Godfathers Restaurant

Last night we tried a local restaurant "Godfathers" known for their hamburgers. Good thing we made a reservation as it was very crowded, which is a good sign. My husband had the traditional cheeseburger with fries and I had the grilled chicken topped with deep fried onion straws, served with cinnamon seasoned sweet potato fries. Both had all the trimmings, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, and their yummy tartar-dill sauce. Delicious! We both agreed that is was one of the best we have had so far. Also note that the meats are all organic.
Every now and then one has to splurge!

Healthy Tidbit

 This might be worth looking into with your doctor...

(Berkeley Wellness)

Flavocoxid: A “Medical Food” for Arthritis?

Flavocoxid (brand name Limbrel) is sold as a treatment for osteoarthritis. It’s an unusual product, but there’s reason to think it might help.
In a sense, flavocoxid is a dietary supplement. But it’s actually classified as a “medical food”—and you need a doctor’s prescription to get it.
Flavocoxid is a combination of flavonoids, a large group of plant chemicals that act as pigments and have other functions for plants and probably for humans who eat the plants. Flavo­noids are plentiful in fruits, vegetables, red wine, and green tea, for example.
Like aspirin and other NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), flavonoids have anti-inflammatory effects and thus may help reduce arthritis pain. But you cannot consume enough from foods to get a significant effect. The flavonoids in flavocoxid come from non-edible plants, Scutellaria baicalensis (also called Chinese skullcap) and Acacia catechu.
The action of flavocoxid is similar to that of NSAIDs. It suppresses enzymes that produce pain, but may be less likely to cause the side effects of NSAIDs, notably gastrointestinal bleeding.
Medical foods are not regulated in the same way as prescription drugs—that is, manufacturers are not required to submit research showing effectiveness. Preliminary research on flavocoxid, however, has been promising. Some researchers think it may prove superior to NSAIDs. But some people do report side effects, including stomach problems, and there may be interactions with anti-clotting drugs. And flavocoxid doesn’t work for everybody, according to the latest study, though that’s true of drugs, too.
Still, if you have arthritis and can’t take aspirin or other NSAIDs, you might discuss this medical food with your physician. One problem: not all insurance covers it. And it is expensive—about $4 a day, though discounts are often offered.

Eggs

 Here is an interesting egg tidbit to remember since we will be seeing an abundance of colored Easter eggs.

(Berkeley Wellness)
The question being how long do we keep hard boiled eggs? The advice of the USDA is to discard hard boiled eggs after one week. Cooking eggs in water washes away an egg's protective coating, and this leaves tiny pores open in the shell through which bacteria can enter and contaminate the egg. Uncooked fresh eggs last longer because they retain their protective coating-either the natural coating (called the cuticle or the bloom) produced when the hen lays an egg, or a mineral oil that egg producers spray on after the eggs are washed at processing plants.  Keep in mind hard boiled eggs should be refrigerated at 40 degrees F or below within two hours of cooking.

This is great advice to remember to refrigerate those fun and brightly colored hard boiled eggs after 2 hours. If they have been out side for the egg hunt or on the table for decoration for many hours, it is probably best to eat right away that day or discard.
Remember the old saying, "when in doubt, throw it out!"

Healthy Pizza

Here is a good recipe for a low fat pizza. I have tried it twice and think it is worthy to print. As always I think you can play with the recipe and add other sauteed vegetables, herbs and seasonings to the mix which are basically calorie free. Also you can add other favorite cheeses but it will change the calorie count, so watch out for that. Overall I would definitely have this again and not feel guilty about eating pizza! 

Crispy White Pizza

2010 Hungry Girl. All Rights Reserved.

Serves:1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 large low -fat, high-fiber, burrito-size tortilla (with about 100 calories)
• Nonstick cooking spray, as needed
• 1/3 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 thin slices plum tomato
• 4 fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving, optional
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put tortilla on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake in the oven until slightly crispy, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Leave oven on.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese with mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

Bring a skillet coated with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Add the onion and, stirring occasionally, cook until softened and slightly browned, about 5 or 6 minutes.

Immediately stir onion into cheese mixture. Add garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and black pepper, and mix well.

Spread cheese-onion mixture evenly on top of the tortilla. Top with tomato slices and basil leaves, and then sprinkle with a dash of salt, if desired.

Return the pizza to the oven and bake until hot, about 5 minutes. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut into slices. Garnish with Parmesan, if using. Pizza for one!

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 200 calories, 3.25g fat, 930mg sodium, 33g carbs, 7g fiber, 7g sugars, 17g protein

A Trip to the Napa Valley and Lake Berryessa

We had a wonderful fun filled 2 days with friends this weekend. The first day we had lunch at Tra Vigne restaurant in St. Helena. The food was fabulous, I had the olive oil marinated soft and creamy mozzarella cheese with toasted french bread. We also had a memorable pizzeta with blue cheese.

I would highly recommend this restaurant if you are in Napa. We then toured the Sterling Vineyard winery in Calistoga with the beautiful views of the valley. But my favorite stop was the Nichelini winery in St. Helena. It is a historic small family owned winery with a colorful history.

We then had another great meal at a local restaurant at Lake Berryessa, Cucina Italiana, a small hidden gem with a chef from Italy who makes meals with sauces that are awesome! What can I say but MMMM Good!
The only thing left to top off a great 2 days was waking up to this view.

Vino Santo Bistro Restaurant

Last night my husband and I and 6 friends went to dinner at Vino Santo Bistro in Redwood City. I always forget about this quaint small restaurant and we have been there before. It is a great local place to go anytime for a good comfort Italian food. I had the fish special, Mahi Mahi, which was in a light buttery lemon mango sauce and was delicious! It melted in my mouth and the portion sizes for everyone's meal were more than generous. Even the sides of scalloped potatoes and fresh garlicy sauteed spinach was very good. The bread was hot and soft and wonderful that came with a yummy dipping sauce.  They also made a pretty good margarita with a little of my guidance for my own special recipe. When I make a margarita, I use equal parts of good Tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and a Grand Marnier floater(optional) over ice in a chilled salt-rimmed glass. MMMMM-good. My husband had the pesto pasta and thought it did not have enough garlic, but I thought it was light and delicious, like I said 'comfort food' not meant to "knock your socks off"! I definitely want to go back and try some other dishes. Good food shared with good friends....

Healthy Tidbits

Quotes...

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered".
by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Healthy Tidbits

 (Berkeley Wellness)
Beta sitosterol, a plant substance, is probably best known for helping to lower cholesterol. Can it help benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), enlargement of the prostate gland that occurs in older men?
BPH is not a sign of cancer, but its symptoms, including increased urinary frequency and difficulty in urination, are unpleasant. There are prescription drugs that shrink the prostate, but many men search for nonprescription remedies. One leading supplement is beta sitosterol, a plant chemical found in fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Beta sitosterol is also found in plant products promoted as treatments for BPH, notably saw palmetto, stinging nettle, rye pollen, and pumpkin seeds. Like other plant sterols, beta sitosterol can lower cholesterol, which is why sterols are added to some margarines and other foods—a usage approved by the FDA.
Beta sitosterol from many sources, including saw palmetto, has been extensively studied, with some positive results. Plant sterols clearly have some effect on the male hormone system and prostate. In 1999 the Cochrane Collaboration (independent reviewers of scientific evidence) looked at four large, well-designed clinical studies and concluded that beta sitosterol may help relieve the urinary symptoms caused by BPH. They noted, however, that research into long-term effects was still needed.
In 2009, an evaluation of newer evidence was less enthusiastic. The researchers, from the Cleveland Clinic and other noted urology centers, concluded in Reviews in Urology that while “nutraceuticals” (including beta sitosterol) had shown some potential in treating BPH and other prostate disorders, nothing was certain. Herbal preparations, they warned, “may have drastically different composition, durability, contaminants, and even efficacy.” They found that while the best evidence was for saw palmetto, even those studies were not convincing. A well-designed study in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2006, however, found that saw palmetto is not an effective treatment for BPH symptoms.
Bottom line: If you have BPH and are considering a beta sitosterol supplement or other herbal treatment, talk with your doctor first. You may find something that helps, but supplements carry risks, just as prescription drugs do. There are drugs with proven benefits, and their side effects are better understood. Another advantage: your insurance should cover the drugs.

Quinoa

 I have been trying to incorporate this wonderful grain into our diets. I cook up Kashi 7 grain pilaf and add quinoa to it. It is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner, just add your favorite goodies such as nuts and dried fruit or chopped vegetables that you like.

 (Dr Weil)
If you've been hearing more about quinoa lately, it's not a surprise. Considered a "super food," quinoa, ("keen-wah") is a relative of beets, spinach and Swiss chard, but its seeds resemble a whole grain and are prepared and eaten in much the same way. Available in light brown, red and even black varieties, quinoa is light yet filling and has a mellow flavor.
So what makes quinoa so nutritious? It:

1. Is high in magnesium - magnesium helps relax blood vessels, which may result in fewer headaches for migraine sufferers and decreased risk of hypertension and stroke.
2. Is a good source of manganese, iron, copper, phosphorous, vitamin B2 and other essential minerals.
3. Has the highest protein content of any grain (it is especially high in lysine, an amino acid that is typically low in other grains). Quinoa's protein is complete, containing all nine essential amino acids - a rarity in the plant kingdom.
4. Is gluten-free and easy to digest.

Once available only in health food stores, quinoa is becoming more mainstream by the day and is easily found in major grocery stores as well.

Awful Annie's Restaurant

This last weekend we drove up to Lake Tahoe to check out the snow. Wow lots of snow! On the way we stop at a favorite restaurant in Auburn called 'Awful Annies'. I know the name may scare you away when you first hear it, but it is a great restaurant. It is in the historic part of Auburn and used to be a house of ill repute during the gold rush days. The saying came from the fact that the men that visited had an "awfully good time"at Annie's. Ron had the club and I had the turkey salad.
Everything we try has been delicious.