The SIGG Water Bottle Controversy

I am a huge proponent of taking a water bottle with you on road trips, around town, shopping, etc... it's a perfect way to stay well hydrated. If you're tired of plain old water, add a splash of lemon juice for a flavor boost.

Now, typically I would suggest to purchase a eco-friendly bottle like a SIGG Water Bottle. Come to find out, if you bought a SIGG prior to August 2008, the bottles liner contained a liner, which had BPA! EUGH! Good news, if yours was purchase after August 2008, the company claims that they are BPA-free. Lucky for me I purchased mine after August 2008 but if you didn't... upgrade to a newer BPA-free version! OR Swap to a Nalgene which are now BPA-free.

For more information on the SIGG Water Bottle Controvesry: http://www.shape.com/health/your_health/preventive_strategies/the_sigg_water_bottle_controversy

Papaya Juice

This is a no-brainer & I am sure most of you have tried this at least once.

Warning
"It is speculated that unripe papayas may cause miscarriage due to its latex content that may cause uterine contractions which may lead to a miscarriage, though this has never been proven. Papaya seed extracts in large doses showed to have a contraceptive effect on rats and monkeys, but in small doses were shown to have no effect on the unborn animals - Allergies and side-effects - wikipedia for Papaya"

Ingredients(for three)

• 500g of Papaya (I used one half shown in the picture)
• 3 table spoons of sugar
• 3 glasses of water
  

Steps

1. Completely remove the part attached to the stem(if not, this can introduce some bitterness)
2. Remove seeds, peel off the skin & put the remainder to blender
3. Add sugar, one glass of water & blend until all pieces disappear
   
4. Add more water & blend for 15 seconds
   

Things to try

• Deep freeze the fruit before starting. This will bring-in cooling effect which is neither too much nor too little.
• Instead of adding water, you can try ice cubes. Just make sure your blender can deal with ice before doing so ;-)

Keep in mind

• Do not add too much sugar. Papaya already has sugar & you should only add sugar to match the amount of water you add in.
• Papaya juice has this tendency to get melted once it's open to air, which can be an unpleasant experience to some. So fill in the glasses when your about to serve.
• Do not keep the juice in open air. It gets staled very quickly.
  

Here's how it came out ..

homemade applesauce

Fall is the perfect time of year (especially if you live in New York State) to make applesauce! Here is my super simple recipe. I just made my first batch today! Can't wait for dinner tonight... yum!

Super Simple Homemade Applesauce

Ingredients:
15 apples
1 cup of water

Directions:
1. Peel most (not all) of the skin from the apples and cube into large pieces.
2. Place the apples with about 1 cup of water in a large pot.
3. Bring the water to a boil and then cover and simmer until apples are tender (about 15 minutes) & until they easily mash just by stirring them.
Ready to enjoy!

NOTICE!! There isn't any need to add sugar. If you feel your sauce needs a flavor boost try a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Tip: If you have a little ones, like me, drop applesauce (once cooled) into ice cube trays. Freeze for a few hours and then break into a storage bag or container. Then in minutes you thaw a few cubes can have applesauce ready to go for a snack or to serve with a meal.

cool new product

I just heard about a cool new line of products coming out in 2010 from Del Monte! It's fresh fruit and veggie vending. The release notes that all the items will be under 120 calories, this kind-of caught me by surprise, but from a quick glance, I think the calorie count jumps up because of the dip? Yet, I think even with the dip, this product line looks great because it offers at least an alternative when you're out an about instead of just chips, pretzels, or other 'traditional' snack foods. We'll have to wait and see! If you want to read more about it and see pictures, here is a link to check out: http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=51151

skinny version of mornay sauce

Tonight I made a skinny version of Mornay sauce.This tasty recipe invention is thanks to my husband! He's great at adding new flavors to old recipes. Someday maybe it will be on the menu at his restaurant? The skinny version has less cheese, less butter, than traditional Mornay sauce recipes and I made it with low fat milk. It was YUM! Here's the recipe:

Sun Dried Tomato Mornay Sauce
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups fat free or low fat milk
dash of salt (optional)
1 ounce of grated Parmesan cheese
3 ounces sun dried tomatoes

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Once the butter it melted, add the flour and mix well.

Add the milk and whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.

Once it comes to a boil, let it bubble one minute more, so it thickens.

Then stir in the cheese and tomatoes.

Serve over grilled chicken breasts! YUM!

Tune into Food Network, Monday Morning 9/28

I'm going to be on the Food Network on Monday morning, September 28th at 7 a.m.! Doing a segment for Better Living on behalf of my client, Creta Farms! Be sure to tune into watch!

For more information on Creta Farms & to grab the recipes that are prepared on Monday, visit: www.creatafarms.com

simple drink recipe

Looking for a thirst quenching drink to keep on hand? Try my homemade lemonade recipe that has less sugar than any pre-mixed type and is tasty!

Molly's Homemade Lemonade
Ingredients:
1 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 gallon water

Combine the ingredients in a pitcher and mix until sugar dissolved!

Serving suggestion: Mix 1/2 lemonade with 1/2 unsweetened iced tea. That is my favorite drink actually (and Arnold Palmer's too)!