Thyme to Lose

     Does everyone have their bags packed?  I wish we were all going to the Mediterranean, but since that's not happening, we can have lunch and pretend we are sitting on a balcony in Santorini, enjoying the view and the flavors of a Mediterranean inspired egg salad.      I love egg salad and Mediterranean food.  Tossing in some sun dried tomatoes and olives makes a regular salad extraordinary.        First, chop your hard-boiled eggs into a medium size bowl.        Prepare the veggies.  Although it's not listed in the recipe, you can see I added about a tablespoon of capers, only because I had some in the fridge that needed used.  Feel free to throw in anything that you think would make a tasty addition.      After prepping the veggies, add them to the eggs.      In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, lemon juice and spices, stir until well ...

     Wow!  Hot weather has hit here in West Virginia!  It's the time of the year when it's tempting to open up my freezer and climb inside.  Just kidding, it's the time of year when it's a good thing to open up the freezer and grab a casserole that only needs to be heated.  Even better-open up the freezer and grab a casserole that is not only ready to heat, it's delicious and for those of us who are diabetic or just watching their carbs, is low carb!      Baked spaghetti casserole is so good.  You might be thinking that I'm nuts for talking about spaghetti in a low carb dish, and I would be, but in this casserole the pasta is replaced by spaghetti squash.  So tasty and healthy!      Let's make it! Begin by preheating your oven.  Cut your squash right down the center lenghthwise. (To make it easier, poke a couple of holes in them and microwave for about 4-5 minutes.)  Place the halves cut side down on...

Sweet Potato Pancakes      I think spring is within sight.  According to the calendar it's already here, but I guess Mama Nature didn't get the memo.        I love sweet potatoes!  I love them any way you prepare them, I even munch on them raw.  Raw sweet potatoes are a tasty, crunchy snack.  Pancakes are a different story, I'm not a huge fan of them, but I love making them.  I know, it's a little weird to enjoy making something I don't like, but I don't think I've ever been called normal.      Recently I had a couple of sweet potatoes that needed consumed, so, I baked one of them and ate it, but there was still one left.  What should I do with only one sweet potato?  Hmmmm.....sweet potato pancakes!      They were fun to make, and super easy, I just put everything into a bowl, mixed, scooped out into a hot buttered skillet and cooked.  That's almost too easy, if...

     Is it easy?  Eggsactly so!     Eggs really are the incredible food. Such a tiny thing, yet, those little things are stuffed full of yummy, healthy nutrition-except carbs-they are happily lacking in that category.  According to the AEB, (American Egg Board), 1 egg (50g) has 70 calories and 0 carbohydrates, making them the perfect addition to a low carb diet.  Eggs are a little high in cholesterol, so if that's a concern you want to be careful and don't go hog wild and eat a dozen of them every day.      Eggs can be prepared in nearly any way you can think of, but for those of us who are weight conscious, boiled is a wonderful way of cooking them.  Boiled eggs are one of my favorite snacks, as well as a favorite breakfast item.  Anyone other than me put sriracha sauce on their eggs? Yummy!      How many times have you attempted to peel a boiled egg only to get frustrated because it was hard t...

Low Carb-High Flavor      🎜 I'm Popeye the Sailor Man, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man, I'm strong to the finich 'cause I eats me spinach...🎝  Oh, please excuse me!  I never eat spinach that this tune doesn't pop into my head, and out of my mouth.      I love spinach-always have.  I put it in omelets,  in salad, in green soup, on pizza, sauté it by itself and more.      Not only is a pretty little leaf, it is so good for your body.  One cup (30 grams) has a whopping 7 calories; 56% of the daily recommended value of vitamin A; 14% DV vitamin C; 15% DV folate, and 181% DV vitamin K.      Look at this richly colored green goodness:      You know what goes great with spinach?  Cheese.  Cheese goes great with spinach.  You wanna know something else that complements both spinach and cheese?  Eggs.  A combination that equals low carb tastiness. ...

Stuffed With all the Stuff      Everybody loves potatoes, well, not everybody, my dad didn't.  Potatoes were my mom's favorite food.  However, she didn't like them mashed.  I like them mainly because you can do anything with them: boiled potatoes...fried potatoes...mashed potatoes...potato salad...potato soup...enough with the Forrest Gumpism stuff.      Speaking of stuff and potatoes, last night I made Super Stuffed Potatoes for my dinner.  I ate a whole one even though a half is a serving.  Let me just say this: I was stuffed after eating one stuffed potato.      First, scrub four large potatoes, I used Russets, that's my preferred variety because they work well for nearly every way you cook them.  Put them into the preheated oven.      Make your cheese sauce combining flour, nutmeg and a pinch of salt with milk in a small saucepan.  Stir well until all the flour is ...

Something Fishy is Going On      Salmon.  So versatile, so healthy, actually one of the healthiest foods on earth.  There is more than a day's worth of vitamin D in just one serving.  Salmon is rich in Omega-3, a necessary nutrient found to help prevent osteoporosis and is also anti-inflammatory.  Eating salmon is a great way to keep your bones strong.      You've heard that fish is brain food, right?  It's true!  Omega-3 rich foods have been proven to aid memory, as well as other brain functions.  Salmon also contains selenium and both vitamins A and D, which help protect the brain from age related damage.      Various studies suggest that salmon may possibly help prevent ADHD in children and help them focus better.  That's a good thing!      Because of Omega-3, eating salmon regularly can lower your risk of atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and stroke.   ...