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Trick Yourself Into Drinking More H2O
The benefits of staying hydrated are numerous. Glowier skin, better digestion and even weight loss are all wonderful side effects of drinking enough water. So why is it so hard to drink the recommended nine cups per day? Probably because regular water is kind of, well, boring. This unique water bottle has a chopping compartment at the bottom, where you can put any fruit your heart desires. Let it steep for a few minutes, and it transforms your plain water into a must-drink beverage.
The Recipe: Strawberry Blackberry Orange Water
Ingredients:
3 fresh strawberries
3-4 blackberries
2 Clementine wedges (peeled)
Cold filtered water
Directions:
Add all ingredients to the bottom of the Aqua Zinger. Screw the rest of the bottle on and add water.
Recipe via Zing Anything
Background image via Drann Blog and Woolworth's
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Snack to Your Heart's Content
Kale chips are delicious, but many of the store-bought versions are ultra-pricey. Baking them can take forever and they tend to come out soggy (not to mention, they make my entire apartment smell like weed). Enter: This dehydrator. It's got four trays and 6.5 square feet of surface area -- way more than a cookie sheet. Put in your fruits, veggies or meat, and in a few hours enjoy healthier, less-expensive versions of fruit leather, jerky and, yes, kale chips.
The Recipe: Lemon Dill Kale Chips
Ingredients:
8 cups organic kale, broken into bite-sized pieces (no stems)
1-1/2 cups organic cashews
1-1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons organic dill
2 tablespoons organic lemon juice
1 tablespoon organic extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
Directions:
Blend all ingredients except for the kale in a blender until smooth. Place the kale pieces in a bowl, and then add the coating. Stir until kale is covered. Spread out the kale chips in the dehydrator, and dehydrate at 110 degrees for 10 to 12 hours.
Recipe via The Healthy Family and Home
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Speed Up Your Veggie Prep
Studies have shown that adding more veggies to your diet can help you lose weight. But there's a slight problem: Who has time to chop all of those veggies? This chopper saves time (and, in the case of onions, tears); plus, it comes with a measurer and four different kinds of blades. It's dishwasher-safe, so you won't have to waste energy cleaning them out of grate.
The Recipe: Roasted Veggies and Sausage
Ingredients:
1 package pre-cooked sausage links cut into 1-inch sections
2 sweet potatoes
2 medium carrots
1 red pepper
1/2 red onion
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop all veggies. Mix veggies, garlic and sausage in a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil and toss to coat, then sprinkle with the seasonings. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spread the mixture over it. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, turning twice.
Recipe via Paleo Newbie
Background image via Quick and Dirty Tips
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Put Tomatoes In Their Place
Fresh tomato sauce always tastes better than the canned stuff (and has way less sodium), but cutting tomatoes is a major hassle. They're slimy and prone to oozing everywhere, and their skin, while thin, is incredibly tough to cut without making a mess. But these stainless steel, nonstick knives are serrated, so they easily slice and dice their way through hard-to-cut fruits, and they come in three fun colors to boot.
The Recipe: Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients:
8 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer until it becomes a chunky sauce, about 15 minutes. Serve the result over regular pasta or -- even better -- Spiralized zucchini noodles.
Recipe via Kitchen Confidante
Background image via Primary Times
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No-Hassle Homemade Salad Dressing
Have you looked on the back of your store bought salad dressing? The ingredients list may surprise you. Why is the first ingredient in your Italian dressing water? What is propylene glycol alginate? Mass produced dressings also tend to be made with lower-quality oils (like soybean and canola) and added sugar. This easy-to-use emulsifier makes whipping up homemade dressing as simple as possible. Just pour all the ingredients in (its got measurements marked along the side) and pull the level to blend them all together in seconds.
The Recipe: Simple Mustard Dressing
Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Add to Emulstir and blend until combined.
Recipe via The Savory
Background image via Three Brother's Pizza