Weight Loss

 Would you like to be a guest blogger?


I wrote this post 8 weeks ago and have lost 11 pounds on Weight Watchers. I am still looking for guest bloggers so here is my orginal but updated post. If you are interested , please email me . Vegyid2@yahoo.com

I am starting a diet. I need inspiration and so do many of my readers.
I am looking for 8  6  2 more guest bloggers who want to write a blog article about their efforts,solutions, struggles, suggestions and some  successful weight loss, how they do it, and what they eat etc
If you have a story to share, or inspriation, or solutions, or suggestions and would like to write a guest post to help inspire others please let me know.

  I would like to post one of the guest post each Monday from now until June    July  Please let me know if you are interested at vegyid2@yahoo.com .


Shared on the following Friday blog carnivals




Seasonal Celebration Sunday Savory Sundays; Every Day Sisters Sharing Sundays; Your Recipe, My Kitchen Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper,  Sunday Night Soup Nighthttp    
Under the Table and Dreaming , DIY Showoff , Nifty Thrifty Things, Homemaker on a Dime , Embellishing Life, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, DIY Home Sweet Home, Blissful Domestic,The Sweet Talk Shop My 1929Charmer  I Gotta Create

Monday 
My Meatless Mondays ;Mouthwatering Mondays ; Homemaker Mondays ; Midnight Maniac Meatless  ;  Monday Mania ; Melt in Your Mouth Mondays ; Made By You Mondays ; Made With Love Mondays ; Happy Homemaker Mondays ; Make a Food-e Friend Monday ; Menu Mondays ; Mangia Mondays; ; Motivate Me Mondays; ; Made It Monday; Making Your Home Sing Monday; Making Monday Marvelous Day; Making the World Cuter Monday; Amaze Me Mondays; Muffin Monday; Motivated Mondays ; Homestead Barn Hop ; Make Your Own Mondays ; A Marvelous Monday ; Savvy Homemade Monday  Just another Meatless Monday, ,  Meet Me Monday  Mix it up Monday Must Try Monday  Making you crave Mondays Organizing Junkie's Meal Plan Monday Green Backs' Meatless Monday Veggie Mama's Meatless Monday On the Menu Monday
In the Gumbo Monday   Yummy  Inspriations Breakfast   Mealtime Monday 



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Healthy Recipe Roundup for Passover

Passsover began last Friday April 6, 2012 at sundown and it will last for 8 days. During this time, I will be eating foods that are strictly kosher for Passover. One of  the things that bothers me about Passover eating is  that most of the Passover foods they sell in the supermarkets are packaged, processed, laden with chemicals, and basically unhealthy.

I don't use packaged food all year, so why should I use them on Passover? ( is that another question for the seder?)

For those who prefer healthier foods, It can be a challenge to decide what to eat during the holiday.

Last Passover, my friend Elise pointed out that many real food recipes are naturally kosher for Passover, and she said that doesn't have to change her menu that much . Fresh whole real foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, avocados, eggs, ( meat, fish)  are all naturally kosher for Passover.

I rounded up of recipes that I make all year that you can also make for Passover! 


Crustless Mini Quiches    These make a wonderful breakfast or you can pack them in baggies for lunch. Made in a muffin tin, you can customize each mini quiche with your favorite veggies- mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, carrots, etc.
Entree:


This is a great idea for lunch. Eat with celery and carrot sticks.
         Mexican Guacamole



Moroccan Carrot Soup    Spicy or not, this soup has a rich flavor and is easy to make, tasty and pretty to look at


Easy Homemade Borscht       I made this recipe in the crock pot and then the blender! So easy!  It is really good cold with a dab of Greek Yogurt or sour cream.


Sides:


  Yam and Apple Casserole   This is one of my favorites. It's almost like a Tsimmis

  French Potato Salad        There is no mayonnaise in this potato salad. This is a staple in our home for Passover. We eat it all week long - it is a meal in itself with potato, hard boiled eggs, parsley, lemon. Don't eat eggs? Leave them out; we do, and it's still delicious!

 Artichokes and Lemon My post explains how to steam and then eat this wonderful vegetable. Plain steamed whole artichokes dipped in lemon are perfect Passover side dish. They are easy to prepare, time consuming and fun to eat, filling, and healthy!
Salads:

Arugula and Cashew Mixed Salad   The bitterness of arugula greens combined with the sweetness of cashews and raisins is delish! contains some red cabbage as well.. Very healthy, tasty, and filling!

Jicama Rainbow Salad     jicama has the consistency of a potato, but the sweetness of a carrot; its very low in calories and is said to speed up the metabolism. With chopped this mint, this salad  is amazing

Quinoa Salad and Lemon Dressing  Quinoa is not a grain; it is actually the seed of a berry. Therefore, it is considered Kosher for Passover by most, so keep making quinoa recipes during Passover.



Quinoa Waldorf Salad    Shredded Cabbage, carrots, broccoli flowerettes, chopped apple, lemon honey dressing, and red quinoa. I love the dressing.



Moroccan Carrot Recipe    Once the lemon cilantro dressing is poured over the hot carrots, it will taste sensational up to 4 days later. It gets better as it marinates and sits! I will be making this fabulous lemony cilantro carrot recipe for the Seder night! Everyone always loves it.

Baked Cajun Sweet Potato fries Sweet potatoes or any vegetable baked in the oven tastes especially good. These sweet potato fries ( not fried) are tossed in a little cumin, hot pepper, rosemary, and pepper. But just leave out the seasoning if you don't like things hot. Just season with salt !

Would you like to be a guest blogger??


I am looking for 8 guest bloggers who want to write a blog article about their successful weight loss, how they did it, and what they ate etc  I would like to post one of the guest post each Wednesday from now until June Please let me know if you are interested at vegyid2@yahoo.com .



This post will be shared on the following blog carnivals:
Thursday
 Creative Juice Thursday;  Full Plate Thursday; It’s A Keeper Thursday; What’s Cooking Thursday; Making It with Allie Thursdays; Frugal Follies Thursday;  Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Link Party; Share Your Awesomeness Thursdays; It’s a Blog Party;  Pennywise Platter Thursday,   Simple Lives Thursday,  Thursday Ultimate Recipe Swap, Tastastic   Katherine's Corner

Friday
Friday Potluck ;Family Friendly Fridays ;Simply Sweet Home Friday’s Favorites ;Food on Fridays ;Foodie Friday  Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap ;Creation Corner, Friday’s Link Party ;Feature Yourself Friday ;Sweets This Week Friday ;Simply Delish ; ;It’s a Hodgepodge Friday  Fight Back Friday, Freaky Friday,  Frugal Friday, Wellness Weekend, Hearth and Soul Blog Hop,   Fight Back Fridays Thankful for Food   Frugal Friday @ Shabby Nest Foodie Friday @ Speckled Dog  Friday Jennifer Cooks' Fusion Friday  Fantabulous Friday  Friday Food, Allergy-Friendly Friday

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My New Kitchen

I was just talking to my cousin Judy who lives in New York, and she wanted to see my new kitchen. So, I'm sharing it here on my blog.We didn't do any remodeling, just redecorating. It's so bright and cheerful, we are loving it. All I have to do now is select a paint color for the walls !

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Passover Charoset ( Apple and cinnamon treat)



Chopped Apples, Cinnamon, apricots, walnuts, OJ, and grape juice ground into  Passover Charoset

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Charoset is a quick and easy recipe for a rich cinnamon and apple flavored nutty spread that is an absolute delight to the taste buds. It is also so healthy because it iis all real food, gluten free, and vegan.

It is technically a traditional Passover ceremonial food for the Seder plate. It is supposed to look like the mortar that the ancient Hebrews used to make buildings for the Pharaohs.( the frogs are reminiscent of one of the ten plagues).

There are as many  recipe versions of charoset as there are countries. In the Middle Eastern countries, they make their charoset using tropical fruits like dates, figs, etc. My mother in law ( who lived in Egypt) makes a version with  lots of dates and raisins. It needs no sweetners because it is naturally sweet ( recipe below). It makes a great spread for kids instead of jelly.

People of Eastern European background use apples in their recipe. I've also heard all kinds of recipes from countries like Morroco, Yemen, Africa, etc that may contain three kinds of different nuts, bananas, prunes, etc.

My version of Charoset is a Eastern European version similar to the Charoset that my Russian grandmother used to make with apples, cinnamon, and walnuts.  However, At my Seder table, I will have two versions of Charoset . One will be my mother in law's and the other will be my grandmother's version.




My mother in laws Pasty Middle Eastern Charoset ( soaked dates and raisins) makes a delicious jam



My grandmothers Apple, walnuts, cinnamon, apricot Charoset makes a chunky spread




Ingredients for Charoset

After the Seder ( the Passover ceremony night) , we continue to enjoy eating charoset all week long as a snack on matzo.. So,  no matter if you celebrate Passover or not, Don't skip over this one,  you gotta try charoset ( on a little matzo)

Ingredients for my grandmother's Charoset.

2 large red apples, chopped in small chunks( I used organic and left the peel on)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grape juice or sweet red wine
8 dried apricots
1/4 tsp. cinnamon or more to taste
freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 orange

Directions:
Put everything in a food processor with metal blade.
Whiz a few times quickly on off  on off
Makes a chunky paste

Eat on Matzoh.. or any salt less cracker



Prefer the Middle Eastern Charoset which is like a jam or paste and tastes great ?

Ingredients:
2 cups raisins, soaked
1 cup pitted dates, soaked
Gound walnuts for a topping ( optional)

Directions:
Soak raisins in a bowl overnight ( or at least 2 hours)
Soak pitted dates in a bowl overnight ( or a least 2 hours)
Drain  well in the morning
Put raisins and dates in a food processor and process a few time until mixture is well mixed
Eat on matzoh

Another Passover Recipe: Passover Pizza



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Shared on Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking