This needs a long, lazy six-hour roasting, so enjoy the aromas as you get ready for the party.

Servings: Makes 8 servings
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Ingredients:

Spice Rub:
1/2 tablespoon whole white peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt (preferably gray crystals)
1 tablespoon plus 2 1/4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Pork and Onions:
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 3/4 to 4 pounds onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 cups water
1 5-pound pork shoulder butt with bone

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Preparation:

For spice rub:
Stir peppercorns and coriander in small skillet over medium heat until spices are darker in color, about 5 minutes. Transfer to spice grinder; grind finely. Place in small bowl; mix in remaining ingredients. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

For pork and onions:
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sage; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté 10 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water; cover and cook until onions are soft, about 15 minutes. Uncover; continue to cook until onions are beginning to brown and water has evaporated, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F. Sprinkle spice rub on large sheet of foil. Roll pork in rub, pressing to coat. Set pork on rack in large roasting pan. Top pork with 1/3 of onions; scatter remaining onions around pork in pan.

Roast pork until very tender and thermometer inserted into center registers 165°F, stirring onions in pan occasionally, about 6 hours. Transfer pork to platter. Season onions in pan with salt and pepper; spoon around pork.

WHAT TO DRINK: Seghesio 2005 Sangiovese (Sonoma, $25). Its hints of spice and dark fruit flavors are a slam-dunk with pork.

You can also try this Grilled Flank Steak

Being a healthy eater requires you to become both
educated and smart about what healthy eating
actually is. Being food smart isn’t about
learning to calculate grams or fat, or is it
about studying labels and counting calories.

Healthy eating is all about balanced and moderate
eating, consisting of healthy meals at least
three times per day. Healthy eaters eat many
different types of foods, not limiting themselves
to one specific food type or food group.

Eating healthy requires quite a bit of leeway. You
might eat too much or not enough, consume
foods that are sometimes more or less nutritious.
However, you should always fuel your body and
your brain regularly with enough food to keep
both your mind and body strong and alert.

A healthy eater is a good problem solver. Healthy
eaters have learned to take care of themselves
and their eating with sound judgement and making
wise decisions. Healthy eaters are always aware
of what they eat, and know the effect that it
will have on their bodies.

When someone is unable to take control of their
eating, they are also likely to get out of control
with other aspects of life as well. They could
end up spending too much, talking too much, even
going to bed later and later.

You should always remember that restricting food
in any way is always a bad thing. Healthy eating
is a way of life, something that you can do to
enhance your body or your lifestyle. If you’ve
thought about making your life better, healthy
eating is just the place to start. You’ll make
life easier for yourself, those around you, and
even your family.

Also Phentermine is an appetite suppressant designed for the treatment os obesity over the short term

Potato pancakes get a makeover, and so do you! These have lots of vitamin A, which will help keep your skin healthy for the holidays.

Servings: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled
2 1/2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 cup)
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Parchment paper

 Preparation:

Heat oven to 425°F. Finely grate sweet potatoes into a bowl. Squeeze grated sweet potatoes in batches to release as much moisture as possible and place in another bowl; fluff with a fork. Stir in cheese, egg whites, rosemary and pepper. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon batter onto cookie sheet and flatten into a thin, 2- to 2 1/2-inch round. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving 1 inch between rounds. Bake until edges and underside are crisp and browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and remove from parchment. Serve warm with Rosemary-Balsamic Cream.

Vegetables, fruits, and grains are normally low in
fat and have no cholesterol.  Most are great sources
of dietary fiber, complex carbs, and vitamins.
The American Heart Association recommends that you
eat foods that are high in complex carbs and fiber.

Below are some tips for making healthy food choices:

-  Coconut is high in saturated fat, while olives
are high in monounsaturated fats and calories.  You
should use these items sparingly to avoid getting
too many calories from fat.

-  When vegetable grains are cooked, saturated fat
or cholesterol is often added.  For example, egg
yolks may be added to bread or even pasta.

-  Processed, canned, or preserved vegetables may
also contain added sodium.  With some people, too
much sodium (salt) may lead to high blood pressure.
There are some food companies that are actually
canning vegetables with less salt.  You can look
for these in the market area or choose fresh and
even frozen vegetables.

-  Nuts and seeds tend to be high in calories and
fat, although a majority of the fat is polyunsaturated
or monounsaturated.  There are some varieties,
macadamie nuts for example, that are also high in
saturated fat.

Foods that are high in soluble fiber are a great
choice as well.  Examples include oat bran,
oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, and
even apple pulp.

Whenever you are looking for healthy food choices,
always make sure you read the nutrition label
or information about the food.  You can then
determine what the food contains and how healthy
it truly is for your body.  By taking your time
and making your healthy food choices wisely,
you’ll have a lifetime to enjoy the foods that
will take care of you.

Healthy eating is a way of balancing the food you
eat to keep your body in great health.  With healthy
eating, you’ll have energy all day, get the vitamins
and minerals you need, stay strong for activities
you enjoy, and maintain a healthy weight.

Below, you’ll find tips designed to help you with
healthy eating.

1.  Don’t skip any meals
Eating 3 meals with snacks in between is the ideal
way to maintain both energy and a healthy weight.
When you skip meals and get hungry, you’re more
than likely to choose foods that aren’t very good
for you.

If you are eating away from home, take food with
you or know where you can buy healthy food from.

2.  Learn about how to prepare foods
Instead of deep frying, try grilling, stir frying,
microwaving, baking, and even boiling.  You should
also try fresh or even dried herbs and spices to
add flavor to your food.  Before you eat any type
of meat, be sure to trim the fat and skin off of
it.

3.  Avoid a lot of sugar
Drinks that contain sugar are a major source of
empty energy.  What this means, is that the drinks
contain a lot of energy that your body may not
need, and it doesn’t contain any vitamins or
minerals.  If you plan to drink sugary drinks,
don’t go overboard - limit yourself to 1 a day.

4.  Avoid thinking about diets
There are no good food nor any bad foods.  All
food can be a part of a healthy diet, when eaten
in moderation.  You don’t need to buy any low
carb, fat free, or even diet foods, as these foods
normally have lots of other added ingredients
to replaces the carbohydrates or fat.

Bulgur is an earthy, nutty grain that becomes fluffy once cooked. It’s an ideal canvas for aromatic and sweet flavors.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 35 min

Servings: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup bulgur
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped California dried apricots

Preparation:

Cook onion in oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes.

Add spices and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients with 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Fluff with a fork before serving.

Because broccoli thrives in cooler weather, this is a terrific winter variation on the classic green beans almondine.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 20 min

Servings: Makes 4 to 6 (side dish) servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds broccoli, stems peeled, then head cut into 2-inch-wide spears
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

Cook broccoli in a steamer rack over boiling water in a large wide pot, covered, until stems are just tender when pierced with a knife, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove steamer from pot and discard cooking water. Cool broccoli 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat butter in pot over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook almonds, stirring, until butter and nuts are golden and have a nutty aroma, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add broccoli and toss.

Roasted fingerling potatoes would be great with this colorful dish. Ask the butcher to roll and tie the pork loin for you.

Servings: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

blood oranges
1 3-pound boneless pork loin, rolled and tied
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped from stems, plus additional sprigs for garnish
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 large garlic clove, pressed
Blood orange slices

 Preparation:

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 450°F. Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) in strips from 3 blood oranges. Place pork in large roasting pan. Rub with 2 tablespoons olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss onion, orange peel, and rosemary leaves with remaining 1 tablespoon oil in medium bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange onion mixture around pork. Roast until pork and onion are beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, squeeze enough juice from oranges to measure 3/4 cup; pour juice into small saucepan. Add wine, broth, and garlic. Boil until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 7 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup orange juice mixture to roasting pan. Baste pork with pan juices. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; continue roasting pork until thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 150°F, basting often and adding more orange juice mixture as needed, about 30 minutes longer.

Place pork on platter and cover loosely with foil. Place roasting pan over medium-high heat; add remaining 3/4 cup orange juice mixture to pan. Boil until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove strings from roast. Slice pork; place on platter. Pour sauce and onion mixture over and around pork. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and orange slices.

This soup gets a rich, earthy flavor from dried porcini mushrooms, which are available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at Italian markets and specialty foods stores.

Servings: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 3/4- to 1-pound cross-cut meaty beef shank bone
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
3 bay leaves
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups diced celery
5 1/2 cups beef broth
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 large carrot, peeled, diced
1 large parsnip, peeled, diced
2 1/2-ounce packages dried porcini mushrooms

Preparation:

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add shank bone and meat cubes to pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until meat is brown and juices are reduced to glaze, turning shank bone occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons thyme and bay leaves to pot; stir 1 minute. Add onions and celery; stir 3 minutes. Add beef broth, tomatoes with juice, carrot, parsnip, and mushrooms. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until beef is tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Discard shank bone and bay leaves. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle soup with remaining 1/2 tablespoon thyme and serve.