- Age Gracefully
Spring Vegetables Are Ready for Action
After a very challenging winter (at least here in Southern California where we actually had blizzards that left ten feet of snow in the local San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains), we are so ready for spring! In most of the country, you can get most any vegetable any time of the year, because we import many items from places like Mexico and Central America. But beginning in March and April, spring vegetables are ready for action and local produce becomes readily available at markets—farmers and super. Here are a variety of spring vegetables that are especially sweet and delicious […]READ MORE
January 30, 2023
Published by Grace O
Here in Southern California, just about every yard and neighborhood has citrus trees heavy with fruit. I have a number of fruit trees myself and always marvel at how plentiful and tasty the oranges, lemons and limes are this time of year. Just about any variety of citrus is at its best in the winter months, but there are some new and unusual varieties that are pretty spectacular. Along with great taste, all citrus are high in vitamins A and C and fiber, while naturally low in calories. Grapefruit Red grapefruit varieties such as Flame, Ruby, Rio Red and Star […]
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January 30, 2023
Published by Grace O
I love to cook and entertain, especially during the holidays, but this holiday season challenged us all to celebrate differently with Zoom parties, staying at home, and social distancing. For me, baking is a great way to de-stress, and because I believe in indulging friends and family with delicious food, drink and desserts, this year I made my mother’s recipe for fruitcake and my own recipe for biscotti and had them delivered. After a couple of months of holiday meals and baking up a storm, I am ready to start 2022 with a “clean” slate. That calls for some detoxing. […]
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January 30, 2023
Published by Grace O
The versatility of pesto can help us all do our very besto when it comes to adding great flavor and big benefits to dishes. Use your imagination and check out the pesto chart along with two of my out-of-the-box pestos that deliver great taste along with powerful nutrients. You can serve these and any favorite pesto over vegetables; pasta; flatbread … whatever you choose! Nettle Pesto At the height of allergy season, incorporating nettles into your meals can be a soothing practice offering relief. With research supporting the use of nettles for seasonal allergies and hay fever, this plant contains […]
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January 14, 2023
Published by Grace O
After the holiday parties and all of the tempting dishes and desserts, I want to get myself back on track health-wise. This Detox Juice will help rid your system of heavy metals, cleanse your liver, and clean out your colon. The chlorophyll in watercress helps to purify the blood of toxins. If you can’t get fresh watercress, you can use spirulina powder in its place. The watercress adds a spicy tartness to the juice. The beets are to sweeten up the mixture and give it a beautiful color, but they bring disease-preventing anthocyanins to the glass as well along with […]
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January 14, 2023
Published by Grace O
If you’re like me, you’re interested in foods that can give you high-density nutrition, protect you from chronic disease, help reverse disease, and even defy the aging process. And what better time to focus your attention on these important qualities of food than the New Year! Every New Year, I resolve to expand my knowledge of healthy, anti-aging foods and create new, easy, and delicious recipes to share with my family and friends. This year, a few unique and promising foods have already piqued my interest: goji berries, camu camu, spirulina, and mangosteen. All of them contain FoodTrients—my word for nutrients […]
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January 3, 2023
Published by Grace O
I love to open up my home and invite friends and family over for celebrations. And the holiday season provides irresistible opportunities to throw great parties that people will remember. My first priority is always my guests, and I ensure that they are well fed, entertained, and delighted. Good food is vital to any party. Hungry guests are not happy guests, so I have a wide variety of food available for the duration of the party. During the holidays, a time when people tend to overeat and overindulge, I offer some healthful party fare in addition to seasonal favorites. Give […]
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January 3, 2023
Published by Grace O
The holidays always call for plenty of desserts. Whether I’m throwing a party, giving gifts of food, or reliving holidays past through sweet treats, desserts are integral to my life this month. I’ll share a few of my favorite recipes with you. Brazil Nut Tarts Every year I host a Christmas caroling party at my home. Choirs from churches all over the area stop by to sing in my living room. Sometimes a Filipino celebrity or two will perform. My guests just love it. I like to put out a dinner buffet so that the choirs have something to eat […]
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January 3, 2023
Published by Grace O
Family meals and entertaining friends are even better when you add a delicious dessert to the menu. I love serving my Pear and Apple Tart during the holidays. In this dessert, I take the recipe from the classic French dessert tarte tatin–with its quercetin-containing apples–and add pears for their copper content, pecans and cinnamon, which are high in antioxidants. It is worth noting that when used in sufficient amounts, cinnamon also has anti-blood-clotting agent, anti-inflammatory properties and may help stabilize blood sugar levels. Pear and Apple Tart SERVES 6-8 Ingredients 6 Tbs. butter, cut into small pieces 1/2 cup sugar, […]
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January 3, 2023
Published by Grace O
When pomegranates arrive on produce shelves, they remind me that fall is here and the holidays are upon us. Pomegranates are in season during fall and winter, and they deserve a place on every holiday table because of their beautiful color and cranberry-like flavor. In my AGE GRACEFULLY COOKBOOK, I have a recipe for Pomegranate Iced Tea that utilizes the juice of this amazing fruit along with its beautiful red seeds. It’s a festive drink for any occasion. In my AGE BEAUTIFULLY COOKBOOK, I have a delicious recipe for Guacamole with Pomegranate Seeds, and if you love Brussels sprouts like I do, […]
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December 28, 2022
Published by Grace O
I love turkey as much as the next person, but sometimes when I’m entertaining I want to show off my cooking chops. We all get into that culinary holiday rut of turkey, ham and beef roasts. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with those! But there are other entrees that are delicious, unique and could become your new holiday tradition. These are featured in my book, The Age Beautifully Cookbook. Roasted Pork Shoulder Pork shoulder is pretty tough, so I like to start this dish the night before and let it cook slowly overnight. This method will tenderize any tough cut of […]
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December 28, 2022
Published by Grace O
The holiday season has begun and nothing puts me in a festive mood more than the aroma of something sweet baking in the oven. For many of my friends, cinnamon is what puts them in a holiday state of mind. Made from the ground bark of a genus of trees called Cinnamomum, the top cinnamon producing countries are Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar. There are two main types: Ceylon cinnamon, produced in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil, and the Caribbean, and cassia cinnamon, which comes mainly from Indonesia, China and Vietnam. Cinnamon is one of those delicious spices that also […]
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December 4, 2022
Published by Grace O
I love turkey. My mother always prepared it for holidays. Most of my friends and family like turkey, too, so they’re happy with the big roasted bird. But I know a number of people who don’t want or need to cook a whole bird. So, if you’re looking for ideas for less turkey and more flavor, I’ve got some tasty turkey recipes for you that will make this Thanksgiving extra special. Like most Americans, Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays. As much as I adore Christmas, you don’t have the pressure of finding perfect gifts or getting to […]
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December 4, 2022
Published by Grace O
Ah, the holidays. It’s that special time of year for spending time with loved ones, reflecting on the past year and (perhaps most importantly) consuming ridiculous quantities of deliciously rich treats. Hooray! We know time is of the essence when you’re planning a family holiday meal…especially when you’re busy working. Check out these five quick and super simple recipes we’re loving for busy people with a serious case of sweet tooth. Brazil Nut Tarts These tarts, with their hint of lime and rich texture, take Brazil nuts to a new level. Brazil nuts are full of selenium and protein, as well as Omega-3s, which help […]
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