Archive for February, 2009
There are about a googillion songs about love – so which one to pick? Something to get you dancing. Something fun. Something you can sing along to. Something to appeal to everyone, no matter what kind of relationship you’re in. Ahhh – here we go. Ready to dance? This one will help you work up a sweat. Enjoy. ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
When buying bulk items, don’t overdo it. You think you’re going to save money buying the 64 pack of toilet paper, or the 4 gallon pack of window cleaner, or the 2-quart shaker of cinnamon. But you have to have the space to put it. And excuse me, but do you really want your whirlpool tub – you know, the one you never use anyway, because it takes so long to fill, and it’s so hard to clean – or spare bedroom, or hall closet, or basement shower – to be a big storage container for toilet paper? Also – you just spent money that could be earning interest (however little) in the bank instead. Or maybe it could have been used toward paying down your credit card debt. What’s the best use of your money? Finally – the more you have, the more you tend to use. If you know there’s more tp in that whirlpool tub, you’re probably going to be wasteful. After all, there’s no need to be attentive to what you really need, if there’s always a big stash somewhere. Shop smarter. Sometimes bulk is good. Sometimes bulk is just more stuff.
This is what you’ve been waiting for … chocolate. Chocolate in a delectable, delightful, delicious dessert. Because that’s what Valentine’s Day food is all about. These recipes do not disappoint. They are amazing. AND – bonus points – they are healthier than the big ol’ heart-shaped box of chocolates, for sure. Enjoy. ♥ ♥ ♥ This mousse is rich and chocolate-y. Chocolate Mousse I one 10 oz. bag Tropical Source brand non-dairy chocolate chips Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, or in a Pyrex bowl over a pan of boiling water. Place remaining ingredients in a blender (or food processor with the blade attachment) and process until smooth. Add melted chocolate and blend thoroughly. Spoon into individual ramekins, sherbet glasses or dessert cups. Refrigerate. Mixture will set after cooling for 1-2 hours. ♥ ♥ ♥ This mousse is lighter and more like whipped cream. Chocolate Mousse II one box of SoyaToo soy whip (whipped cream substitute) Whip the SoyaToo with a mixer as directed on the package. Sprinkle with the sugar and cocoa powder, and whip for another 30 seconds to combine. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and whip for 30 seconds more. Spoon into dessert dishes and refrigerate. *unless you use it to re-enact the refrigerator scene from 9-1/2 Weeks ♥ ♥ ♥ Chocolate Lovers’ Hazelnut Macaroons 1 cup hazelnuts Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the hazelnuts in a 9×13 metal baking pan, and bake 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool. Line two large cookie sheets with foil. Place the hazelnuts in a clean dish towel and rub them back and forth to remove the skins. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the hazelnuts, Sucanat, cocoa, chocolate chips, and salt until the nuts and chocolate are finely ground. Add the egg whites and vanilla and process until blended. On a prepared cookie sheet, drop the dough by rounded teaspoons, using another spoon to release batter. Leave 2″ between cookies. Bake 10 minutes, rotating sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through baking, or until the tops feel firm when pressed lightly. Cool on the cookie sheets on wire racks. ♥ ♥ ♥ These are great brownies. For a special dessert, serve with Soy Dream French Vanilla “ice cream” and some fresh strawberries. Killer Brownies 4 oz unsweetened chocolate Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease and flour a 9×9 or 8×8 baking pan. Over the lowest possible heat, melt chocolate and Earth Balance in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Combine the Sucanat, eggs, and vanilla in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk together until slightly frothy. Add cooled chocolate mixture and mix until just combined. Add flour and salt and mix until well-combined. Add walnuts if desired, and mix. Place batter in pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
Do you like the thought of staying in bed on Friday the 13th? Statistics (at least those reported via the first couple of pages of a Google search) go both ways on this being a day of bad luck. Perhaps it’s what YOU make of it. Enjoy the day … and look both ways before you step off the curb, mkay?
Do you know what every charge stands for on your phone or cable bill? Do you know where you stand financially each month? Designate a monthly credit card and bill scrutiny day. Gather and then carefully analyze all your monthly bills to see if you have any unfair, hidden, or unnecessary charges. Check your balances and payments due, ensuring all previous payments have been credited to you. Make a list of your questions, and call the companies to get your answers. Be aware of your total financial health. Photo by Zsuzsanna Kilián
February is all about heart health, so make an appointment to get your heart checked. Many women see their gynecologists as their primary care physicians and never have their hearts checked by internists or cardiologists. Get a stress test, and echo, and EKG, a C-reactive protein test, or whatever it takes to learn the condition of your heart. Photo by LotusHead
Today we’ll have some side dishes you can serve on Valentine’s Day – or anytime you want something simple and still impressive. Roasted Beets and Carrots 6 small beets, trimmed, with 1″ of stems attached (about 2.5 lbs with greens) Preheat the oven to 450F. Wrap the beets tightly in foil, making two packages, and roast in the middle of the oven until tender, about 1-1/4 hours. In a shallow baking pan, toss the carrots with the oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Roast the carrots in the middle of the oven until tender, about 20 minutes. While the carrots are roasting, unwrap the beets, and when just cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and remove the stems. Cut each beet into six wedges. Add the beets to the carrots, tossing to combine, and roast until the beets are hot and the carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes more. French Mustard Mixed Vegetables 1/2 cup carrots, cut into 1-1/2″ pieces In a steamer over simmering water, steam the carrots for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower and broccoli, and steam until barely tender, about 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the mustard, honey, and dill weed to make a smooth sauce. Mix the sauce with the cooked vegetables and stir. Serve hot. Mixed Green Salad with Arugula 1 bunch organic butter lettuce, torn In a large bowl, combine the butter lettuce, arugula, romaine, and basil. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve. *chiffonade – Tear the basil leaves from the stem, and stack them on the cutting board. Tightly roll the leaves into a long cigar shape. Slice the cigar shape very finely. The resulting finely sliced leaves are chiffonade.
…it’s time to take a break. Did you know that exercise is a great stress reducer? Yep. When you get moving, your brain pumps out more endorphins – those are the feel-good neurotransmmitters. And we can all use a little more feel-good. So all you hard-working independent women (and men), stand up, turn up your sound, and click the green arrow. You can still join the THM® on a Budget class. Classes are free with membership – if you’re not a member, join now and get good health with smart money.
Valentine’s Day can be a landmine of food choices – all that chocolate usually equals sugar + dairy, two things we avoid on THM®. Or maybe you indulge in rich foods, and all that fat could float you to China. Perhaps you order one of those “dinner for two” specials, and that means you’re stuck eating red meat. It’s always good to have a few recipes in the Very Special Meal category. Today’s recipes will tickle your tastebuds, crush your cravings, and give you energy for … well, exercise. We’ll start with the main dish – one fish, one chicken, and one vegan. Salmon in Orange-Ginger Cream Sauce 3/4 cup Vegenaise Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Vegenaise, soy yogurt, ginger, orange zest, orange juice, and capers. Refrigerate until ready to serve. In a small saucepan over medium heat, boil 1-1/2 cups water. Add the peppercorns and bay leaf, and simmer for 3 minutes. Place the salmon fillets in a 9×13 baking dish, and pour the water over the fillets. Put the pan in the oven, and let the fish poach for 20-30 minutes, or until the fish is flaky. Carefully remove the fish from the water, and serve with the chilled cream sauce. Chicken Paillards with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Wilted Greens 2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved and trimmed of fat and membranes Flatten each breast half into a paillard by pounding it between two pieces of wax paper with a mallet or rolling pin or heavy skillet. You can make them paper-thin, or as thick as 1/4 inch. Place the garlic, mustard, vinegar, and olive oil in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade. Blend until the mixture starts to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place the paillards in a large shallow ceramic or glass container, and pour about 1/4 cup of the marinade over them. Cover and let them sit at room temperature no longer than 1 hour, or refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Refrigerate the remaining marinade separately. Heat a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Remove as much of the marinade as possible from the paillards and discard. When the skillet is hot, add 2 paillards, reduce heat to medium and dook for about 1-2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Repeat with the other 2 paillards. Serve the hot paillards, whole or shredded, over the greens, which will wilt from the heat. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the paillards. Lentils and Roasted Leeks 4 organic leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced in half lengthwise, and carefully washed to remove all sand Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the leeks cut side up on a baking sheet and top with the tomatoes, also cut side up. Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the leeks and tomatoes are soft. In a frying pan over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and cook the garlic for 1 minute or until soft. Add the lentils and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes to let the flavors come together. To serve, place the leeks and tomatoes on serving plates. Stir the parsley, mirin, salt, and pepper to taste into the lentils. Spoon the lentils over the leeks and tomatoes, and serve.
Something you’ll see in many recipes at Marilu.com, Bragg Liquid Aminos is a liquid protein concentrate, derived from soybeans, that contains essential and non-essential amino acids in naturally occurring amounts. Bragg’s has a very distinct taste – it’s not as salty as salt or soy sauce, and it definitely has its own character. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is made of soybeans and water only. There are no additives, preservatives, chemicals, coloring agents, or added sodium. It is gluten-free, cholesterol-free, and free of uric acid. Braggs is not fermented or heated and is easily digestible. It contains the following essential and non-essential amino acids:
Bragg’s is a healthy, gourmet replacement for tamari and soy sauce. It is great on salads & in dressings, soups, veggies, rice & beans, tofu, wok & stir-frys, tempeh, casseroles, potatoes, fish, popcorn, gravies & sauces, macrobiotics. It is certified non-GMO. The company is also very conscientious about any consumer concerns – to read more, check the company’s website. Recipe ideas using Bragg Liquid Aminos
While steamed veggies are wonderful plain in all their own glorious flavor, a good way to try Bragg’s is to squirt (you can buy it in a small bottle with a pump spray – see below) a few pumps of it onto some of your favorite steamed veggies. Spraying Bragg’s on your (air-popped for health!) popcorn is delicious. (Some members like to add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast after the Bragg’s.) When you make a salad, instead of covering it with dressing, try a few squirts of Bragg’s. Spray a little olive oil and a little Bragg’s on your favorite fish, wrap in foil and bake in a 350-375 degree oven for about 15 minutes (time will depend on the fish). Or try the same thing with foil packets of veggies. Or cook the fish or veggies on a “George Foreman” grill after spritzing with olive oil and some Bragg’s. Get Bragg Liquid Aminos at your local health food store, or click below to purchase it at Amazon.com.
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