Tips and Tidbits

Whoops! Spring break took a little too long! I have also been working in the yard and garden and neglected my blog. Gardening is excellent exercise by the way, just don't strain anything. Stretching before and after all that shoveling, planting and mowing is a good way to loosen those muscles.

Easter weekend just passed and like every holiday at our house, it's an excuse to overeat. This holiday, I really made an effort to keep things light. One way I cut calories is to use less of certain ingredients than the recipe calls for or to substitute ingredients. I usually cut back on sugar in things like muffins, drinks, etc. I use 1/4 to 1/2 less sugar with no complaints from the family. We love cheese but I use less of it in cooking too and also use the lower fat cheese. I never use no fat cheese as it tastes awful and does not melt the same. I use no fat plain yogurt in recipes that use sour cream as I like the taste better than the no fat sour cream. My hash brown potato casserole contained 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup, no fat plain yogurt, 2% milk cheese and 1/3 the butter and still tasted rich and delicious.

Who would have thought that Paula Deen ever made anything light but I tried one of her salmon recipes and it received favorable reviews from the family. This is also a very pretty dish. Here it is:

Baked Salmon with Strawberry Salsa
4 to 6 salmon fillets, one orange
Sprinkle fillets with salt and red pepper flakes to taste and place in a greased baking dish. Place a thin slice of orange on top of each fillet.
Wash and slice a pint of strawberries. Mix strawberries with 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup sliced green onions, one clove minced garlic and spoon over fish. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Y'all, it doesn't get much easier or healthier than this!
Tip: I always use the jarred, minced garlic. Use about 1 tsp. for each clove called for.