Food
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Recipes: Easy English Trifle
Trifle has been around for centuries and is a classic English dessert. It consists of layers of cake, usually soaked with alcohol such as sherry (you may also use fruit juice for the family-friendly version), fruit, custard and cream. There are many variations, but here is our family’s passed down to me by my own English mum. It would make an easy spring-time dessert when you don’t feel like turning on the oven. It would also make a beautiful addition to your Easter buffet. We’ve always used ladyfingers for the cake component (the soft ones found in the bakery aisle – not the dry ones for tiramisu, but I’m…
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Crafts: Last Minute Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day
With St. Patrick’s Day coming up we have some last-minute ideas to help celebrate this fun day! Coming from FamilyFun Magazine, these are some ideas you can whip up pretty quickly. I just might do the food rainbow one tonight when my daughter goes to bed and tell her that a leprechaun must have made it for her overnight and that he probably wants her to eat some of those vegetables. But instead of guacamole, I will use hummus instead. Oh, the art of getting my kid to eat more vegetables! A tale I think many parents are challenged with! Anyhow, do have fun and send in pictures of…
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Health Question: Nourishing Your Sluggish Thyroid
Ask The Doctor: By Dr. Heather Manley Question: What can you do to support thyroid health. I have Hashimoto’s disease, but thyroid hormones are in the normal range. TSH was high (4.58, but brought down to 2.1), but has improved with a whole food diet. Any suggestions? Your thyroid gland controls your metabolism; therefore, if you are gaining weigh, feeling tired and cold, your thyroid gland might be slowing down thus effecting your metabolism. There are certain vitamins and minerals that the thyroid needs to function optimally and incorporating these into your daily diet may make a profound difference in your overall health. However, if you suspect that you…
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Cherry Almond Granola (or Baked Muesli)
A Mom’s Quest for a Healthy Breakfast: On my quest to better health for my family, I have tried to stop buying boxed cereals. Good bye Raisin Bran, Honey Bunches, and Cheerios. You served us well for the past 11 years. Sure, you’re convenient, but now that I’m older and wiser I’ve come to the realization that I can do better. Let’s face it…you’re processed. And what about all that sugar? It would be great if my kids liked steel-cut oatmeal, but I missed that boat. It’s hard to convert a kid that has been brought up on the sweet instant kind. So what else is there to serve…
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In the Spotlight with Ritual Wellness
Many of us have heard about the benefits of juicing and cleansing. A leader in the natural health field, Dr. Mercola, whose website is a reliable source of health articles, optimal wellness products, and medical news, www.mercola.com is a real advocate of juicing. He cites these three important reasons to incorporate juicing into your health plan: Juicing helps you absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables. This is important because most of us have impaired digestion as a result of making less-than-optimal food choices over many years. This limits your body’s ability to absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables. Juicing will help to “pre-digest” them for you,…
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Healthy Recipe: Orange Breakfast Muffins
I love starting my day with a coffee and a bite of orangey goodness! It makes such a nice change from tea and toast, or cereal. I make a batch of muffins and freeze them, and then warm them up whenever I feel like one. These muffins are delicious as they are, or you can vary them by adding ½ cup of sultanas or walnuts. You will need: 1 large orange 2/3 cup sugar 1 egg ½ cup squeezed fresh orange juice 100g melted butter 1½ cups self raising flour Directions: Trim the top and bottom off the orange so it sits flat. Cut the orange into quarters, and…