A great example of the fact that Italian food will not make you fat is in Sophia Loren. She told the world in her book that she grew up on spaghetti and ate it daily. She says that it is not the pasta that makes you fat; it’s what you put on top of it. People who gain weight eating Italian food typically do so not because of the pasta, but because of creamy sauces like Alfredo sauce and because they eat large portions. Italian food from the Mediterranean doesn’t rely on the rich, thick sauces and uses olive oil instead of butter, making it very healthy.

It all starts with the ingredients you keep. For good, healthy food you want to make sure you stock the kitchen with quality pasta, olive oil, garlic, onions, lean meat, fish, and seafood. For seasoning you will want some herbs like basil, oregano, and parsley. You’ll want to stay away from a lot of cheese and perhaps only get a little Parmesan cheese to top your favorite dishes. The creamy and cheesy dishes are the ones you’re going to want to stay away from in order to keep a healthy diet.

There are many different light meals you can prepare with these simple ingredients. Here is one that will start you off, an Italian food classic, pasta with tomato sauce. You can use any type of pasta you want and you might want to try livening it up with variety. Italian food is not just spaghetti noodles. Boil the pasta in water with salt. Make sure not to overcook the pasta. You want it to be firm, yet tender. The most common mistake made in making Italian food is making mushy pasta. For the sauce simply chop up some garlic, an onion, and some tomatoes. Take a tablespoon of your quality olive oil and saute both the garlic and onions until they are soft. Once that is done add the tomatoes and cook until all the ingredients are blended together well. To top it off add your favorite herbs such as parsley, oregano, or basil. Try different combinations of herbs, there is no definitive herbs for Italian food so experiment and give your sauce your own signature flavor.

You can serve this sauce, put it over your hot pasta and if you want put a little sprinkle of Parmesan on it that is ok too. This is a very simple dish that will stand on its own and you will not need to eat bread or anything else with it. This is a great example of how healthy should be, light and fresh.

You can feel free to try different variations on this recipe. Italian food is full of a variety of pastas and recipes that can keep you satisfied and healthy as long as you stay away from the heavy sauces and creams.

2 tsp dill

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup reduced-fat plain yogurt

2 tubes refrigerated reduced-fat crescent rolls

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 tbsp slivered plain almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, broccoli, cheese, red pepper, dill, garlic and salt. Stir in mayonnaise and yogurt. Unroll both tubes of crescent roll dough onto an ungreased baking sheet and press together forming a rectangle. Seal seams and perforations. Place chicken mixture down the center third of the dough. On each long side, cut dough 3-inches toward the center and about 1 1/2-inch intervals, forming strips. Bring one strip from each side of filling and pinch ends together to seal. Repeat the process until reaching the end. Pinch ends of loaf on both ends to seal in the mixture. Brush top with egg white and sprinkle almonds over the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is heated through.

1/8 of this recipe has 28 g carbs and 19 g protein.

Serve with a salad and you have a meal!

Enjoy!

One of the first things you may be interested in learning about is the nutrient composition and the organic composition of the berry which is native to the Amazon rain forest. First of all, one of the main reason why the berry is such a great antioxidant is because half of it is healthy fats, and 75% of those fats are omega fats which are healthy fats that the body needs to function properly.

Additionally, the Acai fruit has 19 amino acids, and it is these amino acids that build protein, which is why in one 100 gram serving of you receive 8 grams of protein. The protein  is what greatly increases your metabolism allowing you to burn more fat while exercising. Fiber, which also helps burn fat and increases the strength of your digestive system, is also found in abundance, with over 14 grams of fiber in 100 grams of dry berry powder.

If this is not enough information to have you considering adding Acai berry to your diet, you will be interested to learn that it also has Vitamins A, B1-3, C, E, and a significant amount of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc in its organic content as well. In fact this fruit is practically a dietary supplement pill in itself!

An important property of Acai berry fruit is it retains its magical properties when preserved. Thus leading to very effective weight loss supplements. Weight loss supplements are designed to work with the dieting process to help improve vitamin and mineral levels that may be missing in the diet.

1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup of cold butter
2 tablespoons ice water

Pear Filling:

1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons creme fraiche, you can purchase this at whole foods or central market or your local gourmet grocery store.

If you cannot purchase it I have a recipe for you to make your own listed above. Pinch of salt 3 ripe firm pears 1 (9 1/2-inch) tart shell In a food processor, finely grind the hazelnuts and the sugar. In a medium bowl you will combine the hazelnut mixture, flour and salt. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the water. Mix until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a ball. Chill for 30 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough 1/4-inch thick. Line the tart shell with the dough and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or so until it is set. Preheat the oven to 350F. You are going to parbake your shell, so, you will line the tart shell with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie with beans or rice or anything to keep the pie dough from rising. This helps to keep your pie from having a soggy bottom. You will bake until the edges are a golden color which should take about 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven. You will then remove the wax paper and whatever you used as the weight during the initial cooking process. The you will bake the pie shell for about another 5 to 10 minutes.

Decrease the oven temperature to 325F and make your custard filling.

Custard Filling

In a bowl, whisk together the egg, yolks, and sugar. Add the cream, creme fraiche, and salt. Peel, core and slice the pears 1/8-inch thick. Arrange the pears in a circular pattern in the prebaked tart shell. Pour the custard over the pears until the tart is full. Bake until the custard is almost completely set, about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!

Kids love to help in the kitchen, particularly teens and young teens. Finding foods they can prepare and cook can be a challenge but when a crock-pot is part of the equation, it’s not impossible. Given the versatility and relative ease of cooking with crock-pots, also called slow cookers, there are hundreds of ways to include the kids when planning your next meal.

When cooking with kids, the fewer ingredients the better, as their attention span is shorter than that of adults. In addition, if you have gadgets to help in the preparation, such as a vegetable chopper or slicer, kids will love getting involved in the process of cooking with crock-pots. Finally, since there are no flames involved, you can rest assured no one will be burned in the process.

Some suggestions for meals involving slow cookers and kids might be spaghetti and meatballs, Sloppy Joes, barbecue chicken wings, Shepherd Pie, Beanie Weenies, chili and the ever popular Macaroni and Cheese. Adding some ham chunks to the Mac and Cheese brings a little more flavor to an already delicious meal!

If the kids want to really impress their parents, toss together some hash browns, eggs, onions, bacon bits and seasonings and set the slow cooker on low before going to bed is a great way to wake up! Add a coffee pot with a timer and the most wonderful aromas will greet you the next morning; all that’s left to do for this breakfast is some toast and jam.

There truly is no easier way to cook than with a slow cooker. Whether it’s pork, chicken or beef, there’s a recipe the kids can make or help with that requires little in the way of preparation and cooking. When preparing one dish meals, as you would with a slow cooker, clean up is a breeze as well, whether you have a dishwasher or not. Hand the kids a scrubber and some dish soap and walk away, at least until you have the time to come behind them and finish cleaning the liner to your crock-pot.

Kids can gain a great sense of accomplishment when you include them in your meal planning, preparation and cooking. Sit down with the kids and let them pick some recipes they’d like to try and have them make a grocery list. When the time comes to go to the grocery store, use this trip as a lesson in frugal and careful shopping, having them check labels and prices when selecting ingredients for their meals.

Teaching your kids to follow recipes and use a crock-pot is a skill that will stay with them for the rest of their life whether it’s your daughter or your son. While cooking with a slow cooker might not be considered “real” cooking, it IS cooking and some extremely tasty meals can come from them. And remember, when you are touting to your friends the wonderful meal your kids made for you with the crock-pot, you are realizing every parents’ dream: you didn’t do the cooking.

Grilling has three categories, namely indirect grilling, direct grilling and smoking.

Indirect is the process that deals with tougher and larger meat. The meat’s side is usually placed on moderate fire and there is a closing lid on the barbecue. Cooking is gradual, similar to being placed inside a conventional oven.

Direct Grilling is the process a lot of people are familiar with. With this type, meats such as chops and steaks are placed on top of high heat.

Smoking is similar to indirect grilling, although it combines wood chips with charcoal, cooking on a somewhat lower temperature.

Amongst all these grilling categories, most people, especially the ones in the UK, think of barbecues as the direct grilling type.

When setting up a barbecue gathering, first pick-out a position carefully. Make sure it is away from the wind or draught. Barbecue needs to be placed on top of a solid and flat surface. It should be away from plants as well as materials that can catch fire.

Check and double check if the barbecue is stable; plus, the nuts, legs and bolts should be tight.
Keep your griller clean. There is a tendency for the meat to get stuck onto the grill. This means, you need to scrape off the remnants of your previous barbecue engagement.

If your griller has so much stain, you can wipe your grill using some cooking oil. This is to make sure it doesn’t stick.

Make certain that all of your tools are close by. You can just place this on a table that is placed alongside the barbecue. Never use the same utensil or tool you use for removing and turning cooked and rare meats.

When lighting your charcoal or gas-powered grillers, make sure that your pets and young children are in a safe distance.

When lighting charcoal, make sure you push on the briquettes or lumps, setting them into pyramids. It promotes better air circulation.

When your charcoal turns ash grey, the barbecue is ready. Then, you can evenly spread your coals.

Though not the largest producer, definitely the most famous for its coffee production, Columbia uses its beans, such as Narino and Popayan, to create coffee blends full of pleasure and flavor. Colombian coffee is second best to none.

Brazil and Columbia no longer stand alone. The world has exploded with distinct flavors and blends that taken coffee choices beyond what they have ever been before.

Cuba is one place that offers a bit of flare to coffee selection. Cuban coffee is known for its strong body and rich flavor. You don’t drink it by the cup, but by the shot. Mexico, on the other hand, brings to the table a smoother flavor. Its beans produce a soft and smooth blend of coffee.

Indonesia uses its moist atmosphere and high temperatures to slow grow their beans and create full bodied blends of coffee packed with flavor and smoother than most coffees. No wonder Indonesia is holding strong in fourth place in the race for worldwide coffee production.

There is a unique processing done in Malaysia that makes its blends a must try. There they use a muslin bag for filtering which gives their coffee its strong rich flavor. Though their coffee is not known to be the finest in the world, its unique flavor begs to be sampled.

Thailand cools things down a bit by providing its coffee specially blended to be served on the rocks with a bit of milk.

Kenya with its high altitudes produces the Beanya which makes for a dark rich coffee blend with a taste that lingers. In Mauna Loa, Hawaii we find the Kona which is full of aroma and body. Then there is Sumatra which produces rich blends full of flavor.

The beans are unique in themselves. However the evolution of new roasting and filtering processes has created even more variety.

Of course we could not ignore the flavor that Europe brings to coffee. Austria enjoys the Viennese blend that has been around for decades while Cafe au lait is still the favorite in France.

There are very few coffee lovers who do not enjoy an espresso from time to time, or ate least the milder version of a cappuccino or latte. The Italians perfected this hot wonder for the rest of the world - first by Luigi Bezzera in 1901 and then M. Cremonesi in 1938. We are forever grateful.

With all that variety, some still just like it straight up, black, with nothing added but old fashion coffee flavor.

Whatever your choice - enjoy!

Note: Pregnant or nursing women, young children or any with an immune deficiency should not eat foods made with raw eggs.

Directions:

- Heat butter in a small saucepan until very hot and bubbly (be careful not to let it burn).
- Remove from heat and add the chocolate.
- Stir constantly until smooth and melted.
- Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until foamy.
- Beat in the sugar gradually, add extract and liquor and continue to beat until thick (see photo).
- With mixer on slow to medium speed, gradually beat in the melted chocolate mixture.
- Beat until smooth and well mixed.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes or until firm.

- Place your choice of coating in a bowl.
- If you’re going to have more than one, use separate bowls.
- Some possible coating choices are: toasted coconut, chopped nuts, unsweetened cocoa, powdered chocolate, crushed Oreo® Cookies.

- Scoop out a teaspoon full of the truffle mixture and, using your fingers, roll it into a ball.
- Work quickly as the heat of your hand will quickly start melting the chocolate.
- Drop ball in the coating bowl.
- Repeat the process until there are 4 or 5 balls in the coating bowl.
- Gently roll the truffles in the coating mixture and a sheet of waxed paper.
- Wrap truffles in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to ten days or in the freezer for up to a month.

Merrill Research & Associates found in a recent study that Americans have increased their wine consumption for the last eleven years straight. This also includes wine consumption from an increase in wine of the month club memberships. This study proves that wine is extremely popular in America and more and more people are enjoying it every day through retailers, restaurants, and wine clubs. The per capita consumption of wine is now 2.77 gallons per year. An elite group referred to as “core wine drinkers” by the wine industry, only makes up 13.7% of the population, but they drink 87% of the wine consumed in America, 703 million gallons worth per year. With a $26 billion retail value, the wine business is booming, and both foreign and domestic wine producers and retailers are salivating at the opportunity that this potential market presents.

A surprise to many, The San Francisco Wine Institute recently reported that women, who make up 52% of the population in America, purchase 55% of the wine consumed. Until this report, retailers, wine clubs, restaurants, the wine press, and even wineries failed to notice this huge market, but since the report, they are all paying close attention now. The report showed that women are less influenced by wine ratings and scores and are more focused on the quality of the wine, the design of the label, the shape of the bottle, recommendations from a wine of the month club, and the philosophy of the winery. Winemakers are now appealing to women more in the marketplace.

Not only are women buying more wine, but more women are making wine too. In 1990, 10% of California winemakers were women. Today, the figure has doubled with more women practicing the art of winemaking and running wineries. Women have also assumed leadership roles in the wine industry. For example, in 1990, Dianne Nury, president of Vie Del Company, became the first woman to chair The San Francisco Wine Institute since its establishment in 1934. Two other prominent California wine trade associations, Sonoma County Wineries Association and Napa Valley Vintners, both elected women as board presidents for the first time in 1998. Today, women continue in leadership roles as they also take lead roles in sales, marketing, and distribution. Women are also starting wine clubs and are becoming sommeliers in increasing numbers, a position traditionally held by men.

If you’re a winemaker, wine of the month club, restaurateur, or wine retailer, keep these figures in mind and don’t overlook women when it comes to making or selling wine. Times have changed when it comes to wine in America, and by adjusting the stereotype of women only enjoying cocktails, everyone wins.

Green Tea has many benefits and is one of the most popular weight loss products on the market today. It allows you to lose weight quickly and keep it off. Besides weight loss the other benefits are…
Lowers cholesterol
Helps protect against diabetes
Reduces heart attacks
Improves your memory
Sharpens your mental focus
Removes toxins from your body
Aids in maintaining healthy eyes
Protects liver function

There are thousands of sites out there that you can purchase Green Tea and have it shipped right to your door. But how about if you could it make it yourself and make it even more powerful then any other Green Tea? Using this product I have never felt better. Lost 5lbs in a week and my skin is clearing up. This is only from drinking one a day so can you imagine what more then one could do?!

Drinking Green Tea as well as eating a proper diet the weight will seriously just fall off your body. You will feel more energy, feel great because your clothes will become looser, your skin will clear up, you mental health will improve. Green Tea actually curbs your appetite. Feeling less hungry will of course in turn make you eat less. This will also help you save money as well on groceries! The benefits of Green Tea are huge and this is why you see it everywhere. You can buy it everywhere. And everyone is drinking it. Give it a shot, what do you have to lose, but your weight?!