Red White and Blue Recipes for 4th of July, All-American Patriotic Foods

For Memorial Day, how about red white and blue recipes and creative American patriotic foods?

Here's RWB appetizer-to-dessert menu. It's perfect for July 4th, BBQs, Father's Day and summer

picnics and parties.

* Red White and Blue Chip Mixer. Make chips swing American. Blend any combination of blue corn

chips, red corn chips (available at specialty and holiday food stores) red BBQ chips, pink taro chips

(available in Terra's root vegetable chip blends), homemade parsnip chips (white) and beet chips. For

white, use white corn chips, popcorn or white cheddar cheese puffs.

* Old Glory Veggie Platter:</b> Use a tri-section platter for crudites (cut vegetables) or arrange them in

stars and stripes. For red use red pepper strips, tomato wedges, radish roses. For blue, cut purple

pepper strips, purple brocciflower, egg plant slices or shredded purple cabbage. For white veggies,

use parsnip slices, cauliflower, water chestnuts. Cut some peppers and parsnips into star shapes (with

star cookie cutter).

* Stars and Stripes Fruit Kebobs: On skewers, alternate any combination of watermelon chunks,

blueberries, raspberries, grapes, strawberries, pale green honeydew, apple stars, banana slices (dash

of pineapple or lemon juice prevents browning).

* Americana Lemonade Spritzer: Color lemonade blue with purple cabbage or blueberry juice. Or

leave plain. Garnish by spearing strawberries or colored, star-shaped marshmallows on straws. Make

star-shaped ice cubes with clear or grape soda or red pop. For clear ice cubes, put a blueberry in

each.

* All-American Cocktails and Coolers: Buy Seagram's blue coolers. Garnish with strawberry-blueberry

bow-tie (stick berries on toothpick). Use these for clear cocktails with gin or vodka. Serve blue

curacao or Blue Hawaiian Schnapps with grenadine, Raspberry or Strawberry Pucker (DeKuyers') or

Jagermeister ice cubes. Partially freeze liqueurs to make colored liquid layers.

* RBW Pinwheels:Flatten four pieces of white bread thin. Spread one with strawberry jam, another

with cream cheese and another with grape jam. Stack in alternate colors. Roll into log. Slice through

all layers to make pinwheels.

* Patriotic Cole Slaw: Mix chopped purple cabbage, red peppers and radishes. Dress with vinegar,

olive oil, salt, cracked pepper, horseradish and sugar. Cut peppers like stars if desired.

* American Flag Grill: Grill red smoked sausage, hotdogs, burgers (with beet juice added), or pink

salmon. Garnish with purple cabbage shreds, purple and red pepper stars and mayonnaise. Poke tiny

flag toothpicks in burgers.

* Festive American Fries: Julienne potatoes or use frozen French fries. Coat some in paprika or

Louisiana red pepper and leave others white. Dye mayonnaise blue (naturalistas, use purple cabbage

juice). Serve with red ketchup, plain and blue mayo. Dieters, use olive oil mayo.

* Lady Liberty Sundaes: Serve vanilla ice cream drizzled with strawberry and blueberry syrup. Mix

colored gelatin for syrup. Decorate with blue and red candies (M&Ms, Nerds, Runts). Make fruit

sundaes with blueberries and strawberries. Serve strawberry or spumoni ice cream topped with blue

colored topping. Serve Blue Moon ice cream with red and blue gummy worms, sprinkles, mini

marshmallows and red fruit snacks. Or made a RWB ice cream buffet and let guest decorate their

own.

* Star Cookies. Make star-shaped cookies easy using refrigerated sugar cookie dough. If you don't

have star-shaped cookie cutter, cut into thin circles. Cut each circle into five pie-shaped wedges.

Arrange in a circle, point side out. Place red or blue M&M or hard candy in the center. Hard candy will

melt to clear "stained-glass" look. Or sprinkle with colored sugar. Or draw stars on cookie with colored

spray frosting. Frost with strawberry cream cheese

A-Z Fiber Foods, Omega Rich, Fatty Acid Fat Burners

I've lost almost 100 pounds and dropped nine sizes. I burned excess belly fat and trimmed other body fat. How? By swapping saturated and hydrogenated fat, starch, refined sugar and flour for high-fiber, fatty acids foods. Ironically, good fats--omega oils, MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) plus fiber are natural bad fat burners. Fiber and fatty acids work together to purge fat, especially belly fat. Many fiber-rich foods are high in fatty acids and also low in saturated fats. Here's an A-Z list of good-fat, high-fiber foods.   

Weight loss is about portion and calorie control, but it's not so much about eating less as eating

differently. Carbohydrates and fat, long thought to be the enemies of weight loss are enjoying a new

vogue in the ketogenic and high carb diet. Ketogenic good fats and unsaturated fatty acids are found

to burn fat (that bad, white adipose fat that sags from bellies, buttocks, arms and legs, that is). And a

high carb diet, rich in soluable fiber and insoluable resistant starch fiber, helps you feel full and lose

weight. Good carbs burn slow and keep your body busy digesting and burning calories while feeling

satisfied. That's important because weight loss fails when the dieter is constantly hungry and

obsessed with food. So here are high carb diet breakfast recipes with foods chockful of good fats,

resistant starch fiber and protein.

High fiber sandwich breakfast recipes: Spread one tablespoon almond butter on light whole grain

bread (35 calories per slice). Or mix PB2 peanut powder with Greek yogurt and spread on bread.

Slice one barely ripe medium banana and place on whole grain bread. Sprinkle with cacao nibs,

flaxseed, chia seed and sliced strawberries.

Superfood whole grain weight loss oatmeal: This is called oatmeal, but actually it's a wondrous blend

of good carbs, good fats, resistant starch fiber, protein and antioxidant superfoods. Use Bob's Red Mill

10-Grain cereal but don't cook it. High carb diet dishes are best served cold. If you must have hot

cereal, don't cook it to mush. You can also use Cheerios. Add berries, chia seed, cacao nibs, pumpkin

seeds, walnuts and almonds. Blend cashew, flaxseed or almond milk with berry juice to sweeten.

Slice barely ripe banana on top. Serve with milk.

High carb diet potato salad. Did you miss potatoes on your old diet? Well now you can have 'em!

Cold potatoes are a great source of resistant starch fiber. Dice leftover cold cooked potatoes, yams

and/or carrots. Add fresh sliced celery, green pepper,scallion or onion. Season with Himalayan pink

salt, cracked pepper, celery seed and dill. Blend with light olive oil mayonnaise. Or mix avocado,

Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. If you're up for it, add high fiber good fats like

pumpkin seeds and chia seeds.

Roasted plantain breakfast recipes. Saute peeled plantain in non-stick cooking spray. Or bake

plantain in it's own skin till tender. Serve with Greek yogurt or lowfat sour cream. Serve with cold

beans and rice for super resistant starch fiber breakfast recipes. Mix white, red or garbanzo beans

and brown rice with chopped cilantro, tomatoes, green peppers and onions. Add chopped mangoes

or pineapple if desired. Season with cumin, salt and pepper.

High carb diet pancakes for weight loss. Start these breakfast recipes with oat or whole grain

pancake mix or Bob's Red Mill 7-Grain Pancake Mix. Add in your choice of: good quality granola,

cranberries, pomegranate seeds, blueberries or strawberries, oat bran, sliced bananas, cooked corn,

almonds, walnuts, chia seeds or flaxseed. Serve with pure maple syrup and light butter.

Bean and banana or plantain "burgers." Mix white or red beans or mashed garbanzo beans with

mashed plantain or banana. Form into balls and flatten like burgers. Fry in non-stick cooking spray.

Serve with Greek yogurt for good fats.

Homemade granola: Blend dried oatmeal, walnuts, millet, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia

seeds and flaxseed. Add unsweetened coconut or cacao nibs if desired. Blend and PB2 peanut

powder, almond or cashew milk and blue agave syrup. Pour over grain blend to coat. Spread in one

layer and toast on low till crunchy. Serve with sliced bananas, chopped apples, strawberries or

blueberries.

Diet Recipe of the Day Phony Coney Island Veggie Dogs

I gotta admit--I don't like veggie hot dogs (aka tofu links). I can handle veggie burgers and actually like them better than hamburgers. But those rubbery soy hot dogs, gahh. But I'm also working on losing 100 pounds (81 gone). Now I could make my own, probably better than the packaged ones. But I had a coupon for Lightlife Smart Dogs and they were on sale. And when I'm working, I need quick low-calorie snacks I can grab and go (that's a diet tip, by the way--keep low-cal snacks on hand so you won't reach for the high-calorie junk when you're hungry). Veggie dogs have about 50 calories, lots of protein and no additives. Here's how I opted to dress up my veggie dogs to make them more palatable. 

Grill Smart Dogs and top with:

 

1/4 c. vegetarian chili (cannelloni beans, diced tomatoes, onions, celery and chili peppers, garlic, cumin, cilantro, oregano, hot Hungarian paprika)

 

1/4 c. lowfat cole slaw (shredded green and red cabbage, carrots, dash of olive oil, acai vinegar, stevia sweetener, sea salt, celery seed, mustard, black pepper)

 

diced onions

 

1/8 cup. shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

 

dab of ketchup

 

Skip the bun and go gluten-free wrapping in large lettuce leaf. Calories per veggie dog about 110 calories with toppings.

 

10 Great Tomato Snack Recipes with cancer fighting lycopene

Are you a tomato addict? Could you eat tomatoes for breakfast, snacks, appetizers, lunch and

supper? That's great because tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and lycopene (which is great for prostate

health and sexual prowess.) And, in the news, you can kick cancer butt with lycopene foods. Along

with cancer fighting lycopene, tomatoes have few calories, no fat and are satisfying. Here are the 10

best tomato recipes, tomato appetizers and healthy vegetarian breakfast recipes with tomatoes.

These cancer fighting tomato recipes help with weight loss, too.

Cancer fighting breakfast recipes of tomatoes and hummus: Mediterranean hummus, or tahini with

chickpeas, has become is a go-to protein supplement. For a snack, cut a tomato in bite-sized pieces

and dip in hummus (Greek hummus or hummus with pine nuts are the kinds). Make your own hummus

by blending chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and tahini. For low calorie weight loss hummus swap olive

oil for liquid from chickpeas.

Vegetarian breakfast recipes with grilled tomatoes: These healthy tomato recipes are filling, quick

and light. Dip tomatoes in panko crumbs seasoned with rosemary, basil, sage, garlic, onion and

thyme. Or use seasoned textured vegetable protein. Sauté or grill in olive oil, truffle oil or non-stick

cooking spray. Top with fresh basil and crumbled feta cheese.

Bread and tomato salad breakfast recipes: Chop tomatoes, onions, green peppers (or any color

peppers) and cucumbers. Add fresh basil, rosemary, sage and stale bread cubes. Dress with olive oil,

pomegranate vinegar, cracked pepper and a dash of salt. Add crumbled feta cheese or Parmesan

cheese if desired. These easy tomato recipes use up leftover bread and vegetables. It makes

delicious, healthy delicious lunch. Bread salad is low in fat and full of healthy goodness. Or make

cancer fighting tomato recipes without bread, using couscous. Add chopped mint, lemon juice and

parsley instead of basil and you'll have tabouleh.

Tomato sandwich breakfast recipes: Toast two slices of light oat grain bread. Spread with low-fat

cream cheese. Layer with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado and spinach. Season with black

pepper. Or swap bread for whole grain bagels and plain cream cheese for salmon cream cheese and

you'll have light bagels and lox. Or serve on English muffins, for eggless vegetarian Mc-Tomato

Muffins

Lycopene loaded tomatoes: Remove stem and core of tomato. Mix feta, Parmesan, shredded

mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese with pepper, chopped onion and garlic. Chop mushrooms and

mix by hand. Add shrimp for super fun breakfast recipes. Fill center of tomato. Grill or broil until

cheese is melted.

Tomato cucumber salad: For these vegetarian breakfast recipes, slice fresh cucumber and tomato

and fresh basil, sage, rosemary and red or sweet onion. Blend blend EVOO olive oil, mayonnaise, sour cream, acai vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables. Add chopped green pepper if desired.

Pizza pasta salad breakfast recipes: Cook and drain Barilla Protein Plus pasta. Barilla Protein Plus has

fewer calories with extra protein and omega. Chop Roma or salad tomatoes or slice a quart of grape

tomatoes in half. Add chopped onion, green pepper, green and black olives and cubed Colby cheese

or feta cheese. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar or white vinegar. Add sliced

mushrooms if desired. Season with black pepper. Chill.

Fiesta vegetarian beans and rice: Blend equal portions canned (drained) beans with cooked Jasmine,

brown or wild rice. Add sliced scallions, fresh cilantro, chopped tomatoes, avocados, garlic, green

peppers, canned chilies and pineapple, mango or papaya (if desired). Season with cumin, red pepper

and chili powder. Serve topped with melted cheese. Use any canned beans but the best are adzuki,

black (or turtle) beans and black eyed peas.

Lycopene filled breakfast recipes of tomatoes in cottage cheese: Cottage cheese has been a dieter's

delight for decades. Low in fat and high in protein, cottage cheese is a healthier dairy product. You

can use Greek yogurt, too. Dice fresh tomatoes and blend with cottage cheese and pepper.

Cancer fighting breakfast smoothies. Blend chopped tomato, grapefruit, black raspberries,

strawberries, blueberries, carrots, spinach and Greek yogurt for off-the-charts lycopene tomato

recipes.