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Dec 9, 2011

Marilynn Has Allergies

Hi Jenny:
Love your site. It looks inviting and the colors are refreshing but not “old.” Love your advice. I’ve been trolling the internet for information on increasing energy, reducing loss of skin-tone, reducing fat accumulation, … for a very long time.

I have, indeed, found numerous resources and I work to maintain a healthy lifestyle, however I am allergic to tomatoes, and all citrus fruits plus almonds. This puts quite a damper on recipes I find. Do you have any suggestions of what/how I might cook with these restrictions.

Onward,
Marilynn B.

My response…

Marilynn, your allergies shouldn’t stop you from making healthy choices. Instead of citrus fruits (a good source of vitamin C) you can get your C from red peppers, papaya, broccoli or cantaloupe just to name a few. Instead of almonds, use walnuts which actually have the most Omega-3 fatty acids of all the nuts. As for tomatoes, a good source of lycopene, you can get that from other red fruits like watermelon (Yum!) but have a little fat with it (like a couple of walnuts) for better absorption of the lycopene. Check your overall diet if you’re lacking energy – too many carbs and sugars can be the culprit. And protect your skin tone with sunscreen every day, even the cloudy ones. It seems to me you can cook lots of things, especially the important ones: vegetables, as well as rice, pasta, eggs, and meats. Just be grateful you’re not allergic to chocolate. Oh, the horror!! 🙂

Jenny

Nov 15, 2011

5-Minute Recipe for Fresh Cranberries

If you’re making a Thanksgiving turkey dinner, try making fresh cranberries this year. This recipe is as simple as it gets and it takes about five minutes. Check the ingredients in the canned stuff – it has high fructose corn syrup and …isn’t it really cranberry flavored jello? Make the real deal and you’ll get all the health benefits too.

It makes an impressive bring-along if you want to impress your mother-in-law. She will love this dish but she’ll still think you’re not good enough for her baby! Oh well…

Click here for the recipe and video.

Filed Under: Holiday
6 Comments
Nov 3, 2011

I made granola bars!

Chewy Granola Bars RecipeI tried making granola bars a few years ago and they were, let’s just say… a little crisp. It took some effort to actually bite into them but there was no way to determine if the extreme crunch was the bar or one of my teeth. So I gave up, but only for a while because I am not a quitter. I challenged myself to make a healthy, crunchy, chewy granola bar that wouldn’t double as a tire iron. I did it. It took a few tries but I finally came up with this easy recipe and you can customize it a bunch of different ways with different nuts, dried fruit, even chocolate chips. I use the mini chocolate chips but Denis always wants the big ones. Maybe when the garage gets cleaned out…

Click here for the recipe and video.

Oct 12, 2011

One of my best recipes

I love Chinese food but everything I like is batter fried! So I finally mastered my own recipe for Orange Sesame Chicken that is healthy, crazy good, and it cooks in less than ten minutes! You’ll need a couple of not-so-common ingredients like toasted sesame oil but this dish is so worth it. If you can’t find the toasted sesame oil or toasted sesame seeds, try the Asian section of your market, Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. It took me about ten tries to get it just right and now I have to share it.  I hope you don’t like leftovers because there won’t be any! Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Sep 1, 2011

Lynda asks about spicing up popcorn

Jenny,

If I want to add lowfat healthy seasoning to the paperbag popcorn what would you suggest? before or after popping? mrs.dash has several varieties without sodium etc, have you experimented?

Lynda

Lynda,

If you pop without oil, I would add the dry seasoning after because otherwise, it won’t stick. If you use oil, you can add the seasoning with the oil and shake the bag well before popping. Depending on your tastes, you can add all kinds of seasonings like garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, onion powder, dried herbs, or a little parmesan cheese.

Jenny

Aug 5, 2011

Pickles… Sweet!


As promised, here is the recipe for my Sweet 3-Hour Pickles.

I know I said the dill pickles were my favorite but now I think I like these better. They really are ready to eat in three hours but you can keep them a lot longer than that.

I’ve always loved pickles and sauerkraut and now I know they are good for you… As long as you don’t put them on a bacon burger!

Click here for the recipe.

Aug 2, 2011

Dill Pickles… in 3 hours!

Can you believe you can make pickles in three hours? Delicious, crisp dill pickles? Hello! Three hours. That’s why they’re so crisp! A few of you asked for my pickle recipe so here it is. I tried a few more versions over the weekend and I like this one the best.

I also have a recipe for sweet pickles which I will post this week but the dill pickles are my favorite.  Click here for the recipe.

Jul 1, 2011

Homemade Barbeque Sauce

I’ll be doing what everybody else is doing this weekend – barbeque!

It’s going to be 100 degrees on Sunday so cooking indoors?… not a good idea.

I’m sharing my recipe for this 4th of July weekend and it’s really, really easy. Basically everything in one pot & cook it.

I usually make baby back ribs but my homemade sauce is great on chicken, too.  I cook my ribs for 2 1/2 to 3 hours and they fall off the bone.

Have a great 4th of July weekend, everybody. Enjoy my recipe, and some fireworks too.

The only fireworks we will see is after I cook all day and Denis says, “You know we could have gone out and got ribs.”

“What did you just say?!?”

He defends himself by saying he doesn’t want me to work too hard (at something I love!)… He just doesn’t know any better. But I still love him. Happy 4th! And Happy Canada Day!

Click here for the recipe.

 

Jun 24, 2011

My Apple Pie Bars

Apple Pie Bars Oil CrustWith ninety-one organic apples on my tree, I had to come up with a very special recipe and here it is. It’s a lot less work than making traditional apple pie and the best part is… it’s healthier… made without shortening or butter, only heart-healthy canola oil. I love that!

It tastes just as good as a pie, in fact, Denis keeps calling it pie but I say a piece of pie is pointed and this is square – it is NOT pie! Whatever you call it, this is one of my best recipes.

And try to eat just one piece of p….. uh…. I mean one bar. 🙂

Click here for the recipe.

June 25th

I made apple pie bars again. I had to. My apples were calling me from the tree: “We’re ready! Over here! Eat us! Bake us into one of those pie bars! We need a purpose! We like being snuggled in that delicious crust. Please Jenny, take us before the squirrels come!!”

Jun 10, 2011

Homemade Tortillas

How To Make Flour TortillasI can’t even describe the difference between homemade and store-bought tortillas. Can we compare a Rolex to a Timex?

A BMW to a skateboard?

Anthony Weiner to a cocktail frank?

I don’t think so.

Here’s my recipe for the best homemade tortillas you’ve ever had.
They are so worth the effort. Try them this weekend!

Click here for the recipe and video.