Simple Tastes - Baked Beans

"Cheerful cooks make every dish a feast." --MASSINGER.

Sometimes simple is best. Saving your money is easier when you prepare simple, easy to make foods at home. Eating healthy foods is easy and fun when you make them yourself!

The nutritional value of beans is time honored. And these baked beans taste delicious! Try some this weekend! ( Who has time to bake during the week? )


Pick over and wash well one quart of small white beans;
soak over night.

In the morning, pour off the water and cover with cold water.

After boiling one-half hour, drain them, and cover again with cold
water.

Boil the beans again, until cooked, but not broken.

Put them in a baking dish.

In the center of the baking dish place one pound salt pork (which has been parboiled and well gashed),

add: one tablespoonful of molasses,
one dash of cayenne pepper,
black pepper to taste.

Ordinarily the pork should salt the beans.

Cover with part of the liquor in which the pork has been parboiled, and bake three hours. Enjoy that wonderful aroma as these hearty and delicious baked beans are soaking up the flavors of the pork and molasses!

Who says eating healthy foods has to cost a bundle?

Chocolate Week

Celebrate Chocolate Week with some of your favorite chocolate treats! Enjoy some rich dark chocolate and enjoy the healthy antioxidants delivered by nature's sweet gift!

Time and experience have shown that chocolate, when carefully prepared, is an article of food as wholesome as it is agreeable! Chocolate is nourishing, easy to digest, and does not possess those qualities injurious to beauty as some might have you believe.

Some complain of being unable to digest chocolate; while others, on the contrary, pretend that it has not sufficient nourishment, and that the effect disappears too soon. It is probable that the former have only themselves to blame, and that the chocolate which they use is of bad quality or badly made; for good and well-made chocolate must suit every stomach which retains the slightest digestive power.

The best flavor to add to chocolate is vanilla; next to that, cinnamon. Beyond these two things one should use great caution, as it is very easy to spoil the fine natural flavor of the bean. Chocolate absorbs odors readily; therefore it should be kept in a pure, sweet atmosphere. As about eleven per cent. of the chocolate bean is starch, chocolate and cocoa are of a much finer flavor if boiled for a few minutes. Long boiling, however, ruins their flavor and texture.

Get the All-Clad Porcelain Double Boiler for all your best chocolate recipes.

Salmon is Heart Healthy and Tastes Great!

For centuries people have enjoyed eating salmon and other fresh, ocean-caught fish! The benefits of eating fish a few times each week are tremendous! Nutrition and Health experts are increasingly suggesting that we eat more fish. Cold water, wild caught fish seem to offer the best mix of healthy fats, ( omega-3 fats ) and vitamins and minerals.

Try this easy and delicious baked salmon -

Here is all you need:

1 pound salmon or any cold-water fish, fresh or frozen
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

If using frozen fish, thaw in refrigerator according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut fish into 4 pieces and place them in a 9x13x2 inch baking pan.

Combine paprika, garlic and onion powder, pepper, oregano, and thyme in a small bowl.

Sprinkle herbs and lemon juice evenly over the fish. Then drizzle olive oil on top.

Bake until fish flakes easily with a fork - about 25 minutes.

Enjoy with your favorite rice and some steamed vegetables!

Add some wild caught fish to your diet and enjoy the tastes and health benefits of cold water fish! ( We try to avoid farm-raised fish as they often contain unhealthy levels of harmful chemicals. ) There are plenty of ocean caught fish to savor and enjoy! Try this heart-healthy, inexpensive and nutritious recipe for salmon patties!

Dieting is Easier When You Love the Food. Delicious meals shipped to your door. It's a proven strategy that works!

Warm Your Body on Cold Winter Night

What a perfect time to enjoy a nice warm cup of your favorite tea or java - On a cold Winter's night! What a warm feeling one can enjoy curled up in thick, warm blanket with a good book and something warm to enlighten your taste buds!

Try this tummy warming Hot Chocolate the next time you want to curl up under your favorite warm blanket:

Cut four ounces of chocolate in fine bits. Put a pint of milk on the stove in the double-boiler, and when it has been heated to the boiling point, put the chocolate, 3 tablespoons of sugar and three or four tablespoons of water in a small pan, and stir over a hot fire until smooth and glossy.

Stir this chocolate mixture into the hot milk, and beat well with a whisk.

Serve at once, and if you like - add a heaping tablespoonful of whipped cream in each cup and then filling up with the hot chocolate.

Read on for some of the benefits of Chocolate.

And enjoy a nice, warm cup of Hot Chocolate this Winter!

Heart Healthy Game Day Snacks

Enjoy the big game today - or any weekend with some easy and affordable snacks sure to tickle your taste buds! Stop by the produce section and pick up some fresh and healthy vegetables.
Here's just a few ideas:
tomatoes - we love grape or cherry tomatoes
a cucumber or two
green, red, or yellow peppers
baby carrots
broccoli
cauliflower
celery
apples

here's an easy, inexpensive dip you can put together in 2 minutes:

1 cup sour cream, nonfat
1 cup yogurt, nonfat plain
2 Tablespoons dried dill

Just combine the sour cream, yogurt, and dill in a bowl and stir together! Keep this chilled - it tastes better and will last for the whole game!

Eating healthy foods is easy and affordable. Start saving your money eating healthy at home!

Easy Bean n Avocado wraps

Avocados offer us a healthy dose of Omega 3 fats - the good, heart healthy fats! Whether you like guacamole or eating them plain - nutrition experts agree - the avocado is a great addition to any healthy eating plan!

Try this easy and nutritious avocado n bean wrap this weekend or or share with friends while you enjoy your favorite game!

Here's all you need:

2 chopped green or red bell peppers ( save money - use the green )
1 peeled and sliced onion ( we like the red or purple onions )
1 can (15 ounce) drained and rinsed black beans, 50% less salt
2 chopped mangos
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 peeled and diced avocado
4 - 10 inch whole grain tortillas, fat free

and easy to prepare:

1. Sauté bell peppers and onion for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add beans, stir well. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 5 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, combine mangos, lime juice, cilantro, and avocado. Reserve 1/2 mixture for topping.

3. Fill warmed tortillas with 1/4 bean mixture and 1/4 mango mixture.

4. Fold ends of the tortillas over. Roll up to make wraps. Top veggie bean wraps with remaining mango mixture.

Who said eating healthy has to be boring? Enjoy this delicious treat anytime and get a great supply of vitamin C and some heart-healthy omega 3 fats!

Enjoy a variety of vegetables and fruits in your daily diet and keep eating healthy!

Beat the Winter Blues and Lose Weight - Eating Healthy

Eating healthy during these colder months helps lift your spirits! For dinner, enjoy a some nice heart-healthy salmon. Add a side of spinach to increase folate levels and help beat depression. Try healthy snacks in between meals when you become irritable or feeling a little blue.

Here is an easy salmon dish sure to tickle your tastebuds and give you some heart healthy omega-3 fats - the good kind of fat!

Taste the Mediterranean in this tangy tomato, onion, and garlic sauce.

* 1 lb salmon fillets
* 2 tsp olive oil
* 1 large onion, sliced
* 1 can (16 oz) diced tomatoes, drained (set the juice to the side)
* 1/2 C tomato juice (reserved from canned tomatoes)
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 C dry white wine
* 1/4 C lemon juice
* 1/4 C orange juice
* 1 Tbsp fresh orange peel, grated
* 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
* 1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
* 1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
* to taste black pepper

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add onion and sauté over moderate heat for 5 minutes or until soft.
2. Add all remaining ingredients except fish. Stir well and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
3. Arrange fish in 10- by 6-inch baking dish. Cover with sauce. Bake uncovered at 375 ºF for about 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Stay warm and keep eating healthy! The quickest way to lose weight - and lift your spirits - is with healthy eating and plenty of exercise!