I am a food lover, big-eater, and a trying hard cook. Around busy schedule of baby, work, and home, I always try to find time to cook. Pasta dishes are easy. And one of my favorites’ Puttanesca. I keep recipes on my red book from my mom, aunts, whoever , wherever, and some from my ever reliable kitchen help, the AllRecipes.Com.

Puttanesca

What you need:

* 8 ounces pasta
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 cups chopped tomatoes, pushed through a sieve
* 4 anchovy filets, rinsed and chopped
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 3 tablespoons capers
* 20 Greek olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

What you do:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Then drain.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over low heat; cook garlic in oil until golden. Add sieved tomatoes, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in anchovies, tomato paste, capers, olives, and red pepper flakes. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Toss pasta with sauce, and serve with buttered bread.

I’m afraid I am not very much of a health conscious person. I love to eat vegetables and all. I do some steps once in awhile, not to keep me in shape, but as I should just keep my muscles flex after hours of sitting in front of the computer. I never smoke, and I drink alcohol no more than what I can take. But these are not enough, I supposed. More to add my guilt, I cared less on what I eat. Yes, I eat veggies and fruits but I also love other food that may not be healthy.

I go to the grocery and get just anything that looks appealing to me. My cart would then contain meat, fish, vegetables and fruits, and milk and eggs, and a lot of other food and non-food. What could these other food be? These includes cornflakes and cereals, chocolates, cookies, ice cream, cheese and bread and the list goes on. And the processed products, too.

I, sometimes, read the back labels of what I took out from the grocery shelves. Could i just make it all the time slash always rather than sometimes? I am trying too. Reading food labels is important not only to health-conscious people but to everyone else. Whether we like it or not, we should do the same, or our body will suffer eventually. And not only our body but our family as well. We all eat the same stuff, right? Unless we cook different meals for each one at home.

Learning how to read food labels is important. It gives us the nutrition facts of the food that helps us ensure our family is eating right. Thus our children having a nutritious and balanced diet.

Food labels have two parts. The nutrition information and the ingredients list.

First, read the nutrition information. Check the amount of saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol, and calories in a serving of the product. Compare products of the same kind and get the product with the least amounts. And if you have high blood pressure, do the same for Sodium.

Then, check the ingredients. All food labels list the product’s ingredient in order by weight. The ingredient in the greatest amount is listed first, and the ingredient in the least amount is listed last. So limit the products of that with listed fats and oil first, or the lists with many of these ingredients.

Read and be healthy.

I love food, and always loves to eat and try new things. Cooking is another story though. I am still learning. Pasta’s one of my fave dishes. And this one is so easy to prepare.

Tuna Bake Noodle

Ingredients:

• 800g elbow macaroni, cooked
• 1 head garlic, crushed
• 3 large onions, sliced
• 1 pouch or 750 g spaghetti sauce
• tuna chunks, or 3 cans (180 g each) of tuna in cans
• 1 ½ cups coarsely grated cheese

Procedure:

1. Sauté garlic in tuna oil until brown. Add onions and cook for 1 minute. Add spaghetti sauce, ¾ cup water, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add tuna chunks. Stir once. Set aside.
2. White sauce: Mix 1/3 cup flour, ¾ cup evaporated milk, ¾ cup water, and 3 tablespoon melted margarine until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover over low heat with constant stirring for 5-10 minutes or until thick.
3. Blend spaghetti-tuna sauce with cooked macaroni. Arrange in pan. Pour white sauce all over and sprinkled with grated cheese.
4. Bake until cheese melts.

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Cookies are great munchies for your little ones. And here’s a recipe that’s so easy and quick.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ½ tablespoon cocoa
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 3cups oats

Procedure:

1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except peanut butter and oats.
2. Cook over medium heat. Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and oats.
4. Spoon out quickly onto wax paper or aluminum foil.
5. Cookies will harden as they set.



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