Kitchen Activites

Cooking Light is an enjoyable read for individuals interested in staying fit and eating healthier. There are articles in every issue on healthy living and on cooking healthy food. The healthy living articles cover a broad area — anything from healthy hair and skin to flexibility exercises to do with a partner. Articles often have a seasonal connection, for instance during the summer, the workout article may be based on exercises to do in the pool, whereas winter fitness articles may center around winter activities such as skiing and snowshoeing. Seasonal themes often show up in the cooking articles also — particularly in the “In Season” column. (more…)

This pesto would make a wonderful snack with some raw veggies or gluten free crackers, spread on a pizza crust for a base, or with your choice of pasta, as long as it’s not refined! ;).  Pasta is typically a comfort food for a lot of people but can also contribute to a big belly if you are eating the wrong kind.  Hopefully by now you have experimented with different types of pasta and will never turn back to the nutrient stripped white pasta that eventually breaks down into sugar.  Years ago we made the switch to whole wheat pasta but have now learned that gluten isn’t very easy to digest and that there are much healthier options.  We love eating quinoa pasta and rice pasta.  Kamut and spelt, although not gluten free are also a nice alternative as they are easier to digest than wheat, if that is a concern for you.

On to the recipe…

Kale Walnut Pesto: (more…)

So this is how I’ve been keeping busy over the past week or so… it took 3 tries, but here I present:

Gluten-free, vegan, low-sugar (but still yummy!) Pumpkin Pie

3.5 Tbsp tapioca flour (or cassava, from Asian or Caribbean grocery)**

• 400g EcoMil vanilla almond dessert (recipe originally called for amazake; soya dessert could also work but haven’t tried it)
• 125g fructose
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 4 tsp. cinnamon or to taste
• 2 tsp. mixed spice or to taste
• 100g firm silken tofu (Clearspring UHT is good)
• 425g cooked and pureed pumpkin – Libby’s gives best results, use whole can (organic pumpkin wasn’t as good)
• 9” or 10” gluten-free pie crust – I used ready-made pastry (Genius) but it does have some whey in it; read ingredients carefully

Note: This is not a quick recipe! It’s faster with a food processor or blender to puree the mixture, but allow at least an hour to get the filling ready.

Cook the tapioca flour in the vanilla dessert until the mixture has thickened enough to stand a spoon in it. (more…)

You can even find ready to drink teas that confidently say “Southern Style” on their product labels; however I make certain that most people can enjoy the authentic thing much more. In the southern area of United States, sweet iced tea is really an old-fashioned beverage that it is basically recognized as “Tea”. Without having need to specify the sweetness, or even the ice!

If all your family is anything like mine, you will know that nothing at all is better to drink than an iced sweet tea. It enhances any meal tastes better on a hot day. Only a handful of sweet tea is just like you most likely know. I don’t also bother to buy tea from certain menu as it is either instant tea or even brewed tea without having taste.

After several years of raising 4 kids and marital relationship of almost 35 years, (more…)

This past week I worked on organizing my friend’s top-freezer in her kitchen.  It was a blast, probably because friendship – and children playing together nicely – makes any project go by quickly.

I spent two afternoons with her and a few trips to one of my favorite stores, The Container Store.  I hadn’t been there in a while and if I wasn’t focused on finishing Mollie’s freezer, I may have gotten swept away in their giant Spring Organization Sale going on now.  But I remained strong (ha!) and powered through. (more…)