Make Healthy Meals

When you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle, choosing party snacks can be a real problem. The classic ones just aren’t that healthy and you don’t want to bore everyone else by putting out nothing but fruits and vegetables.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with having a solid fruit or veggie tray out at a party; in fact, I recommend it highly. A little dip will make people more enthusiastic about the vegetables. Get a little creative with the kinds of fruits and vegetables offered. Try including things like papaya or berries to make the selection really stand out. Read the rest of this entry »

Just ran across a possible solution for those with heartburn or acid reflux problems. This being the holiday season, with all too much good food to be had, it seems a good topic to post about.

AcidCalm, a hearburn and acid reflux remedy, is an all-natural solution. No, haven’t tried it myself as I very rarely suffer from either problem. But plenty of people do. And many people don’t like taking prescription medications, preferring natural solutions whenever they are available.

Now, I always recommend caution with natural medications. They can cause problems just as manmade ones can. Natural does not mean safe, even though many people have that impression. However, they offer a 100% guarantee and recommend talking to your doctor if you have questions, which is always a good idea.

1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
Parmesan cheese to taste (optional)
Put water, oil, sugar, salt, flour and garlic in bread maker. Add yeast on top.

Turn machine on dough cycle. Sprinkle in remaining ingredients as it runs. Let it run through the entire mixing cycle. Allow dough to rise for at least 5 minutes or until dough cycle is complete. Longer makes for better dough.

Roll out dough on a floured surface. Spread out on pizza stone or pizza pan. Spray pan first with nonstick cooking spray if preferred.

Bake crust 5-8 minutes in 450 degree oven on bottom rack before topping. Add your choice of toppings and continue to bake until cheese is thoroughly melted and crust is golden brown.

Note:

This dough is very sticky. I recommend dusting your hands with flour before handling. This crust can come out fairly thick, so if you prefer a thinner crust you’ll need to do extra rolling.

Great for making fajitas, obviously, but pretty good in general.

2/3 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. lime juice
2 tbsp. chopped green chilies
2 cloves garlic, chopped
boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Mix all ingredients and marinate chicken breasts for 45 minutes - 2 hours. Depending on what you’re doing with them, you can slice appropriately for fajitas first or leave whole.

If sliced, cook chicken breasts with some of the marinade in a frying pan until done, stirring frequently.

If whole, cook in oven at 350 degrees or on grill until middle is no longer pink and chicken is tender.

Serve as fajitas or on its own.