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Vitae Elixxir Healing Herbs

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6 Tips to Lose Weight

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Friday, November 20, 2015

Green Beans with Shiitake Bacon

I've got some great recipes for your fall and winter enjoyment. I hope I can get them all to you in time. Great for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the many parties requiring a "dish to share."

Consider last week's Pear and Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash the first installment. Please subscribe to this blog to get them all.

Here's a yummy bean recipe for those who love green beans, but don't love the milk-based ingredients or the bacon that seems to be the latest to add to veggie salads and side dishes. Whaa! Can anyone tell me what bacon is doing in a broccoli salad?
Did you hear or read that the World Health Organization (WHO) is telling us that processed meat is cancer-causing? Yeah! That means bacon with the added nitrates, nitrites, and other chemicals.
Back to our recipe... You'll never miss the real bacon. Using shiitake mushrooms soaked in tamari, maple syrup and balsamic then roasted in smoked sea salt, you'll discover a whole new kind of wow you can add to a dish.

I discovered this great bacon substitute at the Soup Addict when I made the Vegetarian BLT Tacos with Shiitake Bacon. Check our other recipes at the Soup Addict. I know you'll find something to love. Karen is not a vegan nor vegetarian, but does post recipes that are—or can easily be modified, such as substituting items like butter with something appropriate for my diet.


Here's what the shiitake mushrooms look like after being soaked in the tamari, maple syrup and balsamic mixture and laid out to roast.

Don't fret if you don't have sherry vinegar for finishing off the cooked beans. You can use any vinegar you might have, for example, apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar.

Green Beans with Shiitake Bacon

from Chris Pedersen
yield 4-6 servings

category Side Dish
cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian

ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt (smoked is best)
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/4" (stems discarded)
1 Tbsp oilive oil
1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
1.5 lb. green beans, ends trimmed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried majoram
2 tsp sherry vinegar
fresh ground pepper to taste

directions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack centered. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Whisk olive oil, tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika and balsamic in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add shiitake slices, tossing until each piece is thoroughly coated.
3. Spread mushrooms in a single layer on baking sheet. Season generously with smoked salt. Roast the mushrooms for 20 minutes then flip over and roast another 10 minutes. Finished mushrooms should be dark and sizzling, but not charred.
4. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. Add olive oil to large skillet or wok on medium heat. Add shallot and cook for 5 minutes until soft. 
6. Add green beans, salt and marjoram. Cook and stir 5 minutes or more until green beans are crisp to tender. Add cranberries, sprinkle sherry over beans and stir until beans are cookied, but not soft (about 5 minutes).
7. Season with pepper and serve with shiitake "bacon" sprinkled on top.

I had a little more shiitake mushroom bacon than I needed to put on the beans. If that happens, hold the extra back and add it to your organic eggs the next morning for a delicious change of pace. Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that earlier.

What's your favorite recipe to take to a holiday party?


Sunday, November 15, 2015

It Takes Time & Patience...

Friday, November 13, 2015

Pear & Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash

What are your plans for the Thanksgiving table? Are you doing traditional Turkey and all the accompanying starchy foods? Or do you plan to make some changes in your meal choices because you've been adjusting your lifestyle to be healthier?

There are great options for yummy food–perfect for fall. I made this delicious recipe and it was all we had for dinner. Mmmmm! The fresh herbs make it really sing and it's so easy to prepare.

The recipe calls for red D'Anjou pear, but you can use any variety of pear. I used a Bartlett pear and it  was mmmm good. I think you could experiment with using other fruit. How does fuyu persimmon sound?  I must try that one. Persimmons are my favorite fall fruit—maybe my all time fav actually.

Pear & Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash

from Costco Connection
yield 4-8 servings
category Main Course
cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian

ingredients
2 Acorn Squash
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 C chopped pistachios
2 Tbsp diced pistachios
1 red D'Anjou pear, diced
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 springs of rosemary, finely chopped
10 leaves of mint, finely chopped
4 springs thyme, finely chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper

directions
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Slice squash in half through stem and scoop out seeds.
2. Place squash cut side up on baking sheet. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 30-35 minutes, or until soft.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the cup of chopped pistachios, pear, oil, maple syrup, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper.
4. Portion out the pear mixture to fill the squash halves and sprinkle with the diced pistachios.
5. Preheat broiler. Place the squash under broiler for about 3 minutes, until golden. Serve warm.

I plan on bringing this dish to the family Thanksgiving dinner at my brothers. I used to bring the Tofurky with vegan dressing for any vegans (which is usually just me and my hubby) at the feast. But since I stopped eating soy this year, I'm bringing only veggie options for my meal. No more fake turkey.

What changes have you made that will effect your Thanksgiving meal?

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

20 Questions to Ask Your Oncologist

Chris Wark, fellow cancer conquerer, cancer killer, cancer whisperer and all around nice guy, is making a difference in disseminating the truth about cancer. He just posted a great resource that everyone should have for themselves or someone they know who is facing cancer. Go to ChrisBeatCancer.com and sign-up for his FREE 20 questions for your oncologist.

Asking the right questions is a powerful tool and (as Chris had learned) can save your life.

Chris writes, "Most cancer patients have NO IDEA what they are getting into. They have no idea how effective the treatments will be. They have no idea what the real risks are. They have no idea how much suffering is involved. They have no idea about the long-term damage the treatments will inflict on their body... "

And oncologists are likely not going to tell you... unless you insist and ask the questions.


Getting truthful answers to your questions, may cause you to wonder whether the recommended conventional treatments are worth it. It may send you on a journey to find a better way to heal from cancer. One that will not harm you in the process.

Remember one thing, you have time to get answers—take that time to do your research and be informed. Check our my post I Have Cancer—6 Tips for help.

Which questions on Chris' list surprised you?

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Now Appearing: Cure Today Online Magazine

I'm happy to announce that I am a new contributor at Cure Today online magazine. Catch my debut article Being Passionate About Health Saved My Life. You may learn a bit more about me you didn't already know.

As you might guess, I provide a different approach than most contributors to the site, who offer stories of survival while undergoing the conventional treatment of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Take a look around and read a few other posts.

Look for future articles at Cure Today that provide motivation and support for a different approach to cancer. Something you (my faithful readers) would expect from me.

Note: If you haven't gotten to see The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest 9-part video series, you would have missed my interview in Episode 9. You'll hear me speak to being an example of epigenetics. Look for epigenetics to be the subject of a future post. Some viewers of the series wrote me and expressed a hope for their genetic cancer condition after watching me.

What would you like to see me address in this blog or at Cure Today?