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Salmon, an HDL Cholesterol, Good Cholesterol Fish

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We had baked salmon steaks last night and they were delicious. I baked the salmon at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes for each inch of thickness of flesh until it flaked when tested with a fork. Then I drizzled garlic butter and lemon juice over each steak. I served the salmon with fresh asparagus and wild rice. My family loved it!

Salmon contains protein and Omega-3 fatty acids that increase HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and decrease triglycerides (fatty material that circulates in the blood).

Salmon is a fish that usually lives in salt water but spawns in fresh water. The flesh color ranges from orange to pink and deep red, depending on the type of salmon. The flavor ranges from mild to rich.

Wild salmon is considered more nutritious than farmed salmon.

Fresh salmon is marketed as steaks, fillets, or roasts. It’s also sold frozen, usually as fillets or steaks. It also can be found smoked, salted, and canned. The canned form is available with or without bones and skin. The bones of canned salmon, if present, are fairly soft. Other forms of salmon are smoked and gravlax. Gravlax is raw salmon, cured in a salt-sugar-dill mixture. It is sliced paper thin and served on bread or crackers as an appetizer.

Salmon can be baked, broiled, grilled, or poached.

The types of salmon

• Chinook or king is available from March to October. The deep salmon to white colored raw flesh is beautiful in gravlax or sushi. The oily-textured flesh broils and grills well because it needs little or no basting.
• Chum has a slightly coarser texture than the other salmons. You’ll have the most luck finding fresh chum in August and September. Depending on where it’s caught and at what point it is in the spawning cycle, the color of this salmon can range from red to light pink.
• Coho is also referred to as silver salmon because of its silvery belly and sides. Yet its flesh is pink to orange-red in color. Because of the small size of the farm-raised cohos, they’re an excellent choice for individual servings.
• Norwegian salmon is flown in fresh to the United States from Norway all year long. This mild-flavored salmon varies from pink to red in color and works well in most recipes.
• Sockeye, also known as red salmon, is primarily sold canned, but is also available fresh from June to November. As with the Chinook, the deep red color of sockeye makes it an excellent choice for gravlax and sushi.

Bake salmon steaks or fillets and then drizzle or brush with maple syrup or your favorite sauce, glaze, or one of Watkins spicy soy sauces. Or cook one of these recipes.

Citrus-Glazed Salmon

1 2-pound fresh or frozen salmon fillet, skin removed
Salt
Watkins Black Pepper
3/4 cup orange marmalade
2 green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dry white wine
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Cayenne Pepper
1/8 teaspoon five-spice powder
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Measure the thickest portion of the fillet. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Place in a shallow baking pan; set aside.
2. In a small bowl stir together marmalade, green onions, garlic, wine, ginger, mustard, cayenne pepper, and five-spice powder. Spoon mixture over salmon.
3. Bake, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness or until salmon flakes easily when tested with a fork. Transfer fish and glaze to a serving dish. Sprinkle with almonds. Makes 8 servings.

Linguine With Creamy Salmon Sauce

1 pound linguine
1-1/3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 package (10 ounces) frozen asparagus,
thawed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 packages (3 ounces each) smoked Pacific
salmon, drained and flaked
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Watkins Cayenne Pepper

1. Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water until al dente, tender but
still firm. Drain.

2. While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a medium-size saucepan,
bring cream and minced onion to a boil. Stir in asparagus and salmon.
Heat through. Turn off heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese, salt and
cayenne.

3. Toss linguine with the sauce, top with remaining cheese and serve
immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Eleisia Whitney is a Watkins Home Business owner. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, “Around the Kitchen Table,” that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products.
Read the current issue at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/april15-07newsletter.htm
Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/ and
http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/eleisiawhitney

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Websites In The Sand

Every once in a while I am reminded that working from home is a dream come true. Sometimes it’s a subtle reminder - a hug from my daughter or a bike ride with my son. Other times it just takes my breath away.

A few days ago, I had a reminder that took my breath away. My husband and I were standing on a beach on the Gulf of Mexico, a few miles from our home. It was our weekly brainstorming session. Once each week, we drop off the kids at school, buy a latte and plan our workweek. This week, we decided to meet at the beach.

We talked and drank our coffee, enjoying the salt air and the sounds of the waves crashing near us. I had my shoes off, and was enjoying the feel of the perfect white sand. Butterflies danced around us, and my hair kept blowing in my face. It was the perfect day.

One of the items on our agenda was the design of a new website. My husband smiled as he excitedly described what he had planned. I looked back at him, not quite understanding.

He picked up a stick, sat down and began drawing in the sand. First, a rectangle, then more lines and arrows as a website took shape. He talked and squinted up at me, looking for my approval. I took the stick from him and drew another rectangle next to his, offering ideas of my own.

We sketched and debated different layouts and the benefits of each decision on Search Engines and ease of navigation.

After we had created a row of rectangles down the beach, I smiled at our progress pleased that we had come to an agreement.

The meeting over, we held hands and walked away, while the waves washed away all evidence of our meeting.

My husband paused and said “This is what working at home is all about.”

I agreed.

Article by:

Nicole Dean is the proud owner of several websites including http://www.showmomthemoney.com/ - a resource for work at home moms and http://www.showkidsthefun.com/ - a fun site filled with crafts and activities for kids

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10 Tips On Working At Home With Young Children

Working at home can be stressful, especially with small children in the house. Where is the balance between work and home when home IS work? Here are some suggestions to help both you and your kids make the most of each day at the home office.

1. Try to get up at least an hour before the children. This gives you some quiet time to assess your daily priorities, stretch your body and mentally and physically prepare for the day ahead. This is YOUR time. It is of the utmost importance. Meditate at least 10 minutes in the morning. Visualize your day going smoothly.

2. Make sure that your children have your full attention when they first wake up. Give them hugs and kisses. Make them breakfast. Enjoy some snuggling and laughter. These are precious times that will not always be here. Give your children the gift of being present in the mornings.

3. Develop a routine with your kids. Keep your schedule essentially the same every day, but don’t be a slave to the clock. Each morning, set up a selection of fun things for them to do that will keep them happily entertained such as crayons and markers, table toys, play dough, watercolors or a small indoor sandbox with digging toys.

4. If you can afford it, hire a nanny or a school aged mother’s helper to come into your home for just a few hours a day to play with and attend to your children. This gives you total solitude at least for an hour or two, even if only a few times a week.

5. Don’t devote a set block of time to your work each day. Instead, have certain objectives, such as “I will work for 4 hours today.” Work during nap time. Sneak a few minutes during lunch or whenever the children are happily playing.

6. Allow for some flexibility, but don’t just abandon your work if the kids are not cooperating. You can be creative. Take them outside for a while. Let them be active with you and they will most likely give you the downtime you need to get some work done later on.

7. Let the kids help with small tasks. Let them staple, paper clip and help you “sort” or cut. They may not actually be assisting you with your work, but they will enjoy it and it makes them feel important, as if they are helping Mom with her work. Be sure to thank them for their help.

8. Try to save things that can be done after hours, such as internet work, filing, paperwork, checking emails etc. for when they have gone to bed. You will find that an hour of quiet working time will enable you to catch up on your day.

9. Stay in the present moment. If a kid needs a hug or some juice, don’t put them off or push them away. Remember the reason we wanted to work at home in the first place? So we can spend more time with our families. Give the hug…get the juice. Do it lovingly and be grateful for the opportunity.

10. Enjoy the journey! Life is too important to waste being stressed out about your business. Our children, their happiness and comfort are far more important that our business. The little things will take care of themselves when we are in the frame of mind to enjoy what we are creating for ourselves.

About The Author

Angie Hewerdine is a successful home business owner with a driving passion for helping others change their lives. She has assisted many in realizing and attaining their personal and financial objectives. Learn more at http://www.TheTimeForChange.com or call 1-800-491-4758.

angiehewerdine@libertyleague.com

Article Sourced from http://www.articlecity.com

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Cooking with Spring Fruits and Vegetables

An abundance of spring fruits and vegetables will soon be available at your supermarket, local grocery, or fruit stand. You might even have some growing in your home garden. Fresh fruits and vegetables are bursting with flavor and packed with vitamins. Include them in your family meals.

Spring Muffins
Strawberries and rhubarb are a winning combination, and their sweet-tart pairing makes these lovely muffins delightful as part of a meal or as a snack.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Watkins Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sliced fresh rhubarb

Topping
6 small fresh strawberries, halved
2 teaspoons sugar

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat egg, milk vanilla, and oil until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in strawberries and rhubarb.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Place a strawberry half, cut side down, on each. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

Springtime Coffee Cake
Delight with the fresh fruit flavor in this coffee cake. The strawberries and rhubarb make a nice combination.

2 cups unsweetened fresh or frozen strawberries
1-1/2 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water

Cake

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Watkins Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup cold butter or margarine
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Almond Extract (on sale this month)

Topping

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Ground Cinnamon
1 tablespoon cold butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a saucepan, combine strawberries, rhubarb and sugar; let stand for 15 minutes. Combine cornstarch and water; stir into the fruit mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and baking soda; cut in butter until crumbly. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk and extract; add to flour mixture and mix well. Spread half of the batter into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Carefully spoon the fruit mixture on top. Spoon remaining batter over fruit mixture.

For topping, combine sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 9-12 servings.

Spring Pea Salad
Celery, cauliflower, bacon and sunflower seeds add crunch to this refreshing spring blend.

1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed or 2 cups fresh peas
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 cup small cauliflowerets
3 spring green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Garlic Powder
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup sunflower kernels

In a large bowl, combine peas, celery, cauliflower and onions. Combine dressing and sour cream; pour over salad and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in bacon and sunflower kernels. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Creamy Asparagus Casserole

2 pounds fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk or half-and-half cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Granulated Black Pepper (on sale this month)
6 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed potato chips

Place the asparagus in a large saucepan with enough water to cover; cook until crisp-tender. Drain well; set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Layer half of the asparagus in a ungreased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Cover with half of the eggs, cheese and sauce. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with potato chips. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Eleisia Whitney is a Watkins Home Business owner. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, “Around the Kitchen Table,” that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products.
Read the current issue at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/april15-07newsletter.htm
Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/ and
http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/eleisiawhitney

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Let’s have a Dipping Lunch!

Let’s have a Dipping Lunch!

Occasionally, as a busy mom of four, I run out of time to prepare lunch. Thank goodness for Dipping Lunch! This is a life saver or has been more than once.
Our “dip” is peanut butter. Sometimes I use the peanut butter as is and sometimes I will add some water to it to thin it out a little. Then I serve the dip with cut up apples and carrots. We will also have some crackers with it too, if we have them at the time.

This is a fast and easy lunch that my kids love. The funny thing is that I consider this the back up lunch when I run out of time. The kids get so excited when they get to have Dipping Lunch. “Oh, Mom. Are we having Dipping Lunch today? Can I get out the apples?” It is so cute how helpful they get.
What a blessing for good and healthy meals, as well as excited children to eat it.
If your child is allergic to peanut butter, you can use something else as a dip. Ranch dressing is popular as well as any other salad dressings. I am sure a child would go for ketchup as a dip too.
————————– Stacey Walker has a Homemade Gourmet Home Business. She uses her Homemade Gourmet products regularly for cooking fast and easy to prepare meals. She is currently using Homemade Gourmet in her meal planning and when teaching her children to cook. Visit her website at www.4minutemeals.com

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Awesome Celeb Mom Quote

I was surfing online when I found a site that quoted Plenty star, Jamie Lee Curtis talking about how well her friends kids behave at her house:

“I have one rule - the kids walk in, the parents leave… and I look at the kid and I say, ‘You can do whatever you like at my house. You can run and jump and play, but if you get hurt, I fix it, it you need stitches I do them.”

“And I lay out a little needle, thread, a little piece of wood for them to chew on and a tourniquet, and what’s amazing is these kids never do anything wrong, nothing. They are perfect children.”

Beautiful, lol.

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A Home Business Should Be a Family Affair

If you own a home business, does your family participate or do you work alone?

I’ve heard tales, and for a short while lived them, about how a spouse will eagerly start a home based business of one sort or another and before they can even get their feet wet in the business - - BAM the other spouse starts belittling and generally putting a damper on the once enthusiastic entrepreneur’s ambitions.

Luckily for me, my husband saw that I don’t just talk about something that I intend to do, I do it - - so he’s since changed his tune; especially now that I make as much from my home businesses as I did from my prior job, and we don’t pay child care. Ha!

Anyway, it’s been over 2 years since all that mess transpired, and I’ve seen and heard just about every story imaginable on the subject of home business start-ups/failures. I’ve also learned that most spouses, family members and ‘friends’ react in such damaging ways out of either fear or ignorance. I suppose some are just plain mean, but well, that’s another issue we’ll leave for Dr. Phil or Oprah.

For lucky business builders who have encouraging families, the work at home life is good, very good. My 14 year old daughter is my part-time Assistant, and her small salary is tax deductible too, so there’s another plus in starting a business.

Creating a better future for the family is probably the most recurring ‘Why’ that I hear from new business owners. With such a strong reason driving the decision to work from home, then why shouldn’t the entire family be involved? It’s for them afterall.

Find a way that even the littlest member can take part in the family business. Remember too that helping with chores, running errands, baby-sitting for younger sibs, taking turns with dinner etc. are all just as important as being able to do home office work, if not ‘more’ important in the long run.

If you’re currently suffering with a spouse or partner who just doesn’t ‘get’ what you’re doing - please don’t give up. Keep on building and trying and help them ‘get’ it through concrete results. Usually, with some home businesses, positive results that a ‘non-biz’ type can wrap their minds around, does take time. Unfortunately cash talks, however, and they may not take you seriously until you can show them your first check; and with persistence and consistency - - You will.

To Our Mutual Prosperity ~

Article by:

Sherry Frewerd publishes several websites for affiliate promotion and network marketing home businesses. Come Network with Sherry and Other Family Home Business Builders at ‘Your Family Business’ yourfamilybusiness-network.ryze.com/ Today!

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Baked Ham - What Should I Do With the Leftovers?

If you baked a ham for Easter you probably have some leftover. We usually have a second meal of baked ham and save a few slices for ham sandwiches.

Don’t let any of that delicious ham go to waste. Store leftover ham in your refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Freeze leftover cooked ham for 1 to 2 months. Place in a freezer bag so it won’t dry out. Freeze slices or diced ham. Place one cup of diced ham in a freezer bag and freeze. When ready to use, defrost and add to pasta, scrambled eggs, potatoes, or soup.

• Add diced ham to scrambled eggs.
• Make breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs, diced ham, chopped green or red pepper, chopped green onion, and a dab of salsa. Roll in a warm flour or wheat tortilla.
• Add diced ham to pasta salad.
• Add diced ham to bean soup.
• Add diced ham to scalloped or au gratin potatoes.
• Mix finely chopped ham with sweet pickle relish and salad dressing for ham salad sandwiches.
• Add diced ham to fettuccine and vegetables in a creamy garlic sauce.

Hash Brown Quiche

Tasty hash brown potatoes form a crust for an egg-and-ham filling in this easy brunch or supper dish. Plus, it’s a delicious way to use up leftovers from your Easter ham!

3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup chopped cooked ham
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 thinly sliced green onions
3 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Press the potatoes between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Press onto the bottom and the side of an 8-inch pie plate. Drizzle with the butter. Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.

Combine the ham, Cheddar and bell pepper in a medium bowl and mix well. Spoon into the hash brown crust. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add the milk, salt and black pepper and mix well. Pour the egg mixture over the ham mixture. Bake the quiche until set, 25 to 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8

Per serving 201 Cal.; 12g Protein; 14g Fat (8g saturated); 7g Carb.; 512mg Sodium; 129mg Chol.; 1g Fiber

Eleisia Whitney is a Watkins Home Business owner. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, “Around the Kitchen Table,” that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products.
Read the current issue at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/april1-07newsletter.htm
Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/ and
http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/eleisiawhitney

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Kids Room Paint

I found a really neat paint in the Lee Valley catalogue a few weeks ago - it is called Magnetic Paint. It is actually a primer that has very very tiny particles of metal in it. When you paint your wall with it, and then paint any color latex paint over top, magnets will stick to the wall. That would be great for any kid’s room - it basically turns your wall into a giant alphabet letter board!

You can also buy a paint that is called a BlackBoard Paint (at local hardware stores) which when used on the walls, leaves a blackboard finish that can be drawn on with chalk and erased/washed just like a chalkboard! Also great for a kids rooms!

I have no idea why, but I was thinking about paint today and it occurred to me that if you used the Magnetic Primer with the Blackboard Paint, you would have the ultimate magnetic blackboard wall! My nephew’s mom had mentioned one time that she thought it would be neat to do her son’s room with blackboard paint on the bottom half, with a chair railing around the middle and then regular paint/decor on the top half. The benefit of that is that they can actually reach the blackboard area. Another option would be to pick one wall and use molding to mark off a section of the wall like a real blackboard area, or to pick a specific area like the closet doors.

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Tangram Puzzles

A tangram is an ancient chinese moving piece puzzle, consisting of 7 geometric shapes, 5 triangles, a square, and a parallelogram.

It interests the math inclined with the geometry and ratios of the pieces. You find them used in classrooms around the world to teach basic math ideas in an interesting way.

When making your own tangram you can use any material you want so long as you can cut or form it into shape. To start, paper, cardboard, or fun foam work well. If you find yourself using it a lot you may want to choose something more sturdy like plastic or wood. Sets have even been made out of metals, stone, and ivory. Whatever material you choose, make sure you have a square piece approximately 4″x4″. You can scale it up or down if you desire, but 4″ is an easy size to work with. You will also need something to cut that material with.

Draw a 4×4 grid on your material. Then mark the cutting lines as shown below in blue.

Carefully cut along the blue lines. Keep them as straight as possible.

So, what do you do now that you have your pieces? You play with them of course!

The basic rules are to use all 7 pieces to create a design. The pieces must all lay flat, no overlapping, and must be touching. Of course, you can also break the rules and just have fun making designs.

For more fun, make one set of pieces for each person and have a race to see who can figure out a design the fastest. Or, you can each create your own design, trace the outline, and then challenge the other person to recreate it.

To get design ideas or try it out without the cutting, check out this Virtual Tangram Puzzle website recommended in the Quicklinks from the Illustrated Dictionary of Math.

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