A few weeks ago, before the pandemic really took off, we were dealing with some really stressful times. My computer stopped working. A delivery driver hit the side of our house. Both of our cars stopped working. It was the perfect storm, before this actual perfect storm. As soon as I replaced the starter in the CR-V and had it working again, we hooked up a U-Haul trailer and drove out to Thibodaux... to pick up a chicken coop… for chickens!
Is eating healthy one of your goals for this year? Many people think that adding fruits and vegetables is all you need to do to eat healthily. But there are other things you can do ensure this.
You can start learning recipes that you can add to your repertoire. Most people think that healthy recipes are bland, but there are many delicious recipes that you can learn, including coconut bread. Here are the things you can do in order to make coconut bread.
Superfoods are foods that are considered of high nutritional value. While there is no particular category of foods branded as the superfoods, the ones regarded as so help to keep diseases at bay and keep the body healthy. Despina Hyde, a New York dietician said that the term superfoods is used on foods with multiple health benefits and as reported by the American Heart Association, there is no set criteria for determining superfoods. With an idea of what superfoods are, let’s delve in some of the most popular superfoods and their benefits;
If you’ve read our Jitlada review, you know we are a sucker for well-made mango sticky rice. What is mango sticky rice? It’s basically sweet sticky jasmine rice flavored with coconut with fresh mango on top. It’s simple, it’s sweet, it’s satisfying. It is especially satisfying after a spicy meal that you usually find at most Thai restaurants! Mangoes have been off-the-chain in season right now in California, meaning they are cheap and taking lots of room in our pantry. I’ve wanted to make my own mango sticky rice, but I was always too intimidated about the rice part. That is, until I found my hack.
Jet Tila is one of our favorite chefs and he came out with a stellar cookbook a few years ago called 101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die. And guess what was in there? Yup. Mango Sticky Rice. Still, I was nervous about the rice. I didn’t have a bamboo steaming basket and I had no sticky rice. So, I went to the grocery store and I got creative. I scoured the Asian foods aisle, hoping that some divine idea would strike from the florescent lights above. And it did! There it was. VeeTee microwavable Thai Jasmine Rice. Yes, yes, I know it’s not authentic, and it’s not nearly as good as doing it right, but I needed a shortcut and I found it. This isn’t a sponsored post for VeeTee, so really any Thai jasmine rice will work. And you know what, the dish turned out pretty dang good and took hours less time and fewer contraptions. Sometimes, I have time for long, intricate recipes, and sometimes, I, well, don’t.
My boss has a big bounty of a garden and he generously brings in lots of different kinds of fruits. One of these fruits in which he brings surplus of is passion fruit! Passion fruit is such a treat because it’s not very common. The abundant amount of rain Southern California has received lately has helped more fruit, well, come to fruit. Passion fruit has a certain tropical flavor. It also absolutely looks like an alien fruit: it has a purple shell and inside, there are a bunch of green slime covered seeds. Sounds appetizing, right? Well, it’s actually super tasty and they’re only about 15 calories a pop!
My boss had brought in a large amount this time and I had quite a few sitting in my fridge. I didn’t want them to go bad, so I looked up passion fruit recipes and found this one. I altered it a little to have less sugar. A passion fruit pudding cake…full of moisture and flavor without being too sweet. Those who know me know that I’m not a huge cake fan, but this recipe is a cross between a pudding and a cake so I like it. It may look a little intimidating, but it’s quite simple to do. I’ve already baked it twice because it’s so delicious. It’s perfect for a guilt-free dessert because it’s so light, but also hits the spot because of its flavor and texture.
One night, after a delicious supper of leftovers, Hungry and I were craving something else. We had a fridge full of goodies so the world was our oyster. What did we want for dessert? More than just a square of chocolate. What about making something? What about pairing Hungry’s cooking skills with Fit’s baking skills? Yes! Sounds like the right way to go. We had plenty of apples and I always like to add a topping, so we created an apple crumble dessert! This recipe was so fun, but also relatively un-intimidating and simple to do: we cooked on the stove and then baked to finish it in the oven. If you can, grab a partner to make this lovely dessert with you in the kitchen!
We still have five more weeks of winter here in the northern hemisphere. While that might not mean a whole lot for us Californians (though we have been getting lots of wonderful rain!), it means most of the country is shivering each day. Well, I have a little warm comfort for you! Although you may associate cranberry sauce just with the holidays, I’m here to tell you it’s a great companion all the way through the winter (and beyond)! You can have it cold or hot, but cranberry sauce can add a certain something to whatever you’re eating. I could put cranberry sauce on nearly anything. However, I don’t like the super sweet jellied stuff, so if that’s what you’re into, this is not the droid you’re looking for. This recipe has much less sugar than most so it maintains its beautiful tartness. I’ve also added some orange zest to brighten it up even more.
We bring you exciting news of a new PowerBar product for athletes! Especially during these hot-as-dog summer months, athletes need fuel for endurance. For persevering through the heat and exhaustion to keep on keepin’ on. We, alongside PowerBar, present to you, New Simple Fruit Energy Food. Instead of its normal bar products, this “food” is a blend that’s more like a liquid than a solid (think of a gel). The smallness of the packet makes it easy to pour down the gullet while you’re on a run or biking away. It’s an extraordinarily convenient product for busy, hardworking athletes.
And no, we aren’t talking about a big slice of pizza. Have you ever been on the go, either running to or from a workout, work, an event, or ANYTHING and just wanted a healthy snack? Chances are you don’t have anything on you, and the closest thing around as a snack is either unhealthy or overpriced. I find myself in this predicament far too often. It gets especially worse with me because I get hangry (and it ain’t pretty). Sometimes, I just need a simple, healthy small snack to keep me going while I go from A to B. I am very grateful to finally have found something that fits this need.
FROZEN GRAPES! I kid you not. This is a family favorite of mine and I brought it into my own household and Hungry loved it! I don’t want you to be grumbly that I’m proposing fruit instead of candy–I always hear backtalk on that one. I promise you, this is different. When you’re feeling that sweet tooth call, don’t ignore it–trick it. That’s right. Your body is craving sugar (for any number of reasons due to nature or nurture) and you’re thinking of all the candy you could shove down your gullet. I dare you to give this candy substitute a chance.
Enter frozen oblong shapes of pure joy…that is, frozen grapes. Luckily, I grew up with this always being stocked in the freezer. Others may think it strange, but I promise that you will be hooked once you start. There are many factors to this. One, grapes do indeed have sugar. In fact, they are pure carbohydrates aka sugar. However, it’s the kind of sugar that your pancreas appreciates instead of other processed garbage you’d normally find in candy. Two, it’s a frozen treat. For some reason, we humans are drawn to delicious frozen treats, no matter the season! When the grapes freeze, or are half-frozen even, it becomes a delicious bite of yummy freshness. There’s something about grapes when they are frozen that they just seem like candy. It always feels like you’re treating or spoiling yourself.
With fitness, health, and goals, it’s important to take small steps. You can’t just cut out sugar all together or go on a crash diet…things don’t work for the long-term like that. If you’re trying to cut back on processed sugars like in candy, for instance, try frozen grapes. It’s very simple. Wash the grapes, put them in a bowl, and put them in a freezer! You can use any kind of grape you want–even seedless. It really feels like a treat and you can trick your mind into feeling happy and satisfied with such a snack. Your body will thank you later. Let us know what you think of the frozen grapes! And as always, stay hungry and fit!
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