Hoff Hit: Storing Mushrooms

I love mushrooms, but what I don't love is how they get wet and slimy after only being in my fridge for a few days.  Rude!

Turns out these little guys don't like being cooped up, surrounded by plastic.  They want to breathe!

Toss the carton and store these little immune boosters in a plain brown lunch bag.

Happy little mushrooms!

Hoff Hit: Say No To Green Peppers

There so many peppers to choose from - green, yellow, orange and red.  Which to choose, which to choose.  Well, I can tell you which not to choose, the green one.  Why?  Well, technically, it's unripe.  Yep, those yellow, orange and red peppers were once green peppers, but they were allowed to mature.  The problem with the green is that due to their unripeness, they are harder on the digestive system.  Don't be hard on your digestive system.

Personally, I go for the red ones - sweeter and packed full of Vitamin C!

Hoff Hit: Meditation & Weight Loss

As if you need another reason to meditate - engaging in the practice for a mere 8 minutes a day may help you lose weight!

It seems that those who get their Om on are better able to avoid emotional chow downs.

The theory is that meditation helps people learn to deal with boredom or anxiety instead of turning food to mask the issue.

Namaste.

Source: Women's Health Magazine, June 2014

Hoff Hit: No More Crying

Does chopping onions turn on the water works?  For me it certainly does.  Next time, try breathing through your nose only (that means no talking) and kiss those tears goodbye!

Hoff Hit: Vinegar To Brighten Clothes

Add 1 cup of White Vinegar to Rinse Cycle for a natural, chemical-free way of punching up the colors of your clothes.

Hoff Hit: Go Freeze Your Nuts - Really!

Buying nuts in bulk?  Stick whatever you're not using in the freezer.  This will keep them from going rancid before you're ready for them.

Hoff Hit: Sugar Substitute

Substitute 1 cup of Maple Syrup for 1 cup of White Sugar.  Be sure to reduce the liquid in the recipe by 3 tbsp for each cup of Maple Syrup used.

Source: Cornell Sugar Maple Research & Extension Program

Hoff Hit: Tension Headache? Try this!

When experiencing a tension headache (feels like your brain is being squeezed), down a glass of fruit juice.  You should be good as new within 10 minutes!

Hoff Hit: Save The Blade

Never gather chopped up food with the blade of your knife (we're all guilty) - this action will dull the blade.

Instead, turn the knife around and use the back or use your scrapper!

Hoff Hit: Use This To Thicken A Sauce

Using your Mini Food Processor to whip up a quick sauce or dressing?

Throw in a chopped up Zucchini for a low-fat way to give it some body and sneak more veggies in!!!

Hoff Hit: Orangey Brownies

Whether using a brownie box mix or baking from scratch, add juice from half an orange to kick this decadent treat up a notch!

Hoff Hit: Cold? Try this!

Next time you're chilly, rub your wrists together - you'll warm up!

Hoff Hit: Tomato - Fruit or Veggie?

A fruit by definition is the structure of a plant in which you can eat the seed that is required to reproduce it: berries, grapes, bananas, etc.

A vegetable by definition, is the structure of a plant in which the seed required to reproduce it, is not edible: potato, carrot, cabbage, etc.

And since the tomato is packed full of seeds and we eat them, the tomato is technically a fruit!

Hoff Hit: Creamy Juice

If you're into juicing, try adding a sweet potato/yam to your recipe to give your juice a creamier consistency.   Added bonus, sweet potatoes help to balance hormones & alleviate menstrual cramps.

Hoff Hit: Fluffy Rice

To achieve fluffy rice, always stir rice with a fork instead of a spoon.

The fork will infuse the rice with air, while the spoon will leave you flat.

Hoff Hit: Stop the Splatter!

My walls know all too well when I am attempting to pour things like spaghetti sauce.

But, here's a trick to avoid that dreaded splattering!

Pour the sauce over a  mixing spoon and that shall cut down on your clean-up!

Hoff Hit: Stop Budding Potatoes

I hate it when my potatoes start growing those green thingees on them.  Stop rushing me!

To prevent this, stick an apple in with the potatoes!

Hoff Hit: Cake Mixes Made Healthier

Substitute one 15oz can of pure pumpkin for the oil and eggs in any standard cake mix - eliminates the fat and delivers fiber!

Stock up - pure pumpkin tends to disappear after Thanksgiving.

Hoff Hitt: Cilantro & Toxins

Eat raw Cilantro to help the body rid itself of toxins, such as Mercury!  Cilantro is also an anti-inflammatory - double bonus!

I add raw Cilantro to home-made hummus & spaghetti sauce!  Or create a Pesto using Cilantro instead of Basil.

Hoff Hit: High Fructose Corn Syrup

We've all had up to here with those High Fructose Corn Syrup commercials insulting our intelligence by claiming there is no harm in consuming it.  One problem, those commercials were bought and paid for by The Corn Refiners Association.

Here's a fact they don't want you to know, studies indicate that High Fructose Corn Syrup, a man-made sweetener, manipulates the chemicals in our body so we crave more of it.  It's also been linked to the nation's rising levels of obesity.  Oh and one more corn is a top GMO crop!

No thanks!

At the end of the day, sugar is sugar and we don't need it in everything we consume.  Don't think it's everywhere?  Start checking those labels folks!

This commercial is a little more accurate:




Source: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/diet-nutrition/story/2011-09-13/Bitter-battle-over-high-fructose-corn-syrup-claims/50382056/1