Crab Hush Puppies w Chili con Carne

When I was little my mom let us choose what ever we wanted for dinner on our birthday's.  My brother and sisters used to pick pizza, fajitas and Mac n' Cheese. Normal things that most normal kids love. I however, am not now nor have ever been entirely  normal. I looked forward to my birthday dinner and as early as  I can remember I requested seared jumbo sea scallops in garlic butter and home made hush puppies. Sweet, crispy,  hot hush puppies. I haven't had them in years. I've never even attempted to make them myself! Not until tonight. Boy oh  boy did I miss them. 






I came across a recipe for crab hush puppies in 'Smart Cooking the Costco Way' and knew I needed to make them immediately. A year later I actually did.

They were worth the wait. I didn't have my jumbo sea scallops but opted instead to serve them with my world famous home made chili. I had left over roast beef from enchiladas and so I came up with a chili con carne that was sweet, spicy and wonderful.    My hush puppies were in love immediately.

If you love all things spicy like we do, don't forget to add a tablespoon or two of your favorite hot sauce right into the batter. If you have kids who are wimps like ours are, save the hot sauce to serve along side of these babies. I personally recommend Srirachi Hot Sauce which you can find in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores. Nom.

Crab Hush Puppies
4-6 cups grape seed oil for frying  {please see note below}
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt (yes, that's correct)
1-2 tablespoons of your fav hot sauce
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 lb Dungeness crab meat {I used fresh/jarred claw meat from the meat counter}
5 large green onions, thinly sliced
extra hot sauce to dash on the puppies or tarter sauce if your wimpy



Heat oil in a heavy 4-quart pan over med-high heat until it registers 350F on a deep-fry thermometer. Preheat oven to 170F.
While the oil is heating, stir together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together hot sauce, eggs and milk then add to the cornmeal mixture and stir until combined. Fold in crab.
Carefully, drop batter by small spoon fulls into heated oil. Don't over crowd the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown, adjusting heat as necessary. Transfer with a slotted spoon or fork to paper towels to drain briefly. Transfer each batch of hush puppies to a shallow baking pan and keep warm in oven till ready to serve. Add more oil in between batches as needed and let heat back up to 350F {I don't own a thermometer, I just put my hand close to the oil and guess can expertly tell when it's ready, usually just 30 seconds or so after adding more oil.}
Serve immediately.

note:

Grape seed oil has a moderately high smoke point of approximately 216 °C (421 °F). As a result, it is more ideal than several other cooking oils for high temperature cooking and can be safely used to cook at moderate temperatures during stir frying, sauteeing or deep frying. Due to its clean, light taste, and high polyunsaturated fat content, it is also used as an ingredient in salad dressings and mayonnaise and as a base for oil infusions of garlic, rosemary, or other herbs or spices.

Hello darlings.

For the chili con carne:

Pretty self explanatory but I suggest using R.W. Knudsen 'Very Veggie' juice for the base. Lots of stewed tomatoes, beans, mushrooms, onions, lots of garlic and chili powder. I used corn since I was using the roast beef (carne) this time, they just go good together in my opinion.

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Baked Cauliflower with Buffalo Sauce and Home Made Blu Cheese Dressing

I work in an place that is predominantly employed with women. It is a fast paced, usually high stress work environment that doesn't allow for mistakes or some one could die. This makes for a large group of women who are mostly type A personality. A group of women who get up every day ready to save lives, treat people who are sick or injured and give a lot of attention to detail for 8-12 hours straight. We do this while working along side other strong minded women and surgeons who expect nothing less than perfection and efficiency in as short of a time as safely possible.

I love my job. 

I am lucky to work part time right now and with a flexible schedule so I can spend a lot of time with my 3 young children. So when I go to work it's a little like spending time with a group of friends and catching up on each others lives. I think my favorite part of working in an surgery is that every day I get to work with several different people and do many different types of surgeries from total joint replacements and spinal fusions to urology and fertility. 

What's strange to me, working in a place with mostly women is that almost ALL of them are into football. Big time. More so in fact than most men I've ever known. Picture 7 nurses in the lounge Monday morning all fighting for the sports page and talking stats and irate over the referee's bad call the night before. Picture news paper clipings of football articles taped up in the women's locker room. These women can carry on a conversation with the male surgeons about football as easily as my friends and I do about recipes and everyday happenings. Weird.

I learned early on when I started working at my current hospital 3 years ago not to mention the fact that I wasn't a football fan. That is an unforgiveable sin as far as my co-workers are concerned. 

While I'm not a big football fan ( shhhhhhhhhhh.......)    I do like football food. Hot wings, chips and dip, 7 layer bean dips and brats with saurkraut.  Mmmmmm. 

Love the food, hate the calories and more importantly the way I feel after indulging. Hot wings are my weakness. I could eat a big pile of them covered in chunky blue cheese and lick the sauce of the plate afterwards with out a bat of the eye. 

When I discovered this much healthier version of hot wings, minus the wings I nearly jumped out of my chair. Now I didn't have to feel guilty about eating my beloved hot wings and could eat them when ever I craved them which is often. Sometimes before noon. Im not ashamed.

recipe source: Curvy Carrot

Servings: enough for at least 3-4 people 

Ingredients 

1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces 

1 cup buttermilk 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons garlic salt 

1 cup buffalo sauce 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted


Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, flour, and garlic salt, whisking until mostly smooth (it’s ok if there are a few lumps left). 

3. Very gently (cauliflower can be pretty delicate), place the cauliflower in the bowl and lightly toss to completely coat with the buttermilk mixture. 

4. Place the cauliflower in a shallow baking dish and bake for about 15-18 minutes or so (watch it, it may start to brown up quickly on you.) 

5. Meanwhile, combine the buffalo sauce and the melted butter in a small bowl. 

6. Carefully remove the hot cauliflower from the oven and pour the buffalo sauce mixture over it, stirring gently to coat it as best you can. 

7. Return the cauliflower to the oven and bake for another 5-8 minutes or so. Let cool slightly and serve immediately.

Recipe originally from PETA.    {Who knew Peta had vegetarian recipes?}

*see home made healthier blue cheese dressing below {my own recipe}

Enjoy!

Home made healthier Blue Cheese dressing:
  

TIME     5 MINUTES        YIELDS     1 /12 CUPS 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

• 1/4 cup buttermilk

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions: 

In a small bowl, mash 1/2 cup blue cheese and yogurt together with a fork. Stir in lemon juice, vinegar,  garlic powder and salt and pepper until well blended. Top with more crumbled blue cheese. Makes a little more than 1 cup.

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Guest Post from Dish by Trish: Grape Ambrosia Salad with Toasted Almonds

My long time blogging friend Trish, from Dish by Trish was kind enough to help me out with a guest post while we are getting all moved into our new home across the valley. This has proven to be quite the challenge with 4 kids and all of the junk we have accumulated over the years, and I'm not one to keep or collect anything so it confounds me how much crap we have! Time to simplify things! Nothing like moving to make yourself get ultra organized, super fast!


Welcome Trish who is a holistic health coach, dietitian and cooking instructor. Her site features meatless meals that are out of this world. She was recently featured on Dr. Oz and won the calorie cutting contest! Congrats Trish!






Ever year, my family would gather at my godparents' house on Christmas Eve. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, the whole gang. I distinctly remember cracking walnuts and opening roasted chestnuts in their dim living room next to the warm, decorated fireplace. My sisters and I would congregate in my godmother's walk-in closet and try on her furs, jewelry and high heels in secret, and then walk around her bedroom impersonating older female family members.




And I'll never forget that fluffy, heavenly bowl of sweetness sitting on the kitchen table that my godmother prepared every year. This marshmallowy gooey mess (aka ambrosia) always put on a smile on my face.




This recipe is a tribute to my dear godmother, Marie.




It's a modern, healthier rendition of ambrosia. It's not gooey or as fluffy as the traditional ambrosia but it's no less delicious. Hope you like it.














A couple of notes:

• If you're using frozen pineapples, be sure to defrost them in advance. Also, chop the pineapple chunks into smaller pieces. I don't recommend pulsing them in a food processor (like I did) because it draws too much water out of them.
• I added both red and green grapes for optimal color because the dish can lack color. I recommend adding 3/4 cup green grapes and 1/4 cup red grapes. The red grapes can be a bit astringent which is why I added less.
• If you'd like, you can use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt, but I don't recommend using just plain yogurt due to its higher water content.
• I tried using honey and the taste was just not the same. Feel free to use other sweeteners but if you prefer using honey I recommend halving it with another sweetener because the honey flavor can be overpowering.

Grape Ambrosia with Toasted Almonds

16 ounces frozen (unsweetened) pineapple chunks, thawed and chopped

3/4 cup flaked coconut, unsweetened

1 cup fresh seedless grapes, halved or quartered

2/3 cup Greek yogurt, nonfat

3 tablespoons sugar

1 ounce sliced almonds, toasted (optional)




In a large bowl, combine pineapples, coconut and grapes. Add yogurt and sugar and mix well. Chill for 30 minutes before serving. Top with toasted almonds and drizzle with honey, if needed.




Serves 5-6.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 261; Fat 5g; Sat Fat 5g; Chol 0mg; Sodium 57mg; Carb 54g; Fiber 2g; Protein 3g.

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Sweet Potato Hummus

Once again, if it helps you at all, please refer to hummus as "dip". I have found, over and over again that if I call it hummus, people turn their noses up in distaste ( whether or not they've actually tried) but if I say it's dip, I get a "Yummy" in response. Call it what you like, this hummus is a great midday snack. The sweet potatoes give it a nice underlying err, sweetness and added vitamins, Bonus!

Serve this with pita chips and fresh, raw veggies, we like broccoli and mini sweet peppers.

I use dry chickpeas and soaked them for a few hours before cooking with the sweet potatoes for 13 minutes in my pressure cooker. If you must use canned beans, look for the low-sodium variety. I think it's just as easy to use fresh beans and it's most definitely cheaper!

TIME  20-30 MINUTES     SERVES 6-8

You will need:

2 medium size sweet potatoes

1 cup fresh chickpeas or 1 can

1/2 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1/4 cup tahini ( paste made with sunflower seeds, available in most supermarkets)

1 lemon, juiced

1-2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1/2 - 1 cup reserved or hot water

Putting it all together:

Cook your chickpeas according to package directions, usually twice as much water as beans and takes about 30 minutes. If your using a pressure cooker, use 1 1/2 times the water, place whole sweet potatoes on top of beans and cook for 12-13 minutes on second ring.

Reserve any water from pot. Using a fork, peel sweet potatoes, discard peels. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, blend all ingredients together until super smooth adding hot water as needed to desired consistency.

Serve with fresh veggies or pita chips.
* Keeps for a week refridgerated in an airtight container

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Zuccini-Black Bean Chopped Salad with Yogurt-Dill and Toasted Flat Bread Chips

Another light, quick and  delicious recipe for a summertime meal. Full of fresh veggies and black beans for so many vitamins, protein, fiber and good carbs I would run out of room listing them all!!
I found these whole wheat flat bread wraps at Costco. The list of ingredients is pretty impressive, including stone ground whole wheat, steel cut oats, barley, Rye, hulled mullet and flax just to name a few! There are only 100 calories per flatbread, 12 gm of whole grains, 1 gm sugar and a whopping 8 gm of fiber. The flax makes it an excellent source of Omega 3's. I love flatbread pizza and can't wait to try these out for a homemade veggie pizza crust next.

You will need:
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 of a large red bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 of a small red onion, diced
1 cup black beans
2 zuccini's, chopped
2 tabelspoons fresh dill, chopped
1-2 fresh lemons, juiced
2 tabelspoon EVOO, divided
Kosher salt
freshly ground black peppercorns
healthy flat bread or flat pitas, cut into triangles

1 cup plain fat free yogurt, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tablespoon fresh dill for dipping sauce

Putting it all together:
Preheat oven to 325F
Combine all veggies and black beans in a large bowl. Add lemon juice, Dill,  EVOO, salt and pepper, toss to combine. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
In a small bowl combine yogurt, lemon zest and dill. cover and chill until ready to use.
Cut flat bread into triangles. Brush lightly with EVOO, sprinkle with Mrs Dash. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes until crsip.
Serve chopped salad with flat bread triangles and yogurt sauce.

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Garlic Rubbed Potato Skins with Lox and Chives

This recipe was born when a rep brought fresh Salmon Lox with the usual cream cheese and bagels to an inservice at the hospital last week. I literally squealed in delight! Not only fresh Lox but capers as well! If you have to be to work by 6:30 in the morning, this is the way to celebrate! I was surprised that not everyone shared my love of lox. Not only that, but I was given the wrinkled nose and upturned lips in distaste from my fellow professionals as I piled high my lovely lox and cute little capers upon my bagel. So sad. In all seriousness, in times like these when I ask people if they've ever actually tried shunned food in question, the answer is almost always, "ummm, well no, but....."

So I took the leftover Lox home with me. It's happy here where it's loved and appreciated. And, the bonus is, that I get to share this yummy recipe that I came up with in order to eat up all the lox.

Potato skins have a totally bad rap, nutritionally speaking. Potatoes and are actually super good for you! The skins especially are full of vitamins! Potatoes are low in fat, rich in several micronutrients, especially vitamin C - when eaten with its skin. Potatoes are a moderate source of iron, and its high vitamin C content promotes iron absorption. It is a good source of vitamins B1, B3 and B6 and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, and contains folate, pantothenic acid and riboflavin. Potatoes also contain dietary antioxidants, which may play a part in preventing diseases related to ageing, and dietary fibre, which benefits health.
resource

To keep them on the healthy side, skip the butter, bacon bits and cheese, you won't miss them! To doll up your potato skins, you can use any number of herbs or spices. Try fresh basil, chives, dill, garlic, cayenne pepper, caraway seed, ground peppercorns, tarragon or thyme... did I mention garlic? ;-)

TIME active 30 minutes, cooking 90 minutes

SERVES 4- 6

You will need:

4 russet potatoes

salmon lox

* 1-2 heads garlic, roasted

1 cup mushrooms, diced

1/4 cup chives, chopped

2 tabelspoons fresh parsley, chopped

low-fat sour cream

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

EVOO

Pierce 4 large russet potatoes with a fork.
* To roast garlic, remove skins, cut top off so that a bit of the flesh is exposed. Drizzle with a little EVOO. Cover loosely in foil. Bake potatoes and garlic directly on the oven rack at 350 degrees until tender. Remove garlic after about 20 minutes and potatoes about 1 hour.
Let cool, then cut potatoes in half, lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Brush both sides with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Turn oven up to 450F.

In a small bowl, smash the roasted cloves of garlic with a teaspoon of EVOO. Using a spoon, spread garlic inside potatoes.
Fill potatoes with mushrooms, lox chives and parsley. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes. ( If you prefer, leave the lox chilled until after potato skins are baked, then top them on potatoes.)

lemony peas recipe to follow

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Lemony Petite Peas

This is a very easy, light throw together side dish. Perfect for summertime dinner.
My husband who graciously tries whatever I put in front of him, hates peas. Loathes them. So I don't make them often as a stand alone side dish, even though I love them. Anyway, he spooned some onto his plate to my surprise and took a bite and with raised eyebrows proclaimed that they were delicious! Wow!
I think that the chopped parsley and lemon make this more of a zesty little salad rather than "just peas".
We ate this with Salmon Lox potatoe skins and it complimented it perfectly.


You will need:

1 small bag frozen petite peas
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
2 tabelspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Steam peas for 3 minutes. Drain, transfer to small bowl. Toss with parsley,  lemon juice and zest.

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Cast Iron Skillet, Sweet Chile Corn Bread

Not another cornbread recipe you say. You're right. It's not. It's the best corn bread recipe ever. I'm confidant that way. Allright, it's all up for interpretation and personal preference but I for one prefer my cornbread sweet and slightly spicy and most importantly, not dry and crumbly. More of a corn 'pudding' but not exactly.

Sweet and spicy. Is there a better combo ever created? I think not. My mom's cornbread was always served with home made honey butter and was a special treat to go with our beans and greens. My corn bread can stand alone super star style and be the star to any main dish you serve.

Our favorites? Simple "Cowboy Beans, slow cooked in spices {What? I've not posted that one…. tbc} with sautéed kale drizzled in balsamic vinegar and maybe if your lucky, baked sweet potato fries.

Or, Chile con carne. Of course.

Orrrrrrrr, BBQ'd chicken and coleslaw comin' up!


Whatever you serve this with, be prepared that this sweet chile cornbread will most definitely be the star.

Make sure to enter my giveaway for a set of these cute cast iron skillets!
One square, one oval. Today's the last day!

Corn bread or cake? You decide.

TIME      30 MINUTES        SERVES     8

1 cup corn meal

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup creamed corn

1/4 cup frozen corn

*1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (4 ounce) can mild green chilies (optional)

Pre Heat oven to 375F

Mix dry ingredients together in medium size bowl.

In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients, stir to combine. 

Lightly grease 10" skillet {or several individual skillets) with butter.

Combine wet ingredients into dry, stirring just till combined. Pour batter into prepared skillet. 

Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes till lightly browned on top and toothpick comes out dry.

Remove from oven, place on cooling rack. Serve warm.  

notes:

If your like me, store bought buttermilk usually goes to waste after I use it for the recipe intended for.

Here's a super quick way to make your own. 

1 cup whole milk + 1 tablespoon plain vinegar  

Mix. let sit for 5-10 minutes. = home made buttermilk  

Pairs well with:

Cowboy beans and Greens. {should I post my recipe?}

Grilled/BBQ'd Chicken and Apple Slaw

Chilie of course!

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Brussels and Shitake Mushrooms in Mirin and Sake with Gingered Broiled Salmon

Cooking with spirits is this months theme for RecipeRedux. Choosing just one recipe for this post was a tough one. Then I remembered the first time I tasted mirin, just a dash used in some Jasmin rice  and the choice was easy. Just a tablespoon or two of this special Japanese cooking wine transforms boring foods into a slightly sweet and complex creation.

We had new carpet installed last week which meant a flurry of furniture and nick naks flying in all directions. My entire bedroom was shoved onto the back porch, the contents of the master closet thrown into the bathtub {note to self, declutter closet!} Who knew we had so much junk? The rest of the house was stacked on top of each other and shoved into the kitchen. I took the dog and kids out for most of the day so I didn't witness the chaos but a week later, I'm still finding things in very odd places and not finding other things at all such as my camera!!!!

I've searched the house and my poor camera is nowhere to be found. Let's just hope it didn't end up in the garage because  that's where things go to be forgotten and rot.


Camera-less, I had to take these pictures with my iPhone as if you couldn't tell. They didn't look so bad on my phone but when uploaded them to my computer I was very disappointed, ick. iPhones may take great shots of the kids at the park and and decent selfie snaps but they do not do food photography any favors!



Too bad because this was a fabulously lip smacking meal. The sweet Japanese cooking wine really dialed the brussels and shitake side dish to a whole new level! Even picker eater numero tres gobbled them all up and even asked for seconds! The brussels went perfectly with this broiled salmon marinated in freshly grated ginger and Chinese black vinegar.

I added shallots and thinly sliced Thai chilies to the sprouts at the end of sautéing them and then poured in the mirin while scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze all the browned bits. 

Finding a good quality mirin is really important for better flavor and avoiding the added sugars and corn syrup found in most of the bottles found in grocery stores. "Cheap" mirin is often simply sake with corn syrup, but hon-mirin is a traditional sweetener made from sweet rice and koji. It adds a wonderful depth of flavor.  Mitoku's Mikawa miring was recommend to me and, according to what I've read is either the only or one of the only makers still using traditional methods. A bit of salt is added in order to be able to import it into the US. Eden makes a natural mirin with regular rice which is pretty good. Mirin is slightly expensive, but  only a little is needed in recipes and it goes a long way. You can find the Mikawa mirin online at Simply Natural and Amazon. I didn't get it in time for this post but I'm looking forward to it to add in rice, seafood dishes and sweet and sour soups. 

I have got to find my camera!!!

You Will Need:
2 cups of baby brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 cup shitake mushrooms wiped clean, stems removed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sesame oil (not toasted)
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 small Thai chili pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons mirinsesame seeds for garnish


Preheat a good quality sauté pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add oil, let heat up for a minute then add brussel sprouts (make sure they are dry before adding to hot oil!). Carefully, shake the pan to toss the brussels and coat them in the oil. Let them sit and re shake the pan every minute or so. After about 3 minutes, add the shallots and the mushrooms, stir to combine. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes being careful not to over cook.
Pour in the mirin while using a wooden spoon to quickly scrape off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. reduce heat to medium and let the mirin cook down a bit. Do not cover pan. Add chilies if using. After a minute or two, remove pan from heat. Serve immediately. 

To see what all of the other Recipe Redux members came up with to spike their foods click the links below.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Watermelon Boat with Blueberries and Fresh Coconut Chunks

Watermelon is in season and so sweet right now! You can pick up a huge seedless super sweet watermelon like this one for around $2 right now!! We had this for the 4th of July BBQ at our house this year. Not only is it pretty, but so good for you.

Simply cut the top 1/3 of the watermelon off  lengthwise. Set the smaller half aside, slice the inside of the bigger half into small squares. Using your fingers, pluck out the watermelon pieces and chop into bite size.
Put into a big bowl. Mix with 1 pint of fresh, washed blueberries and 2 cups of fresh, diced coconut. We crack our coconuts open with a screwdriver then carefully cut out small chunks. Make sure you save the coconut water!!!! We usually just drink it straight out of the coconut, it's sooooooo refreshing! You can also mix it with any other fruit for a simple juice. Refridgerate it in a sealed container if you don't use it immediatley.

Did You Know?....

Health and Nutition Benefits of Coconut

* Coconut is highly nutritious, not only is high in protein but rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is classified as a "functional food" because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content. Coconut oil is of special interest because it possesses healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil and is extensively used in traditional medicine among Asian and Pacific populations.

Coconut In Modern Medicine

Modern medical science is now confirming the use of coconut in treating many of the above conditions. Published studies in medical journals show that coconut, in one form or another, may provide a wide range of health benefits.

    This is a pretty impressive list ! 

Kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses.

Kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, and other diseases.

Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.

Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.

Provides a nutritional source of quick energy.

Boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.

Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.

Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.

Reduces symptoms associated with pancreatitis.

Helps relieve symptoms and reduce health risks associated with diabetes.

Reduces problems associated with malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis.

Improves calcium and magnesium absorption and supports the development of strong bones and teeth.

Helps protect against osteoporosis.

Helps relieve symptoms associated with gallbladder disease.

Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.


Improves digestion and bowel function.

Relieves pain and irritation caused by hemorrhoids.

Reduces inflammation.

Supports tissue healing and repair.

Supports and aids immune system function.

Helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other cancers.

Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio reducing risk of heart disease.

Protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis and thus protects against heart disease.

Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.

Functions as a protective antioxidant.

Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.

Does not deplete the body's antioxidant reserves like other oils do.

Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.

Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement).

Reduces epileptic seizures.

Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.

Dissolves kidney stones.

Helps prevent liver disease.

Is lower in calories than all other fats.

Supports thyroid function.

Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.

Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.

Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.

Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.

Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.

Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.

Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.

Prevents wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.

Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.

Provides protection form damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation form the sun.

Helps control dandruff.

***Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetable oils do.

 Who needs all the beauty products and OTC medicines out there when you have super foods in your everyday diet?!?! 

the coconut research center

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Melon and Prosciutto Arugula Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar #SundaySupper

Do you like my new blog design? I'm so excited! I've been on the fence for ever about upgrading my old school template that I've had for years. Yet something nagged me every time I went to purchase a professional design about spending money on a hobby. Also, I have spent countless hours designing and editing and re editing and redesigning my {old}  blog. It was kind of my baby, granted it had the face only a mother could truly love.
























Alas, I came across an amazingly talented graphics and web designer named Dana Fox of Envye. Her multitude of web designs and graphics were just what I was looking for and at a price that wouldn't take money away from my children's college fund (although child number 1 kind of ruined the whole ride on my parents shoulders through his freshmen year of college while I slack off more than fungus on a rock deal for the rest of the darlings) but we won't talk about that.


There are still a few fun features that I am working on like a Photo Recipe Page and cuter side titles and organization but I'm pretty thrilled with my clean, updated look, however simple and late to the game it may be. Simple is exactly how I roll. Name of the blog Yo  {missing Breaking Bad......}


Onto picnicky goodness. I have to say this is probably without a doubt the crazy easiest and also most surprisingly delicious recipes I've ever made. I got up at an un-Godly hour this morning to go to work and saved a life via a total knee replacement and yet another by assisting in the removal of a bum gall bladder. Afterwards, I managed to drag myself to the grocery store in the 110F disgusting heat, talk myself out of going Cost Plus Market to purchase a melon baller, picked up a couple of melons and some prosciutto and then came home to take a 2 hour nap (don't judge) and still throw together this salad.



It's that simple.

Just in the nick of time too! I woke up tired and a wee bit cranky and if there had been a tub of ice cream in my freezer I might have resorted to having that for dinner (hiding in the closet from the kids of course).  5 ingredients later and I was savoring crisp, sweet melon, salty and slightly sinful prosciutto, peppery arugula and sweet, thick, real strawberry balsamic vinegar. I love me.


P.S. I get my oils and vinegars from a local shop called Olive Creations which is my idea of an adult version of the best candy shop in the world. I got this strawberry balsamic vinegar there which is perfect in summer salads, they have peach too. I got a maple balsamic vinegar during the fall season which I drizzled on ham and sweet potato casserole alike. I always have their basic olive oil on hand for salad dressings as well as infused oils like garlic, rosemary, lemon (for fish) and several others. I never knew how rancid store bought olive oil was or how sickly sweet and fake balsamic vinegars were until I happened upon the real thing.

This salad was the star at our dinner table tonight but it's really a tribute to Independence Day, Picnics, family and living life simply and gratefully. I'm so thrilled to be a part of the Sunday Supper Movement and all that it stands for. A big, virtual hug to Jane at Jane's Adventures in Dinner who is gracious enough to host this weeks Sunday Supper in honor of Independence Day and celebrating with our loved ones picnic style.

TIME     10 MINUTES           SERVES     10 as an appetizer

You Will Need

1 cantaloupe melon, cut into small square (or cute flower shapes :)
1 honeydew melon, cut into small square (or cute flower shapes :)
4 slices of prosciutto cut very thin by your deli counter person
4 big handfuls of baby arugula (much less bitter than regular arugula)
1/2 cup of red onion sliced thinly
drizzle with strawberry balsamic vinegar

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Enough Picnic Inspiration to last you a hundred picnics! Check out these talented bloggers for some perfect picnic food.





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Beverages

• Orange Blossom Iced Tea by girlichef
• Red, White, and Blue Sangria by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Rosemary Nectarine Sparkling Cocktail by Food Lust People Love
• Best Picnic Wines by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Appetizers

• Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls by Daily Dish Recipes
• Peppadew Dip by Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Savory Red, White, and Bleu Truffles by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Mains

• Asparagus and Cheddar Quiche by Mess Makes Food
• London Broil with Caramelized Red Onions by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Stilton Potato and Stilton Pies by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Waffle Batter Fried Chicken Tenders with Maple Mustard Dipping Sauce by Kudos Kitchen by Renee

Sides

• Mushroom and Gruyere Cheesecake by Peaceful Cooking
• Scotch Eggs by Small Wallet, Big Appetite

Salads

• Caprese Pasta Salad by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Farro & Walnut Salad by Foxes Love Lemons
• Fruit Tortellini Salad by Jelly Toast
• Gluten Free Potato Salad by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Japanese Noodle Salad by Noshing With The Nolands
• Kale and Quinoa Tabbouli by Healthy. Delicious.
• Layered Chicken Salad by Nosh My Way
• Lightened Up Macaroni Salad by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Loaded Potato Salad by Granny's Down Home Sassy Southern Cooking
• Mexican 3 Bean Salad by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Old Fashioned Potato Salad by Life Tastes Good
• Orzo Salad with Kale Pesto by Cooking Chat
• Pizza Pasta Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
• Red, White and Blue Fruit and Cheese Salad by Shockingly Delicious
• Tomato Bean Salad by Family Foodie
• Tuna Noodle Salad by Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Vegetable Salad by Magnolia Days
• Veggie Pasta Salad by Pescetarian Journal
• Watermelon and Feta Salad with Verjus by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Sandwiches and Wraps

• Pan Bagnat by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Panino con la Salamella by Manu's Menu
• Roast Beef Wraps by Cookin' Mimi

Sweets

• Banana Pudding Cheesecake by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Berry Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups {#glutenfree option} by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Cherry Chip Blossom Cupcakes by NinjaBaking.com
• Cherry Pie Crumb Bars by The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen
• Chocolate Chunk Brownies by What Smells So Good?
• Chocolate Syrup Brownies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate Zucchini Cake by Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies by Alida's Kitchen
• Flag Cake by Pies and Plots
• Peanut Butter Frosted Brownies by Feed Me, Seymour
• Red, White, and Blue Berry Angel Food Cake Parfaits by Neighborfood
• S'mores Crumb Bars by The Redhead Baker
• Stained Glass Jello with Coconut Milk Panna Cotta by Simply Gourmet
• Strawberry Banana Oat Muffins by Sue's Nutrition Buzz

Read more ...