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Friday’s Fixin’s…Sort of

Today’s Friday’s Fixin’s is a book recommendation. Recommendation is an understatement. Truth be told, I am actually jumping up and down about this book. As many of you may recall, nutritionist extraordinaire Rachel Beller MS, RD pretty much saved my nutritional life during my treatment. When I was in the bottomless pit of chemo despair, it was Rachel who suggested nutritious foods that I could actually eat (and keep down)…which was a double Silver Lining. Rachel is a wealth of information. I never cease to be amazed by her!  Not only does she work with cancer patients, but she is a featured guest on shows like Dr. Oz, The Biggest Loser, Good Morning America and the Today Show. Yes, she’s that wonderful!  So, you can imagine how excited (actually you may not be able to imagine me THIS excited!) I was that Rachel wrote a book to share her practical, non-nonsense, easily accessible information with the world …

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Friday’s Fixin’s: Baked Apple Cinnamon Chips

Since I find myself still sitting on the floor of the airport in Idaho (nowhere near a kitchen with no departure time in sight!), I thought that I’d repost the top recipe on the The Silver Pen. This doozie has been pinned over 70,000 times. I still can’t get over that! But what it tells me is that people really like it which is a major Silver Lining. So, I hope that if you haven’t yet made them, you will try them.  Sweetly Six sure does love them!

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Friday’s Fixin’s: Smoky Walnuts

First of all, please allow me to apologize for this recipe. The reason for the apology is simple: after making this, you will want to (and possibly WILL) consume the entire batch. In one sitting. I’m not kidding. These are the best nuts I’ve EVER had. EVER. To rationalize a wee bit, there are lots of Silver Linings of eating walnuts. They are: High in omega-3 fatty acids (just 1/4 cup provides 90.8 percent of the daily value). Filled with good protein (a single serving has more protein than one egg). A rich source of minerals (manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium). Have some of the highest antioxidant content of all tree nuts. High in vitamin E. Excellent for the heart and circulatory system. Packed with B vitamins Hope that you enjoy these as much as I did! Buzz was eyeing them…until I ate them! Here is the …

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Friday’s Fixin’s: The Most Important Meal of the Day

How many times have we heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? The Silver Lining is that it’s not an old wives’ tale. It really IS the most important meal of the day full of wonderful health benefits! There are lots of reasons that this is the case. Some of my favorite are… Increase Metabolism Healthy food is fuel and energy for the body. Eating breakfast kick starts the body into using fuel. Without breakfast the body goes into lockdown mode and hoards fuel – which slows down the metabolism. In short, eating breakfast equals more energy (and more Silver Linings!). Maintain or Lose Weight Research shows that breakfast skippers are more likely to be overweight. Going without breakfast frequently creates a starve-binge routine. A desperate body is much more likely to reach for calorie packed, unhealthy foods, and in larger quantities, just to satisfy the hunger later in …

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Friday’s Fixin’s: Baked Tofu

Happy New Year!  Hope you’re having a healthy and happy start to 2013. Speaking of which, can you BELIEVE that it’s 2013? I mean, really. Wowsy. Anyhoo, I thought that I’d start the year off with a recipe that I concocted. Yes. Me. Without a “?” I might add. I read about baked tofu somewhere…years ago. While I didn’t like the original recipe that was proffered, I came up with my own…and make it at least once a week. Come to think of it, I can’t believe that I haven’t shared it with you yet. The Silver Lining is that I am now! I love this on a salad or even as a snack with a little dip. It is a great source of protein which equates to energy for me. I hope that it does the same for you! Some Silver Lining benefits of liquid amino acids include: Promotion of cognitive function …

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Friday’s Fixin’s: Pineapple Casserole

In preparing for Christmas Dinner, one thing that is an absolute must – a staple – is my beloved Aunt Maggie’s Pineapple Casserole. My oh my. Oh my. The truth of the matter is that I don’t like pineapples. At all. Except in this recipe. And this is one of my all-time favorite recipes. Ever. I put it on the blog two years ago (still can’t believe that I’ve been writing that long!) and thought I’d share it agin for all of our new friends. Now, let me be honest. This recipe is NOT healthy, NOT vegan, NOT organic. To be fair, growing up in the 70′s in Indiana, we didn’t know what vegan and organic even were. I’m just sayin’… What this dish IS is DELICIOUS (Silver Lining)! More like outstanding. Amazing. I’m a big fan of special treats on holidays. And this is a Very. Special. Treat. From …

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Friday’s Fixin’s: Vegan Chili

After two years as a California resident, my blood has officially thinned. So please forgive me in advance when I say that it’s been a chilly willy 50 degrees lately and the evenings are dipping into the 40′s. Brrrrr…. The frigid temperatures (please remember the forgiveness!) have made me crave chili.  Growing up in the midwest, the only chili I knew was the meat & dairy heavy version.  Well, lo and behold, chili CAN be utterly delish AND vegan!  Below is a super yummy recipe that I had in my file and made this week.  Ohhhh, is it ever good!  I put a little dollop of vegan sour cream on and presto (!) I find myself in heaven. Hope that you enjoy it (Silver Lining)!

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Friday Fixin’s: Yummy Yammy Breakfast

Good gracious am I ever excited about Friday Fixin’s this week.  Recently I came across this recipe in Whole Living magazine (one of my favorite magazines, by the way!).  I tried the recipe as described and then revised it a bit. For some weird reason, I feel so weird changing a recipe. Why is that?  I’m sure a therapist would have a field day with that analysis. Anyhoo, this is a delish option for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack.  I have tried both (so that I could verify, of course!) and find that it satisfies my sweet tooth (thanks to the – limited – maple syrup) and gives me a boost of energy. There are some great, Silver Lining health benefits to yams. For example: They have high levels of antioxidants, which as we know, neutralize free radicals and prevent oxidative damage to your cells. Oxidative stress, or “cellular rust,” is associated …

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Friday’s Fixin’s: Collard Greens and White Bean Soup

Recently, I came across a wonderful website called: Cook For Your Life (CFYL). It’s so great that I had to share it with you! CFYL was founded in 2007 by two-time cancer survivor Ann Ogden Gaffney. She teaches healthy cooking to people touched by cancer. CFYL believes that it’s not only the act of eating that can be part of the healing process, but also the act of cooking. How’s that for a Silver Lining? She also believes that cooking is a simple, easy way to take back the sense of control often lost during cancer treatment and that sometimes just the act of heating up a bowl of homemade soup can feel empowering. I so distinctly remember feeling that way when I was sick. Any time I futz’d in the kitchen during treatment was a comfort to the HOTY (a/k/a Husband of the Year for new readers), he would say, …

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Fun Food Facts: The Health Benefits of Matcha

Since today I am revisiting my favorite green beverages, I thought that I would re-share my great fondness for matcha green tea powder (it is my Silver Lining in my every single day!). Matcha powder is made by grinding up whole leaves of green tea. Not only is matcha an excellent energizing substitute for coffee, but it is rich in free radical fighting, green tea antioxidants. I can almost guarantee that you will start to feel your body glow from the green tea zen-ergy that comes with matcha beverages. There is a bit of caffeine in each serving of matcha, but you will not feel those shaky jitters like you may from coffee. Rather, there is a slow and steady energy release that feels very calming and centering. There are lots of health benefits of drinking Matcha: One cup of Matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of its nutritional …

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