Harvesting the Benefits of Green Smoothie with Almond Milk

Green smoothie lovers have found a great way of making their drink more fun. Concocting green smoothie with almond milk is just another mean of enjoying the delectable drink without guilt. It tastes like marzipan reminding us of our childhood days when birthday cakes and all those sweet treats made us shriek with delight. This healthy drink is made healthier with all the benefits almond can give.

Almonds are edible nuts with extensive health benefits that can be enjoyed by people suffering from heart disorders, constipation, impotency, diabetes, respiratory disorders, and coughs. Almond extracts are also found as valuable ingredients in products used to maintain healthy skin, hair, and teeth. The highly nutritious nut is a tiny well of vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorous. It is one of most nutrient-packed nuts containing zinc, copper, niacin, and selenium. With all these substances, people proactively add almonds in their diet, including green smoothie with almond milk.

Based on research, here are some of the benefits to be gained from almonds:

• It is good for the brain – Almonds contain many nutrients beneficial to the human brain. They are considered an essential food ingredient ideal for growing children to help develop higher intellectual level.
• It regulates cholesterol level – Regular consumption of almonds balances the level of HDL (high-density lipoproteins) and LDL (low-density lipoproteins).
• It is good for the heart – The presence of protein, potassium, healthy fats, and magnesium in every piece of almond help in maintaining a healthy heart. The high amount of antioxidants found in almonds help reduce homocysteine, the cause of fatty plaque build-up in the arteries thus it greatly prevents the occurrence of heart attacks.
• It cares for the skin – Almond oil is recommended for use with infants. Its vitamin E content is a known to be beneficial to skin that is why almond milk is usually found in skin beauty products such as soap and lotion.
• It is good in pregnancy – Almonds are great source of folic acid, and essential nutrient that helps reduce the incidence of deformation among newborn babies.

Traditionally, almonds are eaten raw or cooked. However, they can be extracted to produce oil to flavor food as well as almond milk that can serve as a delicious beverage and a healthier alternative to dairy products. It is best for weight loss. The great amount of mono-saturated fat in almonds can satiate the appetite and prevents one from overeating. A recommended ingredient for obese and weight-watchers, green smoothie with almond milk is a good low-calorie diet for shedding the excess pounds. The following is a simple recipe that can be prepared if you want to have smoother skin.

Almond Milk Green Smoothie Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups water
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup tightly packed kale
• 1 cup peaches
• 1 piece ripe banana
• 1 cup oats (use raw oat groats if following a raw food diet or oatmeal if there is no high powered blender)
• 1/4 cup apricots (or any other dried fruit)
• 1/4 cup ground almonds

Combine all ingredients gradually one after the other in a blender. Add water if the blended ingredients become too thick. If the smoothie has turned too warm, add cold water or ice cubes into it. Preparation is only five minutes before two people can enjoy the thick smoothie.

Smoothie lovers are quick to advocate the value of green smoothie with almond milk. It is more nutritious than yogurt or milk, and when combined with fresh fruits and vegetable ingredients, almond milk adds more nutritional benefits that people cannot be wrong in making green smoothie the path to a healthier lifestyle.

A Heavenly and Creamy Fare Using Fresh Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is very common if you are from the Southeast Asia – Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines – or from Brazil, Caribbean, Polynesia, and Pacific islands. The liquid is extracted from the grated matured meat of a coconut. The color and rich taste of the milk can be ascribed to its high oil content. Fresh coconut milk is a very popular ingredient to the exotic cuisines in the tropics and the islands.

Use Coconut Milk Like Milk, Creamer, or Yoghurt

The coconut milk extracted fresh from matured fruits has a consistency and mild sweet taste comparable to cow’s milk. If it has been extracted properly, it is not supposed to have any coconut odor. For those who like the fresh taste of coconut milk, it makes a delicious creamer or as a milk substitute in tea, coffee. It can also be used in baking by vegetarians, vegans and by people with lactose intolerance. As a yoghurt substitute, it can be mixed with fruits and other dishes.

Making Savory Curries With Coconut Milk

Curry is a foremost cooking ingredient to many cuisines such Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Sri Lankan. Fresh coconut milk makes the best base for the curry sauce. This is prepared by cooking the coconut milk first at high heat to break down the milk that will cause the oil to separate. The curry paste, which can be a blend of several spices, is then added including the other seasonings and ingredients.

Serabi cakes, a staple in Indonesia is simply rice flour cooked in coconut milk. In Brazil, it is a common ingredient in Northeastern cuisine. Seafood like lobsters, shrimps and fish, stews and desserts can be made more mouth-watering with coconut milk.

Extracting Fresh Coconut Milk

While you can use canned coconut milk, nothing compares to freshly squeezed coconut milk. Homemade versions are richer in flavor and contain more vitamin C, Vitamin B–complex, and Vitamin E. With the growing popularity of South East Asian cuisines, more and more people are coming to love the taste of freshly made coconut milk.

Making coconut milk is easy when it is done properly. In the Philippines, homemade coconut milk is done by grating the coconut kernel using an improvised grater made especially for this purpose. Those who want convenience can buy coconuts in the market where grating is provided as a free service. The grated coconut can also be pressed to extract the rich milk. Otherwise, the milk from the grated coconut is done by adding water and manually pressing it at home. The amount of water determines the thinness or thickness of the coconut milk.

Raw Fish Kinilaw

This dish can be made more exciting with regional variations. In certain places, the flavor is enhanced by adding grilled ‘liempo’ (pork cut from the upper thigh) while in another region the additional ingredient is salted egg (a Filipino version of century egg).

• Clean and cube 1/2 kilo of fresh fish like tuna or malasugue. Keep it chilled while the other ingredients are being prepared.
• Finely dice a piece of ginger, 2 pieces of red onion, and 2-4 pieces of chilies.
• Peel and thinly slice one radish and one cucumber.
• It is best to make your own coconut milk when preparing this dish. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the freshly grated coconut instead of water. Press the coconut to extract the sour milk.
• Get the chilled fish and put it in a medium-sized bowl. Season the fish with salt and lemon or calamansi juice.
• Put in the ginger, onion, and chilies. Add the sliced veggies.
• Pour the sour coconut milk in the mixture. Adjust the seasoning and add more chilies for more heat. Toss and serve cold.

This dish is simple, fresh, and healthy. Try this and enjoy the taste of fresh coconut milk that has been given a twist with vinegar.

Delicious Homemade Wine Recipes to Impress Your Friends

The popularity of homemade wine making as a hobby has peaked in recent times. Nowadays hobbyists are finding it easier and faster to make their own wine due to the availability of automated devices and a variety of ingredients to be used. Aside from that there are so many homemade wine recipes to choose from the websites, books and magazines. In no time at all, the passion for making homemade wine can be perfected.

If you are just beginning to catch the winemaking fever, it makes sense to start with easy homemade wine recipes complete with instruction guide. Making your own wine using your preferred recipe gives you the opportunity to experiment with it. It also allows you to do some adjustments until the taste and aroma perfectly suit you. Now let us try these at home.

Easy Homemade Wine Recipes from Juice

A primary fermentation container is needed for this recipe. It must be enough to hold four gallons and must be made of heavy-duty plastic material with a lid. Other materials include two pieces of one-gallon glass jugs, hydrometer, an acid meter, large nylon filter, a rubber balloon and a thermometer. This recipe needs one pack of yeast prepared according to package instruction, four cups of white sugar, a single can of thawed juice concentrate and four quarts of cold water. Bear in mind that this recipe does not call for the use of any citrus juice.

Before dipping your hands into it, make sure to sanitize everything. Use the first gallon glass jug to mix the fruit juice with sugar and yeast. Pour in the water. Tie a large balloon over the glass jug. Place the jug in a dark place during the fermentation period. Within two days, the balloon expands as an indication of released gas. The sugar is being fermented into alcohol. At about six weeks or more, the balloon shrinks indicating that complete fermentation has occurred. You now have a homemade wine ready for drinking.

Homemade Wine Recipes Using Grapes

This simple homemade wine recipe needs the following ingredients: 18 pounds of ripe red grapes, a packet of yeast, white sugar, a Campden tablet, and tartaric acid.

The first basic step is to sanitize everything before putting the grapes in the nylon filter bag. Drop the bag at the bottom of the first fermentation container. In mashing the grapes, a crusher can be used or bare, clean hands can do this. Squash the Campden tablet on the nylon filter. Use cheesecloth to cover the container for an hour. When an hour has passed, check the temperature using a thermometer. Take a juice sample from the container if the thermometer reading falls between 70o and 75oF. Use the titration kit to determine the acid level. At this point, melt the yeast in water and wait for bubbles to rise on the surface. Put the solution on the must contained in the nylon filter bag making sure that the mixture is blended well. Put the cheesecloth back and put the container in a warm place.

When the must dried, remove the liquid from the filter bag. Allow some time for the wine to settle before racking into a new sterilized jar. Keep the jug that contains the grape juice for ten days before doing the second racking. Get another sanitized jug and pour in with wine. It takes six months before siphoning can be done after which the wine can be transferred into wine bottles to age some more.

These are only some of the few basic and easy homemade wine recipes that you can try at home. After catching the winemaking bug, you are heading off in trying the more complicated ones. As the saying goes, patience is a virtue. Once you patiently waited and allowed the wine to come out of age soon enough you and your impressed friends can enjoy every drop of the brew.

Gluten-Free Cake, Bread, Pizza, and Pasta Products Are More Available Today

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with celiac disease or also known as gluten intolerance, you probably have a slew of questions running through your mind. Any kind of change can be really overwhelming. And when the change involves your entire diet, adapting and adhering to it can be a very challenging task. In the past, sufferers of gluten disease had to give up most of their favorite diet treats. Dining out meant having to browse through menus for hours and check out if their food of choice contains gluten. Today, all the hassles of being limited when it comes to food choices are all in the past because there are now a whole lot of gluten-free products like: cake, bread, pizza, and pasta available to individuals suffering from celiac disease.

Living a gluten-free lifestyle is becoming easier than it used to be because of the widespread presence of gluten-free food products in stores nationwide. If you take a trip to the grocery store, you will notice that there are lots of gluten-free cake, bread, pizza, and pasta products on the shelves. As more and more food manufacturers and companies recognize the need to address the growing number of individuals with celiac disease and gluten allergy, more gluten-free food items are showing up on store racks. Such products are aimed at meeting the strict dietary requirements of celiac sufferers and make eating more enjoyable again.

The good news doesn’t stop there. Many bakeries, restaurants, and popular food chains are now also serving such products. Gluten-free cakes, for example, are now available in dedicated gluten-free bakeries. These bakeries only make gluten-free cakes, muffins, pastries, and bread to prevent cross-contamination from other gluten-based foods. What is more, many of these bakeries today will allow customers to select the type of cake to be made. Of course, pre-made cakes are also available and can be directly purchased.

If there is one gluten-free product that will come out as the winner, it is without a doubt the gluten-free bread variety. Ener-G, Kinnikinnick, Glutino, Schar USA, and Three Bakers are just a few of the many manufacturers that produce gluten-free bread. From sliced breads to buns, rolls, and specialty breads, these companies offer them all. One will never run out of choices because even the Internet is now saturated with food stores that offer breads made especially for celiac sufferers. Some even offer free shipping if you order in bulk.

People with celiac disease need not feel frustrated about their pizza cravings anymore. Many popular pizza chains are now serving gluten-free pizza to anyone who needs it. Uno Chicago Grill, Godfather’s Pizza, Garlic Jim’s Famous Gourmet Pizza, Boston’s Gourmet Pizza, and even Domino’s Pizza now added gluten-free pizzas to their menu. Craving for pizza should no longer be a challenge for celiac victims because there are hundreds of pizza chains and restaurants that serve great-tasting pizza without gluten in the crust.

What is life without carbonara, lasagna, bolognese, alfredo, vermicelli, and fettuccini? A good pasta recipe can be really hard to find, especially when you’re avoiding gluten. But, many restaurants now offer gluten-free pasta meals to celiac victims. Today, looking for gluten-free pasta may be as simple as just asking them next time you visit.

Although challenging, following a gluten-free diet is important for healing the intestine in and preventing the reoccurrence of symptoms in celiac patients. Reading food labels is extremely crucial, as wheat, barley and rye is abundant American food products. Most supermarkets are now allocating more shelf space to gluten-free food items. Heaps of gluten-free goods can as well be found in local health food stores. Whole Foods Market, for example, supplies their shelves with a huge selection of gluten-free products.

Also, eating away from home brings its own set of challenges and requires good planning and communication with restaurant servers and manager prior to ordering to determine if gluten-free meals are available in the menu. Although some bakeshops and restaurants offer gluten-free cake, bread, pizza, and pasta products, remember that it’s important to communicate your dietary needs so you can be sure that you’re only getting what is acceptable for your condition.

Cookbooks That Offer Great-Tasting Gluten-Free Recipes for the Whole Family

Who says getting your children to eat gluten-free meals and goodies has to be a chore? Parents of children with celiac disease can possibly raise their kids on a healthy and delicious menu. If you’re a mother who is desperate to come up with delicious meals for your kids, remember that there are hundreds of books that can teach you how to make healthy and great-tasting gluten-free recipes for the whole family. Some are easy to prepare, some may not. But, just like other things, it only needs practice. Now, your family can stay healthy without having to sacrifice any flavor.

1. 125 Best Gluten-Free Recipes

This book by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt features the type of food that is frequently avoided in gluten-free diets. It contains delicious and innovative gluten-free recipes for everything from pasta dishes, appetizers, baked goods, and family meals to great-tasting desserts. These are recipes that the whole family, including children can enjoy. The recipes apply to all, whether one is affected by gluten intolerance or not.

Here are some of the inspired gluten-free recipes you can try cooking at home: Orange Pecan Struesel Muffins, Broccoli-Cheddar Cornbread, Country Harvest Loaf, Thin Pizza Crust, Tomato Rosemary Bread, Fudgy Brownies, Lemon Poppy Loaf, Double Chocolate Cheescake with Raspberry Coulis, and Peanut Butter Cookies.

2. 100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes

Authored by Carol Fenster, this book offers essential gluten-free recipes for everyday favorites like pastas, breads, and desserts. It is a real must-have for those suffering from celiac disease and gluten allergy. This book-compiles the most basic yet important recipes in an affordable and handy package complete with beautiful color photos. With celiac disease and gluten allergy cases becoming more common, a gluten-free diet is becoming more in demand for a growing number of people. This book gives gluten intolerant individuals safe and healthy gluten-free recipes for everyday foods they crave for the most – breads, pasta, cookies, cakes, muffins, pies, and a lot more.

3. Gluten-Free on a Shoestring

It is no secret that gluten-free food products and meals cost three times more than regular items (regardless of taste). If you’re a celiac patient who’s just so tired of spending a top dollar on gluten-free prepared foods, then this book is for you. In Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, savvy mother Nicole Hunn shows how every family can possibly eat delicious gluten-free meals without breaking the bank. Inside this cookbook, you’ll find 125 mouth-watering and inexpensive gluten-free recipes plus the author’s top money-saving secrets.

4. Deliciously G-Free

Elizabeth Hasselbeck, who is also the author of The G-Free Diet and the co-host of ABC TV show The View, offers a vital book about gluten-free food that has easy-to-follow recipes, helpful tips, and color photographs for each. Growing up in a family where everyone enjoys lunch and dinner together at the table, Elizabeth Hasselbeck shares the signature meatball, lasagna, and ziti dishes of her grandmother and great-grandmother, as well as the pierogies of her father’s heritage. However, a couple of years ago, the New York Times bestselling author and mother of three was found to be suffering from celiac disease. Since then, a lot of the recipes served at home became gluten free. This book is intended for people who, just like her, are diagnosed with gluten intolerance.

5. The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook

For celiac disease victims, the necessary diet restrictions can seem like a curse. But, things can be a breeze with a great cookbook. If you’re a sufferer of gluten intolerance, you can still eat most of your favorite foods while maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet. In this recipe book, Vanessa Maltin compiles Italian, Asian, and Mexican recipes that are safe to consume by celiac patients. The best part is, all recipes taste so good that no one can tell the difference. With the help of other chefs (namely Edgar Steele of Cafe Atlantico, Keith Brunell of Maggiano’s Little Italy, and Katie Chin of Thai Kitchen), Maltin proves that people with celiac disease need not sacrifice flavor to eat a gluten-free meal.

These are just some of the top-rated cookbooks that offer delicious and healthy gluten-free recipes for the whole family to enjoy. People with gluten intolerance no longer has to put up with boring and tasteless meals as there are many recipe books out there that are sure to satisfy their palette in just a few minutes of cooking in the kitchen.