When I go to Trader Joe's I buy their PERFECT Belgian Endive

Yes, each trip we make to Atlanta for stocking up on healthy food items, I do come home with Trader Joe's PERFECT Belgian Endive.

They sell them packages with 3—one Red and two White.

Perfect for a healthy salad for two!

Don't forget to take the BITTER core out with a pointed knife!

Next I slice them in half...

Slicing them up like this...

Usually I prepare the dressing from some Trader Joe's mayonaise, some Chia seeds and also add some white Modena vinegar from Trader Joe's.

Very simple and healthy!

Chia Seeds are great for 

Combat Diabetes

Get More Fibre

Stock Up On Omega–3

Stronger Teeth And Bones

Don't Forget Manganese

Plenty Of Phosphorus

Pack In The Protein

Fight Belly Fat

Get Full Faster

Improve Heart Health

Chia Seed Benefits: 10 Reasons To Add Chia To Your Diet (link from above 10)

So are you using CHIA already?

Related link:

Dad Grew Perfect WITLOF or Belgian Endive | previous post by me

Blink TV Australia used our Marl Cave Mushroom Growing Image in Guillaume's Paris Episode 9 | previous post by me also showing Belgian endive being grown

{Fresh Green Bean Salad}

Guess we all like a lighter meal during hot summer days...

This is one of our 'healthy' favorites!

Found it at the Diabetic Living Online.

Recipe below post

We always buy our Red Bell Peppers at Costco Wholesale as they are so crisp and fresh and the best value.

Very simple and yet refreshing and HEALTHY!

Hope you will enjoy making this as much as we do.

For more healthy recipes check out my Pinterest board:

DIABETES, SUGAR ADDICTION & HEALTHY BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL

{Healthy Vegan Pancakes Recipe}

For a healthy and very easy pancake recipe, this one will do the job!

Again I did substitute the whole wheat with whole wheat pastry flour from Whole Foods Market and it works just perfect.

Instead of berries I used the first time just fruits I had available... kiwi, cantaloupe melon and seedless grapes.

Dusted off with desiccated coconut (unsweetened!) that is available at Trader Joe's also, together with the coconut sugar.

Of course I also use the real Maple Syrup, grade A that we usually buy at Costco Wholesale 

This is how the batter looks like...

You can find the recipe under Vegan Fluffy Pancakes  by clicking it. 

Using my large 32 cm (12.5") cast aluminum Select Cuisine pan from Europe that we found at a Hanos.nl wholesale in The Netherlands, where I went with my best friend Ellie.

It came home with me in the suitcase!

Mine did not turn out that Fluffy though, so I omitted it in my title.

Yes, you can be very generous in using this healthy Coconut Oil, also from Costco.

Pieter and I both loved them very much and I like to make a larger batch. Easy for having something on hand when you have no time.

Just add fresh fruits and flaked coconut with maple syrup and you are eating!

Hope this helped some of you that look for healthy recipes for diabetes type 2 or other health reason!

Thanks for stopping by! Ⓜ

{Making Healthy Chocolates}

If you have to follow a strict diet, most store bought chocolates are either too sweet or contain cream or other things you try avoid eating.

Well, that makes you have to make your own Healthy Chocolates!

So here we go, with two pound tablets of 72% dark chocolate from Trader Joe's, placed in a double boiler, Au Bain Marie. The lowest part is filled with some water and remember; only melting the chocolate NOT boiling it!

It is a messy job so I always make large batches at once.

This time I'd boiled some fresh cranberries first and set them aside.

Later I will blend in this flaked unsweetened coconut, again from Trader Joe's. 

To sweeten it up a bit I use Agave Nectar and also add some healthy Chia seeds and Lecithin Granules.

In the batch above, I added Pomegranate Seeds that I bought at Costco.

You just have to feel for yourself, depending on what you are using, if you also want to add some Almond Meal to give it some body. It should however be rather smooth!

Next I will scoop the chocolate into these Flexipan molds.

For the USA this link to Demarle at Home will show you some items.

I've bought mine mostly in France...

Also they have a FB Page: Demarle at Home

 This is slightly smaller in diameter and I filled another tray in heart shapes.

Each such Flexipan mold is being placed on an aluminum tray.

Using my Rösle spatula for filling the molds.

Covering up with a sheet of Press'n Seal that doesn't stick.

That way you kind of smooth them out.

This is the one I use...

After they have hardened up inside the refrigerator, this is how they look like...

For gift giving you can use some special cellophane bags with a gold fastener.

This is the end product and it tastes good with a coffee or tea!

All healthy ingredients but rather messy for creating...

Do you make your own chocolates as well?

{Cream of Wheat Pancakes with Coconut Palm Sugar}

THANK YOU ALL so much for the comments and leads; especially on my FB Page Mariette's Back to Basics LLC where over 6,540 people viewed and 85 shares!

Got my First Cousin's phone number but I will try tomorrow again to contact her!
Will keep you posted.
Talked already to her; thanks to sweet people out there that helped me!
♥
Yummy Cream of Wheat Pancakes with Coconut Palm Sugar...

Great recipe for all people concerned with Pre-Diabetes; Diabetes type 2 or just wanting to lose some weight. 

Using Coconut Palm Sugar makes pancakes look a little more brownish.

Great with desiccated coconut and berries.

We did use up some cranberry compote with this very batch...

Use some Grade A Maple Syrup and ENJOY!

1 cup cream of wheat

1-½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

⅓ cup coconut palm sugar

1 egg

¾ cup almond milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ pint berries

Maple syrup to taste

• In medium bowl add cream of wheat, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and coconut palm sugar.
• In small bowl or measuring cup mix egg and almond milk together, blend well.
• Pour over dry mix, stir lightly. Set aside and heat griddle on medium to medium low heat. Slice strawberries meanwhile...
• Add 1 tablespoon of oil to skillet. Stir the pancake mix before  ladling it into skillet. Give it about 1 minute or until spatula slides easily under pancake. Flip and let it rise a little before removing. When the center starts rising that means it's done.
• 
  

♥ ENJOY ♥

Related link:
{Coconut Palm Sugar with Glycemic Index 35} | previous post by me
Semolina Flour Cream Of Wheat Recipes  | lots of yummy recipes!

{Diabetes Type 2, & Iranian Medicine about Sesame Seed Paste or Tahini}

It does not matter if you are Pre-Diabetes, Diabetes or even Type 2 Diabetes but we all should educate ourselves about Healthy Living by Simple Lifestyle Changes...

Sesame Seed Paste or Tahini...

NO Sugars, NO Cholesterol and low Sodium are some great Nutricion Facts!

In Vietnam, Sesame is known as the king of oil seeds and all over the Middle East it is a very popular seed.

We ALL can learn from those healthier diets in the Far and Middle East, like from Persia!

Read more helpful information here: November 2013 Archives of Iranian Medicine about Sesame seed paste or tahini as it does lower the blood sugar level in Diabetes Type 2 patients.

Diabetes-proof for life Reduce your risk with simple lifestyle changes.

The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) estimates that 79 million American adults have pre-diabetes, defined by above-normal blood sugar levels. That's 35 percent of adults 20 and older, and half of adults 65 and older.

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the US and a major cause of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and blindness, so a diagnosis of pre-diabetes is serious.

For reading this on page 72 and 73 in the Pdf click here: Costco Connection November 2011 

Vitamine D is important!

Cinnamon is such a healthy spice...

Avoid low fiber 'white' carbohydrates such as white pasta, white bread and white rice.

Mayoclinic - Living with diabetes Kidney disease: No early symptoms. Just click this link to learn that unfortunately early kidney disease has no symptoms. Guess that's why I do have Chronic Kidney Disease stage II...
Being diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2, can be quite shocking, as I know from personal experience in 2007, but we can continue to live healthy!
Will share more posts on the subject as there are so many people facing this health issue.

Related links:

The Pre-Diabetes Diet Everyone Needs | Barbara Borcik (quoted in above Costco article): Pull back on portions. You still can eat many of the foods you like, just have smaller amounts of them. Borcik says, adding that this is especially true for starchy foods like white rice, white potatoes, and pasta.

Eating white rice daily ups diabetes risk, study shows | Study author Dr. Qi Sun, a diabetes researcher at Harvard School of Public Health, told WebMD that eating white rice could cause a sudden spike in blood sugar. White rice also doesn't contain as many nutrients as brown rice, which is packed in fiber, magnesium and vitamins. The researchers said not getting enough of these nutrients could contribute to type 2 diabetes risk.
Diabetes in Japan: a review of disease burden and approaches to treatment | In recent years there has been rapid growth in diabetes in Japan which now is one of the nations most affected by the worldwide diabetes epidemic.

{Belgian Endive Salad with Chia Seeds}

Another recipe for those that like to know the SECRET FOR MY SIZE AND WEIGHT... Belgian Endive Salad with Chia Seeds, the Antioxidant SuperFoods item that is good for Iron Boost and Good for Blood Sugar Level. 

We both LOVE any type of salad...

Trader Joe's did sell these 2-colored Belgian Endive as a pack of 3.

My Dad as well as husband Pieter's Dad used to grow Belgian Endive during the winter season but at that time there only was one color, no red ones yet. They look a lot like Radicchio.

Important to remove the often bitter end part, with a pointed knife...

A very quick and easy dressing with Reduced Fat Mayonaise from Trader Joe's and I added some brown rice vinegar but you can use any type you like!

With Chia seeds being added you have to keep in mind that they work gelatinous. Best to make this dressing right before serving!

Sorry for the poor photos, made them real quick with my iPad (still not having a new camera at the time...)

But here you can see how I kind of hollowed out the often bitter end part of the Belgian Endive.

Cutting them first length wise... than slicing them up.

Those ends will brown easily so also here it's best to go ahead and add them to the dressing at once.

And voilà: a very healthy and tasty Belgian Endive Salad with Chia Seeds!

Have you ever made Belgian Endive Salad before?

Related links:

{Healthy & Quick Vegetarian Supper} | previous post by me showing you the reduced fat mayo from Trader Joe's

{CHIA for Iron Boost and Good for Blood Sugar Level} | previous post by me