I am on a mission to drop fifty pounds total. I’m down three with a long way to go. One thing I know for sure is I cannot deprive myself of everything I love to eat, lose the weight I want to lose and go back to eating things I deprived myself of. That’s a definite plan for long-term failure. Instead I am going the moderation route. It may take longer to drop the pounds, but in the long run, moderation is more realistic. I am giving up things loaded with empty calories and replacing them with satisfying foods with beneficial qualities. One thing I will do is eat smaller meals more often. Healthy snacks play heavily in this approach. One of my favorites is maple walnuts. Walnuts are good for you and the maple syrup appeases my sweet tooth. They are seriously yum and must be eaten in small quantities or the benefits are sabotaged by the calories.
I imagine maple walnuts can be bought ready-made, but they are super simple to make at home…and surely much cheaper. Here is how you make them. Place skillet on stove. Pour maple syrup covering the bottom of a skillet. (I make mine in a 16 inch skillet but any size will do.) Add a pinch of sea salt to the syrup and stir it to blend. Cover the maple syrup with a layer of walnut halves or pieces. Turn burner on a medium low heat setting, and gently stir the walnuts to evenly coat with the maple syrup. Continue to stir until the maple syrup is no longer wet . Walnuts will still be sticky, but there will be no more liquid syrup in the skillet. Pour the walnuts onto a parchment covered cookie sheet. Spread into a single layer and allow to cool. The cooled nuts will not be sticky, but they will be delicious. Walnuts and maple syrup are a perfect pair.
Now for no more oxidized apples. A while back I saw a tip for preventing cut apples from turning brown. This afternoon I made a healthier version of Waldorf salad and tried the tip. It worked beautifully. It’s so simple and the ingredients have been a staple in my kitchen for as long as I’ve had a kitchen. I diced my apples and covered them with about a teaspoon of sea salt dissolved in water. I let them soak while I diced my celery and tossed it into the mix. The apples soaked for about five minutes. I drained them, and to make my version of Waldorf salad I added chopped walnuts and a few raisins. Typically this salad is made with mayonnaise. I substituted Greek yogurt, about a tablespoon of honey and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon. It is yummy delicious and lighter than the usual method. By treating the apples with salt water, the apples will stay white and appealing for days.
Update…Day 3 of Waldorf salad. Still white…no icky looking brown apples.
Until next time…
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth . . . . For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. Psalm 33:6, 9




































