Sharing Recipes--Iced Coffee

You can make iced coffee at home. This is a special treat on those hot, humid afternoons when you want to get your caffeine fix and keep cool.

The following recipe is quick and easy to follow.

Consider adding creme de cacao for a chocolate flavour or cinnamon schnapps for a spicy flavour.

Procedure

• Brew a pot of fresh coffee using 2 tablespoons of dark-roasted ground coffee per cup. Add sugar or sweetener.

• Transfer the hot coffee to a carafe. Let it cool to room temperature.

• Refrigerate until cold, usually 2 to 3 hours.

• Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.

• Pour the chilled coffee into the glass. Stir.

• You may wish to add 1/2 cup of milk per serving.

Dieting on a Budget

Most diet plans tend to focus on everything we need to give up. Instead, we should focus on what we need to add to our diets:

Getting more breakfast: Starting the day with a healthy combination of whole grains, lean protein, and fruits and vegetables will result in fewer calories being consumed later in the day. Consider the following meals:

• Egg white omelet made with vegetables.
• Whole grain cereal topped with fresh fruit and nuts.
• Parfaits made with low-fat yogurt, granola and fresh berries.

Getting more spice: In a study published by the International Journal of Obesity, people who had food seasoned with red pepper felt fuller and ate less than those who didn't. Consider adding chili powder or red pepper flakes to soups, stews, meat, and chili.

Getting more sleep: Medical researchers claim that lack of sleep boosts hunger and appetite.

A Bit of Humour

What a difference 40 years makes!

1969: Moving to California because it's cool
2009: Moving to California because it's warm

1969: Growing pot
2009: Growing a pot belly

1969: Acid Rock
2009: Acid Reflux

1969: Going to a new, hip joint
2009: Receiving a new hip joint

1969: Whatever
2009: Depends

Source: Inventing the Rest of Our Lives, Suzanne Braun Levine

Nuts All Day

High in protein, monounsaturated fats, fibre, potassium, vitamin E, and many trace minerals, nuts can help curb cravings and keep blood sugar and energy levels stable for hours. They are also portable and have a long shelf life.

It is important to watch the portions--1 ounce of almonds (about 23 nuts) weights in at 160 calories. Nutritionists suggest we limit ourselves to one serving a day.

In her book, Go Green Get Lean, Kate Geagan provides a few suggestions on how to met our daily 1-ounce requirement:

• Add 1 ounce of almonds to 1 cup fat-free plain yogurt and 1/2 cup fresh fruit.

• Spread 2 tablespoons all-natural hazelnut butter on 5 whole grain crackers.

• Sprinkle 1 ounce of cashews on your stir-fry or in your salad.

• One ounce walnuts with 10 dark chocolate chips makes a good afternoon snack.

Sharing Recipes--Oven Baked Parmesan Zucchini

Zucchini are low in calories and a good source of vitamins A, C, and folate. They can be eaten raw and are often a pleasant addition to a vegetable platter or salad.

Zucchini taste best when eaten small, about 6 to 9 inches in length. As they grow larger, they become less flavourful.

Consider this quick and easy recipe to complement meat and fish dishes.

Ingredients

4 small zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp white flour
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp olive oil

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Cut the zucchini diagonally into 1/2 inch slices.

• Dip each zucchini in the beaten egg mixture.

• Combine the dry ingredients in a large plastic Ziploc bag.
  

• Add zucchini slices and shake well.

• Place the slices on a non-stick cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.

• Bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown.

A Polymeal a day...

There's a new recipe for heart disease prevention: grab a handful of dark chocolate, a couple of almonds, some fruits and vegetables, a sprinkle of garlic, and wash it all down with a glass of wine.

The polymeal diet is a combination of foods that have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. It includes the above items eaten on a daily basis, plus fish four times a week.

This diet was first proposed by Oscar Franco, a public health scientist at the University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. His research suggested that dining on the polymeal on a daily basis could cut the risk of heart disease by 76%.

It is suggested that a person should consume, each day:

• 150 mL of red wine (half a glass)
• 100 g of dark chocolate
• 400 g of fruits and vegetables
• 2.7 g of garlic
• 68 g of almonds

And, 118 grams of fish per day, four times a week.

A Bit of Humour

As three men are fishing on a lake, an angel appears in the boat with with them.

The first man gets over his shock and humbly says to the angel, "I've suffered from back pain for years. Is it too much to ask that you help me?" The angel touched the man's back, and he felt instant relief.

The second man points to his Coke-bottle glasses and asks if the angel could cure his poor eyesight. The angel tosses the man's glasses into the lake. The second they touch the water, the man's vision clears up.

The angel turns to the third man, who throws up his hands in fear. "Don't touch me!" the man cries, "I'm on disability."

Source: Readers' Digest, June 2009