Fast Diet Program

Friday, May 8, 2015

CrockPot Mulled Wine Recipe

This recipe is part of Oprah.coms Holiday Food Blogger Roundup. Welcome Oprah.com readers! Thank you for stopping by. xoxo steph

Day 329.

Its day three hundred and twenty-nine, and its my birthday.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Its been a total trip.

Last Friday, Adam called and said that he invited a bunch of friends over to celebrate my birthday. He told me not to ask questions but that they were coming, and that hed handle it all. Its a good thing our house is always thirty-minutes-away from being company-ready.

I put on a crab dip, and this mulled wine for our friends. I had fun fiddling in the kitchen, and the kids went to town making decorations.

When everyone was settled and had some of the mulled wine (quite enjoyable!) Adam laid out his surprise: he was dropping the six ladies off at a restaurant and the boys were going to watch all of the kids. My friends were in on it, and we all piled into the mini van. When we got to the restaurant, a table was waiting piled with appetizers and champagne.

Wow. The night couldnt have been any better. Thank you Adam, and thank you so much to Jennifer, Karen, Claudia, Nancy, and Carol. I love you all so much.

And now Im crying. Again.

The Ingredients.

--2 bottles dry red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
--1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)
--2 more oranges (one to float on top, and one for garnish wedges)
--3/4 cup white sugar
--1/4 tsp allspice
--1/4 tsp cinnamon
--4 cinnamon sticks
--4 whole cloves

The Directions.

Serves 6-8 (sort of. it really depends if you want your guests to have a taste, or a bunch. Ill double this next time.)

I used a 6 quart crockpot.

Open the wine. This was really very hard for me. I need one of those fancy wine opener thingies. It seriously took a good twenty minutes for me to open one of the bottles, and I got all sweaty and frustrated. ugh.

Squeeze the oranges to get 1 cup of juice. Im sure you could get away with using store-bought juice, but the pulp floating around is whats kind of neat about mulled wine; its more rustic this way. And oranges are in season.

Stir in the sugar, and add the ground spices. Float the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves on top. Slice one of the oranges in rings, and float the rings on top.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4.

You want the wine to get as hot as a traditional hot beverage.

Ladle into mugs, and serve with a fresh orange wedge.

When serving, leave the lid off and the crockpot on "low."

The Verdict.

I liked this much more than I thought I would, and look forward to making it again. I will on Thanksgiving. I like that you can use terribly cheap wine (Adam went shopping the night before and Trader Joes was already closed, but this is a great use for 2 Buck Chuck---although he assures me that the Sutter Home was on sale for $3.99) and still wow even the toughest wine snob.

Slow Cooker Caribbean Jerk Chicken Recipe

Happy Friday! Its the last day of September, which means CROCKTOBER begins tomorrow!

Its the most wonderful time of the year....

Todays recipe is one of my new favorite chicken recipes. I used a whole chicken, but this spice rub would work great on whatever youve got in the house---it might be really fun to do party drumsticks or wings, too.

I skin my chickens because of my weird issues. If you dont want to skin the bird, you dont have to. You can also insert a rack under the bird to let the drippings settle away from the bird, if youd like. If you dont have a wire rack, you can make a foil snake (3 feet long, then twist up and create a coil at the bottom of the pot) and use that instead.

The chicken pictured was skinned as much as I could with poultry scissors, then cooked in the crock, breast-down. I didnt throw in potatoes or use a rack, but you certainly can if youd like.

The Ingredients.

serves 4 to 6

4-5 pound whole chicken

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon all spice (not a typo, I used a whole tablespoon!)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 limes, juiced (about 1/3 cup)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Skin the bird as much as you can (or dont. its your choice.) and place it into the slow cooker. I prefer to cook my chickens upside down, to keep the breast meat as juicy as possible. Make sure all the giblets, neck, etc. are out!

In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and dry spices. Rub this spice and sugar mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Pour on the lime juice.

Cover, and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4. Check doneness with a meat thermometer, or cut in to make sure the meat is no longer pink. Usually the bird falls completely apart--which is great. Moist, juicy, wondefully-flavored meat.

You can serve with lime wedges for a bit of extra citrus flavor, if youd like.

mmm.

The Verdict.

My family and my friend Sharyls family ate this chicken and we all loved it. Even my super-picky 10-year-old (I can NOT believe shes ten. #nothappyaboutthis) ate her serving and said it was good.

Sharyl asked for the recipe, which is always a good sign.

The bit of heat from the cayenne is there--- but not enough that any of the kids (six in all) complained. The pan drippings would be great to cook your rice in as a side dish.

more chicken? no problem!

lemon roasted

herb garden roasted

chicken with summer tomatoes

Vietnamese roasted

20-40 garlic clove

rotisserie-style

Have a great weekend!

Yes, hes back. I was kinda hoping Jack Frost would just forget about us this year, but lo, I awoke to a winter wonderland yesterday – a good six inches covering the ground and another five since then. With the change in seasons and plummeting temperatures, you wouldnt believe the number of people that have asked, "Wont you be cold eating raw food in the winter?" Funny thing, I never once had anyone ask in years past, "Arent you hot eating cooked food in the summer?"

I have to admit though, back in September, even I started to question "How am I going to do this in the winter?" When the seasons turn, theres nothing I love more than a bowl of homemade soup to warm my innards. And the good news: raw soup does not have to mean cold soup.

Make friends with a double boiler. Its great for warming foods slowly. Youll want to stir often and not let the soup boil – if you can stick your finger in without getting scalded, youre good to go. Dont have a double boiler? Pour your soup into a glass mason jar with a lid and submerge the jar in a bath of hot water to warm it up. I also like to pre-warm my soup bowl.

Another way to stoke your inner fire is to spice up your food with warming herbs like garlic, ginger, anise, cayenne, curry, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, and peppercorns. "Thatll get your blood moving!" as my Dad used to say. Actually, the reason why many people cannot tolerate cold temperatures is due to poor capillary circulation and weakened adrenals. More good news: the longer you maintain a diet of raw, living foods, your circulation improves naturally and your adrenals strengthen, so you should be able to tolerate the cold better than ever before.

In her recent newsletter, raw food chef and author Cherie Soria of the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute included some additional tips for eating raw in colder climates:

For breakfast or an afternoon snack, have raw almond butter with apples or bananas. If youre brave, sprinkle a generous dose of cayenne on top for an extra kick.
Use hot water instead of cold water in your smoothies and blended soups.
Wash your refrigerated produce in warm water or put it in a warm water bath for a few minutes before using it.
Pour nearly boiling water over your refrigerated broccoli or cauliflower and let it rest for a few minutes to warm it up before using it in salads, pates, or other dishes that will be consumed immediately.
Make a warm soup of finely julienned vegetables and hot water. Add mushroom powder, tamari, and grated fresh ginger to boost the flavor.
Drink a cup of warm ginger tea sweetened with a little agave syrup or stevia before bedtime. It will help you warm those cold sheets.

If youre like me and love a good soup on a winters day, heres two seasonal delights that will have you singing, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

Curried Coconut Soup

meat & water from one young coconut
3 C carrots, grated
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp grated ginger root
cayenne to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Creamy Tomato Soup

4 tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 avocado
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp agave
salt & minced hot peppers to taste

Combine ingredients in a blender and pulse until the desired consistency is reached – creamy or slightly chunky, as you prefer.

A Purely Delicious Giveaway

Its delightful, its delicious, its de-lovely. ~ Cole Porter

I have it from a very reliable source – the oh-so lovely Rebecca Carlson – that the Spring issue of Purely Delicious is printed, bound and shipping today. And isnt it a beauty!

While the Winter issue arrived during a blizzard, Im predicting blue skies and sunshine when I retrieve my latest copy from the postman, perhaps as early as this weekend.

Cant wait to dig in to some of Chef Omids Spring Eats (swoon!):
♥ Sun Blushed Botanical Spring Vegetables
♥ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Passion Fruit Pulp & Manuka Honey
♥ Mango & Lavender Mousse
♥ Red Radish & Sweet Pea Salad
♥ Pea, Fennel & Mint Soup

Mila Ilina addresses Emotional Eating

Cherie Soria, the director of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute explores weight loss on the raw food diet in her article Losing It. She shares some tasty treats too!

I wonder what raw food educators and authors Matt & Angela Stokes-Monarch have to say in their regular Q&A feature Ask the Experts. They always have such insightful information to share. Matts been on a 100% living foods diet for well over 10 years now, and Angela lost 160 pounds by adopting a raw lifestyle.

Explore the Bold Flavors of Bali in seven mouth-watering recipes

And all thats just a taste to whet your appetite!

Hungry for more?

The easiest way to ensure you dont miss a bite, is to subscribe to Purely Delicious. If you mention In The Raw when ordering, youll receive a free gift with your first issue. Sweet!

If a subscription isnt in your budget at this time, not to worry. This dazzling publication that celebrates living foods and an eco-friendly lifestyle is currently running a spread-the-word promotion: Rebecca and her staff will be searching chat sites, videos, blogs, Twitter and Facebook posts for anyone mentioning Purely Delicious magazine. The promotion expires July 15, 2010 and is open to all countries. Six 1-year subscriptions will be awarded. The more you mention Purely Delicious, the greater your odds of winning.

But wait, theres more!

Rebecca has graciously offered to gift one fortuitous reader of In The Raw with a one-year subscription. Youll have until Midnight EDT, April 30th to get your entries in. Ill call upon Mr. Random Number Generator to pick the lucky one. Check back here on May 1st when Ill announce the winner.

To enter, just answer this question in the Comments below this post:

What was the most delicious meal youve ever eaten?

Extra Entries: If youd like to increase your chances of winning, please leave a separate comment for each extra entry.

Tweet the giveaway with a link to this post (please include your Twitter ID in the comment)
Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post. Again, please leave the link to your blog post in the comment.
Follow me in the Twittosphere: Im @rawliving
Subscribe to In The Raw in your favorite web-based news reader
Become a Facebook Fan of Purely Delicious Magazine

Good luck everyone!

UPDATE 5-1-10: This giveaway is now closed.

Congratulations Raw Candy, youre a winner!

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe

I was talking to my grandma the other day, and she mentioned that my brother had brought her and grandpa orange chicken from Panda Express.

and that was it. I needed some.

Ive made lemon chicken a few times in the slow cooker, and was impressed with the results. I tested out the same recipe with orange juice instead of lemonade, and guess what? Instant orange sauce, without ingesting tons of deep-fried grease or a drop of gluten. Yay!

The Ingredients.

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch chunks
1/2 cup flour (I used Pamelas Baking Mix)
olive oil, for browning the chicken
1 tablespoon kosher salt
6 ounces (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (Id opt for little-to-no pulp. The pulp can taste a bit bitter when cooked)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup

updated 9/20/09: Ive heard from a few readers that 1 tablespoon of salt is too much. If you are using iodized or table salt, this will be the case. Kosher salt doesnt taste as "salty" as regular salt, and since the granules are larger, you dont get as much in the tablespoon as you would with regular salt. Adjust accordingly. xoxo steph

The Directions.

Use a 4 quart slow cooker for best results. Dredge the chicken pieces with the flour, and shake off the excess. Go ahead and throw away any remaining flour, we wont need it. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on the stove and brown the chicken on all sides. There is no need to fully cook it, just sear it enough for the flour to stick and get a nice coating.

Plop the chicken pieces into your slow cooker. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Taste. If youd like the chicken to be a bit sweeter, add a touch more sugar. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss gingerly to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Serve over white or brown rice.

The Verdict.

Delicious. All four of us had seconds. Like I did with the lemon chicken, I sprinkled some red pepper flakes onto my portion, because I like a bit of heat. Everyone else at the table ate it as-is, and was quite happy.

other great take out fake out dishes:
Mongolian Beef
Broccoli Beef
Chow Mein
Fried Rice
and for dessert: super soft gluten free sugar cookies

Smartphone and Health Issues

Smartphones are now a part of our lives. We cant even imagine spending a day with our smartphone. Smartphones have glued into our lives so quickly that we cant even image. A few years ago no one even have any idea of an android phone and how it will make you addicted to it. Previously mobile phones were used only for telephonic conversation, but now smartphones are much more than that. They act as music player, gaming consoles, video players, digital camera and also connects you to social networks like Facebook, twitter with complete internet connectivity.

How Smartphone Affects your Health

Here are few things that might have noticed in your daily life. You should avoid these things to keep your body healthy and live a peaceful life

Smartphones decreases the Fitness Level

In majority of cases smartphones lead to an unfit lifestyle. Playing games, checking your facebook, twitter, whatsapp, watching movies, or surfing the Internet on your smartphone leads to a sedentary lifestyle. By doing these things you keep yourself away from physical activities, which results in lower fitness level. So avoid those activities on your smartphone which are avoidable.

Dont check your office mails late night

Do you know that late-night emails kill productivity (I am talking about work productivity). Usually our phones emit blue light which reduces the production of melatonin. Melatonin makes our body sleep during night. But lower level of melatonin affects our sleep, which results in lower energy level next day. So dont stick to your phone after 9PM. Lack of sleep can initiate various diseases.

Interruption by phone in your night life with parter might lead to problems

Its a common problem for most of the couples. If your phone is interrupting your night life then it might lead to tension with your partner. Your partner might not point it directly but it will create tension between you. So its better to avoid smartphone at night and give time to your partner.

Ringxiety

Did you ever feel that your phone is ringing while it isnt. This is called "Ringxiety" or " Phantom Vibrations" . Its actually a syndrome. It occurs due to over usage of phone. So try to talk less on phone. Use it only when its necessary.

Losing your phone leads to improper behavior

Sometimes people loose their temper if their phone is lost. Sometimes they misplace it themselves and think that its lost. It leads to a very strange behavior sometimes. When it occurs people take it as a heavy monetary loss (certainly smartphones cost a lot) and loss of personal data as well. That personal data may be pics or some naughty text from you friends or girlfriend. In most of the lost smartphone cases people are more concerned about the lost data. So avoid keeping any type of sensitive data on your phone.

Texting could land you in the Hospital.

Some people text while driving or walking. During past few years that number of accidental cases due to typing on phone while walking or driving has suddenly increased. Whatever the matter is, please avoid texting during such situations. If its an emergency then stop and then text it.

Phone Camera reduces your photographic memory

People rely on their phone camera so much that they dont even look at the things properly. They get indulged in taking a pic of it. When we do it our brain thinks that "its stored in camera, why should i take the pain". It reduces our photographic memory as become dependent on phone camera and dont look deep into the objects. Most of the times we dont even look properly into the images captured by our phone camera. Usually we get busy in sharing those pics on some social network to tell our friends that we visited that place. So please avoid using camera and use your eyes to look into the beauty of nature.

Healthy ways to use Smartphone

Dont use your phone at night
Dont text while walking or Driving
Dont keep sensitive data on phone memory
Dont play too much games on phone
Dont shoot pics everywhere
Dont take it as replacement of a desktop

Note: Try to use your smartphone as a communication devive. You control it, dont let it control you. The smart feature should be used when you need it. These smart features can make you addicted, so avoid using them everytime.

Its the latest fad diet. The promotion of this "Alkaline diet" is fervently done by many female stars, the very thin head that Victoria Beckham has tweeted the benefits to subscribers (almost seven million!).

Alkaline diet: what is it?

From ... to "deacidify" because a diet too acidic would be bad for health.

Alkaline Diet (alkaline diet) restore the acid-base balance in the body

The acid-base balance

The dogma of the alkaline diet, which is also called "anti acidic diet" is to restore the acid-base balance in the body.

An acid is a substance which releases hydrogen ions (H +), residues of energy metabolism. These H + ions are neutralized by a basic substance (or alkaline, it is the same thing).

The indicator of the balance between the two is the blood pH or possibly that of urine.

The pH is the "potential hydrogen". It measures the chemical activity of hydrogen ions (H +). Established on a scale from 0 to 14, it is neutral at about 7. More is below this number, the more acid. And, vice versa, the more it is over, the more alkaline. The normal pH of blood and cellular fluids is between 7.35 and 7.45: it is very slightly alkaline and very stable.

This balance between the acidic and basic substances - which are then eliminated by the kidneys in urine - is normally and permanently in the body.

Except in rather dramatic circumstances in which we are dealing then with acute metabolic acidosis when the system is overwhelmed and the kidneys can not eliminate excess acids. This can occur in inadequately controlled diabetes, fasting too long, severe diarrhea, poisoning with aspirin (which is salicylic acid).

But in the case of the alkaline diet, it is not to change the pH of the blood, because it is stable, but simply to reduce acidifying foods over and increase alkalizing foods instead.

Do you eat too acidic?

Foods are classified according to their acidifying or alkalizing protein and minerals and also the nature of their metabolic waste.

There are several detailed classifications acidifying or alkalizing foods that raise controversy.

Acidiants food

For acidifying foods, the consensus is on meats and all foods rich in animal protein not only contain acidifying minerals (chlorine, sulfur and phosphorus), but they also deliver a lot of waste acids.

We find the same consensus on industrial products, sweet products, alcoholic and caffeinated drinks. All that you acidify A LOT!

Alkalifying food

As for alkalizing foods, everyone agrees on fruits and vegetables because they contain alkalizing minerals: magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium, but very little protein, chlorine, sulfur and phosphorus.

As for other foods (cereals, dairy products, fats), they are more or less alkalizing or acidifying.

How to know if you eat too acidic and is it dangerous?

Supporters of alkalizing diet recommend measuring the pH of the urine, or several times a day.

How?

Peeing on a test strip (litmus paper, pharmacy) that changes color according to acidification. The more it is red, more urine is acidic.

If your diet is too low in alkalizing products your body to keep your acid-base balance, must go to pump your basic minerals and mainly in the calcium from your bones and teeth for that is that there has in stock.

According to some, this would be the explanation for this disease that is becoming more common osteoporosis and fragile bones. It has already been shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (magnesium and potassium) favored bone density.

According to fans of alkalizing diet, the majority of our present ills, large and small, come from what we ate too acidic. Fatigue stress, to weight gain, cancer and cardiovascular disease, all of this comes from our over-acidification!

Is the alkaline diet dangerous?

In a hard-alkaline diet, you have to remove or significantly reduce meats, fish, meats, eggs, all processed products, desserts, drinks containing caffeine and alcohol which are mostly acidifying. Must be reduced more moderate dairy and grains.

You have to eat fruits, vegetables, almonds and seeds, seasoned with spices and herbs, because all these foods are alkalizing.

How to practice good "Alkaline Diet"?

The first and basic rule is to eat lots of vegetables and fruit at every meal: you are then sure (e) to have a max of alkalizing products.

The second is to forget industrial products (like ready meals, pizzas, etc.), products and sugary drinks. And maximum braking on alcohol and coffee.

The third is to reduce its consumption of red meat and charcuterie: If you are a fan of the big daily steak, eat it two or three times a week and replace with fish and eggs, less acidifying. If you start each meal with a good piece of pie, replace it with raw vegetables or vegetable soup.

The fourth is to leave room for dairy products and grains at each meal.

All this is very similar to a balanced diet, one that we recommend here forever and is the key to weight loss!