Make June a month of new habits

In the spirit of sun and beach....make June a month of healthy habits.

• Reduce clutter
• Take a walk more often
• and....eat better:

1. Instead of soda pop, try iced tea or water with lemon.
2. Fill the plate with more fresh vegetables and fruits and less breads and mayo-type salads.
3. Try something new. Instead of racing through the grocery store and picking-up what you would normally buy, take your time to explore sections of the store that you're not use to going to.
4. Don't skip the burgers, enhance them: Italian burgers: onion, fresh basil leaves and parmesan. 

                                                                    Mexican burgers: avocado, fresh cilantro and mild peppers.

Get creative. Come-up with your own tasty, low cal beverages using seltzer water and citrus. Think outside the box.

May is National Salad Month

Consider growing your own salad bowl. Or, shop the markets. Here's some great information to get you started:

http://www.examiner.com/article/may-is-national-salad-month

Venison and small game recipe ideas

Get creative with venison! Especially if you have family members who don't like "gamey" tasting food.

Mix ground venison with ground turkey to modify the taste.

• Hamburgers
• Meatballs
• Chili

Soak venison steaks in a solution of olive oil, vinegar and crushed garlic cloves.

Meatloaf:

• mix ground venison with ground ham, egg, bread crumbs and mustard
• mix venison with ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, chili sauce and garlic powder. Then top with a mix of crushed tomatoes, ketchup and Italian seasoning

Soup:

• Small venison meatballs or Steak bits blended with beef or chicken broth, lentils, carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, parsley and oregano

Greek Flair

• Mix plain, low fat yogurt with crushed garlic or cucumber. Serve with venison strips, fresh tomato and onion and bread, such as: pita, Arabic or Gyro bread. 

Please feel free to post your favorite venison cooking ideas.

Cranberry, Mango, Orange Smoothie

Use Left Over Cranberry Sauce in a Nutrient Rich Smoothie

Ingredients

• mango, 1, skinned and cut-up
• cranberry sauce, 1/2 cup
• orange juice, 1/2 cup
• low fat or Greek, plain yogurt, 1/2 cup
• cinnamon, 1 tsp

Directions

1. Blend
   Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into beverage glasses and share with a friend. This recipe contains vitamins A and C, protein and calcium.

Tips / Notes

You can add more or less of an ingredient according to your own personal taste. Add a few rinsed mint leaves for a variation to this recipe.

Banana Extract Ideas for Use

So, you've just Spring cleaned your pantry and you say to yourself: What do I do with this bottle of banana extract?

Bread

Follow the directions for mixing the ingredients when preparing a bread recipe with banana extract. Whisk the banana extract into the wet ingredients before adding them to the dry ingredients.

Pudding

For a homemade pudding recipe calling for a 9 x 9 inch, baking dish, follow the recipe instructions and whisk 1/2 tsp. of banana extract into the saucepan near the end of the cooking time. If using an instant pudding mix, whisk-in a 1/8 tsp., of banana extract to the milk per 4 oz. box of pudding mix.

Pancakes

For a homemade pancake recipe that makes approximately 9 to 12 pancakes, add 1/4 tsp. of banana extract blended with 1/4 tsp. of vanilla extract to the batter mix and whisk until it's blended. Cook the banana pancake batter on a hot griddle until each pancake is puffy and dry before turning to cook on the other side.

Muffins

Follow the directions for banana muffin batter that calls for a dozen muffins. Add 1/2 tsp., of banana extract to the wet ingredients before combining it with the dry ingredients. Stir the batter just until all of the ingredients are combined then pour the banana muffin batter into a muffin pan. Cook the muffins in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Cake

Incorporate banana extract into a banana or chocolate banana cake recipe by adding 1/2 tsp., of banana extract to the wet ingredients before beating with an electric mixer. Add the wet ingredients to the blended dry ingredients and stir before pouring into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch, baking dish. Cook the banana cake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Things to ponder:

Imitation extracts contain water, alcohol, natural and artificial flavors and sometimes food coloring. Boost the nutritional content of banana bread recipes by using whole wheat flour and finely chopped vegetables such as zucchini, carrots or pineapple. To achieve a more powerful banana flavor, add banana extract to banana-based recipes.You can bake breads ahead of time and freeze them for later use.

Lamb and Lentils

Lentils are a low-glycemic index legume that are high in fiber, folate, thiamin, manganese and contain approximately 18 different amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Lamb contains all of the essential amino acids along with a significant amount of potassium and phosphorus. Combing lamb with lentils provides a healthful and tasty meal. Adding vegetables to lamb and lentils will increase the nutritional value especially fiber and vitamin A.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/483415-lamb-lentil-bake/#ixzz1ngLv1H1j

Mint

Many herbs are easy to grow and abundant at food stores. Herb gardening has been around for centuries...used for medicinal purposes, to flavor foods, and for their nutrient properties. We can harvest, rinse, dry and bottle, but what else can we do?

Mint is an herb that grows like crazy and often needs to be cut-back or grown in a container. Many people decide to grow a small amount in a pot on their window sill. Others prefer to pick up a few sprigs at their local Farmer's Market

Herbs grown for consumption should be grown in a place where animals do not have access. Always rinse your herbs well before storing or eating. There are many good reference books for herb gardening, one is: Encyclopedia of Herb Gardening, Consultant Editor Francis Hutchinson, ISBN 1 877019 94-1.

A few mint leaves can be a great addition to iced tea or a green salad. But, It's also good in Smoothies. 
Place the following ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (serving size = 1):

Recipe 1: 4 oz. orange juice 
1 medium banana 
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 tsp. honey 
2 large or 4 medium mint leaves (rinsed)

Recipe 2: 
4 oz. cranberry juice 
1/2 fresh, peeled orange 
1/8 teaspoon crushed (powder form) cloves 
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 
2 large or 4 medium mint leaves (rinsed)

Recipe 3: 
4 oz. pineapple juice 
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
half of an avocado (peeled and pitted) 
2 large or 4 medium mint leaves

Certainly you can experiment and have fun with different ways to incorporate herbs into your smoothies.