March 2014 - Robards Healthy Lifestyles

Ham Pasta Alfredo

Mar 272014

I made this last night out of some left-over ham that I had in the freezer. Kris liked it and I really liked the alfredo sauce.

I made the alfredo sauce from Authentic Foods Sweet Rice Flour. The recipe is on the back of the bag for basic white sauce.

4 teaspoons butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons Sweet Rice Flour
1/4 cup of milk
Over low heat melt the butter or margarine in 1 1/2 cups of milk with salt and while pepper. Using a small cup, make a paste with the Sweet Rice Flour and 1/4 cup of milk. Slowly add to the hearing mixture. Stir until thickened.

I prepared whole wheat spaghetti, chopped up about 1/4 cup cooked ham and boiled some green kale.

When the spaghetti is done, pour the alfredo sauce on the spaghetti, put the ham and kale on top of the spaghetti and pour more sauce on top of that.

It was really good. The organic kale came from Grandma’s Farm in South Mountain Village, Phoenix, just down the street from us. The exact address is: Location: 8888 S. 19th Ave., Phoenix AZ and the hours are: Wednesday, 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm, Saturdays, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm

Splendid New Things

Mar 262014

“Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about?” — Anne of Anne of Green Gables

Don’t stop discovering and don’t stop asking.

Every day is a new day to discover something we don’t know about. Its a new beginning; a new chance. Its the same with our health, our finances, our habits, our spiritual outlook, our mental disposition. There is always a little bit of a new direction we can take in some aspect of our life; a new direction that can open up new opportunities and avenues.

What Is a Budget?

Financial Health, Healthy Living No Responses »

Mar 182014

Simply put, a budget is an estimated list of your income and expenses. Making a budget can help you reduce your debt. How? It lets you see where your money is coming from and where it is going every month. Many people have no idea what they spend their money on. They just know they have it, or they don’t. It can be a great tool for avoiding unnecessary stress because it helps you cut down on unnecessary spending. Here are three steps to help you start getting in the habit of making a budget:

Make a simple list of monthly expenses. Include essentials and extras.
Make a simple list of monthly income. Include all of your activities that generate income.
Put in on the refrigerator. The point is to share it with the rest of the family, whether that is your significant other, spouse, parents, children or grand-children. This makes it a family affair.

Contact me for a free booklet for more helpful budgeting and finance tips.

Healthy Living No Responses »

Mar 162014

1 cup cooked pinto beans
1/2 cup cooked green lentils
1/4 cup cooked oat groats
Garlic powder to taste
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Red chile powder to taste
1 t (or to taste) vegetable Better Than Bouillon
Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Add water if the mixture is too thick. After it is blended and of the consistency you like, you can either spread it on fried corn tortillas for tostadas, or put in taco shells for tacos adding the other typical ingredients such as tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, meat or chicken, etc. Blended, you don’t even know the green lentils and oat groats are in there. If you prefer, you can transfer the mixture to a cast iron skillet and ‘refry’ before putting in your taco shells. This mixture can also be put on flour tortillas for bean burritos.