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Fig and Goat Cheese Bites with Honey and Thyme

8/28/2016

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This is fantastically simple but delicious  appetizer.

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 15-20 min.
​Ingredients for 12 bites:

​1 puff pastry sheet
flour, for dusting
2 oz. fresh goat cheese, softened
6 ripe, fresh figs, stemmed and sliced lengthwise
1/2 tsp.  fresh thyme
​1 tbsp., honey

​Direction:


Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 475°F.
Unroll the puff pastry and cut into 2 inch squares. Place the squares on a baking sheet, lined with lightly dusted  flour sheet of parchment or baking paper. Spread goat cheese evenly over the puff pastry squares. Arrange the figs on the cheese. Sprinkle with the thyme and drizzle a small amount of honey over the figs.  Bake until the rim of the pastry is golden-brown, about 15-20 minute.

​Enjoy with wine,
Nellie
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Adjika - Bell Pepper and Tomato Sauce

6/24/2016

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​Adjika is a semi-spice sauce which goes nicely with grilled meats and fish.  I also like to stir a couple spoonfuls of this sauce into a cooked quinoa.

Ingredients

1 lb, tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 lb. red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped
1 celery stick, roughly chopped
1 red chili pepper, seeded and chopped
5 garlic gloves, minced
5 large basil leaves, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. apple vinegar
Salt, to taste
1/4 tsp. red pepper

Coarsely chop bell pepper, tomatoes, hot red pepper and celery. Transfer to a food processor, and pulse adding olive oil until finely chopped but not smooth, the sauce should still have some texture. Transfer vegetables in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat until the sauce reduces by one third.  Add basil, garlic and season with pepper and a good pinch of salt.  Cook for the last 10 minutes. Add apple vinegar and stir.
Chill and store in a refrigerator.
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ONE-DAY SOUP CLEANSE

1/26/2016

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We like to detox our body with soup because it  gives it a break and provides rest for the digestion system while flooding it with nutrients. Believe us, you will not be starving with a soup cleanse but you might start missing your accustomed foods. We chose to do a one day cleanse because  our everyday diet already contains mostly healthy  food. You can do one, two, three or even a week cleanse. Remember never starve yourself. Listen to your own body and if it craves a piece  of chicken breast or fish, then do it.  Just remember to make a healthy choice.
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How you will feel during a cleanse is so individual.  Detoxing is not always easy. It can be simple and smooth for some, while for others there might be a withdrawal effect such as mild headaches and a dip in energy.  It you are eating clean, then this will most likely be a very easy transition. From our experience, we feel sense of "lightness" in our body and mind and a boost of energy.

Getting ready for a cleanse: Up to a few days before you start a SOUP cleanse it is good idea to ready your body. If you are a coffee drinker than drink less coffee for a few days before your cleanse and the same goes for alcohol ,dairy, red meat, refined sugar and processed food. You can also start replacing a meal with a soup or a snack with a broth to get yourself ready. Green Tea is a great way to replace your morning coffee or to sip on between meals.
The best thing of all to get ready is to have a positive attitude. Remembering that our bodies are our temples and we need to take good care of us. We wish you good health. Jan and Nellie

* Important: try to use organic products when cooking for your detox days.
**Important: We are not doctors and cannot give you medical advices. Our detox menu was created based on the researched and our experience.  



1. Lemon Water
We start our morning with a glass of warm water with lemon.


Ingredients:
24 ounces of warm ( not boiling water)
1/2 organic lemon

Instruction:
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze one half or the whole lemon into the water. Enjoy!

After drinking, swish with some plain filtered water for 30 seconds to make sure the acid from the lemon juice doesn't remain on teeth.


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2. Smoothie for breakfast
Everybody knows breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And we promise that drinking a berry smoothie with yogurt  will boost the beginning of your day.

We have a dairy-free smoothie for breakfast. We blend together an organic coconut milk yogurt with a half cup of our favorite berries and our favorite non-dairy milk or water (added for desired consistency).

Ingredients:
1/2 cup organic coconut milk yogurt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen organic berries
1/2 + non-dairy organic milk



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3. Vegetable Broth for snack

It is a nice way to continue your morning and help your body to get ready for the day to come.

We have a mug of homemade
vegetable broth cooked from organic vegetables  for snack. It is easy to make with vegetables you already have on hand. 

If we still feel hungry, we can have a handful of almonds or some celery sticks and carrots or edamame, cucumbers, apple or hard boiled egg.

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4. Hot Soup for lunch


For our first soup cleanse week, we chose to have for lunch one of our favorite soups
 SWEET AND SPICY-CARROT , COCONUT AND GINGER SOUP.
Actually, it could be any hot
vegetable soup made from organic vegetables. Vegetables bring all the fiber and do a clean sweep of the colon and  help to feel nice and full.
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5. Broth for snack
We have  a second mug of broth for snack. But if your body is telling your that you need a little more food, then don't deny it. Have your favorite snack from the snacks that we mentioned  above or have an additional soup.

Or you might feel full and barely get down the afternoon snack or the last soup of the day, do not force it.



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6. Hot soup for dinner
For dinner we chose RED LENTIL SOUP WITH CRISPY SAGE but it can be any vegetable-based soup with olive oil and that includes lentils or sweet potatoes.
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7. Nightcap
We have a cup of warmed nut milk or caffeine free herbal tea .
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* The information provided here should not be used as a substitute for a physician's consultation, advice or treatment.
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Smoothie Freezer Packs

6/15/2014

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Being healthy on busy days can sometimes seem like a struggle.  While your favorite fruit is in season and very possibly on sale in your favorite market  or ready to harvest in your garden then it is time to make Smoothie Freezer Packs. My favorite breakfast smoothie as I fly out the door in the mornings is: Banana, Mango. Strawberries and Spinach with protein powder and Almond Milk.

For 5 days of packs I chopped 4-5 bananas, 3 mangos, 5 cups of spinach and 2 pints of strawberries. I made an even chop with all and divided between 5 ziplock packets. What makes a smoothie really delicious is the frozen fruit that then becomes the creamy smoothie. Freezing the fruit combo that you love will keep you on track and out the door on your busy mornings.

Be good to you, I promise you are worth it. Set yourself up for success and you will be on the way to your healthy best self.
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To YOUR good health,


    Jan

        






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Dying Easter Eggs with Onion Skins and Turmeric

4/18/2014

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Dying Easter Eggs with Onion Skins 

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Before you  begin to dye eggs, it is worth  remembering a few simple and  useful tips to prevent boiling eggs form cracking. Eggshell will not crack during boiling, if you leave the  eggs at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Also, add a  tablespoon of salt to a water. Salt will help to seal any potential cracks. 

I  inherited this recipe from my grandma. I like to use safe, natural ingredients to make natural dyes to color Easter eggs.

Eggs
6 onions 
1 tablespoon salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
4-5 cups water

Peel dry skins from onions. Reserve onions for another use. In a medium saucepan, add 4 cups water, onion skins and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for about 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat
and let cool to room temperature. Add eggs and one tablespoon of salt, bring water to a boil, take the pot off the heat for a moment and then put it back on a low simmer for 10 -12 minutes. 

Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and cool. When cool enough to handle, massage in a little olive oil to each egg, then polish with a paper towel. 
 
Tip: I have been collecting onion skins for a while. I saved onion skins every time I cooked something with onion. Also, one time I went to a supermarket and asked shop assistant if I could root through the onion bin for skins so I didn't end up with a dozen naked onions. They thought I was crazy but very nice.
 

Dying Easter Eggs with Turmeric


Hard-boil eggs in a saucepan of water with 1 tablespoon salt.

Add 3 tablespoons turmeric and 1 tablespoon white vinegar to 2 cups hot water and stir until dissolved.  Vinegar helps remove any residue from the eggs surface.  

Soak eggs in the dye until the desire hue is reached for about 10-20 minutes. Stir the eggs from time to time for more even color. Use a  slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the dye and set them on a wire rack to  dry.
Sincerely.....Nellie
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Valentine's Salad with heart shaped Strawberries

2/11/2014

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For Valentines day there are so many different things you can do with heart shapes and food. This is just a quick idea if you are making a salad for your beloved. Many  things in your salad could be shaped like a heart but let's start with a homemade "crouton" and strawberries.
Using bread of your choice spread garlic butter on bread and then put under broiler. When toasted and cooled cut cut small hearts and place aside. We will put theses in the salad once the salad is dressed.
Using a small paring knife cut out the center of the strawberry or de-stem it. Once the stem has been hollowed out place strawberry on cutting board and slice. With the center removed your strawberries will take on the shape of a heart once sliced. So easy and so cute!
Salad's are so easy to make special. I am known in my family as the queen of salad making. I keep on hand many ingredients to make throwing a special salad together. Keep on hand pecans, walnuts, pine-nuts, dried fruits, cranberries and croutons. Add in goat cheese, feta cheese or any cheese shredded or cubed.
I love apples, any berry, mango, pears, grapes or papaya sliced in.  The great thing about salads is that you can be creative and make your salad beautiful by adding any of these yummy ingredients. Have fun in the kitchen and have a lovely Valentines day!
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Work Lunches, Nellie and Jan

10/10/2013

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I have wanted to share Nellie and my office lunches for some time now. Why would I want to do that? Because I want to INSPIRE YOU to have beautiful healthy lunches at work and because I want you to know how easy it is to do just that. I roasted Brussels Sprouts last night for this beautiful salad today. We added mixed greens, chopped apple, avocado and goat cheese with a light cilantro dressing. We served it with my new roasted garlic soup and as you can see we had help with our left over salad bowl! Thanks Tony for always being here for us when we have left overs!
Jan
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Water Well in Latvia

10/2/2013

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Philip & Water Well in Latvia Summer 2013
This photo of a water well and my son Philip was taken in Latvia, where I was
born and grew up. Every summer I go to Latvia to visit my family and friends.  And every summer I visit  the place where my father grew up and is now buried. This water well is next to the house where my father lived and now other people, who live in this house still use it.  I am so glad that my son could see this water well which is quiet difficult to find these days. 
 
Water wells still exist in some regions of Latvia. I mean, some  people still use it as a main source for drinking water. A bucket is used to bring in water raised by hand. 

The water taste is amazing!!! You cannot stop drinking it.

Nellie
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My father's house
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Latvian village
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Philip
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My brother and Philip
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Juice Maker
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  • Home
  • About Us
  • Vegetable Soup
  • Soup
    • WeightWatchers ZERO POINTS VEGGIE SOUP, Our Way
    • Chilled Soup
    • Bean/Barley/Pea/Lentil Soup
    • Crock Pot Soup
    • Children love soup !
    • Seafood Soup
    • Meat Soup
    • Chicken & Turkey Soup
  • Stock
    • Beef Stock
    • Cilantro Stem Broth
    • Chicken Stock
    • Corn Broth
    • Discard Broth
    • Mushroom Broth
    • Shellfish Stock
    • Tomato Broth
    • Vegetable Stock
    • Vegetable Stock with Lemon Grass
  • Sides and more...
  • How To
  • DESSERT Blog
  • Blog