March 25, 2010 – Got plans for lunch this Friday? The Knox County Health Department usually doesn’t come to mind as a lunch spot, but this Friday healthy spring vegetables are on the menu at KCHD. The quarterly cooking demonstrations titled “Change Your Diet, Change Your Life” continue from noon to 1 p.m. this Friday, March 26 in the KCHD auditorium at 140 Dameron Avenue. The class is free and open to the public: Please call 215-5170 to reserve space. Parking also is free and convenient. Fresh food always tastes better and asparagus, spinach and other greens are in season now. Terri Geiser, KCHD health education program manager and cooking instructor with the Glass Bazaar, will share her culinary expertise with tips on eating with the season. Participants will learn to make a spring veggie salad using arugula, asparagus, snow peas, red potatoes and pecans in a Dijon vinaigrette. Susan Fowlkes, KCHD director of clinical nutrition will discuss nutritional benefits... (more...)

Pigeon Forge – In an attempt to help the people of Haiti, Mama’s Farmhouse in Pigeon Forge is offering a major incentive to their already popular wintertime “Buy One, Get One Free” special next week. All next week, during the Buy One Get One dinner specials, Mama’s will donate ALL dinner proceeds to the American Red Cross for relief efforts in Haiti. So it’s Buy One, Get One Free and we’ll Give ALL the proceeds to the Red Cross. Just imagine, for the price of one adult dinner ($16.99), you get TWO dinners AND you can know every penny of that $16.99 will be donated. This special event will start with dinner on Monday (2/1/10) and will continue through Friday (2/5/10). Please bring family and friends in this week to eat down home southern cooking, served up family style at an amazing price and, at the same time, help the people of Haiti recover from the devastating earthquake... (more...)

The Types and Flavors of Tea Author: Hugh McInnes Aside from water, tea is the world’s most popular and frequently ingested beverage. Humans have been drinking tea since the beginning of recorded history and there is a seemingly endless variety of teas and flavours. Because tea can be made from the leaves or flowers of virtually any beneficial plant or mixture of plants, the possibilities for different combinations and flavours are limited only by one’s imagination. Generally speaking, however, there are only two basic types of tea: those that contain caffeine and those that do not. Naturally caffeinated teas are divided into three categories, black, green or white, and are all harvested from the same plant, camellia sinensis. Their colour names refer to the level of the processing they undergo. Many health benefits are realised from drinking these caffeinated teas, with green tea garnering the recent spotlight due to its recognition as a powerful antioxidant. Flavours are added to... (more...)

This Turkey Bean Soup is Perfect for Cold Winter Days and it is also Diabetic Friendly Author: Linda Wilson What could be better on a cold winter day than a good hot bowl of healthy but tasty soup? Personally, I love soup any time of the year, but I find it especially enjoyable in the wintertime. This recipe is great because it is quick, easy, tasty, healthy, and a perfect way to use up leftover turkey (or chicken). It is also easy to make by cooking a diced chicken breast or a couple of thighs if you don’t have leftover available. Even better, you can use the meat from a deli roasted chicken or could even cube up a hunk of deli meat. However you choose to make this soup it is still easy and quick. In today’s busy households, especially during this time of the year, that can be very important. So give this soup a try the next time you need a quick, easy meal. TURKEY BEAN SOUP 1 tsp olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 tsp dried rosemary 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 lb cooked,... (more...)

Delicious facts about Pizza Author: Akash Pizza is an Italian dish that came into existence in the 16th century. The pizza was also called as Pizza Margherita after the name of Italian Queen Margherita as she was a true lover of pizza. Pizza in short is a round bread often covered with tomato sauce and cheese. Other toppings depend on place, culture and taste. It can be made nutritious depending upon the use of toppings. There are different varieties of pizza present all over world. Italian pizza generally made up of tomato, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil. It is cooked in a wood-fired oven, giving pizza a unique taste. American pizza is very similar to Italians. It has a thick crust, topping of cheese and perhaps pepperoni and barbecued chicken. In India, it is a popular fast food. Here its taste contains a combination of western spirit and Indian soul. The most popular pizza toppings here are paneer, tandoori chicken and capsicum. Today pizza industry is a huge industry of... (more...)

Fruit Salad Making Tips Author: DEIRDRE CAMACHO Fruit Salad Making Tips One of the most delicious desserts is actually the fruit bowl or the so called fruit salad. It is very much similar to the fruit platter, except for the fact that the fruit salad has a dressing, while a platter of fruits are just an assortment of cut fruits arranged on a plate. All over the world, the fruit salad can be considered as a favorite dessert, not only because of the sweet taste it provides, but also because of the many health benefits one gets from eating it. The fruit bowl is not merely a dessert, but may also be eaten as an appetizer. The fruits may either be covered in a sweet syrup or may be lathered with the own juices of the fruits. Not all restaurants have a fruit salad, fruit platter, etc. as desserts, so if you are craving for fruits, the best way is t learn how to make a fruit salad yourself. Making a fruit salad is not really difficult. You just have to make sure that you have all the necessary... (more...)

20 Foods you Need to Have Author: Jennifer Moore The one problem that most single men have is, they never have a well stocked pantry. This can cause major problems. If you don’t have a stocked pantry, you are more likely to fill up on snack food or even worse, fast food. You need to make sure that you have a well stocked pantry so that you can cook healthy meals without much effort. Don’t know what kinds of things that you should always have on hand? Well, no need to worry about it anymore. We will give you a list of 20 items that are must haves for you pantry. 1. Water his might sound silly, but always have some cold water on hand. Get yourself a pitcher or something that you can keep water in the ice box. 2. Milk. You should always have some low fat milk on hand. Cereal in the morning is a great way to get a good easy meal. 3. Fruit. Always have some fruit on hand. It is great for snacking. You can eat fruit and instead of potato chips. 4. Carrots. These are great for snacking.... (more...)

Chicken Breasts Swiss and Mushroom Author: Brandy Sautéed Chicken with Swiss Cheese and Mushrooms Delight family and friends with this wonderful recipe. Make a normal everyday dinner. Enticing and well decant. It is a family favorite and asked for often at my house. Ingredients: 1 skinless chicken per person 1/3 cup flour Salt and pepper to taste 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 cup sliced green onions 1/3 cup chicken broth 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can sliced mushrooms 1 8oz. Package of Swiss cheese slices Pound each chicken breast until ¼ inch thick with a mallet or place in a plastic bag and hit with a spice jar, or anything that has a flat surface. Mix the salt, pepper, and flour, coat the chicken. Set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter, sauté green onions for 3 minutes remove with a slotted spoon. Set aside. Place chicken in skillet and cook for 5 minutes per side. Add chicken broth, and mushroom soup, to skillet, stirring frequently for 5 more minutes. Spoon... (more...)

Cook the Best Turkey Ever Author: Brandy Cook the Best Turkey Ever First, decide how many you are cooking for. Buy early enough so the bird can thaw. - 1 aluminum disposable pan - 1 Turkey - 1 flavor injector optional - 1 meat thermometer - 1 cup margarine - 2 cans chicken broth - 3 Tablespoons chicken seasoning - 1 teaspoon sage optional - 1 teaspoon parsley optional Get an aluminum disposable pan for cooking the turkey. Thaw the bird in the refrigerator for 3 days. Thoroughly wash the bird, inside and out. Remove the neck and the heart, liver and anything else in the turkey. Set in pan. Breast side down (Yes DOWN). Set aside Melt margarine, shake chicken broth, open and pour into the margarine, add the chicken seasoning, the sage, and parsley if you are using them. Pour the melted margarine and the broth mixture. Note: If you are going to use the flavor injector, make horizontal insertions, to prevent the juices from pouring out. (You will be turning the turkey over ½ hour before removal... (more...)

Simple Steps For Making Orange Jam Author: Matt LeClair Have you ever considered making orange jam but where just not sure how to do it or what you needed in order to make it? The truth is orange jam is actually really easy to make and the end result is a great tasting jam that you will be very impressed with. This article will give you basic instructions for making orange jam and what you can do with it when it is done. When making orange jam it’s important to remember that you have to be patient because this process does take a little time and can only be perfected if you have patience with it. Gather up the oranges that you wish to use in this recipe and make sure you wash them. The first thing you’ll want to do with the oranges is peel them. Once this is done, chop the oranges into small pieces and remove any seeds that you find. Put all of the oranges into a stock pot and add water. You’ll want to add 4 cups of water for every 4 oranges. Also, for every 4 oranges you’ll want... (more...)