Stepfanie Romine is a writer, recipe developer, published author and certified yoga teacher who has lived--and cooked--on three continents. She currently calls Asheville, North Carolina home. 
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Help! Parties are My Weakness!
My social calendar is full this month with Halloween parties, a reunion and even a belated birthday soiree. While I'm excited to see my friends and catch up on what's going on in our increasingly busy lives, I'm also slightly dreading all those parties.
Posted 10/11/2008 12:28:57 PM By: : 105 comments 14,003 views
Honoring Breast Cancer Month: Find an Affordable Mammogram
Women have a one in eight chance of getting breast cancer. However, experts say that regular screenings and early detection substantially increase the rate of survival. Women age 40 and older are encouraged to have a mammogram each year to screen for breast cancer, but if you're underinsured or uninsured, like 45.7 million Americans currently are, mammograms can be prohibitively expensive.
The good news is that there's help.
Posted 10/9/2008 8:04:30 AM By: : 42 comments 16,827 views
Quick Fix: Cut Sodium and Stretch a Buck!
Here's a tip for all of you who are watching your sodium. With minimal effort, you can boost nutrients and slim down your comfort foods!
Canned pasta sauce, sloppy joe mix and chilis are fantastic time savers. However, they're often high in sugar and salt. Cut the sweet (or salty) taste by adding a can of no-salt added tomatoes. The rest of the sauce will flavor the tomatoes, and you can add an additional serving of vegetables to your meal. (This is also a great help when the kids unexpectedly bring home a couple of friends.)
Posted 10/5/2008 12:25:24 PM By: : 53 comments 9,779 views
Recipe Makeovers: Comfort Foods, Part 1
I subscribe to several email newsletters, including one that delivers recipes to my inbox just after lunch each day. The recipes are always mouth-watering and tempting, but they're not always healthy.
Yesterday's email offered five recipes for affordable comfort food: Variations on meatloaf and mashed potatoes, chili, sloppy joes, meatballs and burgers and fries.
While the recipes made me hungry (I hadn't had lunch yet), I knew I wouldn't be expending that many calories on one meal.
Posted 10/3/2008 12:00:00 PM By: : 48 comments 17,445 views
Food Showdown: Chicken Snack Wraps
It used to be that bigger was better in the fast food world. Now that more of us are watching our wallets and our waistlines, the value menu and snack-size portions are all the rage at the fast-food giants. Four of the big chains--Burger King, KFC, McDonald's, and Wendy's--have a snack-size chicken sandwich. McDonald's and Wendy's even offer grilled versions.
The good news is that these are slimmed down versions of some of your favorite sandwiches. The bad news is that "slimmed down" means, in most cases, fried chicken wrapped in a flour tortilla doused in a creamy sauce.
Let's take a look at the offerings from three of the restaurants.
Posted 10/2/2008 1:16:28 PM By: : 81 comments 61,999 views
Paul Newman's Passing Draws Attention to Lung Cancer Rate in U.S.
My grandma's favorite actor is Paul Newman. Old Blue Eyes, she'd say when we talked about movies, and gaze dreamily into space. Newman passed away over the weekend at age 83, and my grandma's own blue eyes misted up when heard the news. Mine did, too.
Newman, (above, left) an Oscar winner, philanthropist and organic food pioneer, had a long and rich life. He raced cars, continued acting into his 80s and lived a fairly quiet existence on the East Coast with his longtime wife, actress Joanne Woodward. He had long given up the fast-paced Hollywood lifestyle and reportedly quit smoking about 30 years ago.
Still, lung cancer claimed his life.
Posted 10/1/2008 12:00:00 PM By: : 42 comments 111,272 views
What Are The Healthiest Meals on Earth?
You might have seen Dr. Jonny Bowden's best-selling books The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth and The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth.
Now, the certified nutrition expert has written, with the help of friend and whole foods expert Jeannette Bessinger, a hybrid cookbook and nutrition book called The Healthiest Meals on Earth. The hefty book takes all those superfoods we know we should be eating and combines them into meals that maximize nutrition.
Posted 9/30/2008 12:37:51 PM By: : 34 comments 10,893 views
So You Think You Hate Vegetables: Savory Pancakes
It's National Pancake Day, but pancakes aren't just for breakfast anymore.
And they're not just sweet treats. In my house, we make them with all things green: grated beets or zucchini, chopped and steamed spinach, kale, or Swiss chard, onions, garlic, pureed pumpkin or squash, even potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Grated carrots, chopped celery, diced onion… you're only limited by your imagination. They're a great way to hide vegetables and shake up your average dinner.
Recently, one of my favorite chefs, Mark Bittmann (aka the Minimalist of The New York Times) featured a recipe for Spinach Pancakes. Soon after, I made my own batch (using Swiss chard, but you can use any green you prefer!), along with some Maple Glazed Salmon! (This vegetable pancake recipe can be modified to include any and all vegetables you like!)
Posted 9/26/2008 1:16:53 PM By: : 62 comments 28,581 views
Calorie Savers: Tuna (and Egg and Chicken) Salad Makeovers!
Quick, easy and delicious ways to save calories (and sometimes money)!
Add fiber, cut the fat and stretch the portions of tuna, chicken or egg salad!
Tuna salad: 205 calories; 10.6 g fat (serving is half a can of tuna)
Chicken salad: 239 calories; 11.4 g fat (serving is half a chicken breast)
Egg salad: 124 calories; 9.9 g fat (serving is 2 eggs)
Tuna salad: save 85 calories and 5 g fat, and add 1.5 g fiber!
Chicken salad: Save 110 calories and 5 grams of fat!
When you're not the one cooking, try these tips:
How do you slim down your favorite deli salads? Have a recipe to share?
Posted 9/24/2008 6:58:45 AM By: : 76 comments 33,125 views
What's Up: Health News You Should Know
One in 3 adults (about 72 million people) have high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension. Many doctors don't know blood pressure guidelines, and they often don't start treatment soon enough in middle age men.
Though the recommended blood pressure level is 120/80, most doctors studied didn't recommend treatment for a man with pressure that was much higher.
Posted 9/23/2008 11:00:00 AM By: : 19 comments 12,145 views
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Unlike breast or cervical cancers, ovarian cancer can be incredibly hard to detect in its earlier stages, which makes awareness that much more important. It is the fifth most common cancer in women.
Represented by a teal ribbon, this cancer is often called the silent killer because of its difficulty to detect.
Posted 9/21/2008 2:00:00 PM By: : 47 comments 15,490 views
Medicine? Magic? No, Just Meaningful Time with Girlfriends
The dailySpark welcomes guest blogger Debba Haupert of GIRLFRIENDOLOGY.com. Girlfriendology is the online community for women based on inspiration, appreciation and celebration of female friendship. Today, Debba writes about the importance of friendships, just in time for National Women’s Friendship Day!
Posted 9/21/2008 7:00:00 AM By: : 31 comments 11,784 views
Which Celeb Reached Her Fitness Goal?
Guess which star reached her fitness goal over the weekend? The photo is your hint.
Posted 9/20/2008 2:00:00 PM By: : 64 comments 11,701 views
We Ate It: Kraft Live Active Peanut Butter Chewy Granola Bar
In the world of functional foods, probiotics are hot, hot, hot. And for good reason. These little guys are the helpful bacteria that live in your gut and fight the bad guys. Probiotics help reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and promote a healthy digestive system.
Where can you get them? In fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi, and now, as it turns out, granola bars. Yes. Granola bars.
Posted 9/18/2008 1:01:56 PM By: : 83 comments 14,876 views
Consider the Source: Corn Syrup Ads
This is a the first in an ongoing series called "Consider the Source," in which the dailySpark examines nutrition information and its sources.
HFCS, or high fructose corn syrup, has taken quite a hit by the media in recent years, and some new ads are fighting back.
Posted 9/17/2008 4:02:55 PM By: : 140 comments 15,380 views
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