Back in the Saddle

HAD A BLOOD TEST in January and my cholesterol is back up to over 300 due to me being a free spirit and eating whatever I want. That included lots of butter and cheese, burgers and brownies, etc. So...time to use my agency, and so I freely choose to focus on my diet again and make the  choices that will bring down my cholesterol. I will make a plan and pick a target date.
I do believe that true freedom comes from self control. So let the good times roll....

Angel Candy

About This Item Description Oh so sticky and oh so good. That’s Blain's Farm & Fleet Dark Sponge Candy. The unique texture is crisp at first, melting in to a smooth molasses magnificence in your mouth. And don’t forget the rich, dark chocolate flavored coating that blankets the outside! Features Delicious sugary confection covered in dark chocolate flavored coating. Melts in your mouth .A holiday classic.

Caramel Corn

http://www.rubbercowgirl.com/ deserves the credit for this

SALTED PEANUT BUTTER CARAMEL CORN

2 tablespoons coconut or other high-heat oil

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 cups brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Make the popcorn:

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a stock pot.

Drop two or three kernels of corn into the oil to test the heat; when they pop, pour in the rest of the corn, cover the pot and shake side-to-side to coat kernels with oil.

Set pot over flame and shake occasionally until popping has stopped. Remove from heat.

Separate any unpopped kernels from the popcorn - you don't want to crunch down on one of those bad boys while you're happily munching your sweet fluffy caramel corn! Put all the good popcorn in a large mixing bowl.

Make the caramel sauce:

Heat 1/4 cup coconut oil over medium to medium-high flame.

Melt the brown sugar into the oil, stirring constantly. Add the peanut butter, continuing to stir. Add the soymilk and salt and stir until fully incorporated.

Bring caramel sauce to a boil -stirring constantly! - for 5 minutes, then lower heat to a simmer. Continue to stir frequently as the sauce reduces.

Before it gets too thick, pour the sauce over the bowl of popcorn and stir well to coat all the kernels in caramel sauce.

Bake it:

Spread the caramel corn out onto baking sheets or into a large roasting pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven and serve when cool.

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John Loves These Energy Balls

• MIX ALL THESE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER, ROLL INTO BALLS and REFRIGERATE!
• 1 cup oatmeal
• ½ cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• ⅓ cup honey
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• ½ cup ground flaxseed
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla

Kiwi Krazy

I do love kiwis especially when I read somewhere that the nutrients in kiwi repair damaged DNA. If that is true, sign me up!!!
I have learned one has to wait a long time for them to ripen. Some people don't like this feature and get frustrated and end up waiting too long and then they are a bit mushy inside and wrinkled on the outside.
I say to you: just keep an eye on them and you will be rewarded!  And you can still eat them if they are over ripe. In fact...that makes them sweeter.
There were 10 kiwis in this box and I paid $3.98 for them. Product of the USA. Learn more at mightieskiwi.com

Orange Juice Experiment

What a treat! I bought 10 Navel oranges for $3.15. They were 58 cents a pound at our WINCO. I took 6 of them and juiced them, getting 2 and 1/2 cups of juice. Each glass here is holding 1 and 1/4 cups really nice sweet juice full of enzymes as well as vitamins. We all need to consume more raw foods because of those important enzymes.


Drinking this is such a delightful experience! Each glass full (10 oz) basically cost me 90 cents. John gets the other glass.

Notice the 2 styles of stainless steel straws. One has a greater angle of bend. That one is a little harder to clean. If you decide to buy straws like this make sure they are stainless steel and not aluminum

Bread Taste Test #1

Bought 2 loaves from Winco today simply because I was curious. I never bought them before. I ate a slice if each and judged them.

These are just taste tests, nothing else.

Sorry about the sideways view...my camera uploaded it this way and there was no feature on this blog to rotate the picture.
The Knead for Seed bread, I tried second, after eating the other bread.  This bread had no taste whatsoever. My taste buds tried and tried to find some kind of flavor I could describe. There was nothing there. I would not buy it again.

This bread had a taste and some well placed "crunchiness" ( due to the flax and sunflower seeds.) Slices are small so if you are counting calories, this is a good choice. for a smallish sandwich.