Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution! Start With Your Own Family!! WATCH THIS!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

"SMELLS SO GOOD" Apple Cranberry Turkey Breasts

If you LOVE savory turkey with sweet cranberry, this is the dish for you!!!
I buy the TURKEY BREASTS at Trader Joe's along with the DRIED CRANBERRIES or DRIED ORANGE CRANBERRIES and ORGANIC APPLES.

This is sooo EASY and the presentation is so COLORFUL.

  • Saute cut up apples, approx 2, and cranberries with a little EVVO & butter for a few minutes - med low heat
  • Season the Turkey Breasts with some garlic salt & pepper
  • Kinda move the apple mixture to the side of the pan and put the turkey in to brown on both sides
  • Add a little basil
  • Cover turkey with apple mixture and cover to simmer for 15-20 mins
  • Serve with Brown Rice or Veggie mixture
  • You will love this makes your kitchen smell...so delicious!

Gnocchi with Cinnamon Butter - Giada De Laurentiis


http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/easy-gnocchi-with-butter-sauce/8666.html

**This turned out pretty tasty. You can buy the Gnocchi at Trader Joe's near the pasta. My son did not go for it....I thought it was a sweet smelling, sweet and savory dish, and very pretty. :) This would be good for an appetizer, definitely served warm.


Ingredients
•3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
•1 cinnamon stick
•1 package storebought gnocchi
•Salt
•1 tablespoon sugar, plus more to taste
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Melt the butter with the cinnamon stick in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until all the gnocchi rise to the surface, about 3 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick from the butter sauce and reheat the sauce over low heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked gnocchi to the hot cinnamon butter in the skillet. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat and add more sugar, to taste.

Spoon the gnocchi and butter sauce into shallow bowls and serve immediately.
.

Trader Joe's - FIBERFUL END & PIECES


These are delicious little snacks that you and your child can eat. It is REAL dried fruit with nothing added. (I don't let my 2.5 yr old eat too many. :)
12g of fiber per serving!! - But watch out for the "natural sugar" content.

You can find these near the nuts.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Quick & so Easy "Gourmet" Pasta Sauce

"Hey! - Can I get a little sauce with my pasta?"

Ingredients: (What I use)

Trader Joe's - 1 Jar - Three Cheese Sauce or Organic Vodka Sauce or Bolognese Sauce

  • Trader Joe's - Ground Turkey Meat

  • Trader Joe's - Already cut onions, about 3/4 of a bag

  • Trader Joe's - Ready-to-go Garlic, 3 cloves minced

  • Dried Basil & Oregano

  • Red Wine (Any - What you like to drink) **This adds a beautiful after taste which the adults taste and kids go along with :)
________________________

Saute onions and garlic in Evvo for a few minutes
Add ground turkey meat and break up while almost cooking all the way through
Sprinkle Basil all over and some oregano to taste,.. along with Salt & Pepper
**You can add some wine now to deglaze the pan or wait to add it at the end, make sure you burn off the alcohol so the taste is just a hint
Add Pasta Sauce
Simmer for 20-30 mins to marry flavors

Sweet Quote

In My Kitchen
I Preheat a memory.
I fold in old friends with new.
I bake a good laugh.
-Sunset Magazine

Friday, September 18, 2009

It's the TURKEY everyone Loves - LA Times.com

My friend told me about this turkey last year. She made it and it was a HUGE success. I guess this is like the "SECRET" recipe for awesome turkey. ??
The only CATCH is,...it calls for SALTING the turkey once a day for a few days,... so this means it has to FIT in your refrigerator,... for a few days. (My refrigerator is small and FULL of food :( I'm trying to figure out a differnet method for this year. ??

Roast Salted Turkey -
By: Russ Parsons - LA Times.com



Total time: 2 hours, 50 minutes

Servings: 11 to 15

Note: This is more a technique than a recipe. It makes a bird that has concentrated turkey flavor and fine, firm flesh and that's delicious as is. But you can add other flavors as you wish. Minced rosemary would be a nice finishing addition. Or brush the bird lightly with butter before roasting. Remember that you should salt the turkey by at least Monday night in order to have it at its best by Thursday, though briefer salting times will work too.

1 (12- to 16-pound) turkey

Kosher salt

1. Wash the turkey inside and out, pat it dry and weigh it. Measure 1 tablespoon of salt into a bowl for every 5 pounds the turkey weighs (for a 15-pound turkey, you'd have 3 tablespoons).

2. Sprinkle the inside of the turkey lightly with salt. Place the turkey on its back and salt the breasts, concentrating the salt in the center, where the meat is thickest. You'll probably use a little more than a tablespoon. It should look liberally seasoned, but not oversalted.

3. Turn the turkey on one side and sprinkle the entire side with salt, concentrating on the thigh. You should use a little less than a tablespoon. Flip the turkey over and do the same with the opposite side.

4. Place the turkey in a 2 1/2 -gallon sealable plastic bag, press out the air and seal tightly. Place the turkey breast-side up in the refrigerator. Chill for 3 days, leaving it in the bag, but turning it and massaging the salt into the skin every day.

5. Remove the turkey from the bag. There should be no salt visible on the surface and the skin should be moist but not wet. Wipe the turkey dry with a paper towel, place it breast-side up on a plate and refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours.

6. On the day it is to be cooked, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

7. Place the turkey breast-side down on a roasting rack in a roasting pan; put it in the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and carefully turn the turkey over so the breast is facing up. (It's easiest to do this by hand, using kitchen towels or oven mitts.).

8. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, return the turkey to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh, but not touching the bone, reads 165 degrees, about 2 3/4 hours total roasting.

9. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer it to a warm platter or carving board; tent loosely with foil. Let stand at least 30 minutes to let the juices redistribute through the meat. Carve and serve.

Each of 15 servings: 564 calories; 77 grams protein; 0 carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 26 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 261 mg. cholesterol; 856 mg. sodium.

Tyler Florence - Roasted Turkey with Pomegranate Glaze

I know it's a little early to be posting this but CHECK OUT HOW BEAUTIFUL this turkey is. I was just looking at POMEGRANATES at Trader Joe's the other day, ..wondering,..what could I do with them???
This is GORGEOUS!!! I am going to start practicing now. :) after all, don't MOMS need to know how to cook a TURKEY DINNER??
I had my Mom buy a fresh 12lb turkey from Gelsons the other day and.... we did a little practice round.


Kinetic Cycling - Brentwood

http://www.kineticcycling.com/index.php

11740 San Vicente Blvd. Suite 202
Los Angeles, Ca 90049


The kinetic mantra is: “FUN + SWEAT = GOOD ENERGY!”

This is a SPIN CLASS in Brentwood where they convert the energy the cycles are making by you pedaling and put it back out into the community. WOW!!! So cool.

My friend goes here and LOVES IT!!!

Yoga Playdate: Parent & Child - Santa Monica

Santa Monica Yoga

1640 Ocean Park Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Phone: (310) 396-4040
http://santamonicayoga.com/frameset.htm
Yoga Playdate - Parent and Child

Free Yoga Class - Santa Monica


331 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel: 310 319 9900

Come sweat in-store at our complimentary yoga class every Sunday morning at 9:30am.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Dads Meatloaf and Tomato Relish - Tyler Florence

This is the most AMAZING MEATLOAF and the Tomato Relish is to die for!!! This recipe takes some time and preparation but it is TOTALLY worth it. My husband and I were raised on meatloaf so this brought back some really good memories for us.

Here's the VIDEO - From Dads Meatloaf and Tomato Relish - Tyler Florence - GMC Trade Secrets - AOL Food at aolfood

Here's the RECIPE from Foodnetwork.com

Dad's Meatloaf with Tomato Relish
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Prep Time:20 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:1 hr 30 minLevel:
EasyServes:
6 to 8 servings.Ingredients
Tomato Relish:
•Extra-virgin olive oil
•1 onion, finely diced
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•2 bay leaves
•2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced
•2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, and finely diced
•1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
•1 (12-ounce) bottle ketchup
•1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
•Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Meatloaf:
•3 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks by hand
•1/4 cup whole milk
•1 1/2 pounds ground beef
•1 pound ground pork
•2 eggs
•Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•3 to 4 bacon slices
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat a skillet with a 2-count of oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves for a few minutes to create a base flavor. Throw in the red peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes to soften. Now add the tomatoes; adding them at this point lets them hold their shape and prevents them from disintegrating. Stir in the parsley, ketchup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the relish for 5 minutes to pull all the flavors together. Remove it from the heat; you should have about 4 cups of relish.

Place the torn white bread in a bowl and add the milk to just barely cover, swish the bread around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meat loaf together.

This is where you get your hands dirty! In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with 1 1/2 cups of the tomato relish, the eggs, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture. To test, fry a small "hamburger" patty of the meatloaf until cooked; the patty should hold together but still have a soft consistency. Taste the patty for seasoning.

Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Transfer the meat mixture to the center of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 9 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Coat the top of the meatloaf with another 1/2 cup of the tomato relish. Lay the bacon across the top lengthwise.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meatloaf is firm. Rotate the meat loaf while it's baking every now and then to insure that the bacon browns evenly. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool a bit before slicing. Serve with the remaining tomato relish on the side. Unbelievably moist!
.

Trader Joe's - Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce


I love this as a HEALTHY SIDE DISH for Baby P. He loves to dip almost EVERYTHING in it. I love how it is made from ORGANIC APPLES and is TOTALLY NATURAL.
This is soo easy to have in the refrigerator at all times and I know he is getting some fruit in his diet. I try to get him to eat an apple a day, with the skin of course, but this is a good filler.

Trader Joe's - Chicken Enchiladas in Salsa Verde


When I have time, I make this fresh. When I want to eat it for dinner, the frozen comes in very handy.
This Frozen Dinner is DELICIOUS!!! Both my husband and I LOVE IT!!! The cheese melts on top and the taste is very authentic.
This is one of the BEST, may not be the healthiest, FROZEN DINNERS we have ever had.
You HAVE to try it!!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Trader Joe's - Mini Pizzas



These are great when you have kids coming over or for a quick lunch...or for appetizers.
You can either bake them or if you are pressed for time, I microwave them for a couple mins then bake until golden.

Organic Strawberry FruitStix


I buy these at Whole Foods. They are yummy, organic, and real... and my son loves them. They have chuncks of real strawberry in them and super fresh tasting.
I know I could make my own, but this is a major time saver.
Approx. $4 for the box.
I cut them up in chuncks and my son thinks of them as dessert. :)
I eat them as well. (pretty low calorie)

Trader Joe's - Frozen Chicken Pot Pie



Almost compares to a fresh POT PIE. My husband LOVES this!!... Not sure how healthy it is but it turns out pretty yummy.
I buy this at Trader Joe's.
Tip: If I am pressed for time, I microwave it for 7-10 mins to speed up the baking time. Then I bake it until "Golden" brown and bubbling a little. I bake it in my Toaster Oven to save energy and time.

Kashi - Black Bean Mango Frozen Entree



This is sooo good. You can use it for so many meals and it is PACKED with healthy food. I buy this at Whole Foods. It's approx. $6 but sometimes on sale.

  1. Main Entree (I add a Brown Rice packet from Trader Joe's)
  2. Put it over Organic Herb Salad (TJ)
  3. Put it in a Breakfast Burrito
  4. Use as a side dish with eggs and toast
  5. Put it in lettuce cups as a side dish

"Fresh" SWEET POTATO FRIES



I usually but these at Trader Joe's in the vegetable section. These are sooo convenient, tasty, and healthy. My son really thinks these are, "Fries!!"
  • *Toss with a little EVVO, Salt, and Pepper
  • *Place on cookie sheet with aluminum foil
  • *Bake @ 425 for approx 30-40 mins
  • *2 BAGS is good for 3 people

Tip: If you need them to come out a little quicker, microwave for a few mins to get the cooking process started, then bake

Tip: If you make them as a side dish with Salmon, drizzle a little MAPLE SYRUP or AGAVE at the end...YUMMY!!!

(The first 2 years I didn't like to microwave a lot of my son's food but it really speeds up the baking process on many foods.)

Friday, September 11, 2009

Eating More Fiber Helps You Loose BABY WEIGHT???




I started eating more FIBER for two reasons, they say it helps to regulate cholesterol as well as helps you LOOSE WEIGHT!!!!!! YAY! SOLD !!:)
______________________
Michelle Edelbaum's Blog from Eatingwell.com:
http://www.eatingwell.com/blogs/michelle_edelbaum/2009_09_09/shed_pounds_by_eating_more_of_this_nutrient

I recently had a baby and am trying to lose those last few pregnancy pounds. With a young child and a full-time job, I have little time for exercise. Luckily, there’s another option: eating!

New research suggests that there’s a way to prevent this weight gain or even encourage weight loss—without dieting. The secret? Eat more fiber. Why? Researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah found that women who increased their fiber intake generally lost weight. Read more about the study below.

In the meantime, try these 20 delicious fiber-rich recipes to help you lose weight. Or add more of these four foods to your diet to help you get your fill:

Raspberries: 1 cup = 8 grams
Eat more of them in Raspberry, Avocado & Mango Salad and 9 more delicious raspberry recipes.
Chickpeas: 3/4 cup = 8 grams
Enjoy these protein-packed beans in Middle Eastern Chickpea Platter (yum!) and more healthy chickpea recipes.
Strawberries: 1 cup = 3 grams
Pile them onto this healthier version of Strawberry Shortcake and 20+ more strawberry recipes.
Green Beans: 1 cup = 4 grams
Toss them in Green Beans with Bacon & Hazelnuts and 9 more savory green bean recipes.

Researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah found that women who increased their fiber intake generally lost weight. Women who decreased the fiber in their diets gained. The scientists boiled the findings into a single weight-loss formula: boosting fiber by 8 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed resulted in losing about 4 1/2 pounds over the course of the study. And this held true whether a woman was eating 3 or 25 grams of fiber a day at the start of the study.

While it helps you feel full, “fiber has no calories.” So if you fill up on high-fiber foods you crowd out less-healthy foods. Try it for yourself. If you’re consuming 2,000 calories per day, aim to increase your fiber by 16 grams.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Save A Little Life - CPR & First Aid Training For Parents and Caregivers

http://www.savealittlelife.com/index.htm
This is a MUST DO class when you have a baby. The money is SO WORTH IT!!!
I actually did a GROUP CLASS at my home and the information and training are PRICELESS!!!
Not only do you need to know this emergency info for your child but other people's children.

We have been though what seems like a million emergencies with my son and... being prepared is KEY!!!
(I sound like a commercial for this company but what's your child's life worth?)










Family Watchdog & Megan's Law - National Sex Offender Registry

PROTECT YOUR KIDS FROM PREDATORS

FAMILY WATCHDOG
This is a great website for parents. You can sign-up for FREE and you will be notified when a SEX OFFENDER moves into your neighborhood.
(Thank you C for referring this to me!!!)
http://www.familywatchdog.us/


MEGAN'S LAW
This is another great website for information and the whereabouts of Sex Offenders.
http://meganslaw.com/

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Paradise Cove - "PRIVATE BEACH" Malibu


This is a private BEACH in MALIBU with a restaurant on it.
During the week it's pretty mellow but weekends it's PACKED with people.
It's really fun to go around 4ish when it's still sunny out (warm months of course). Since it's a "Private Beach," you can bring a nice bottle of wine and or alcohol and drink it right there on your picnic blanket.
The last time I was there, you can park for 4 hours for $3 with a purchase from the restaurant for $20 (We usually get a dessert) or...parking is $25. **Check the website or call to confirm rates.
We usually pack a dinner/bottle of wine picnic and watch the sun set while the kids run around.
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