6 Nutritional Resolutions for a Healthy New Year

1. Avoid Aspartame and other synthetic sugars.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and drinks. It's also sold under the brand name NutraSweet. Aspartame's negative side effects include Methanol (wood alcohol) which is a dangerous neurotoxin and a known carcinogen. Synthetic sugars contribute to acidity, a condition which leads to inflammation and the creation of fat cells to store that extra acid. So ironically, consistent consumption of Aspartame could add to your weight.

2. Avoid refined sugar.

White, refined sugar weakens the immune system by stealing your white blood cell's ability to destroy bacteria. It can also encourage addiction to eating foods devoid of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

3. Eat more greens and veggies.

This boosts your intake of antioxidants, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, zinc and omega-3s. Foods that are dark green, such as broccoli or kale, are high in folate, which is an amazing nutrient for heart health.

4. Say so long to dinners out - start cooking more at home.

How many times are you currently eating out each week – counting snacks and breakfasts too? Try to reduce that number by one each week; if you’re currently eating out five times a week, make it four, then three, and so on. Cook more meals at home and dedicate more time to preparing healthy foods so that you always have something to take with you and won’t have to succumb to the temptation of buying food when you’re out.

5. Make water your default beverage.

Sugar-sweetened beverages, like soda or iced tea, are one of the top foods that drive weight gain. Choosing water instead of calorie-laden beverages is a smart and easy way to drive down your overall calorie intake, so you may end up losing weight. Plus, a study in the journal Obesity found that adults who drank two cups of water before a meal ate less at the meal and lost more weight over 12 weeks than the group who didn't drink water before eating.

 6. Try new ways (besides salt) to flavor your food.


There's no doubt about it-salt adds flavor to food. But too much salt is also linked to high blood pressure. The daily recommended limit is 2,300 milligrams-the amount in just 1 teaspoon of table salt. Yet most Americans consume more than twice that. To flavor your food without overdoing the sodium, start with fresh ingredients and experiment with new flavorings. Lemon or lime juice and vinegar can help bring out a food's inherent savoriness, helping you reduce or even eliminate salt. A sprinkle of fresh grated lemon zest, chopped fresh or dried herbs, garlic or shallots can add lots of flavor. I recommend  using salt-free seasoning blends like lemon pepper, poultry seasoning and salt-free herb blends like Mrs. Dash.


Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year!!!

.Chocolate Gingerbread Bars

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with a strip of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper. Dust paper and sides of pan with cocoa; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, ginger, pumpkin-pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and sour cream until smooth. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Using paper overhang, lift gingerbread from pan. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares. Before serving, dust bars with confectioners sugar, if desired.

Chewy Chocolate-Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
4. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Gingerbread Waffles

The holidays are once a year, why not make everything as festive as possible. Whip cream, some sort of badass berry preserves or jam and you are like a little kitchen elf just serving up good cheer and smiles for all.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
• 3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
• Lingonberry preserves (or other berry preserves), for serving

Directions

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs, butter, milk, sour cream, and molasses in a medium bowl. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, and whisk until smooth.
2. Heat a waffle iron. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each mold, and cook until golden brown. Serve warm waffles with sour cream and preserves.

Holiday Candy Packaging Ideas

Package this sweet honeycomb brittle in cellophane bags, and close each bag with this adorable fold-over "Season's Eatings" gift label.

Package brittle in round chip-wood boxes and affix a pretty "Made with Love" or "Enjoy" gift label to the lid.

Red-and-white-striped peppermint candy sticks, jelly beans, jawbreakers, and foil-wrapped chocolates make easy, beautiful Christmas decorations and gifts. Save jelly, pickle, and spaghetti sauce jars to make this craft, or purchase containers at a discount store.

Take holiday photo cards to the next level: Paste an image on a small container and fill it with candy bearing personalized holiday greetings. Coat a small box, outside and in, with red nontoxic acrylic paint; let dry. Trace the box top onto card stock. Draw a circle about 1/2 inch larger around the traced circle; cut out with scalloping shears. Repeat to make a second circle. Print or photocopy a photograph, adjusting the color, if desired. Trace the box top onto the picture; cut out. Use craft glue to affix the photo to one of the scalloped red circles; let dry. Affix that circle to the top of the box and the other circle to the bottom using craft glue.Fill with candy.

Wrap candy boxes in solid-color red or white paper and wind different colors and widths of ribbon around them. Fill out a simple white gift tag and thread the ribbon through it.

Miniature felt Christmas stockings or ribbon-wrapped jars make great gift containers for candy. Check out Michael's. I bet they have a bunch of these there.

Gingerbread Cheesecake

That damn Martha Stewart is at it again. Tis the season for gingerbread. I bought some shitty gingerbread at whole foods the other day which inspired me to make something gingerbread and delicious, since that bread I bought was so underwhelming. Top this cake with both  Molasses-Gingerbread Cookies. See Shaped Gingerbread Cookies for how to make the gingerbread men. Because you will use the molasses-gingerbread dough for the crust, you can make all the cookies from the same dough.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1/4 recipe of the dough for Molasses-Gingerbread Cookies
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 6 gingerbread men (see above)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan in 2 layers of foil.
2. On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to a 13-by-10-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto a baking sheet. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 14 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. Break into large pieces, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground.
3. Combine butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 cups cookie crumbs in a bowl. Press mixture firmly and evenly into bottom and one-third of the way up sides of prepared pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool on rack.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and the vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in molasses, salt, spices, and lemon zest. Pour filling into cooled crust.
5. Place cheesecake in a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven, and carefully add enough hot water to roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cheesecake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, 60 to 65 minutes. Carefully remove springform pan from roasting pan, and let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight).
6. Before serving, run a hot knife around edges of cheesecake to loosen, and remove sides of pan. Arrange gingerbread cookies in center of cake in a circle (with heads facing inward and arms touching, alternating light and dark).

Aztec Chicken Soup

Warm up this winter with a bowl of mexican healthy goodness. I know sometimes I dont want a big meal, I just want a hearty bowl of soup that fills me up and keeps me warm. My sailor mouth unleashes a f- yes to this, after I sit indian style on my chair wrapped up in a blanket and scarf this down to warm my belly.

Aztec Chicken Soup

For soup
2 yellow onions, peeled and chopped
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
½ tbsp. whole black peppercorns
1 whole chicken, cut into quarters
2 dried pasilla chiles
8 Roma tomatoes
2 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. vegetable oil

For garnish
Fried corn tortilla strips
Avocado, diced
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Onion, chopped
Cilantro, chopped
Lime, cut into wedges

1. In a large stockpot, place half of the onions, 2 garlic cloves, the carrots, bay leaves, whole peppercorns, and chicken. Fill with enough cold water to cover the chicken by two inches. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.

2. Skim off any foam that forms at the top. Once the chicken is fully cooked (about 45 minutes), remove it from the liquid and set aside to cool. Into another pot, strain the stock through a fine strainer and set aside. Discard the vegetables and aromatics. (The first two steps can be skipped by using 4 cans of store-bought stock and a cooked roast chicken, meat removed from the bones.)

3. Preheat the oven to broil and place the whole tomatoes, remaining chopped onion, and remaining whole garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Place on the top rack of the oven and broil until the tomatoes are slightly charred and the onions and garlic are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

4. Put the dried pasilla chiles on a cookie sheet and place them under the broiler until they are slightly toasted (be careful not to let them burn). Remove them from the oven and soak them in warm water 5-10 minutes.

5. Once they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins from the tomatoes. Remove the chiles from the soaking water. Place the peeled tomatoes in a blender along with the roasted onion, garlic, and chiles. Puree until smooth.

6. In a thick-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Slowly add the tomato-chile puree and “fry” it in the oil until it thickens and darkens, 5-7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add 4 quarts of the chicken stock (reserved cooking liquid) to the puree. Let it simmer 10-15 minutes.

7. In the meantime, remove all the meat from the chicken; discard skin and bones. Shred the chicken meat and add to the soup along with the salt. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes and serve.

8. Garnish with tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Bueno!!!!