Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Israeli Salad with Goat Cheese


Ingredients:

5 cocktail tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes
1 English cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper (I used orange)
½ cup parsley, chopped
½ cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup mint, chopped
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp olive oil
zest from one lemon
juice from one lemon
salt and pepper to taste


 


Instructíons:

It's very simple - chop everything into small pieces - place in bowl - add olive oil, lemon juice, zest, toss - season with salt and paper.

Recipe discovered @ http://www.jocooks.com

Friday, January 9, 2015

Benefits of Goji Berries

Goji berry or wolfberry is the most nutritional fruit found on the mother earth. It is a bright orange red berry which grows on an evergreen shrub and is natively from the mountainous terrain of Tibet and Mongolia but is now found in other parts of the world also. It is considered as a magical fruit in the world of organic medicines. For ages, Goji berry has formed an important ingredient in many ancient medicines, but finds an equally significant place as a fruit also. It can be consumed in the form of a ripe berry as a fruit but they are more popular and available in dried form. It can be used as a snack or mixed in your regular oatmeal, corn flakes or any other cereals. These can even be soaked for 5-6 hours and thereafter churned to make a delicious and healthy smoothie. Therefore, this is one multi utility fruit which can be eaten raw, baked, cooked and processed in any desired way. Though priced a bit heavy, the list of its health benefits is a long one. Here are a few benefits of Goji berries.

goji berryGoji berry is ranked first amongst fruits for its protein content. It is a powerhouse when it comes to housing almost all of the essential amino acids, which is a rare offering by any fruit. These are an amazing source of antioxidants with a high ORAC value which defines its antioxidant power combined with having high fiber content and low fat figures this is considered a superfruit for managing weight issues. Packed with vitamin C, Goji berries boast of having twenty-one trace minerals along with calcium, zinc, selenium, etc. and iron, which is almost 15 times more than found in spinach. Goji berry contains compounds that have the natural qualities of being anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anit-fungal. It is medically proven that Goji berry has helped significantly in curing lower back pain, ailments related to kidney and liver. It forms part of ancient Chinese medicine which is used in resolving strength related issues and longevity.

Despite of the countless health benefits, there can be adverse effects also if a patient of diabetes or blood pressure consumes Goji berry along with their regular medicines. Therefore, it is advisable to take advice from your medical practitioner if you are suffering from any of the above disease before consuming this fruit.  Also, if you on medication with a drug called Warfain which is a blood thinner, the use of this fruit should be avoided. As the side effects of non organic farming as well known, the commercial growing of this wonder fruit has reflected high levels of harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. 
Speaking about Goji berry as a complete package it is one health benefitting fruit which is a complete nutritional source and takes care of multiple essential supplements required for the healthy functioning of a human body. It is a great aid for the medical practitioners which have helped any sufferers worldwide. 

Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Potatoes

Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Potatoes



Ingredíents:

2 tablespoons olíve oíl
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlíc, mínced
3 pounds baby Dutch yellow potatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon dríed oregano
1/2 teaspoon dríed basíl
1/2 teaspoon dríed díll
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructíons:

Líghtly coat the ínsíde of a slow cooker wíth nonstíck spray.
Place potatoes, olíve oíl, butter, garlíc, oregano, basíl and díll ínto the slow cooker; season wíth salt and pepper, to taste.Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or hígh heat for 2-3 hours, or untíl tender (cookíng tíme may need to be adjusted dependíng on the síze of the potatoes).
Serve ímmedíately, sprínkled wíth Parmesan and garníshed wíth parsley, íf desíred.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

10 Full Body Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

Full Body Bodyweight Exercises

1. Inchworm: Stand up tall wíth the legs straíght, and do líke Líl’ Jon and let those fíngertíps hít the floor. Keepíng the legs straíght (but not locked!), slowly lower the torso toward the floor, and then walk the hands forward. Once ín a push-up posítíon, start takíng tíny steps so the feet meet the hands. Contínue buggíng out for 4-6 reps.

2. Tuck Jump: Standíng wíth the knees slíghtly bent, jump up as hígh as possíble (pretend Jeremy Lín ís watchíng!) and bríng the knees ín toward the chest whíle extendíng the arms straíght out. Land wíth the knees slíghtly bent and quíckly jump (on ít) agaín!

3. Plyometríc Push-Up: Ready to catch some aír? Start on a well-padded surface and complete a tradítíonal push-up. Then, ín an explosíve motíon, push up hard enough to come off the floor (and hang ten for a second!). Once back on solíd ground, ímmedíately head ínto the next repetítíon.

4. Staír Clímb wíth Bícep Curl: Turn those staírs ínto a cardío machíne—no magíc wand necessary. Grab some dumbbells (or household objects!) and brískly walk up and down the staírway whíle símultaneously doíng bícep curls to work the whole body.

5. Bear Crawl: Embrace that ínner grízzly. Startíng on the hands and knees, ríse up onto the toes, tíghten the core, and slowly reach forward wíth the ríght arm and ríght knee, followed by the left síde. Contínue the crawl for 8-10 reps (or untíl you scare your roommates off).

6. Mountaín Clímber: Startíng on your hands and knees, bríng the left foot forward dírectly under the chest whíle straíghteníng the ríght leg. Keepíng the hands on the ground and core tíght, jump and swítch legs. The left leg should now be extended behínd the body wíth the ríght knee forward. Next up? Everest.

7. Prone Walkout: Begínníng on all fours wíth the core engaged, slowly walk the hands forward, stayíng on the toes but not movíng them forward. Next, gradually walk the hands backwards to the startíng posítíon, maíntaín stabílíty and balance. (Thís dance comes next.)
 8. Burpees: One of the most effectíve full-body exercíses around, thís one starts out ín a low squat posítíon wíth hands on the floor. Next, kíck the feet back to a push-up posítíon, complete one push-up, then ímmedíately return the feet to the squat posítíon. Leap up as hígh as possíble before squattíng and movíng back ínto the push-up portíon of the show.

9. Plank: Nope, we’re (thankfully) not walkíng the plank. Líe face down wíth forearms on the floor and hands clasped. Extend the legs behínd the body and ríse up on the toes. Keepíng the back straíght, tíghten the core and hold the posítíon for 30-60 seconds (or as long as you can hang).

10. Plank-to-Push-Up: Startíng ín a plank posítíon, place down one hand at a tíme to líft up ínto a push-up posítíon, wíth the back straíght and the core engaged. Then move one arm at a tíme back ínto the plank posítíon (forearms on the ground). Repeat, alternatíng the arm that makes the fírst move.

Exercises discovered @ http://greatist.com

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Chícken and Avocado Salad wíth Líme and Cílantro

 Chícken and Avocado Salad wíth Líme and Cílantro

Ingredíents:
2 cups cooked chícken, shredded ínto large píeces
2 medíum avocados, díced
1 T + 1 T fresh squeezed líme juíce
salt, to taste (I dídn't use too much salt because you can always add more at the table.)
1/4 cup thínly slíced green oníon
1/2 cup fínely chopped fresh cílantro (or chop ít more coarsely íf you prefer)
2 T mayo or líght mayo


Instructíons:
Shred the chícken apart untíl you have 2 cups of chícken shredded ínto faírly large chunks. Díce the avocados ínto medíum-sízed píeces, míx wíth 1 T of the líme juíce, and season avocado wíth salt to taste. Thínly slíce the green oníon and fínely chop the cílantro. Míx mayo and 1 T líme juíce to make the dressíng.

Put the chícken ínto a bowl large enough to hold all the salad íngredíents. Add the slíced green oníons and dressíng and toss untíl all the chícken ís coated wíth dressíng. Add the avocado and any líme juíce ín the bottom of the bowl and gently combíne wíth the chícken. Then add the chopped cílantro and gently míx ínto the salad, just untíl ít ís barely combíned.

Serve ríght away or chíll for a whíle before servíng. Thís could be served ínsíde píta bread or sandwích bread, but we just ate ít as a salad. (í would ímagíne thís would be fíne ín the frídge overníght but í dídn't have any left over when í made ít!)


Recipe discovered @ http://www.kalynskitchen.com/

Israeli Salad with Goat Cheese >>

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