It’s the perfect smoothie for St. Patrick’s Day and a way to drink kale.

This “Lean, Mean, Green Smoothie” is from chef David Venable at QVC. It’s a more healthful libation than green beer and Irish coffee.

“This smoothie is packed with good-for-you fruits and vegetables, but tastes like a sweet treat,” says David. “The bright color is perfectly festive and would be a great way to start your St. Paddy’s Day. Be sure to serve this in clear glasses so that everyone can see your holiday spirit!”
 
 
RECIPE: GREEN SMOOTHIE

Ingredients For 2 Servings

1. PLACE the grapes, honeydew, kale, spinach, banana, avocado, pear, water, and ice in a blender, in the order listed.

2. BLEND on high speed until the mixture is smooth and pourable. Serve immediately.
  

What’s the deal with salt, and why is the government trying to limit it in prepared foods?

Everyone needs to eat a certain amount of salt. The body doesn’t produce sodium (salt), but it requires it in order to perform a variety of essential functions.

Salt helps to maintain the fluid in blood cells and is used to transmit information in nerves and muscles, among other functions.

HOW MUCH SALT IS TOO MUCH?

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium (salt) per day. That’s one single teaspoon.

But the average American’s salt intake is more than twice that: 3,436 milligrams (mg) of sodium daily. Here’s more information from the USDA.
 
It’s not from the salt shaker, typically, but from the large amounts of salt hidden in prepared foods—packaged foods, take out and restaurant meals.

Whatever the source, nine out of 10 Americans eat too much salt, according to The Centers for Disease Control.

A diet that contains more than that one teaspoon of salt per day is associated with high blood pressure, a potentially fatal condition that affects one in four Americans. While other factors, such as age, family history and race, play a role in your risk of high blood pressure, lowering your sodium intake can help significantly reduce the risk.

 
SALT IS “THE SILENT KILLER”

The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure will be, leading to heart disease, kidney disease and stroke.

According to Consensus Action for Salt and Health, high blood pressure is the leading global risk factor for mortality, resulting in seven million deaths per year.

Thanks to LoSalt, a leading reduced sodium salt, for these tips.

TIP: WHEN USING LOTS OF SALT IN THE KITCHEN IS A GOOD IDEA

Salt can be used to extinguish a grease fire. Pour salt on the flames; never use water. We keep a large salt server with kosher salt on our stove to add pinches in cooking, but also to help in a crisis. (Yes, we also have a fire extinguisher.)

ABOUT LOSALT

LoSalt, a tasty alternative in the reduced-sodium category, has 66% less sodium than regular salt. This is achieved by using a ratio of 33% sodium chloride and 66% potassium chloride.

As long as you don’t need to avoid extra high levels of potassium (e.g. endocrine or kidney disorders), this natural ingredient is a good filler. Consult with your healthcare advisor to be sure it’s O.K. for you.

Guinness, which has chocolaty notes, is a great match with chocolate desserts. Whip one up for St. Patrick’s Day, and serve it with a small glass of Guinness.
RECIPE: GUINNESS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Ingredients For 6 Servings

Preparation

1. MELT the dark chocolate and butter in a bain-marie and add in the Guinness.

2. BEAT the egg yolks and superfine sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the melted chocolate mixture in with egg yolks and slowly fold in the whisked egg whites until everything is smooth.

3. TRANSFER the mousse to serving dishes and chill. Serve with fresh raspberries or other seasonal berries.

Ingredients For 25 Truffles

Preparation

1. COMBINE the cream and Guinness to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the chocolate and grated orange zest. Mix together until the chocolate is fully melted; then leave the chocolate mix until it is cool to the touch, but not set.

2. TAKE generous teaspoons of the mixture and roll in your hands to form small round truffles. Dust in cocoa powder or coconut powder. Allow to set in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

PREFER ICE CREAM?

Check out this chocolate stout float.

Modern Oats is a packaging concept that puts oatmeal in a grab-and-go mode.

All you have to do is add hot water to cover the oats in the coated paper container, put the lid back on, wait 10 minutes and enjoy. No microwave is required, and the colorful packaging gives a boost to starting the day.

The rolled oats are grown by family farmers in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. They are minimally processed by steaming and flaking; you look into the carton and see what looks like “real oats,” instead of the small particles familiar to consumers of instant oatmeal. The oat flakes provide a textural differences that deliver a more solid bite (and, the company says, optimal absorption of nutrients).

Modern Oats are produced in a 100% gluten free facility and are certified GF, Non-GMO, Halal, Kosher, Vegan and 100% Whole Grain. (Whew: There’s no more room left on the carton for any more certifications).

Oats are naturally gluten free*, and are the only major grain proven to help blood cholesterol†.

The containers were initially intended to be sold in coffee shops and other convenience locations, for a suggested retail of of $3.25 per cup. The brand’s parent company, Innovative Beverage Concepts Inc., develops products for cafés.

While retail prices vary widely, we were surprised at the cost to buy them online:

 
Depending on how much you typically spend on breakfast, it could be a wash, a bargain or a convenience premium that’s worth it for the fiber grain infusion (one serving delivers 28% of the recommended Daily Value of whole grains).

Or, you could cook up a weekly batch of steel-cut oats every Sunday, bring the portion to work and heat in the office microwave. If you enjoy your oats without sugar or with a noncaloric sweetener, you can also save the not-insignificant sugar calories in the various flavors:

 
But, there’s just as much—if not more—sugar in many of the foods we pick up for breakfast. Interestingly, a Pop Tart, though empty calories, has fewer calories and the same amount of sugar.

And if you think you’re not getting sugar in that bagel and cream cheese, check again. According to Self nutrition data, a small plain bagel, half to one-third the size of today’s supersized bagels, has 6g of sugar.

Is a cup of Modern Oats better than grabbing a bagel or a pastry? Absolutely!
 
*In the milling and processing process, oats are susceptible to cross-contamination; so that not all oatmeal and other oat products are gluten free. /font>

†Eating three grams of soluble fiber from oats each day, as part of a diet that’s low in fat and cholesterol, has been shown to lower blood cholesterol. This may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Among our Eatin’ O’ The Green recipes for St. Patrick’s Day, this warm spinach dish is very popular. Who doesn’t love a spinach dip, with its glimmer of healthful green spinach blended into a creamy (and not so healthful) base?

This recipe, from Vermont Creamery,is made even richer with mascarpone.

It’s delicious as a kick-back snack with Irish beer; or with wine and savory cocktails like the Martini.

RECIPE: WARM SPINACH MASCARPONE DIP

Ingredients

Warm and creamy, it’s Popeye’s favorite dip. Photo courtesy Vermont Creamery.

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F.

2. COOK the onion with olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, until translucent.

3. ADD frozen spinach and heat until spinach is hot but still green. Add mascarpone, salt, pepper, cayenne, Parmesan cheese and stir. Pour the mixture into a small casserole or baking dish.

4. BAKE for 30 minutes until bubbling around the edges. Serve warm with pita chips or a sliced baguette. Or add a note of healthfulness with raw veggies (crudités).