EDIBLES
Smart starts for a healthy heart

Improve hydration, skip added sugars with better-for-you beverages
(Family Features) How you start your morning can impact the rest of your day. If you’re looking to incorporate healthier choices into your morning routine, try a concept known as “habit stacking.” Building tiny, healthier habits into routines you already have, like enjoying a morning beverage or breakfast before you check your email instead of jumping right into the day’s tasks, can make it easier to stick to a new habit when it’s built into an existing routine.
If you already enjoy the routine of breakfast to start the day, consider swapping sugary drinks for beverages without added sugars like unsweetened green or black tea. When incorporated as part of an overall healthy diet, unsweetened tea can help support heart health.
If you need help getting started, Lipton, a proud national sponsor of the American Heart Association’s Life is Why campaign, created these easy-to-make, better-for-you tea recipes.
A small handful of ingredients makes a big splash in Green Tea Berry Banana Smoothies, ideal for an on-the-go breakfast. For a little refreshment any time of day, simple Sparkling Green Tea Cranberry Spritzers offer a solution with 0 grams of added sugars while non-alcoholic Green Tea Mojito Mocktails provide natural sweetness with 100% fruit juice.
Choosing beverages with no added sugars can contribute to a healthy heart, according to the American Heart Association, making these recipes perfect for daily habit stacking. Water is needed to keep your body running at its best, and because unsweetened tea is 99.5 % water, it provides a delicious way to help hydrate.
Discover more ways to improve daily routines at Heart.org/eatsmart.

Green Tea Berry Banana Smoothies
Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)
- 3 cups water
- 8 single-serving green tea bags
- 16 ounces frozen mixed berries (about 3 cups)
- 2 medium bananas, peeled, cut in half and frozen
- 1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons fresh-grated peeled gingerroot (optional)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
- 2 teaspoons chia or flax seeds (optional)
- In small saucepan over high heat, bring water to boil. Remove pan from heat. Submerge tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Discard tea bags. Let tea mixture cool 30 minutes. Pour into pitcher. Refrigerate 2 hours, or until chilled.
- In food processor or blender, process tea, berries, bananas and yogurt until smooth. Add gingerroot and vanilla, if desired, and process until smooth. Pour into four glasses. Sprinkle with chia seeds, if desired.
Nutritional information per serving (without optional ingredients): 136 calories; 1 g total fat (0 g saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat); 3 mg cholesterol; 23 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrates; 5 g fiber; 18 g total sugars (0 g added sugars); 8 g protein.

Green Tea Mojito Mocktails
Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)
- 4 cups water
- 4 single-serving green tea bags
- 32-40 sprigs fresh mint, plus additional for garnish, divided
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 1 cup 100% white grape juice
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 medium limes)
- 1 medium lime, cut into four wedges or lime zest twists (optional)
- In small saucepan over high heat, bring water to boil. Remove pan from heat. Submerge tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Discard tea bags. Let tea mixture cool 30 minutes. Pour into pitcher. Refrigerate 2 hours, or until chilled.
- At serving time, add mint leaves to four glasses. Using muddler or wooden spoon, mash mint leaves several times to release juices. Don’t mash into pulp. Add ice.
- Stir white grape juice and lime juice into tea mixture. Pour into glasses. Garnish each with lime wedge and mint leaf.
Tip: To get more juice from citrus, before slicing, microwave fruit on high 30 seconds, or until warm. When cool enough to handle, use citrus reamer or handheld juice press to juice citrus.
Nutritional information per serving: 45 calories; 0 g total fat (0 g saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 7 mg sodium; 13 g carbohydrates; 0 g fiber; 10 g total sugars (0 g added sugars); 1 g protein.

Sparkling Green Tea Cranberry Spritzers
Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)
- 4 cups water
- 4 single-serving green tea bags
- 1 cup 100% cranberry juice or 100% cranberry-pomegranate juice
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 1/2 cup seltzer (flavored or plain) or low-sodium club soda, chilled
- 4 orange slices or lime wedges (optional)
- In small saucepan over high heat, bring water to boil. Remove pan from heat. Submerge tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Discard tea bags. Let tea mixture cool 30 minutes. Pour into pitcher. Stir in cranberry juice. Refrigerate 2 hours, or until chilled.
- At serving time, put ice cubes in four glasses. Pour tea mixture into glasses. Top each serving with seltzer. Garnish with orange slices.
Tip: To create cranberry-flavored ice cubes, fill ice cube tray with 100% cranberry juice and freeze.
Nutritional information per serving: 32 calories: 0 g total fat (0 g saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 4 mg sodium; 8 mg carbohydrates; 0 g fiber; 8 g total sugars (0 g added sugars); 1 g protein.
SOURCE:
American Heart Association
EDIBLES
Kick off a winning game day with guac

Touchdown-worthy apps to amp up the crowd
(Family Features) The best watch parties have two things in common: good food and good company to root for your team with. Kick off your football feast with appetizers made with a game day favorite: avocados.
With nearly 2.5 billion pounds of avocados imported from Mexico annually, based on Hass Avocado Board Volume Data, the Big Game is the No. 1 occasion where avocados and guacamole are served and prepared. In fact, approximately 250 million pounds of avocados are imported in the weeks leading up to the Big Game, according to “Produce Blue Book” – that’s enough avocados to go down and back the length of a standard professional football field more than 400,000 times.
Just as the first quarter sets the tone for the game, apps are your first opportunity to build excitement and get your guests cheering. Because it’s not game day without guac, start the party by mashing up a bowl of Championship Guac – a real craving crusher made with creamy, delicious Avocados From Mexico and crispy bacon – to sack hunger.
Take your viewing party to a whole new flavor level with Gronkamole. This all-star dip features shredded chicken, blue cheese, Buffalo sauce and the same flare that football great and Avocados From Mexico partner Rob Gronkowski played the game with, so you know it’s ready to tackle every chip, cracker and veggie thrown its way.
These innovative spins on game day guacamole score big when made with fresh avocados, a nutrient-dense fruit everybody can cheer for. They taste good, are good for you and bring the good times on game day.
Find more touchdown-worthy eats, from dips and appetizers to main courses and desserts that are always good at BigGameGuac.com.

Championship Guac
Servings: 10
- 5 Avocados From Mexico, peeled and pitted
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 pound bacon, fried
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- tortilla chips, for serving (optional)
- crackers, for serving (optional)
- To prepare avocado: In a bowl, use fork to mash the avocados and lemon juice until creamy. Then add the onion, tomatoes and cilantro.
- To prepare bacon: Cut the bacon into squares then place it in a hot skillet over medium heat and cook 15 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a plate to drain excess fat and let cool.
- To prepare guacamole: Add the bacon, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste, to the guacamole; mix well.
- To serve, put guacamole in bowl and serve with tortilla chips or crackers, if desired.

Gronkamole
Avocados From Mexico partner Rob Gronkowski’s favorite guacamole recipe
Servings: 4
- 2 Avocados From Mexico
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- 3 tablespoons Buffalo sauce
- salt, to taste
- corn chips, for serving (optional)
- carrot sticks, for serving (optional)
- In a small bowl, mash avocados and stir in lemon juice.
- Add chicken, blue cheese and Buffalo sauce to guacamole mixture. Add salt, to taste.
- Serve with corn chips or carrot sticks, if desired.
SOURCE:
Avocados From Mexico
EDIBLES
Try some new recipes for Super Bowl party foods

In today’s On The Table get some new recipe ideas as you plan your Super Bowl party for this Sunday. It is one of the biggest days of the year to enjoy snack foods like wings, dip and sliders. See page 11A in your Thursday Bowie News also see other Super Bowl game day food and drink ideas on the edibles page.
EDIBLES
Create a unique cocktail for your Superbowl party

Super Bowl LVIII will take place on Feb. 9, 2025 in New Orleans, giving sports fans, who also double as game day hosts and hostesses, plenty of time to plan their festivities.
Wings, nachos, sliders, and sandwiches are standard fare for game day entertaining, but savvy hosts also must give thought to the beverages they will serve. An assortment of spirited and non-alcoholic drinks are the norm, and many who entertain may think beer is all that’s needed for game day fun. However, some may want to elevate their Super Bowl hosting with specially curated cocktails. Here’s how to get started.
Team theme
A fun way to serve cocktails is to tie the theme into the teams who are facing off. Research the most popular cocktail for the team’s home state or city. For example, if the Cowboys are playing, you can serve Hit the Road Jack, which was named the official cocktail of Dallas several years back. Otherwise, search drinks that coordinate with the team itself. Offer trendy options
Trends emerge in the world of cocktails, and if you lean into those trends, you are bound to have grateful guests. According to EHL Insights, which provides hospitality and business news, savory and spicy cocktails are becoming increasingly popular as people desire more complex and interesting flavors in their drinks. A Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita can pair nicely with bite-sized tacos, or serve a Cucumber Wasabi Martinialongside California rolls and fried wontons. The Negroni remains a trendy cocktail and features sweet, bitter and botanical flavors that can work well with Italian cuisine.
Game day punch
If you dont want to worry about having enough supplies on hand for a bevy of different cocktails, have a big-batch punch at the ready for guests. There are many variations, but this recipe for Whiskey-Apple Cider Punch can appeal to the masses. It evokes those fall flavors that signal football season, and it works well with many comfort foods. Try it, courtesy of Southern Living Test Kitchen.
Whiskey-Apple Cider Punch
Serves 10
1 cup frozen cranberries, thawed
1Ú4 cup packed light brown sugar
1Ú2 cup water, divided
3 cups bourbon
11Ú2 cups fresh lemon juice (from 14 lemons)
3Ú4 cup honey
1 24.5-ounce bottle sparkling apple cider, chilled
1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced (optional)
Combine thawed frozen cranberries, light brown sugar, and 1Ú4 cup water in a food processor; process until cranberries are roughly chopped and sugar has almost dissolved, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl. Add bourbon, fresh lemon juice, honey, and remaining 1Ú4 cup water; stir until well combined and sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a 3- to 4-quart pitcher, discarding solids.
Chill at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Just before serving, gently stir in sparkling apple cider. Pour into glasses and, if desired, garnish with Granny Smith apple slices.
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