FREE Pomegranates Tips - nutritional darlings

We love pomegranates for their looks, a rustic red leather bulb encasing a treasure of hundreds of edible jewel-like seeds. Lucky for us all, in this instance beauty is more than skin deep.

Pomegranates have been nutritional darlings for thousands of years. Right now Westerners are fixated on the juice of the pomegranate - it has anti-oxidant properties nearly three time that of green tea or red wine. But throughout history all parts of the tree have been used as medicine to treat everything from digestive disorders and kidney stones to fevers and heart ailments. Roots, bark, flowers, rind, and seeds - nothing went to waste.

When you are buying pomegranates look for fruits that are heavy and free of blemishes. You are shooting for pomegranates that are at the peak of ripeness. This is a fruit that ripens on the vine, so keep in mind they won't sweeten more once picked. Fruit that is starting to crack is fine as long as it doesn't look dried out. Feel for heaviness, a weighty fruit means more tangy, sweet juice.

Want to work more pomegranate into your life? Here are a few ideas:

- How to cut open a pomegranate
- Diana Kennedy's Guacamole Chamacuero
- Homemade Pomegranate Liqueur
- Ensalada de Noche Buena
- Drunken Figs with Roquefort and Marsala Wine in Pomegranate Syrup
- Pomegranate Chutney

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Free Recipe on Banana Bread

There are two things that come to mind when someone mentions banana bread; 1) banana and 2) bread. Bread has existed for centuries ever since the Neolithic times. Primitive men crush grains using stones and mixed them with water. Then, they spread the mixture on rocks placed on hot ashes.
Bananas, on the other hand, originated from Southeast Asia, most likely around the Malaysian region. Around 2,000 B.C, it had spread as far as India and Papua New Guinea. The banana has such a significant impact on their culture, that the whole tree is not wasted. The trunks are used as bridges; the leaves as food wrappings and the banana heart (single male banana) are used for medicinal purposes. However, wheat wasn't common back then. Therefore, banana bread didn't come from there.

The ancient Greeks were probably the ones who came up with the idea of banana bread. Although the banana was not native in the region, they have been many references to the fruit. One most notable example is in the book Historia Plantarum, loosely translated as 'The History of Plants', by a Theophrastus, a Greek naturalist philosopher. The Greeks already had a reputation for mixing bread with honey and other fruits. Why not bananas?
Modern banana bread was invented in the 1930's. It grew popular during the advent of baking powder and quick bread. Sodium bicarbonate, or baking powder, replaced yeast as a leavening agent and this was due to fact that quick bread takes a lot faster to rise compared to using yeast, which takes hours.
Banana bread experienced another boom in popularity in the 1960's when home baking was fast becoming the fad. Aside from that, several different variations of banana bread was also invented. Bakeries added nuts, chocolate chips and other fruits into the plain banana bread to produce more variety in their menu. There's also a vegan version, where the eggs are replaced with tofu or soy.
Now, an article about food should have the recipe, especially if the topic in question is about delicious banana bread. To make this scrumptious snack, you'll need one (1) cup white flour, half (1/2) cup wheat flour, one and a half (1 1/2) tsp. baking powder, quarter (1/4) tsp. baking soda, quarter (1/4) tsp. cinnamon, one-eighth (1/8) tsp. salt, one (1) egg, one (1) cup mashed banana (3 medium), two-thirds (2/3) cup sugar, quarter (1/4) cup canola oil, one (1) tsp. lemon zest (optional), half (1/2) cup chopped pecans (optional)
First, grease the loaf pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix the flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and make a well in the centre. Combine the eggs, bananas, sugar, oil and lemon zest in a separate bowl. Mix the two together and stir till moist. Add nuts if necessary. Spoon batter into the pan and bake at 350 for around 50 minutes. To check if it's cooked, poke a toothpick and if it comes out clean, it's done. Sprinkle brown sugar on top.
Bananas are an excellent choice of potassium. They also help in the cleansing of the colon and small intestine. Although their nutrients are slightly lessened after being cooked, that's the price you have to pay to satisfy your taste buds.

Mick is the self taught cook behind Banana bread recipe

Free Tips on The Goji Juice Scam

The words “goji juice scam” could be interpreted as a reference to one of two very different scams. One scam would relate to the quality of the advertised goji juice. As an example, an advertisement that did not mention Himalayan goji berries could be seen as a goji juice scam as only the Himalayan berries have a nutritional profile that includes close to one dozen different ingredients. While there is at least one goji juice scam that deprives consumers of a high quality goji juice, there is yet a second, no less dangerous form for the goji juice scam. The second scam concerns the nature of information regarding one mineral in the goji juice. The second scam leaves out all of the available information about the mineral called selenium.

Selenium is a mineral that can help to lower a man’s risk of prostate cancer, can be added to the diet by drinking goji juice. Selenium has the ability to slow or prevent the occurrence of cancer. Researchers have linked selenium’s cancer-fighting abilities to the action of certain enzymes. The mineral aids the production of those enzymes, thus giving the mineral the capacity to ward-off cancer risks. At the present time research has shown that a daily intake of at least 70 micrograms of selenium should be the goal of all who wish to remain free of cancer. Now the offering of such information on selenium should not be seen as a goji juice scam. If, however, the imparter of that information tried to encourage the daily intake of more than 70 micrograms of selenium, then that could be seen as a goji juice scam. That is because it is feasible for a person to consume too much selenium.

If a person were to consume a quantity far above 100 micrograms per day, then that excess amount of selenium could cause nausea, bad breath, rash, dizziness, weakness and cold symptoms. Further, consuming more than 60 micrograms of selenium per day is bad for pregnant women because a high intake of selenium has appeared to be linked to birth complications. A man who wants to avoid prostate cancer needs a slightly different diet than a woman who is carrying a child. That information ought to be included in any literature about selenium. That fact should also be mentioned in an advertisement for goji juice or on its packaging as the failure to highlight that fact might be seen as a goji juice scam.

Free Applesauce Recipe Day!

Well, howdy neighbor! I don't where you live, but, right now it's fall in New Hampshire. I was raking leaves, having coffee and stoking the wood burning fireplace and thought that this would be a great time to give you some recipes. Apples, applesauce, coffee. Great combos! So here are some recipes for you to try. Enjoy!
(The following are best prepared and eaten while playing The Triumphant Quartets "I Know I'm Going Home". Just a hint.)



Applesauce Gingerbread
Prep. time: 20 min Bake time: 35 min Yield: 18 servings (yeah, good luck with that!)
What You’ll Need:
1 Cup Sweet butter or margarine 1 Cup Brown Sugar 1/2 Cup Molasses 2 Large Eggs 1 Cup Applesauce 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour 2 Tsp. baking soda 2 Tsp. ground ginger 1 Tsp. ground cinnamon
How To Do It:
1) Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish. 2) Melt the butter over low heat. Pour into a medium-sized bowl. 3) Beat in the sugar and molasses. Add the eggs one at a time and beat. 4) Beat in the applesauce. 5) Sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon into the applesauce mixture and stir well to combine thoroughly. 6) Spoon into the baking dish and bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. 7) Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely. 8) Eat. 9)Or, if you must, serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (homemade of course)

Apple Brown Betty
Prep. time: 25 min Baking time: 50 min Yield: 8 servings
What You’ll Need:
3/4 cup brown sugar 1 Tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 6 slices bread 1/2 cup sweet butter or margarine 3 tablespoons lemon juice 4 large apples (Rome Beauty, Winesap, Cortland, Macintosh) 1/4 cup apple juice or cider
How To Do It:
1) Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 2 quart baking dish. 2) In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Crumble in the slices of bread. 3) Melt the butter, add the lemon juice, and stir into the crumbled bread mixture. 4) Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. 5) Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a layer of the crumbs (about one-third of the mixture), add half the apples, a layer of crumbs, the rest of the apples, and finally the remaining crumbs. 6) Pour the apple juice over the top, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake 20 minutes longer. Serve warm. And, oh my, will you have company!!!!

Enjoy Strawberries

Don’t you just love strawberries? They are so succulent and bittersweet. And they compliment so many foods, snacks and deserts. And yes, especially deserts!
One of the first things you think of when it comes to strawberries is strawberry shortcake! Nowadays, you can buy the little cakes at the store in a package. Simply slice up the strawberries in some simple syrup (sugar and water), put them on the cakes, and put on some whipped cream topping! You’re good to go, and wow is it delish!



Strawberries are a great topping for any cake, basically, but especially angel food cake! Angel food cake is light and fluffy and has a unique texture unlike any other cake. And yes, this red, juicy fruit goes just as well with this kind of cake as it does with shortcake!
What about ice cream? You can get low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt and top it with strawberries! You don’t have to mix the fruit with syrup this time, either, since the ice cream gives you the sweet flavor to balance out the sour in the strawberry. If you do want some liquid to cover the ice cream, you can mash up some strawberries in water (without sugar), for a healthy syrup! Tastes just as good—without the extra carbs and calories!



How about a good old strawberry pie? There are many ways to make strawberry pie, but one way is to buy strawberry pie filling, combine it with freshly sliced strawberries, and put it in a pre-made graham cracker crust (or a regular pie crust)! Yummy! Of course, you MUST serve it with whipped cream topping or ice cream (or both, if you’re really feeling adventurous!). Take it easy, too—this particular choice is high calorie!
Strawberries are great with sundaes. You can put them in with your favorite sundae toppings, like nuts, bananas, chocolate syrup, and so on!
And of course, everyone loves strawberry cheesecake! This is really easy to make! All you have to do it buy a cheesecake kit from the store and make it in a pie tin. No baking is required, although, you do have to put it in the fridge so it can set. When you serve it with strawberries (mixed in simple syrup) and whipped cream (optional), it is simply “to die for”! Might be a little rough on the waistline—oh, but what a way to go!



Strawberries are also a must in fruit salad. Combine them either whole or sliced with your favorite fruits. This can include pineapple, sliced apple, mandarin oranges, banana slices, grapes, or any other fruit you can think of! This too, tastes absolutely stunning with whipped cream. Walnuts really go well with this treat, as well!
I bet you could go for some parfait in the morning, or for a mid-day snack! Strawberries are a must, here, too! Take low fat yogurt and throw in your favorite fruits, sliced up. Then top it with granola and we’re talking healthy, mouth-watering goodness! This is a good alternative to having the ice cream or other deserts, too, since it’s easier to incorporate into your diet!
Strawberries and other fruits are also great with fondue, but watch it—that chocolate can be pretty high cal! And remember, fruit has carbs of its own! So always moderate with sweets!
Enjoy all of your favorite snacks and deserts, and don’t forget the strawberries!

Thai Coconuts

Coconuts are the seeds that grow coconut trees. Given time, a coconut will sprout and take root. The juice and flesh of the coconut provide water and fertilizer to grow the young new tree. Coconut trees are grown throughout Thailand on raised beds with irrigation canals on each side. In some places, trained monkeys even harvest the coconuts. Coconuts provide juice to drink, flesh for eating or for making coconut milk, and play a role in many non-food items as well.
Coconut trees are treated as propitious in Thailand. They are often included in gardens along with other trees that include the word "ma" - for example, ma muang (mango), ma la gor (papaya) and ma prao (coconut) - to bring good luck and basic prosperity. Oil from coconuts is produced by first drying the flesh for several weeks and then pressing it. Sugar is made from sap of the seed pods of the coconut. Sap is boiled and set, and a light brown sugar (palm sugar) results.



Fresh coconut milk is widespread in Thailand. Thais often buy it freshly pressed (the first pressing yields creamy coconut milk, the second is more like water with nutrients). Coconuts are sometimes roasted which concentrates the sugar to make the flavor sweeter. Coconut milk is used in some Thai soups and curry dishes (such as green curry, massaman and panaeng curry) and can be a key ingredient in harmonizing a tasty flavor and consistency.
Coconut milk is used to make the sauce poured on mango with sticky rice. It is also used with black sticky rice desserts. In Thailand, one also often finds for dessert what appears like a buffet choice: many containers gathered together of freshly prepared fruits as well as items like lotus seeds or corn.

The customer selects from some of the containers and these are put together over crushed ice and a fairly sweet liquid containing coconut milk. Speaking of desserts, another favorite is coconut ice cream - contrasted with making it from dairy products, a delicious version can also be found which is made from coconut milk and cream. It is slightly icy and some versions include small pieces of sweet coconut meat. Some Thai restaurants in the US have this. And of course on cooking, second best to fresh coconut milk is canned coconut milk.
In Thailand, one can also buy young coconut from stands on the street where the vendor will chop open the coconut for you and you can enjoy the fresh coconut and juice. There are a variety of other tasty snacks and appetizers as well. There are many examples of Thai food with coconut, which combine potential health benefits with enjoyable snacks and dishes. Coconut contains substances such as lauric acid known for benefits such as anti-microbial effects. Two other positives are that coconut oil does not contain trans fatty acids, and most of its saturated fat consists of medium-chain fatty acids rather than long-chain, which means it gets digested and used more easily and is less likely to be stored long-term as fat.

Interestingly, the fat and oil of coconuts contain many beneficial aspects. In addition to antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal functions associated with lauric acid, natural coconut fat helps normalize body lipids, protects against liver damage, and perhaps most importantly, improves the immune system's anti-inflammatory response. Good saturated fats also contain micronutrients and vitamins that are vital to metabolism. Coconut milk helps balance cholesterol and metabolism, and provides valuable fatty acids. The positive aspects of coconut and palm oil generally are likely part of the reason Thais have such a low rate of heart disease.
There are non-food uses from the coconut tree as well. Dried shells are used in making kitchen utensils such as spoons, as well as other household items such as lamps. Some musical instruments are also made with the shells. The fibrous outer layer of the coconut is also used for fuel as well as roofs. It is also a component for cosmetics and soaps.
Thai medicine also makes use of the coconut (tree, leaf, shell, juice). To conclude, suffice it to say there are a rich variety of food and non-food uses for coconuts!

Edible Fruit Baskets Online

Edible fruit bouquets are the perfect gift for any occasion. When you send an edible fruit bouquet as a birthday gift, the recipient will always think of you as a good friend and someone reliable. Online businesses make locating fruit online unique due to the many varieties of edible fruit arrangements we create in order to satisfy a customer's demand. Most online stores offer nationwide fruit basket delivery. Edible fruit baskets are jam-packed full of fresh fruit, chocolate, nuts and gourmet foods.

Edible fresh fruit flower arrangements for summer days. I'm willing to bet that considering time, cost & labor for driving to and from the grocery store, in the store buying all of the fruit, the lettuce, the parsley or whatever edible greenery you choose for a filler, the basket, the liner for the basket, the cellophane that it comes wrapped in, the skewers, the utensils for cutting out the shapes, plus all of the time involved in cleaning, cutting, peeling, pitting, etc. Fruit baskets from us contain only the freshest, ripest, highest quality brand name items available.

The Benefit of Grape Seed Extract

Grape seed extract is classified along with herbs and other botanicals as a form of complementary or alternative medicine. The National Institute of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine are currently conducting studies to evaluate the full benefit of grape seed extract in the treatment and prevention of diseases. Here’s what we know.

Unlike many other herbs and botanicals, grape seed extract does not have a long history of traditional use. Health researchers first became interested in grape seed extract in the latter part of the 20th century, after studies concerning what is referred to as the “French Paradox” were released. The French have a relatively low incidence of heart disease (about half of what we see in the United States) despite the fact that the typical French diet consists of many diet “no-no’s” for heart health and tobacco use is common. Many scientists believe that the secret to heart health among the French is found in red wine.
Red wine contains oligomeric proanthocyanidins or procyanidins, which are plant antioxidants. You have probably heard of antioxidants. They are found in your daily vitamins. Vitamin C & E are common examples of antioxidants. Procyanidins are less common antioxidants, found in only a few foods, and grape seed extract is considered the best source of procyanidins, better even than the red wine that originated the research. In short, the benefit of grape seed extract is due to the uncommonly powerful antioxidants it contains.
So, what exactly is grape seed extract good for? It is used as complementary or alternative medicine in conditions related to the heart and blood vessels. Conditions like hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), high blood pressure, high cholesterol and poor circulation. The benefit of grape seed extract has been seen in complications resulting from diabetes i.e. nerve damage and visual impairment. It has been used to help improve macular degeneration, a disease of the eye in which central vision is lost. Grape seed extract also seems to reduce swelling after injuries or surgery. There are many natural anti-inflammatories in the plant kingdom, grape seed extract is simply the “latest”.
Grape seed extract as a dietary supplement is recommended to aid in the prevention of heart disease and cancer, since many types of cancerous tumors result from oxidative stress and the proanthocyanidins found in grape seed extract are powerful antioxidants. In other words, they reduce or nullify the effects of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is something that every human being, animal and plant is exposed to, but it does not always cause disease and cancer. It is believed that antioxidants prevent oxidative stress from damaging plants and animals on a cellular level.
Ongoing research by the National Institutes of Health into benefit of grape seed extract is focused on breast and prostrate cancer prevention. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has focused its research on the benefit of grape seed extract to the brain and the heart. One of the best heart health supplements on the market contains grape seed extract. To learn more about it and other supplements for heart health, please visit the website Heart Health Diet Tips.