Healthy Summer Grilling

Summertime cookouts are all about fun, relaxation, and taking advantage of the bountiful supply of seasonal, antioxidant-rich produce and light lean fare that nourishes and hydrates our bodies during those hot summer months.  Try incorporating these tips into your cookouts to set a healthful tone:

1. Choose lean meats:  When it comes to red meat, the leanest cuts include the words loin, chuck or round.   For chicken, choose white, boneless breasts.  For pork or lamb, choose tenderloin, the loin chop or the leg.  For fish, most varieties are very lean, with salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines being particularly high in heart-healthy omega-3 fats.
   
2. Makeover marinades: Ditch packaged marinades and use fresh juice from citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit and lemons, along with fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, basil or mint for a fresh antioxidant-rich marinade. And for a light, refreshing topping for meat, poultry or fish, mix a fresh fruit salsa with mangoes, strawberries, parsley and onions. 
3. Focus on fresh for sides, dessert and snacks:  With an endless supply of delicious vegetables at their peak like summer squash, zucchini, and eggplant, and succulent and hydrating fruits like peaches, mangoes, melons and cherries, scrap the canned beans, boxed brownies, and bag of chips.  Think grilled Portobello mushrooms and corn on the cob and then grilled peaches with low fat frozen yogurt for dessert.  And for an easy and hydrating snack, freeze grapes, berries or bananas.
4. Explore a variety of summer salads: Get creative and incorporate seasonal produce into summer salads like a refreshing watermelon salad with cilantro, mint and olive oil, or a melon and mozzarella salad. Add some nuts and light vinaigrette, and you have a salad bursting with antioxidants and nutrients. 
5. Involve your little helpers: Make cookouts fun and hands-on for the kids.  Give them summer-inspired shape cutters to cut out "star fish” or "surf board” melon shaped pieces.  Challenge them to stack a rainbow of fruits onto skewers, and use it as an opportunity to teach them the value of the colors of health. ~Freshfield Farms

Eat Simply and Feel Wonderful

 

BLOG by Louise L. Hay

One of the essentials to good health is learning to provide quality nutrition for our bodies in the food we eat. It seems that as Americans we have drifted away from healthful eating to the convenience of fast foods.
We are the sickest, most overweight nation in the Western world. We overeat fatty, processed foods that are full of chemicals. We support the food manufacturers at the expense of our own health. We seem to have forgotten that the cells in our bodies are living, and need living food to grow and reproduce. Life has already provided us with everything we need to feed ourselves and to remain healthy. The simpler we eat, the healthier we’ll be.
On a physical level, 43 is about the age that the body fed on junk food or even the standard American diet of processed foods (20 percent sugars and 37 percent fats) is beginning to show the effects of this lack of nutrition.
Did you know that the largest selling items in the supermarkets are sodas, canned soup, processed cheese, and beer?
We are what we think and what we eat. We need to pay more attention to what we put into our bodies. My philosophy on food is if it grows, eat it; if it doesn’t grow, don’t eat it. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains grow. Processed foods cannot sustain life no matter how inviting the package.
And in your efforts to be good to your body, remember to love it. In order to heal, it is essential to remove the negative beliefs that contribute to an unhealthy physical condition. Look in the mirror and tell yourself how wonderful you are. You don’t have to wait until you become thin or build your muscles or lower your cholesterol or reduce your fat ratio. You need to love yourself right now and listen with love to the needs of your body.
Let’s affirm: I deserve to feel wonderful all the time!
Here are a few recommended reading resources on the topic of healthy eating:

• The Body Knows, by Caroline Sutherland
• A Course in Weight Loss, by Marianne Williamson
• Just 10 Lbs, by Brad Lamm

Life's Help

Get Healthy

Love the Body You’re In!

8 ways to live a beautiful life.

by Michelle Phillips

How to be your own best friend.

It’s no small secret that women don’t like their bodies. In fact, I’ve been doing a little reading and I am sad to report that recent statistics say more than 80% of women are dissatisfied with their bodies and 65% of young girls think they are fat and already dieting. Ladies of all ages, with Summer just around the corner, this has got to change!
As a celebrity makeup artist and stylist the first things I usually hear when someone plops down in my chair are “can you cover this up” , "make me look 10 years younger and 10 pounds thinner?”  With makeup, lighting, and some air brushing, I can do a pretty good job with all of those tasks. However, that's not real life.  When it comes to the questions regarding changing someone’s body before they get in front of the bright lights, the Life coach in me has to take over from there. That bit of “cover-up” is best if it comes from inside.
Believing in who you are, loving yourself, and how you look... is the foundation to achieving true and lasting beauty. I know this isn't always an easy thing to do but freeing yourself of negative self-thoughts is a huge step on your path to living a truly beautiful life and feeling good about how you look.
The first, and possibly the most crucial step on that path though, even if you feel you need to lose a few pounds or get in better shape, is to start by loving the body you have right now.
Here are some suggestions to do just that:
Create an "I love myself because..." list.
First, write down 20 things that you love about yourself.  Your list may include your personality, kind heart, your sense of humor, compassion, smile, elbows, feet, etc.   Include your talents and achievements, or various ways you're proud of yourself.  If you have trouble with this exercise think about what your best friend would say about you.  It's time to be your own best friend!
Take notice of the beauty around you.
Take a deeper look at nature surrounding you.  It may be a tree, mountains, clouds, the moon, butterfly, a flower...is it perfect?   Does it have imperfections, maybe a few blemishes on a leaf? Start to notice the beauty around you.  Train your mind to let go of the "imperfections"
Delete negative self-talk. 
Every time you hear yourself talking negatively about how you look,..STOP!  Instead, turn the negative into positive self-talk.  Who needs another critic? You have the power to focus on the positive and change your own state of mind by deleting the negative self-talk whenever it shows up.
Appreciate your beautiful body. 
Women are familiar with their face, but not necessarily their body.  Start to look at your body in the mirror.  Study your shape and find the beauty.  Notice how your body supports you and your daily life.  If you stand there and detest your thighs, you are resenting a part of your body that you would certainly miss should you not have that beautiful leg anymore.  Our bodies are beautiful vessels that support our gorgeous souls.
Cut the tags out of your clothes!
Don't buy a closet full of clothes that are too tight for you to fit into hoping that you'll be in them soon – those are just guilt garments that don’t make you feel good when you open your closet. Buy and wear clothes that fit the body you have today.  They call it a "fitting room" for a reason.  Size doesn't matter; it is all about how you feel in your clothes.  My experience working with clients has proven over and over again that dressing the body you have today will help increase your self-esteem and in-turn unnecessary weight will begin to fall away.
When you feel better about yourself, you take better care of yourself.  It's that simple!

Born into the entertainment industry, Michelle Phillips has worked with major networks and stars of the film, TV, and music industry. She eventually moved in front of the camera, hosting beauty and style segments and becoming a well-known television personality on stations across the U.S. Her mission is to help women cultivate their beauty from the inside out.

Mango, Avocado and Grilled Shrimp Salad with a Peanut Dressing

Mango, Avocado and Grilled Shrimp Salad with a Peanut Dressing

(makes 2 salads)Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
1 lime (juice and zest)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 birds eye chili (sliced)
1 teaspoon palm sugar (grated or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1 tablespoon mint (chopped)
1 mango (stoned, scooped and sliced)
1 avocado (stoned, scooped and sliced)
2 handfuls salad greens
2 green onions (sliced)
2 tablespoons peanuts (roasted and chopped)
6 tom yum grilled shrimp (optional)

Directions:
1. Mix the coconut milk, lime, fish sauce, peanut butter, chili, sugar and cilantro in a bowl and set aside.
2. Assemble the salad, toss with dressing to coat and serve garnished with chopped roasted peanuts.

7 Detox Herbs for a Natural Cleanse

Friday, March 30, 2012 4:28 PM

by Susan Melgren, Web Editor

Tags: natural health, detox, natural detox, natural cleanse, liver cleanse, liver, dandelion, milk thistle, turmeric, green tea, garlic, cilantro, allicin, heavy metals, gallbladder, bile

Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home. As you clean your home to rid it of dust, clutter and toxins this year, consider giving your body the same treatment. If winter is the time to relax and let our bodies rest, then spring is the time for renewal and regeneration—and cleansing our bodies is the perfect place to start.
Adding detox herbs to your diet is a great place to start a healthy natural cleanse. The following detox herbs will strengthen and support the liver, kidneys and other important aspects of your body’s natural detox system.  

Detox Herbs

Dandelion: This well-known detox herb helps cleanse the liver by stimulating the production of bile and its flow to the gallbladder, one avenue through which the body naturally removes toxins. Dandelion leaves are also a diuretic. Steep the roots to make dandelion tea, or add the leaves to salads. Learn more about gathering wild dandelions in “A Dandelion Celebration.”
Milk thistle: Silymarin, the active ingredient in milk thistle, prevents liver damage and stimulates this organ’s ability to generate new cells. German physicians frequently prescribe milk thistle as a treatment for those suffering from liver damage. Because silymarin is poorly soluble in water and not absorbed well by the body, a concentrated supplement is recommended. Try a 200 mg capsule representing 140 mg of silymarin.
Turmeric is another well-known beneficial herb for the liver. Turmeric increases the flow of bile, helping to remove toxins from the body. Take a 50 mg supplement daily, or incorporate it more into your cooking.
Green tea: A study reported in a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research found that the catechins found in green tea increased production of a group of important detoxification enzymes that have been shown to protect the body from toxins and cancer-causing chemicals. Try drinking a cup a day.
Garlic contains sulfur compounds such as allicin that oxidize heavy metals, making them more water-soluble and easier to remove from the body. Garlic has numerous other benefits that can help strengthen your detox system, like strengthening the immune system and controlling free radicals. If eating garlic raw, be sure to cut, crush or bruise the clove to activate its healing properties.  
Cilantro binds to heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead and aluminum, making it easier to transport them out of the body. Try steaming a packed ¼ cup of cilantro once daily for three weeks.

WHITE Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

WHITE Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

10 ounces white chocolate (chips or bars cut in chunks)

1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped into chunks

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 F. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt with electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, beat well. Stir together flour, and the baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture,beating until well blended. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. (Edges are golden brown and center is set.) Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely.

These would SCORE big at a Superbowl party!

YUM~YUM~YUM!!!!!

Color Therapy For Your Home

Color Therapy is based on the seven colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. According to ayurveda, there are also seven energy centers in the body, each on e associated with one of the colors. If a person's chakra is weak or out of balance, the color associated with it will help strengthen it.

This information is meant to help you learn about color therapy, not as medical advice. This ancient practice has experienced a resurgence of interest, so I thought you might like to better understand its theory. Why not try it out in at least one room in your home and see if you can experience the benefits of color therapy for yourself?

Color mood and color therapy.

Color therapy

color therapy, color mood, chakra healing picture galleries

Yellow

Yellow color therapy. Yellow color mood. Decorating with Yellow.

Red

Red color therapy. Red color mood. Decorating with Red.

Orange

Orange color therapy. Orange color mood. Decorating with Orange.

White

White color therapy. White color mood. Decorating with White.

Gold

Gold color therapy. Gold color mood. Decorating with Gold.

Navy Blue and Indigo

Indigo color therapy. Navy blue color mood. Decorating with navy blue and indigo.

Pink

Pink color therapy. Pink color mood. Decorating with Pink.

Brown and Green

Decorating with Brown and Green.

Gray

Gray color therapy. Gray color mood. Decorating with Gray

Chocolate Brown and Blue

Decorating with Chocolate brown and blue.

Blue

Blue color therapy. Blue color mood. Decorating with blue.

Purple and Violet

Purple color therapy. Purple color mood. Decorating with purple.

Chakra Chart

Seven Chakra Symbols Representing 7 Chakra Points Of the Body

The seven color chakra chart

Sahasrara: The Crown Chakra
Ajna: The Brow Chakra
Vishuddha: The Throat Chakra
Anahata: The Heart Chakra
Manipura: The Solar Plexus Chakra
Svadhisthana: The Sacral Chakra
Muladhara: The Base Chakra

Color Therapy Chart

The Seven Colors of Chakra and their Colour Meaning

Color Psychology as Therapy

Color therapy is a form of holistic healing that has been used for thousands of years to treat physical and emotional issues. Also known as chromotherapy, color therapy is regaining popularity today. According to ayurveda, the 5,000 year old traditional medicine of India, every color has certain healing energies. By using color therapy techniques when you are decorating your home or office, you bring those healing energies into your space and enhance or diminish certain qualities.By Style Estate

Grilled Cheese?

.
Ingredients:
2 Slices of bread (I like wholegrain, but if you want the traditional thing, go for ciabatta bread)
1tbsp Pesto
1 Canned artichoke – quartered
1 roasted red pepper – cut into 3 pieces
2 slices of fresh mozzarella (Mozzarella is traditional, but I didn’t have any when I made the sandwich, so I substituted a blend of jack cheeses. You can experiment with whatever cheeses you like. I highly recommend it.)
Spread pesto on both halves of your bread

Place roasted red pepper on one half

Place artichoke pieces on top of the roasted red pepper

Place cheese on top of the artichokes & then toast both sandwich halves in the toaster oven – or regular oven at 350F if you don’t have a toaster oven – until cheese melts (approx 5 minutes).

Place the top slice of bread on top, cut in half, and you’re done! BY LUCKY25

Maine Shrimp Artichoke Dip

 

This recipe for Shrimp Artichoke Dip makes great Football Watching Food!
Easy Maine Shrimp Artichoke Dipadapted from allrecipes.com
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 (14 ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups cooked and peeled Maine shrimp
Paprika, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a medium baking dish, mix together cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, artichoke hearts, green onions, garlic salt, mayonnaise, and shrimp. Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.
Yields 8 cups.
MF&L Staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine

Hot Crab, Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Description:

Enjoy this creamy Crab, Spinach & Artichoke dip at your next sumertime party!

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) Sunnyside Farms Cream Cheese, softened

1 garlic clove, crushed with press

½ cup Sunnyside Farms Heavy Cream

1 can (about 14 ounces) quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1 package (10 ounces) Sunny Select Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 roasted red pepper, chopped

¼ cup grated Parmesan & Romano cheese blend

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

12 ounces refrigerated or canned white and/or lump crabmeat, drained and picked through (1 cup packed)

Assorted crackers, toasted baguette slices, tortilla chips and/or vegetables

Preparation

Serves: 8
In medium saucepot, cook cream cheese, garlic and cream over medium heat until mixture is smooth, whisking constantly. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, red pepper, grated cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and heat to simmering; fold in crabmeat. Serve dip with assorted crackers, toasted baguette slices, tortilla chips and/or vegetables.
By:Lucky

How to make Skittles Vodka: Thirsty Thursday!

Doesn’t this look magical!!!! Learn how to make it below (:
You’ll need:
Bottle of Vodka (you don’t need the most expensive kind, but avoid the cheapest)
Large bag of Skittles
Instructions:
When making Skittles Vodka you can choose to either use all five of the flavours or to buy several bags of Skittles and separate the flavours or even mix two or three of the flavours to create your own taste. Once you have chosen your flavours the method is always the same:

1. Pour off some of the Vodka (down to the shoulder of the bottle should do)
2. Add your Skittles to the bottle.
3. Replace the cap and shake vigorously.
4. It takes several hours of intermittent shaking for the Skittles to completely dissolve (the process can be sped up by putting the bottle in a dishwasher during a wash cycle)
5. Once the Skittles have dissolved you should be left with colored Vodka and a layer of scum (or ming) will have formed. This ming must be removed.
6. Pour the Skittles Vodka through a sheet of kitchen paper or a coffee filter using a sieve. This will remove the ming and leave nothing but tasty Skittles flavored Vodka.
7. Chill till ice cold, serve, enjoy!

Recipe fromDrink Mixer.com

Vodka Sunrise

Vodka Sunrise

2 oz Vodka
4 oz Orange juice
1/2 oz Grenadine
Maraschino cherry
Mix vodka and orange juice in a glass with crushed ice.  Pour grenadine over the ice for the sunrise effect.  Add a maraschino cherry for garnish.  Enjoy!
Look for my chair upholstery make over on the blog next week and don’t deny your DIY!
by jen- DYI lOUNGE

Soy Orange Soy Glazed Grilled Salmon with Fresh Pineapple Salsa

This is an amazing Salmon dish.  It's light, fresh, and easy to make.  

You just might want to take a trip to an Asian market to purchase the ingredients.  You can find everything here at a local grocery store, but I think Asian markets have great prices and I like to buy larger quantities so that I always have them on hand.

You will need:

6 salmon fillets

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons Aji Mirin

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon ginger

2 tablespoons cilantro (whoops forgot to put in photo)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon chili paste

In a small mixing bowl, add soy sauce.

Orange juice.

This is a close up photo of the Aji-Mirin.

Add 2 tablespoons.

Rice Vinegar.  I like the seasoned gourmet.

Add two tablespoons of vinegar.

Add the sesame oil.  Sesame oil is generally used to flavor foods.  You should only use a small amount or the flavor will overpower other ingredients.

Add a good ole heaping tablespoon of chili paste.  Reduce the amount if you don't like heat

I'm not afraid!

Peel and chop the fresh ginger.  Eww I hate it when I get ginger that is a little greenish gray on the inside.  The ginger that I purchase at the grocery store will be this color 90% of the time.  I don't know what the difference is, but the Asian markets ginger is generally bright and beautiful.

Add chopped ginger to the soy mixture.

Chop cilantro.  Sorry I totally left it out of my photo's.

Stir the ingredients together.

Set aside 3/4 of a cup of the mixture to reserve for later.

Place the salmon filet's in a plastic bag or you could use a shallow dish.

I'm only using two because I'm just cooking for two these days. Sweet.

Pour the soy mixture over the salmon.  Not the 3/4 cup you have saved.

Let the salmon marinate for1-2hours.  Don't marinate overnight or longer than an hour because the soy makes the salmon way too salt.  From a voice of experience.

Take the reserved 3/4 cup of the soy mixture and pour into a small sauce pan.

Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce by only 1/4 cup.  Once the sauce is barely reduced set aside to use for a glaze on the salmon.

Now let's make the Fresh Pineapple Salsa.

You will need:  

3 cups chopped fresh pineapple (1/2 of a pineapple)

1/2 cup red pepper, chopped

2 jalapenos chopped

6 green onions

1/2 cup flaked or shredded coconut

2 tablespoons lime juice  (whoops forgot to buy a lime so I'm using a lemon)

For directions to peel and cut a pineapple click HERE

At this point you can coarsely chop the pineapple and use a food processor being very careful not to over process.  Only pulse a few times.  I like to cut the pineapple myself for more uniform salsa.

Place in medium size mixing bowl.

Finely chop and dice the red pepper.

Add to pineapple.

Chop the jalapeno into a fine dice.

Chop the green onions.  White and light green parts only.

Add coconut.

Squeeze in two tablespoons of lime juice.

and cilantro that I once again forgot to put in photo.

Stir together and set aside.

Salsa can be made a day in advance.  Just cover and refrigerate.

For grilling the salmon, heat your grill to high.  I like to use a piece of non-stick aluminum foil.  It make grilling fish pretty easy.

Preheat the aluminum foil.

Place the salmon fillets on the hot foil.  Cook for about 3 minutes.

Carefully turn over.  I love how the sauce begins to caramelize.  It tastes so wonderful.

Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.  I like to remove the salmon from the grill just before it has

completely cooked through.  The salmon will continue to cook as it sits.  I hate my fish overcooked.  When fish is overcooked, it becomes dry and fishy tasting.

Remove from heat and drizzle a couple of tablespoons of the sauce over the salmon.

Top with pineapple salsa.

Light, savory, and fresh.  

You could also use this recipe with chicken, if you're not a salmon lover.

Grilled Salmon with Orange Glaze

6 Salmon fillets

Marinade:

1/2  cup soy sauce

1 cup cup orange juice

2 Tbl. Aji-Mirin 

2 Tbl. Rice vinegar

1 Tbl. Sugar

2 Tbl. Cilantro, chopped

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 Tb. Chili garlic paste (reduce amount if less heat is desired)

In a small bowl, mix marinade ingredients together.  Place salmon in a shallow glass dish or a re-closeable plastic bag.  Marinate for 1-2 hours.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.  Remove salmon from marinade.  Pour remaining marinade into a sauce pan and heat until reduced and slightly thickened.  Place salmon on a well oiled rack or a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray.  Cook salmon for approximately 3 minutes per side.  Watch carefully not to over cook.  Remove from heat and drizzle with remaining sauce.  Serve with Pineapple Salsa.  Serves 6

Fresh Pineapple Salsa:

3 cups fresh pineapple, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 cup red pepper, diced

2 jalapenos, diced

6 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup flaked or shredded coconut

2 tablespoons cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Stir all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.  Can be made one day in advance.