Cooking Lessons 101 (Part 3)

TODAY we're gonna talk about some healthy eating issues! I bought a book published by Prevention Magazine which had 2 FABULOUS ideas (among tons of others, to be sure) that I quickly incorporated. The first is MUFA! That stands for mono-unsaturated fatty acid and it's something that THEY say should be on every plate at every meal! Things such as avocados, nuts, olives, olive oil, etc. (This part you can look up!) SO, I took an idea from somewhere else and came up with this little basket which sits on our kitchen island. Prevention's book suggested I put a Tablespoon in the mix - because this kind of "open snacking" can quickly get out of hand - calorically. I change up the mix from time to time - but it usually always includes:

Almonds

Pistachios

Raisins - or dried cranberries

Sunflower seeds

Next is a fabulous twist on plain ole water - official name ... SASSY WATER! It requires:2 liters filtered water
1 cucumber - peeled and sliced thinly
1 lemon - sliced thinly
1 "knuckle" of ginger (about 1 tsp. grated)
12 mint leavesCucumbers nestling in the bottom of the pitcher.
Lemons - be sure to wash that peeling VERY well if it's gonna sit in your water!Ginger - you have to peel it. I just love the smell - it's not for everybody for sure but it is FABULOUS for settling stomachs. This water is a great daily de-tox.

I have a lot of graters. The big thing here has 3 sizes - none work well. The zester I got from Martha Stewart will do the job but it is QUITE a mess!

So this is my weapon of choice - my trusty mortar and pestle. I toss the ginger chunks in there and wham away til it looks like this:
That's it - toss in the 12 mint leaves and fill it all up with filtered water.ALL DONE - stir, cover and refrigerate overnight. I use a little tea strainer to keep the chunks from getting in my water - but the cucs are quite tasty. I put it in a stemmed glass and feel like I'm in a pricey spa! GET SASSY!