Mr. Lail on Hwy 127 has had some incredible peaches this year. Our favorite peach ice cream recipe follows:

3-4 fresh, ripe peaches, pealed and sliced
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
1/8 cup honey
2 tablespoons vanilla
4 cups of Harris Teeter Vanilla Rice Milk (found in cartons in the baking section of the grocery


Blend the above mixture with a hand wand, blender or food processer. Taste the mixure at this point- you may want to add a little more vanilla or a bit more apple juice. Some peaches are sweeter than others. We have one of the old Donvier table top ice cream makers so at this point I pour the mixture into the frozen cylinder. I keep the cylinder frozen so an ice cream treat can be impromptu.

If you aren't able to enjoy it all the left over ice cream can be stored in plastic containers in the freezer.

My basil plant had a good year and my favorite recipe using basil is pesto.

3 cloves of garlic- I use the jar garlic with oil that is found in the produce section of the grocery
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts- I used almonds the last time I made pesto and I liked it
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

This pesto is great to sautee fresh chicken breasts in. A friend uses it on sandwiches in lieu of mayonaise. When entertaining it is good with a little fresh parmesan cheese grated on top and served for dipping bread in. I have also used it as a salad dressing.

Enjoy!!

In Western North Carolina it has been cool and rainy a good bit lately which makes me think of spaghetti. I try to keep both ground beef and ground turkey patties in the freezer. I buy the ones that are growth hormone and antibiotic free. On spaghetti nights I pull one of either type of patty out of the freezer and let it thaw to use in the sauce.

Simple Spaghetti Sauce

1 ground beef or turkey patty
1 T garlic ( I like to use the garlic that comes in a jar with oil- you can find it in the produce section of the grocery- be sure to refrigerate it after you open it)
Salt to taste
1 T olive oil
1 large carton or can of tomatoes
Oregano to taste (fresh is great if you have it)
Pepper to taste
Maple Sugar to taste
De Boles artichoke spaghetti noodles

In a sauce pan sautee the garlic in oil. Add patty and sautee until cooked. Add the tomatoes, salt, oregano, pepper and sugar. Cook for 20-30 minutes on low heat.

In a separate pot cook the noodles for 7 minutes. I generally add some olive oil and salt to the water. Stir a couple of times to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other or the bottom of the pot. Rinse and drain.

This sauce freezes well. I always have enough left over for lunch the next day or to freeze for a quick meal later on.

On a night when you have nothing planned, dinner can be served in around 30 minutes. Add a quick salad to round out the meal.

Sometimes if I don't have salad materials or if I don't have much time or energy left I sautee some frozen broccoli and serve it over the noodles with the sauce.

Compounding Pharmacy Class
We had dinner with friends last weekend and I learned about the hormone classes the Compounding Pharmacy has for women. I have heard about them for years but never taken the time to call and register to attend one. The next one is full but the one after that is April 31st and there are slots still available. It lasts from 6:30-9:00 and is free. The number is: 828 324-4115 if you want to attend. I will be there. The things my friend told me that she learned in the class were astounding. Any of us who don't feel 100 per cent all of the time or who are struggling with our weight should attend this class. Wouldn't it be fun to all go together?

My niece, Christina shared a wonderful website with me this week: http://www.healthnotes.info/qs_db/index.cfm?org=sss Check out their recipes. I plan to try this one over the weekend. It is from THE PUMP ENERGY FOOD cookbook:

Baked Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

3 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (about 20 tomatoes) coarsley chopped
3 tbs rinsed and drained capers
1 tbs marjoram
1/4 c white balsamic vinegar
1 tbs water
6 boneless skinless breasts
olive oil cooking spray (I bought a stainless steel sprayer from a cooking store (Target has them too) and just fill it with olive oil-LSN note)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a small bowl combine tomatoes, capers, marjoram. Add vinegar and water and stir.

Lay chicken on work surface, cover with plastic wrap and pound gently with meat mallet or flat side of frying pan until about one inch thick and even. Put chicken in shallow baking dish and spray with olive oil

Spoon tomato mixture over and around chicken. Bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with sun dried tomatoes and capers spooned over it.

Enjoy!!

Spring is here and I know many of you are interested in losing a little weight prior to vacation time. We are eating complex carbs, vegetables, fruits, lean meats healthy snacks and minimal desserts but we haven't touched on what we drink. I used to work in a restaurant kitchen with a guy who had majored in P.E. He is the person who convinced me that drinking 8 - 10 glasses of water each day was a very good thing. He taught me that not only does the water flush impurities from your system and cleanse your lymph glands, it also fills you up. Drinking 10 glasses of water each day is the single most important thing I do for weight control.

Another easy adjustment you can make is never eat after 9:00 at night. Alan has M & M's with milk right before bed and seeing him munch makes me want to but I try hard to resist.

I think you would be shocked to determine the caloric intake of the other drinks you ingest each day. I try to drink a small amount of fruit juice with breakfast and have no more than either one cup or one glass of tea each day. I drink a little rice milk after dinner and take my calcium. By the time you add your water to this, you don't want much more to drink.

A health magazine this month reeled me in with a teaser on the front page touting a no-diet weight loss plan. It turned out to be exercising. I have discovered recently the impact of changing my work out on weight loss. I have varied exercises and types of cardio with amazing results. I don't have a personal trainer; my guess is this is what they would do for for me if I did. We used to call this cross-training. It was so pretty today that I went for an hour long walk. I will try to get to the gymn two times this week and I may be lucky enough to walk with a friend Wednesday morning. That is all I have time for but it is better than not working out at all. Enjoy Spring!!

LET IT SNOW!!!!!!!!!

It has rained here all weekend but this afternoon the rain turned to sleet and snow. It is a wet one which means a snowman will probably appear in our yard sometime soon. It is really pretty with huge fluffy flakes dancing before falling to the ground.

I, unfortunately am fasting today. I have a routine colonoscopy in the morning at 7:00. I generally try to cleanse my system each spring so this is as good a time as any to start. I use an over the counter product- Cleanse Smart by Renew Life. It is comprised of tablets that are taken in the morning and at bedtime with directions for what to eat and what not to. It is a great start for loosing a little weight prior to bathing suit season as well.

Personal Trainers are popular at most health clubs and one of ours has a great website. It is: www.robgoodwin.com. Click on articles and read his thoughts on diet and nutrition. I can't subscribe to his workout regimne due to time constrains but I agree with most of his nutrition ideas.

Happy Valentine's Day a little late. If you didn't eat enough chocolate over the weekend I'd like to share a few of my favorites. Endangered Species Chocolate makes awesome candy bars. Each flavor pictures a different endangered species on the front and some of the proceeds go to support their protection. My personal favorite is the wolf which has dark chocolate with cranberries and almonds. I remember an article several years ago about the growth and production of chocolate and how in some countries they use child labor to achieve this. Sort of made that candy taste a little less good. I think we are safe with these and they are made in the USA. Another favorite are Sunspire's Grain Sweetened Chocolate Chips. These are great in cookies, eaten alone or melted in a double boiler and drizzled over your favorite center- almonds, cashews, raisins or dried cherries are delicious. I expecially like these chips frozen. Enjoy because spring is upon us and we are in need of a cleanse.