Lemonade ~ Low Fat ~ & Lincoln

"Phrase of Fire" Contest

Piece of the puzzle: #4

Ring of Fire

Today's Quote of the Day:

"The most important things in life aren't things"

In today's Book Nook segment I spoke with Gayle Brandeis, about her first "young adult" novel, "MY LIFE WITH THE LINCOLNS". The book is set during the turbulent 60's and the intricate storylines come together to create a great read for both adolescents and adults. The main character, 12 year old Mina Edelman believes that she and her family are the Lincolns, reincarnated. The book is sometimes "laugh out loud" funny and gives a lot of attention to historical detail. http://www.gaylebrandeis.com/

We also had the chance to talk with Dr. Natasha Turner about her new book, "THE HORMONE DIET: A 3-STEP PROGRAM TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT, GAIN STRENGTH AND LIVER YOUNGER, LONGER". Dr. Turner has a 3 step program-that takes 6 weeks to complete. In her book, she walks you through the process and helps you figure out if the stress, fatigue and failure to lose weight are related to a hormonal imbalance. She also stressed that these imbalances can be found in both men and women. A very interesting concept-one maybe worth exploring. Her website is: http://www.thehormonediet.com/

And I shared a Lemonade Dessert recipe that will taste great during the heat of summer:

Lemonade Dessert
1 ½ c. all purpose flour

¾ c. packed brown sugar
¾ c. cold butter, cubed

¾ c. chopped pecans
½ gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
1 (12 oz.) frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
In small bowl, combine flour & brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Spread in single layer into greased 15x10x1” baking pan. Bake at 375 for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. In large bowl, beat ice cream and lemonade until blended. Sprinkle half of crumbles into greased 9x13” dish. Spread with ice cream mixture; sprinkle with remaining crumbles. Cover and freeze overnight. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 12-15.

Tip: to soften ice cream in the refrigerator-transfer from freezer to fridge 20-30 minutes before using. Or let it stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Ice cream can also be softened in the microwave at 30% power for 30 seconds.

Here are some tips for "Low-Fat" grilling:
· Say "NO" to hamburgers and/or hot dogs unless you’re using very lean ground beef (veggie burgers are best) or low fat, low sodium nitrite free turkey dogs
· Light or fat free mayo, mustard, ketchup, steak sauce, hot sauce, pickles and relish are good for condiments.
· Use whole grain buns
· Marinated chicken breasts, halibut, scallops or shrimp are low fat. Salmon is also a good option. Leave skin on the chicken while cooking but remove before eating
· Opt for lean cuts of beef, flank steak, filet mignon, top loin or round steak are good choices. Trim all visible fat before cooking
· Kebabs are delicious and a great way to eat veggies and balance your meat consumption.