Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "diet"

Seven recipes for holiday treats

2011-12-24T00:54:13Z

The holidays are a time for family gatherings, but let’s face it – sometimes dealing with Awkward Uncle Andrew is best done with something sweet in-hand.

The Sacramento Press talked to local bloggers and pastry chefs about their favorite holiday desserts and compiled the following recipes.

Ginger Elizabeth Fudge Brownies – Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates

“It’s one of the first recipes I learned to make in restaurants when I was younger, and throughout all the different bakeries and schools and everywhere I’ve been, it’s still my favorite brownie recipe,” said Ginger Elizabeth, owner of the Midtown chocolate shop. “I think it’s the perfect blend of cakiness and fudginess.”

The following recipe will make about two dozen brownies

1 1/4 cups + 1 tbsp. butter
3 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 pound Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates Bulk Chocolate

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for convection ovens). Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole pan and set aside.

1. Melt Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates Bulk Chocolate and butter over a double boiler on low heat.
2. Using a Kitchen-Aid mixer with a paddle attachment or by hand, mix the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix for 1-2 minutes until a little frothy. Add the melted chocolate and butter and mix to combine.
3. Add the sifted flour and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared casserole pan.
4. Bake the brownies for 35-40 minutes.
5. The brownies will cut best if allowed to cool overnight.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies – Selland’s Market-Café

“This is one of our favorite cookies,” said owner Randall Selland. “It’s really kind of fudgy in the middle and crispy on the outside.”

Selland said all cookies and desserts at the East Sacramento business are made fresh daily, and it’s a recipe that’s working, with a new location scheduled to open in El Dorado Hills in mid-January.

Pastry Chef Kristine Bertram shared the following recipe:

1 pound of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup of unsalted butter
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup of white chocolate chips

In a large bowl, place the bittersweet chips and butter. Place bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until melted, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, combine the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Whisk until a ribbon forms. Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt until just incorporated. Add in chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.

Using a small scoop, scoop onto baking pan. Bake at 325°F for approximately 18-22 minutes.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies – Poor Girl Eats Well

Kimberly Morales, the voice behind the Poor Girl Eats Well blog, said her chocolate chunk cookies have been in her recipe binder for 15 years, but she recently rediscovered them.

“They’re a chocoholic’s cookie, basically,” she said. “It’s almost a cross between a cookie and a brownie. Because they’re so decadent, I feel they’re perfect for gift-giving.”

Her blog focuses on eating well on a budget – taking into account everything from the actual cooking to shopping for ingredients on a budget. She said the cookie recipe below can be prepared for $2.75 per dozen, and the recipe makes about two and a half dozen cookies.

“I started writing because people knew I was broke, and they saw I had better meals than they did, and I figured I’d write about how I did it,” she said.

One thing to note, she said, is that the dough will have a runny consistency similar to brownie batter, and that’s normal.

8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks
½ stick (4 Tbsp.) butter
2/3 cup of flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 large eggs
¾ cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate morsels

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat (nonstick baking mat). Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the first 8 oz. of chocolate with the butter and cayenne pepper. Melt slowly over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth. Do not overcook.
3. Combine the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer (or a whisk) until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in the melted chocolate. Then, working in small batches, fold in the flour gently, until the mixture thickens to a thick, batter-like consistency. Lastly, mix in the chocolate chips until completely incorporated into the batter.
4. Using a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared cookie sheet (make sure they’re a couple inches apart). Bake until glossy and crackly on top and soft in the center, about 10-12 minutes (do not over-bake!).
5. Cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes, serve with a tall glass of ice-cold milk, and enjoy!

Chipotle Gingerbread Cookies – Vanilla Garlic: Stories from my Life in Food

Blogger Garrett McCord said the recipe for chipotle gingerbread cookies is based on one given to him by Kate Washington, former restaurant reviewer for Sacramento News & Review and contributor to other local publications such as Sactown Magazine, who got it from a woman she met in a grocery store.

“The chipotle adds a nice, warm spice at the end,” he said. “It acts the same way as ginger and adds a little bit of smoke flavor to the cookie.”

McCord’s blog focuses mainly on food essays and stories, and he said he is currently working on a cookbook featuring macaroni and cheese recipes using artisan cheese. In January and February, he will be teaching food writing and cheese tasting classes at Whole Foods Market. For more information on the classes, check the Whole Foods Facebook page.

The following recipe makes 4-6 dozen, depending on size of the cookies.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
1 egg, beaten to blend
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg, being sure to scrape down the sides and bottom, until light and uniform.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Mix in the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until the entire thing comes together in one uniform batter.

3. Divide the dough into two equal parts and put them on a swath of plastic wrap. Roughly form each piece into a disc. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for three or more hours. The dough will still be somewhat soft for a chilled dough.

4. Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously flour a flat work surface and the dough and roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick; cut into shapes and place on a cookie sheet, preferably lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Do not let brown. Cool on the sheets for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Gluten- and Sugar-Free Ginger Cookies – Cakegrrl

Kristy DeVaney said she switched to the gluten-free Paleo diet in March, and doesn’t think processed flours and sugars are needed to eat tasty foods. The Paleo diet emphasizes organic foods and lean meats to mimic what humans’ hunter-gatherer ancestors ate, according to the diet’s website.

“This is a modified ginger snap recipe,” she said. “I really enjoy them because they’re not too sweet. Around Christmas, there’s always an overload of fudge and overly sweetened things.”

DeVaney began blogging in 2005, when she used to bake on the side and used it to showcase some of her creations. Since then, it has morphed into a food, wine, entertainment and travel blog, and she said it now has numerous Paleo diet-friendly recipes.

She recommends baking the following recipe, then dipping it in melted organic dark chocolate. Though the chocolate has sugar, she said the small amount, and the fact that it’s organic, fit within her diet, but it is also possible to use sugar-free chocolate.

3 cups blanched almond flour
2 Tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp clove
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh ginger or ginger paste

2 Omega 3 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup molasses

1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil
1/4 cup unsalted organic butter

Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (including lemon zest).
In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, honey, molasses and vanilla extract with a hand mixer.
Pour wet ingredients into dry and beat with hand mixer until combined.
Add coconut oil and butter into batter, and continue to blend until combined.

Drop balls of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about a tablespoon in size.
Bake cookies for 15 minutes at 375°F.
Let cool completely. To dress them up, you can melt some organic dark chocolate and dip half the cookies into the chocolate. Line on parchment and allow chocolate to set up.

Nana’s Tea Tossies – Undercover Caterer

Writer, blogger and foodie Sarah Singleton said her grandmother’s tea tossie recipe is a family favorite, and the treats resemble miniature pecan pies.

“This is probably a recipe from the mid-’40s,” she said. “I have probably 10 copies of it because it was copied so many times, so this was obviously a very well-loved recipe.”

She said the tea tossies are not hard to make, and her blog stresses the fact that anyone can bake or cook anything, even complicated 30-step recipes for French pates.

Armed with her grandmother’s recipes, she makes a weekly post centered on one of them, explaining that her grandmother and her father were her first teachers when it came to cooking and baking.

3 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sifted flour

Soften cream cheese and butter to room temperature and blend. Stir in flour. (I do this in a stand mixer and sometimes double the amount for a thicker crust). Wrap in plastic and chill slightly. Shape in 3/4-inch balls. Place in small (1 3/4") mini-muffin tins (ungreased). Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the tins. Fill with the following:

1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
Dash of salt
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup broken pecans

Beat the egg, sugar, salt, butter and vanilla until just smooth. Divide half of the pecans among the muffin cups. Fill with sugar and egg mixture. Top with remaining pecans. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes.

Nana says this recipe freezes well, though Singleton said she never has any left over to freeze.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting – Pretty Yummy Foods

Melissa Vanni said she started blogging about eight months ago because she was always being asked for recipes, and her husband suggested a blog would be easier than emailing them, but it went beyond recipes.

“It kind of became almost like a diary,” she said. “It includes the story behind why I came up with the recipe. I discovered there was more to the food than just the food itself.”

Her cinnamon roll recipe came from a cookbook she discovered in an antique shop, and she said she thinks it’s perfect for a family gathering.

“I like to make them with family on Christmas,” she said. “They’re something that takes a little bit of time to make, and that’s the fun part of it. It makes them really special, and I look forward to them every year.”

1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 stick of butter
1/2 cup of warm water
2 packages of dry active yeast
2 eggs beaten
4 1/2 cups flour

In a pot heat up 1/2 cup of milk and stir in 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of butter.
Cool to lukewarm.
In a large bowl measure in 1/2 cup of warm (not too warm!) water, and sprinkle in 2 packages of active dry yeast.
After the yeast has dissolved add lukewarm milk mixture to the bowl.
Now add two beaten eggs to the bowl and 2 cups of flour and stir before adding the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour.
Stir it until it becomes a slightly stiff dough.
Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and kneed it until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Now place dough in a greased (Pam or butter) bowl. Cover and let your dough rise in a warm place for about an hour.
When dough is done rising it should be double in bulk and if you poke it with your finger the dent should remain. If the dent disappears give it another 10 minutes to rise.
Now punch dough down and fold the edges of dough to the center to make another ball.
Separate dough into two and turn it out on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle.
Grab a stick of room-temperature butter and slather half of it on dough.
Now sprinkle a few handfuls of brown sugar over the butter and top it with a few shakes cinnamon and top with a handful of pecans.
Carefully roll and slice into 1 1/2-inch-thick slices
Place rolls in a greased 9-inch by 12-inch baking dish. Cover and let these rise and double in size for about an hour.
Bake for 25 minutes at 375°F.

To make the frosting:
In a bowl combine 4 ounces of cream cheese with 1/4 cup of melted butter and 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of milk and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, mix well and spread on top of the cinnamon rolls.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

City vending machines to have healthier choices soon

2011-09-28T06:38:33Z

The City Council unanimously approved a recommendation Tuesday to develop a vending machine nutrition policy that requires at least 50 percent of products sold in machines in city-owned facilities to meet an approved healthy requirement.

“I think it’s something that’s necessary,” Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy said Tuesday. “It would be nice to have better choices at community centers where our kids are. I think this is something our communities need.”

The new vending machine nutrition policy will set parameters for sodium, sugar and calorie content of food and beverages available in all vending machines. It would also require beverage choices to include ample variety of water, low-fat milk and soy milk, or other similar dairy or non-dairy milk.

The policy will allow soda, sports drinks and diet sodas to be sold from vending machines, but still “ensures the public and employees have access to healthy vending alternatives,” said Mark Prestwich, special projects manager for the city manager's office.

Approximately 50 city operated vending machines are located in city community centers, corporate yards/office facilities, the city marina and city parking lots or garages, according to the staff report.

Prestwich said that two-thirds of vending machines are in city-owned facilities that are not accessible to the public. Parking garages and community centers take up the remaining third.

In July, the City Council joined the California League of Cities in a Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) cities campaign. One of the goals of the HEAL campaign is to support employees in evaluating food choices by providing healthy food alternatives in vending machines located in city-owned or leased facilities.

Prestwich told council members that developing a nutritional policy for vending machines would be a step toward reaching that goal.

“Cities and residents are facing increased health care costs and diminished quality of life due to the epidemic of obesity and being overweight,” Prestwich said. “A healthier nutritional policy (for vending machines) will help promote public health.”

City staff outlined out vending machine nutrition policy alternatives ranging from “no policy” to a “100 percent healthy content” policy for council members to consider.

A 100 percent policy would require that all products in vending machines meet the set healthy requirement. No soda or sports drinks could be included in the selection, however zero-calorie diet soda and diet sports drinks could be included.

“I think we’ll be moving in the direction of making sure our vending machines have healthier options, even if we aren’t going cold turkey and going with a 100 percent healthy policy,” Councilman Kevin McCarty said.

Council woman Bonnie Pannell said she supported a 50 percent policy because it is “a fair compromise” between “doing nothing and going all out.”

Councilman Steve Cohn said a 50 percent policy would “create real choices” where he feels none currently exist with vending machines.

“I don’t see ‘choices’ in those machines,” Cohn said. “Cookies and soda and sugar drinks – it’s a choice between a lot of sugar and way too much sugar. That’s not a choice.”

One opponent of the measure told council members that making food choices a policy issue would inhibit consumers’ freedom to make their own decisions.

“People should be able to choose whatever they want to drink or whatever fits their needs,” Sacramento resident John Swain said.

Another opponent said creating a nutritional policy for vending machines would limit the flexibility for vending operators to offer products of their choice.

“We believe that the ability to choose should rest with our consumers, not be mandated by policy,” said Gary Watson, a Coca-Cola Bottling Company representative.

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby agreed.

“I think these things should be consumer-driven,” Ashby said. “It’s really about access. The decision lies with the person who is putting their money into the machine.”

Ashby said that Sacramento is “leading the way” to making sure people have healthy options, but she didn’t want to create a policy that would tell people what they could or coulnd’t spend their money on.

“We are looking for balance here,” Ashby said.

Prestwich said that pursuing a new vending agreement for city-operated facilities would also allow the city to reduce energy usage and incorporate technological advances such as the ability to pay with debit and credit cards.

The city pays the energy costs of machines placed in city-operated facilities, Prestwich said, and this would be an opportunity to reduce energy usage by implementing a requirement that any new machines have an Energy Star certification.

New vending machines with Energy Star certification are up to 50 percent more energy efficient than standard machines, according to the staff report.

State legislation passed in 2005 (SB12 and SB965) that raised food standards and mandated compliance to higher-standard nutritional policies for schools throughout the state.

Although only vending machines placed at schools fall under the mandate of those laws, many cities that have adopted nutrition policies for their vending machines voluntarily set SB12 and SB965 as the standard to meet in their policies – regardless of the machine location.

Sacramento’s new nutritional policy for vending machines in city-owned facilities will fully satisfy the requirements of SB12 and – because it allows sodas and sports drinks along with other healthier choices – will partially fulfill the requirements of SB965.

The City Council directed staff to write a nutritional policy as a standard for all vending machines at city-owned facilities and to issue a request for proposals for new city vending service contracts.

Staff will review proposals they receive and bring a recommendation to the City Council for approval.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacrameto Press. Follow her on twitter @MelissaCorker.

Locals Keep Fitness Resolutions Through Social Media

2011-01-14T00:42:25Z

Losing weight and getting into shape often top the lists of New Year's resolutions Americans attempt to commit to annually, and that resolution is met with the advice that a plan that combines diet and exercise is the best way to achieve or maintain desired results.

But diet and exercise alone isn't enough of a plan to keep an individual committed to getting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. From everyman Jared Fogle to supermodel Cindy Crawford, the presence of a supportive community played an integral role as a third element toward goals that incorporate losing weight, getting fit and staying healthy.

"Getting weight loss support from family, friends and sometimes even professionals is important if you want long term results," wrote Men's Total Fitness editor Travis van Slooten. "By letting your friends and family know that you want to lose weight and get into shape, they can get in your corner and help…your chances for success in attaining your weight loss goals."

Fitness is a booming business -- experts say the business of keeping fit and healthy is expected to grow 27% larger by 2016. The rapid growth of technology is allowing fitness professionals to connect individuals looking to lose weight and get healthier both with their practice and with a supportive community.

Gina Garcia, creator of Sacramento's "Yoga in the Park" program, says social media websites like Facebook play an integral role in allowing participants to keep in touch with her and her community.

"Having that channel of connection 24/7 is invaluable," Garcia said. "We take the winter months off, but Facebook allows us to stay connected with our Yoga community, even when we are not practicing together."

Technology has also given birth to a boom of programs and "apps" for mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad. Apps such as "Lose It!" allow an individual to share nutrition tips and recipes with other friends who also have the app.

The advent of apps and social media websites help keep a person motivated, both by promoting rigorous exercise and nutrition "check-ins" and by maintaining a relationship with a community of people who seek similar, or often the same, goals.

Garcia will be lending her expertise on how social media keeps her community connected and motivated at the Social Media Club, Sacramento's "Fitness and Social Media" event on Tuesday, January 18th at the Urban Hive. Other panelists include "Eat Like A Champ" instructor Curtis Schurkamp, "Midtown Strength & Conditioning" co-owner Tara Getty, "Mama Bootcamp" founder Lorri Ann Code and "California Family Fitness" marketing coordinator Mallor Arcuri. Additional panelists may be announced on the group's Twitter page.

The event is open to the public with online registration. A $10 donation is asked at the doors, which open at 6:30pm.

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Matthew Keys is a freelance journalist. He can be found on Twitter or e-mailed at mail@matthewkeys.net.

Fighting cardiovascular disease through Start! Sacramento Heart Walk

2009-09-17T06:47:41Z

William Land Park will come alive Saturday with over 3,000 community members walking together to fight against heart disease in the Sacramento Heart Walk. Start! Heart Walk is locally sponsored by Sutter Heart & Vascular Institute, and aided nationally by the American Heart Association. The event is scheduled to begin from 8 a.m. to noon.

The Sacramento community is very much involved, said Kristine Mosqueda-Kelly with American Heart Association. Families and individuals are participating in this event to share their stories and hopefully raise community awareness about the fight against heart disease and stroke. The event is driven by volunteers and walkers to fund lifesaving research in the cardiovascular field.

"The American Heart Association has had a significant impact in the lives of countless families through its research efforts, community education outreach, advocacy and healthcare quality improvement efforts," said Mosqueda-Kelly. "AHA-funded research has contributed to many important discoveries such as CPR, life-extending drugs, pacemakers, bypass surgery, the heart-lung machine and surgical techniques to repair heart defects. These are medical breakthroughs that has saved countless lives and continue to save many lives everyday." Said Mosqueda-Kelly.

One survivor is Grace Brown, age 6 1/2, of Antelope. Brown was diagnosed at 2 1/2 years old with a congenital heart defect called coarctation of the aorta. At only 3 1/2 years old, she underwent lifesaving surgery for her enlarged heart.

"We were told without surgery at some point, she wouldn't survive past her 30s," said Angie Brown, Grace's mother.

Now two years after her surgery Grace has been weaned off her medication and the family is confident that her future will be bright.

"[At the Sacramento Heart Walk] we honor her for her courage and what she went through, " said Brown said. "My father passed away from a heart attack at the same time when she was diagnosed in 2006," Brown said. "I am very passionate about this cause."

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 3 killers in the United States, respectively. "Anybody at any age can have risk factors," said Dr. Maxine Barish Wreden, physician with Sutter Health. "Children or teenagers can have high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, diabetes."

Obesity, can be directly related to the food we eat or don't eat as children, said Wreden. This can be easily preventable by the lifestyle choices we make with proper diet and exercise. The chance for stroke, hypertension and heart is significantly reduced by the type of food we consume, she said.

Along with community awareness, there will also be free health screenings, educational information, and heart-healthy snacks and beverages. Family-oriented activities in the Kids Zone will be providing free activities, such as the milk mustache contest, sponsored by Foster Farms Dairy. There will also be a health fair and free massages. Live bands will provide musical entertainment, as well.

For more information, visit the Start! Sacramento Heart Walk website.

More information about cardiovascular disease can be found at the American Heart Association website.