half and half

HEALTHY coffee is my favorite way to start the day!

Standard

Coffee11This morning after a late night at the Fleetwood Mac concert, which was such fun by the way, I really needed my morning coffee. My coffee is a necessity to give me a much needed boost of energy in the morning. It’s also warm, homey and comforting to me. It really is a hug in a mug! I have previously spoken of my love for coffee and it’s benefits but today I want to talk about the stuff that goes into your coffee and how important it is to keep those things healthy. Otherwise, you can add HUNDREDS of calories to your coffee, and it can easily go from a healthy start to your day to a caloric wasteland. Besides being high in calories, some of the things you can add to your coffee can be downright BAD for your health, full of chemicals that can’t even be pronounced. I wanted to use this opportunity to save you all the calories and chemicals, and show you what I use so that you can benefit from my experience and drink delicious, HEALTHY coffee.

My coffee area highlighted by my Nespresso espresso machine!

My coffee area highlighted by my Nespresso espresso machine!

1. Start with high quality coffee- If you can find organic coffee, by all means use that. I have an espresso machine that I’ve used for the last few years. I really enjoy espresso but I recognize that many people don’t like the intensity of it, so use whatever works for you. But for me the first step is to use really good coffee/espresso that doesn’t have any artificial flavors or additives in it (artificial flavors=chemicals). Nespresso sells high quality, sustainably raised coffee in their espresso cubes. You put the cube into the machine and it makes delicious espresso.

I use an aeroccino or as I call it, a milk frother.

I use an aeroccino or as I call it, a milk frother.

2. Add REAL cream- I don’t use artificial creamers in my coffee. I will only use half and half, but the cool thing is that I use a milk frother. I pour the half and half into the frother, press the button, and it whips the milk up into a foamy deliciousness that makes me feel like I’m getting my coffee from a professional barrista! Of course I only use organic half and half also. I use an organic hazelnut half and half and add a splash of that to the regular half and half and whip them together so I get a bit of sweetness into the cream.

I use Mexican hot chocolate bricks to impart sweetness into my coffee!

I use Mexican hot chocolate bricks to impart sweetness into my coffee!

Organic hazelnut half and half adds a bit of sweetness to the cream.

Organic hazelnut half and half adds a bit of sweetness to the cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. NO FAKE SUGARS- As I’ve said in previous posts, artificial sweeteners are bad for your health in MANY ways. They are full of chemicals and are NOT a component of a healthy lifestyle. In an effort to keep the calories down and impart sweetness to my coffee, I use a small splash of hazelnut half and half as I said above, and I also shave a small amount of Mexican hot chocolate into my coffee. I use a very small grater and shave no more than a half teaspoon of it into the coffee before adding the cream. I let the chocolate melt into the coffee, and then I add the cream and stir a few times to combine everything without adding too much air to take the fluffiness out of the foam.

Spices like cinnamon add tons of flavor to your coffee and are good for you too.

Spices like cinnamon add tons of flavor to your coffee and are good for you too.

4. Add different flavors to enhance your coffee- Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom can really jazz up your coffee, adding a lot of flavor without adding calories. I add organic cinnamon to my coffee whenever I make it. Cinnamon is a healthful spice and has been said to help prevent diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and blood sugar spikes. It also is very warm and flavorful, and really complements the flavor of coffee. It’s a must for me!

There it is, all done and waiting for me to drink it!

There it is, all done and waiting for me to drink it!

Well, that’s how I make a perfectly delicious and healthy cup of coffee. The idea is to add layers of flavor so that you get an amazing taste without adding a lot of chemicals or calories. Coffee can help enhance your memory and workouts, as well as preventing liver damage, helping to lessen the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, lessen our stress, and add antioxidants to our bodies. So I am perfectly justified in indulging in my morning cup of Joe, and I know it’s good for me too. Drinking coffee with healthy additions to it can help you live a life of vitality- like Valerie!

Bad A%# Breakfast!

Standard
My usual morning "meal"!

My usual morning “meal”!

First let me say that breakfast is my favorite meal that I don’t eat! What? That makes no sense! Well, the truth is that I don’t eat breakfast most days. I know, I know, many doctors and nutritionists say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I’m going to be nutritionally deficient if I don’t eat it, but I haven’t eaten breakfast for 10 years and I don’t miss it. I came across an article in Dr. Mercola’s newsletter 6 months ago about a concept he believes in called “Intermittent Fasting”, and I realize that is what I have done for years and it really works for me. The deal is this, you eat moderately for say, 7 hours a day- like noon to 7 pm, and before and after that time you eat nothing. That’s 17 hours without eating and your body starts to burn more calories and fat than it would if you ate for a longer period of time during the day. He explains it all scientifically, so google “Mercola Intermittent Fasting” and read all about it. I didn’t know anything about Dr. Mercola or intermittent fasting when I began to skip breakfast, I just wasn’t hungry in the morning and since I’m an avid calorie counter I could save up my calories for later in the day when I was really hungry. I also don’t like to eat late at night so once again I would save calories by not eating at that time. It works for me!

My favorite breakfast foods together in one skillet! Definite happy face time! :)

My favorite breakfast foods together in one skillet! Definite happy face time! 🙂

 

Anyway, you might be thinking, “Then how can you say that breakfast is your favorite meal?” Good question, my wonderful readers! The reason is that I eat breakfast foods ALL the time, I just don’t eat them during normal breakfast hours. My first meal of the day is never before noon-1:00 pm, but it often contains traditional breakfast foods because I love them best of all! I guess that makes it more bad a%& brunch than breakfast! Now, many of you may have to eat as soon as you awaken, I know my significant other does, and that’s ok it’s whatever works for you. Some days I have to eat right away too, though that doesn’t happen to me very often. When I feel the need to eat in the morning I will eat a half banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter. My significant other has a carton of yogurt and a spoonful of almond or cashew butter. Of course I always begin my day with my cup of coffee, and I can’t live without it. Dr. Mercola says if you have coffee in the morning with intermittent fasting, the coffee should be without cream or sugar. I have a bit of half and half and a teaspoon of honey so I guess I don’t follow his rules exactly, but I can’t drink my coffee black!

Bad A@# Breakfast in the making!

Bad A@# Breakfast in the making!

So back to my bad a@% breakfast, I call it egg, potato and chorizo skillet. I have made some form of this breakfast for 15 years and my family loves it! Chorizo is a Mexican spiced pork sausage that my family really enjoys but if that isn’t a favorite for your family, you can substitute breakfast sausage or bacon, or both! Here’s how it’s done: first take a half cup of diced onion, half cup of any kind of peppers you like, and sweat them in a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. While that’s happening, wash 4 medium sized potatoes and throw them in the microwave for 5 or 6 minutes until they are softened but not all the way cooked. Let them cool a bit and then dice them. Once the onion and peppers are softened, take a pound of chorizo and throw it in the pan where the onion and peppers are, and cook until browned. Drain the grease and add the diced potatoes, salt, pepper, garlic and any other herbs and spices you like. Cook the potatoes for 5 minutes until lightly browned.

I always use organic cheese and local eggs in my recipes!

I always use organic cheese and local eggs in my recipes!

While that’s all going on, crack 6 eggs into a bowl, add a 1/4 cup of milk, and beat with a fork until blended. When the potatoes are browned, add the egg mixture to all the other ingredients in the pan and turn the heat onto medium low. Add a half cup of shredded cheese (any kind you want) to the top of the mixture in the pan and let it all sit in there for about a minute. After that, stir the mixture around in the pan until the eggs are light and fluffy. DON’T LET THE EGGS GET HARD AND TOUGH! That’s why the heat under the pan needs to be medium low and you need to stir constantly so the eggs don’t cook too quickly. Nobody likes hard eggs! Salt and pepper the eggs at the very end before serving because if you salt the eggs too soon the salt could also harden the eggs. I also love this recipe because everything cooks in one skillet which makes clean up much easier. I HATE to clean up the kitchen as anyone who lives with me knows very well!

I chowed down on this breakfast- not much left!

I chowed down on this breakfast- not much left!

I topped the breakfast skillet with my homemade guacamole and sliced up some tomatoes on the side. I’ve got a lot of tomatoes right now and I serve them for all meals! You can also serve with salsa as well. I had a little bacon left over from the other day and I crumbled that over the top too. It’s really whatever you want to add to it that makes it yummy. If you have some of the skillet left over just cover it and store it in the fridge. Believe it or not it tastes delicious heated in the microwave the next day too! That’s what I made this past weekend for brunch. Let me know what you like to eat for brunch and give me feedback if you make this for your family. I hope you like it and that it helps you live a life of vitality- like Valerie!