!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Junk Food To Health Food Having helped family and friends cross-over from junk food to health food, I can make it easier for you. It's best done quietly, gradually and gently. In other words, be sneaky! Whenever possible, slip in healthy ingredients. "How would I ever get my loved ones to eat that stuff?" There is a way to do it without running into a brick wall. You don't believe me? Well, read on and see! Begin by modifying their favorite, familiar foods by replacing not so healthy ingredients with healthy ones. The transition from unhealthy to healthy foods takes months, and may even take years for the more stubborn types! First off, toss your salt and pepper shakers or give them to Goodwill. Instead of salt, use one of the herbal vegetable salt substitutes and a few drops of lemon juice. Keep a bottle of lemon juice or a plastic lemon in the fridge for ease of use. Use cayenne, in small amounts for black pepper. To lower your cholesterol level, replace butter with the new and very tasty, non-hydrogenated canola oil spread. It's just like tub margarine in consistency, and like butter in taste. Any of the vegetable oils - canola, safflower, sesame, etc. (best to buy organic to avoid dangerous pesticide toxins) can be used wherever it calls for butter and margarine. Editor's note: Canola oil with a few sprinkles of herbal salt or garlic powder tastes as good as butter on toast. It's also a nice baked potato topping when mixed with grated soy cheddar cheese, amino acids and spices. Bake with fructose (fruit sugar), concentrated fruit juices, stevia (a very sweet herbal derivative), rice, malt or barley syrup, maple syrup, molasses and honey instead of refined white sugar. Substitute carob for chocolate. To begin, replace half the chocolate with carob. Carob comes in powder, square and chip form, just like chocolate. Loaded with protein, vitamins, minerals and iron, it contains one-hundredth the amount of fat found in chocolate. The toasted carob powder is more flavorful than the raw. You can even make fudge, cake and brownies - anything that calls for chocolate in it! Replace bleached white flour with unbleached white flour. They process white flour with chlorine which is injurious to our health and the environment! Also, some food manufacturers load their flour up with preservatives and enrich them with nearly unassimilable synthetic vitamins and minerals. It would be even better to omit white flour from your diet and bake with whole wheat. If you are allergic to wheat, there are many flours to choose from as mentioned earlier. For extra protein, put some soy flour in your sauces and gravies. To lower your cholesterol, put a couple of tablespoons of oat bran in everything you bake. Oat bran can also be used in place of cracker crumbs for ground meat dishes. NOTE: Oat, spelt, barley and brown rice floursare the best for baking, especially when used in combination. For very buttery, flakey biscuits and cookies use mostly brown rice flour with some oat and spelt flours - substitute half of the oil with canola spread. While we're on the subject of baking, here's an effective, aluminum-free rising agent recipe;: one teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt (alright to use in baking and very rarely in soups, etc.), and one tablespoon of cider vinegar or fresh lemon in one cup of cow's or brown rice or soy milk. I find this substitute more satisfactory than pre-made baking powder. If you eat ground beef, try cooking with lower fat ground turkey or chicken. Since chicken burger is less fatty than turkey, it needs a little added oil. If preferred, make the change more slowly by starting with a 50/50 beef and tofu or turkey mixture. For those of you who have never heard of tofu, is a high protein soybean product. It is light textured and tasting, easy to digest and versatile in its use. It's the perfect meat extender. Add it to your soups, scrambled eggs and Chinese stir fry. To give tofu more flavor, marinate it for two hours in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or saltless, Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids (soy sauce substitute), 1/2 tablespoon sesame or canola oil, fresh garlic and/or spices of your choice. Gradually replace red meat with more fish and fowl. Many are unknowingly allergic to dairy products and endure sinus pain, frequent colds and other respiratory problems. Milk protein is believed to require an excess of pancreatic enzymes to digest it, and is mucous-forming. A lot off people are also intolerant of the lactase enzyme in milk. So, rather than dairy, why not switch to soy? Soybeans are 35 percent protein, 35 percent carbohydrate and 18 percent fat. They provide complete protein, essential amino acids, calcium and B vitamins. Use soy milk** anywhere milk is needed. There's a great tasting soy cheddar cheese that makes wonderful grilled cheese sandwiches, just like the real thing! It's great in omelettes, souffles and Mexican dishes, too. And, there's mozzarella - makes an outrageous pizza (make crust out of biscuit dough for a quickie pizza, garlic herb and jalapeno soy cheese. There's even soy mayonnaise, ice cream, yogurt, pudding, sour cream and cheese cake - all delicious! **Be adventurous! Cook with other kinds of "milk," such as rice, almond, walnut, cashew, etc. You can make your own by adding 1 cup of almonds, walnuts or cashews to about 3 cups of water, then blend the mixture until you have the desired consistency. You can strain it or enjoy as is. It's a nutritious way to get some extra fiber in your diet. If they love marvels of grease like Sloppy Joes and french fries, lower the fat content by replacing half the meat with tofu and oven-fry the french fries. Natural foods do not have to taste like cardboard! Many delectable dishes can be created with a few spices, simple ingredients and a little ingenuity. Coming up, some recipes for fun and tasty food. Family and friends will think they're in fast-food heaven! Sloppy Joe's Chop 1/4 cup of onions. Saute them with 1/2 pound of turkey burger, half meat and soy or one package of tofu with 1/4 teaspoon each of basil, marjoram, sage, garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of herbal salt or amino acids. For a Tex-Mex flair, add chopped bell pepper, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, oregano and fresh minced garlic. Next, add tomato sauce and cook for 1/2 hour or until meat is done, and sauce is thick. For tofu, simmer for 20 minutes or so. Serve on natural grain buns or rice bread with fires and a natural milkshake. Light Fries Cut four unpeeled (to benefit from the vitamins and minerals in the skin), medium sized potatoes into french fry-like strips. If you want Jo Jo's, cut them into thick and chunky pieces. Immediately after cutting, put strips into a bowl of ice water with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for 5 minutes. Then drain and dry. Place in a bowl and add 3 tablespoons of canola oil, and stir with a fork until potatoes are evenly oiled. Sprinkle with an herbal salt, garlic powder and a bit of nutritional yeast and stir until equally covered. Let sit for 5 minutes while oven preheats to 400 degrees. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until browned, stirring every 3 minutes so that they get evenly browned. Carob Shake Delight Pour 1 quart of soy, rice or nut milk into blender, and add 1 tablespoon honey, malt or barley syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup. Then add 1/4 cup of toasted carob powder. While blending slowly add 1 cup of crushed ice and drizzle 2 teaspoons canola oil for thickening. Add malt powder if you like. For variety, use half cocoa powder, mint and other natural flavorings. For a mocha shake, add 1 tablespoon of any of the natural caffeine-free coffee substitutes. For a Mexican chocolate taste, add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. You can also add some yogurt ice cream or Rice Dream; a delicious and creamy rice ice cream. Hot and Cozy Carob Nothing like snuggling up with your mate and sharing a cup of hot cocoa on a wintry night! Follow a standard cocoa recipe, using carob powder for the cocoa powder, soy or rice milk for the cow's milk. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and drrizzle 1/4 teaspoon of canola oil in while blending on high speed until frothy. Heat it in saucepan over a low flame or between the low and 2 setting on electric stoves. Stir it often until hot. Since carob is naturally sweet, no sweetening is necessary. If you like, however, add about 2 teaspoons of the sweetener of your choice. For thicker "cocoa," use the creamy original or the vanilla delight soy milk. Great with french toast! Fantastic French Toast 1 cup of milk of preference, 3 eggs (can use Egg Replacer, actual product name, or just make it with milk), 1 teaspoon, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix until eggs are thoroughly beaten and/or other ingredients are combined. Next, pour into a large, rectangular or round baking dish, and soak natural grain bread or thick slices of sourdough french. Fry in a cast iron skillet with just enough oil to cover the pan. Since polyunsaturated oils turn into hydrogenated when they're heated, it's best not to eat this and other fried dishes too often. You can bake french toast at 375 until both sides are browned, also. Serve hot with natural jam, fruit syrup or maple syrup. Breakfast Crunch Have you ever eaten granola? How about homemade? Well, if you haven't, you're in for a treat! Granola is great for a quick, energizing breakfast. Kids love it. Put it in their school lunch for a healthful snack. Here's how to make it: Put 2 cups of rolled oats, 1/2 cup of sesame seeds, 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, 1 cup walnuts or other nuts, 1/2 cup oil. 1/2 - 3/4 cup honey or sweetener of choice, 2 teaspoons vanilla and cinnamon if you wish into a large bowl and stir until ingredients are well combined. Then, spread 3/4 - 1 inch thin on baking sheets. Bake at 325 degrees, stir in 10m minutes, then stir every few minutes. Bake until evenly, lightly browned. Let Cool and enjoy with your favorite milk and fresh fruit, if you wish. Also, you can add raisins or dried fruit and different grains, seeds, nuts and flavorings to your granola. Experiment! Banana Cashew Cakes Mix 3 cups whole wheat flour or a combination of flours with 1/2 cup of cashews, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Then, in a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs thoroughly, and add 2 1/2 cups of milk, 1 tablespoon honey, 4 tablespoons oil, 2 teaspoons cider vinegar or 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 2 diced bananas. Combine all ingredients and stir just until mixed. Let batter sit for 5 minutes. Cook on a hot griddle or in a large cast iron skillet. Serve hot with canola oil spread and fruit or maple syrup. Enjoy! NOTE: Can omit the eggs and add1/2 cup of natural applesauce instead. Also, you can make pancakes without salt and sugar. Editor's note: For cookbook titles, please refer to "Reading List" from the menu. _____________________________________________________________ End of chapter.