A bit nutty!

© 2004 S58Y Creative Commons license

I often notice articles that say different nuts are good for your hair and your skin and all sorts of other things.  

The only problem is that I can never remember what's meant to be good for what.  So I've done a bit of research and discovered the following 5 brilliant benefits of nuts

Tropical treats!

_{© 2010  troismarteaux Creative Commons license} 

I love juicy tropical and Mediterranean fruit that spills down your chin as you bite in! 

Pineapples, mangos, peaches and plums are big favourites.  They're so lusciously rich and succulent that it always seems like a big treat to eat them.

But it can seem an awful lot of fuss and bother to cut them up.  It doesn't really take very long to get the prickles off the pineapple or the stones out of the mangos.  It just sometimes seems like fuss when I am in a hurry.

A bit fishy ...

_{© 2010 S Kirk McMurray Creative Commons Licence}

I know not everyone does, but I really like fish and seafood.  Just about all kinds I think.  

I love mussels, prawns, crab, clams and tiny shrimps - but not  jelly fish, (yuk!), which I tried once on holiday.  And I'm partial to a plate of plaice and chips or baked cod or a fabulously ketchupy fish finger sandwich.  

But it's oily fish that I eat most because it's just so handy.  On toast.  With poached eggs.  In a chunky sandwich.  On a bagel. Tossed in at the last minute to some pasta or a salad.  No hassle and it keeps me going for the rest of the day.

But I have to confess I have got into a bit of a rut with it.  It tends to be tuna and salmon over again.

So this month I am going to rediscover some of my other old favourites - mackerel, sardines, whitebait, trout and eel - and spread my wings and try something new.   Maybe some Scandinavian style herring or kippers for breakfast or pilchards like my Gran used to eat.

Are you a fish fan? What's your favourite?
How do you like to eat it?

Note to self: It's all a bit fishy!
Did you know? Oily fish can help to the reduce "bad" cholesterol that contributes to heart disease.  It can also relieve symptoms of diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis, psoriasis and depression.

Over the rainbow ...

Copyright Elena Norbiato 2007 Creative Commons

So there really is a crock of gold over the rainbow!

It turns out eating a "rainbow" of different coloured fruit and veg each week is great for us because each colour group is packed full of different good stuff.  All these different things together can protect against cancer and heart disease.  

This got me thinking about my all the fruit & veg I like in each colour group:

Red & pink: Strawberries, peppers, tomatoes, raspberries, rhubarb, radishes, beetroots, blood oranges, cherries, red grapes, red onions, chilli pepper, red apple, cranberries, guava, papaya
Yellow & orange: Bananas, melons, peaches, carrots, apricots, grapefruit, peppers, squash, corn, mango, pineapple, lemons, nectarines, pumkins, sweet potatoe
Green: Spinach, peas, spring greens, chard, courgettes, beans, broccoli, apples, pears, gooseberries, avocado, cabbage, cucumber, grapes, lettuce, limes, kiwi fruit, celery, samphire, asparagus, leeks, sugar snap peas
Purple, blue & black: Blueberries, blackberries, aubergines, sprouting broccoli, bilberries, blackcurrants, plums, damsons, figs, grapes, prunes, raisins
White: Mushrooms, onions, potatoes, parsnips, garlic, ginger, cauliflower, white peaches, shallots

Wow! I never realised how many different fruit and veg I love to eat!

What about you? What are your absolute faves in each colour group?

Note to self: Eat your way over the rainbow every week!
Did you know? The nutrients in red fruit and veg can help to protect joint tissue in those with arthritis

Enjoy more posts about fruit & veg:
Favourite fruit
Tastes like chocolate
Hidden Gems

Hidden gems

_{"Rhubarb muffins" © 2010 S Schlingen Creative Commons Licence}

I love fruit and veg but I didn't like them as a child.  Now I have a toddler who will never knowingly eat them either.  And she's not the only one - some of the adults in my family are not that keen.

So I have to get creative about how I cook them.  But the good news is that I have found lots of things I can sneak both fruit and veg into that the little one and the rest of the family will wolf down.

Some of her favourites - and mine because they are quick to cook - are :

• Really cheesy pasta sauce blended with green veg - spinach and broccoli work very well which is great because they're packed full with good stuff!
• Home made smoothies made of yoghurt, orange juice, a banana to thicken and whatever fruit there is in the house - everyone loves these!
• Fruit muffins are the quickest thing in the world to make and they freeze well.  Just grate or mush the fruit and stir into mixture.  Banana & pineapple both yummy!
• Veg muffins savoury muffins - without any sugar - are also tasty.  Red onion, carrot and spinach and red pepper have all been popular.
• Tomato pasta sauce can hide all sorts of veg! I make a bit pot of very tomatoey sauce with lots of carrots, mushrooms and courgettes, leave it to cool and then blend to hide the veg

We've also enjoyed blended curry sauce, grated apple in cheese on toast, banana cake, banana custard and nice thick creamy soups.

Are you a fruit and veg fan or do you prefer to hide it away inside other stuff? Have you got any hidden gems of your own to share?

Note to self it doesn't matter how you eat it as long as you enjoy it!

Did you know? fruit and vegetables are rich in fibre that helps to flush away the "bad" cholesterol that can block your blood vessels

Water water everywhere

And not a drop to drink!

How does it happen? There really is water water everywhere but I often end up thirsty.  And you really want to stay out of my way when I'm thirsty - I am tired, I can't concentrate on anything and I am so grumpy!

_{“Glass of Running Water” © 2010 elitatt  Creative Commons Licence}

I know some people are not big fans of plain water but I don't even have that excuse.  I like it, nice and cold from the tap either just as it comes or in a great glass of squash.  But I still don't remember to drink it. 

And then I get thirsty.  And then I get grumpy.  And then I want a nap or a fizzy drink or a cup of coffee but none of them actually make me feel better.  The only thing that really does the trick is nice cold water drunk regularly throughout the day so I never get thirsty.

Now I've got a big plastic jug for home that I fill up first thing with either water or squash.  I don't know why it works but somehow it does - I remember to keep filling my glass from the jug.  It would be just as easy to fill from the tap but for some reason the jug reminds me to have a drink when the tap doesn't.

I've also cadged a plastic beaker from my daughter that I can fill up for when I am out and about as if I can help it, I just refuse to fork out for the bottled stuff.

Do you like water? Flat or fizzy? Over a load of ice? With squash or a splash of juice or a twist of lemon? Are you grumpy like me when you're thirsty?

Note to self: Fill up the water jug in the morning and don't leave home without a beaker of water.

Did you know? Water helps your body get rid of the bad cholesterol that contributes to heart disease.  It can also help to reduce the risk of bowel cancer, regulate blood sugar in diabetics and symptoms of IBS such as constipation.

Beans means?

What do beans mean for you?

Baked beans are great - everyone loves baked beans don’t they? - and so versatile but my absolute fave at the moment is black bean tacos.

 Grilled Taco © 2009 N Muryama Creative Commons Licence 

I love them with loads of creamy guacamole and spicy tomato salsa.  They all disappear at super speed in our house. 

My other big bean favourites are a nice hot chilli, stomach warming Italian style pasta and bean soup and - if I can count chick peas as beans -  a lovely thick dahl. 

They are all really great now autumn is here and I need something filling to keep out the cold and the wet. 

What are your favourite bean recipes?

Note to self: Hold off the hunger pangs with a big bean fest!

Did you know? Medical research shows brilliant beans can reduce bad cholesterol AND regulate blood sugar in people with diabetes AND reduce the risk of bowel cancer AND reduce blood pressure. Wow!

Tastes like chocolate ...

I love berries of all sorts. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, bilberries.  If it's a berry, I'll have it.

© 2012 A Thompson Creative Commons license 

The problem is they don't last.  It's so frustrating when for some reason you don't get round to eating that punnet of raspberries right away and go to the fridge only to find they've already got mould on them.

But now I've discovered that frozen berries are just as delicious.  They don't taste the same as when you eat them juice spurting fresh but they are still yummy.  Lovely dense drops of chocolatey textured sweetness.

So now as soon as I realise I am not going to eat berries on the day I bought them I bung them in the freezer to be savoured on another day.

How do you like to eat berries? Which are your favourite? Have you tried them frozen? Or do you like them tinned?

Note to self
Bung the berries in the freezer if you're not going to eat them.

Did you know?
Berries are full of fibre and anti-oxidants which can help to ease cholesterol, blood pressure, fybromyalgia and arthritis.

If you're a fruit fan you might also like these posts:
My favourite fruit