Time for healthy eating, spring cleaning - TEAM Resources

It is a great time of year. There is lush green colour popping out everywhere, the purple crocuses bloom, the trickling water fills ponds and puddles, and the air is refreshing.

We all just want to get outside. The frogs, meadowlarks and geese cannot contain themselves. Their callings are pleasant noise.

And don’t forget the rubber boots stuck in the mud, sailing boats in murky puddles and torn and grass stained knees.

All of which can usually be forgiven when laundry-bound parents are presented with a fresh picking of pussy willows

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as a thank you.

But to enjoy the season to its fullest, you must be in good health.

I have collected some tips from the Sask-atchewan Association of Health Organ-izations. SAHO is a non-profit, non-governmental association of health agencies

in Saskatchewan. Here are some that I found most interesting:

Drinking two beers or two glasses of wine per day equals about 1,400 calories per week, or more than 73,000 calories in a year. That equals nine kilograms of fat.
Carrots help protect against cancer and promote a healthy immune system, good vision and healthy skin, hair, bones and teeth.
You would have to eat 37 kiwi fruit to consume the 13 grams of fat found in one package of Reese’s peanut butter cups.
Research suggests that consuming yogurt with active bacterial cultures can stimulate

the immune system, reduce symptoms of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, prevent yeast infections and modestly lower elevated LDL cholesterol levels.

Redder apples are generally richer in

antioxidants than pale coloured ones.

A daily 30-minute cardiovascular workout will boost energy level and mood. Even 10 minutes of brisk activity will increase heart rate and keep you feeling energized for up to two hours.

Eating healthy snacks regularly provides energy throughout the day and regulates blood sugar levels because sugar trickles into the blood stream gradually as opposed to spiking quickly after eating sweets.
Infants and children are more vulnerable to dehydration than adults. Warning signs of dehydration include fatigue, loss of appetite, flushed skin, heat intolerance, lightheadedness, dry mouth and dark urine with a strong odour. Keep hydrated by sipping water throughout the day and snacking on fresh fruit and vegetables.
A recent study found that premenstrual syndrome, marked by depression, irritability and fatigue, was significantly reduced in women who ate food with lots of calcium

and vitamin D.

Unless you get whole wheat or multi-grain, a bagel is essentially four or five one-ounce slices of white bread. That means about 300 to 350 calories.
The Canadian Sugar Institute estimates the average Canadian consumes 16 teaspoons of added sugar per day, about 13 percent of our daily calories. A Super Big Gulp from

7-Eleven contains 573 calories and 50 teaspoons of sugar.

Get fibre from whole foods rather than supplements. Top cereal with berries, raisins or dried cranberries. Eat more legumes. Add nuts, seeds and raisins to salads, and snack on popcorn, almonds and fresh fruit.

For more information, contact SAHO, 306-347-5500 or www.saho.org.

Pepper chicken kabobs

Try this chicken recipe with a variety of marinades. Add a baked potato or rice and fresh vegetables.

1 pound boneless, 500 g

skinless chicken breast halves

1 onion cut into 24 pieces

1 red pepper cut into 24 pieces

1 yellow pepper cut into 24 pieces 8 bamboo skewers (8 inches/20 cm

each), soaked in water for 10 minutes

Citrus pepper marinade

1/2 cup orange juice 125 mL

1/4 cup ranch dressing 60 mL

2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1/2

teaspoon/2 mL powder)

2 teaspoons grated lime zest 10 mL

1 teaspoon ground cumin 5 mL

1 teaspoon pepper 5 mL

Thread first four ingredients alternately, in order given, onto skewers. Place in large shallow dish.

Citrus pepper marinade: Combine all six ingredients in small bowl. Makes about one cup (250 mL) marinade. Pour 2/3 cup (150 mL) over chicken kabobs. Refrigerate remaining marinade. Turn kabobs to coat. Let stand, covered, in refrigerator for two hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat gas barbecue to medium-high. Cook on greased grill for about six minutes until browned on edges. Turn. Cook for about six minutes, brushing with reserved marinade until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender-crisp.

Source: Chicken Breast Finesse and Grilling from Company’s Coming.

Variations for the marinade:

Sweet sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce 125 mL

1/2 cup brown sugar 125 mL

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 mL

1 tablespoon Greek seasoning 15 mL

(oregano, garlic, onion)

Greek marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce 125 mL

1/2 cup lemon juice 125 mL

1/4 teaspoon oregano 1 mL

1 tablespoon Greek seasoning 15 mL

Mix all ingredients together. May be used as a marinade, in stir frying, brushed on hamburgers or steaks, or whatever else sounds good to you.

New this spring is Company’s Coming, Most Loved Summertime Desserts.

Favourite no-bake desserts, juicy fruit cheesecakes, chiffon pies, frozen ice cream cake, gelato and grilled dessert recipes for the barbecue are some of the easy dessert recipes you’ll find in this full-colour cookbook. My favourite is still fruit pizza.

Fruit pizza

Crust:

11/4 cups flour 310 mL

2/3 cup butter (or margarine), 150 mL

softened

1/2 cup sugar 125 mL

Topping:

8 ounces light cream cheese 250 g

1/3 cup icing (confectioner’s) 75 mL

sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 mL

1 can (10 oz.) mandarin 284 mL

orange segments, drained

1/2 cup fresh blueberries 125 mL

24 fresh strawberries, halved

lengthwise

8 kiwi fruit, sliced

Glaze:

1/4 cup apricot or peach jam 60 mL

1 tablespoon hot water 15 mL

Sugary pizza crust: Mix all three ingredients in medium bowl until mixture forms a ball. Press firmly in ungreased 12 inch (30 cm)

pizza pan, forming rim around edge. Bake on centre rack in 350 F (180 C) oven for about

12 minutes until golden. Cool.

Topping: Beat first three ingredients in small bowl until smooth. Spread evenly over crust.

Arrange next four ingredients in attractive pattern over cream cheese mixture.

Glaze: Combine jam and hot water in small cup. Brush over fruit. Chill.

Cut into 12 wedges.

Spring cleaning

Do you want to get the house in order before the yard work begins?

Linda Cobb, also known as the Queen of Clean, has simple, effective solutions for shinning up the house and laundry. She has two books of tips.

To remove candle wax from wood, heat the wax with a blow dryer and slide a piece of dull plastic such as a credit card underneath to pop it up. Clean any residue with warm water and dishwashing liquid. Rinse then polish.
To remove crayon from hard surfaces, spray with WD-40 lubricant and wipe off. Wash with one quart (one litre) warm

water and one teaspoon (five mL)

dishwashing liquid.

To remove crayon from fabrics, spray both sides of the fabric with WD-40.

Let sit 15 minutes, then work in undiluted dishwashing liquid, flush under the hottest water allowable for the fabric and launder as usual.

To make a wall-washing solution, combine one gallon (four L) of warm water and half cup (125 mL) clear ammonia, quarter cup

(60 mL) white vinegar and quarter cup

(60 mL) washing soda (found in the laundry additives section of your supermarket).

Change this solution frequently and you won’t have to rinse. Remember, start at the bottom of the wall and work up.

To clean the hard water ring out of toilets, shut off the water to the toilet tank and flush. Spray with warm white vinegar and sprinkle on Twenty Mule Team Borax. Wait 15 minutes, then scrub. Turn the water back on and rinse well.
To remove baby formula, apply lemon juice and lay the garment in the sun. Test in a small area on coloured fabrics. This method also works for rust stains.
To remove oil and grease stains, combine the following: one tablespoon (15 mL) glycerine, one tablespoon (15 mL) liquid dishwashing soap and half cup (125 mL) water. Work the solution into the stain, let sit for a few minutes, flush with water and launder as usual.
Most grass stains on washable fabrics can be removed by rubbing your favourite laundry detergent into the stained area and rinsing under a forceful stream of the hottest water you can use for the fabric type.

If the stain is stubborn, try rubbing with rubbing alcohol. Don’t use alkalis such as ammonia, degreasers or alkaline detergents on grass stains. They interact with the grass and can permanently set the stain.

To remove chocolate from clothing, sponge with cold water and then apply an

enzyme presoak. Soaking with cold water and meat tenderizer is also effective. Applying a paste of Twenty Mule Team Borax and warm water may also work. Let this paste soak for an hour or so, then flush with a forceful stream

of water.