before you start eating (save for lunch or dinner tomorrow). Order a salad first and share and entree with a friend or just order a few appetizers instead of an entire entree.
  5. Break Down (Language) Barriers- If you don't know ask!? These words tend to mean high fat , high calories dishes- Au gratin, hollandaise, fried, sauteed, scalloped, bolognese, scampi, parmigiana etc.
  6. Downsize The Super Size- Order a children's meal or a smaller meal like a basic burger. After the first few bites it all starts to taste the same.
  7. Watch Out For Extras- such as cheese, bacon, mayo, double patties, bread, etc.
  8. Don't Go Top Heavy- Extra toppings on your salad can sabotage your efforts. Go light on croutons, cheese, bacon and dressing.
  9. Don't Drink Away Your Progress- Drinking with the meal is fine but too many margaritas may wreck havoc on your diet. Remember to alternate each drink with water.
  10. Resign From The "Clean Plate Club"- remember it takes 20 minutes for your body to feel full.
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