Slice of Sunshine

The Mighty Lemon

    Lemons are very common, and can be found almost anywhere. They are used for cleaning, for their aroma, and in food and drinks... as both an ingredient and a garnish. But these little yellow jewels are far beyond an ordinary fruit. And although life may hand you a lemon... you can do so much more than just make lemonade!                                                                               

   The perks lemons can provide to the body are endless.

For the Skin:   Lemon water cleans the skin, ridding it of bacteria and preventing breakouts.  This leaves your skin looking fresh and healthy!  Lemon pulp is also excellent for the skin and can also soothe insect bites and stings.  Topically applied, it can help stop bleeding (though it may sting a bit).  If you add equal parts of water, lemon, and sugar, the mixture can be used to keep the hands smooth.

Relieve Fevers:  Lemon is very good for cooling the body.  It does this by encouraging the body to sweat. Lemon juice combined with water and honey is the best natural tonic to take when you have a fever. 

Relieve Hiccups:  For  every person that hates the hiccups, there is an equal amount of theories on how to get rid of them.  The best way...  lemon and warm water! So stop standing on your head and take a drink!

Digestion:  Lemon with hot water acts as a liver tonic and eases a multitude of digestion problems including nausea, heartburn, and gallstones.  Lemon stimulates your body's production of bile, aiding in prompt food  digestion.

Weight loss: Lemon is a natural diuretic and helps flush out toxins and bacteria. On top of being an easy calorie burner, lemon and water help detoxify your system.

    Two super easy tips to help you incorporate lemon into your diet are to add slices of fresh lemon to all of your beverages, especially water. It will give it and you a refreshing boost. Use lemon as a flavoring to eliminate some sodium in your dishes.

    Here are some great recipes to start you off on your journey with lemons.

Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

1/8 cup Olive Oil                                                                                                 

1 Tbl Dijon Mustard

½ Lemon, juice and zest

TT Black Pepper

TT Salt

1Tbl Basil, chopped

1 tsp Honey

1- Mix Olive Oil, Mustard, Lemon, Salt, Pepper, Basil, and Honey until thoroughly combined.

Blueberry Lemon Poptarts
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbs sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
1/2 lb unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes and frozen
6 tbs coconut butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3/4 cup ice water
1 egg, lightly beaten
Blueberry filling (recipe follows)

1- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Freeze the flour mixture, butter, shortening.
2- Pulse the mixture in food processor, in five second bursts until the butter and shortening are the size of small peas. Add the ice water and pulse until the dough just comes together.
3- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, divide in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
4- Preheat oven to 350F.
5- Remove one dough from the refrigerator and roll until 1/8 inch thick.
6- Cut 14 - 3"x2" rectangles of dough.
7- Place 2 teaspoons of blueberry filling on 7 of the rectangles, leaving a 1/4 inch border all around. Lightly brush border with egg wash and top each with another rectangle of dough. Crimp edges of the pocket with the tines of a fork to seal and slash the tops of the pockets with a very sharp knife.
8-  Place pockets on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Lightly brush the tops of the pockets with egg wash and lightly sprinkle with sugar.
9- Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees at the halfway point, until the pockets are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack. Poptarts are best served warm.

    Blueberry Lemon Filling

           1 cup blueberries

           1/4 cup water

           Zest of 1 lemon

           2 tbs cornstarch
           1/4 cup lemon juice
           1/4 cup sugar
           Pinch of salt

1- In a bowl, combine the cornstarch and lemon juice and mix until the mixture is smooth.
2- In a small saucepan, combine the water, blueberries and lemon zest and heat to a simmer. Let cook for 3-4 minutes, until the berries soften.
3- Add the cornstarch mixture, sugar and salt and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until the mixture is translucent.
4- Remove from heat and let cool completely before using as blueberry pocket filling.

“If life gives you lemons, make some kind of fruity juice.” -Conan O’brien

     Wishing You a
Happy & Healthy New Year

Make 2016 Your Healthiest Year Yet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Too many of us are too familiar 

with this New Year's  scenerio... 

the ball drops, you vow to keep 

your distance from carbs and spend  

the rest of the year on the treadmill, but two weeks intoJanuary, your  motivation plummets, your starch cravings have become difficult to ignore, and  you've skipped morethan a few days at the gym. Come February, your sneakers  have collected dust and you've forgotten all about your New Year's resolution.

Swap Sugary Drinks For Water
Water is one of the best tools for weight loss  because it 

doesn't have any calories.It is also a great appetite 

suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're 

really just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, 

no sugar, so drink plenty to help your weight-loss.  

Aim For 5 Servings Of Fruits And 

Veg Per Day 

Fruit and vegetables taste  

delicious and there's so much 

variety to choose from.  They're 

a good source of  vitamins and minerals, and dietary fiber. They can also help reduce the risk of  heart disease, 

stroke and some cancers. Fruit and vegetables are low in 

fat and  calories and high in taste.

Add More Fiber to Your Diet
Fiber-rich foods decrease hunger, so you are likely  to 

eat less during the day. You can easily add more to your 

diet by having high  fiber cereal for breakfast, or as a 

snack mixed with yogurt in the  afternoon.

Eat Breakfast
Did you know... in order to gain weight, sumo  wrestlers  in Japan don't eat breakfast? Really! Skipping  breakfast slows down the metabolism and encourages weight gain.Start your day with a  breakfast  that combines fiber and lean  protein, in order to rev up your  metabolism and keep you full till lunchtime.
Increase your Dairy Intake
Not getting enough calcium triggers the release of a hormone that causes fat storage. Meeting your daily 

calcium  needs helps you burn fat more efficiently. 

Choose low-fat dairy  products for the nutrients your body needs, without the extra calories.

Spice it up
Increasing your intake of capsaicin temporarily boosts your  metabolism and 

helps you feel satiated after meals. Try adding Tabasco sauce to your eggs, 

curry to your soup, and  hot peppers to your chili. Spices will add flavor and health benefits to your  dish.

Start your Meal with Soup
Soup is one of the most filling foods, and a big  bowl of it is a great way to avoid   higher calorie temptations.  Aim for  broth based soups   filled with vegetables, which tend to have a lot fewer  calories than cream based soups. 

Remember, these tips are not just for weight loss  but also to make you feel more energized, stronger, healthier and younger. Live  a better quality of life.  Don't give up because you splurged.  DON'T GIVE UP !!
Good luck in sticking with the resolutions and  shedding the pounds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Schedule Your Nutritional Consultation Today

Don't wait! Schedule meal services for yourself or a loved one today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Slice of Sunshine...

The Mighty Lemon

    Lemons are very common, and can be found almost anywhere. They are used for cleaning, for their aroma, and in food and drinks... as both an ingredient and a garnish. But these little yellow jewels are far beyond an ordinary fruit. And although life may hand you a lemon... you can do so much more than just make lemonade!                                                                               

   The perks lemons can provide to the body are endless.

For the Skin:   Lemon water cleans the skin, ridding it of bacteria and preventing breakouts.  This leaves your skin looking fresh and healthy!  Lemon pulp is also excellent for the skin and can also soothe insect bites and stings.  Topically applied, it can help stop bleeding (though it may sting a bit).  If you add equal parts of water, lemon, and sugar, the mixture can be used to keep the hands smooth.

Relieve Fevers:  Lemon is very good for cooling the body.  It does this by encouraging the body to sweat. Lemon juice combined with water and honey is the best natural tonic to take when you have a fever. 

Relieve Hiccups:  For  every person that hates the hiccups, there is an equal amount of theories on how to get rid of them.  The best way...  lemon and warm water! So stop standing on your head and take a drink!

Digestion:  Lemon with hot water acts as a liver tonic and eases a multitude of digestion problems including nausea, heartburn, and gallstones.  Lemon stimulates your body's production of bile, aiding in prompt food  digestion.

Weight loss: Lemon is a natural diuretic and helps flush out toxins and bacteria. On top of being an easy calorie burner, lemon and water help detoxify your system.

   
    Two super easy tips to help you incorporate lemon into your diet are to add slices of fresh lemon to all of your beverages, especially water. It will give it and you a refreshing boost. Use lemon as a flavoring to eliminate some sodium in your dishes.

    Here are some great recipes to start you off on your journey with lemons.

Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

1/8 cup Olive Oil                                                                                                 

1 Tbl Dijon Mustard

½ Lemon, juice and zest

TT Black Pepper

TT Salt

1Tbl Basil, chopped

1 tsp Honey

1- Mix Olive Oil, Mustard, Lemon, Salt, Pepper, Basil, and Honey until thoroughly combined.

Blueberry Lemon Poptarts
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbs sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
1/2 lb unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes and frozen
6 tbs coconut butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3/4 cup ice water
1 egg, lightly beaten
Blueberry filling (recipe follows)

1- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Freeze the flour mixture, butter, shortening.
2- Pulse the mixture in food processor, in five second bursts until the butter and shortening are the size of small peas. Add the ice water and pulse until the dough just comes together.
3- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, divide in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
4- Preheat oven to 350F.
5- Remove one dough from the refrigerator and roll until 1/8 inch thick.
6- Cut 14 - 3"x2" rectangles of dough.
7- Place 2 teaspoons of blueberry filling on 7 of the rectangles, leaving a 1/4 inch border all around. Lightly brush border with egg wash and top each with another rectangle of dough. Crimp edges of the pocket with the tines of a fork to seal and slash the tops of the pockets with a very sharp knife.
8-  Place pockets on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Lightly brush the tops of the pockets with egg wash and lightly sprinkle with sugar.
9- Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees at the halfway point, until the pockets are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack. Poptarts are best served warm.

    Blueberry Lemon Filling

           1 cup blueberries

           1/4 cup water

           Zest of 1 lemon

           2 tbs cornstarch
           1/4 cup lemon juice
           1/4 cup sugar
           Pinch of salt

1- In a bowl, combine the cornstarch and lemon juice and mix until the mixture is smooth.
2- In a small saucepan, combine the water, blueberries and lemon zest and heat to a simmer. Let cook for 3-4 minutes, until the berries soften.
3- Add the cornstarch mixture, sugar and salt and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until the mixture is translucent.
4- Remove from heat and let cool completely before using as blueberry pocket filling.

“If life gives you lemons, make some kind of fruity juice.” -Conan O’brien

Healthy Changes for a Happy New Year

Happy New Years (ok, so I'm a day or 2... or 3 late)!

 

     Too many of us are too familiar with this New Year's scenerio... the ball drops, you vow to keep your distance from carbs and spend the rest of the year on the treadmill, but two weeks into January, your motivation plummets, your starch cravings have become difficult to ignore, and you've skipped more than a few days at the gym. Come February, your sneakers have collected dust and you've forgotten all about your New Year's resolution.

     Sounds too familiar, right? Well, you are certainly not alone!  Two of the most common New Year's resolutions are to lose weight and exercise more often.  Rather than setting yourself up for failure, why not start 2011 off on the right foot by making healthy life changes you can actually keep? 

     A few EASY ways that you can keep your healthy resolutions all year long are to make small changes that will transform your life.  Here are some suggestions to make the most of your New Year’s resolution:

Aim For 5 Servings Of Fruits And Vegetables Per Day

Fruit and vegetables taste delicious and there's so much variety to choose from. They're a good source of vitamins and minerals, and dietary fiber. They can also help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Fruit and vegetables are low in fat and calories and high in taste!

Swap Sugary Drinks For Water

Water is one of the best tools for weight loss because it doesn't have

any calories.  It is also a great  appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're really just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar, so drink plenty to help your weight-loss.

Eat Breakfast

Did you know... in order to gain weight, sumo wrestlers in Japan don't eat breakfast?  Really! Skipping breakfast slows down the metabolism and encourages weight gain. Start your day with a breakfast that combines fiber and lean protein, in order to rev up your metabolism and keep you full till lunchtime.

Add More Fiber to Your Diet

Fiber-rich foods decrease hunger, so you are likely to eat less during the day. You can easily add more to your diet by having high fiber cereal for breakfast, or as a snack mixed with yogurt in the afternoon.

Increase your Dairy Intake

Not getting enough calcium triggers the release of calcitrol, a hormone that causes fat storage. Instead meeting your daily calcium needs helps you burn fat more efficiently. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products for the nutrients your body needs, without the extra calories.

Spice it up

Increasing your intake of capsaicin (the compound that gives hot sauce and chili peppers their kick) temporarily boosts your metabolism and helps you feel satiated after meals. Go ahead and heat things up.  Try adding Tabasco sauce to your eggs, curry to your soup, and hot peppers to your chili. Spices will add flavor and health benefits to your dish.

Start your meal with soup

Soup is one of the most filling foods, and a big bowl of it is a great way to avoid higher calorie temptations. Most soups are low in calories and high in fiber, making them healthy and satisfying. Aim for broth based soups filled with vegetables, which tend to have a lot fewer calories than cream based soups.



 Remember, these tips are not just for weight loss but also to make you feel more energized, stronger, healthier and younger. Live a better quality of life.  Don’t give up because you splurged. DON’T GIVE UP !!
     Good luck in sticking with the resolutions and shedding the pounds.

Enjoy!
Chef Heather