In 2012 at the age of 32, I was diagnosed with CRPS -Complex Regional Pain Syndrome- in my right hand due to a string of injuries and bad surgeries. Since then it has quickly spread to my right shoulder and my left hip and leg. My doctor can’t give me a reason for the spreading and I can’t wait for an answer to be discovered.

More and more we’re hearing miracle stories of people curing themselves with food. Men and women curing cancer and diabetes, all just by changing how they ate. As a journalist with CRPS/RSD I had to believe I could cure myself with food and that is what I’m setting out to do.

In my research there are foods that cause and worsen nerve pain and some that cure and help, so using myself as a guennia pig I’ve started on a new diet that seems simple and inexpensive. This diet is low in meat and poultry and free of artificial sweeteners and preservatives, all which can worsen nerve pain. My new diet is high in vitamin C, omega 3 fatty acids and B12, all known to reduce nerve pain and even reverse damage.

Artificial sweeteners and preservatives have been known to cause fibromyalgia and seizures. “Artificial” is the key word here, if we are trying to repair our bodies, we need to remove all foreign objects including chemicals such as artificial sweeteners from our diets. Along with that preservatives, fake dyes and basically anything you can’t pull from the ground or from the sea. Think all natural, the way our ancestors cooked 100 years ago.

When you cook or heat food it loses ½ of its nutritional value including vitamins and protein, so it is important to eat as much raw food as you can. Furthermore in my research countries that consumed 5% or less of animal protein in their daily diets had 1/10 of the diseases and cancers than the countries that consume high amount of animal proteins such as the United States.

Vitamin C strengthens your immune system, eases nerve pain, repairs damaged nerves, lowers your risk of developing autoimmune diseases, slows the aging process and increases metabolism.

Foods rich in Vitamin C

Bell and sweet peppers as well as hot peppers, guavas, papayas, thyme, parsley, kale, mustard greens, spinach and garden cress. Brocolli, cauliflower, brussle sprouts, oranges, limes, lemons and grapefruit. Strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, cherries, black currents, mellon, kiwi and tomatoes.

Omega 3 fatty acids improve immune system function, decrease inflammation in your body, prevent nerve damage and lessen nerve pain.

Foods rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Salmon, halibut and tuna, flaxseeds, Chia Seeds, fish broth, basil, oregano, broccoli, spinach, free range eggs, brussel sprouts, olive oil, nuts, cabbage, tofu, green beans, kale and strawberries.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is fairly common and can cause nerve pain. Your nervous system requires vitamin B12 for proper function and maintenance.

Foods Rich in Vitamin B12

Farm raised meat, poultry, eggs, milk and other dairy products, fish and shellfish and beets.

TIME TO GET IN THE KITCHEN!

I find that a veggie/fruit smoothie in the morning helps to get more Vitamin C and Omega 3 in my system right away, later I choose a raw or mostly raw lunch also heavy in Vitamin C and Omega 3 and concentrate on the B12 and meat (to keep my family happy) for dinner with a vitamin c side dish. My goal is always to have 2 or more nerve healthy ingredients in each meal.

This diet has helped me drop almost most of my medication in half or more, and my daily pain levels of 4-8 are now down to 0-4 with only a few spikes a month. I also have adopted a new “attitude” about my nerve pain. I try to only think of it in the past tense. For instance I don’t dwell on how I feel right now, but when I felt good yesterday. I found that after speaking about my pain with a support group member my pain spiked, but when I was distracted my pain was less severe. Try it for yourself and see if a little self-trickery can help you cope with the pain better.

Below are a few recipes heavy in Vitamin C, Omega 3 and or B12:

Fruit smoothie combinations, add all ingredients to blender and mix until smooth adding water to achieve desired consistency.

-Apricot (Vitamin C), orange (Vitamin C), 1 cup spinach (Vitamin C & Omega), 2 tablespoons ground flax seed (Omega).

-Orange (Vitamin C), 6 Strawberries (Vitamin C & Omega), 1 cup spinach (Vitamin C & Omega), 2 tablespoons ground flax seed (Omega).

-5 Strawberries (Vitamin C & Omega), 1 banana (Vitamin C), orange (Vitamin C) ½ cup kale (Vitamin C & Omega).

Salads are a great way to get a big raw meal, here are a few of my favorites.

Beet Salad- this salad combines both raw and cookies vegetables and fruits. With beets (B12), oranges (Vitamin C) avocados (Vitamin C), parsley (Vitamin C)and extra virgin olive oil (Omega 3) you have a well rounded nerve healthy meal.

Strawberry Spinach Salad- this summer salad is a great way to pack in a lot of nutrition with a lot of flavor. With spinach (Vitamin C and Omega 3), strawberries (Vitamin C and Omega 3), walnuts (Omega 3), extra virgin olive oil (Omega 3), chicken and cheese (B12) it’s an ideal nerve healthy lunch or dinner.

Steak Salad- this family friendly meal makes a great dinner or lunch, and it’s packed full of nutrition with spinach (Vitamin C and Omega 3), tomato (Vitamin C), basil (Vitamin C and natural pain reliever), extra virgin olive oil (Omega 3) and steak and cheese (B12).

Sushi is also a great option as raw Omega 3 and B12 rich fish will greatly benefit your nervous system. Just as I have, keep searching! Don’t take “I don’t know” for an answer! If enough of us dig for information we can cute each other.

HAPPY COOKING!

We always want what we can’t have and nit pick ourselves in the pursuit of perfection. How can that be healthy? Not to mention all the ridiculous pictures we look at like this beautiful Victoria’s Secret model. I have to ask you, if you compare yourself to this woman how does that make you feel about yourself? Not good, right?

This woman’s body is not the rule, it’s the exception! A beautiful (airbrushed) freak of nature! We have to STOP THE CYCLE and start accepting what we CAN do and what we CAN change and stop holding ourselves and our body to an expectation that could be unachievable.

I’ve been working on this for myself as well, I’m 33, I look the best I have in my life… but there are still a few things I would change if I could. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME! I need to embrace my body now at its peak because when I’m 80 I will look back at myself at this age and think “damn I looked good” I don’t want any regret.

Here are some goals I have set for myself, and I recommend you work on now so when you get close to your goal weight and you don’t look like a Victoria’s Secret model you will be OK with that.

1. I will accept my body as it is and concentrate on health.

2. I will stop comparing myself to airbrushed models.

3. I will ROCK a bathing suit this summer and get over my cellulite.

4. I will stop working to get to my goal 118 lbs weight, it’s been 2 years and 125 lbs is just fine!

5. I will stop fixating on imperfections and start fixating on my “best” parts.

I will leave you with one last note, I recently got down to 120 lbs and I realized that last 5 lbs was all boob weight, seriously! So I had to get over my “ultimate goal” and accept that 125-135 lbs is my perfect weight. Not because society says so, because that is the weight that I look and feel the best.

This is not about settling, it’s about ACCEPTANCE. You only get one body, love it don’t hate it! And remember, nothing is more sexy than CONFIDENCE!

Read about my weight loss journey and my get started page and learn how to Lose Weight By Eating.

This is the dish to serve to people who don’t like beets! The citrus vinaigrette mellows the flavor of the beets, it’s delicious!

I had the best meal of my life recently at Luna Red in San Luis Obispo. I was working on an article for the June/July 2013 issue for Indulge Magazine on the restaurant and the chef.

I still can’t get the beet salad Chef Shaun served me out of my head. So today I decided to replicate it. My beet salad was no where as beautiful as Chef Shaun’s was, but it was a good “at home” version. I used Italian parsley, but use any leafy green like basil, spinach, arugula, watercress.

This recipe serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a side dish-

Salad-

3 large beets

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 avocado cut into squares

2 oranges

Small bunch of Italian parsley

Vinaigrette-

Juice of one orange

Juice of 1/2 lemon (Meyer preferably)

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive  Oil

2 tablespoons vinegar (I used pineapple infused, but apple cider and white wine would be fine too)

Salt and Pepper

GET STARTED-

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the ends off the beets and scrub clean.

Line a 9×9 casserole dish with 2 feet of foil, place beets inside. Cover with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Close up the foil and seal the ends leaving room for air. Place in the oven for 1 hour, when you can push a fork through they are done.

While the beets bake make the vinaigrette, add all the ingredients to a jar, cover and shake. You can also whisk in a bowl.

Use a pairing knife to remove the orange peel, slicing into the orange flesh so that it is exposed. Then carefully slice the orange segments out of the membranes, think about a grapefruit in reverse.

After an hour remove the beets from the oven and let cool before opening the packet and moving to chopping board (use plastic, this will stain wood).

When the beets are cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to help remove the skins. Then slice the beets very thin into rings.

Place the rings onto two plates, top with orange segments, cover with vinaigrette, then avocado squares. Use a pair of scissors to snip the parsley onto the plates, serve hot or cold.

Based on 2 servings, each serving has:

Calories: 388

Fat: 31- these are all GOOD FATS form the olive oil and avocado

Fiber: 10

Protein: 4

Carbs: 28

I get questions daily asking what kind of coffee creamer I use, but I don’t use one… I just make myself a fancy latte in under 2 minutes! All you need to make these lattes is a small whisk and a minute or two of you time.

Try them out yourself, want a vanilla latte? Just take out the almond extract and double the vanilla extract.

WHAT YOU NEED

Makes 2 Lattes

1 cup strong brewed coffee

1 cup Almond milk, or milk of your choice

½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. almond extract

2 tsp. Sugar or Sugar in the raw- optional

GET STARTED

-Heat the milk in a small sauce pan on medium low heat. Once warmed whisk briskly and constantly to create foam.

-Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, almond extract and coffee and serve. Add in sugar, please use only real sugar no substitutes.*

Each latte has:

Calories: 47

Fat: 1

Fiber: .5

Protein: .5

Carbs: 7

* Sugar substitutes have been proven to cause fat storage and weight gain, plus all kinds of terrible other side effects… Is that really worth saving 16 calories? I promise you, the whisking alone will burn off that 1 teaspoon of sugar (again ONLY 16 CALORIES!) Or… just leave out the sugar.

I love meals that can be made in under 30 minutes, especially on weeknights. This is one of those simple, one pan dinners that you can pop in the oven, pour yourself a glass of wine and relax and let the oven do all the work. Make sure you have some high quality EVOO to drizzle over, it adds a ton of flavor and leaves your skin and hair soft and glowing.

This recipe was created to pair with Still Waters Vineyards customer created Cabernet Sauvignon in my Paso Robles Press weekly Food and Wine column.

WHAT YOU NEED

Serves 4 people

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

32 ounces of cherry tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 chopped green onions

½ cup chopped fresh basil

1 French baguette

Salt and pepper to taste

Still Waters extra virgin olive oil or any high quality EVOO

 GET STARTED

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-In a 9×13 casserole dish combine chicken breasts, tomatoes and olive oil. Use the back of a fork and slightly smash garlic cloves before adding to the tomatoes.

-Place casserole dish in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and flip the chicken before placing back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

-Remove from the oven, take out the garlic cloves from the bruschetta and discard. Let cool slightly while you slice the French bread.

-Plate chicken, top with tomatoes, basil and chopped green onions. Drizzle on some Still Waters extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve with French bread and Still Waters Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Barrel Select.

Each serving (4 total) has:

Calories: 379

Fat: 8

Fiber: 1

Protein: 31

Carbs: 38

This delicious easy salad can be made in just a handful of minutes and also makes for a great picnic! So grab your Picnic Basket and read the special instructions below for an easy, delicious outside meal.

Strawberries, spinach and walnuts all boost metabolism! Lose Weight By Eating is all about making your food work for you, with so many to choose from you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner all while boosting your metabolism.

I created this recipe to pair with Opolo Vineyard’s Pinot Gris, my favorite picnic/hiking/wine tasting spot.

WHAT YOU NEED

Serves 4

4 cups baby spinach

1 cup strawberries sliced lengthwise

¼ cup chopped walnuts

1 cup precooked rotisserie chicken shredded –optional-

3 tablespoons crumbled cheese such as chevre, feta or blue cheese

 Strawberry citrus vinaigrette

5 strawberries quartered

¼ cup orange juice

1/4 cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

GET STARTED

-Make the vinaigrette ahead of time, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Move to a jar and place in the fridge for 1-4 hours to marinate.

-Cover a large platter with baby spinach, then top with strawberries, walnuts and chicken.

-Drizzle half the dressing over the spinach, place the rest of the dressing next to the salad.

-Top with cheese, freshly grated pepper and serve with Opolo pinot gris.

NOTE- If you choose to take this salad with you on a picnic or potluck, place the spinach in a large Tupperware container, cover with 2 layers of paper towels and close. Add the chicken, strawberries, walnuts and cheese to small containers or bags and leave the vinaigrette in the jar to take along, now you’re ready for a fabulous picnic or potluck. Just open the spinach container and top with all the fixings and you’re set in a matter of seconds.

Each serving (4 total) has:

Calories: 313

Fat: 23- these are GOOD FATS from the nuts and olive oil

Fiber: 4.5

Protein: 19

Carbs: 9

Have you ever made your own chips? I’m about to shock you because they are super easy, all you need is a Pizza Wheel to cut the tortillas and a little spice to make them delicious.

I made this salsa one day when I needed some, but was unable to run to the store. I love it with, and on everything but my favorite combo is Salsa, Homemade Chips, B&E Merlot and a warm afternoon! The spice brings out the flavors in Merlot, and don’t stick your nose up at Merlot!  Better known as the Bordeaux grape, it’s making a BIG comeback! Order some B&E and you will be a believer like this food and wine journalist is.

WHAT YOU NEED

SALSA-

1- 28 ounce can of organic crushed tomatoes

1 garlic clove

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ red onion finely chopped

2 jalapenos

¼ cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

CHIPS-

4 whole wheat tortillas

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

GET STARTED

-Cut the jalapenos in half-length wise, scrape out the seeds and ribs and discard. Finely chop jalapenos and set aside.

-In a large bowl add the tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic powder and jalapeno. Using a fine cheese grater grate the garlic clove into the mixture, add in cilantro and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

-Heat the oven to 325 F. Add oil to 2 of the tortillas, place other 2 tortillas on top and rub around. In a small bowl combine the spices, then sprinkle on tortillas and rub together once again to spread around.

-Use a Pizza Wheel to cut the tortillas like a pizza into 12 triangles, spread out on two rimmed baking sheets and place in oven for 10-12 minutes. Once they are golden brown and crispy they’re done.

1/2 cup of salsa with 6 chips has:

Calories: 40

Fat: 1

Fiber: 0

Protein: 0

Carbs: 2

I love when fan question’s inspire posts and today we have one. Amanda asked what kind of oil I prefer and what herbs, fresh or dried. After writing nearly a book back to her about the two, I figured there must be more of you out there wondering the same.

So to start, here’s my thought process on foods. First and foremost I look at what an ingredient does for my body THEN I look at the calories. Oil vs. butter is a great example. Butter has nearly zero health benefits, but olive oil has many. They both have about the same amount of calories and fat, so I prefer olive oil. It has the same effect on my caloric intake, but olive oil is by far better for my body.

Here are 4 categories of my favorite kitchen essentials, make a small investment in your pantry and fridge staples and you will be more likely to cook more and lose more weight.

1. Herbs
2. Oils and vinegar
3. Fridge staples
4. Smart swaps

HERBS

Many of you have the luxury of living in warm climates and therefore have the ability to keep up a year round garden. Others, like this gal, have the frost to worry about. I’m thrilled that spring is here and I get to plant my garden this weekend! I don’t have much space to work with so I keep it to the absolute necessities, even if you have only a windowsill you have the ability to plant a garden, and now is the time.

Keeping a garden is a great workout! Talk about some serious squats, what if I told you each day you spend an hour in your garden, you can skip going to the gym? One of the best forms of therapy is gardening, it’s great for your mind, body and soul. Even though growing your own herbs may cost the more initially, the $20-$30 you spend upfront will save you three times as much in the long run.

I keep a stock of both fresh and dried at all times. When I can’t grow my own I get it from the Farmer’s market or the organic section of the grocery store.  Below is a list of herbs I cannot live without. Look up your favorite 5 recipes and write down what herbs are in the recipes, you may see some redundancies (for instance 3 of the 5 have basil), in that case get both fresh and dried. This way you never run out of your favorites.

Fresh                                   Dried

Basil                                      Garlic Powder

Sage                                      Oregano

Mint                                      Chilli Powder

Rosemary                             Basil

Cilantro                                Cayenne

OILS AND VINEGAR

I wouldn’t say I’m a snob on this subject, just very lucky to live in an area that’s known for award-winning Olive Oil. I keep several different kinds of olive oil on hand, but the staples that I encourage you to purchase are Olive Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Olive oil has about the same amount of calories as other oils, but many more health benefits. Since I have made the swap my hair is longer and shinier, my skin clearer… and did I mention I LOST 150 LBS?

So, what’s the difference between Olive Oil and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)?

Olive oil won’t have much flavor and is great to cook with. Don’t spend a ton of money on regular olive oil, try to get organic if you can afford it.

EVOO is the most raw form of olive oil you can get, if it’s good it will have a TON of flavor. This is what you want to use in salad dressings, dips and to pour over food before serving. You do not want to cook with EVOO, adding heat will cause it to lose its flavor. EVOO is more expensive, but remember this is only for dressings, dips and topping of food. It will last 3 times as long as regular olive oil, make an investment in the best you can afford. I’m currently obsessed with Stillwaters award-winning olive oil.

Vinegar are an important investment as well, my favorite is Balsamic. It adds tons of flavor without adding tons of calories. The important thing to remember with vinegar is that you will rarely cook with it, therefore you will be using it raw and you want great flavor. When it comes to balsamic, you will know it’s good if it’s sticky. Basically, if it’s a pain to clean up… you got the good stuff.

Apple cider, white, or white wine vinegar will also be a good investment, don’t go all out on cost but don’t get the cheapest either. This will last a year or two so spend an extra $5 and get the best you can afford.

FRIDGE STAPLES

One of my most popular posts, Grocery List for Weight Loss Success already has covered my must have fridge staples, but here are the five I cannot live without and always have in my refrigerator.

0% Greek Yogurt- a great swap for cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise, try in my Angel Eggs.

Unsweetened Almond Milk- great for cooking, saves loads of calories! Use it to replace regular milk in cooking, you will won’t be able to tell the difference! Try in my Mac and Cheese.

Unsalted butter- one of the worst things you can put in your body is that fake butter, it is full of chemicals and will only add fat to your body. If you must use butter, get the real stuff!

Hot Sauce!- Hot sauce adds tons of flavor, and most add zero calories. My favorite is Pepper Plant hot sauce, when I can I buy it in a gallon jug… really! 

Mustard- I have Dijon, Spicy and English mustard. Adds loads of flavor and minimal calories, try in my Whole Baked Chicken and Potatoes

SMART SWAPS

Everything I have mentioned so far is technically a . Smart swaps are ingredients that will save you calories and add nutritional benefits to your food. For instance, Greek yogurt can be swapped for sour cream, mayo and cheese. You can even add some homemade jam and fruit for an instant sweet treat, it has half the calories and fat than mayo, cheese and sour cream, plus tons of protein and calcium.

I wanted to give you 5 items you can keep in your pantry that will save you tons of calories, and make cooking and baking easier and tastier.

Unsweetened Apple Sauce- Use in place of sugar and butter in baking, like in my Cherry Almond Scones.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips- Use in place of milk chocolate and save tons of calories. Grab a couple of tablespoons to nibble on instead of a candy bar. Try in my Cherry Garcia Yogurt..

Honey- I try to use honey in place of sugar anytime I can. I have allergies and local honey helps build immunity to local allergens. Try in my Nutty Banana Roll Ups.

REAL Maple Syrup- Did you know maple syrup has fewer calories than sugar, honey and agave? Make sure it is real, you need to read the ingredients to be sure. I like to use in baking, it adds a ton of flavor and sweetness and you don’t need as much, which also helps you cut the calories. Try in my Skinny French Toast.

Baby food- REALLY! Baby food is great for baking, just like apple sauce it is a great swap for butter and sugar. I keep both pear and peach in my house at all times. Try my Peach Cobbler Cookies, I brought them to a radio interview and the DJ couldn’t stop talking about how shocked he was that there was baby food in them… but of course I didn’t tell him till he was on his third cookie.

A big thank you to Amanda K. who inspired this post, below is a grocery list for a quick reference while on the go.

GROCERY LIST

Olive Oil

GOOD Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

White, white wine or apple cider vinegar

Greek Yogurt- 0%

Unsweetened Almond Milk

Unsalted butter

Eggs

Mustard- I have Dijon, Spicy and English mustard.

Unsweetened Apple Sauce- get the little cups they are ½ cup each

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Honey

REAL Maple Syrup

Baby food

Your favorite herbs- see above herb section to make your list.

I made these for the first time to pair with Wild Horse Winery’s delicious Zinfandel. They were featured in my weekly Paso Robles Press Food and Wine Column. These stuffed steaks are elegant, perfect for a dinner party, but also kid -and man- approved too. The only fancy tools needed are Kitchen Twine and a Rolling Pin or Meat Tenderizer.

I make double, and sometimes triple of these and freeze them for a fast dinner. The rolling up doesn’t take too much time and effort, in fact you can even have the kids help! Don’t let these intimidate you, they look hard but are simple AND you get to take out your frustration while you beat the steaks flat.

These go great with any veggies, get what’s on sale and toss it on the BBQ with the steaks. If you don’t have all the ingredients get creative, no corn use bell pepper, no goat cheese use feta. Most of my best recipes came from taking a recipe from a book or on-line and modifying it to accommodate what I have in the house.

Makes two 5 ounce steaks

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 top round steaks- 5 ounce each

¼ cup Panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

¼ cup frozen corn kernels

1 garlic clove finely chopped

2 tablespoons dried or fresh chopped parsley

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

Plastic wrap

Kitchen Twine

Foil

GET STARTED

-Pre-heat Barbeque to medium low with the lid closed.

-On a clean surface lay out a 2 foot piece of plastic wrap, place one steak in the middle of the plastic wrap and cover with a second two foot piece of plastic wrap.

-With a Meat Tenderizer or Rolling Pin beat the steak, really! Tenderize -or beat- it until it’s half the thickness and into a rectangle. This will make the steak tender and give us the ability to roll it up. Move steak to a clean surface and work on the second steak until it’s also flat and tender.

-In a bowl combine Panko breadcrumbs, cheese, corn, garlic and parsley. Using a fork crumble everything together.

-Salt and pepper the steaks on both sides, place both steaks on a cutting board lengthwise. Place two 1 foot sections of kitchen twine under each steak, one ½ an inch from the top and one ½ from the bottom.

-Divide the goat cheese panko mixture and mound in the middle of each steak, then gently push down keeping away from the top and bottom ending where the kitchen twine is.

-Gently roll up then tie the strings and cut off any access. Mixture that has fallen out can be gently pushed back in.

-Coat each steak with olive oil and place on the medium low barbeque for 30 minutes. Turn every 5 minutes to brown and cook all sides, keep lid closed. When the cheese starts to melt in the center it should be done.

-Move to a plate and let sit for 10 minutes, cover loosely with foil to keep in heat. Cut off strings and serve with Wild Horse Zinfandel.

Each rolled steak has:

Calories: 310

Fat: 9

Fiber: 1

Protein: 40

Carbs: 12

Every time I visit the grocery store I see a minimum of two people staring at rows and rows of preservative filled salad dressings. I want to shout out to them “you already have everything to make salad dressing at home.” So put aside the dressings that will stay good for a year and make something all natural and delicious.

Remember real food will go bad and these dressings will last for about a week in your fridge. If need be cut the recipe in half or more to make the appropriate amount.

Here’s my collection of skinny salad dressings, change up the recipes to accommodate what you have. Example, switch out orange juice for pomegranate in the Pom Vinaigrette and you have a citrus vinaigrette.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves 4, from my Skinny Spinach Salad and  Green and Yellow Salad.

1 tbsp Honey

1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar

2 tbsp Spicy brown Mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar. Whisk together, or if using a jar close and shake. Place in refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours minimum.

Spicy Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves 4, from my Fruit and Nut Spinach Salad.

1 cup red wine vinegar- such as zinfandel vinegar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup spicy brown mustard

1 tsp salt

2 tablespoons good extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar. Whisk together, or if using a jar close and shake. Place in refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours minimum.

Strawberry Citrus Vinaigrette

Serves 4, from my food and wine newspaper column.

5 strawberries quartered

¼ cup orange juice

1/4 cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar. Whisk together, or if using a jar close and shake. Place in refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours minimum.

Avocado Ranch Dressing/Dip

Makes 8 servings, try with my kid friendly Chicken Strips.

2 cups Non Fat Greek Yogurt
2 Garlic Cloves shredded with a cheese grater
3 tbsp chopped Chives
2 tbsp Dried Parsley
1/2 tsp Dried Dill
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp White Vinegar
1 Avocado smashed with the back of a fork

Add all ingredients into a large Tupperware container or jar and mix well, place in fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Walnut Raspberry Dressing

Serves 4, from the Arugula Fig and Prosciutto Salad.

1 ½ Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 tsp. raspberry jam

2 tsp. minced shallot

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

⅛ tsp. each salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. walnut oil

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar. Whisk together, or if using a jar close and shake. Place in refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours minimum.

Garlic-Ginger Dressing

Serves 4, from the Strawberry Chicken Salad.

⅓ cup raspberry vinegar

¾ cup walnut oil

1 clove garlic

½ inch ginger root

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Mince garlic and ginger. Add remaining ingredients and blend. Let stand at least 15 minutes before use.

Garlic Herb Vinaigrette

Serves 4, from my Veggie Bean Salad.

4 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tbsp Dried Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar. Whisk together, or if using a jar close and shake. Place in refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours minimum.

Skinny Caesar Dressing

Serves 4, from my Skinny Caesar Salad and Avocado Caesar Salad

½ cup 0% Greek yogurt
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (your good stuff)
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove shredded- use your cheese grater
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar. Whisk together, or if using a jar close and shake. Place in refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours minimum.

Greek Style Salad Dressing

Serves 4, from my Heavenly Orzo Salad

2 tbsp Capers

2 tbsp Kalamata Olives finely chopped

2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil- I used one infused with Meyer Lemon flavor

Splash of the Caper Juice – the liquid they are stored in

Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar. Whisk together, or if using a jar close and shake. Place in refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours minimum.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Serves 4. The Pomegranate Vinaigrette comes from my Sweet and Savory Quinoa Salad and  Steak House Salad.

2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup pomegranate juice

2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar. Whisk together, or if using a jar close and shake. Place in refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours minimum.