OATMEAL DELIGHT (Breakfast)

Rich in fiber, goodness and taste. 1 1/2 tbsp. Roman meal (wheat, rye, bran, flax) cereal 1 1/2 tbsp. wheat germ 2/3 c. rolled oat flakes 1 1/2 c. milk (we use 2% acidophalus milk) 1 1/2 c. water 1/2 c. or more, diced turkey ham, optional 1/4 c. All Bran cereal, optional 4 eggs, soft boiled (we use med. eggs), optional Spices

Spices: Butter Buds, Parmesan grated cheese, Johnnies lemon pepper and garlic salt or regular salt, these are optional.

Combine milk and water in 4 quart saucepan and heat to boiling, stirring often.

Mix first 4 ingredients and add to liquid while stirring briskly. Boil on low for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add a bit more water for thinner cereal, (we like ours thin). When mixture has cooked 5 minutes, add the All Bran cereal and continue stirring and cooking for 5 minutes more.

While cereal is cooking, warm diced ham in a pan with olive oil or Pam.
Place eggs in small saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil. Turn off heat, leave pan on burner, keep covered and let stand for 1 minute and 50 seconds. For harder eggs, let stand for 2 minutes 10 seconds. Then pour out water immediately and cover with cold tap water for a minute or two. Remove eggs from water.

Serve hot cereal into bowls, add ham and an egg into each bowl, mix thoroughly, sprinkle with desired spices and enjoy a hot delicious breakfast. Serves 4.

Cinnamon: For Spice And Good Health

The aromatic scent of cinnamon is powerful because it makes many people feel warm and fuzzy. The health benefits of cinnamon have taken the backseat in favor of its spice properties. Many health experts claim that a dash of cinnamon can be a way to add flavor to many dishes and at the same time improve one's health in many ways. For centuries, cinnamon has been used for traditional medicine and other therapeutic purposes. Many studies have supported the ancient health claims of this spice. Cinnamon is most known to medical experts because of its ability to fight fungal infections, prevent ulcers, treat tooth decay and gum disease, and alleviate gum disease.

Recent studies show that cinnamon can be used as an alternative medicine for heart health. Before stating the connection between heart health and cinnamon, the causes of heart disease should be tackled. The common causes of heart disease are:

Tobacco smoke – Cigarette smoking is one of the major risk factor for cardiac death in patients with coronary heart disease. People who smoke cigars or cigarettes have increased risk of acquiring coronary heart ailments.

High cholesterol levels – As one's cholesterol levels rises, so does the risk of heart disease. Age, sex, and diet are some of the factors that determine one's cholesterol level.

Lack of physical activity – Physical inactivity is one of the the major factors for developing heart disease. Heart disease is characterized by deposits of fatty substance, cholesterol, and other substances that may block the lining of the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

Obesity and excess weight – Excess weight increases the work load of the heart and raises the blood pressure and cholesterol level. As this happens, the risk of heart disease heightens.

Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

I really loved the apple and brown sugar flavor of those instant oatmeal packets when I was little. (I might even still like it now, but I’ve done my best to eliminate anything labeled “instant” from my diet.) We had an insta-hot faucet, so I could dump the powdered, sugary oats into a bowl and turn it into a snack as quickly as I could stir. This recipe is the adult version, using a fresh apple and steel-cut oats. There’s also a little dash of nutmeg, and little dashes of nutmeg remind me of donuts, which is never a bad thing in my opinion.

So let’s talk about oats.
Steel-cut oats are the less processed version of the oats we’re more familiar with, rolled oats. At least, rolled oats are the oats I’m most familiar with. While rolled oats are just as much a whole grain as steel-cut, they have been steamed, flattened, steamed again and then toasted dry. A steel-cut oat is simply cut into three or four pieces and then dried. Some people say the rolled oat, being more processed, has less nutrition and less flavor than the steel-cut variety, but I haven’t found any conclusive proof of that (in three minutes of googling).

There is a clear difference between the two; steel-cut oats take much, much longer to cook than rolled oats. It can take steel cut oats up to 40 minutes to cook, compared to rolled oats which finish up in a mere 5 minutes. Steel-cut retain their texture better after cooking, resulting in a chewier breakfast than standard rolled oats provide. Some people who are really into their oats insist that the steel-cut version has a nuttier, fuller flavor. You’ll find many people willing to invest the time in steel-cut oats just for their toothsome texture and full flavor.

Keep in mind oats come in more than these two versions. You can find whole oat groats (Wow. Oat groat? That’s really the term for it?), which are the least processed and take the longest to cook. The next step down from the whole oat groat is steel-cut, then rolled oats, quick-cooking oats, and instant oats. Generally, avoiding both ends of the spectrum is the best advice. Whole oat groats take forever to cook (I think pre-soaking is even recommended) and instant oats are so mushy and formless, they’re not worthwhile when you can make quick cooking and even rolled oats in under 5 minutes.

Steel Cut Oatmeal with Caramelized Apples

In the winter, especially when it’s raining (or snowing, for that matter, though that’s pretty unlikely in most of southern California) and cold, I can’t think of a better way to start the day than a hot bowl of oatmeal. Ok - maybe staying in bed under the warm covers is a better way, but since we all have to get up sometime, oatmeal is an acceptable substitute.

I regularly make big batches of steel cut oatmeal, eat one bowl full, then pour the rest into a sealable container and store it in the fridge. The oatmeal sets up and it is easy to scoop out individual portions for the rest of the week. On weekends, I tend to have a bit more time on my hands and this is when I usually make the big batches. Occasionally, I’ll make something to go with the oatmeal instead of tossing in the usual scoop of raisins.

For this batch, I made some caramelized apple slices. It’s a quick and dirty way to do it, simply browning the apples slightly in a hot pan with butter, then turning down the heat and letting them cook until soft. At this point, you can toss in some brown sugar (really making a very nice caramel apple sauce) or do what I do and add the apples to the oatmeal with maple syrup. I’ll always do at least two apples and save the leftovers for another breakfast or two, but if you’re sharing your initial batch of oatmeal with some loved ones or hungry friends, you might want to toss in a third apple, just in case.

Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

While I’m geeking out about oats, I should mention that quick cooking oats are generally preferred for making oatmeal cookies. I read that rolled oats can be used, but the dough should be refrigerated for 20 minutes to let the oats soften up by absorbing some moisture before baking. I’ve definitely used rolled oats in cookies without doing the refrigeration trick, so feel free to ignore this paragraph entirely if you’ve got a cookie recipe that works for you.

Serves One Hearty Breakfast Portion, Two Petite Portions
2 tsp Non-Hydrogenated Vegan Margarine
1/2 Cup Steel Cut Oats
1 1/2 Cups Hot water
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 Pinch Salt
1/2 Cooking Apple, diced
1/4 Cup Soy, Oat, or Nut Milk
1-2 tsp Brown Sugar (or regular sugar with a small drizzle of molasses)
1 Tiny Pinch Nutmeg, optional

Heat margarine in a small sauce pot that has a tight fitting lid. Add oats and toast them for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add cinnamon and salt, stir well. Stir in hot water and bring to a brisk boil. Cover and turn down heat. After 15 minutes, add apple, milk, and sugar and stir. Cook for another 5 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

If after 5 minutes you’d prefer your oatmeal to be thicker, cover and turn off heat and let sit for an additional 5-10 minutes. This gives the oats a chance to absorb more liquid without running the risk of burning the oatmeal. Also, the oatmeal at this point is approximately the temperature of magma, so you might as well let it cool down a bit before you dig in.

If you feel like dressing up your oatmeal, drizzle it with a small amount of molasses and a pinch of nutmeg, or sprinkle it with additional brown sugar, or add a fresh apple slice or two to the top.

Breakfast Foods To Start Your Day The Healthy Way

When it comes to eating the most important meal of the day, healthy breakfast foods are key to ensuring the best start of a morning. The foods you eat for breakfast will kick-off the momentum of your day as you use the energy from healthy breakfast selections to hold you over until lunch. Many advantages come from eating healthy breakfast foods, such as increased strength, endurance, weight control, concentration, and focus. Below, you will find five healthy suggestions to get you going in the right direction.

Oatmeal
Not only will oatmeal fill you up, but it also makes the day much easier to tackle with a newfound sense of energy. This naturally supreme breakfast food is cholesterol-free, as well as low in fat and sugar. When it comes to getting the essentials in a diet, oatmeal provides four grams of fiber, as well as five grams of protein per serving. For those trying to boost the health of their heart, the American Heart Association has given oatmeal the official thumbs up. The best oatmeal to select contains 100% whole grain oats.

Fruit: Apples
When pairing low in fat and low in sugar fruits together, you may come closer to satisfying the daily recommended allowances for a wide range of essentials, such as protein and fiber. When it comes to eating one apple, you will consume about 80 calories with a large amount of fiber and protein. Bananas are about 110 calories, offering additional protein, fiber, as well as potassium to your diet. Both healthy breakfast items are also easy to prepare and eat.

For a quick boost of energy in the morning, berries are a delicious treat that are packed with folate, fiber, phytonutrients, as well as vitamin C. In addition to providing just the right start in the morning, fresh berries are also one of the most potent foods that build up a defense against disease. Since preparing berries only require a quick wash and rinse, this breakfast choice makes the perfect companion on an early commute to the job.

Forget About An Apple A Day

Forget About An Apple A Day - There Are Lots Of Places To Find Vitamin C!
We've all heard the saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Presumably, the vitamin C content of apples is the easiest way to keep our immune systems functioning well. But the truth is that apples are not the best source of this key vitamin. Some say the greatest vitamin in the world is vitamin C.

Vitamin C can be found in a wide range of fruits and even vegetables. So there's no reason why everyone can't get their daily dose from something they enjoy eating. In fact, there are so many good sources that you could get yours from a different food every day of the month!

Some of the best foods for getting vitamin C may surprise you. Sure apples are fine with their 6 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of fruit. But even the humble orange compares well with 53 mg, beating out grapefruits with their 34 mg What could be better than oranges?

How about a handful of fresh strawberries? They'll give you 57 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? But you can do even better than that. The humble kiwi fruit beats them all, packing in a whopping 98 mg of them per 100 grams.

If you're lucky enough to live in a spot where you can get your hands on some guava, you're in luck. This tasty, tropical fruit clocks in with a very impressive 180 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams.

Even if you can't find it fresh, you can get the same benefits from canned guava. Another super-rich source is the tiny black currant. 100 grams of these potent berries will supply about 200 mg of them. That's the full recommended daily dose!

The quest for the ultimate source of vitamin C has led nutritionists to discover the delights of some very tropical findings. The most impressive levels can be found in jujube, camu camu and acerola. If you haven't seen those in your local supermarket don't worry, there are plenty of other ways to get your vitamins.

Most of us aren't surprised to find them in fruit, but what is surprising is how easy it is to find in vegetables. Unlikely sources like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are great for people trying to cut down on their carbohydrates without letting their nutrition suffer.

Even using fresh herbs like coriander, parsley and thyme can boost your intake of them. But if you really want a vegetable that will provide a substantial dose of this important vitamin, look no further than sweet green or red peppers. Just 100 grams of green pepper will top up your vitamin C intake by 190 mg

So if you've been comparing apples to oranges all of these years, it's time to look at what else is available. There are so many wonderful foods that boost your vitamin C levels, your toughest decision may be which one to have first.

How To Get A Quick Easy Vegetarian Meal

Vegetarians lead busy lives too and in between juggling work and kids is the task of preparing interesting meals everyday. Contrary to popular belief, preparing a quick easy vegetarian meal may be a convenient task after all. Here are some practical tips for a quick easy vegetarian meal.

Pre Cook Vegetables
You don't have to waste time with washing and preparing veggies at several different times. In fact, expert cooks boil twice or thrice as many vegetables in one sitting and then just freeze the extra for use on the third day.

Find out which vegetables can be prepared before meals so that you won't have to prepare them at several different times. Vegetable soup can also be prepared in this way. Just make sure that you add a little more water when you take it out of the fridge on the second or third day. As an added note, be sure to label your pre cooked veggies and food with the date so that you know which ones should be taken out first and eaten and which ones are nearing expiration.

Hot Oatmeal, Apple Cinnamon

Steaming hot oatmeal bursting with taste. Whole Oat Goodness. A hot steaming bowl of oats not only warms a person to the core, it's also good for you! Oats provide the benefits of a soluble fiber. Researches have found that the soluble fiber in oats may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by affecting blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood lipids. Some preliminary research indicates that moderate exercise and the consumption of oats may have a positive effect on the immune system. USDA Organic. This product is third-party certified organic by Quality Assurance International (QAI).

Ingredients:
Organic oat flakes, organic evaporated cane juice, organic dried apples, organic cinnamon, sea salt, natural apple flavor. May contain traces of tree nuts or soy.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size 1 pkt.
Calories ...............................190
Calories from Fat ..................18
Total Fat............................... 2 g.
Saturated Fat........................ 0 g.
Cholesterol........................... 0 mg.
Sodium................................ 110 mg.
Total Carbohydrates ..............38 g.
Dietary Fiber......................... 4 g.
Sugars .................................14 g.
Protein................................. 6 g.