**JANUARY RECIPES 2**

PEACHY KEEN SMOOTHIE:

Ingredients
1 cup sliced peaches
4 cubes ice (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons wheat germ
1 tablespoon rolled oats
1 cup vanilla soy milk

Directions
Place the peaches, ice, nutmeg, vanilla extract, honey, wheat germ, oats, and soy milk into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses to serve.

SIMPLE SUMMER SMOOTHIE:

Ingredients
1 banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen cherries
4 ice cubes
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 teaspoon honey (optional)

Directions
Place the banana, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and ice cubes into a blender. Pour in the orange juice, vanilla yogurt, and honey. Puree until smooth

MORNING GLORY MUFFINS:

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple - peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup raisins
1 egg
2 egg whites
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil 18 muffin cups, or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, apple butter, oil and vanilla.
In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in carrots, apples and raisins. Stir in apple butter mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
In a small bowl, combine walnuts and wheat germ; sprinkle over the muffin tops.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

FRUIT SALAD IN SECONDS:

Ingredients
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 pound seedless green grapes, halved
3 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 container strawberry yogurt

Directions
In a large bowl, toss together strawberries, grapes, bananas, and strawberry yogurt. Serve immediately.

**JANUARY RECIPES**

ROAST CHICKEN:

1 whole chicken, giblets removed
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon onion powder, or to taste
1/2 cup margarine, divided
1 stalk celery, leaves removed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place chicken in a roasting pan, and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Sprinkle inside and out with onion powder.
Place 3 tablespoons margarine in the chicken cavity. Arrange dollops of the remaining margarine around the chicken's exterior.
Cut the celery into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in the chicken cavity.

Bake uncovered 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
Remove from heat, and baste with melted margarine and drippings.
Cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest about 30 minutes before serving.


MICROWAVE POTATO CHIPS:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 potato, sliced paper thin (peel optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste


Pour the vegetable oil into a plastic bag (a produce bag works well).
Add the potato slices, and shake to coat.
Coat a large dinner plate lightly with oil or cooking spray.
Arrange potato slices in a single layer on the dish.
Cook in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned (if not browned, they will not become crisp).
Times will vary depending on the power of your microwave. Remove chips from plate, and toss with salt (or other seasonings). Let cool.

Repeat process with the remaining potato slices. You will not need to keep oiling the plate**


POTATO SKINS:
5 large baking potatoes
4 cups shredded Gouda cheese
3 chopped green onions
1 pound pepperoni sausage sticks, quartered and diced


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake potatoes in the preheated oven 1 hour, or until tender. Remove from heat.
Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cut baked potatoes in half. Scoop out potato, leaving a small layer on the skins. Cut halves into four strips. Place strips on a medium baking sheet.
Sprinkle 1 cup Gouda cheese thinly over potato strips.
Top with pepperoni, followed by green onions and remaining Gouda cheese.
Bake topped potato strips in the 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned

*to save time potatoes can also be cooked in microwave*

**HAPPY 2011**

Eleven days into the new year already.........can you believe it!!

My year is off to a pretty great start-infact I'm still enjoying my xmas pressie from my husband.........he flew my sis out for a full month!!we are having a ball catching up & just hanging out together.........

After all the feasting over the festive season it's only wise to contemplate a detox program......I am not the most disciplined but I am going to give it a go......!!!

May 2011 hold much happiness,love,peace,big dreams & joy for us all!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM MY HOME TO YOURS!!



5 DETOX TIPS:

The body needs to be working as efficiently as possible to lose weight fast; as if your body organs are working at maximum efficiency you will shed weight quicker. Logical but not many people think about this when dieting

So here are your 5 easy natural detox tips

Eat cherries and strawberries

These foods are rich in ellagic acid a nutrient that helps mop up free radicals and help combat pollutants such as alcohol and as a by product they boost brain power.

You can also add raspberries an alternative to the above 2 choices.

Eat Grapes

These are rich in flavinols, which help your arteries work to their maximum and make blood run smoothly and quickly around the body.

Eat citrus fruits such as berries

These foods are rich in vitamins C & E, which will help cleanse and detoxify the liver making it work more efficiently.

Prunes & Fibre

Eat prunes as they will naturally cleanse the colon stimulating the gut and help expel waste quicker, you should also up your intake of fibre as well to cleanse the colon further.

Apricots

If you are smoker this food is particularly useful, apricots are rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C which helps repair smoke damage to the lungs.

Cranberries or juice

Contains proanthocyanidin which are antitoxants that will help cleanse and flush out the kidneys.

You can also add a couple of supplements if you wish top the above list to help detoxify further. Alfalfa and milk thistle are good choices. The first acts as a general cleanser and the second as a cleanser for the liver.

Your organ will be working more efficiently with above foods and this will help you get rid of weight faster as your kidneys and liver in particular will work more smoothly.

Now here are 5 tips to lose weight fast

5 Easy weight loss tips

Drink Iced Water

Two litres a day minimum. Water has to be iced as the body will burn 100 calories just heating the water to normal body temperature. Also hunger pangs are very often thirst pangs, so this will help you stop over eating.

Add lemon to flavour if you wish and gain the added benefit of cleansing your liver at the same time.

Water also helps your body metabolize stored fat by helping the kidneys flush waste quicker. When you don't drink enough water the liver needs to help the kidneys perform this function. When the liver has to help the kidneys its normal function of providing stored fat for energy is slowed down.

Green tea

Drink 5 cups a day. Research shows this can burn a massive 80 calories a day! It is believed the antioxidant catechins in green tea boost the metabolism and help burn fat.

Chilli sauce & mustard

These foods increase your calorie burning capacity by between 5 - 10% for up to 2 hours after eating. This is because they contain capsaicin which speeds the metabolism, so if you enjoy hot food your in luck!

Low fat diary foods

Can increase fat burning in the abdominal area. Why? Because these foods are rich in calcium which encourages the release of fat from fat cells and also reduces the amount of fat absorbed.

Eat Fibre

Eating fiber foods to help keep things moving through your bowel as stated above and makes you feel full.

The average person can lose 9-10 pounds in one year just from doubling their fiber intake aim for 25grams per day ( the average for most adults is just 8grams ) fiber rich foods include strawberries, apples, brown rice, chick peas, potatoes ( with skins ) and brown rice.

The above tips should be incorporated into a sensible diet and they will enhance it and help you lose weight fast.