Starbucks to Promote Wellness?

Intimidated by all the choices in one of those chichi coffee bars? Don't toss that unused coffee from this morning just yet. That strong, dark coffee can be one of the ingredients in this delicious smoothie. 

Whip this smoothie up at home in minutes at a fraction of the cost. Talk about combining a light snack with a pick me up - this Hazelnut Cappuccino Smoothie will lift both your energy and your metabolism. It's a keeper.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. of strong black coffee or espresso
• 1 to 2 scoops of chocolate flavored protein powder*
• 1 packet Splenda or Stevia, or to taste
• 1 TBSP hazelnut flavor sugar free syrup
• 1 TBSP chocolate flavored sugar free syrup
• 1 cup ice

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a blender (Magic Bullet® if you have one) and process until smooth. Add water for desired consistency. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

*Protein portion size of men is 2 scoops; 1 scoop for women.

PROTEIN NOTE: When choosing a protein powder, select one that has 15 to 25 grams of protein and no more than 5 grams of carbohydrates in a scoop.

Barbecue Tips

Red, White, And Blueberry Pound Cake

5 Meals For $5 Soup Recipe

Seven years ago, author Janice Taylor, permanently removed over 50 pounds of excess weight. She utilized weight loss as a vehicle for reinvention and transformation. Taylor has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, New York Times, New York Post, New York Daily News, Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun Times, Fitness magazine, Health magazine, CNN.com, Religion and Spirituality, has appeared on View from the Bay, San Francisco, Discovery Health, Naomi’s New Morning, Hallmark Channel, FitTV.

She is a Life & Wellness Coach, Certified Hypnotist, Neurolinguistic Practitioner, as well as the author of All Is Forgiven, Move On: Our Lady of Weight Loss’s 101 Fat-burning Steps on Your Journey to Sveltesville (May 2008) and Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal (Fall 2006.) Janice is also the creator of the very popular e-newsletter Kick in the Tush Club, and a syndicated blogger for Beliefnet .

As food prices continue to climb, some of us are worried that we may not be able to feed our families in a healthy manner. Our Lady of Weight Loss to the rescue!

Before you head off to a burger joint to partake in their $2.00 'bargain' meal, here are five of Our Lady of Weight Loss's favorite recession proof foods that come fully loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and zeaxanthin (woo hoo, it has the world thin in it!). These scrumptious cheap eats will give you the best bang for both your calorie buck and your pocketbook buck!

Turkey: I hear-tell that there isn't much taste difference between a fresh and frozen turkey, and at 99 cents a pound (non-sale price!), a frozen turkey is half the price of a fresh turkey (double the bang). You get a whole lotta' bird that can be stretched from one dinner to the next. Turkey dinner one night turns into sandwiches the next, then potpies, tacos, fajitas, soup and anything else you can conjure up! (Note: I know it's summer, but it's good to have a cooked turkey on hand. So I cook my bird late at night, while I'm sleeping!)

Turkey Rebellion (It seemed like a good name at the time and now I get requests at home for more of that Rebellion stuff.)

Ingredients:
1 pound Turkey, shredded or cut into julienne strips.
1 Iceberg lettuce, cleaned, chilled and torn into pieces
1 Bibb lettuce, cleaned, chilled and torn into pieces
1 green tart apples, unpeeled & cored, cut and diced
1 red tart apple, unpeeled & cored, cut and diced
2 or 3 tablespoons orange juice
1 cantaloupe, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
1/4 pound seedless red grapes
raspberry vinagrette (low-fat, low-cal) dressing - optional

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except lettuces in a large mixing bowl. Make sure that orange juice has coated the fruits and turkey. Place lettuce on salad plates. Arrange turkey and fruit mixture on bed of lettuce. Add dressing to taste.

Eggs: Known as the perfect protein, eggs are, in addition, a spectacular source of antioxidants, lutein, zeaxanthin and protein. You can poach 'em for breakfast, make egg salad for lunch and how about those dinner omelets! The egg industry has come up with some pretty sophisticated and fancy technology, enabling egg producers to keep prices (relatively) low. While other foods are now skyrocketing, eggs continue to be one of nature's best buys among high protein foods.

Devilishly Delicious EGGS (from Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings form the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal)

Ingredients:
1 dozen hard-boiled eggs
1/3 cup reduced fat mayo
1 sweet pickle, diced
2 heaping tablespoon honey Dijon mustard
juice from 1 fresh lemon
hot sauce, 2 major shakes - 3 if you are a hotty
salt n' pepper to taste
fresh parsley, optional!

Directions:
Take hard-boiled eggs and cut the long way. Take yokes out and put in medium-sized mixing bowl. Add reduced fat mayo. Mix in the rest of the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Then take a teaspoon of egg mixture and neatly place in the whites. (Do your best NOT to lick your fingers!) If you like, you can sprinkle a little paprika on top. The red is lovely on top of the yellow. And for a touch of green, add parsley sprigs here and there. Artfully, please.

Rice and Beans: Talk about cheap n' easy! Beans and Rice are the quintessential easy to make dish and the perfect combo. FYI, the average person eats 300 to 400 pounds of rice each year. Rice is the staple of the world and can be the meaning between life and death. Songs, poems and haiku's (Japanese poetry) are written and sun about rice. Check this haiku out!

It's Haiku Friday
Time for a Haiku Salad
Rice, salad leaves, beef! (by Apple Venus, KillerSalad.com)

Killer Rice n' Beans

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium Vidalia (sweet) onion, chopped, (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium green pepper, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies
- plus 1-1/2 cans of water
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, undrained
1 cup of rice, raw

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet that has a lid over medium heat. When hot, add onion and green pepper; sauté until the vegetables soften and brown a bit. Add the fire roasted diced tomatoes. Increase heat to medium high, add bay leaf and thyme and water. Stir in the beans with their liquid. Add one cup of raw rice. Reduce to simmer and cook until rice is fully plump!

Watermelon: This cheap n' easy summertime fruit is 92% percent water! It's a brilliant way to hydrate as you load up on healthy doses of Vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants. It's a multi-tasking fruit!

Watermelon Soup - Our Lady's mildly spicy recipe is delicious and always (yes, always!) a mega-hit. It's from my Summertime Recipe Gallery!)

Ingredients:
8 cups cubed seeded watermelon
1 apple, diced
1/2 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 teaspoons fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Directions:
In a blender, puree watermelon with the apple and 1/4 cup each of the onion and green pepper; pour into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients (including the other 1/4 cup of onion and green pepper). Refrigerate, covered, for at least an hour to blend flavors.

Kale: Dark, leafy greens are cheap, easy and a good idea! They are loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids and calcium; and may well have more nutrients than any other vegetable!

Here is one of my favorite recipes from Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal. It was submitted by Kick in the Tush Club member, Mary Margaret of Houston, Texas. Mary Margaret tells us that a good way to eat an entire bunch of kale is to tear it into bite-sized pieces and put on a sprayed (olive oil spray or nonstick spray) cookie sheet. Dust with Parmesan cheese and put under the broiler for a very short time, until crispy. "I eat all those vitamins right off the tray by the stove," she says. "It never makes it to the table. Feels absolutely virtuous. "

Ingredients:
8 cups Kale
nonstick spray
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 cup chopped pecans or slivered almonds

Directions:
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Stir in all ingredients except nuts until well blended and place on the cookie sheet. Scatter the nuts on top. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve at once!

Stay tuned for more recipes and tips on how to feel, look and be delicious through the good times and the bad times! Recession or not!! (Sign up for Our Lady's Daily Feed subscription!)

Spread the cheap n' easy word (NOT the icing!)

How I Overcame My Fear And My Fat

Will Power VS. Want Power

Jaci Rae is known as The Fabulously Frugal Diva and The Queen of More Green. She is the author of several books including this week's Bestseller at Amazon 5 Meals For $5.  Other books she's written: Shop For a Day With Jaci Rae, How To Get Almost Anything For Free, and Winning Points With The Woman in Your Life One Touchdown at a Time.  Jaci Rae, who was raised in poverty and knows the value of a dollar, can show you that it doesn't have to be a struggle.  Recently Jaci Rae went on a shopping spree and filled an entire truck, inside and out for under $400.  Jaci is currently working on a Ph.D.

Jaci Rae--

How to Feed 5 People 5 Meals for $5.00 - $8.00 or Less! It's more than just a cookbook!

You Don't Need to Be Wealthy To Eat Healthy! You don't need to change what you eat, just the way you shop! It's not all about coupons, it's about planning so you can save a lot of money! And if you think you might starve because of the portions, think again! If you're single, freeze the leftovers and save or cut down the recipes and eat a fresh meal every day!

California Veggie Soup with a Twist

*Cost per cup: $0.275

2 lbs potatoes, diced ($0.80)
1 lb. carrots, diced ($0.50)
3 stalks celery, chopped ($0.08)
1 cup peas ($0.80)
1 cup corn ($0.56)
1 cup broccoli ($0.64)
1 onion, finely chopped ($0.30)
1 clove of garlic, minced ($0.0043)
10 cups water
1 chicken or beef bullion cube ($0.16)
1 avocado, blended until smooth ($1.00)
1 lime, juiced and zested ($0.09)
Salt and pepper to taste ($0.02)

Sauté onion, garlic and celery until tender. Combine with all ingredients except avocado and lime into a large pot and cook for 25-30 minutes on medium heat or until veggies are desired tenderness. Blend avocado and lime until smooth then add zest. Serve in bowls with a dollop of avocado mixture and chilled water.

To freeze, cool the California Veggie Soup and put into freezing container based on serving size desired. Put the date either on masking tape or if using a resalable freezer bag, onto the freezer bag and store in freezer. Remove as you desire to eat the soup and thaw, reheat. While you can freeze the avocado mixture, it's usually best when fresh.

Are your kid's veggie picky? I always blend the veggies until they are creamy when dealing with children that don?t like veggies. Put the creamy mixture into the soup with the potatoes and skip the avocado and you've got a wonderful Hidden Veggie Potato Soup that your picky children will LOVE!

*Based on prices in California July, 2008

Got A Date But Can't Afford The Bill?

Hummus

Why Americans Should Eat Soy

One of the biggest nutrition challenges for people who become vegetarian (especially children being raised vegetarian) is not a lack of protein, but a low absorption of iron. When your nutrition comes primarily from plant-based foods it is helpful to include certain foods and drinks to help iron absorption: drinks rich in vitamin C (such as orange, grapefruit, or tomato juice) with your meals. And when you aren't enjoying a glass of juice (Fast Carb) with your meals, choose deep colored fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, melons and strawberries to name a few.

Also high on the iron lists of vegetarian foods are dried beans or peas (e.g., pinto, kidney, lima), green leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach, kale, collards), dried fruits (e.g., raisins, prunes, figs), nuts and natural peanut butter, and iron fortified cereals and whole grains (read labels).

Spinach With Onion, Artichoke, And Rosemary

Hawaiian Breeze Smoothie Recipe

Cooking Vegetables Better Than Raw

Ingredients:
2 cups red apples, sliced thinly
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¼ cup granola mixed with
2 tbsp. Ultimate Chialife

Chia Blueberry Almond Pancakes

Chia Seeds: A Power-Packed Food

Brenda Watson--

For a nutrient - rich boost, add whole chia seeds to: oatmeal, cereal, and yogurt; soups and stews; salads and salad dressings; beverages and smoothies; couscous, tabouleh and other sides; burgers and sandwiches; casseroles, pasta dishes and stir fry.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tbsp. buckwheat flour

2 tbsp. Ultimate Chialife

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. natural sugar substitute

2/3 cup almond milk

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Natural maple syrup

Directions: Combine almond flour, buckwheat flour, chia seeds, baking powder, and sugar substitute in a large bowl. Slowly incorporate almond milk. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Gently ladle the pancake batter into the skillet to make 5- to 6-inch rounds. Sprinkle blueberries onto pancake rounds. When bubbles begin to set around the edges and the griddle side of the pancake is golden, gently flip and continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until pancake is set. Remove from skillet and serve with maple syrup. Serves 2-3.

Chia Apple Crisp

Chia Seeds: A Power-Packed Food

Certified nutritionist and New York Times best-selling author Brenda Watson is among today’s leading authorities on natural digestive care, optimum nutrition, and internal cleansing and detoxification. A PBS mainstay and national media presence, Brenda is dedicated to helping people everywhere achieve vibrant, lasting health. The Detox Strategy: Vibrant Health in 5 Easy Steps was recently released.

Brenda Watson--

Chances are you’ve been hearing a lot about chia seeds lately. Harvested from the Salvia hispanica plant (a member of the Mint family), these wholesome little seeds are loaded with beneficial Omega-3s, fiber, vitamins, minerals and a host of other nutrients. Plus, they’re a complete source of dietary protein—containing all nine of the essential amino acids—so it’s no wonder they’ve been getting so much attention.

Centuries ago the ancient Aztecs discovered the remarkable nutritional value of chia, often consuming the seeds before battle or long journeys on foot. But when the Spaniards arrived, chia was replaced by more traditional crops and went virtually unnoticed for nearly 500 years. That is until recently, when food science experts began to delve into its unique history. And what they found was amazing.

In addition to being the richest known whole food source of Omega-3 EFAs, chia seeds have triple the antioxidant power of blueberries, more vitamin C than oranges and more potassium than bananas. And because of their high fiber content, chia seeds help slow the digestive process, allowing you to feel full longer after eating. This helps keep blood sugar levels in check and in turn supports healthy weight management. Chia seeds are also cholesterol free and low in calories, so they add a nourishing boost to all your favorite foods. Start getting all of the benefits of chia today with these delicious and easy-to-prepare recipes! 

Chia Blueberry Almond Pancakes

Chia Apple Crisp

It's National Blueberry Month!

1 package (10-3/4 ounces) frozen pound cake

Raspberry-Orange Sauce (recipe follows)

1 container (8-ounces) whipped cream cheese

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries, divided

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

Slice frozen pound cake lengthwise in three layers; arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet with top layer cut side up. Pierce layers with fork tines. Spread each with 2 tablespoons of the Raspberry-Orange Sauce; let stand 10 to 15 minutes so that the cake absorbs the sauce. Meanwhile, in a bowl stir together cream cheese, sugar and orange juice until well blended. To assemble cake: Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread evenly with a third of the cream cheese mixture. Arrange a third of the blueberries evenly over cream cheese. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon Raspberry-Orange Sauce over blueberries. Repeat with center slice of cake. Place top layer cut side down; spread with remaining cream cheese mixture. Decorate cake to resemble an American flag using remaining blueberries and the strawberries. Serve with remaining Raspberry-Orange Sauce.

YIELD: 6 to 8 portions

Raspberry-Orange Sauce : Stir together until smooth 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam and 6 tablespoons orange juice.

YIELD: about 1 cup

Recipe compliments of: Lewis & Neale Inc. for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council – www.blueberry.org

Further Reading:  Red, White, And Blueberry!

                             A Doctor's Top Tip: Every Step Counts

                             Lose Weight By Eating Super Foods