Let Them Eat Cake

I heard that quote from Mari Antoinette was misunderstood but in any case whenever I hear that quote I think of the French Revolution and then of course of bread. I think of the poor people during the Revolution and have images of people pounding bread down and dusting powder all over.

Since no-carb diets have been popular people have stopped eating a lot of bread, and with many people now diagnosed with Celiac Disease Gluten Free Bread is very popular.

Bread isn't really bad! like anything it is to be taken in moderation, however the bread we eat today is far different from the bread our ancestors ate.
Most white breads are made with white bread powder and are processed to increase flavor but white bread is very unhealthy.

Our ancestors did not have the means to process white bread and had whole grain, pumpernickel and other earthy breads. There is even a theory that the whole Salem Witch trial fiasco happened because the women made rye bread and a type of mold grew on it which became a hallucinogen like LSD. When I was teaching The Crucible my students liked that theory. Yet I digress.....

Some fabulous Bread (although not Gluten Free, it is fabulous and low fat, calorie).

1 cup water
1tsp salt
1TBS honey
3 Cups Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Bread Flour
1 1/4 tsp yeast

Like my title of this blog I am lazy so I just put this all into my bread machine and baked it on the basic bread setting. I have absolutely NO idea how to make it without a machine but I assume it involves lots of time and effort, of which I have no patience for.

Some pictures of my bread being made (yummmmm)

Yeast is slowly rising The final project

An Apple a Day...

Today has been a bad eating day. All I want to do is lie in bed with some ice-cream and salt and vinegar chips (don't ask). I don't feel like doing any exercise and I just feel blah! to make matters worse I had pancakes for breakfast and then got a take out gyro for lunch, so needless to say I feel gross. I HATE that feeling when you eat something bad and your whole body feels bad. Sometimes I think it's alright to have one of those days, just as long as you take everything into moderation. No, I will not sit and eat ice-cream and salt and vinegar chips. However to combat my salt and sweet obsession I will try something different.

My new favorite thing to eat are those mini pickles or gherkins. I first had them when I went for Tapas and they tasted so good.... well they taste like pickles but are small. Since I don't have a garden and don't pickle my own food I obviously don't make my own pickles (that's just stupid and too much work). Tonight I will have some of those delicious pickles and instead of ice-cream I will make one of my most favorite low calorie treats, baked apples.

When I was little I would go to my paternal grandparents for dinner every Friday night for the Jewish Sabbath. I have a ton of memories including my grandmothers cold cucumber soup, oxtail, and her jar of candy that was brought out at the end of the night :) One of my other memories is baked apples. My grandmother would always make these delicious baked apples, and as a child it never felt like I was eating something healthy. There is something about baked fruit like baked pears or peaches that also makes the fruit taste so much better.

Most baked apple recipes call for butter or margarine to be added and some sort of cola, however I have a way to combat all that fat and calories and it still tastes really good. Like I always say I never stick to actual recipes and I use enough of everything just so it tastes good. I haven't made baked apples in a while but I know tonight it will be a treat.

Baked Apple:

Apples (the best to bake is green but if you like yellow or red then go for it)
Cinnamon
Diet cherry cola
Truvia or agave

Set the oven for 350 degrees
Put aluminum foil on a pan
core the apples
sprinkle some cinnamon and Truvia or Agave on the apples
add the diet cherry soda to apple center

bake the apples for 20-30 minutes. I like my apples really well done and soft inside so sometimes I leave them on for more time. If you want you can add some yogurt ice-cream or low fat cream to accompany your dessert :) You can also add what you want to it, like granola or raisins. I like my apple just plain but I have had it with cinnamon ice-cream before and it was delicious!!

There are so many benefits of apples and here are just a couple that I found on the Internet:

Bone ProtectionFrench researchers found that a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones.

Asthma HelpOne recent study shows that children with asthma who drank apple juice on a daily basis suffered from less wheezing than children who drank apple juice only once per month. Another study showed that children born to women who eat a lot of apples during pregnancy have lower rates of asthma than children whose mothers ate few apples.

Alzheimer's PreventionA study on mice at Cornell University found that the quercetin in apples may protect brain cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer's disease.

Lower CholesterolThe pectin in apples lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol. People who eat two apples per day may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent.

Lung Cancer PreventionAccording to a study of 10,000 people, those who ate the most apples had a 50 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer. Researchers believe this is due to the high levels of the flavonoids quercetin and naringin in apples.

Breast Cancer PreventionA Cornell University study found that rats who ate one apple per day reduced their risk of breast cancer by 17 percent. Rats fed three apples per day reduced their risk by 39 percent and those fed six apples per day reduced their risk by 44 percent.

Colon Cancer PreventionOne study found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 43 percent lower risk of colon cancer. Other research shows that the pectin in apples reduces the risk of colon cancer and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract.

Liver Cancer PreventionResearch found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 57 percent lower risk of liver cancer.

Diabetes ManagementThe pectin in apples supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body's need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.

Weight LossA Brazilian study found that women who ate three apples or pears per day lost more weight while dieting than women who did not eat fruit while dieting.

sooooo I guess I will be having 3 apples tonight, Enjoy!!

Picture from http://blog.americanfeast.com/recipes/desserts/
Benefits of Apples from http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-apples.html

A little something for lunch

Depending on how your busy you are, lunch is usually something bought at a fast-food restaurant or a sandwich brought in from home. Sometimes it is leftovers from the night before (which are always the best kinds of lunch foods). For those of you who want a light lunch and have about 15 minutes here is a quick and healthy lunch that I love.

Quinoa Pasta with Turkey Meatballs and Lemon Vegetables

2/3 cup of Qinoa Pasta (it's Gluten free and I prefer it)
3 small turkey meatballs (either pre-made or made yourself)
Carrots and Broccoli frozen or fresh
Lemon Juice
Parmasean cheese (optional)

First thing is to boil pasta (it takes the longest about 13 minutes to boil and cook thouroughly).

Cut about four frozen or fresh baby carrots into small mouthfulls
Repeat with the broccolli.

Place vegetables in the microwave with 1 tsp of water for about 1.5-2 minutes to soften and cook. After they are cooked place in a bowl to cool down.

Place meatballs in microwave until they are cooked, cut meatballs into halves or quaters (depending how big they are).

Drain the pasta

Combine the pasta, vegetables, and lemon juice together. I like to use about 1TBS of lemon juice to give it a tangy flavor. Lastly if you want you can add parmasean cheese.

This is a really really easy recipe and makes about 2 servings. I had to estimate the calories and fat but it's around 450 calories and 7 grams of fat.

Once Upon a Time.....

There was this girl who knew absolutely nothing about cooking. She would burn rice (yes you can do that!), and didn't know the difference between a pot and a dutch oven. She had never before had to know to cook for herself and lived on frozen meals while in college.
One day a roommate was cooking in the kitchen and this intrigued the girl. Her roommate was making grilled chicken with couscous and salad. The girl watched her friend make this food and was lucky enough to have a taste. Very satisfied the girl would often watch her roommate cook and eventually learned to cook for herself.

Of course I am that girl! and Christine will always be in debt for teaching me how to cook and showing me that it can be easy.

I love watching the Food Network (The Barefoot Contessa being my favorite), and started buying books. In fact one of my boyfriends bought me my favorite cooking book, Jewish Cooking in America (which is part cook book part Jewish history.... thanks Mark). I also love the Weight Watchers newest cookbook along with some other books purchased from Junior Leagues around the United States.

Although I read and watch about cooking, I hardly ever follow directions. I like to add my own spin on things. I also don't eat certain things and try to be as organic as possible (I will write more about the merits of organic food, but that is for later).

I hope you enjoy my blog and please let me know if you have any suggestions or have your own great healthy (easy) recipes for us lazy girls :)