Seize The Day Blog

Health-Related Articles & Recipes

Archives for November 2015

From My Recipe Box To Yours: Gingerbread Men Cookies & Icing

 

“It’s the holiday season…may the calendar keep bringing Happy Holidays to you…”

~ Andy Williams, Happy Holiday

Can you believe it’s that time of year again? Thanksgiving is exactly 5 days away, Christmas is almost 5 weeks away, and there’s only a little over a month until the New Year! Is it just me, or does it feel like someone took the “remote control” of Life and pressed fast forward on the first 11 months of the 2015-year?

Regardless, I will still welcome December with a wink and a smile along with a very out of tune rendition of Andy Williams’ holiday classic “Happy Holiday.” This, along with some holiday baking, is the only proper way to make the transition into the Christmas season a smooth one.

 

To get yourself in the holiday spirit, I recommend trying this very easy and very fun recipe for gingerbread cookies courtesy of RealSimple.com. You could cut them into whatever shape you prefer, but I will be showing you the how-to’s of this recipe using gingerbread men cookie cutters. The recipe for vanilla royal icing is also included courtesy of FoodNetwork.com. Happy Cooking!

 

GINGERBREAD COOKIES RECIPE

 

 

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From My Recipe Box To Yours: Gingerbread Men Cookies & Icing

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 30 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the work surface
  • 1 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Molasses
  • 1 Large Egg

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the molasses and egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
  4. On a floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes; place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
  5. Bake until firm, 10 - 12 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  6. Decorate cookies as desired and let set, icing recipe below.
  7. Store in airtight container at room temperature and enjoy for up to 1 week.
https://www.seizethedayblog.com/2015/11/from-my-recipe-box-to-yours-gingerbread-men-cookies-icing/

 

 ROYAL ICING RECIPE

 

 

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From My Recipe Box to Yours: Royal Icing

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 3 Egg Whites
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 3 cups Confectioner's Sugar

Instructions

  1. In large bowl of stand mixer combine the egg whites and vanilla. Beat until frothy.
  2. Add confectioner's sugar gradually and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Mixture should have a shiny appearance at this point.
  3. Turn speed up to high and beat until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. This will take approximately 5-7 minutes. Add food coloring, if desired.
  4. For immediate use, transfer icing to pastry bag or heavy-duty storage bag and pipe as desired. If using storage bag, clip corner.
  5. Store in airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
https://www.seizethedayblog.com/2015/11/from-my-recipe-box-to-yours-gingerbread-men-cookies-icing/

 

 

 

Sources:

  1. http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/gingerbread-cookies
  2. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/royal-icing-recipe1.html

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Sweet Potato Fries

“As if being one of the top vegetable sources of beta-carotene weren’t enough, sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamins C and E. These are potent antioxidant vitamins that play an important role in disease prevention and longevity.”

– Danna Norek, naturalnews.com

 

Sweet potatoes are one of those foods that many people eat exclusively around the holidays, when they really should be eating them much more often! Incorporating sweet potatoes into your regular diet might be a bit of a challenge because most of us only know one way to prepare this delicious and incredibly healthy vegetable….covered in marshmallows. I don’t know about you, but I usually only feel like eating this dish around Thanksgiving or Christmas.

While eating at a foodie restaurant in Los Angeles, I discovered a genius and conventional way to prepare sweet potatoes…in fry form! Top these babies with a little bit of sea salt and rosemary and you’ll get your new favorite side dish! I also recommend coating the sliced sweet potatoes in Coconut Oil before sticking them in the oven for the full 30 minutes.

Just remember to pull the fries out at the 15 minute mark and flip them with a spatula so that one side does not get well done while the opposite side is only slightly done. You can cook the fries on a baking sheet or in a glass pan, just be sure to spread them out evenly over multiple pans. The fries won’t cook right if they’re all crammed together in one pan.

 

Fries blackened on one side (Oops!)…Good thing I like them crispy!

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From My Recipe Box to Yours: Sweet Potato Fries

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6-8 Sweet Potatoes, medium
  • 4 T Coconut Oil
  • 1-2 T Sea Salt
  • 2-3 T Dried Rosemary

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450F. Wash potatoes, slice into your desired shape and set aside in a large bowl.
  2. Drizzle coconut oil over sweet potato fries and toss to coat. Spread evenly over multiple glass pans or baking sheets.
  3. Once your fries are evenly dispersed, sprinkle half of the sea salt and rosemary to season.
  4. Place in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
  5. After 15 minutes, take all pans out of the oven (fries should be about halfway done at this point) and use a spatula to flip the fries. Once all the fries have been flipped, place pans back into the oven for another 15 minutes.
  6. Your sweet potato fries should cook for a total of 30 minutes. They should be soft with slightly crispy edges. Add the other half of sea salt and rosemary. You may need to add more to taste.
  7. Serve with ketchup, ranch or blue cheese dressings, or BBQ sauce.
https://www.seizethedayblog.com/2015/11/from-my-recipe-box-to-yours-sweet-potato-fries/

 

The final product!

Sources:

www.naturalnews.com/035739_sweet_potatoes_beta-carotene_nutrients.html

 

It’s Fall Y’all! The Seasons are Changing, Why Not Change Your Nutritional Lifestyle, too?

 

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As the autumnal season continues to progress, it brings with it a multitude of changes like the various shades of red and yellow most leaves seem to be turning this time of year.

With the season so vibrantly changing all around us, I am reminded that while many of the changes taking place this time of year are imminent, we must not forget to stop and consider the changes that require a bit of a spark. You know, the ones that many of us tend to put on the back burner until life gets less hectic. More specifically, the changes that need to take place in the lives of most people and are concerning the quality of their nutritional lifestyle.

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Take a moment and think about your nutritional lifestyle…would you consider your “lifestyle” to be a healthy one? Or, do you need to make some much-needed changes in your life before you’re even close to that neighborhood? If you do, that’s okay! I have an excellent way for you to kick-start your new “healthy” nutritional lifestyle and all you need to do is add a new product to your diet/cooking routine! What is this product, you may be asking? Well, drumroll, please…it’s Coconut Oil! Not only is it extremely healthy for the human body, but it’s fantastic for those with brain disorders (like epilepsy), as well! Read more about the health benefits of Coconut Oil here!

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Coconut Oil is a saturated fat, something that has been marketed as “unhealthy,” but it is actually a major brain food! Yep, saturated fats are actually really great for your body! Click here to read more about the benefits of saturated fats and why everyone desiring healthy brain function should incorporate them into their diet. In addition to the saturated fats, the human brain also operates on protein (Want to learn more about protein? Click here to read my article, “Protein: It’s Kind of Important“).

And guess what coconuts happen to be full of…Yep, protein! It is this very component of coconuts that also makes the oil ideal for weight loss. With the holiday season fast approaching, now is the time to make the switch to Coconut Oil. If you’re cooking your holiday meal in Coconut Oil, you’ll be able to eat all the delicious food you’ve spent hours making without any of the regret or weight gain that it is typical for this time of year. Unlike normal holiday meals, you’ll be cooking your foods in oil that is both free of trans-fats and incredibly healthy for your body!

Many people fail to realize the important connection between nutrition and total body health. Albeit, more and more people are realizing the connection between vegetable oils like Canola and various cancers affecting adults, which is yet another reason why YOU should be cooking with Coconut Oil!

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***Side Note: Please remember everything in moderation! Just because you’re using Coconut Oil does not mean you’re now allowed to eat an entire plate of stuffing all by yourself! It is simply a healthy alternative to existing cooking oils and should, therefore, still be considered come serving time.

So, hopefully, by now, I have convinced you of your need for Coconut Oil in your life! If you still need some convincing then let me just present you with a delightful fact….did you know that Coconut Oil can even make fried foods healthy? Who knew coconuts were such a total super fruit??? I first discovered this quality thanks to my Catamenial Epilepsy. As an epileptic, the current state of my brain health has become a prominent focus for me. Coconut Oil can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders (such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, depression, etc.) and reducing seizures is included in that long list of beneficial effects.

I can use all the help I can get when it comes to my brain health, so I now drink a tablespoon of melted Coconut Oil in the morning with breakfast. Drinking oil might sound completely disgusting, but believe me when I say it’s totally worth it! Coconut Oil is such an amazing supporter of brain health; you’ll be giving your brain a boost and promoting healthy long-term brain function simultaneously!

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***Side Note: I recommend taking the oil with a glass of orange juice; it makes swallowing without gagging much easier!

The simplest adjustment in your daily regime truly can make a world of difference for your health! After discovering my allergy to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in 2010, I immediately stopped using cooking oils like Canola, Palm, Safflower and Sunflower…oils that are also commonly known to contain hidden forms of MSG. It was this allergy that prompted me to make the switch to Coconut Oil, but it is the endless list of health benefits offered by this product that have now made it a key component of my nutritional lifestyle.

Some of you might be concerned about the flavor of the oil affecting flavors you might be cooking with, but Tropical Traditions (a reputable Coconut Oil vendor) has already solved this problem for you! The company offers both flavored and unflavored oils.

While speeding up your metabolism, you will also find the Coconut Oil successfully working to reduce your hunger. So, ladies and gentlemen, seize the day, ditch the Canola oil and jump on the Coconut Oil bandwagon already!

P.S. Once you’ve got your Coconut Oil, click here for a delicious and simple recipe for Sweet Potato Fries! Or check out this delicious recipe from Jen Reviews Blog for Water Spinach Crepes with Coconut Cream Sauce where they use Coconut Oil to cook with instead of an unhealthy option. I’m always a fan of that cooking style!

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