Author: Carma Spence

Carma Spence has been experimenting in the kitchen since she was four years old and loves trying out new recipe ideas. She is the author of Bonkers for Bundt Cakes and Your Perfect Pie, as well as author and contributor to several more non-food-related books. With Carma's Cookery, she is taking her passion for empowering people and blending it with her passion for cooking, gift-giving and entertaining.

Categories
Healthy Living Well Stocked Pantry

The Health Benefits of Yogurt

By USDAgov [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I began my love affair with yogurt as a young child. I was prone to colds and, for awhile, vaginal yeast infections, so my mother began looking for ways to help boost my immune system. One of the things she found was that Lactobacillus acidophilus, a healthy bacteria found naturally in the body and in yogurt, helps maintain an acidic environment in the body, which, in turn, helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

Yogurt, which you can find in a variety of styles and flavors at any grocery store, has quite a few health benefits:

⇒ It contains animal protein. Your body uses dietary protein to build and repair tissues; and make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is a key component of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. Incorporating yogurt into your diet can help you maintain a good balance of protein.

⇒ It contains calcium, which is needed for healthy bones and teeth. It is also useful in weight management and reducing PMS symptoms. There is evidence that calcium may play a role in the prevention of cancer, too. And calcium also plays a role in heart health.

⇒ It contains vitamin B2, also called riboflavin, an important chemical for a variety of cellular functions, such as deriving energy from your food. It helps your body absorb iron, which is important for healthy red blood cells. B2 also protects you from free radicals, chemicals that can speed aging and raise your risk of cancer and other diseases.

⇒ It contains vitamin B12. Along with vitamin B2, B12 helps produce energy from nutrients and supports production of new red blood cells, replacing the old, worn out cells. It helps your nervous system function properly and supports DNA synthesis. Vitamin B12 is also needed for the enzyme that coverts a bad amino acid, called homocysteine, into a harmless compound. The Office of Dietary Supplements reports that keeping blood levels of homocysteine low may have significant benefits for your cardiovascular system.

⇒ It contains potassium. Potassium’s primary functions include building muscle, synthesizing proteins, controlling the heart’s electrical activity and maintaining pH balance. It is also needed for maintaining the body’s total fluid volume, keeping your electrolytes in balance and ensuring normal cell function. Research suggests that a diet high in potassium can help reduce the risk of stroke, lower blood pressure, preserve bone mineral density and reduce the formation of kidney stones.

⇒ It contains magnesium, which is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in your body, including food metabolism and the creation of fatty acids and proteins. It is also involved in the communication between nerves and muscles, which affects performance and relaxation. Not getting enough magnesium can lead to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, coronary heart disease and osteoporosis.

⇒ It is a good source of probiotics, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, which are the “friendly bacteria” found naturally in your digestive system and help with digestion. Evidence suggests that the probiotics in yogurt contribute to a healthy immune system and digestive tract. There is also some research that suggests that probiotics can help with skin conditions, urinary and vaginal health, prevention of allergies and colds, and aiding in oral health.

As you can see, yogurt is packed with a plethora of health benefits. And with the wide variety of styles and flavors available, as well as the convenient packaging, you are sure to find a yogurt that works with your lifestyle and pleases your tastebuds.

Power-Packed-Foods-150Learn About 9 More
Power-Packed Foods
In this FREE Report!

If you would like to learn about more power-packed foods, grab your copy of Top 10 Power-Packed Foods. When you subscribe to my email newsletter, using the form below, you’ll not only receive this handy one-sheet downloadable PDF report, you’ll also receive three more articles — like this one — providing you with more information about three of the power-packed foods listed in the report.

Power Packed Foods

== Sources ==

 

Healthy Eating Worksheet

Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

Download Now

Categories
Taste Tests

Product Review: Newman’s Complete Skillet Meal for Two

Newman's Own pasta
Newman's Own Chicken Parmigian & Penne with a side salad
Newman's Own pasta
Newman’s Own Chicken Parmigiana & Penne with a side salad

A few weeks ago I received some coupons for various Newman’s Own products in the RedPlumb weekly flyer, so I decided to give the products a try.

newmans-own2On Monday, I tried out the Supreme Thin & Crispy pizza. I was dubious about it because I prefer my pizza crusts to be thick and bread-y. To be honest, the crust wasn’t too bad, it was just crispier than I prefer. But what lost it for me was the spiciness of the pepperoni — I went to bed with an upset stomach. I’ve never tasted pepperoni so hot!

newmans-own1Then, last night my boyfriend and I tried out the Complete Skillet Meal for Two in the Chicken Parmigiana & Penne flavor. You’ll see how I served it with a side salad and Parmesan cheese above.

World of difference! I would totally recommend this product. It took all of 10 minutes to prepare. The chicken was tasty. The penne was just the right amount of al dente. And the sauce was perfection — and I’m not crazy about tomato-based sauces!

This is a perfect meal for two if you get creative and add on a side or two. I chose to serve it with salad (recipe below) and top it with a mix of Parmesan, Romano and Asiago cheeses. My boyfriend was surprised at how quickly I pulled together a delicious and elegant meal. Thanks Newman’s Own!

== Carma’s Quick Salad ==

1 bag of butter lettuce
1/4 chopped red onion
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4-1/2 cup Ranch dressing

In a large container with a lid — a Rubbermaid or Tupperware works (I use a recycled, large lunch meat container) — add in the lettuce, onion and cheese. Close the lid and shake well.

Open the container and add in the salad dressing. Close and shake until well mixed.

Serve in bowls.

Optional garnishes: Parmesan cheese, cilantro or diced green onion.

You can find a good container for mixing salads on Amazon.com. See suggestions here:

Categories
Healthy Living

Organic Living Tips: Drinking water and more

Reduce the flouride and chlorine in your drinking water.

Reduce the flouride and chlorine in your drinking water.There is so much processed food, additives and other “junk” in our food these days. That’s why there is a growing movement to eat organic foods.

In the U.S., organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food, in general, is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.

So what does that say about non-organic food? I shudder to think.

So, with this post I’m starting a series of posts that I’ll publish over the next several weeks that will provide you with ideas for living a more organic life.

Tip 1. Reduce the fluoride in your water.
Faucet water contains fluoride in all 50 states. To remove it, purchase a reverse osmosis filter. A Britta filter won’t be enough.

Just so you know what kinds of effects too much fluoride can have, let me share my story. From the age of 3 to 5, I lived in East Africa. For health reasons, the fluoride content of the water there was very high. This caused a greenish-black substance to grow on my teeth. In fact, many children of the time had black teeth.

When we returned to the States, I had to have my teeth cleaned of this substance every three months for several years. I even had to use non-fluoride toothpaste, and did so until finding such a toothpaste became near impossible.

Tip 2. Reduce the chlorine in your water.
Chlorine is used in drinking water to combat microbial contamination. However, it can react with organic matter in the water and form dangerous, carcinogenic Trihalomethanes. In 1992, a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, found that people who regularly drink tap water containing high levels of chlorine by-products have a greater risk of developing bladder and rectal cancers than people who drink unchlorinated water.

The good news is that chlorine in water will evaporate after a few hours. So, to get rid of the Trihalomethanes, use a water pitcher with a carbon filter and then leave it in your fridge overnight to let the chlorine evaporate.

Tip 3. Stop using plastic water bottles.
Though Nalgene bottles are BPA-free, they’ve been found to leech other chemicals. Use glass bottles to be 100% safe. This is especially true if you are leaving your water bottle in the car. When your car, and therefore the water, heats up, it increases the speed of the leeching. If you can’t use a glass bottle for the car, find one of the stainless steel water bottles currently on the market.

Tip 4. Don’t bother with anti-bacterial soap.
Avoid soap labeled as “anti-bacterial.” First, pretty much all soap will kill bacteria. And second, residue on dishes and hands from these “special” soaps can get into your stomach and kill your “good bacteria.”

Tip 5. Use coconut oil to cook with.
Cooking with coconut oil is better than olive oil. It has more Omega-3s and doesn’t oxidize in sunlight or high temperatures. Olive oil is better used for flavor than for cooking; and if used in cooking, only at low temperatures.

[divider]

[one_third] Healthy Eating Worksheet [/one_third]
[two_third_last]

Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

Download Now [/two_third_last]

Categories
Healthy Living Special Occasions

Fun with Fruit Pizza

fruit pizza

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I stayed at friend of his home and for a treat Saturday morning they served us Fruit Pizza.

fruit pizza

The smell of the crust reminded me of going to a State Fair and the resulting dish, as you can see above, was beautiful. I asked for the recipe and she delightedly told me was Diabetic Friendly. Here’s a version of that recipe followed by some ideas I’ve had for when I make it not to far in the future.

fruit-pizza-topINGREDIENTS

CRUST:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cold butter

SAUCE:
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

TOPPINGS:
2 cups halved fresh strawberries
1 cup halved fresh kiwi fruit
1 cup fresh blueberries

“CHEESE”:
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1-1/4 cups unsweetened orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

CRUST
In a large bowl, combine flour and powdered sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press into an un-greased 12-inch pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

PIZZA SAUCE
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over cooled crust.

TOPPINGS
Arrange the strawberries, kiwis and blueberries on top.

“CHEESE”
In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, orange juice and lemon juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for two minutes, until thickened. Cool slightly. Drizzle over fruit.

Refrigerate until chilled.

Yield: 16 servings.

fruit-pizza-sideCARMA’S TWEAKS, TIPS & SUGGESTIONS
Note, some of these tweaks and tips may reduce the “diabetic friendliness” of this dish.

Crust Ideas: Use sugar cookie mix for a similar crust. Want to get more creative? Try different cookie mixes for the crust. Gingersnap mix will spice it up. Snickerdoodle mix will give it a touch of zesty cinnamon flavor. Fruit-flavored cookie mixes will up the fruitiness.

Sauce Ideas: If you want this to be more like a dessert, use vanilla frosting instead. For a creamier sauce, add in half an 8-oz tub of Cool Whip and reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup. Want a lighter frosting (and only if the dish will be served and consumed quickly)? Use unsweetened whipped cream. Want to be bold and different? Experiment with adding chocolate to any of these suggestions!

Topping Ideas: Use different fruits for the topping. I’m not partial to kiwi, so I’d probably substitute with Mandarin oranges, papaya (red or regular), baked apple, banana, cherries or any other favorite fruit du jour.

“Cheese” Ideas: I found the glaze that mimics the cheese to be too tart for my taste. So I’m going to experiment with other juices such as pineapple, apple, white grape and perhaps even guava.

[divider]

[one_third] Healthy Eating Worksheet [/one_third]
[two_third_last]

Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

Download Now [/two_third_last]

Categories
Cooking Techniques Creative Cookery

Get creative with cookie pie crusts

Graham cracker pie crust
By little blue hen (Flickr: unbaked graham cracker pie crust) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Graham cracker pie crust
By little blue hen (Flickr: unbaked graham cracker pie crust) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The traditional cookie-based pie crust is the graham cracker crust, which is essentially graham cracker crumbs and butter, sometimes with a bit of sugar and/or spice added in. (I usually leave out the sugar, because I don’t think I need the extra sweetness.) But you don’t really need to be limited to that.

You can make a wide variety of fun, tasty pie crusts from other types of cookies. The key is to choose crispy cookies, as soft cookies are more likely to create a soggy crust. Here are some suggestions:

  • Gingersnaps — great with pumpkin pie or vanilla custard filling
  • Chocolate cookies — great with chocolate fillings. Oreos can be used, but if you don’t remove the creaming filling, be sure to reduce the butter.
  • Vanilla Wafers — Toast them first so they are extra crispy
  • Oatmeal cookies — Be sure to use the crispy kind!
  • Shortbread cookies — A great subtle crust flavor
  • Pecan Sandies — This adds a touch of nuttiness to the shortbread cookie idea

Ready to get creative with your crumb-y pie crust? Here’s a basic recipe:

1 1/2 cups finely ground cookie crumbs
6 tbsp melted butter

Mix together and press into your pie tin. Fill with your chosen filling! For some ideas on what to fill that pie crust with, grab a copy of Your Perfect Pie.

Categories
Cookbook Reviews

Challenged by pies?

Your Perfect Pie by Carma Spence

your-perfect-pie-coverI have no idea why pies can seem so daunting, but for many they are. That’s why I wrote Your Perfect Pie. I spent several months researching recipes, tips and tricks — then testing them all to create this book.

What sets Your Perfect Pie apart is that I don’t tell you how to make a whole pie from crust to garnish, I let you mix and match from a variety of recipes for crusts, fillings, tops and decorations so that you can create your perfect pie!

My favorite recipe is for a cherry pie. I had a lot of fun playing around with the lattice topping I used and finding the perfect mix of cherry and amaretto flavor. I also dug deep to create a coconut cream pie that really was packed with coconut flavor. The secret? Coconut powder!

You can grab your copy of Your Perfect Pie in either physical or ebook format from a variety of online vendors. Just visit www.carmascookery.com/yourperfectpie to find out how!

Categories
Special Occasions

Celebrate food in August

ice cream sandwich
© Daudzegier via FreeImages.com

ice cream sandwich
© Daudzegier via FreeImages.com
Looking for a theme for your next party this month? Why not incorporate a monthly food observance? In August we are celebrating celery, fennel, cactus, kiwis, mushrooms, peaches, onions, oranges and papayas. It is also Family Meals Month, National Brownies at Brunch Month, National Panini Month and National Sandwich Month.

If your party takes place the second week of August, you can celebrate National Apple Week . Or, if you’re looking for a field trip idea, why not take a trip to your local Farmer’s Market to celebrate National Farmers Market Week, August 2-8, 2015?

Some of my favorite foods get a send up during this month. Here are just a select few:

  • National Ice Cream Sandwich Day – August 2
  • National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day – August 4
  • National Frozen Custard Day – August 8
  • National Rice Pudding Day – August 9
  • National S’mores Day – August 10
  • National Filet Mignon Day – August 13
  • National Vanilla Custard Day – August 17
  • Potato Day – August 19
  • National Pecan Torte Day – August 21
  • National Waffle Day – August 24
  • National Banana Split Day – August 25
  • Banana Lover’s Day – August 27
  • National Toasted Marshmallow Day – August 30

Every month has its food-focused “holidays” and these observance can help you make your parties fun. So grab you Ice Cream Sandwich today and enjoy!

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