Supernatural Botanicals

Don’t shy away from making your own pizza crust.  It’s super economical to make your own, and very easy.  Don’t let rising yeast scare you.  It’s easier than you think.  And lets not forget, better tasting.  You can add extra herbs (such as Rosemary or Basil), or seeds (such as Sesame or Poppy) to your crust to make it gourmet.  Not to mention, less than 300 calories.  Love that!  When the onion and fennel caramelize, they become very sweet and smell amazing (the whole house smells amazing, in fact!)  The presentation is beautiful, and your family and guest will think you spent hours making it. 

Try this delicious pizza with caramelized fennel, onion and olives.   Great for entertaining. 

Servings:  6 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  dry yeast
• 2/3  cup  warm water (100° to 110°)
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• Cooking spray
• 2  teaspoons  yellow cornmeal
• Topping:
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 4  cups  thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 4 small bulbs)
• 2  cups  thinly sliced onion
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• Remaining ingredients:
• 1  cup  bottled tomato-basil pasta sauce
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4  cup  coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives

Preparation

To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl, and let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 3/4 cups flour and salt, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into the dough. If an indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; knead 5 times, and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Place dough on a (12-inch) pizza pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim.

To prepare the topping, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and the next 5 ingredients (fennel through black pepper), and cook for 20 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Spread sauce over crust, leaving a 1/2-inc

Are you using chives in your recipes?  Chives have been used throughout history for natural healing because they contain a substantial amount of vitamin C as well as essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, and folic acid.  Chives are a member of the garlic and onion family.  In Chinese medicine they are used to clear stuffy noses, prevent bad breath (ironically enough, even though it’s a member of the garlic and onion family), ease stomach aches, strengthen the lower back, and improve poor circulation that gives you cold hands and feet.  Some serving suggestions? Chop up chives and add them to stir-fries or mix in with ground poultry to stuff ravioli or dumplings.  Also great on baked potatoes and pasta dishes.  Chives are super easy to grow, so plant your own and save some money. 

This is the newest herb in my garden, Sweet Lemon Thyme.  I knew I had to have this the moment I brushed my fingers across the dainty little leaves.  My hands smelled like fresh lemons for hours afterwards.  This herb produces a strong lemon flavor.  I’ll be making perfume from this….it’s on my to-do list.  With cooking, it will be great with chicken or seafood….think shrimp scampi!  The next time you are at the garden center, look for Sweet Lemon Thyme.    You’ll be surprised how lemony it is.  Delish!

   Lemons!  I’m crazy about them.  There’s so much you can do with them, everything from decorating with them to cooking with them to sanitizing with them.  Purchase some clear glass containers, and your lemons will look great on your counters until they are ready for use. 

   I like keeping seasonal items in glass containers like this.  Previously, I had pine cones and cranberries in the jars.  Out with winter, in with spring!

   The sun-shinny yellow looks sensational next to other vibrant colored containers and planters. 

  The flavor combinations are endless when cooking with lemon and fresh herbs. 

   Lemons and herbs also look fantastic when grouped together; great as a centerpiece for your table or picnic.

   Parsley and lemon….I’m thinking Mediterranean food!

   Slicing lemon wheels for cool drinks. 

   Use lemon ends to sanitize your cutting board….not to mention, make it smell super fresh and clean.

   Ice cold water with freshly sliced lemon wheels…the ultimate summer cocktail!

  Clean up never smelled better.  You can grind up small lemon pieces in your garbage disposal to make your kitchen smell fresh and clean. 

Fresh fruit season is upon us.  With warmer weather approaching, you’ll notice the strawberries look healthier and vibrant red, the bananas are sunny yellow and ripe, and oranges are juicy and bright orange.   Not only is it peak season for eating fresh fruits, but also for making skincare recipes with them.  Fruits have been extensively used in skincare applications since the beginning of time. 

The next time your fruit basket is full, do double-beauty-duty by eating fruits to nourish the inside, and using fruits in skincare recipes to nourish the outside. 

By making your own facial masks with fresh fruit, you’ll assure no preservatives or chemicals are are going onto and into your skin. 

Try this Banana Honey Facial Mask.  Bananas are high in vitamins C, A, B6, and B12 in addition to magnesium and potassium.  The fruit acids in bananas help to slough off dead skin cells, leaving your skin looking healthy and refreshed. 

RECIPE:

1 Banana,  2 tablespoons of honey

Mash banana with honey into a paste, and apply to to clean skin.  Leave on skin 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.  The banana/honey mixture leaves a firming, yet moisturized feeling to the skin…..that’s totally delicious!

Wondering what the big deal is about organically grown foods?  Still don’t understand it?  Here’s the basics:   

•USDA certification: In 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented uniform standards for American organic farmers and manufacturers. Organic foods must be grown or produced without chemical pesticides or fertilizers, and, in livestock, without the use of antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic foods cannot be genetically modified, irradiated, or cloned. Further guidelines govern specific foods. For instance, organic chickens must be raised with outdoor access.

Warm weather meals always taste better with a hint of fresh herbs. Luckily, the Cuisipro Herb Keeper helps to keep leaves and even veggies like asparagus and celery from drying out. Plus, this storage unit is easy to use. Just put the produce in the tray slots with an inch of water to keep them hydrated.   Enter To Win It!

See all that deliciousness?  Well, I’ve been keeping that recipe a secret for a long time.  I love when I start getting requests for holiday granola around October.  So I package up bags and bags of this delicious healthy mixture to impress and feed the granola lovers in my life.  I’ve also made a few non-granola lovers believers!  There’s something very therapeutic to me in making everyone happy and well-fed.  It’s time to pass on the knowledge so you, too, can make people in your life happy and well-fed.  It’s the right thing to do!  Want to make someone’s day?  Give them a bag of your homemade gourmet granola.  Want to make someone think you are a granola goddess?  Give them a bag of your homemade gourmet granola.  Want your dream man to immediately ask for your hand in marriage?  ….give it a try!  It certainly doesn’t hurt.

This is my basic recipe.  You can feel free to add or subtract ingredients to your taste.

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans.  (I put my on a Silpat.)   Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

So, it’s Friday morning and if you are anything like me, you are already thinking about what you’ll be making for breakfast on Saturday morning…..please tell me that it’s not just me!  Since I just got back from Savannah, I can’t stop making the recipes from Paula, Jamie, and Bobby Deen. 

These cream cheese stuffed strawberries are so easy to make, and are just beautiful in presentation.  I’m all about looking like a rockstar in the kitchen with very little effort; a little work for a lot of bang, and who doesn’t love that? 

This recipe is from Deen Bros. cookbook, and can also be found on Food Network’s site, www.FoodTv.com.  (click the picture above to link.) 

Lets eat!

Ingredients

• 20 whole large strawberries, hulled
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each strawberry so the berries stand upright. Place berries, cut side down, on a serving platter. Carefully cut the berries into 4 wedges, cutting almost to, but not through, the bottoms with a criss-cross cut. Fan wedges just slightly, taking care not to break them. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until combined but still stiff. Using a teaspoon or pastry bag with decorative tip, fill the strawberries with the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the stuffed strawberries. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

    Feeling like you’re not getting enough fruits to meet the daily pyramid guide?  No problem, just incorporate them into a morning smoothie before you head out the door.  Blueberries are a Super-food, and ridiculously good for your body to fight free radicals.  You can even go one step further and throw in a scoop of protein powder to feed your muscles….and stronger muscles burns fat right off your body.

Blueberry Smoothie
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup washed, stemmed blueberries
honey to taste
2 cups of ice
Mix all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve while it’s cold.
4 Weight Watchers Points, 214 Calories, 43.8g Carbs

I mean, just look at the pyramid.  How are you supposed to eat that much (and that healthy) every day?  You do it by getting smart about it.  If you are fairly certain you’ll never eat 2-4 servings of fruit each day, go ahead and put 2-4 servings in a blender with some ice, a little orange juice (again, a fruit), and knock fruits out of the way for the day.  It’s sort of multitasking for your belly, and it works.  Try this delicious Blueberry smoothie and feel good about yourself!  Be a brick house, sister!