Poached Salmony goodness

Poached Salmon on Rice

If you’re anything like me, then you will be able to relate to not having an abundance of time to cook in the evenings. I for one find less and less time the older I get. Funny thing with time is, they’re not making any more of it. You only get a certain amount of it in your life. A while ago I brought one of Jamie Oliver’s books Jamie’s 15 minute meals. Which I dare say changed my cooking life for the better. Whilst this recipe isn’t in his book, I managed to cook it recently in about twenty minutes, and is not only healthy, but delicious too. I figured instead of plagiarising poor old Jamie, I would put in my own recipe instead. Actually, this isn’t even my recipe, I just love it, and have cooked it often.

Ok, so I was about to write out a mammoth recipe for you to review and look over, but instead I noted that it is already available online. I got the below from an awesome site called: http://www.nutritionistinthekitch.com/

SIMPLE GINGER SOY POACHED SALMON

PREP TIME

5 mins

COOK TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME

20 mins

Slightly adapted.

Author: Chef Michael Smith - Fast Flavors

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup water

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar

2 tablespoons grated ginger

½ teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce or chili pepper flakes

4 4oz fresh salmon fillets

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1½ cups brown basmati rice

3 cups water (for rice)

20 spears of asparagus

INSTRUCTIONS

1.Get the rice started in a rice cooker or on the stove. Follow directions on package for rice.

2.Meanwhile poach the salmon. Match your favorite heavy skillet with a tight fitting lid.

3.Pour the water, soy sauce, sugar, hot sauce, and ginger together in the skillet.

4.Bring to a vigorous simmer over high heat, then lower to a slow, steady simmer. Nestle the salmon fillets in the mixture and cover the pan. Let simmer for 5 minutes then gently flip the salmon fillets.

5.Cover and simmer until cooked through, about 4-5 more minutes.

6.Steam the asparagus for 4-5 minutes.

7.Divide the rice and asparagus among 4 bowls. Position the salmon on each pile of rice and spoon the sauce over evenly. Sprinkle with green onion to garnish.

8.Enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serving size: 1 salmon fillet, with ¾ cup brown rice, 5 spears asparagus & sauce Calories: 405 kcal Fat: 10.9g Saturated fat: 1.8g Unsaturated fat: 6.9g Carbohydrates: 41.8gSugar: 3.4g Fiber: 4.2g Protein: 34.7g

Go forth and try this awesome meal. It’s quick, tasty and is really good for you too. For full details on the recipe, you can check it out here: http://www.nutritionistinthekitch.com/2012/12/27/simple-ginger-soy-poached-salmon/

Big thank you to Nutritionist in the Kitch too. Have a great day!

www.simplyessential.com

Lemons - Healthy Life Hack

Benefits of Lemon Water – Healthy Life hacks

One of the easiest, and most simple ways to ensure you have a healthy start to the day is by adding a squeeze of lemon in a glass of water in the morning. My morning ritual consists of firstly waking up (duh!), and as part of my morning ritual, I squeeze half a lemon in a glass of water and drink it. There are a myriad of health benefits to not only drinking a glass of water to start your day, but even more so by adding lemon juice into it. If you really want to get technical, you could also consider adding a teaspoon of honey in it as well. My preference is without, but that’s just me.

                                                             Some of the health benefits of having lemon with water:

1. Lemon is high in Vitamin C. This is a vital part of our digestive intake as it helps boost the immune system, and is a powerful antioxidant. If you imagine our bodies as similar to an apple when you cut it in half. Notice after a brief time left out, it will turn brown? This is known as oxidization and in some respects is like akin to rust on metal. Our bodies need vitamin C to help fight such occurrences. Vitamin C may also increase our body’s non-heme iron bioavailability up to four times. What the heck’s that? Glad you asked; it’s our body’s ability to absorb iron from non-meat sources.  Cool huh!
2. Lemon also helps with digestion. It has a very similar atomic structure to our own digestive system, so it can also help with bowel trouble. It has also been known to alleviate indigestion, and bloating.
3. Lemons help fight the aging process. No fricken way! Yes way! Lemons help with collagen synthesis which in layman’s terms means it can help repair skin and as such fight wrinkles. You’re falling in love with lemons already I can tell. But wait, there’s more.
4. Lemons may help you lose weight! What the?! So it turns out that lemons contain something called pectin which is found in citrus fruit. Pectin is a soluble fibre that gives a feeling of fullness, which in turn may (I say may, I don’t want to offer guarantee’s here) help you avoid snacking on the naughty stuff.
5. Lemons also help in maintaining a healthy PH balance in your body. Lemons are one of the more alkalising foods available which is needed in the body to help reduce acidity levels.
6. Cleanses the urinary tract. So lemons are a diuretic which helps to cleanse our bodies of toxins quicker. This also aids in reducing bad bacteria that may build up in the urinary tract.
7. Lemons contain antiseptic properties which will also help in freshening your breath. If you have any concerns about whether the acidity in them will damage the enamel on your teeth, then you can always rinse your mouth out afterwards if your prefer.
8. Lemons have high levels of potassium which helps with nerve and brain function. Lemons have also been known to ward off depression as this has been linked to low levels of potassium in the body.
9. Lemons also contain Vitamin P which assists with blood-flow and capillary permeability.
10. Lemons promote healing in the body. Due to the high levels of vitamin C, lemons can aid in the healing of the body by eliminating free radicals. Nifty huh!
11. Detoxifies the liver! Is there anything these things can’t do? Lemons help the liver to produce bile, and will also prevent any excess bile flow. This also helps to decrease the amount of phlegm the body produces, and assists in dissolving gallstones.

There are undoubtedly other miracles that these tiny yellow friends/fruits can do, but hopefully this gives a bit of an insight into how the can help your body.

On that note, I may go and chow down on a lemon I think. May you have a wonderful, healthy day!

www.simplyessential.com

The Importance Of Rest

The importance of rest – ensuring you can function at full pace

This indeed is a very logical suggestion if you are tired, simply to get more rest! We all can relate to the tight deadlines, kids screaming, and constant struggle to keep your house clean and under control. Let alone the thought of work on top of that. So how do we find time for ourselves to recharge? To rest and relax? To find time for ourselves to do whatever we may choose?

The first step in all of this is to establish whether anything you currently do can be either outsourced, reduced, or discarded altogether. As famed Author Tim Ferris suggests, life minimization is a key strategy to finding more time. At your place of work, be conscious of your habits. Do you turn your emails on immediately when you get in the office, and feel overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the tasks ahead of you for the day? What if you didn’t open your email account straight away? Would the world fall down, or would you be able to squeeze a few minutes in to focus on the deadline you need to keep?

Another idea for this part of your day is to minimise, reduce, or completely discard any distractions you may have. If you solely focus on one task, even just one task without any distractions at all, do you think you may be able to accomplish a little more than you’re used to?

As for your home life, how organised are you really? Using the same question from earlier, is there anything in your life that you could trim down, outsource, or discard altogether that may help free up some time. When I say time, I mean more time to sleep if you choose, more time to relax, or even just more time not to be doing the things you don’t enjoy!

With regards to outsourcing, perhaps you have a husband/wife/partner/spouse that may be able to assist in this regard. If not, what about a babysitter? How about delegating some of your work at the office to a junior? I understand that it’s not all black and white, and I completely get that it is a lot easier writing this stuff, than actually putting it into practice. My purpose for writing this is to make you aware of the fact that despite the fact you may feel desperately in need, perhaps there is a slightly more efficient way of doing things. It is simply just to make you more conscious of where you are, and conscious of how you may be able to make subtle changes in your life to ease your own burden.

Never underestimate the importance of giving yourself time to rest and relax. We’re not machines (yet), and our bodies were not designed to continually be on the go for days, weeks or months on end. Be conscious of where you are, be conscious of what your thoughts are surrounding rest, and winding down. As the saying goes, “don’t burn the candle at both ends.”

www.simplyessential.com

Healthy Living The Undisciplined Way

Well, it's now the third month since the start of the year. Are your new years resolutions still intact, or are you like the masses and have fallen into old habits? If you're in the latter category don't fret, as it is very common when we set goals to set them in such a way that they can seem insurmountable. Our subconscious will often reject the goals as we don't truly believe we can achieve them. 

Living in a healthy way is no different. If we set ourselves the task of not drinking, smoking, eating chocolate, or any of the other common ones we apply to ourselves then we will almost always fall into old habits. Don't beat yourself up regarding this as the solution may be easier than you think. What if, instead of going cold-turkey, we simply set the goal to cut down? What if, instead of depriving ourselves completely of the things that taste great, but we know are not good for us, we simply just take a view of reducing the size of the unhealthy meals we have? Or how about just attempting not to have, or do the unhealthy stuff so often? Wouldn't this be a heck of a lot easier than simply cutting off our favorite vices?

When we continually put undue pressure on ourselves to do the tough-stuff. i.e the tasks that our subconscious finds hard, or impossible, we will find ways of sabotaging ourselves, and as such our results. Perhaps those of us out there that are naturally lazy (*cough cough*....self included) might find some relief in knowing that we are not trying to do something too strenuous or hard when we set a particular goal. I know in my own life I have always achieved more through A) complete necessity, and B) knowing my own limitations when it comes to what I can and can't achieve. Sure, I could be doing a whole lot more, but in order for me to achieve anything relating to my health, wealth, or sanity, I need to ensure that my pesky subconscious isn't going to try ruin it for me. 

You will also find that you may even become happier, as you can actually see the results due to lowering your expectations of yourself. Being a healthy human being isn't about eight hours of exercise a day, and only eating straw, or the next fad diet. It is about doing everything in moderation. As cliche as it sounds, this advice may even help you achieve more with your health. If you can ease your way into something, eventually that 'thing' will become a habit. Once it becomes a habit, it takes a very concentrated effort to break it. Just like getting out of your bad habits now! 

I hope this helps! Remember next time you are wishing to achieve a health goal, or any other goal for that matter, make sure you are breaking it down into bite-sized chunks along the way. 

I will leave you with two sayings I read a while back: If you take a an axe and swing it at a tree, with one chop per day. No matter how big the tree is, eventually it will fall. 

You can't eat a whale in one sitting (not that you would want to try of course).

The point being is that if you want something, make sure you break it into pieces you believe you can reach. That is how success is done. Here's to healthy living.

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Wundabond Washable Fabric & Craft Glue

I have been getting terrific feedback on this new product - and it has only JUST been launched!

Although I have more than 150 uses for it listed, creative customers are already finding new things to do with it - one woman has just made a new skirt, made entirely with Wundabond - including the zip and not a stitch to be seen!

Have a look at the new  site and also check it out on Face Book  -

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Following the success of Virasoothe, Skinfix, and more recently Virasoothe Concentrate I have another invention, -  and this one will really make your life easier. I'm proud to introduce   Wundabond™ Washable Fabric & Craft Glue.  As with my previous products, selling online to customers all over the world for 16+ years, if I say it's good, it IS good - and I will back it up.

Wundabond™  makes repairs and alterations a breeze, - and it can be washed forever

Used both indoors and out, with over 150+ uses, this one affordable product will save you both time and money.


REPAIR – Indoors:  Rips, frays, tears, snags, pin-holes, splits, loose buttons, runs, worn out garments, etc.
Use on any porous material


Repair – Outdoor:  Covers for boats, BBQ’s, cars.  Bimini’s, awnings, umbrellas, patio cushions, car & boat seats.  Horse covers, saddle blankets, dog jackets, tents, garden gloves, gumboots

USE ON:  Unravelled Shoe Laces, Gloves, Jackets, Pants, Jeans, Shirts, Bedclothes, Pillowcases, Clothing, Leather, Bags, Hats, Knee Pads, Uniforms, Horse Blankets, Saddle Blankets, Dog Jackets, Motorbike Gear, Gloves, Hats, Holes in pockets,  Loose Buttons, Tents, Backpacks, Gumboots, Table Tennis Paddles, Fishing Gear, Handbags, Overalls, Belt Loops, Bedding,  Inflatable toys

A new website is under construction -  Meantime, please  check it out on Facebook for more information & ideas https://www.facebook.com/wundabond

Increasing International Postal costs

As I knew it would, the price increase, which puts Grans' Remedy, weighing in at only 3 grams heavier than the 'cheaper' 100 gram weight has pretty much put an end to sales.   A great pity, as so many are missing out on this terrific product.   There is nothing else available, that will prevent odor for 6 months with just one treatment.  It is worth the extra postage, but I don't blame customers for balking at it.  For the records, here at http://www.simplyessential.com there is no profit margin on postage.  We cover just the post and the cost of packaging