New Orleans grits

Note: If you have any food allergies to shellfish, opt out the seasoning mix.

If you are looking for the taste of new Orleans, you can enjoy this bowl of Southern right at your fingertips.


Serves: 4

1 c. Grits
4 c. Water
1 Stick margarine, melt
1 1/2 tsp. Freshly minced garlic
1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1- 2 Shrimp seasoning (ramen seasoning packet)



Directions:

1. In a medium sized pot add butter, and minced garlic. Allow the butter to melt. Once Margarine is melted remove from the burner.

2. Slowly stir grits plus garlic butter,Cajun seasoning,Cayenne, Shrimp seasoning into boiling water.

3. Reducing down the heat to medium-low; cover. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until desirable texture.

Food News Flash.... Recall

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/dole-salad-recalled-after-listeria-kills-1-sickens-12-n502311

Food News Flash:
Living Better Cafe want to keep you in the know of food recall's that just recently appeared into the news, as this recall just came to my ear's today. So, I want to share it among you all. this is coming straight to you from "NBC news ", without any adaption added to this news. I am about helping you stay safe. So, please click on this link and continue to read, and don't forget to pass this on to your family/ friends as well. It's all about caring for the one's you love.


Happy Journey to Living Better!
Katrina Smith, (Creator/ Administrator)

Vegan Taco Chili

Who said Chili is just for meat eaters only? Not Living Better Cafe.
This chili you are sure going to love
Serves: 5

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery,chopped
1/2 (29 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 1/2 (15 oz.) cans pink beans
1/2 (11 oz.) can sweet corn (not creamed corn)
15 oz. Soy chorizo (casing removed)
1 1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 1/4 Tbsp. ground Chili powder
1 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped


Directions:

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven skillet. Add the soy chorizo and break up with the wooden spoon, until crumbled for 2 minutes and Set aside. Sautee the mushrooms, garlic, bell pepper, onion and celery until tender. Transfer them to a stock pot . Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, chorizo,beans and corn. Cook for at least an 45 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in the cilantro and simmer for 15 more minutes.

Coffee Talk... Episode 4

www.livingbettercafe.blogspot.com/coffeetelevision

On episode 4 of Coffee Talk, I will be discussing on "What Anaphylaxis is"?

If you enjoy watching Coffee Talk and think someone you know can benefit from this, consider "sharing" because it's not only helping you it can help others as well.

French Onion Soup

Serves: 1

1 c. sliced onions
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. Margarine
1 Beef flavor ramen packet
Course Himalayan Salt
Freshly grounded pepper
1 slice French bread
1 slice provolone cheese
1/2 slice Swiss cheese, diced
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. Fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Melt Margarine with olive oil in an 8 quart stock pot on medium heat. Add onions and continually stir until tender and translucent. Do not brown the onions.

2. Add beef flavor, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Heat the oven broiler.

4. Carefully Ladle soup into a oven proof safe serving bowls and place one slice of bread on top of each. Layer each slice of bread with a slice of provolone, Swiss and Parmesan cheese. Place bowls on cookie sheet and broil in the preheated oven until cheese bubbles and browns slightly.

Orange juice cookies

Adapted from: http://catcora.com/recipes/desserts/lemonade-cookies/

When I made Cat Cora's delicious Lemonade cookies for my family one spring day. I thought to myself that theses cookies can also be made using a different kind of juice, and I so happened to think Orange Juice.

Serves: 3 dozen approximately

1 6-oz. Can of Frozen orange Juice concentrate
1/2 lb. Unsalted margarine (2 sticks) (Softened)
1 C. Pure cane Sugar (Plus extra to sprinkle over the cookies)
2 Tbsp. Orange Zest (Finely Grated)
2 Large Eggs
2 1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/8 tsp. Course Himalayan salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Fill a metal large bowl with warm water, and place unopened can of orange juice inside to thaw... meanwhile mixing the cookie dough.

3. In a large glass bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar with a hand mixer, or electric mixer. Add in the orange zest, if desired. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture is light and creamy, 4-5 minutes, then set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

4. Measure out about 1/2 cup of the thawed Orange Juice and set the rest aside. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the creamed margarine and sugar. Stir, then add about one third of the 1/2 cup orange juice. Continue adding the flour and orange juice alternately, stirring after each addition, until the mixture shows no signs of flour. Beat on low speed with the mixer just until all the ingredients are combined.

5. on a ungreased cookie sheet drop teaspoonful of dough 2 inches apart.

6. Bake the cookies, checking them after 8 minutes. When the edges are just starting to brown, remove the cookies from the oven. (The centers will still look soft.) Using a pastry brush, immediately brush the top of each cookie very lightly with a little of the remaining Orange juice concentrate, then lightly sprinkle with sugar. Transferring the cookies to a rack and allow them to cool completely.

Money Saving Tip Tuesday... Margarine

Picture From: Tabletmag.com

Welcome to another edition of Money Saving tips.
In this edition I will be sharing some cool tips that won't break your bank, and will keep you smiling from ear to ear all the time.

Once again thank you for sticking around for, this third edition of money saving tips for this January edition. I will be bring you different money saving tip's daily on saving cash in your wallet, every Tuesday. This week on money saving tip's Living Better Cafe wants to, help you save more cash in your wallet than ever before. This week I will be giving you tip's on how you can make your own margarine at home. Yes, margarine can become quite expensive at times but, why spend a lot of money when you can spend less and make it yourself. So, I am here to give you some tips which also included a recipe that you can follow.

First there seem to be a battle over what is more healthy butter or, margarine as I have done researched plenty of times. While there is one research that really still stands out to me, and that would be back in the year of 2005. Reading after reading news paper articles and even going online. Researcher claimed that margarine was basically melted plastic. Weird hey? Yeah but, to each's own there is always going to be someone saying something negative about food.

So, you can read about the truth here at Living Better Cafe or, you can believe what the next researcher say's.

As I really could not rest until I got to the truth behind Margarine, and which I can finally say and hope you all can rest as well.

But, before I do I just want to point out that, every margarine company out there is not the same. For example, one company may use a scientific name for the ingredients they chose to place into their margarine. Which makes it harder for you and I to understand.

Yes, there has been rumor escalating around since 2005 but, I can finally help put these rumors to rest.

Some company's came to realize that the ingredients that they have been using was not good at all. So, they made a much better choice in going a different route. They swapped out the old and brought in the new, and what was the new? They started using vegetable oil or, canola oil.

Now let's get to the base on whether Margarine is good....Calorie wise!

Both butter and margarine carry the same amount of calories, and each of them carries about a Tablespoon.

I hope that I have helped you brighten your horizon on Margarine, that this make you rethink when you take your next trip to the grocery store. Why maybe your next trip will be going out and grabbing a few items to make it yourself.

So, Here is that recipe that I have mentioned.

1 C. Olive oil
1 C. Cold water
1 Tbsp. Liquid lecithin
7 Drops of yellow food coloring

Directions:

1. Add 1 c. each of oil and water to mixing bowl.

2. Add in lecithin and food coloring.

3. Mix until completely blended together.

4. once completely blended store inside your refrigerator to allow it to set.

*Flavor enhancer:
if you want to add flavor to make your Margarine pop, you can add the followings.

1. salt

2. Pepper

3. herbs

4. Spices

* Note:

What is Lecithin?

Lecithin is found in many animal and vegetable sources, including beef liver, steak, eggs, peanuts, cauliflower, and oranges. Commercial sources for lecithin may come from soybeans, egg yolk, or even brain tissue.

Now your next questions lies, where can you find Lecithin?

Lecithin can be found in most health food stores.

Next would be but, what if I can not find Lecithin?

Now, Now do not worry I have you covered, with common and scientific names.

So, lets start off with Common names first.

1. Lecithol

2. Vitellin

3. Kelecin

4. Granulestin

Now here are the scientific names

1. 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine

Living Better Precautions:

With everything you take in there is always a side effect. So, read the labels carefully and do ask questions? by going to the health pharmacist.