Bacon and Tomato Risotto – Quick Meal

Ingredients:
8 oz smoked bacon, chopped into little pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 oz butter
10 oz risotto rice
6 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cups hot chicken stock
2 oz parmesan, grated
Half a glass of white wine (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a casserole dish fry the bacon bits until they are crisp. Add the butter and the onion and cook both until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the risotto rice and toss until the rice is well coated. If you are using white wine, add white wine and cook until absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Pour stock over the rice mixture and add the halved cherry tomatoes. Stir, then cover with a tight fitting lid and bake for about 18 minutes. Check once and add extra stock if necessary. Add most of the parmesan cheese and stir through. Leftover parmesan can be used for extra sprinkling.

Enjoy this delicious and easy risotto with a nice crusty bread and salad.

Fried Rice with Chicken

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked long grain rice
8 oz chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Dash of sunflower oil
2 tsp peanut oil
1 red pepper, diced
6 green onion, thinly chopped
¾ cup frozen peas
¾ cup cooked corn kernels
2 tbsp soy sauce
½ cup bean sprouts

Instructions:
In a large wok, heat oil and pour in lightly beaten eggs until set. Slide eggs on a plate and cut into thin slices.

Add peanut oil, green onions and pepper to the wok and quickly stir fry ingredients until soft. Add chicken pieces, rice, corn and peas and cook until hot. Mix in the soy sauce and bean sprouts and stir fry quickly, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the sliced egg.

Enjoy!

A Safe 4th Of July

The Fourth of July is just around the corner.  All around our great nation families will attend many backyard BBQ’s and citywide events to see what they hope will be a spectacular fireworks show.

As one of those families that hosts the holiday for family and friends, we purchase lots of fireworks.   The question always is, how safe are they and what should you know if you choose to use them?

The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to go to a professionally designed and lighted show.  Spectators are kept far from the actual lighting area, and those who do light the fireworks have had many years training and experience. Often, because these shows are sponsored, they are huge too, which makes them an amazing event for the whole family.

If you do choose to purchase fireworks, here’s some safety tips:

• Find out what the laws in your city are in regards to purchasing and setting off fireworks. Many towns, cities, and states have outlawed the use of fireworks by the general public, so you really do want to make sure that you know what the limitations are where you live!
• Never ever try to create your own fireworks. Experimenting with volatile fireworks is simply asking for injury or worse.
• Be sure to purchase fireworks from a reputable seller. Make sure that there is a state issued license visible before you purchase any fireworks. While people at flea markets and corner stalls may have professional fireworks, unless they are authorized to sell them legally, avoid them.
• Make sure you read and follow the directions given on the packaging of every firework you purchase to ensure that safety comes first.
• Have water nearby when you light the fireworks. A garden hose, bucket with water or both would be good to have for quick action if required.
• Do not, under any circumstances, light fireworks inside your home or even a covered patio area! They are only for outdoor use only. Also, be sure that there are no dry leaves or grass where they will be lit. Keep them far away from houses to avoid catching leaves on the roof on fire.
• Children should not be allowed to use fireworks without an adult present. Burns can happen very easily – even with sparklers. Always err on the side of caution.
• The person who is lighting the fireworks should wear safety glasses during the fireworks show. This is particularly important for the fireworks that shoot into the sky. Do not throw a lit firework toward anyone, and lean away from the firework when lighting it, not over it.
• Keep spectators far away from the actual lighting area.
• Don’t carry fireworks in your pockets and light only one firework at a time.
• Dispose of used fireworks only after saturating them in a bucket of water. If you have unused fireworks, contact your local fire department to find out the best way to store them or dispose of them.

The 4th of July should be a great celebration for families and that looks a little different for all of us! For those who have a city celebration nearby, try it out one year…you never know, it could become an annual tradition.

If you do host it at your home (or go to one hosted), remember the safety tips and have a great 4th. If you are at an event and don’t feel safe about the way they are handling fireworks, don’t hesitate to leave…safety First!

Grab and Go Tostados

Ingredients:
4 small flour tortillas
Olive oil
4 tbsp mango chutney
8 oz cooked good quality ham or turkey
8 oz cheddar, grated
4 spring onions, chopped

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Brush each tortilla with olive oil. Arrange them with oil side down on a large baking tray. Cover the tortillas with mango chutney, then turkey/ham, cheese and onions.

Put them in the preheated oven until crispy (about 8 minutes).

Enjoy the tortillas as a light and easy lunch cut in wedges with a tossed salad.

SixPack Yoga iPhone App

In keeping with the “There’s an App for that” mantra, I’m excited to let you know a little more about some great exercise apps. Recently I was asked to download and review SixPack Yoga as well as SixPack App.

These are two GREAT fitness apps for people who are busy and on the go. They are completely different types of fitness of course, but the cardz and the way you use them is similar so I’ll focus primarily on the SixPack Yoga app.

The Yoga Cardz are totally up my alley! Giving you a ton of choices how to use this app. This app absolutely could not be more user friendly. If you know what type of poses you’d like to do (for SixPack app, if you have the gym equipment in front of you) you simply choose the section you want…Standing, Seated, Floor, etc. You can go into advanced poses, practices and even yoga types. There’s a search feature and you can even choose to see all of the poses in alphabetical order to choose from them.

Want an entire workout? You can choose the “Random” function which brings up a new Yoga Cardz pose when you shake it. When using this app you’ll see a picture of the pose (or exercise), then when you touch the picture it goes into the details of how to perform the pose; the steps, info, tips and modifications!

It honestly couldn’t make it easier for you. I love that I can put in some earphones, and do a little Yoga whenever I have a minute or two…in my world that’s HUGE!  You can download SixPack Yoga HERE.  Remember, SixPack Yoga and SixPack App are both free for a short time, so give them a try!

Mexican Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tbsp cocoa powder
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup good quality dark chocolate, cut into small pieces

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, egg and oil and mix with a fork. Add the chocolate pieces and the sifted flour and cocoa powder. Mix gently!

With your hands knead the dough carefully and form balls with 1 tbsp of dough. Grease a baking tray and put the balls on the tray, leaving 1.5inches of room between them. Bake for about 12 minutes, let them rest on the tray for another 5 minutes and transfer the cookies onto a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy these beautiful chocolaty biscuits with a glass of milk!

Ricotta Stuffed Baked Potato

Ingredients:
4 baking potatoes of your choice
Dash of olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp chives, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°Fahrenheit.

Put the potatoes on a large baking tray, prick them with a fork and brush with olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until cooked.

When they are cooked, cut the top parts of the potatoes off, take the flesh out, while leaving a 1/2inch of the shell. Put the shells back into the oven and cook for another 10 minutes.

In the meantime, mix together the ricotta cheese, the potato flesh, garlic, chives and parsley and add salt and pepper to your taste. Add the filling to each potato shell and put them back into the oven for another 10 minutes.

Once baked, serve with sweet chili sauce and enjoy with a green salad!

Apple and Carrot Coleslaw

Ingredients:
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp orange juice
8-10 oz white cabbage, finely shredded
2 apples, grated
6 oz carrots, peeled and grated
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:
In a small bowl combine the orange juice and sunflower seeds and let them soak for about 1 hour.

In a big bowl combine vinegar, oil, honey and basil and whisk together. Add finely shredded cabbage and toss. Then add the grated apples and carrots and gently combine. Add the soaked sunflower seeds, gently toss the coleslaw and chill in your fridge.

This delicious coleslaw will be enjoyed by the whole family. Together with some yummy sausages or pork chops, it’ll make a lovely mid-week dinner.

Remember, just use organic choices for each ingredient to keep it fresh and healthy!

Homemade Granola

Ingredients:
4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup natural bran
¼ cup toasted wheat germ
¼ cup chopped almonds
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
½ tsp salt
1 cup hot water
½ cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sultanas

Method:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Mix the oats, bran, wheat germ, flour, nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and salt together until thoroughly combined.

In a separate little bowl, combine the water, honey and vanilla. Combine with the dry ingredients and mix well.

Grease two baking sheets and spread the mixture on the baking sheets, then squeeze together to make small clumps. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the granola mix is nice and golden. You will have to stir occasionally. Add raisins, stir again and bake for an extra 5 minutes.

Let the granola mix cool and then fill it into airtight containers.

This is a delicious and healthy granola that can be enjoyed with fresh fruit and yogurt for a healthy start of the day! It can also be used for snacks and as an ice cream topper! You can always add dried fruit to the finished batch, and you can substitute the nut variety based on your family’s likes.

Energy Cruchy Balls

Ingredients:
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup finely grated carrots
1/4 cup good quality Granola
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 Tablespoon runny honey
3 Tablespoons peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

Directions:
This is a super easy and quick recipe, but very healthy and delicious.

Combine all the ingredients in large bowl.

Roll into balls and let them be enjoyed by old and young!

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