Organic Eating

I got another opportunity to guest blog for Full Circle (thanks FC!) last week. The topic given to me this time was  "How Eating Organically can keep you Healthy."  This is such a vast topic, and a very debatable one too, and trying to stick to a 500 word limit sure was tough! 

My personal opinion is that not every food you eat has to be organic- I mean, if you can afford it, sure, but going all organic can become an expensive affair. There are several good alternatives to organic foods out there. So does eating organic directly equate to eating healthy? Well, think about this- you buy all those organic vegetables, meat, and poultry- great start! And then you just deep fry everything in lard and consume it. What do you think just happened? ;) 

Eat healthy, exercise, stay healthy, because after all, health IS wealth! 

To understand more about organic foods and their labeling, check out USDA. 

Mediterranean Garlic Sauce

My daughter and I are crazy about that insanely delicious garlic sauce they give in Mediterranean restaurants. We can eat bowls and bowls of that sauce- not exaggerating! You dip a piece of pita bread into that sauce, and place it in your mouth- and boom! there is an explosion of this garlicky-with-a-hint-of-tangy goodness that just makes your taste buds ecstatic, and then you just don't want to stop...... yeah, that's how good it is.

I don't know how they actually make this stuff, and I did not do any internet searches for the recipe either. I just whipped up my own recipe, just from remembering how it tastes, and it turned out pretty good. And there couldn't be an easier recipe than this. Here it is:

You Need: 

1. Fresh garlic- you can go crazy with this. I use about 7-8 cloves for a small bowl full of sauce.

2. Sesame seeds- toasted, about 3-4 teaspoons.

3. Thick yogurt- Greek is great, any other yogurt is fine too, and buttermilk works just as good. Say about 3-4 tablespoons.

4. Salt per taste.

5. A pinch of Oregano- fresh would be great, dried works fine too. You can even use a pinch of italian seasoning.

6. 1 lime.

Method:

There's only one step to this- Put all the 6 ingredients into your blender (I have a nice small little one that works well for small quantities), and blend it all into a beautiful sauce. Yeah, that's it!

You could drizzle some olive oil, sprinkle a pinch of red cayenne pepper powder, maybe throw in a couple olives, and voila! you got yourself some real good garlic sauce (guess, you could call it a garlic-tahini sauce).

Mediterranean Garlic Sauce- my take

This sauce is bound to be a hit at your next party. Just serve as a dip with pita, pita chips, or even some fries. Make that garlic fries! ;) Or you could do what I did- spread it onto roasted cauliflower, and serve as a side dish. Delicious!! My daughter likes to mix it up with her mashed potatoes, and that tastes pretty darn good too.

Roasted cauliflower topped with my Mediterranean Garlic Sauce- YUM! 

Friendly Advice: Don't forget to brush and floss, and rinse your mouth with mouthwash after having indulged in this garlic affair! ;)

Skin Food

Towards the end of last year (2013), one fine morning, when I looked at myself in the mirror, I was horrified to see 3 dark spots on my face. One has actually been there for a couple years now, and I just thought it was this lovely beauty spot that had suddenly emerged on my face, and was in fact quite pleased with it. Then I saw this new second spot, just around the corner of my right eye, sort of on my cheek bone, and another tiny one creeping up on the left side of my face, right where one would have their sideburn. That's when realization struck- these are not "beauty spots." These are AGE spots! To heck with "growing old gracefully!" I need to get rid of these notorious age spots ASAP!

After hearing my woeful tale, my very loving husband and children gave me THE perfect gift for Christmas. It sure was thoughtful, no doubt, but also an awakening of sorts. An awakening call that basically said, woman, start taking care of your skin!

Food for Aging Skin

I always tell my children to never look at outer appearances, for real beauty lies within. That is absolutely right, and I stick by it. BUT, if there are remedies for outer "flaws," hey, might as well use them. Double that whole beauty thing by being beautiful inside AND out!

I usually don't make new year resolutions, but this year, I guess I am on this mission to keep my skin looking nice and healthy, and free of blotches by as much as possible. As I am finishing this post, I am sipping on coconut water- that's right, great for the skin. Later, I think I'll cook some mushrooms for dinner, because the selenium in mushrooms is great for the skin.

Remember to keep yourselves fit by exercising, eating healthy, and if you are hanging on to the very last of your 30s, then I suggest you start investing in a couple of those anti-aging products- you might think that you have better things to worry about, but the fact is that most of us haven't reached that level of greatness, and we do tend to deviate towards being shallow when it comes to our appearance.  

Happy 2014 everybody!! ;)