Watch My Weight Wednesday!

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Sweet Potato Steaks!

My daughter and I love our sweet potatoes!  Our favorite dish is baked sweet potato wedges!  We decided to try something new and something I never saw before.

Sweet Potato Steaks

• 2-3 Sweet potatoes cut in rounds
• 3 tbls Dijon Mustard
• 2 tbls Olive oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp seasoning (we used red pepper flakes)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350
2. Cut potatoes
3. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and coat Sweet potato rounds
4. Bake until tender 30-45 mins.

These were so yummy!  We will definitely do this recipe again!  I had lots of extra topping cause I only did 2 sweet potatoes so measurements should be fine for 3 longish potatoes.

Enjoy!

Urgent radiation preparedness action items for California, Oregon, Washington, B.C., Yukon and Alaska

( www.NaturalNews.com ) - please forward

The New York Times report that a radiation plume will reach California by Friday has a lot of people asking us for more information about what to do. (Seehttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/science/17plume.html?_r=1)


Fortunately, the amount of radiation that would actually fall on California (or Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, etc.) is currently very small. Too small to pose a serious health risk for right now.
The time to get really concerned is if -- and only if -- the Fukushima reactors suffer a fuel rod "meltdown" event which would release a massive amount of radiation into the atmosphere. The United Nations has calculated that such an event would send a cloud of very powerful radiation headed eastward, arriving on the shores of the United States and Canada within 2-3 days after the meltdown, depending on wind patterns.
Importantly, this will give you some time to take action should such an event occur. The next 24 - 48 hours are crucial in Japan's effort to stop the nuclear fuel rod meltdown. It is entirely unknown whether Japan can succeed in stopping it. The situation remains dire.


If you live in the western states or provinces of North America, it is extremely important to be prepared by taking the following actions RIGHT NOW:


1) Fuel up your vehicle(s) and be ready to hit the road for a possible evacuation (or hunker down if you're out in the country and feel like you would be safer there).
2) If you plan to stay put, go to the hardware store TODAY and buy large amounts of plastic and duct tape to seal up your windows and doors. This will help protect you from radioactive fallout. You will also need to store water, food, and all the usual emergency supplies because outside help probably won't be available.
3) If you plan to evacuate, have a "Go Bag" ready to go at a moment's notice. This go bag should include a water filter, emergency radio, flashlight, duct tape, emergency knife, spare cash, whatever medical supplies you might need, extra food and water, spare fuel cans and so on. Have it ready now in case you need it.
4) Significantly increase your intake of iodine-containing foods and superfoods starting right now: Seaweeds are a great source. We've listed our entire inventory of what we have available at our store (http://www.naturalnews.com/031730_iodine_radiation_poisoning.html), but I would actually prefer you to go out and get this locally TODAY at your local health food stores, where possible. You may not have time to wait on a UPS delivery. Fortunately, our store ships from Ojai, California, meaning that if you order foods from us today that are in stock, and you're in California, you could receive them very, very quickly (within 1-2 business days).
5) If you have potassium iodide pills (radiation pills), don't take them yet. Keep them ready to take if and only if a meltdown event occurs and a massive dose of radiation has been released into the atmosphere.
6) Have a plan for you and your family. Where will you meet if you need to evacuate? Don't count on cell phones working. Have a plan of where to go, how to get there and how to survive once you get there.


Hopefully none of this will be necessary. If they can stop the meltdown at Fukushima, there is virtually no real radiation risk in North America. That's the outcome we're all hoping and praying for.
But if a meltdown takes place, it is almost certain that strong winds will push a massive radiation cloud right into North America within a matter of days, potentially dropping a highly dangerous amount of radioactive material on California or other regions. That's the scenario that we all need to be prepared to guard against.


Do not rely on your government to tell you the truth about what's happening. Governments are in the business of "preventing panic" by withholding information you need to know. Governments believe that if too many people know the truth, it might start a panic, and even more people could die in the panic than from the event itself. They may actually be correct at some level on that, but I believe that people have a right to know what's really going on. And the sober, shocking truth of the matter is that as of right now, our world is facing an unprecedented nuclear meltdown event that could dwarf the Chernobyl catastrophe of 1987. We're talking about as many as 600,000 spent fuel rods which are now threatened by fires and loss of cooling fluids. This is not a set of circumstances to be taken lightly.


I urge all NaturalNews readers to take this seriously. Get prepared now. Get your go bag ready just in case. Start boosting your natural iodine intake TODAY. Be ready to head out of Dodge if you're in a geographic area that could be impacted. And then watch the news on this to stay informed (and read NaturalNews for an honest analysis of the situation).


Another thing: If a meltdown does occur and an evacuation is announced for parts of the west coast of North America, you will need to be one of the first to head out if you expect to get out at all. The highways around Los Angeles in particular do not have the capacity to handle a mass evacuation. They barely have the capacity to handle rush hour! Imagine what happens if half the people in L.A. try to leave all at the same time... that will be a week-long traffic jam, and people will run out of gas on the highways, abandon their vehicles, and make the highways impassable.


I don't mean to paint this as a worst-case scenario, but I'm trying to give you an accurate description of what might realistically happen if a radiation cloud is headed toward LA and an evacuation effort is announced. If you aren't out of LA by the time the government announces an evacuation, you're probably too late.
This is actually a good time to own a Prius because a Prius can idle without the engine running and use virtually no gas. A Prius is a great getaway vehicle for jammed evacuation highways where traffic is barely moving.


Be safe and be smart about all this. Think ahead. Get real about what might unfold if a meltdown occurs. This is a time to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming and start thinking seriously about what you can do to protect yourself and your family. It's better to be prepared than to be caught by the unexpected.


We are lucky in one sense right now because we have forewarning of all this. There is time right now to take preparedness steps to deal with a meltdown event should one occur. I strongly advise all NaturalNews readers to use this time wisely and get squared away for what might be coming.
Watch NaturalNews.com for more updates throughout the day. We'll be posting stories at an increased frequency during this Fukushima catastrophe to help bring people information more rapidly.

Thank you and stay safe,
- Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

Creamy Vegetable Chowder

I love, love this soup!
Almost didn't get a picture as it so yummy!  This was the last bowl out of the pot!  I added a sprinkle of roasted garlic seasoning to give a little punch!  The kids just love it too.


Creamy Vegetable Chowder

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cauliflower, chopped
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 2 carrot, chopped
• 1 cup corn
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• fresh parmesan curls

Use a little broth and cook and stir onion over medium-high heat until tender. Add cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, corn and the rest of the broth. Bring to boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Whisk milk into flour until smoothly combined; add to saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens.

Remove pan from heat; add fresh parmesan curls on top and serve!

If you like chowder recipes please be sure to check out my potato chowder!

Watch My Weight Wednesday!

Plan to eat and keeping track.

It has been proven...By me...planning out your meals ahead of time will make dieting easier to stay on track!

Planning the night before will greatly help you stay on track.

1. Write it down
2. Check your kitchen for all ingredients
3. Prep any food (if you have time) the night before

Keeping track (Weight loss Diary)

It is often forgetfulness (which may at times be willful or deliberate) that causes us to eat more than our plans call for.

1. Record all that you eat; including snacks, unplanned desserts, even what gets left behind on junior’s plate!  Everything!
2. Jot down your water consumption
3. Record your workouts and activities
4. Each night record your thoughts on how you did that day and what you hope improve for the next day 

Did I forget something?  

What are your tips to help with weight loss?

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Owl Ice Cream Cake

This year for my daughters 13th birthday she requested an ice cream cake!  Since the theme for her party was Night Owl, I made an owl shaped cake!

The cake turned out great!

  Check this post out for what was my inspiration!

I had so much "fun" figuring out how to mold the shape of the owl.  

1. I used my roasting pan.  I lined it with card from cereal boxes and a ton of wax paper.  
2. I remembered to put a long strip of card underneath it all for easy removal from the pan.
3. I then put a layer of butterscotch ice cream on the bottom.  And put the whole thing in the freezer to "harden" up a little.  
4. Then using a piece of card wrapped in wax paper I made a wall to separate colors when I added chocolate ice cream for wings and ears, and vanilla for the rest!
5. After returning to the freezer to "set" I carefully took it out of its "mold" to decorate.

Decorating was the fun part!

I used soft cookies for the eyes...but I really wanted to use dried pineapple slices!  Which I couldn't find anywhere!  

And the slivered almonds would of stood out more if I found some with the skins still on.  

I did try to make chocolate shavings to look like feathers for the wings...but It turned out to be more of chocolate saw dust.  

For the "nest" I used multigrain honey pretzel twists.  

The beak turned out so cute!  I wasn't sure on what I was going to use???  But I ended up using 2 pieces of a walnut!  I love how it turned out!

If you want to read more about the Night Owl Party click here!

Charlie Sheen's Winning Recipes!

Charlie Sheen's Winning Recipes from Charlie Sheen

WMWW - March

Today I am sharing a poster that I found.  I am hoping that this will help with motivation!  Post it where you will look at it often!  
Click on the image if you would like to print!  Found on Healthy Living Road Map...


Simple Weight Loss (free PDF poster)

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Prickly Pear (Cactus Fruit)

Have you ever tried a prickly pear? Also known as Optunia.  First thing you need to be aware of this fruit is grown on a cactus so it does have many prickles that do hurt if you get pricked.  Be very careful when handling.  Perhaps use a produce bag as a "glove"
To prepare...just cut in half and scoop out the insides with a spoon.
The inside of the fruit is full of seeds.  We just cut it into chunks and ate the seeds...if you don't like eating seeds this may not be the fruit for you.

Prickly pear provides essential nutrients. It is also a source of carbohydrates and is an excellent source of antioxidants, having substantial amounts of vitamin C. 

Some of the health benefits associated with prickly pear:

• Immune support
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Helps manage cholesterol

Some of the nutrients found in prickly pear cactus:

Flavonoids | Pectin | Vitamin A | Vitamin B | Vitamin C

A short video of finding prickly pear and how to eat.  I do find it easier to just cut in half and scoop insides out then peeling.