Fall is here!!!!

My favorite season.......Fall! I'm not sure why this is my favorite season. Maybe it's the fresh crisp air we get to breath in or all the beautiful color changing of the leaves or the mums and pumpkins we get to put out for decorations. I don't know but I love it! I know a bitter cold winter is to follow but this is my favorite season. I love making big pots of yummy healthy soups. Which btw I just made a wonderful soup that my mother-in-law even said it was the best soup she had ever eaten. See below for the recipe:

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped carrots
5 cups diced red potatoes
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 1/2 quarts chicken broth
1 cup quick-cooking barley
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spread slivered almonds evenly over a baking sheet. Toast in preheated oven until golden brown and fragrant.
Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Cook onions, celery, mushrooms, and garlic in oil until onions are tender.
Stir in carrots, potatoes, chicken, and broth. Bring to a boil, then stir in barley. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, and stir in butter, parsley, and toasted almonds. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Go Bananas!!!!!

Bananas are a favourite snack and some people use them as a staple breakfast food in a morning smoothie, on cereal or just eaten alone. Recent studies are showing why this might be a wise choice. Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fibre. The sugars combined with fibre in the banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. In addition, recent studies have shown the banana to be valuable to good health in many ways. According to a recent survey taken amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This may be due to the fact that bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. The vitamin B6 it contains also regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. Bananas are also high in other B vitamins that help calm and heal the nervous system. High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so help in cases of anemia. Potassium, another vital mineral in bananas, helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. Not only high in potassium but low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. Also high in fibre, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel function, helping to ease constipation without resorting to laxatives. The banana is also used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. Snacking on bananas between meals during pregnancy helps to keep blood sugar levels up and the B vitamins help to avoid morning sickness. One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system. If you are tormented by insect bites, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. And if that doesn’t make the lowly banana incredible enough, The New England Journal of Medicine found bananas as a regular part of the diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Labor Day Weekend 2008

Labor Day Weekend this year was a blast as you can see by the picture! I can say this was the highlight of my summer thus far! What more can you ask for in the summer beside being on the lake on a 90 degree day with friends, family, an awesome band, great refreshing drinks & lots of yummy heathly snacks! Great time, Great friends!