I love Saturdays down the Jersey Shore … anytime, but between now and just before Thanksgiving, there are many towns that have farmer’s markets where farmers and their families…farming is truly a family business…bring their wonderful colorful displays of fresh fruits and vegetables.

My favorite is the Farmer’s Market in Highlands where I can stock up on the end of summer’s bounty while at the same time get the first gourds and squash of the fall season.

I spend a couple of hours washing them all, separating the radish from their leaves so I can use the leaves in a vegetable stock, cutting up the celery and saving the tough bottoms and leafy ends for that same stock, slicing some celery into strips and storing it upright in water so I have an easy healthy snack …have I mentioned before that celery is the only food that is not only non-caloric but negative caloric???

It burns energy to chew celery, so it even burns a calorie or two while you’re eating it!

The cucumbers I simply wash and keep in the refrigerator for easy slicing as needed, the radish I wash , trim and pop into a container, again for a quick and easy snack, and the lettuce I take off the outer leaves, again for that stock and wrap in damp paper towels ready for salad making.

If I need onions, I chop some of them as well along with string beans I save to put in the stock after I’ve strained the other veggies out. The soup-making veggies I put in the pot with water, some garlic, a sliced apple (for a bit of sweetness) and perhaps a sweet potato for sweetness and a bit of thickener, and let it brew for a couple of hours.

After I strain it, I either mince up the veggies, toss in the string beans and pour them back in the stock, or simply freeze the stock for future use. If there’s leftover chicken or beef or pork one night, the stock’s already ready for a meat soup with perhaps rice or pasta in it.

If I have kale, there are a couple of smoothies that make great use and a delicious drink out of this vegetable loaded with carotenoids. Here are a couple of great ones in “Eat Right for Your Sight “, a wonderful recipe book put out by the Macular Degeneration Foundation, who are doing great things for promotion of all causes that help macular victims get some pretty terrific information and help.

Kale and Pomegranate Smoothie

1 banana

2 kale leaves, no stems

1 C blueberries

2 C pomegranate juice

1 T lime juice.

Toss them all in the blender, puree until smooth, chill and serve. Makes 2 Cups, has lots of Vitamins A C and E, along with zinc and beta carotene.

Kale Banana Smoothie

1 C. chopped kale

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 banana

½ C apple juice

¼ cup water

½ cup ice

1 T. lime juice

1 t. wheat germ, ground flaxseed or oat bran.

Toss it all in the blender until smooth, chill and serve. Makes 2 Cups

Sometimes you just have to think of desserts and sometimes you have to have some simple ones available just in case.

That’s the case with Strawberry Frozen Yogurt. Strawberries are great in providing a lot of Vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, fiber and a lot of beta carotene and even some lutein.

The original recipe calls for agave nectar as the sweetener used with strawberries and yogurt, but you might want to substitute honey instead. Or use a simple syrup. Or if you’re daring, maybe maple syrup for yet another taste.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

3 Cups chopped Straw berries

1 1/3 Cups low-fat plain yogurt

¼ Cup agave nectar or some other sweetener.

Put them all in a food processor until smooth. Put into a container (9X13” works great) and refreeze, stirring every hour until it’s firm around the edges, around four hours. Just before serving, put back into the food processor and process until smooth again.

That’s it! Serve pretty glass dishes, perhaps with a sprig of mint on top.

If you have blueberries instead, use 3 Cups of fruit, 2 Cups yogurt, ½ Cup sugar and add ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract, omitting the agave. Follow the same freezing and processing procedures.

Blueberries will add fiber, manganese and antioxidants along with all that blue beauty of the fruit.

Even quicker, easier, and full of Vitamin C and beta carotene are Sweet Oranges. Couldn’t be simpler, yet elegant and different.

Sweet Oranges

4 navel oranges, peeled

2 Tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Cinnamon

Simply slice the peeled oranges in half, dust with cinnamon and sugar and serve.

How easy is that?

For all my friends in Georgia the Peach State, why not try Peach Soup and take advantage of those lush, furry and sweet peaches that grow so well there. It’s called the Peach State for good reason, and the Georgians are quite proud of it as they should be. It’s been recognized that Georgia-grown peaches for some reason are really superior to all others not only in flavor but in texture and appearances, to say nothing of all those nutrients packed in. Peaches are also the state fruit of Georgia, and they’re even featured on the Georgia state quarters. I like peanuts as well, but Peach State sounds so much better than Goober State, though that is still the official crop of the state.

Peach Soup

1 Lb. Peaches, pitted and halved (about 2 cups, either fresh or frozen)

2 Cups yogurt

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon lemon juice.

Combine in a blender until smooth. Serve in soup bowls, with perhaps a few blueberries sprinkled on top, or a sprig of mint.

Nuts of any kind are one of the best sources of Vitamin E which is one of the vitamins so necessary for eye health as well as help in preventing further damage from AMD. They’re also easily available, most recipes can intermix whichever nuts are preferable or available, and most can also be stored in airtight tins. Nut recipes for candies, clusters, cookies and of course Baklava, make wonderful holiday gifts and are a great way to spend an afternoon which the children, enabling them to have a hand in the recipe making.

One of the easiest is CANDIED WALNUTS

Simply mix 1 Cup walnuts or pecans, ¼ Cup of sugar and a Tablespoon of butter in a heated skillet; continue to heat, stirring constantly for another 5 minutes until all the sugar is melted.

Pour out mixture on parchment paper and begin working at once to spread them out in a single layer before they harden. In another seven minutes or so, they’re ready to eat at once or store in airtight tins for later snacking or gift giving.

Sugar And Spice Nuts

1 egg white, beaten

½ Cup brown sugar, tightly packed

1 C salted cashews

1 Cup dry roasted peanuts

1 Cup pecans

¼ t. cinnamon

¼ t. cayenne pepper

½ Cup sugar

Mix together cinnamon, pepper, sugar, set aside

Put nuts in a bowl, fold in egg white to ensure nuts are all covered, sprinkle with sugar mixture.

Bake on greased cookie sheet at 300 degrees, about 18-20 minutes. Cool and store in airtight container.

EASY Chocolate Peanut Clusters

2 Cups chocolate chips

1 C. salted peanuts

½ t vanilla.

Melt chips , blend with nuts in bowl. Scoop out spoon sizes on parchment paper, and refrigerate until hardened.

IRRESISTIBLE ALMONDS

1 egg white, beaten until frothy

4 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cardamom

¼ t. ground cloves

½ teas. black pepper

½ t. salt (I generally omit this)

¼ t. cayenne

2 Cups whole unsalted almonds

Preheat over to 350 degrees, Combine spices in bowl. Toss almonds in the egg white, then add spice mix and stir well.

Spread mixture in single layer on baking sheet, bake about 15-30 minutes until lightly browned and toasted., stirring once halfway through. Cool on rack.

We’ll save Baklava for another day! A wonderful holiday treat, includes honey the perfect natural food.

Not sure how this is going to work out, but I have been doing so many recipes, my tech guru suggested that I start doing the videos… Which I couldn’t! So he has put my recipes into action!

Broccoli is one of those gorgeous green vegetables that is packed with lutein and zeaxathin, two of the most important nutrients for eye care and prevention of retina oxidation and age-related degeneration. It also contains something else called sulforaphane which some medical researchers are saying could prevent blindness.

Some of the other wonderful things about broccoli are the fact it’s low in calories, rich in fiber, contains lots of vitamins and minerals, and seems to also have some other compounds that help in anticancer activity. Not sure that last one is factual, but certainly does no harm.

Then there is seafood, long since known for its advantageous benefits for eye health. Salmon and sardines are probably best known for fighting AMD, but don’t discount the ever popular shrimp either. It too is loaded with zinc, another great mineral for eye care. Granted, to ensure the most zinc, it’s best to steam, boil or poach fish, but even grilling, baking or roasting provides so many benefits.

Here’s a great recipe for putting the two together, creating a delicious meal on its own, perhaps with a baked sweet potato if you must. Easy to prepare, so much fun to enjoy!

Four fast, easy, cheap and HEALTHY Salads that you can make at home

No matter what list you check, what medical professional you ask, what dietary guru you follow, blueberries will always come up when you want to know what’s good for your eyes, eyesight, and preventing or curbing serious eye problems. Be they in salads, compotes, ice cream, yogurt, smoothies or in numerous recipes for the non-calorie conscious including pancakes, syrup, cakes, coffeecakes and muffins, blueberries are one of the almost perfect foods. If you’re lucky enough to have access to wild blueberries, which are smaller, not so perfect looking, but to many even more delicious, than the benefits to the eyes and other parts of the body are even greater. The little gems are full of powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins, which help the retina, vitamin C which could reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, manganese, fiber, Vitamin A, folate and potassium, an awful lot to be jammed into a pretty little blue berry that also tastes delicious.

Check out these recipes, take your pick, try something new, and give your eyes a treat.

Artichokes … That’s another one of those super foods that is so good for so many reasons, but especially great for eye health because of their high content of antioxidants, those magical things that help prevent or possibly halt aging macular degeneration.

They can be cooked in any number of ways, though frying is certainly not one of my favorites. A vegetable (technically a thistle) native to the Mediterranean region, it is a favorite food of every great Italian cook and a vegetable that is equally delicious steamed as an excellent addition to dips and sauces, or by itself as the perfect stand-alone snack.

While it may seem strange, it’s actually the bud of the flower that is eaten, just before it blooms into a single, purple blossom, generally not harvested or eaten. Grown mostly in California, the artichoke is generally in season between February and June, or September and December.

Think of artichokes for controlling blood pressure as well.

Here is a recipe, that you would want to try even if you think you don’t like kale or beans, since it just so full of so many vitamins, minerals, and all the other good stuff to keep your eyes so much healthier and so free from advances of macular degeneration cataracts, and even sunlight damage. It’s a combination of great ingredients, including garlic, but I’ll write more about that underappreciated little root vegetable in the future.

For now, try this soup with all the Kale loaded with zeaxanthin, which is also found in eggs, together with Vitamins C and E. Pour in those white beans that are full of copper and potassium and so much more for the eyes, get some sulfur from the garlic, and of course all the vitamins carrots contain. My only suggestion would be to substitute the boxed vegetable broth for a homemade broth that does not contain the salt content of processed broths.

It’s all a matter of taste, but I personally don’t feel salt has enough healthy qualities to make me want to add more than is natural in most foods, seafood included. And it’s an awful mineral when it comes to blood pressure!.

Let’s think about avocado for a minute. It’s easily available in in supermarkets, can be bought individually or by the three or half dozen at a time, and is incredibly nutritious for any number of reasons.

Focusing on the eyes, however, it’s full of at least 20 different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, so even if you don’t think you’d like it, it’s worth a try. You’re bound to find a recipe in which it tastes good, even just smearing some on whole grain toast, or part of a guacamole dip makes it worthwhile.

The lutein in an avocado is especially good for the retina, for filtering out all that harmful light and protecting eye cells from damage, encouraging the regeneration of healthy new cells. It’s the lutein in avocado that is especially great fighting macular degeneration.

So have some fun with avocado as well. With Christmas season and plenty of parties ahead, practice this neat little appetizer and let it be a main attraction at a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre party with its great combination of not only great energy for the eye but also great eye appeal on the table. Festive, colorful, and healthy…what a combination!

Just about every green, orange and yellow vegetable is great for the eyes, it’s just that some taste better than others and some when combined with other vegetables or nuts are especially good for the eyes.

Take asparagus, for instance. We think of it generally simply by a serving as a side vegetable, in spears, perhaps with butter or a sauce. It’s chock full of those A C and E vitamins that mean so much to eyesight, along with those antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin that have been recognized as marvelous fighters of both cataracts and aging macular degeneration. Asparagus is also low in calories, a plus for the weight conscious, and it is said they even cause weight loss, though one can’t be sure of that. They do help lower blood pressure, though, and definitely improve digestion.

Tried it sauteed, or with linguine, along with artichoke for extra eye appeal, or pine nuts and red peppers. You simply can’t go wrong!