Health for The Body, Mind & Spirit

NO BAKE LEMON CHEESE CAKE

8  oz.  ricotta cheese

1 cup (8 oz.) silken tofu

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 can (14 oz. pkg.) condensed milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1 graham cracker piecrust, 9 inch

In a blender, puree ricotta cheese and tofu until smooth.  Pour into a bow and gradually stir in vanilla, condensed milk and sugar.  Pour lemon juice into a small saucepan.  Sprinkle gelatin over juice.  Warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until gelatin is disolved.  Fold into cheese mixture.  Pour into pie crust.  Cover and chill for at least four hours.

Sweetened condensed milk can be used (omitting sugar).  However, I find using plain condensed milk and 3/4 cup sugar-depending on your sweet tooth-gives a better flavor to the cheese cake.

VEGETABLE STEW

Late summer is the time to introduce your family to the delicious flavors of fresh garden vegetables.  They don’t have to come from your own garden but any local country side stand will do. Begin to  fill your basket with two or three yellow squash add a couple of zucchini (I prefer the smaller thinner squash as they are more tender than the large ones) .  Next add about three handfuls of string  beans, two ears of corn, one large onion, three nice size tomatoes,  three beets, one garlic bulb and any other fresh vegetable that catches your eye.  Now try  to ignore the fact that you may not (or a family member) may not like a particular vegetable because after your vegetable stew is finished the family will be unable to distinguish one from the other and they will love them all.

On the stove place a large deep pot.  Add enough cooking olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot. Add a layer of the garlic cloves which have been peeled and sliced thinly.   Next add the onion which has been peeled  and sliced in inch size sections.  Then add the well washed squash sliced in approximately one quarter inch sections then the beets (peeled and sliced)  Finally the string beans (tips snapped off)    and placed on top of the vegetables the two ears of corn (husked and washed), Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and put the heat on simmer. After about ten minutes add the washed tomatoes sliced and quartered.  

Sometimes I cook the string beans and corn separately in my steamer as they take a little longer to become tender. My vegetables in the pot (I stir them occasionally) are firm to tender in approximately 15 minutes. The string beans and corn are usually done at the same time.   Add the string beans to the vegetable pot. Slice down the kernels from the corn and add along with 2 tbs. of sugar to the pot . Stir well. Finally add one can of well drained black beans. Stir well………..And serve.  You will finally have discovered the secret to your family loving vegetables!

EXERCISE

All exercise is good. The key however is consistancy.  What type of exercise motivates you ?  Does it help to be doing yourexercise to music?  Find the environment  that keeps you looking forward to the  special energy surge that exercise will give you. Would you feel best going for a long walk out of doors?  If this is the case how about eventually moving that walk up to a walk/run.  Maybe you like the comradery of other people .  How about joining a Jazzersize class where you work out at an easy pace with other folks and eventually make some new friends.  Or just maybe you would prefer to exercise alone in the privacy of your home using a treadmill  while watching your favorite  TV show . Your body temple is similar in a sense to the car you drive.  It is only going to carry you for as long as you keep it in shape.  We are not talking having perfect figures,  we are talking about  staying alive.

Have you ever thought of getting a Pilate Ball ?  This is a large ball available in sizes according to your height. There are many exercises that can be done with this ball but the one I recommend is incredibly easy yet incredibly  good for your health. If you sit on the ball [as you would sit on a chair] and begin to bounce up and down [similar to posting on a horse] for 4 minutes you will have flushed your entire lymphatic system………However for it to be fully effective  you must do it on a daily basis.  Again bounce once a day watching your favorite TY show.

RIGHT WAY CHOCOLATE PIE

One package of semi sweet chocolate chips

2 Tbs. honey

One block firm tofu

Melt chocolate chips.  Add the honeyand tofu. { Pour off the water around the tofu before mixing}. Whip in a blender or food processor. Pour into a graham cracker crust.  Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. Serve with a whipped topping.

This recipe is not only delicious but extremely nutritious and low in calories and fat gams!

This is a healthy exercise

touch your toes!

Right Way New Cheese

Drain excess water from an 8 ounce container of fat free or non fat yogurt.

Empty the contents into a cheesecloth bag or coffee filter.  Place the bag or filter intyo a colander. Let the mixture sit for eight hours(unrefrigerated). After draining is complete , empty the contents into a bowl and refrigerate’

Here we have an incredible high protein low fat hunk of clay and you are the potter. There are endless possibilities.

For a vegetable dip add a little fat free salad dressing and seasonings such as dill, chives garlic etc.

For a sweet spread add brwn sugar, cinnamon , fruit preserves, maple syrup etc.

Delicious on bagels, toast crackers or just for dipping veggies, chips, etc.