Blog

1. Get Ready for Spring: 4-Week Plan to Trim Down

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:20:00 -0500

This is some good info.

8-Day Meal Plans Resolving to eat better in 2010? Here is a tool to help you lose weight—and keep it off for good! Our daily meal plans are designed by nutrition staff with a variety of healthy, delicious recipes, an abundance of whole grains to help you feel full, and healthy amounts of fresh fruits and low-fat dairy foods to meet your basic needs for calcium, protein and other essential nutrients while you are dieting.

Check out 28-Day Meal Plans

Plus if you don't feel like cooking you can always hire me. I already have the knowledge to help you get to your ideal weight and I can help teach you how in the kitchen.

Best regards,

Chef Linda

Chef Linda is in Folsom Magazine

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:57:00 -0500

Folsom Magazine

Top 40 Ten Dollar Dinners

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:46:00 -0500

Great taste for less – money-saving meals

Tips for Quick and Easy Recipes

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:09:00 -0500

Is getting a quick dinner on the table your greatest cooking challenge?

Simple recipes and cooking shortcuts, like taking advantageof convenience products and time-saving cooking techniques, will saveyou preparation and cooking time.

Check out these handy tips for quick meals.

Fix-It-Fast Pantry

Keep your cupboard stocked with these quick dinner basics.

Bakery/Bread
French bread
Pita bread
Pizza crust (ready-to-eat)
Sandwich buns
Tortillas
flour

Dairy

Cheeses (cubed, shredded, sliced)
Cheese spreads
Cream cheese
Eggs
pasta
pasta sauces (frozen or jar)
potatoes
Sour cream
Yogurt

Fish/Meat/Poultry

Chicken breasts (boneless skinless)
Deli meats
Fish (fillets, steaks)
Ground beef
Pork (boneless chops, tenderloin)
Precooked shredded meats and poultry in barbecue sauce
Preseasoned meats and poultry (ready-to-cook)
Turkey (slices, tenderloins)

Frozen

Filled Pasta
Fish products (breaded, unbreaded)
Noodles
Potatoes
Seafood
Vegetables (combinations, plain)

Grocery

Beans (canned plain, flavored)
Bisquick® mix
Bread crumbs (plain, flavored)
Broth (beef, chicken, vegetable)
Chicken (canned)
Couscous Dried herbs
Olives
Pasta
Pasta sauces
Rice (instant/regular)
Roasted red bell peppers
Tuna, Salmon, Shrimp (canned)
Seasoning packets (Alfredo, gravy, meat loaf, sloppy joe, spaghetti)
Sun-dried tomatoes Tomato products (plain, seasoned)
Vegetables

Produce

Bagged lettuce (complete kits, lettuce mixtures, plain lettuce)
Carrots (baby-cut)
Fruit (fresh precut)
Garlic (minced in jars)
Vegetables (fresh precut)
Vegetables (mixtures in bags)

Condiments/Sauces/Seasonings

Barbecue sauce
Marinades
Mustard
Salsa
Seasoning blends, dried
Stir-fry sauces
Teriyaki sauces

Save Time in the Kitchen

Why not chop another onion or two or brown up an extra pound of ground beefwhile you’re already in the kitchen? Taking that extra bit of time tomake some things ahead really saves you time in the future. Here aresome handy time-saving do-ahead ideas:

Makebread crumbs, either plain or seasoned with your favorite herbs and spices, from extra or stale bread. Put it in resealable freezer bags orcontainers with lids; label and date. Freeze up to 3 months.

Cut uncooked meat and poultry into cubes or slices. Arrange in a single layer on a foil-lined baking pan or cookie sheet; freeze. Remove frombaking pan. Place the meat in resealable freezer bags or containerswith lids; label and date. Freeze up to 6 months. Use in casseroles,skillet meals, soups, stews and stir-fries.

Make extra uncooked hamburger patties. Place waxed paper between each patty,then wrap tightly; label and date. Freeze up to 4 months. To usepatties, thaw in the refrigerator before cooking.

Make extra uncooked or cooked meatballs. Arrange in a single layer on afoil-lined baking pan or cookie sheet; freeze. Remove from baking pan.Place in resealable freezer bags or containers with lids; label anddate. Freeze uncooked meatballs up to 4 months and cooked meatballs upto 3 months. Use cooked meatballs directly from freezer in cookedrecipes. If using uncooked meatballs, cook until it’s no longer pink incenter and the thermometer reads 160ºF.

Cook groundbeef plain or with seasonings and diced onions or other dicedvegetables; drain. Place it in resealable freezer bags or containerswith lids; label and date. Freeze up to 3 months. Use in casseroles,chilies, skillet meals, sloppy joes, soups, spaghetti or tacos.

Chopbell peppers, carrots, celery and onions. Arrange in a single layer ona foil-lined baking pan or cookie sheet; freeze. Remove from bakingpan. Place in resealable freezer bags or containers with lids; labeland date. Freeze up to 1 month. To use, add unthawed vegetablesdirectly to the dish being cooked. Or to sauté, thaw slightly just tobreak pieces apart. Use in casseroles, skillet meals, soups, stews andstir-fries.

TIME-SAVING TIP:How food is cut up before it’s cooked affects cooking time. Cuttingmeat, poultry or vegetables into smaller or thinner pieces shortenscooking. Another speedy shortcut is to flatten boneless skinlesschicken breasts to a thickness of 1/4 inch.

TIME-SAVING TIP:When making a pasta dish that cooks fresh or frozen vegetables, add thevegetables to the saucepan of boiling pasta and water during the last 3to 5 minutes of cooking for crisp-tender vegetables. Drain pasta andvegetables in a colander, and continue with the recipe.

TIME-SAVING TIP: Need boiling water in a hurry? Start with hot water and cover the saucepan with a lid. It will boil faster!

Have a great day,

Chef Linda

Tips are from Betty Crocker.

Here is Several Weeks of Wintertime Meals (with 21 recipes)

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:25:00 -0500

Here is Several Weeks of Wintertime Meals:

Don't fear Monday through Friday mealtimes -- savor them with these five quick and easy weeknight dinners.

The following are some great recipes:

Gnocchi Nicoise This is just plain goodness. Store-bought potato pasta speeds up our Gnocchi Nicoise, and ground beef or turkey, veggies and Nicoise olives make a filling, flavorful sauce.
Turkey Carbonara Delux This makes a great and different pasta dish.
Chicken Tetrazzini This dish is wonderful and easy to make. It will soon be your family favorite too. Works great with leftover turkey too.
Bruschetta This is great served over breaded chicken. After cooking breaded chicken until golden brown you add this over the top with a some Italian cheese and you have a wonderful dish.
Slow-Cooker Moroccan Turkey Stew (You can use Chicken insted of Turkey)
Moroccan Burritos with Tahini Herb Sauce When dinner is on deadlin, don't forget to look through your leftovers! Make a quick burrito with cooked rice, with the leftover Moroccan Stew
Pan-Fried Cod with Slaw Spice up everyday coleslaw with apples, scallions, whole-grain mustard and caraway seeds. Serve with this Crispy Pan-Fried Cod coks in minutes, and is the perfect accompaniment. Use just lowfat Mayonnaise to lighten it up
Sauteed Chicken Breasts With Cream Chive Sauce Dress up Chicken Breasts with a rich sour cream-based Sauce
Baked Mac and Cheese Here is a new twist this recipe has spinach and low-fat milk make this mac and cheese lighter and more nutrious than the usual recipe. I always like putting veggies in my main dish to make it more nutrious.
Hamburger and Sour Cream Casserole If you've been missing the gooey goodness of a sour cream and hamburger noodle casserole, grab a fork on this one.
Roasted Halibut with Banana-Orange Relish Soft, sweet banana really stands up to the powerful tang of orange and lime in this accompaniment to roasted fish.
Root Vegetable Gratin This gratin is the perfect winter side dish for the coldest nights.
Snow Pea and Avocado Slaw This Snow Pea and Avocado Slaw blends Crisp veggies with toasted walnuts for a refreshing take on traditional slaw. Best of all, it's on your table in 15 minutes.
Carrots with Chickpeas and Pine Nuts gets a boost of flavor from smashed garlic. It's an easy hot side that cooks up in just 7 minutes.
Baked Spring Rolls Start your meal with a better-for-you version of the classic starter. Stuff store-bought wrappers with ham, crab/chicken and veggies, then crisp in the oven insted of the deep fryer.
Chinese Dumpling Soup This Soup uses frozen dumplings and store-bought chciken broth, so it comes together in miutes. Flavor the broth with smoky sesame oil, ginger and low sodium soy sauce, then add fresh spinach just before serving for an extra helping of healthy veggies.
Tangerine Beef with Scallions Ditch the deep-friedmeat and excess oil in many American Chinese dishes for this fresh,easy alternative. Marinate steak in tangerine juice, then broil andserve with ginger-orange sauce.
Chicken Piccata with Pasta and Mushrooms With its light lemon-caper sauce and accompanying whole wheat angel hear pasta, enjoy they healthy update to Chicken Piccata.
Black Bean Croquettes with Fresh Salsa Mix together staples like canned black beans, frozen corn and breadcrumbs for these quick and tasty croquettes.
Golden Baked Pork Cutlets With a few wholesome ingredients, our golden-crusted Baked Pork Cutlets are the ultimate in Healthy Comfort foods.
Sesame-Crusted Tofu with Spicy Pineapple Noodles Crispy Sesame-Crusted Tofu tops noodles that have been tossed with a sweet-and spicy pineapple sauce.

I hope you enjoy,

Chef Linda

50 Easy Soups

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:31:00 -0500

Some soup sounds good! So here are some good quick and easy soups recipes.

Click here for recipes

Sweets for your sweetie

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:40:00 -0500

Impress your valentine with heart-shaped strawberries hand-dipped in chocolate.

Click here for recipe Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.

Enjoy,

Chef Linda

St. Valentine'sDay Recipes

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:05:00 -0500

Valentine's Day Menu

Spark your flame with delightful Valentine's Day Menu with these recipes....

Valentine's Day Menu

I would serve each dish by its self

Blood Orange French 75 Cocktail

Honey Roasted Pear Salad with Thyme Vinaigrette Dressing

Steak au Poivre I would serve this with some steamed carrots to add color and healthy veggies

Shrimp Scampi with Linguini I would use Rice pasta or Whole Wheat pasta and if you want something different you can add some veggies like canned artichoke hearts

Molten Chocolate BabyCakes

Healthy Tip of the Day....

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:19:00 -0500

Healthy Tip of the Day: Don’t Go Hungry Research shows that smart snacking can keep energy levels up and prevent youf rom over eating at meal time. Combine a fruit or some veggies with a small amount of protein, such as a cube of low-fat cheese or a small handful of nuts.

Do you have type 2 Diabetes?

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:02:00 -0500

This is great information......

Cinnamon may eliminate the need for drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes

According to Dr. Wright, cinnamon/MHCP might not only help control blood sugar but also,when combined with appropriate diet, exercise, and other supplementation, makepatent medications and their myriad adverse effects (including significantlyincreased cardiovascular mortality and occasional deaths from other causes)totally unnecessary.

Individuals with type 2 diabetes who aren't using patent medications should also consider this addition to their diet, exercise, and supplement plan. If you have a mild case of diabetes, it's quite possible that your blood sugar level will normalize simply by using cinnamon or MHCP. At the very least, it should improve.

And in either circumstance, using cinnamon or MHC should postpone or even help preventprogression of type 2 diabetes and its complications. Of course, always workwith a physician who can monitor your progress and help you withdraw from anypatent diabetes medication you may be taking.

Since insulin and MHCP have been found to be synergistic, taking MHCP or wholecinnamon should make it possible to regulate blood sugar with less insulin.Some complications of type 1 diabetes may come from insulin use itself, sousing less insulin while maintaining blood sugar control could be beneficial.Always work with a physician whenever trying to taper down insulin usage.

But before you start sprinkling it on...

Dr.Anderson noted in his research that all species of cinnamon and numerousbottles of commercial cinnamon were tried and that they all worked to help regulate glucose metabolism in his research teams' experiments.

Coupled with the widespread availability of self-monitoring devices for blood sugar measurement, it isn't hard to tell if cinnamon or MHCP is helpful. However,keep in mind that whole cinnamon, like most plants and other living things, has both fat-soluble and water-soluble fractions. There is some evidence that highlevels of the fat-soluble fractions of cinnamon could be cause for concern.

Someresearchers have found that substances in the fat- (and oil) soluble fractionsof cinnamon may be both carcinogenic and genotoxic (damaging to genes, andleading to an increased risk of both cancer and birth defects). Fortunately,these risks are easily avoidable, and you can still get all the benefits ofcinnamon just by taking a few simple steps.

Dr. Anderson has observed that essentially all toxic materials in cinnamon are fatsoluble. He simply recommends that, to be safe, anyone using more than 1/4 to 1teaspoonful of whole cinnamon daily first boil it in water, then pour off theresulting watery solution for use, and discard the solid remainder, which would contain the fat- and oil-soluble fractions. Since MHCP is water soluble, it's still readily available in the watery solution poured off after boiling the cinnamon.

A helpfulhint for actually going about separating the oils and fats on the surface ofthe water: Try pouring the water through a cheesecloth (cheesecloths areavailable in many supermarkets and other cooking-supply stores).

If youprefer not to take these steps, but still want to try this natural approach tocontrolling diabetes, you can avoid the potential hazard of whole cinnamon byusing the cinnamon derivative, MHCP, in supplement form.

Seeing is believing

Q: Is there any way to tell if I might be predisposed to getting type II diabetes?

Dr.Wright: Absolutely! In fact, just a glance at your skin could tell you ifyou're "programmed" for diabetes. Here are some of the physicalsymptoms to look for on your body that might be trying to warn you thatdiabetes is on its way.

Shin spots. Slow-spreading, brownish-red (occasionally yellowish) discolorations on the shins are often an early warning sign of impending adult onset (type 2) diabetes.
Skin tags. As the name aptly describes, they're "tags" of skin most frequently found on the neck, under the arms, and in the groin area, and they're a common occurrence on adults.
Dupuytren's contracture. This condition occurs when the connective tissue under the skin of the hand begins to thicken and shorten. As the tissue tightens, it may pull the fingers down towards the palm of the hand.
Excess weight. Obesity is probably the most widely known physical symptom for type 2 diabetes, and it's usually the easiest to spot. If this is a problem for you, make sure to carefully examine your body for the other symptoms as well.

In addition to the symptoms you can actually see on your body, you should also beaware of some internal risk factors for type 2 diabetes--namely, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and, of course, familyhistory of the disease.

While these factors may not put you at risk on their own, combined with the otherphysical signs they can be additional clues as to whether type 2 diabetes maybe in your future.