LIFESTYLE

© Chef LaLa

There’s no better time than now to update your first aid kit and make sure you’re ready for a summer of fun.  As with all medications, it’s a good idea to go through them once a year and replace anything that has expired.  Store your supplies either in a first aid kit or in a clear plastic container in a cabinet where they are easily found but not accessible to children.  Medicines should be stored away from bathrooms and kitchens where they are subjected to heat and humidity.  Each first aid kit should contain the following items:

If anyone in your home is allergic to bee stings or needs special medications for allergies, asthma or other injuries, disease or disorders, be sure to necessary medications on hand for emergencies.  If you live in an area prone to earthquakes or other natural occurrences, be sure to have emergency supplies on hand to protect your whole family.

© Chef LaLa

Fresh, colorful berries at your local supermarket or farmer’s market are a sure sign that summer is here.  Some sweet, others tart, berries are a delicious and nutritious treat and can be eaten whole, served fresh, frozen or in baked goods. Berries are available all year from a variety of sources, though most are considered summer fruits.  They are best consumed within 2-3 days and should be washed just prior to serving but can be kept frozen for up to a year. 

Berries are a great fat-free source of nutrients such as vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants and should be included in your daily recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables for optimal health.  Eat fresh, dried, canned, as a jelly or jam or add as a topping to cereals, yogurt, waffles, ice cream, salads and sorbet, or add to your favorite smoothie, beverage, sauces and baked goods such as pies, tarts, and cakes.

BERRY VARIETIES

Blackberry Black/Red Grape Blueberry Boysenberry Cranberry Currant Gooseberry Green Grape

Lingonberry Loganberry Mulberry Fuyu Persimmon Hachuya Persimmon Raspberry Strawberry

© Chef LaLa

Mushrooms are a great low-calorie, sodium-free, fat-free source of potassium and other nutrients and lend a fun flavor and texture to stir-fries, casseroles, pastas, rice dishes, pizza, meat dishes, burgers, salads and more.  Available in many varieties, mushrooms are a great addition to a multitude of dishes and are even great as a grilled, sautéed, baked or fried side dish.  Be sure; however, to use fresh, closed-gill varieties from your market as the ones that are decaying or picked from your own garden may be poisonous/toxic.  Try marinating, stuffing, pickling or many other options for enjoying mushrooms.

© Chef LaLa

Switch your light bulbs to compact fluorescents (CFL) and you will see clearly that you are saving money and helping the environment.  Experts agree that if every American home replaced just one traditional light bulb with a CFL, the country would save more than $600 million dollars a year on energy costs.  Compact fluorescents have been in use for many years and the results have been astounding.  CFLs use 75% less energy, last up to 10x longer, and produce less heat.  Additionally, CFLs can save you $30-$60 over the life of each bulb you install and help reduce the demand for electricity, thereby delaying the need for new power plants.  Visit

www.energystar.gov/cfls for more information.

© Chef LaLa

To ensure your gardening efforts are environmentally safe, there are a few factors to consider. 

1. Plan - stick to what will grow in the climate and soil you have to work with
2. Care – use rainwater when possible to water your plants and in areas facing drought consider planting things that don’t need a lot of water.  Use organic fertilizers instead of manure (pasteurized chicken manure has less odor or a liquid made from fish and seaweed by-products)
3. Control – most of the bugs in your garden are harmless and some are more beneficial than the pesticides you might use to control them.  Hang bird feeders or nesting gardens near your garden to have the birds consume the bugs.  If necessary, use an insecticidal soap which is hearty enough to kill pests but safe.
4. Share – excess fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers are great to share with friends, family and neighbors.  You won’t have wasted a moment of your time or your harvest and others will enjoy your efforts.
5. Recycle – leftover plant waste can be put into a composting bin in your yard to use as fertilizer or mulch for next season’s crop rather than taking up space in a landfill.

© Chef LaLa

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), yard and food waste together constitute 24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste that loads up landfills when it could become useful and environmentally beneficial compost.  Composting is very easy and the resulting organic material can be used as a soil amendment or as a medium to grow outdoor plants.

Natural composting is basically biological decomposition, and began with the first plants on earth and continues to this day.  When vegetation falls to the ground and slowly decays, it provides minerals and nutrients needed for plants, animals, and microorganisms. Modern composting technology includes heat to destroy pathogens and weeds.

Composting is not only easy and a great way to keep our landfill space to a minimum, it can also suppress plant diseases and pests and reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers. Composting has been shown to promote higher yields of crops and in nature, is a cost-effective means to facilitate reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts.  It can also be used to remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from stormwater runoff and capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air.

For more information about composting, visit the EPA’s website www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/composting .

With the vast majority of the American population, especially kids, lacking enough calcium for strong bones and teeth, it’s time to get creative and find flavorful new ways for your family to get the recommended daily amount.  Even individuals who are watching their fat intake or lactose intolerant can benefit from eating cheese.  Small amounts of cheese which is easier to digest than milk, due to the fermentation process, can provide large amounts of calcium.  What better way to get your body strong than to enjoy some flavorful, delicate cheeses from around the world. Cheese became popular around 4000 years ago when people started breeding animals and processing their milk to produce cheese, a great source of calcium and protein.  Cheese is most commonly made from cows milk, however, there are varieties made from other mammals including sheep, goats, buffalo, reindeer, camels and yaks. One of the most nutritious cheeses in terms of low calories, high protein and calcium, is Romano cheese with 452 mg of calcium and only 165 calories per 1.5 ounces. Other good sources of calcium include: Swiss, part-skim ricotta, pasteurized process American, provolone, part-skim mozzarella and cheddar cheese. 

Need a little more excitement and like to experiment with flavor?  There are many varieties of cheeses, some with mild flavor, strong flavor, some soft, some hard, with flavors and textures for all palates. Check the yellow pages for cheese shops in your area or visit your local specialty market, supermarket or farmer’s market.  Try samples, ask for recommendations, and enjoy.  Cheese is great for entertaining, as a fondue, as a snack in your child’s lunch, or a mid-afternoon treat or appetizer before dinner.  Be sure to store and serve cheese at recommended temperatures and choose cheeses for children, pregnant women and people with weaker immune systems that are pasturized.  Most cheeses are; however some softer cheeses such as brie and cheeses in other countries, though flavorful and quite safe for adults in good health, can contain bacteria that can make some people ill.

Try cheese cubes as a snack or appetizer or cheese slices on crackers or in your favorite sandwich.  Try shredded or grated cheese on fresh or baked pasta, in soups, salads or on vegetables. Remember a little goes a long way and you can mix flavors.  Savor the taste and texture and enjoy with your favorite beverage!

© Chef LaLa

Cilantro, also known as coriander, Mexican Parsley or Chinese parsley, is a wonderful, delicate year-round herb, thought to be an aphrodisiac and have healing properties, and adds great flavor to a variety of foods.  Cilantro is the leaf of the plant while coriander, from the same plant, is the seed and has a very different flavor.  One cannot be substituted for the other, though some countries refer to cilantro as coriander, so when recipes call for fresh coriander or coriander leaves, they are referring to the cilantro leaf. 

Dishes made from the Cilantro plant, whether in the form of leaves as cilantro or seeds as coriander, are commonly found in a variety of cuisines including Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, South Asian, Mexican, Latin American, Chinese, African and Southeast Asian. Culantro, an herb related to cilantro, is widely used throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Far East.

Fresh herbs really have the best aroma and flavor, so look for fresh cilantro in your supermarket produce department, sold in bunches similar to flat-leaf parsley. Look for unwilted leaves that are medium green in color. Cilantro can be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for up to a week and should be washed in cool water and patted dry before use.  Roll a bunch, stems and all and chop into small pieces.

Try some cilantro today….

·         Roll goat cheese in chopped cilantro

·         Use cilantro leaves instead of basil in tomato-mozarella salad

·         Sprinkle 1tbsp chopped cilantro over scrambled eggs

·         Add a few leaves to grilled cheese sandwiches

·         Use a bunch as a brush to baste veggies on the grill

·         Garnish Bloody Mary’s with a whole sprig or two

·         Use in marinades for chicken, fish, shellfish, lamb, and pork

·         Use in salsas and in sauces such as pesto, chutney, and tzaziki

This Earth Day, April 22, 2009  will be the 39th celebration of green living and will be the beginning of The Green Generation Campaign™ to get billions to celebrate Earth Day not just on April 22, but every day.  Their three core goals focus on finding renewable energy, responsible and sustainable consumption and the creation of millions of jobs.  How will they accomplish their goals and what does this mean for you?  It means by starting now, becoming educated about living green and doing your part, even a little at a time, we can all save money, stop using so much valuable land for trash, and  learn to use alternative energy sources that are safer for the environment and may be less expensive. 

Going green can ultimately use less energy, is less toxic, and often products are made from recycled materials which can continue to be recycled and reduce landfill space around the world.  Green products may cost more up front, but are typically better for our health which can reduce our medical costs, they are proven to reduce our energy costs, and are often made from materials that reduce landfill waste, saving you money on the rising cost of trash pickup and land.  That said, it pays to find ways to go green and set a good example for others while feeling good knowing you are doing your part.  Here are a few ways to get started:

1)       Use the recycling bins from your trash removal service for all recycleable goods

2)       Buy energy star compliant electronics and appliances

3)       Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (not currently for use with a dimmer switch)

4)       Buy recycled paper products, rechargeable batteries, refillable pens, toner cartridges, and inks

Join the masses in big cities and small towns to celebrate Earth day 2009 this week.  Enjoy some time outdoors with your friends and family and discover the many easy ways you can reduce, reuse, and recycle in your home, office, yard, while shopping and traveling.  Start today and you can make the world a better place for all of us and generations to come.

© Chef LaLa

Summer is almost here and summer vegetables are beginning to arrive in your local supermarkets, specialty markets and farmer’s markets.  Experts recommend consuming 5 servings* a day of fruits and vegetables to help reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. Summer veggies are not only nutritious and delicious, they’ll help you look and feel your best by providing vitamin C, potassium, lutein, folate, iron, fiber, and essential hydration.  Try one or more of these summer veggies today:

Arugula	Eggplant	Potatoes
Avocados	Garlic	Shallots
Green Beans	Kohlrabi	Summer Squash
Beans	Mushrooms	Swiss chard
Beets	Okra	Tomatoes
Collards	Onions	Zucchini
Corn	Sugar Snap Peas
Cucumber	Peppers

Try some of these ideas… 

·         Skip the chips which make you thirstier and opt for bright crunchy carrots and celery which are low in calories and fat and high in nutrients that will keep you feeling refreshed

·         Add some fresh veggies to your summer salad for a cool light meal packed with nutrients

·         Load your baked potato or pasta with cooked veggies instead of butter or rich sauces or even toss with light olive oil or add to your favorite light sauces to give you flavor and energy on a hot summer day 

* One serving of vegetables is equivalent to ¼ cup dry or one medium sized fresh vegetable such as a carrot or ¾ of a cup of juice or ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw veggies.