My trick green beans = )

I am in love with veggies, but I green beans are on the top of my favorites list. I know they don’t look very attractive for most of people, unless in casseroles, but they are so healthy and cheap, you should give them a try. Actually you will pay around just $1.29 per 1 pound in most grocery stores. Greens beans have a lot of fiber and, making a big history short they have the "power" to trick your stomach and brain and make you feel full for longer than eating something else like baked potatos. In my house we have it at least once a week. It makes a great side dish with good nutrients and low calories. How do I cook it? Cutting the ends off and then steaming it. If you are in a hurry, cook it in the microwave. I use the “Zip Loc Steam Microwave Cooking” -http://www.ziploc.com/Products/Pages/ZipSteamMicrowaveCookingBags.aspx?SizeName=Medium- and put a tablespoon of water and tablespoon of Brag (kind of soy sauce you can find in healthy stores like Fresh Market and Whole Foods)in it. Four minutes and it is ready to eat!!! If you can’t eat green beans simple like that, try one of the nice recipes available on the internet. Here is an example: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000521709. Skip butter, use olive oil spray and go for it! = )

Massage for $15?

If you are like me, a person who loves to have a good massage without paying $60 to $150 for one, I have a tip for you. Try a Massage School. If you give them a try, one of their students will do the service. But who cares? I went to Cortiva Institute – www.cortiva.com- yesterday and honestly I had a great experience. The best part was I paid just $15 for one hour massage because of a special promotion running on Mondays. Regular price is $30, though. So, unless you have serious problems, pain or injuries in any part of your body, getting a relaxation massage in school is a wonderful way to help your pocket and the students to practice.

Cortiva
4045 Park Boulevard
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
Phone: (727) 865-4940

My lettuce grows in Carrolwood, Florida, USA. What about yours?

Have you ever asked yourself where does the produce we eat come from? A lot of them arrive in USA after traveling miles away from countries like Ecuador, Chile, Mexico and Costa Rica. But wouldn’t be easier, healthier and more eco-friendly to buy our broccoli and lettuce grown right next door, with a great taste and without agrotoxics? If your answer is yes and you live in Tampa Bay area, I want to tell you about the “Urban Oasis Hydroponic Farm” - http://urbanoasisfarm.com/farm.html. This place is located in Carrollwood, North Tampa, and it is where me and a bunch of “locally grown veggie fans” go once a week to get their produce.

Today, for example, I got lettuce, oregano, green onions and parsley. Everything tastes and smells so fresh over there!

If you are curious, stop by Friday or Saturday, days that it is open to public. You certain will be interested in something. They also have farm tours every first Saturday of each month at 1pm, $5 per person.

Cheers for a healthy way to eat = )

Urban Oasis Hydroponic Farm
Address: 5416 West Linebaugh Avenue, Tampa, FL 33624
Phone number: (813)-293-3276

Rent instead of buying it

With my wedding around the corner I have started getting a little annoying because “wedding stuff” is all I want to talk about. Sorry my friends, but I will talk about this subject in my blog too, but just until January, and just in some of my posts. I hope you don’t mind because it will help your pocket whenever you are invited to a wedding. Today the saving tip is for female guests. Before going to the mall, Macy’s, Nordstrom, David’s Bridal, and spent hundreds of dollars, think if the price worth the number of times you will wear it. If it will happen just once, rent it. Believe me, there are big chances of paying less renting a wonderful dress than buying a new one. Take a look in the following website: http://www.renttherunway.com/. It is a great option if you want pay a few dollars for a dress but look like a million dollars girl ; )

Have you been throwing food away?

Answer sincerely: how much of your money is wasted every week in food that you buy but ends up in a trash can? According to USDA (United State Department of Agriculture) studies, 10 to 40% of family’s grocery spending is wasted. It is easy to imagine why. Who have never had a recipe calling for half avocado or bell pepper? The other half seats on the fridge for weeks until goes directly to the trash can. What about a bunch of leftovers that we forget eating the next day? I will share a way to avoid it. Start planning your shopping list and stop buying whatever you think you will cook. Plus, start a weekly meal plan. If you figure out what you're going to make ahead of time, it not only reduces the 'what's for dinner?' stress but also allows you to build your meals around what you have on hand and what you really need to buy. I have been planning my menu for 3 weeks now and it works. So by Monday I know what we will have for breakfast, lunch and dinner. By the way, today is left over for my lunch and pasta with broccoli and chickpeas for dinner. There is this nice website - http://www.grocerylists.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/GrocerylistsDOTorg_Deluxe_v3_0.pdf- with free printable grocery shopping lists. I hope you print it out, do you “homework” and stop wasting. There are too many people around the world with nothing to eat. Let’s be more conscious. = )

Where is my coupon for organic broccoli?

It is Sunday and I open the newspapers looking for coupons. Most of them are for a bunch of processed food like pizza, canned soup, chips (all Kinds) and others. I don’t want eat it and question myself: where is my coupon for organic broccoli or spinach or lettuce? I hope someday the “processed and fat and big portions culture” ends up and we can start eating the food we deserve, the one that keeps us healthy, slim and with lots of energy. In this day, when we open the newspapers on Sunday we will find $1 off coupons for organic veggies, brown rice, “cage free” eggs, turkey meat without antibiotics, fresh wild salmon, strawberries made in Florida. While it doesn’t happen, you can go on line and find some discounts in all types of organics (not a lot off veggies and fruits though): http://organicdeals.blogspot.com/. Good luck!

Organic. Is it worth it?

I confess that in the past few months I have been spending a lot of money buying organic vegetables and fruits at stores like Whole Foods, Fresh Market and Abby’s (Carrollwood). But once I became a “jobless” I also found myself looking for different ways to save in my grocery shopping. I have been reading more about organics and I want to share a tip with you. Buy organic just the fruits and veggies that have high concentrations of pesticide residues (see the list below). Low-residue produce such as bananas, mangos and pineapples, that you peel them before eating, might not be worth the extra cost. This week, I bought bananas at Wallmart and strawberries at the organic store Abby’s. This works for me! I hope it helps you too.

Buy organic:
1)Peaches
2)Apples
3)Sweet Bell Peppers
4)Celery
5)Nectarines
6)Strawberries and blueberries (domestic)
7)Cherries
8)Pears
9)Grapes (imported)
10)Spinach
11)Potatoes
12)Lettuce/kale/collard greens