Low Fat Key Lime Pie

By Lisa VanWilliams

Key Lime Pie pie is a refreshing salute to Summer. A Great low-fat snack or dessert the whole family will love.
                    By Lisa VanWilliams
Ingredients:

• 1 reduced fat graham cracker crust
1 (1/16 ounce) package sugar-free lime gelatin
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 (8 ounce) container fat-free whipped topping
• 2 (6 ounce) Greek key lime pie yogurt
• Shave some lime over the top of the pie and finish it with fresh slice of lime
•  
Directions:
• In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water.
• Stir in yogurt with wire whisk.
• Fold in whipped topping with wooden spoon.
• Spread in crust.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Kid's Health Snack Ideas

By Lisa VanWilliams

Kid's Healthy Snacks!!
Over 20 - 30% of your child daily caloric intake can come from their snacks!! We know as adults that can add up. Depending on what them have makes a huge difference.Try some of these great ideas.

•  Make your own Fruit smoothies with a colorful straw - a great way to add fruit and calcium to your kids diet!

• Peanut Butter and whole grain pretzel sticks - the pretzels are low fat and the peanut butter is high in fiber and protein

• Apples sliced thinly - they have vitamin C and they are full of antioxidants                              ** Trust me when I say it make a difference when you slice them almost paper thin.. TRY IT!!

• Cheeses cut into shapes!! - calcium vitamin D and low in sodium

• Yogurt - calcium, protein, and boost your immunity

• Fresh fruit cut into shapes - vitamins, minerals, and more antioxidants

• Graham crackers drizzled with honey - honey is said to be a very powerful antioxidant. It might even help with allergies and help you relax so you sleep better at night.

• Baby petite carrots with sliced green peppers & cucumbers - potassium and vitamin packed

• Natural veggie sticks

• Home made Granola

Try to make snack as entertaining as they are healthy. The bit of extra work you put in will pay off in the long run - Keep checking back as I will be posting pictures of the above and more !!

Do you know what the world's most traded spice is?

By LIsa VanWilliams

Black pepper ! Vietnam is currently the world's largest producer of this spicy ancient seasoning with India coming in at a close second.  Why do top chefs encourage the use of fresh cracked pepper over pre-ground pepper? 
Once pepper is ground is loses its aromatics and the flavor can fade out quickly as it dries.  That's why chef's encourage the use of fresh ground pepper. Peppermills or grinders are the easiest way to get the best flavor out of peppercorns.

Pepper has the ability to stimulate the taste buds and improve the digestive system. It's even been said that the outer layer of the peppercorn helps break down fat. The peppercorns are filled with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C, anti-oxidants, and potassium.   Pepper will also help heighten your taste experience.  So, get out there and find a pepper mill you like and start grinding. No more boring pre-ground pepper that's lost it's flavor because its been sitting in the shaker to long. 

Do you have Anxiety?

By Lisa VanWilliams

Eating the right food can help relieve the tension.  Whole grain bread is a complex carbohydrate and it helps produce serotonin which is our "feel good" calming neurotransmitter. Energy is created by whole grains and it also helps to reduce hunger because it takes longer to break down which is important in regulating anxiety.  Anxiety can also be called by a lack of magnesium and whole grain provides a much better source. A whole grain slice of bread can contain 24mg of magnesium whereas white bread has roughly 8mg.

What are some whole grains foods?

• Quinoa
• Corn (popcorn and cornmeal included!)
• Buckwheat
• Wheat
• Barley
• Amaranth
• Rye
• Oats
• Brown Rice
• Wild Rice
• Millet

Blueberry Pear Walnut Gorgonzola Salad

By Lisa VanWilliams

Try this simple refreshing Summertime salad instead of your regular salad. It's got great texture and taste and you will be surprised. - By Lisa VanWilliams

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls salad greens, washed and dried (I like butter lettuce mix for this recipe)
• 2 pears, washed, cored, peeled and thinly sliced (bosc or any preferred)
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup roasted walnut halves
• 2 oz Gorgonzola cheese
• raspberry vinaigrette dressing
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Divide lettuce onto 2 chilled plates.
   
   
2. In a small bowl combine the pears, blueberries, walnuts, crumbled cheese and dressing. Mix together and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Drizzle over the salad and serve!

Lower your risk for heart disease!!

By Lisa VanWilliams

Why cook with olive oil?

• Olive oil has roughly 33% saturated fat while butter is composed of 66% saturated fat. Olive oil has no cholesterol, while a serving of butter has around 33mg of cholesterol. 

• Extra virgin olive oil contains some of the highest amounts of monounsaturated fats compared to other oils. These fats actually help lower a person’s total cholesterol level and LDL cholesterol level, or bad cholesterol. When used in moderation, olive oil provides more health benefits than negative.

• Olive oil comes in a few versions: virgin, extra virgin, pure and light. Virgin means that no chemicals were used in the process of extracting the oil from the fruit. Extra virgin means that the olive oil has undergone several tests to confirm its taste and to verify that it is free of defects & chemicals -it tends to be a little more expensive. Light olive oil is not pure virgin olive oil - it is a blend of oils.  

• Per the USDA the nutritional information one teaspoon of olive oil contains:

Calories : 119
Fat: 13.50
Carbohydrates: 0
Fibers: 0
Protein: 0

Don't forget your lips!

By Lisa VanWilliams

If your hitting the beach, swimming in the pool, or working outside this summer, don't forget to protect your lips !
Frequent sun exposure puts your lips at risk especially the lower lip. The National Cancer Institute states that roughly 3,600 people a year will develop lip cancer and men are more at risk due to greater occupational sun exposure by working outside.  The majority of sun damage is done before children reach the age of 18, so it's important to play in active role in teaching them about how important sun protection is.

We recommend Kiss My Face lip balms to protect your lips! It's made from natural and organic ingredients. We tried the SPF 15 Cranberry Orange and the Just Peachy and they are good enough to eat ! If you need more coverage, they also offer a Sport Lip Balm with SPF 30.

Kiss My Face was a company started 30 years ago by two men in New York's Hudson Valley Region living the green life.

http://www.kissmyface.com/lips/grid/natural-lip-balm


So, get out there and play..but don't forget to protect your lips !!