GUILT FREE MACAROONS

I'm still on my health food kick, so here is a recipe that will satisfy your sweet tooth without sending you into insulin shock.  I found it on http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/ and it was submitted by Alejandra from New York, NY.

Vanilla-Flecked Coconut Macaroons

 3 egg whites

1 cup white granulated sugar, raw honey or sugar substitute (I used a substitute)

2.5 cups unsweetened coconut flakes

1 whole vanilla bean

5 ounces semisweet chocolate

1.  Mix the egg whites, sugar and coconut in a large bowl.

In case you've never used vanilla bean, that's one pictured above.  They claim there are seeds inside but it all looked like brown mush to me.

2.  Split the vanilla bean lengthwise down the middle and scrape all of the seeds into the bowl.  Mix again making sure to evenly distribute the vanilla seeds.  You should see tiny specks of black throughout

the batter.

3.  Using a tablespoon, scoop and mold mixture into 12 lumps and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

4.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until the tips of the coconut turn golden brown.  Let cool completely on the pan.

5.  Melt chocolate in a double boiler (I use one small pan set inside a larger pan with water in it) and heat just until chocolate melts.

6. Dip spatula into the melted chocolate and wave over the macaroon about 4 or 5 inches above the tray.  Let the chocolate drizzle down in a zig-zag pattern and let cool.

Impresive looking aren't they?  With practically no bad stuff in them and being so easy to make, you can't go wrong serving these to guests or eating them yourself!

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TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH, Con't.

I really love getting comments from you.  This week, "anonymous" questioned the wisdom of suggesting the use of coconut milk in a healthy diet.  This prompted me to check it out and this is what I found.
The coconut milk carton states that it contains MCFAs, 65% of which are not stored in the body but used as energy and it has 0 trans fats, 0 cholesterol and 6 grams of sugar, which is less than most regular milks.  MCFAs are medium chain saturated fatty acids which are absorbed directly from the intestines and sent straight to the liver for quick energy (from Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers, Inc.).
Mainly used in Thai cooking, 50% of the fatty acid found in natural coconut oil is lauric acid, which has an adverse effect on bacteria, yeast fungi and envelopes viruses destroying the lipid membrane of HIV, measles, herpes simplex, influenza and cytomegalovirus (CMV) and is a main component of human breast milk.
This is all applicable if the oil is not hydrogenated.
According to http://www.organicfacts.net/, "the human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin" which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria that cause the above conditions.  In addition, the web page claims lauric acid "helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes, helicobacter pylori and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia."
I would never presume to give out medical advice but if any of the above is even remotely true, it appears as though this is yet another powerful food which can aid in the cure of many diseases that plague humanity.  I am particularly happy to read that it can kill viruses that cause SARS and other influenzas.  Hopefully, someone out there is continuing studies on these possiblities.

Don't All of These Folks Look Really Healthy?

If any of you are interested in using coconut products, please check them out for yourselves and let me know how they work.  I predict big things for this product if any of it is true!

Congratulations to Shannon S. for being the 20th sponsor clicker!  She just won $20.00 for the effort.  Thanks Shannon.  Please keep checking out my blog and my sponsors.

HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH

One of Our Neighbors

A column in the January/Februay 2010 Issue of Discover Magazine states that a new study suggests the secret to a long life is watching what you eat. Science Magazine recently published findings from a study saying longevity depends on a "healthy" diet and thirty minutes of exercise a day.  And, fish oil is being touted as a real life extender.
Doesn't anyone remember our mothers telling us to "eat our vegetables, drink lots of milk, go play outside and walk to school?" Then there was Popeye the Sailor Man always eating spinach to make him super strong and defeat all enemies. Weren't we plied with cod liver oil and told that smoking would "stunt our growth?"  Cod is a fish--hello--just like the fish oil which is being touted as an almost perfect supplement.  My mom made tons of oatmeal way before it became a designer food and peanut butter was our main staple.  Then, she kicked us out of the house for an entire afternoon, so she could mop the floors.  Many of my school chums and I never rode a bus to school--ever. 
Now that science has told us how we should be treating our bodies, I guess more people have faith in what they say, instead of what our grandmothers told us.  Regardless, if we adhere to these rules, will we eventually become the oldest people in the nursing homes woofing down red Jell-O?  Not that there is anything wrong with Jell-O.  It's just that when we enter any supermarket, we are presented with thousands of other choices that are alot tastier but unfortunately not very good for us.  Do you realize that we are not supposed to eat most of the stuff sold in stores?  

All this scares me because I don't want to be the last remaining nursing home resident in my age group.  Actually, I don't plan on every ending up in a nursing home.  So, now I am searching out the most delicious health food products ever.  I will start with a recipe I found on http://www.101cookbooks.com/ for Nickki's Healthy Cookie Recipe.  These are made with bananas, vanilla and coconut milk.  I will let you know if they are any good--next week.
In the meantime, what recipes do YOU have for food that is actually "good for us?"  Email me!

More Neighbors

So what's your healthy life plan?

p.s.  Still haven't gotten that 20th clicker on my sponsors.  I know they are a little lame but Google is not responding on how to change them.  Hopefully they will soon.

Please leave a comment and click a sponsor.  Then, email me at:

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Thanks! Dot

THE YEAR OF PEACE

I'm so glad that 2010 has been declared "The Year of Peace."  Hopefully, it will encourage millions and millions of people to focus on how they can personally help further this cause in their own way. Hey, if everybody wants peace, who will continue the wars?
My favorite "Let's Make Peace" idea is that most peole love music and pictures.  Why not have huge screens along the highways of the world playing videos of people from different nationalities singing and embracing one another?  At first, people would be shocked to witness a Jew and any number of different Muslim sects, singing with their arms around each other in the middle of Iraq or Jerusalem but eventually they'd get over it.
How about hearing "There's a Time for Us" by Barbra Streisand blaring from a telephone pole speaker at a Palestinian but stop?  That song cannot help but move people to envision a world where we care more about helping one another than killing each other.  At least most people.  Perhaps most people joined together can overcome the dictatorial nut cases who actually do control the world.

Remember "We Are the World?"  How about flashing that with the video along the roads of Syria and North Korea?  An updated version could depict several different groups dressed in native garb, holding hands.  Wouldn't that knock our sandals off?
Why not use a few great songs from WWII that touch everyones' hearts?  "There'll be Blue Birds Over the White Cliffs of Dover" promised children a safe place to sleep when the bombs stopped dropping in England.
For sure these things would give us a different idea as to how people really do feel about war and each other.
Honestly, I don't hate anyone because they go to a different church, worship on a different day, have a different culture altogether or don't look anything like me.  But, more on that next week.

So, what are YOUR solutions?

Etc: Shawn S. added this money saving tip from last week.  He does not use shaving cream but shaves right out of the shower when his face is still wet.

Chris A. said:: "I save on dog food at BJs--you can buy 50 lb.bags for about $5.00 less than you pay for 25 lb.bags at other retailers.  Of course, you have to haul it into you car and house by yourself.  I call this, dragging the body."

Thanks guys!

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