• 2 c cashew nuts
• 3/8 c Emes brand kosher gelatin*
• 1 1/2 c boiling water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 4 oz sliced pimientos (optional)
• 1 c cold water

Place all ingredients in a blender except the cold water. Blend for 3-5 mintues until very smooth. Add cold water and blend briefly. Pour into containers of your chioce to chill and slice when firm.

*The last few times I’ve made this I haven’t had gelatin and it still turns out, it just doesn’t get firm enough to slice. In this case, use less than 1 c of cold water. Add just enough to make the saucy consistency you want.

Serving suggestions:

• Add to macaroni for macaroni & cheese
• Top pizzas, nachos, or lasagna
• Melt and add jalapenos and eat with tortilla chips
• Put in a folded tortilla and fry for a quesadilla

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 c medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper. chopped (I left this out because I didn’t have one)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 c vegetable broth
• 2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 c)
• 1 19-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• cilantro for garnish

Saute onion, green pepper and garlic in olive oil in a soup pot until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients except the peanut butter and cilantro and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, add peanut butter, and garnish with cilantro.

If you want a smooth, creamy soup rather than a chunky stew, puree in a food processor or blender after adding the peanut butter. Reheat if necessary, put in bowls, and garnish with cilantro.

Questions or comments? Contact me here.

• 1 1/2 to 2 c grated raw carrots (also a breeze with a food processor)
• 1 c finely chopped raw broccoli (I use a mini-chopper or food processor)
• 3/4 c raisins
• 1/2 c raw sunflower kernels
• 1/2 to 3/4 c Vegenaise soy mayonnaise
• salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together. I don’t like mine drenched in Vegenaise, but some people probably like it more “wet.”

Questions or comments? Contact me here.

• 1/2 c margarine
• 3/4 c honey
• 1/4 c dark molasses
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 2 c flour (half and half white and whole wheat)
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash cayenne
• 3 1/2 oz (1 bag) crystallized ginger, chopped coarsely

Preaheat oven to 375 degrees. Combined softened margarine, honey, molasses and flaxseed and beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in crystallized ginger. Chill for 1 hour. Form 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Questions or comments? Contact me here.

Can’t find some of these ingredients in your local grocery store? Order them online here.

• 6 c old fashioned oats
• 1 c coconut
• 1 c sliced almonds
• 1/2 c honey
• juice of 1 orange
• juice of 1 lemon
• orange zest
• lemon zest
• 1 1/2 c dried cranberries

Mix all ingredients except the cranberries well and bake on a cookie sheet at 200 degrees for three hours or until desired crunchiness. Add dried cranberries when cool.

Are sliced almonds too expensive at your local grocery store? Buy them in bulk here.

Years went by, however, and our waistlines either stayed the same or expanded–probably because an increase in calories made up for the absence of fat. It took awhile, but I began to understand that fat-free isn’t calorie-free. Nor is it necessarily healthy!

In truth, your body needs fat. You’ve heard of essential fatty acids? They’re so named because they are, in fact, essential: Your body cannot manufacture them from the food you eat. These fats play an important role in growth and development as well as in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Fat serves other practical purposes as well: It adds flavor to your food and, because it is digested more slowly than other nutrients, keeps you full between meals.

There are three main types of fats: Saturated are the “bad” fats. Typically solid at room temperature, these fats are found mainly in meat and dairy products as well as coconut and palm oils. A diet too high in saturated fat leads to heart disease and cancer. Polyunsaturated fats are in corn, soybean safflower and sunflower oils. Substituting these for saturated fats lowers cholesterol, but too much polyunsaturated fat can promote cancer. “Good” monounsaturated fats also lower cholesterol. They’re found in olive, canola and peanut oils. However, no refined fat is “healthy”; consume these good fats primarily in their most natural state (such as in olives, avocados, nuts and seeds), and use oil only in very small amounts.

Other fats have also recently become household names. Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats are unsaturated fats which have been altered to extend their shelf life. They contain harmful trans fats and should be avoided completely. Cholesterol is a type of fat the body produces (as do the bodies of other animals). Eating cholesterol raises your cholesterol, as does consuming saturated and trans fats. Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are essential polyunsaturated fats. In the typical American diet, omega-6 fats are plentiful while omega-3s are scarce. This dangerous ratio leads to inflammation (a factor present in many chronic diseases), heart disease, stroke, autoimmune diseases, skin diseases and depression. The body cannot make sufficient DHA, another essential omega-3 fat, on a diet high in omega-6 fats and low in omega-3s.

Don’t waste too much energy on how much of each kind of fat is in your food; simply eat a diet rich in a variety of whole, unrefined foods, as close to their most natural state as possible. As mentioned above, the best sources of good fats (including omega-3s) are almonds, walnuts, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sunflower kernels and avocados.

Are raw nuts and seeds too expensive at your local grocery store? Buy them in bulk here.

How much fat should you eat per day? If you are overweight and trying to lose weight, it’s okay to consume very little fat while you lose weight, because your body will use what it has stored. But don’t stay on a non-fat or extremely low-fat diet long-term! If you are at a healthy weight and exercise regularly, eat as much as three to four ounces (about 2 small handfuls) of raw nuts or seeds per day, an avocado, or a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Growing children or someone who has a hard time gaining weight can eat more than that, but it should still be fat in its most natural form. Even if you are healthy and an ideal weight, fat should comprise no more than 30% of your total calorie intake at most; on a 2000-calorie diet, that’s about 600 calories worth. Put another way, about 65 grams.

Any way you look at it, remember that even the healthy fats in avocado, nuts and seeds pack a nine-calorie per gram punch, so if you want to maintain or lose weight, watch your intake. (In contrast, protein and carbohydrates contain only four calories per gram.)

One last bit of fat trivia: The fat on your plate will very easily be converted into body fat. So easily, in fact, that a biopsy of the fat on your waist, hips or thighs would reveal precisely where that fat came from: a pig, a chicken, a hunk of cheese or handful of nuts! Now that’s food for thought…

• juice of one lemon
• honey to taste (~1-2 spoonfuls)

Juice the lemon and heat on the stove or in the microwave. Stir in honey. It should taste sweet but tart at the same time. Drink slowly while still hot.

This remedy is not a substitute for medication. If symptoms persist or worsen, consult a physician.

Questions or comments? Contact me here.

• 2 grapefruit
• 2 oranges
• 2 lemons
• 1 lg onion, cut in large pieces
• 5 cloves garlic, whole
• 1 tsp peppermint oil
• 8 c water

Wash fruit well and cut in fourths, leaving skins on. Put in a large pot with water and add onion, garlic and peppermint oil. Boil for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and drain through a colander, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Refrigerate. Juice will last for 30 days, or longer in the freezer.

At the first sign of cold or flu symptoms, drink 1 cup 4x/day or 1/2 cup 8x/day.

This remedy is not a medical treatment. If symptoms persist or worsen, consult a physician.

Questions or comments? Contact me here.

• juice of 6 fresh lemons
• 1 bulb of garlic (my sister says she used 4 cloves, I used 7)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• pineapple juice

Put all ingredients except the pineapple juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Add enough pineapple juice to make 1 quart (32 ounces) of liquid. At the first sign of cold or flu symptoms, take 1 cup every 3-4 hours until flu symptoms are gone.

This remedy is not a medical treatment. If symptoms persist or worsen, consult a physician.

Questions or comments? Contact me here.

• 1 pkg Near East brand Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• ~1 c shredded carrots
• ~1 c chopped raw walnuts

Prepare cous cous as directed on package. Stir in kidney beans, carrots and walnuts and serve!

I have made this more “from scratch” before by using plain whole wheat couscous and adding garlic and some seasonings to it. The main advantage of this would be a lower sodium content. It tastes just as good either way.

Questions or comments? Contact me here.