Why I started adding fruits to my recipes:

I fell a year ago and broke a bone in the bottom of my foot. Putting weight on my foot would ensure that it would not heal, so standing in the kitchen and cooking healthy meals…well…let’s just say that didn’t happen. I lost my good eating habits because I ate whatever was near. I could not exercise and I gained weight while recovering. 

My foot has healed but my bad eating habits lived on. My craving for sweets was out of control, which did nothing for my waistline….I decided to do something about it and I started adding fruits to everything I ate and because of that, I came across some great recipes.

Vegetables and Fruits Soup –Recipe 1

 3 Celery

2 carrots peeled

1 apple peeled and chopped

1 pear peeled and chopped

3 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped

1-cup chopped broccoli

1-cup spinach

pinch of salt or to taste

grind fresh pepper

 Step 1
Blend and puree chopped sweet potatoes, apple, pear, carrots, celery, chopped broccoli and spinach

 Step 2

Place puree fruits and vegetables in a pot (cook for 10 minutes)

 Step 3

Grind fresh pepper and salt to taste

 Step 4

Add a few salt free crackers with soup for a yummy fruits and vegetables soup dinner

Vegetables and Fruits Soup-Recipe 2

 1 can red kidney beans

½-cup onions finely chopped

1 peg chopped garlic

2 carrots peeled chopped

1-cup small sweet tomatoes

1-cup red grapes

2 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped

pinch  of salt to taste

grind fresh pepper

 Step 1

Pour red kidney beans into pot (cook for 10 minutes)

 Step 2

Add pureed sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic to red kidney beans (cook for 15 minutes on medium high)

 Step 3

Add salt and pepper to taste

 Step 4

Add grapes, tomatoes and stir (remove from stove)

 Step 5

Serve in a bowl and have a lovely dinner with a nice glass of red wine

Stay tuned for my blueberry chicken and banana stuffed dumplings recipe and my butter bean salmon and carrot rice recipe

Turn off water and electricity

Step 1
Remove cabinet doors

Step 2
Remove sink and countertop

Step 3
Buy new countertop, blade for countertop (find a thin blade), paint, spackle, paintbrush or roller, molding, caulking/caulking gun (used to seal water away from areas which could be damaged by rot or cracks), sink, kitchen faucet set, plumbers putty (use to secure the sink/pipes), basket strainer, screwdriver (use to remove and reattach the sink/outlet covers), pliers (use to remove and reattach the sink/drain), masking tape, saw horse (to put countertop on when cutting), tape measure, kitchen vinyl tiles, new cabinet doors/door knobs, new kitchen door (or paint the old one), new window (if needed), kitchen curtains/blinds, spackle paste, PVC Cement (use for pipe connection), purple primer (put on before using PVC cement on pipes), appliances

Step 5
Remove outlet covers, use masking tape to protect cabinets, spackle/ paint ceiling, wall(s) under the counter, around cabinets/window and paint new door (install new door after paint dries)

Step 6
Let dry

Step 7
Cut the countertop to match the measurements of the sink and space between the sink and the stove (measure the old countertop and use that measurement for accuracy). Put in new countertop and caulk. Put up moldings (this will hide any imperfections).

Step 8
Install new sink (to re-attach the pipes use purple primer then PVC cement-turn on the water and test to make sure there are no leaks). Install kitchen faucet. You can also install new window (if needed).

Step 9
Replace old cabinet doors with the new cabinet doors/knobs

Step 10
Put in new floor

Step 11
Put in new appliances and cover outlets

Step 12
Turn on electricity

Step 13
Hang blinds or kitchen curtains

Step 14
Enjoy new remodeled kitchen

Step 1
Measure floor (length and width for square footage)

Step 2
Go to Home Depot, Lowes or your local hardware store and pick out self-stick vinyl tiles

Step 3
Use your measurement to figure out how many tiles you need. Be sure to get at-least one extra box for mistakes or minor repairs (sometimes tiles get discontinued).

Step 4
Buy a tile cutter or a box cutter

Step 5
Place the tiles in the same direction, follow the arrows on the back. Start in one corner by securing the tiles next to each other

Step 6
Measure corners and cut the tile to fit the corners. Peel and paste

Step 7
Buy molding and cover in case of any imperfections

Step 8
Enjoy your floor

I have my fruits and vegetables by juicing. Here are 3 recipes for ensuring that you add fruits and vegetables to your diet. I find this to work better than vitamins and coffee because I am more energetic in the morning and I don’t experience that downer after a coffee high, sugar high (from eating a breakfast that has sugar/fructose), or anything caffeinated. I feel good all day long, mentally and physically. I hope you enjoy my recipes. I don’t remove the seeds or the skin from any of my fruits or vegetables, I juice and drink everything (except for the ginger).

Breakfast Fruits and Vegetables Juice-1

4 carrots

1 celery

1 pear

1 apple

½ beets

 Juice carrots, celery, pear, apple, and beets for one cup of delicious vegetable and fruit juice.

 Breakfast Fruits and Vegetables Juice-2

 1-carrot

2-cup broccoli

2-cup spinach

1- apple

1-cup cantaloupe

 Juice carrot, broccoli, spinach, apple, and cantaloupe. This is a great way to start your day feeling energized and refreshed. (You can strain if you like)

 Breakfast Fruits and Vegetables Juice-3

 I/2 cup peeled chopped ginger

1 pear

10 grapes

1 cup kiwi

5 blueberries

1 cup fresh parsley

3 carrots

 Juice pear, ginger, grapes, kiwi, blueberries, parsley and carrots for a lovely morning breakfast drink that will rejuvenate you and make your skin glow

What is your healthy skin, mind and body recipe?

Here are action steps to remodel your bathroom

Step 1
Turn off water

Step 2
Remove shower or tub

Step 3
Remove vanity or vanity doors

Step 4
Remove toilet

Step 5
Replace window

Step 6
Remove flooring

Step 7
Spackle and paint bathroom including bathroom door or replace door

Step 8
Let dry

Step 9
Put in bathtub, toilet and (new) vanity and sink (if you just removed the doors to the vanity then put in new doors)

Step 10
Install new floor

Step 11
Enjoy bathroom

Fruits and Vegetables salad 1

1 bunch of fresh spinach chopped or buy a bag at your local market
1 cup sharp cheese chopped
1 cup feta cheese
10 grapes (seedless)
1 cup sliced almonds
10 small red sweet tomatoes
5  sliced halved strawberries
¼ cup dried cranberries

Toss salad in a bowl and add your favorite salad dressing. I find Italian salad dressing works best with this salad. Add a glass of red wine and what a wonderful refreshing lunch

Salad dressing

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (you can also use vegetable oil, canola oil or soybean oil)
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 peg minced garlic
¼ cup minced onion
1 tablespoon of sugar (you can leave this out or use honey)
Pinch of salt or to taste

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until blended

Fruits and Vegetables salad 2

1 package mixed salad
½ red apple chopped (with skin)
½ yellow apple chopped (with skin)
10 small red tomatoes
1 cup Acai berries or blueberries
1 cup chopped sharp cheese
1 cup chopped Monterey Jack cheese (you can leave this out but I love cheese, can you tell?)
1 cup feta cheese

Toss salad in a bowl and add your favorite salad dressing. Add a glass of red wine and live well

Salad dressing

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (you can also use vegetable oil, canola oil or soybean oil)
½ cup vinegar
1 peg minced garlic
Salt to taste

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until blended.

What is your favorite salad and dressing?

 Action steps to apply for US work permit

Step 1
Contact USCIS, 1-800-375-5283 and get a copy of the I-765 or you can file electronically

Step 2
Complete questions 1 through 17 on form I-765 (date/sign and mail to the appropriate USCIS address)

Step 3
Submit these required documents and appropriate filing fee. You can find out filing fee by calling or going to uscis.gov, (you may be able to get filing fee waived if you show economic necessity-you can submit a list of your assets, income, and expenses).

Submit a copy of the form I-94, Arrival-Departure record (front and back)-if you are filing form (I-765) under the (c) (9) category- form I-94 is not required. What is (c) (9) category? This is a renewal of your EAD (employment authorization document) card. This means if you already have an EAD card and you are just renewing it, then you do not need to submit a copy of your I-94.

Send a copy of your Federal Government issued identity document, such as a passport showing your picture, name and date of birth, a birth certificate with photo ID, a visa issued by a foreign consulate, or a national ID document photocopy must clearly show the facial features of the applicant and the biographical information.

Submit two identical color photographs of yourself taken within 30 days of filing your application. The photos must have a white to off-white background, printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, and be unmounted and unretouched. The passport-style photos must be 2” by 2”. The photos must be in color with full face, frontal view on a white to off-white background. Head height should measure 1” to 1-3/8” from top to bottom of chin, and eye height is between 1- 1/8” to 1-3/8” from bottom of photo. Your head must be bare unless you are wearing a headdress as required by a religious order of which you are a member. Lightly print (using a pencil or felt tip pen) write your name and alien receipt number on the back of the photo.

USCIS will mail an EAD card to you if you are approved. If you are denied, USCIS will mail a denial letter to you.

Speak to an attorney to find out if you qualify to file for an EAD card/I-765 for employment in the United States.

If you have any questions about completing the I-765 form or another USCIS form, please post.

With interest rates falling, unemployment growing, and the economy waning, more banks are not only helping homeowners who are delinquent on their mortgage payments, but also those who are at risk because of lost of jobs, family death, medical bills, lost wages due to reduced hours at work, or military service.

Newsday Gigi Berman Aharoni, reported that HSBC spokesperson Kat Durham said, “It’s never appropriate to do nothing. The earlier you take action, the more options you may have.”

Here is what you need to know:

Step 1:

If you think you may have a problem, even if it is a potential problem, contact your mortgage company and speak to someone to be prepared.

Step 2:

Ask your lender if you qualify to increase your loan terms. This will help you to reduce your monthly payments but may create a balloon payment in the years to come. This balloon payment increase may not happen for about 40-50 years

Step 3:

If you have the credit and you qualify, you may be able to get your ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) lowered. You may qualify for a fixed rate as low as 3%, which will gradually adjust back up to about 6 to 6.5 percent. However, the worst thing you can do is to wait until your bills pile up and your debt to income ratio is too high. If you think you are going to lose your job, contact your mortgage lender. (Procrastinating is the worst thing to do because the problem will get greater the longer you take to address it-take action today)

Step 4:

You may also qualify for a principal forbearance. What is a Principal forbearance? Principal forbearance is a way to keep your home and pay a portion of it later. Here is how it works: The bank carves off a portion of the money you owe and puts it aside. You continue making payments, now lowered, on the rest of the loan. However, when you sell or refinance, the bank adds that portion back onto the total amount you must repay. The hope is that your home value will have increased and the bank will get back their money.

Step 5:

Contact your lender and ask them to waive the late fees or other fees that the bank add to your mortgage. This may help you to get on track with affordable monthly payments.

Here are your action steps

Step 1
Fix your credit score so it is at-least 700 or higher

Step 2
Make a 20 percent down payment

Step 3
Buy your home now, interest rates have not been this low in years and you probably won’t get it this low again

Step 4
Go to the bank in your neighborhood and apply for your mortgage, mortgage brokers have an interest in selling you a higher interest rate because they plan on selling your mortgage to the highest bidder. Higher interest rate yields greater profits.

Step 5
Make sure your debt to income ratio is low, therefore you will not be a high-risk candidate. Pay down your debt before applying for a mortgage or refinancing.

Here are your action steps

Step 1
When you find the car you want to buy, look it up in the Kelley blue book to see the value of the car. Do not let any dealer fast talk you into buying a car. You can also check CarFax to find out if the vehicle has been in an accident (they are not always up to date).

Step 2
Find a mechanic or a friend who knows something about cars

Step 3
Start up the car and let it run listen for unusual sounds, squeaking, banging, which might suggest a problem with the engine, timing belt, muffler, etc. Shut the car off and start it up again, do this about 3 times (to check that the starter is still good-a new starter with installation can cost at least $400 in some states).

Step 4
Check directionals, break lights, door locks, mirrors, seatbelts, radio, cd player, heat, AC, make sure the seat can adjust, adjust the side mirrors and rear view mirror

Step 5
Check for rust on bottom of the car, which will suggest water damage. (Which should concern you)

Step 6
Close the car doors and make sure the doors are lined up perfectly, if they are not then this may suggest that the car was in an accident (which should concern you). Make sure the car paint is one color, if the color changes that might also mean the car have been in an accident and the mechanic replaced the body panel. The car maybe two cars welded together.

Step 7
Don’t buy a car with any window damage, to fix a wind shield it could cost up to $2,000 dollars in some states, even if it is the smaller back window, replacing it can be very expensive.

Step 8
Open the hood of the car and check the oil. If the oil is too black then an oil change may be needed however, there can be a more serious problem (which should concern you).

Step 9
Turn on all the car lights, honk the horn, turn on the window wipers to make sure everything is working

Step 10
Check under the car to make sure there aren’t any fluids

Step 11
Check the trunk of the car for the spare tire and car jack. Make sure that the spare tire and car jack are secure in the trunk of the car

Step 12
Take the car for a test drive and make right and left turns. Drive the speed limit but accelerate the car and stop suddenly at the stop sign to test the brakes.

Step 13
If you will be using the car on the highway, find the closest highway and drive for one exit.

Step 14
Check to see how quickly the car warms up; check the odometer to make sure it is working- go to CarFax for a free odometer accuracy test, to ensure no one tampered with the odometer.

Step 15
If you are near a gas station put a little gas in the car to see if the gauge is working

Step 16
Check the car title to see if the person selling the car is the one on the title, if you are not buying from a dealer. (If the name is different, you might be buying a stolen car)

Step 17
Try to pay with a check in case your car breaks down right away, then you can stop the check

Step 18
If you decide to buy the car offer an extra 100 dollars cash for 6 months warranty. If the seller takes the extra cash, make sure he/she does not put “as is” anywhere on your receipt. According to the lemon law when “as is” is written on your receipt, you will not get your money back.

Step 19
Never offer the asking price, always have three prices in mind, the price the seller is asking, the most you want to pay and what you would like to pay. Start with what you would like to pay and let the seller negotiate a greater price (make sure you remind the seller of anything that you found wrong with the car to help the seller lower the price).

If you don’t find anything wrong with the car, still offer less money than what the seller is asking because you always pay less when the other person has to negotiate up. Make sure you are not paying more than what the car is worth (Kelley blue book will let you know what the car is worth)

Step 20
If the car has a high mileage, skip buying the car

Step 21
If the car is too old, skip buying that car because even if it runs well, you may not be able to find parts

Step 22
Don’t appear too anxious because the seller might drive up the price

Step 23
Don’t forget to take your plates, if the seller still have them