Photo by:  VirtualErn

When I am feeling the need for a warm quick soup, I usually start preparing vegetable soup.  Probably what I enjoy the most when making this soup is what I think of as “cleaning out the refrigerator.”  I pull out refrigerated and frozen vegetables that need used up.  This is why it is always good to have a few varieties of frozen vegetables on hand.  I don’t have a recipe for making this soup because I just use what I have available at the time.  I always use onion, celery, and carrots.

• The last batch of vegetable soup I made included the following:

1 chopped onion
2 chopped carrots
3 stalks chopped celery
Frozen Peas
Frozen Green Beans
Frozen Chopped Spinach
1 diced potato
2 small diced sweet potatoes
8 sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small can whole tomatoes
1 small can diced tomatoes
16 oz. of vegetable broth in a box
About 3 cups water
Spices
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Photo by: whoohoo120

You are going to see in the papers, on television, and even on the computer advertisements for sales, sales, sales, during the holiday season.  Does this make you feel like you “have” to go out and buy “stuff” because it is on sale?  Do you realize this causes stress?

Stop and think about what the true meaning of the holiday is.  Okay, so you feel the need to give a gift to Aunt Sue, the mailman, Mary’s teacher, etc.  There are ways to go about gift giving that can be fun, rewarding, and very much  appreciated without a lot of stress.  Have you ever thought about making a gift?  If you are like me I would want it to be something easy and stress free. Continue Reading »

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Photo by:  little blue hen

The body needs bacteria but having the right bacteria is what is important.  Beneficial bacteria is know as probiotics. Lactobacillus and bifodobacteria are good bacteria which basically keep the bad bacteria under control.  What we eat and supplement make a big difference to the balance of bacteria and hence our health.  Probiotics improve the absorption of manufacture vitamins, especially vitamins K, folic acid, and B12, calcium and other minerals, and important in healing a variety of digestive disorders.

Harmful bacteria can cause infection directly, or form toxic substance that contribute to cancer and inflammation, especially of the digestive tract.

Antibiotics destroy all bacteria, good as well as bad, and is best not to take at all unless absolutely necessary.

Benefits of Probiotics

• Boost resistance to infections
• Regulates hormones
• Improves digestion
• Lowers cholesterol levels
• Elevates the immunity
• Helps relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Reduces the risk for certain cancers

To promote health and prevent disease eating fermented foods or taking probiotic supplements every day is a good idea.  People under constant stress and elders might want to highly consider this suggestion.  As we age the amount of colonic bacteria decreases and there have been animal studies showing probiotics helped reduce symptoms of stress. Continue Reading »

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Photo by:  Muffet

Don’t let the name of this recipe turn you off.  The recipe has an Eastern Indian taste due to the ginger and garlic that is used, and is quite yummy.  It does have a bite and can be spicy.  I suppose you could use less ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper if you don’t like real spicy food.  I appreciated a cranberry dish that was not so tart, with a completely different flavor, unlike any cranberry dish I have ever had. Continue Reading »

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• This picture may not look very appetizing but trust me this dish has so much flavor that it will warm your heart!
• If you are interested in a tasty recipe with an Eastern Indian flair I highly recommend trying this easy to prepare recipe.  I was quite surprised with the flavor, especially when using coconut and tart apples together in a recipe.  I had never prepared a dish with this combination before. Continue Reading »

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A few things to consider when buying tea are:

• Some tea is healthier than others.
• Rooibos (pronounced Roy-Boss), Yerba Mate, green teas, have high amounts of antioxidants.
• Black tea has the highest concentrate of caffeine.
• There is the basic commercial tea, black tea, and herbal teas.
• Teas, like coffee, should be thought of as drugs or medicinals than just as liquid beverages.
• Caffeine, tannins, or tannic acid can be an irritant to the intestinal mucous linings and kidneys.  Herbal teas are caffeine-tannic acid free. Continue Reading »

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