Suzy Eats

Thyme and Olive Oil was a VERY common breakfast food in my home growing up. At the time I never realized how healthy I was eating. My mom would prepare sandwiches of thyme & olive oil on fresh pita bread or flatbread. We called it “zait and zaatar”. It could also be used as a dip as well. You would dip a pita chip or piece of pita bread into the olive oil and then into the thyme. The thyme was dried and mashed so it easily stuck to the olive oil for dipping. It makes for a very filling and healthy meal. We know many of the benefits of the olive oil, but what are the benefits of thyme? What makes it so healthy to eat?

For all of the gardeners, thyme is a perrenial and can easily be planted at home. Also, insects do not like it so you are guaranteed it will stay fresh. In ancient times, thyme was used to give off an excellent Read the rest of this entry »

To stay healthy and fit, we know that eating vegetables is crucial. But, do you know which vegetables provide more nutrients raw or cooked? When we refer to cooked, we are referring to boiled or steamed (not fried). Fried veggies usually contain numerous free radicals which are not good for our health while boiled and steamed can actually Read the rest of this entry »

Similar to wines, there are so many types of olive oil. Do you have a preference?? Below is a description of all of the different types. Suzy Eats recommends against some of the choices so please make sure you check the label.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: This is the highest grade, best you can buy olive oil. It is produced by the first pressing of the olive fruit through a cold pressing process. It is only produced by a physical process NOT a chemical one which makes it the most pure. Remember that extra virgin is a chemical requirement that does not indicate quality and taste. Quality and taste may differ based on the manufacturer and the type of extra virgin olive oil. (see http://suzyeats.com/the-real-deal-with-olive-oil-why-the-different-tastes/)

Flavored Olive Oil: This olive oil can be a mixture of any of the types listed here but it also contains dried herbs.  

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As promised here is a recipe for homemade pita bread. If you want it to stay fresh just place it in a plastic bag after baking and freeze it. It should last about 1 month that way. Just take a piece out of the freezer and warm it up when you would like to eat it.

Otherwise go ahead and enjoy it right away 🙂 It is great warm!! 🙂 and it should last about 1 week.
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Did you know that where and how you store your olive oil is just as important as what kind of olive oil you are using???

Since olive oil contains a high amount of monounsaturated fat, it can be store much longer than other types of oil. But there are three enemies of oil: AIR, HEAT and LIGHT. All 3 of these can cause the oil to create free radicals and become oxidized which leads to less health benefits and rancidity that can leave a bad taste in your mouth.

There is also some evidence that if you do not store olive oil properly some of the health benefits may diminish. 

In a study that appeared in a 2004 issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, researchers tested olive oil that had been stored for 1 year under perfect conditions. After 1 year, much of the olive oil’s healing powers were diminished. The vitamin E was gone, nearly 30 percent of the chlorophyll deteriorated, and 40 percent of the beta-carotene had disintegrated. Phenol levels had also dropped as well. 

Here are some tips for olive oil—
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