Greek Yogurt + Fixings For An Easy Breakfast

I know the importance of a good breakfast but don’t have an appetite in the mornings due to busyness. 

With coffee I’ll just eat 2 Digestive Biscuits before getting my elderly mom up, freshened up, dressed, then microwaving her morning meal, either an omelette with cheese or ham and whole grain bread; or (2) a bowl of oatmeal with milk, peanut butter, a handful of chopped walnuts, fruit and a sprinkle of brown sugar on top. She has a good breakfast, but mine lacks the protein I need to start the day.

Many of us get extra busy in December so here’s a better breakfast that’s easy to eat and easy to cleanup with no pots or pans needed to make it:

Greek Yogurt Bowl

1 cup of Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon of peanut butter
fruit -- various to select throughout the week such as a handful of blueberries or strawberries. Half of banana. Chopped peaches, pears, or apples. (like the fruit I add to my mother’s oatmeal.)

3 walnuts

3 almonds - whole or chopped
1 teaspoon of one minute oatmeal

1 teaspoon of ground flaxseeds

a sprinkle of dark brown sugar or honey when I feel like it.

BTW, protein drinks are a decent fast breakfast, but are no substitutes for real food which is always the better choice. Protein shakes can be too heavy in minerals if consumed daily.

Greek yogurt with the addition of nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans), seeds (flaxseeds, sunflower, chia, pumpkin) and whole grains (oatmeal, millet, quinoa) is a healthy no fuss breakfast with enough protein and fiber.

When we know better, we really should do better. I will! With only one bowl to wash this breakfast gets the job done. 

On Friday, I’ll post a recipe for the perfect energy-hydration drink that’s been around since the time of our Founding Fathers! Do you have any guesses?

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Sweet Potato Pie

We made a sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving. Very easy and likely a tad healthier than store bought pie. I used this pie dough recipe previously shared. Mostly I buy pies at Fairway, but if I do bake a pie, I go all the way making the crust too. If I go to the store because I don’t want to make a crust, I don’t return with a frozen shell but a delectable finished pie from Frairway, never going near the freezer. Done and ready to eat!

After making my crust, I made the sweet potato filling.

Sweet Potato Pie

30 ounces - about 4 cups microwaved, peeled and mashed sweet potatoes. {Feel free to use 2-15 ounce cans of sweet potatoes.  If using fresh mashed sweet potatoes you can add 2 teaspoons of white sugar. Canned ones are usually sweeten. If in light syrup, pour out the liquid.)

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning (or cinnamon)

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

A sprinkle of dried ginger

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter, softened - Use 2 - 3 tablespoons if you wish.

1/2 cup milk - I used 1%, but cream or evaporated milk is creamier.

2 large eggs

Optional: I tossed in 1/2 cup of applesauce for moisture and mass since I didn’t use the cream and lightened up the butter.

 

Directions:

1) One by one, I tossed the ingredients into a mixing bowl and incorporated them with an electric mixer.

2) Pour into your prepared pie shell. I didn’t do it, but if you put foil on the dough/crust edges after it bakes for 1/2 hour, it stays moisturer while the rest of the pie finishes baking. I could eat my crust fine but would have taken this extra step for guests. Heck, I’d have used cream for them too. We try to lighten up desserts for just ourselves.

3) In a preheated 350 degree F oven, bake for 50 - 55 minutes.

Remove, cool and slice. Enjoy!

image: Google

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How To Eat Split Peas If Not As Soup?

When temperatures drop, we make lots of homemade soups including split pea, lentil and bean. However, several of my friends and neighbors are pea soup haters, so we can’t share a batch and end up eating pea soup a day or two longer than we wish. Split peas are a rich source of protein, fiber, iron, folate, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Although I like its creamy texture, after my last batch I began to wonder what else could I do with split peas?

 It turns out, cooked split peas can be turned into nutritious dips, pesto or mixed with avocados to add protein to guacamole. Dips, pesto and guacamole are dangerous as we usually eat much more than a single serving! The dish I’ll try is an easy and chunky split pea salad -- food to chew!

Split Pea Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup green split peas, cooked

2 cups water

1 large chicken or any flavor bouillon

2 cups of chopped plum tomatoes (or any variety)

14 oz corn, cooked

1 medium onion, diced

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup organic vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon dijon or brown mustard

2 teaspoons or garlic to taste - fresh or dry powered work.

1 teaspoon or black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

A sprinkle of soy sauce

More salt if needed after a taste.

1-2 teaspoons honey

Directions:

1) In a pot on the stove top bring the water and bouillon to a boil, then pour in the dry split peas. Cook uncovered for 15 - 20 minutes until the water evaporates. Remove the cooked peas to cool. With a shorter cooking time, they will soften without disintegrating into soup.

2) Toss all the vegetables and spices into to a big salad bowl and incorporate.

Optional step: If you want to get fancy, garnish with shredded extra sharp cheddar and chopped parsley.

Eat at room temperature or chill. Add brown rice, pasta, or quinoa for a complete protein and meal.

Split pea soup is healthy, filling and comforting. I’ll still make it this fall and winter, but I also look forward to trying something new, split peas not turned into a soup. The pea haters of the world don’t know what they’re missing.😋

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Inflation Buster: Clock full o’ Nuts

If you are a coffee lover, you may think you have to buy gourmet coffee beans from an upscale coffee shop to drink great coffee. But you don’t!

In my 20s when I hosted friends for dinners in my Manhattan apartment, I’d buy coffee beans from Fairway or Zabar, and I enjoyed cups of coffee at Veniero’s or Ferrara’s Bakery down in Little Italy. Back in the day, there were also a handful of independent coffee shops on the Upper East Side before Starbucks became popular. 

However nowadays I only stock supermarket coffee, namely my fav, Clock full o’ Nuts at home, as well as, to serve to houseguests. IMHO it’s as delicious as the more expensive coffee beans I’ve tried and liked earlier around town. Frankly I think it’s tastier than the $21/pound a friend of mine now pays for her gourmet coffee. Moreover these smaller-ticker costs on food or every day consumer goods really add up over a year’s time. Personally I don’t think $21/pound is worth spending on coffee for daily consumption. 

With Clock full o’ Nuts, you’re not settling for inferior tastes either. I buy the Original, which is a medium roast. It’s bold and flavorful, well-rounded without bitterness. But the brand's coffee is also available in a lighter or darker roast to satisfy a variety of palates.

Coffee isn’t a crop the USA grows or can manufacture in the near future, so unfortunately the Trump tariffs (taxes on goods imported into the country and passed onto consumers) have increased the price of all coffee, but at least supermarkets run sales to slightly lower costs. On sale, a 26 oz can of Clock full o’ Nuts ranges from $11.60 - $12.89 (up from $9).

If you seek an excellent cup of coffee without compromising or going broke, give Clock full o’ Nuts a try. Lets also hope the burden of tariffs (i.e., taxes) come off of coffee sooner than later!

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Rita Fox Made Couscous Salad

Photo: Hand Recipe/Facebook

Everybody should have a friend like Rita Fox. She’s kind, smart, fun, creative, generous and inspires you to cook! Here’s a recipe she posted on Facebook that looks amazing! I’ve never attempted to make couscous until I saw what she took to a pot luck dinner. 

The next 2 photos: Rita Fox

Couscous is an ancient North African dish with its roots in the cuisine of the indigenous Berber people. It's a staple food in the countries of the Maghreb region including Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Through North African immigration in the 1990s, the dish made its way across the Atlantic Ocean becoming popular in the Western Hemisphere. But in 1973 cookbook author Paula Wolfert played a significant role in first introducing North African flavors and couscous to American readers. Today couscous is a familiar term to everyone’s ears if not their palates!

BTW: Couscous isn’t a grain but tiny pasta. If you don’t have it in your cupboard, the recipe works with other forms of pasta.

 I linked you to 2 recipes. I don’t like feta cheese so favor Rita’s  parmesan version. 

بالصحة (bessahha)

بالصحة والراحة (bessahha o-orraha)

صحة (sahha)

My talented friend, Rita, is also the author of romance novels here. 

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10 Superfoods Backed By Science

I’ve willing to try broccoli sprouts.

According to Harvard Health, John Hopkins, and other medical experts, the following are Superfoods based on science, i.e. backed by controlled studies proven to keep humans healthy:

1) Broccoli Spouts - are 3 to 4 day old broccoli plants that look like alfalfa sprouts, but taste like radishes. They are super rich in glucosinolate, an antioxidant that stops free radicals from hooking up to form cancer. The whole cruciferous family of vegetables including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are super stars, but broccoli sprouts are like the espresso of coffee concentrated in glucosinolate.

2) Skim milk - Infants and toddlers need the fatty acids in whole milk to grow properly. For older children and adults the main benefit from drinking milk is its calcium. Skimming the milk leaves the milk with a greater percentage of calcium, 306 mg for skim vs 285 mg for whole milk per 8 oz cup.

3) Whole grains - Contain vitamins, minerals and fiber. They also have plant compounds similar to cholesterol that blocks your body from absorbing bad cholesterol.

4) Beans - The dietary fiber in beans flush cholesterol out of your body. You can count peas and peanut butter, which are also legumes, in a healthy diet.

5) Oranges - An orange a day provides an adult with a full dose of vitamin C + folate, heart-healthy B vitamins, fiber and hesperidia, a blood vessel booster found in the white spongy pith.

6) Salmon - Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids contribute to heart health by reducing triglycerides (the main constituents of natural fats and oils; high concentrations of triglycerides in the blood indicate a high risk of stroke), lowering blood pressure, and preventing plaque buildup. Additionally, omega-3s may reduce inflammation, which is linked to chronic conditions like arthritis and heart disease, and support brain function to prevent age-related decline such as dementia. In cooked canned salmon, you can also eat the calcium rich bones.

7) Dark chocolate - Contains antioxidants called flavonoids to make blood less sticky reducing the risk of clogged arteries. Eat a serving of 1.6 oz repeatedly over the course of a week to benefit. Also present is the mood enhancer phenylethyl. Good to know!

8) Tomatoes are high in vitamin C and lycopene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. You must cook the tomatoes, though, for your body to metabolize the lycopene.

9) Olive oil contains vitamin E, polyphenols, and monounsaturated fatty acids, all which help reduce the risk of heart disease. Olive oil is 71% oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat. Studies suggest that oleic acid reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, and may even have beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer.

10) Berries are high in antioxidants such as anthocyanins, which may slowdown the cell damage caused by free radicals responsible for aging and disease. It turns out inflammation is very bad for our bodies. Berries reduce inflammation due to their high content of antioxidants, such as flavonoids and anthocyanins, which help fight oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Compounds like anthocyanins give berries their vibrant colors and have been shown in studies to lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, and protect against inflammation-related diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Many of us already know how healthy most of these 10 superfoods are, but once in a while we need a reminder least we forget. Bon Appetite!

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The Honey Deuce

Photo: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images

In September there’s a lot of talk about a mixed drink called the Honey Deuce, the official cocktail of the US Open. Created by mixologist Nick Mautone in 2006 and featured in Grey Goose’s cookbook, it features 3 fresh honeydew melon balls to represent tennis balls. At the US Open this year, it costs: $23. Drinking is expensive, no doubt about it.

Here’s how to make the cocktail at home:

The Honey Deuce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces vodka - the US Open uses Grey Goose
3 ounces lemonade - A simple lemonade recipe combines lemon juice, simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) and water.
1/2 ounce raspberry liqueur - the US open uses Chambord
3 honeydew melon balls, for garnish

If making cocktails for a crowd, mix the following larger quantities in a pitcher:

16 ounces vodka, 32 ounces fresh lemonade, 8 ounces raspberry liqueur.

Directions:

1) Fill a tall glass with ice.

2) Add the vodka, lemonade and respberry liqueur. 

3) Stir to mix.

4) Make 3 honeydew balls with a melon baller.

5) Place the balls across the top of the glass. The US Open threads the melons on a skewer.

This is a tasty drink even I (who usually skips mixed drinks for a simple glass of red wine paired with food) finds refreshing probably because during the summer, I drink water flavored with raspberry lemonade water enhancer, the only variety I think has much flavor.

So if you never drink alcohol, a raspberry lemonade flavor enhancer added to a glass of icy water is super refreshing too. Bottles up -- or in this case glasses up ... to your lips!

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Pecans, Pudding, and Cream Cheese, Oh My!

Photo: France C - allrecipes

Called Texas Delight by some, it’s the first dessert I ever made as a child. During the summers, I made it often! My family clipped the recipe from our newspaper under a different name. Pecans, Pudding, and Cream Cheese Delight is a delicious layered dessert well worth the effort and calories:

First Layer: Make an easy pecan crust:

Ingredients:

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 stick of soften butter

1 teaspoon cider vinegar (Vinegar is a gluten inhibitor that makes a flaky crust. Bakers call it their secret ingredient.)

1 cup of pecans - We left them whole, but feel free to break them up.

Directions for the crust, your 1st layer:

1) Mix the flour, butter and vinegar together and press the dough into a cake or square baking pan. I use a 9” by 9” pan. Press the pecans evenly into the dough.

2) Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 15 minutes. The dough will start to turn slightly brown. Remove and cool completely.

Second Layer:

Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese (or Neufchàgel cheese)

3/4 cup of powered sugar

1 cup of very cold whipped cream - We no longer eat Cool Whip, the original whipped topping in the recipe. If you can find a readymade healthy whipped cream topping made from real cream or milk at your supermarket you can use it for convenience. I have a recipe below for making 3 cups of real whipped cream* you can make first and keep in the freezer while making the dessert.

Dirctions for the 2nd layer:

3. Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 cup of whipped cream together and spread it on the cold pecan crust. Place it in the refrigerator, the colder, the better.

Third Layer:

Ingredients

2 packages of instant vanilla pudding

2 cups of cold milk

Directions for the 3rd layer:

4) Whip the dry pudding powder into the milk (a 2:2 ratio), mixing for 2 minutes. Spead the pudding over the cream cheese mixture.

Fourth Layer

Ingredients:

2 cups of very cold whipped cream

1/2 cup of chopped pecans.

Directions for the 4th layer:

5) Spread the remaining 2 cups of whipped cream as a final 4th layer over the others and garnish with a half cup of chopped pecans.

6) Chill in the refrigerator until set. We always tried to wait at least 3 hours, the colder the better the taste!

Our recipe calls for instant vanilla pudding, but I see in allrecipes, the uploader uses instant coconut cream pudding mix, which I haven’t tried. I know the vanilla pudding is delicious. Nowadays I lighten the recipe with reduced fat cream cheese and milk in the pudding. But! Don’t be fooled, there’s still plenty of calories, and yet not as many as when I made it as a child.😝🌞

🥛🍶🍴🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶

*How to make 3 cups of Real Whipped Cream:

Ingredients: 

Photo: Getty

1 1/2 cups cold heavy (at least 36% fat) or whipping cream (30% - 36% fat). Either will whip into cream.

3 tablespoons sugar (granulated or powered)

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions to make whipped cream:

1) Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer.

2) Add your heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Begin mixing on a low speed and increase to medium. Mix until stiff peaks form.

Keep in the freezer while you make the dessert.

🥛🍶🍴🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶🥛🍶

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Rita Fox Makes Pineapple Soup

All Photos: Rita Fox

I publish more recipes over the summer than the rest of the year likely because of the fresh produce available and social events that happen during the long extended daylight hours. It makes many of us want to try new recipes! When my friend, Rita, sent me her mouthwatering photos of a batch of her Pineapple Soup, I asked if I could share them on THE SAVVY SHOPPER, and she said yes!
             

The recipe comes from a cookbook, “Taste of Home Best Church Supper Recipes" Rita picked up from a church yard sale.

Ms. Rita Fox has made other appearances on THE SAVVY SHOPPER because she’s a great cook, baker and is multi-talented!

Looking for an entertaining summer read? Rita is a romance writer with fans all over the world. Connect with author, Kally Masters, on FB. What’s more, she has published a winning cookbook of family recipes. I highly recommend checking it out too.

 

For the record, I've never heard of a fruit soup. What a healthy and versatile recipe! An ideal way to use ripe fruit, turn it into a refreshing drink (virgin or alcoholic ... you don’t have to tell), or a delicious summer dessert!

Rita made a big batch of her pineapple soup as easy nutrition for her 94-year-old mother. With her mother’s large family of adult children, in-laws and grandchildren ... and a 93 degree F summer day, I bet real money, it will not last long!🍍

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Click to enlarge or go here for the digital edition and source.

During the summer outdoor parties, pot lot dinners and barbecues give us many opportunities to try new recipes or taste what others bring. 

In summer my parents always took me to the State Fair, an activity I can’t get to living in Manhattan. New York’s State Fair is held near Syracuse, New York in the town of Geddes on the shores of Onondaga Lake. Many Manhattanites (including me) don’t own cars, and I wouldn’t rent a car to drive to an area I don’t know. Where would I park it?

Freddy

Nonetheless as a child, attending the State Fair in my hometown in summer holds fun memories for me. This city girl loved the opportunity to eat corn dogs and cotton candy; see and pet farm animals; check out exhibitor and vendor booths: and sometimes talk to local celebrities. Once my Mother surprised her 10 year old nephew and me (aged 8) by bidding on a Singer Sewing Machine. For the outdoor auction, children stood in the front of the crowd so we could see. We were oblivious to who won the sewing machine until my Mom cut through the crowd to claim it. This total surprise thrilled us both! 

BTW: Nowadays you’d never let kids step away from you. My Father used to let me go into the woman’s bathroom by myself as he waited outside the door! Much younger we went into a stall in the men’s bathroom. Thank God and good people, I never had a bad experience.😌

Back in the day, my Mom didn’t enter cake or pie baking contests but they are a big part of every State Fair. Above👆 are 3 Blue Ribbon Winners from Texas, South Dakota, and Indiana. Before the summer ends, I aim to make them all starting with the toasted coconut pecan pie. 

Have you ever attended a State Fair? Which dessert appeals to you the most?

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