Craving mashed potatoes, but don't want the extra calories?

Here is a great recipe for faux mashed potatoes that is low in calories but high in veggies!

Ingredients

* 1 large head Cauliflower
* Olive Oil, 2 tbsp
* 1 large carrot
* Garlic, 12 cloves
* 1 medium red onion
* 1 cup Plain Fat Free Yogurt,
* Rosemary, dried, 1 tsp
* salt
* pepper

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 450 F.
1. Break up head of cauliflower into small pieces
2. Peel and chop up carrot
3. Peel garlic and lightly smash each clove
4. Mix oil, spices, garlic, cauliflower and carrot in zip lock bag to coat
5. Roast in oven for 20 minutes then toss. Roast additional 20 minutes or until soft/
6. Meanwhile, saute sliced onion using PAM.
7. Once done roasting, put all vegetables and yogurt into blender or food processor and blend until desired consistency.


Add any additional spices to taste.

Number of Servings: 6

7 suprising things you're not supposed to know about suncreen!

We are taught and conditioned to think sunscreen is a healthy choice to prevent sun damage. But this article http://www.naturalnews.com/032815_sunscreen_chemicals.html is eye opening about topics around the sun and sunscreen that are not openly discussed. Also did you know that the foods you eat can boost internal sun resistance?

How to make Spaghetti Squash

Have you ever made spaghetti squash for yourself or your family? Well if not its a must try! Spaghetti squash is a great way to enjoy a big bowl of pasta without all the extra calories. You can add just about anything to your spaghetti squash to bring this meal to life. I usually saute squash, zucchini and onions and mix with tomato sauce and top with a dollop of ricotta cheese. This is one of my favorite dishes!

However, if you still are hesitant to give up real pasta, try combining half a serving of pasta to half a serving of spaghetti squash. You still have the same great texture and taste of pasta with a bonus serving of vegetables!

Watch this great video on how to make spaghetti squash!

The best organic coffee

Below is a list of some of the best organic coffee brands, where the entire product line of the brand is organic in nature.


Marques de Paiva ®
•Brazilian coffee house established in 1895
•Organic certification by the USDA and Fair Trade certified
•Roasting plants produce zero carbon dioxide emissions
•100% pure Arabica beans are used
•Comes in family sized 40 ounce bags or smaller 12 ounce and 10 ounce packets
•Roast types include: Lighter Roasted/Medium/Dark/Decaffeinated
•Average product price range between $15 and $25

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
•Coffee from 3 different continents - the Americas, Africa and Asia (Indonesia)
•100% pure Arabica beans used
•Fair Trade Certified products
•The company that developed the ecotainer™ - alternative natural material cup as opposed to paper cups
•Select from 5 different grind types like Turkish/Infusion/Espresso
•Organic coffees also available in K-Cups, single or in packs of 24 cups
•Choose from a wide variety of flavors like Country Blend/Wild Mountain Blueberry/Sumatran Reserve among others
•Average product price between $9 and $20

Rogers Family Organic Coffee Co.
•100% Arabica bean coffee
•Fair Trade certified coffee
•Company buys from other farms and has 6 organic farms of its own
•Different varieties of coffees, from custom blends to single origin to decaf and flavored
•Special "Rainforest Blend" combines coffees from Mexico, Guetemala, Colombia and Indonesia and comes in a 3 lbs bag
•Coffee comes in 12 ounce or 2 pound sized packages
•Average product price range between $5 to $26

Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee
•USDA certified organic coffee of German production
•Made from 100% pure Arabica beans
•Instant coffee also available in decaf blend
•Available in 3.5 ounce bottles or single serve sticks of 1.76 ounce
•Approx 1 jar yields 60 cups of coffee
•Price range between $20 and $50

Equal Exchange
•100% Arabica beans used
•Comes in 10, 12 ounces, 1 and 2 pounds sized packages
•Coffee types include Origin/Flavored/Decaf/Espresso/Blends
•Flavors include: Toffee Caramel, Sumatran, Peru French, Mexican, French Vanilla and lots more
•Product range includes organic teas, sugar, chocolate and cocoa
•Price range between $30 and $50

Caffe Ibis®
•USDA certified, QAI (Quality Assurance International) certified and Fair Trade certified
•Coffee available in 12 ounce and 5 pound sized packets
•Coffee flavors include: Highland Sumatra/Logan Canyon Blend/Decaf Organic French Roast/Organic Aztec Dark/Organic Café Femenino
•Average price range is between $10 to $ 15

Ethical Bean Coffee
•Canadian coffee manufacturer
•Certified as organic by the QAI
•Fair Trade certified
•Flavors include: rocket fuel/lush/mellow/decaf/exotic/bold/classic/sweet espresso
•Comes in 12 ounce packets
•Price range between $10 and $25

CUNDI COFFEE
•Organic certified by the USDA and Fair Trade certified
•100% Arabica coffee beans used
•Comes in 1, 2 and 4 pound sized packets
•Dark and medium roast available
•Price range between $12 to $50

From the above best organic coffee brands, you can see the reasonable price and diverse range of flavors and blend types available. Choosing an organic coffee brand counts as a step towards helping the environment, helping those less fortunate and helping your health in the long run. The search for organic brands may be difficult but with above round-up of the best organic coffee brands, it just became a whole lot easier. So get brewing!

Source buzzle.com

Take a moment....

Every day we wake up with a "to do" list. Whether it is rushing to a work meeting, picking the kids up from school, packing lunch, making dinner, grocery shopping, post office, cleaning, running errands etc,. it seems like we never take a moment to stop and appreciate everything around us. Remember when you were younger you would find a four leaf clover among the patch of grass, notice the new color of the neighbors front door or a lady bug crawling on a new oak leaf, or just stare at the sky looking at the shapes of the clouds? I want to bring back this feeling of awe and excitement.

Your homework this weekend is to stop everything you are doing for one minute (or longer), take a deep breath and look at the beauty around you.

Benefits of an Avocado!

Top 10 reasons to add an Avocado to your daily menu!

Prostate Cancer Prevention

Avocados have been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer.

Oral Cancer Defense
Research has shown that certain compounds in avocados are able to seek out pre-cancerous and cancerous oral cancer cells and destroy them without harming healthy cells.

Breast Cancer Prevention
Avocado, like olive oil, is high in oleic acid, which has been shown to prevent breast cancer in numerous studies.

Eye Health
Avocados have more of the carotenoid lutein than any other commonly consumed fruit. Lutein protects against macular degeneration and cataracts, two disabling age-related eye diseases.

Lower Cholesterol
Avocados are high in beta-sitosterol, a compound that has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. In one study, 45 volunteers experienced an average drop in cholesterol of 17% after eating avocados for only one week.

Heart Health
One cup of avocado has 23% of the recommended daily value of folate. Studies show that people who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower incidence of heart disease than those who don't. The vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, and glutathione in avocado are also great for your heart.

Stroke Prevention
The high levels of folate in avocado are also protective against strokes. People who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower risk of stroke than those who don't.

Better Nutrient Absorption
Research has found that certain nutrients are absorbed better when eaten with avocado. In one study, when participants ate a salad containing avocados, they absorbed five times the amount of carotenoids (a group of nutrients that includes lycopene and beta carotene) than those who didn't include avocados.

Glutathione Source
Avocados are an excellent source of glutathione, an important antioxidant that researchers say is important in preventing aging, cancer, and heart disease.

Vitamin E Powerhouse
Avocados are the best fruit source of vitamin E, an essential vitamin that protects against many diseases and helps maintains overall health.





Source: healthdiaries.com

Zucchini "Fettuccine"

I made this recipe for Jason and I this weekend and it was great! Its the perfect fresh salad before dinner!

To make dressing whisk 1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar, 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper in a large bowl until blended. Stir in 2 thinly sliced shallots (I didn't have any shallots so I just used a sweet onion).  With swivel blade vegetable peeler, peel each of 4 green zucchini and 4 golden zucchini or yellow crookneck squash lengthwise into 3/4 inch wide strips, stopping at seeded center of each. Discard seeded centers. Add zucchini strips and 1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves to dressing; toss. Let stand until flavors are blended about 5 minutes. Divide mixture among 4 serving bowls. Top evenly with 4 seeded and diced plum tomatoes and 6 TB crumbled low fat goat cheese or blue cheese.

Per serving: (generous 1.5 cups_ 176 calories, 9g total fat, 5g fiber, 9g protein

**I saved the seeded centers and threw them on the grill. Perfect for a grilled veggie sandwich for lunch the following day!