Christmas in Germany: German holiday traditions, recipes, food, crafts, games, devotions

 Looking for Christmas around the world activities? How about a global hop to Christmas in Germany? Here are German holiday activities. First a little history on Germany. Ancient Germans were druids that worshiped nature. They celebrated Winter Solstice or Saturnalia from which come many Christmas traditions.Then warring Saxon, Hunnic and Teutonic tribes brought their gods of Valhalla. From them come week day names--Thursday (Thor), Friday from his vengeful wife Freya and Wednesday from brother Woden (also known as Loki the trickster). They worshiped the sacred oak, which became a deity because it was so large. Christmas in Germany: German holiday traditions, food, fun to scare off Krampus! | Examiner.com

Christmas diet tips: Holiday recipes to curb sugar cravings, tame sweet tooth

Parents, are you and/or your children trying to lose weight? The holidays are the hardest time, aren't they? Halloween candy, Thanksgiving pies, Christmas cookies, holiday baked goods and desserts, Hanukkah treats, Three King Cake--from Halloween to Epiphany, the Christmas season equals sweets. And it's so hard on the poor kids--so many goodies, so little time! So here are Christmas diet tips to curb sugar cravings and holiday recipes for sweet tooth tamers.  

It's appropriate to raise diabetes awareness around the holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, New Year's Eve, Epiphany, whatever festivals you celebrate, they all involve food and especially desserts and sweets. Get-togethers can be really hard for diabetics and dieters. Here are ways to cut sugar and fat in recipes, so diabetics and dieters can have their cake and eat it too! 

Swap out oil and sugar in baked goods and replace with unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin (homemade preferred). You get antioxidants and fat burners. Use in cakes, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, brownies and bars--yes even chocolate kinds. Boost flavor in calorie free ways. Reduce sugar and add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves or extra vanilla. Add cold coffee to chocolate baked goods to give chocolate a nice bite. 

Bake with milled flax seed instead of eggs and oil. Flax seed is full of good MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids). Substituting flax seed reduces cholesterol, saturated and transfats and adds omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. One tablespoon flax seed plus three tbsp. water equals on egg. Three tablespoons flax seed and water equals one tablespoon oil, butter, margarine. Trade wheat for whole grains. Bake with oats, chia seed, cooked quinoa and whole grain flours. You'll get the most fiber and omega fatty acids for your calorie investment. 

Swap out milk. Cut calories, fat and sugar substituting almond, flax and coconut milk for dairy in foods. Plus you get fatty acids. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk has the best taste and lowest calories. Substitute Greek yogurt for dairy. Use plain nonfat Greek yogurt in place of cream, cottage cheese, ice cream, cream cheese, milk, sour cream and some cheeses. Sweeten healthier. Use fruit and 100 percent juice, pure maple syrup. 

Avoid artificial sweeteners except for Splenda, stevia, monk fruit and xylitol. Ideal sweetener (xylitol) has zero calories, is safe to use and doesn't taste bitter like stevia can. Swap alcohol for tea or coffee. Booze is an appetite stimulant and metabolism depressant. Tea and coffee do the opposite. But watch the sugar. Eat This Not That says coffee is a sneaky source of added sugar. Brew your own. Add fat-free, sugar-free non-dairy creamer. Freeze and slush for an iced coffee treat. You can bake with non-dairy creamer, too Swap ice cream styles. 

Enjoy frozen yogurt, Skinny Cow and Weight Watchers frozen novelties. Top desserts with light whipped topping. Look for lowfat and low sugar ice cream varieties. Hudsonville vanilla has only 130 calories per serving. Have some candy. Seriously. But make it dark 70 percent cacao or higher chocolate. Dr. Oz says high cacao dark chocolate is a fat burner. Please pass the Ghirardelli Intense Dark!

Bake with almond butter, Or try PB2. a fat free peanut powder. Use PB2 chocolate for a light Nutella alternative. Mix with yogurt for a fruit dip, trifle or torte filling or cake frosting. Blast fat with a Molotov Fruit Cocktail. Try this antioxidant-rich fat blaster fruit grenade. Mix chunk muskmelon and honeydew, grapefruit sections, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and sliced bananas. Top with Greek yogurt, shaved 70-percent cacao dark chocolate, sunflower seeds, milled flax seed, pumpkin seeds and sliced almonds. Make desserts multitask, burning fat while satisfying your sweet tooth

Ketogenic diet: High-fat, high-protein, low-carb diet aids fat burn, weight loss

Originally. the ketogenic diet was used only to treat epilepsy. Now, thanks to advocacy from celebrities who've had surprisingly high weight loss with it, the ketogenic diet is in vogue. Medical experts are finding the ketogenic diet--which is essentially a high fat, high-protein, low carb diet--burns fat and aids weight loss. And not just a little weight loss. Results from the ketogenic diet have been dramatic. Following a keto diet is part of how I lost 100 pounds without weight loss surgery or drugs. 

 Some experts question whether ketosis is dangerous for the body. But it may actually be healthy. What's ketosis? It just means the body no longer gets many carbs and so doesn't depend on carbohydrates for energy. Needing fuel to burn, the body seeks out deep tissue fat that is buried in cells, around internal organs and in the belly, thighs, buttocks, hips and under the arms. With 2/3 of the U.S. overweight and 35-percent obese, maybe it's time to rethink some of these less traditional diets, medical advisers say. 

How is weight loss achieved eating a high-fat, high-protein, low-carb diet? Well, first of all it forces the body to seek out stored fat for fuel.. This burns fat stuck in fat-prone places. Further, a high-protein diet curbs hunger, fills you up faster and keeps you full longer. Carbohydrates burn off very rapidly and you feel hungry more quickly. And as any dieter will tell you, feeling constantly hungry is the worst part of dieting. Curbing hunger and cravings was how I lost 100 pounds. 

Diets that provide too little nutrients--the fad and crash diets--crash because people can't exist in constant hunger and will eat if food is available. Also, and perhaps most important, interesting and ironic of all: good high-fat diets burn fat in the body. Eating good fats--MUFAS (monounsaturated fatty acids), MCAs (medium chain triglycerides) and essential omega oils, also called CLA, GLA and ALA (conjugated linolenic acids, gamma linolenic acids and alpha linolenic acids)--all aid in breaking down bad fat stored from over consumption of carbohydrates, sugar, saturated fats and transfats. 

The ketogenic high-fat, high-protein, low-carb diet reduces lipogenesis (manufacture of fat) and increases lipolysis (fat burning). It also increases gluconeogenesis ( manufacture of blood sugar which has a thermic effect on proteins). The ketogenic diet isn't just a fad celebrity diet, experts are finding. And, though concerns about its safety have been raised, it's actually one of the most researched meals plans for safe and rapid weight loss. The ketogenic diet aids in prevention and treatment of MS, seizures, Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease and even some types of cancers. Doctors recommend that because the ketogenic diet is so specific, it achieves best weight loss under medical supervision. That may be even more true for obese, severely obese and morbidly obese patients. It's a whole new way of eating, that's for sure. Some ketogenic high-protein, high-fat, low-carb foods are: fish, nuts, Greek yogurt, avocados, coconut oil, almonds, nuts, seeds, flax seed, chia seeds and zucchini. High-fat, fiber-rich foods, like nuts and seeds, also help flush fat 

Mediterranean diet stops Alzheimer's: Brain food swaps slow aging, lose weight

Did you know eating a Mediterranean diet stops Alzheimer's disease and brain shrinkage? The Los Angeles Time reported on Oct. 21 that the brain shrinks in old age (that's why the elderly slow down and suffer memory loss associated with Alzheimer's). But happily, you can slow aging by eating more fish, less meat and other brain food swaps on the Mediterranean diet. Following the Mediterranean diet helps with weight loss, heart health and a bunch of other condition, too. Here are more brain food swaps to slow aging, lose weight and improve health. 

One thing that deters people from starting new diets is that they are afraid they'll have to eat weird things or buy expensive "diet" food. That's what's cool about the Mediterranean diet: it features common, simple foods, sourced locally and simply prepared. Senior citizens aren't known for liking new foods. They like foods they ate it as kids. And that's what the Mediterranean diet is: lots of vegetables, legumes (think soup beans), whole grain cereals (oatmeal), fish and monounsaturated fatty acids like olive oil (instead of transfat or saturated fats). And the old folks love it because it isn't processed junk food. It's homemade like mama used to make. And those elderly people tested who ate a brain food Mediterranean diet had larger brain volumes than those who didn't. 

Here are other Alzheimer's busting Mediterranean diet food swaps. Eat light, whole grain 35-calorie per slice bread over regular bread. Regular bread has a shocking 2-3 times as many calories as diet bread. Diet bread loses calories, high fructose corn syrup, transfat and sodium, but retains fiber and fatty acids (essential brain food to lose weight and slow aging). Eat flaxseed, chia seed, almonds and oatmeal instead of cereal or toast for breakfast. 

Drink lowfat milk, not skim (too little good fat) or whole milk (too much fat). Trade butter and mayo for olive oil margarine and mayonnaise. Use avocados instead of spreads, milk, eggs, oil and fats, even in baking. Greek yogurt doesn't just slow aging, it can stop Alzheimer's in its tracks! Greek yogurt is super healthy, with antioxidants, probiotics and acidophilous, plus it has double protein. Make Greek yogurt smoothies. Add fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, grapefruit, apples, melon or bananas. Walmart's 4-pound frozen blend of strawberries, peaches, mangoes and pineapple has only 70 calories per cup. Add an Emergen-C packet (for metabolism boosting, antioxidant vitamin C) and light almond, cashew or coconut milk and blend. 

Swap sour cream and cream cheese for Greek yogurt or avocados. Slow aging and increase brain health by reducing salt. The highly-rated DASH diet advocates cutting sodium to lose weight, too. Eat low sodium vegetable soups. Make homemade veggie soup by dicing summer squash, zucchini, tomato, celery, purple cabbage, peppers, mushrooms and onions. Simmer in a broth made salt-free Spike, salt-free Mrs. Dash, Bragg's Liquid Amino, sea salt or Himalayan pink salt. Add a little liquid smoke or chipotle for a bite. Swap hot dogs, lunch meat, sausage and bacon for light turkey and chicken deli meat. Serve fresh chicken sausages and turkey hot dogs. Skip meat altogether and try a nut and seed vegan burger. Roast a big portabello mushroom or sweet potato and serve instead of meat. Eat more fish. Broil salmon, swordfish, pollock, cod or tuna steaks. Season with lemon juice, dill and Greek yogurt. How's that for yummy brain food swaps to slow aging and beat Alzheimer's?

A-Z fiber fatty acids food swaps: Cleanse, burn fat, reverse Type 2 diabetes

A study for the University of Finland links obesity to Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes (also called insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome). The study says Type 2 diabetes is reversible with diet. I'm proof of that. After I lost 100 pounds, dropped 10 sizes and got my BMI to normal, I also lost pre diabetes. Belly fat in particular is linked to insulin resistance. Uncontrolled pre-diabetes leads eventually to Type 2 diabetes. So how did I reverse pre-diabetes? I didn't use drugs or surgery. I swapped saturated and hydrogenated fat, starch, refined sugar and flour for high-fiber, fatty acids foods. Ironically, good fats--omega oils, MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids)--burn bad fat. Fiber and fatty acids work together to cleanse fat. Many fiber-rich foods are also high in fatty acids but low in saturated fats. Here's an A Z list of good-fat, high-fiber foods. Eat your way to thin and diabetes-free! 

A is for apples, almonds, almond milk, avocados, amaranth flour (an ancient grains full of fiber and fatty acids). 

B is for beans (adzuki, chickpeas are best) black-eyed peas, bananas, blue-green algae, blueberries, blackberries, barley and buckwheat (ancient grain).

C is for cashews,  cashew milk, coconut oil, coconut milk, collard greens, chia seeds and unsweetened cocoa powder (fat-burning antioxidant). 

D is for dark chocolate (70-percent or higher cacao). Type 2 diabetics can have some sugar, so make sure it burns fat, like dark cacao. 

E is for edamame (raw soybeans). 

F is for milled flax seed. 

G is for grapefruit and graham flour. Grapefruit cleanses and melts fat away. 

H is for homemade hummus (grind garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, garlic and za'atar and no oil). 

I is for ispaghula or isabgol, better known as psyllium husks (super colon cleanse). 

J is for juicing. Blend a fiber smoothie of berries, apples, kale, spinach and butternut squash. 

K is for kale, kamut (ancient grain) and Kashi bars cereals (Chocolate Almond & Seasalt bars with chia and Go Lean Protein are best). 

L is for sprouted lentils, legumes and lemons (add a wedge to water bottle). 

M is for miso, Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake frozen dinner and millet (ancient grain). 

O is for oranges and olives (good fatty acid source). 

P is for pumpkin, pumpkin seeds and psyllium husks. 

Q is for quinoa (ancient grain, substitute for white rice or pasta) 

R is for wild rice, raspberries, rhubarb and rye flour (ancient grain). 

S is for seeds, salmon, spinach, sunflower seeds, soybeans, tempeh, seeds, sweet potatoes, strawberries, squash (summer and winter) and spelt flour (ancient grain). 

T is for triticale wheat flour, Bob's Red Mill TVP (textured vegetable protein, avoid kinds made with hydrolyzed oils), tomatoes and tuna. 

U is for unbleached, unrefined ancient grain flour (Bob's Red Mill makes delicious 7-grain and 14-grain flours for baking and cooking). 

V is for Vitae Plus Powder (Chimex). W is for water and whole grains. 

X means cross out white bread and commercial fiber bars (lots of carbohydrates, no good fiber). 

Y is for yams and yellow squash. 

Z is for zucchini

Coffee recipes, iced coffee, coffee cake recipes for National Coffee Day

Cafe Ole! Java junkies rejoice because September 29 is your holy day of obligation! Here are coffee recipes for iced coffee, coffee cake and caffeinated treats for National Coffee Day! CNN Money reported that some coffee shops are giving free coffee and even coffee trees! Snag yours from this list of free coffee venues. Enjoy with these recipes! Dieters, you're going to love this: because coffee is high in caffeine it boosts metabolism. That means it burns fat and helps you lose weight. So coffee mugs aloft and say "fill 'er up, please!" Low calorie options are listed for the sweet java treats. Grind your own beans and use two filters for auto drip coffeemakers, to get a better cup 'o joe!

Iced Java-mocha Coffee: In a personal blender, add cold, fresh-brewed Sumatra or espresso coffee. Add Hershey's chocolate syrup (sugarfree for dieters), vanilla ice cream, (or vanilla almond or cashew milk for dieters), non-dairy French vanilla creamer and ice. Blend till smooth and serve with whipped topping and shaved dark chocolate. Make the same drink warmed without ice for chilly fall mornings. This drink goes well with savory snacks. To make alcoholic java-mocha iced coffee, add a shot of Creme de Cacao and a shot of Kahlua in place of creamer.

Toffee Coffee Cake: So who has time to bake on a busy back-to-school September morn? So cheat and use a boxed cake mix: French vanilla works best. Spray two round pans with non-stick coating. Blend butter, sugar, chopped pecans and butterscotch chips. Spread in pan bottom. Make cake according to directions, but substitute cold coffee for water. Split mix in half between two cake pans and bake. Spread one with caramel coconut pecan frosting. Invert the other cake over frosting side so bottom topping is on top. Frost sides of desired, or puff with powdered sugar.

Apple spice coffee cake: For lighter cake, use a spice cake mix. Use coffee for water. Swap Splenda for sugar, flaxseed for eggs and applesauce for oil. Make crumb base by trading butterscotch chips for apple slices and blend with cinnamon, Splenda and walnuts. Substitute that for caramel frosting.

Triple Coffee-Chocolate cake with Coco-Mocha Coffee Fudge Frosting: Choose a dark chocolate cake mix and make with strong, black cold coffee instead of water. Add dark chocolate chips when cake is partially baked. Blend butter, powdered sugar, dark chocolate cocoa powder, vanilla, salt and warm to tepid black coffee. Blend till smooth. Bake cake for one-third of the time. Remove from oven and add dark chocolate chips. Divide frosting in half. With a frosting bag, "pipe" ribbons of fudge frosting through cake mix and finish baking. Frost with remaining frosting. Serve with coffee ice cream, topping, and hot coffee!

Fun coffee add-ins: When you brew coffee, add to grounds basket one of these add-ins: ground cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa, nutmeg, allspice or pure vanilla. Sweeten coffee with caramel, chocolate or maple syrup. For creamer, use any flavored variety, almond milk, coconut or cashew milk. For bacon coffee, add fresh cooked, chopped bacon and a little bacon grease. Sweeten with maple syrup. 

Healthy breakfast recipes, quick school breakfasts for Better Breakfast Month

September is Better Breakfast Month. It's also the traditional back-to-school month. Here are healthy

breakfast recipes and quick, easy school breakfasts even young kids can make. These breakfasts are

low sugar, high fiber and full of protein and good, healthy fats. Many recipes are gluten free or low

glycemic, too.

Breadless breakfast sandwich recipe--Fill hungry tummies with super-nutritious, gluten-free falafel

sandwiches. Make up a batch of falafel patties using packaged Ziyad falafel mix. Fry till crisp in non

fat cooking spray. Freeze for kids to quick pop in toaster oven or microwave. Use falafel patties like

bread. Spread with hummus and "sandwich" Mozzarella cheese, avocado, lettuce and tomato in

between.

Homemade granola--Blend one cup each: almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

Add three cups oatmeal, one cup almond or peanut butter and a half cup of honey. Mix by hand and

spread in thin layer on baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray. Spray top of cereal and

bake at 250 for about 15 minutes till crunchy. Add raisins and store in fridge. Children can enjoy a

scoop before school with 2-percent milk or almond milk. Top with fresh berries, sliced bananas or

apples. Optional add-ins are coconut, millet and bran flakes.

Superfood breakfast smoothie--Blend Greek yogurt, strawberries or blueberries, one quarter

avocado, half a banana, and half a grapefruit (rind and seed removed). Add milk, almond milk or water

to desired consistency. Mix in one envelope of Emergen-C powdered vitamin drink. If kids will

tolerate it, add spinach and milled flax seed.

Grilled tomato breakfast bagel--Slice a big tomato. Blend shredded Parmesan cheese, oregano, basil

and pepper. Dip tomato in cheese mix. Fry in non-stick cooking oil. Grill whole grain bagel face down

and spread with tahini, hummus or light cream cheese. Top with grilled tomato and spinach. Serve

with orange or cranberry juice. 

Apple almond bagel-wich. Toast whole grain bagel. Spread with cream cheese and almond butter.

Add sliced tart apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy with a cold glass of juice. You can also fill a

pita pocket with almond butter and fresh fruit for a healthy breakfast sandwich.

Peachy-keen recipes for National Peach Month: Nectarine desserts, peach recipes

August is National Peach Month. If you crave summer peach goodness, here are peachy-keen

recipes and nectarine desserts to celebrate! These peach recipes are light, healthy and deliciously,

decadently diet! These recipes take you from beverage to appetizer to dessert!

Sip fresh peach tea. Make sun tea adding tea bags to hot water in glass jug and placing in the sun.

Toward the end of the brew, add slices of fresh peaches and steep a little longer. Freeze peaches

slices in soda pop and add to clear pop.

Craving something a little zestier in a salsa? Try Piquant Peach Salsa Picante on your tacos and

nachos. Chop fresh tomatoes, peaches, sweet Vidalia onions, green scallions, celery and colored

peppers (green, red, orange and yellow). Add cilantro leaves. Blend and add garlic, lime juice, sea

salt and cumin. Ramp up the heat with fresh chopped jalapenos (but wear gloves!). Refrigerate and

serve on chips and cheese.

For the grill, make Sweet and Sour Peach Kebabs. On skewers, alternate chunks of chicken (lamb or

pork work well too), peaches, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, summer squash, sweet onions and

mushrooms. Marinate with dressing made of: lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil,

cracked pepper, garlic, celery seed and sea salt.

Do you adore peach pie? Want a slice of Peachy-Dream Pie? Make it by filling a pre-made pie crust

(hey, it's August, too hot to fuss with homemade pie crust) with fresh sliced peaches or nectarines.

Cook together on stove: corn starch, brown sugar (or Splenda brown sugar), one stick yogurt or light

butter, lemon juice, orange and lemon zest, allspice, cardamom and coriander. Pour over peaches

and bake till crust is golden brown.

Or how about Citrus Peachy-Cream Pie? Blend nonfat Greek yogurt, honey, whipped topping, vanilla

ice cream or pudding, grapefruit juice, coriander and sliced peaches (reserve one cup). Fill a graham

cracker crust pie. Slice an orange or grapefruit is wedges. Alternate with reserved peach slices on

top of pie in circular sunflower pattern. Place a maraschino cherry or lemon slice in the center. If

you're doing gluten-free, skip the crust and layer fruit and cream in parfait glasses

 

Red white and blue desserts, flag cake, patriotic party foods for July 4

Looking for fun red white and blue desserts and patriotic party foods for Memorial Day? Here are recipes for flag cake, RWB party foods and snacks and kid-friendly Remembrance day snacks. 

* Remembrance Day cake. Bake any flavored cake and frost white. Let each guest write the name of a loved one who has passed away in red or blue frosting. Write "we remember" in the center. 

* Fruity Flag cake. Make red velvet cake. Frost with white frosting or whipped topping. Arrange sliced strawberries in rows to form stripes. Place blueberries in top left corner (with white frosting showing through) to create field of stars. * RWB candy flag cake. Make flag cake with red velvet and white frosting. Decorate with red and blue M & Ms.

* Star-spangled jigglers. Make blue and red finger Jell-O (use less water or add unflavored gelatin to make Jell-O Jigglers). Cut into star shapes. Mix with white mini marshmallows. 

* Patriotic stained glass cookies. Cut refrigerated sugar cookie dough into triangles. Arrange point side out to form star. Place clear blue or red Jolly Rancher candy in center. Bake cookies and melt candy to fill center. 

* RWB coolers. Mix Squirt and cranberry juice. Make blue raspberry Kool-Aid ice cubes or use blue popsicle as ice cube. 

* Flag kebobs. On large wooden skewer, alternate strawberry slices or raspberries, blueberries and white marshmallows. 

* Patriotic parfait. Layer in fluted parfait glasses: whipped topping or vanilla pudding, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. 

* RWB cheesecake. Make or buy a plain cheesecake. Make concentric circles of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Make "stars" with white decorators frosting. 

* Cut cheese slices and lunch meat in star shapes. Or cut sandwiches in star shapes. 

* Letter and number pretzels. Have children make Memorial Day themed words: American, freedom, stars, flag, 13, USA. 

* Red and purple pepper slices with ranch dip. Or hollow out red peppers and fill with blue corn chips and dip. 

* RWB dogs. Serve hot dogs on white buns. Garnish with mayonnaise dyed blue. For vegetarians, use white Mozzarella cheese sticks, blue mayo and ketchup. For more party recipes, visit my blogs Great Food 4U and DIY Party Planner.

Graduation open house appetizer recipes: Easy, cheap open house hors d'oeurves

Oh, oh! You put off planning that graduation open house until the last minute. Here 25-plus graduation open house appetizer recipes. Use these easy cheap open house hors d'oeuvres and finger foods for weddings, bridal showers, first Communion receptions and other open houses. Don't feel the need to make a full meal. Appetizers, snacks and finger food are much easier and cheaper than full buffets. 

Fresh Fruit Kebabs: Make ahead or let guests DIY. Set out a fruit tray with kebab spears, toothpicks or plastic restaurant cocktail swords. Use a variety of color: green grapes, yellow pineapple chunks, strawberries, blueberries, canned mandarin orange segments. Guest DIY fruit kebabs mean less waste of fruit and saves you work. 

Holiday Hedgehogs. These were a Christmas appetizer staple in the UK and I think they're adorable. You cover a potato in foil and poke appetizers on toothpicks to make the quills. YouTube channel "Dear Old Blighty" shows lots of creativity in making the eyes, nose and mouths. Personal favorite is a pear for the body with a cranberry stick on the stem for the nose. I'd probably use raisins or sliced olives for eyes. Put anything you like on toothpick appetizers. A suggestion would be to go with school colors or a rainbow, with pineapple cubes, mandarin orange slices or cheese, watermelon cubes, green grapes and blueberries. I guess cocktail wieners and cheese were popular too.  I would give the hedgehog a tiny scarf with school colors too! 

Savory hors d'oeuvres: Make a variety of colorful appetizers; here are several popular kinds.

--Spread cream cheese on both sweet and dill pickles. Wrap each pickle in a slice of lunch meat (ham or turkey breast). Slice width-wise.

--Place potato salad in a line along the middle of a slice of luncheon meat. Form meat into a roll. Secure with toothpick. 

--Checkerboard finger sandwiches: Make triple-layer sandwiches of white, wheat and dark pumpernickel bread. Spread filling of choice (see suggestions below) on two slices of bread. (none on outside). Slice sandwich into 1/2 inch sandwich strips. Arrange on platter with alternating colors. Garnish with olives and grape tomato. 

Finger sandwich fillings: 

--cream cheese and jelly

--egg salad and green pepper

--cream cheese and cucumber 

--cream cheese and ham

--cream cheese and tomato

--roast beef, Swiss cheese and spicy brown mustard

--turkey, avocado

--ham and cranberry sauce

--PBJ

 Very veggie tray: set out an assortment of sliced and chopped cucumbers, colored peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, raw green beans, zucchini, summer squash, green onions, carrots and celery. Place salad dressings out for dip. 

"Sushi" sandwiches: Take one slice of deli cheese and one slice of deli meat. Roll them together around a green scallion and cucumber spear and cover with cream cheese. Roll in crushed walnuts and parsley. Slice in rolls.

Pretzel dogs: Spread cream cheese on half of long pretzel rod. Dip in honey mustard. Wrap some with meat and some with cheese. Place in a bowl and guests can grab and munch. 

Pinwheels rollups: Spread spinach or red pepper tortilla with cream cheese, spicy brown mustard or wasabi. Layer two large romaine lettuce leaves, several slices of deli cheese and tomato. Roll tortilla into tight log. Seal opening with cream cheese. Place seam side down and slice into pinwheels. 

Frosted sandwiches: Layer six slices of bread with alternating fillings. Frost with cream cheese colored in school colore, over outside of sandwich stack. Slice vertically through layers and then cut each piece into finger sized pieces. Filing suggestions: egg salad and tuna salad. Ham sandwich spread and chicken salad. Deli ham and deli cheese. 

Serve with iced sun tea and lemonade garnished with raspberries. Just a bit of trivia: I found some of these recipes in my mother's Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library, circa 1971. I will spare you the recipes for tomato aspic and molded salads, though. 

Mexican recipes for Cinco de Mayo: Healthy, budget Latino party foods

Cinco de Mayo, May 5 celebrates the victory of Mexican army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It's not

the Mexican Independence Day and not celebrated much in Mexico, but it's a favorite Hispanic

American holiday. Here are Mexican recipes for Cinco de Mayo. Whip up these healthy, budget 4

ingredient, Latino-inspired foods to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. These Mexican dishes serve hungry

folks economically.

Cinco de Mayo Burritos (serves 4-6)

32-oz package frozen burritos or chimichangas (chicken and rice work well) 

24 oz. jar of salsa (Walmart is cheapest) 

8 oz. shredded cheese 

head of leaf or romaine lettuce

Coat 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange frozen burritos in single layer. Season with ground

cumin and hot pepper. Pour salsa over burritos. Rinse jar and add half of rinse water. Cover with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with cheese and bake until cheese is melted. Top with

lettuce, sour cream, fresh cilantro, lime wedges and black olives if desired.

Speedy Gonzales Spanish Rice

6 cups cooked rice (1 cup dry equals three cups cooked) 

25-oz jar of mango pineapple salsa 

chicken broth or cooked chicken with broth 

4 Cheese Mexican shredded cheese

Cook rice in broth. Blend salsa, rice and cheese. Top with more shredded cheese.

Tortilla Soup (serves 4-6)

baked tortilla chips or corn tortillas 

canned or cooked chicken breast (12 oz. can or two chicken breasts) 

16-oz jar lime cilantro 

shredded cheese 

Optional: green or black olives, can of corn, fresh chopped colored peppers, onions)

Combine cooked chicken, salsa (rinse water from jar and add to soup), any of the optional items and

simmer until heated. Season with cumin and garlic. Crumble chips in bowl; pour soup over top and

sprinkle shredded cheese over the top. Top with fresh tomatoes or cilantro if desired.

Chili Verde (serves 4-6)

one can chopped green chilies 

1 cup salsa or canned tomatoes with onions and celery 

chicken broth 

can of cheese soup or shredded cheese and cream cheese.  

Optional: cooked chicken

Combine all ingredients (rinsing all jars and cans and adding water). Simmer until blended and

heated. Top with sour cream if desired.

Mexican vegetarian 7-layer dip

Layer in glass baking dish: crushed tortilla chips, refried beans, chopped lettuce, guacamole,

chopped tomatoes and onions, shredded cheese, pico de gallo and sour cream. Top with black

olives. Serve with chips.

Fiesta Stuffed Avocados

Whole avocado 

Chili powder, cumin and garlic 

Mango salsa 

Low fat cream cheese or cottage cheese

Slice avocado lengthwise. Use spoon to carefully remove pit. Blend last three ingredients until

smooth. Scoop filling into center of avocado. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Citrus Cinco de Mayo Slush

Oranges, limes, lemons and limes are native to Mexico. Celebrate with this refreshing punch. Blend

one can lemonade (plus one can water), one can limeade (plus one can water), one can orange juice

(plus one can water), soda water or Squirt and ice made of soda. Partially freeze to slush. Serve from

ice bucket or cooler to stay slushy. Layer with sliced oranges, lemons and limes. Garnish with

maraschino cherries.

!Bienvenidoes! Happy Cinco de Mayo! 

Egg recipes to use up leftover Easter eggs: Raw and hard-boiled egg recipes

With the Easter holiday blowout over, are you are stuck with several dozen Easter eggs threatening to go bad? Whether raw or hard-cooked, eggs spoil fast. Here are healthy recipes to use up leftover Easter eggs. These recipes cover hard-boiled and raw eggs. Note: don't use eat hard-boiled eggs that sit at room temperature longer than three hours. Throw them out. Even cooked, unrefrigerated eggs cause illness.  

Raw Easter egg use-up recipes.

Easter Brunch Frittata or Omelet: Click here for my gluten-free quiche, frittata and omelet recipes. I've got a lot of helpful vegetarian and glute-free tips. 

Easter Brunch French Toast: This is a great leftover stale bread use-up recipe too. You can use any kind of sweet bread or regular. Whip eggs until smooth and add a little milk, about one per two slices of bread. Blend in one teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Melt ghee or butter in frying pan. Dip bread into egg mixture. Fry on both sides until browned but still tender and moist. Top with cream cheese and fresh or frozen berries and powdered sugar or maple syrup.

Easter Eggy Bread. This is similar to French toast except that you will use regular or savory bread and substitute savory herbs like garlic, oregano, dill, sage and/ore rosemary. Dip bread slices in whipped eggs and milk. Fry in ghee or bacon grease. Top with cheese and melt a bit. Make an Eggy Bread sandwich with bacon, leftover ham or sausage. Add in vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers, cilantro, onions if you like. Another great stale bread use-up recipe! 

Hard-boiled Easter egg use-up recipes.

Angel Eggs (otherwise known as deviled eggs and renamed by my children): Peel and rinse eggs. Using a sharp knife slice eggs lengthwise and remove yolk (egg pits, my son Jake called them). Mash yolk, mayonnaise, dill pickle relish and mustard into a smooth paste. Using a melon baller or small scoop, fill egg whites. Garnish with dill and paprika. These make tasty, keto diet high-protein snacks!

Power Tuna Salad; Cook, drain and chill Barilla Protein Plus noodles, any shape. Add avocado mayonnaise (or just avocado), diced hard boiled eggs, finely diced onion and celery, canned tuna, celery salt, pepper, and dill weed. Blend and top with sliced hard cooked eggs, fresh cilantro and smoked paprika. These diet food swaps are high in protein and complex carbs, low in fat and sugar. 

Shrimp Divine: This was my Grandmother's recipe. I don't know where she found it but it was served

at family get-togethers when I was a child. I developed a craving for it. Blend in saucepan over low

heat: 2 jars Kraft Old English cheese spread (in tiny jars in the refrigerated section), one can diced

tomatoes, 1 # 50/60 count or salad shrimp, 4 diced hard-cooked eggs, dash of Worcestershire sauce.

When heated and cooked, pour over rice or chow mien noodles. 

Easter Bunny crafts, edible Easter bunny recipes: homemade rabbit-themed treats

Spring is in the air! Time for Easter baskets, candy, baby animals and best of all, the Easter bunny! Did I mention Easter bunnies? If you're looking for cute edible Easter Bunny recipes and rabbit crafts to make? Here are three easy, edible, eco-friendly and uber-cute Easter Bunny crafts for ages 2 to 102 

Edi-bun-ables What's more fun than cute Easter Bunny crafts? Cute, edible Easter bunnies, that's what! Here are Easter Bunny recipes and homemade rabbit crafts you can eat! You'll need:--Hostess Twinkies or Sno Balls (coconut covered marshmallow cakes) or Dolly Madison Zingers or unfrosted cupcakes (one for each of the rabbit crafts)--Handi-Snacks Oreos Dunk'Ems (one pack for each of the Easter Bunny recipes) or oval cookies (Nutter Butter Peanut Butter sandwich cookies). ladyfingers, graham cracker sticks, or pretzels. You'll need white frosting too.--pink frosting--red jellybeans--coconut--square gum pellets like Chiklets.--miniature marshmallows To make Easter Bunny recipes open Handi-Snacks and use cookies to frost cupcake or Twinkie. Or use knife and plain frosting. If using pre-frosted Zingers or Sno Balls for Easter bunny recipes, skip to step three. Sprinkle frosted cake immediately with shredded coconut. Spread pink frosting on cookies or crackers for ears. If using pretzels, dip in pink frosting. Insert cookie "ears" in cake. Insert two jellybeans for eyes. Insert two gum pellets for teeth. Attach marshmallows with frosting for tail. 

Funny Bunny Clip Here are Easter Bunny crafts that put the "fun" in functional. These rabbits crafts make great gifts, too. too. For each of the Easter bunnies, you'll need: spring-loaded clothespins, small white pom-poms or cotton balls, tiny pink pom-poms, googly-eyes, three pipe cleaners and hot glue (or Tacky Glue) Glue three pink pom-poms to front of both pinchable "handles" of clothespin. Cover the remainder of both handles with white pom-poms or cotton balls. These are the ears. Glue two eyes to front above spring. Twist three pipe cleaners around center of clothespin. Leave equal amounts on both sides for whiskers. Glue pink pom-pom under eyes for nose. Voila, wearable rabbit crafts! "Fuzzy" 

Easter Bunny Mask or Easter bunnies greeting card Here are Easter Bunny crafts from the recycle bin You'll need: cereal boxes, square 1-inch white tissue paper scraps, red crayon or marker, rubber bands or string, scissors, pencils and glue. For Easter Bunny crafts, draw a rabbit face pattern: circle head, two protruding ovals for ears, two eye holes, mouth. Cut cereal box apart and trace bunny face on plain inside. Cut out bunny face. Color ear centers red. Fold tissue paper squares around pencil end, dip in glue. Affix to bunny face and around pink part on ears. This makes 3D "fuzzy" rabbit crafts. Glue two white paper squares for bunny buck teeth. Poke holes on side and tie string or rubber band on to hold mask in place. Or attach pencils or dowels for hand-held mask. Or attach to greeting card for pop-up Easter bunnies! 

Pizza recipes to teach math lessons teach geometry, fractions, decimals, percents for Pi Day

March 14 is Pi Day. It's not a spelling error for pie day. Pi is a Greek term denoting the mathematical portion 3.14 (or 22/7 in fraction form) used in geometry. That's why it's celebrated on 3/14. And Pi Day 2015 has math nerds especially geeked because it's pi to the 4th place value: 3.1415, reported WBEZ on March 13. Pi Day celebrates geometry and math. Take a bite out of math anxiety with these hands-on pizza "pie" math lessons for Pi Day. 

Teach shapes, numbers and colors with pizza. Cut differently-shaped and colored pizza toppings: mushrooms (white or brown discs or cylinders), onions (white cubes), sausage (brown spheres) pepperoni (red circles), colored peppers (cut in triangles) pineapple (yellow rectangles), cheese (cut as trapezoid, rhombus). Describe and discuss topping colors and shapes. Give each student a plate of pizza toppings and a small crust (or tortilla shell). Teach with food. Tell students to put five circles, two red things, three green rectangles, etc., on their pizza.

Teach sorting and classifying with pizza: Have students sort pizza toppings into categories. Tell them to place things that are orange in a pile. Sort by food group: dairy, vegetables and meat. Make a graph or pie chart of food groups

Teach adding and subtracting with pizza. Tell kids to put two of a certain topping on their pizza. Then add three more and count total. Begin with larger amounts and take away. Count to see how many are left. Teach skip counting adding by 2s, 3s, 5s and so on.

Teach fractions with pizza. Show students how to divide pizza in halves, thirds, quarters, eighths, etc. Demonstrate how two sixths equals one third, four eighths equals one half. Demonstrate how to reduce, find common denominators, add and subtract unlike fractions using pie shapes. Have each student divide his pizza into a different number of parts. Use clean string or yarn to temporarily section off pizza, so students can reuse. Or use a classroom set of pre-divided pizzas to demonstrate.

Teach multiplication and division with pizza. Divide pizzas into temporary sections or fractions as you did above. Pass out toppings. Show students how to count out one per topping per section until all are used. For example, divide pizza into eight sections and pass out 64 pepperoni pieces. For multiplication, do it the other way. Put equal number of toppings on each pizza section and count how many in all. Teach remainders by giving out uneven number of toppings and having kids divide.

Teach decimals with pizza. Explain that decimals are just fractions with base-ten denominators. The number of place values after the decimal point determines the denominator: one is tenths, two is hundredths, three is thousandths and so on. For this lesson, divide pizza into tenths. Teach basic fraction and decimal equivalencies.

Teach percent with pizzas. Demonstrate pizza as a pie graph. A whole pizza is 100 percent and any portion of it is a percent of 100. Half equals 50 percent; one quarter equals 25 percent and so on. Teach the relationship between fractions, decimals and percent (percents are fractions with denominators of 100. Decimals are percents without the decimal point: 37 percent is .37 or 37/100).

Teach ratios and proportions with pizza. Show students that proportions are actually fractions: A proportion of 3 to 10 is three parts out of ten parts total. Ratios are also comparisons. A classroom boy-girl ratio of 5:6 means five boys for every six girls. Use pizza toppings to teach proportions. Make pizzas with 3:10 pepperoni (three of every 10 toppings are pepperoni). For ratios, have students add a 2:3 ratio of green peppers to mushrooms.

When lessons are done let kids make pizzas to taste (removing what they don't like). Enjoy a Pi Day pizza party! Special education teachers make content approachable by teaching interactive, multisensory (smell, touch, taste) lessons. This is important for LD (learning disabled), ADHD (attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder) and CI (cognitively impaired) students. Indeed, hands-on lessons work better for all students. Activities with food are ideal. They're real-life, practical and fun! Plus, kids act up when they're hungry and behave better after they've eaten a healthy snack. Teaching with food makes content easier to visualize and improves receptivity to learning.

Fat burning oatmeal cleanse recipe, superfood antioxidants melt pounds

Was that New Year's resolution to lose weight? How's that going? Are you still following that diet or did your good intentions go out with the Christmas tree? What you need is a fresh start. Here's a yummy diet oatmeal cleanse recipe that features low calorie, lowfat, omega fatty acids, fat-burning foods, high protein, high fiber, superfood antioxidant goodness. Whew! One little meal sure accomplishes a lot! Purge those post-holiday pounds. I've lost over 100 pounds and I eat this daily. It's packed with protein to keep you going, plus it's super-fast to make in the microwave. Superfood Oatmeal Antioxidant Cleanse breakfast 1/4 cup oats (steel cut are supposed to be better for you, but they're twice the calories. You decide if it's worth it). 70 calories 1 teas. chia seeds (20 calories) 1 half small apple diced, cored unpeeled apple (25 calories) 1 tbsp. milled flax seed (35 calories) 1 teas. maca powder (10 calories) 1 tbsp. crushed almonds. (30 calories) 1/2 teas. coconut oil (20 calories) 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk. (10 calories) Splenda or Skinny Girl monkfruit sweetener (0 calories) 1/2 cup blueberries (35 calories) 1/4 cup. plain nonfat Greek yogurt (40 calories) kale (optional) 1/4 California avocado (optional, 80 calories) Cook oats and apple in water in the microwave. Sprinkle on other ingredients. Top oatmeal with blended blueberries and yogurt (add kale and avocado if you can stand it). Eat half a grapefruit 10 minutes before consuming (this cleanses impurities from your system and helps food digest better). Drink water with a lemon wedge with your breakfast. Grand total calories are 335 (more with avocado). For that, you get lots of protein, vitamins, fat burners, fiber, MUFAs (mono-unsaturated fatty acids aka linolenic acids: ALA, GLA, CLA). There are no transfats, refined or bleached flours or sugar. Warning, it is a cleanse. It will purge. You'll be going to the bathroom a few hours later, and you feel be a bit gassy as it flushes the yuck out. But this oatmeal recipe will fill you up and melt those pounds if you follow a healthy meal plan. If you want to follow my weight loss story, here's My Diet Digest blog and there are more diet recipes at Great Food 4U