Category Archives: Cooking
Preserving For the Winter
As the summer of 2012 comes closer to the end so does my weekly trips to the farmers market. My weekly visits will be put on hold until summer of 2013. Putting vegetables on hold is not quite as easy as putting a date on a calendar. However it is not very difficult either. This is the time of year to preserve for the winter. Preserved fresh, locally grown and organically grown vegetables will taste much better this winter than the ones you find in the freezer section of your grocery. Not to mention the self satisfaction of knowing you have done the best you can for your family. I like to freeze some squash for squash casserole, stewed squash and squash puppies. (Squash puppies are delicious with beans, chili, soups, leafy greens or fish. You just add grated squash to your favorite hush puppy recipe.) I also try to freeze some okra for stewing or baking. I like to can some squash relish and some jellies to share with family and friends. I have gotten my squash relish canned and that is all. I am behind this year and I will need to get to work over the next few weeks to catch up.
There are Foods for That…
Gassiness and bloating are not only both unpleasant feelings, they also make you nervous and irritable. Especially when you are in a group of people you have that dreaded fear of… well you know. A group setting is one of the worst times to get this feeling.
It is hard to stay away from foods that cause this condition. Foods that are the most likely to cause gas and bloating are also the most common foods and drinks served in a group setting. So not only do you have that miserable feeling but you also have that fear of …. well you know.
FOODS TO AVOID
Soda, beer, alcohol, greasy, salty and fatty foods. All of these items slow the intestines down which means they stay in your system longer than other foods. This tends to make you gassy and bloated.
Plan ahead and stay away from the problem foods for a few days before a group outing. Try eating the following preventive foods instead.
Do Not Kill your Food
If you follow my blog you know how much I believe in organically grown food. However, even organic vegetables can be prepared in a way that destroys some of their nutritional value. If you cook organic vegetables to a temperature over 118 degrees you will destroy some of the nutrients you are trying to receive by choosing organic. I really enjoy the benefits of going to the local farmers market. I enjoy knowing that I am buying vegetables that are as fresh as possible. Once again if you cook them to a high temperature you lose their nutritional value. I have always heard eat raw vegetables when possible. I read an article recently that explains what a raw food diet really means. I learned many things about what is really healthy, when it comes to vegetables, cooked and uncooked.
Food was intended for us to receive nutrition and nourishment for our bodies. It was also intended to fight disease by giving us the vitamins and nutrients our body craves. Somewhere down the line, eating and food became entertainment, a social event, and a form of enjoyment. Raw uncooked vegetables seem to be a bit boring. Cooking, grilling, baking, boiling, toasting and frying became more exciting. Once our food goes through one of these cooking processes, it loses its vitamins, nutrients, minerals and disease fighting abilities. It is “dead”. If food is cooked to high temperatures it is nutritionally destroyed. All the minerals and antioxidants are gone. All the cancer preventatives are gone. Vitamins are charred and gone.
Is Your Olive Oil Real or Phoney?
I use canola oil when baking a cake or making cookies. I use olive oil for all other cooking. I like using olive oil. Because after reading over and over how great it is, I feel like it is healthier for me and my family so therefore I use it.
You know it is hard enough to make sure we use healthy natural products in our meals. Now I hear that I possibly have not been using real olive oil at all. That really makes me angry. Why do companies that produce our food want to slip something phoney or bad for us into our kitchens? I just do not understand this.
Over the last few years we have seen countless articles praising olive oil as the best oil for us. We hear it from the medical field that it can help keep our cholesterol at a lower level. It can decrease our heart disease risk. So many of us have switched from vegetable oil to olive oil. I have always questioned which was best for our health, virgin or extra virgin olive oil. Now I have to question real or phoney.
A fun Interview with a future CHEF
Everyone that knows me knows I absolutely love my grandchildren just as all grandmothers do. With grandchildren it is like watching your own children grow up again. It is so much fun to talk to them and listen to their dreams. I have a grandson who is 10. He has a dream of being a chef. Today I thought it would be fun to interview him and talk to him about his dream.
I told him I wanted to ask him some questions about being a chef. He was all for it. He loves to talk about food, cooking and being a chef. For the purpose of the interview he wanted to be called “Jimmy”.
Microwaves Reduce Nutrients in Food
There are likely very few high school students and no elementary students who remember living in a home without a microwave oven. These age groups have always been able to put pastries, popcorn, pizza, water, chicken, and just about any food or hot beverage into a microwave and have it be hot and ready eat or drink in less than 5 minutes.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s food was prepared on top of a stove or in the oven. Yes it is true it took a longer period to cook chicken. I am sure there were anxious husbands and children waiting for dinner. Instead of practicing and teaching patience people began looking for a faster way to get their meals prepared. Of course companies leaped to the challenge of finding a speedier way for wives and moms to cook.
Preparing Meals During School Year With Less Stress
Fall is just around the corner. Fall brings beautiful colors, cooler weather, football games, and kids returning to school. I used to say fall was my favorite season. As I get older I have decided I have no favorite season. I enjoy each season, each day, each week, and each year. I am just glad to be blessed with each of them and blessed with life and breath. The average kid would let you know fall was not their favorite time of year at all. Most of them would like for it to remain summer vacation all year. They do not realize school days are some of their best days. Some day they will wish they could do it again and know it was something to appreciate.
It is the responsibility of parents to see that they have everything they need to succeed in school. You make sure they have pencils, paper, books, book bags, and clothes. A nutritional breakfast, lunch, and dinner need to me added to that list. We have all heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It has been discovered kids that have a good breakfast are more alert and do better with their school work. They also need a good lunch to keep them strong and maintain their energy to continue their day. Then a nice peaceful time around the family table enjoying a healthy and warm dinner meal.
Artificial Sweetener Disease Making Americans Sick
On my weigh down journey (which you can read about in my blog MAJOR WEIGH DOWN BEGINS) I have minimized sugar. I do not refer to my weigh down journey as a diet. It is a change of eating style. In order to make sure people on a diet still could get their sugar fix, scientist came up with CHEMICALS to put in our food to give us the same taste and effect as sugar. The article I am going to be talking about in this blog caught my interest for three reasons. 1. I am on a weigh down journey. 2. I have had severe fibromyalgia for many years. You will see the connection as we continue. 3.I want to be healthy and stay as natural with my food as possible.
Artificial Sweetener Disease (ASD) is sweeping across America. It is affecting tens of thousands of people. The Western Medicine field calls it anything but what it really is. Instead of (ASD) it is called migraines, muscle pain, ringing in the ears, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and severe acid reflux. These problems can change with an individual on a daily basis. These are only a few health problems caused from the chemicals and poisons that have been put in our food. To add insult to the American people these sweetners has been approved by the FDA.
3 groups of food that help with SINUS INFECTION
Yesterday, I woke with a very sore throat. That was about the only clue that I had anything going on. I tried some lemon and honey water. That seemed to help for a short time. As the day continued I began to get a headache and stuffy nose. By noon I really felt bad. I decide to go to gym and steam. This seemed to help so I decided to walk and do water aerobics. Probably not the smartest thing I could have done. Shortly after getting back home I really think a truck ran over me. My head begun hurting. I felt feverish. I was achy, very stuffy, and had a severe sore throat. I went to bed hoping to wake this morning feeling better. OH WOW! That did not happen. I could hardly move. I felt so bad and my nose was so stuffy that it made me dizzy. So it turns out I have a sinus infection also know as sinusitis. This is an inflammation of the sinus cavity due to a virus, bacteria or fungus. That sounds beautiful huh? That conclusion made me think. What type of food would help a sinus infection? I thought I would share with you what I found out.
4 Comparisons of Ground Beef and Ground Turkey
The hamburger is one of the most consumed foods in the United States. It is a staple in the American diet. Traditionally the hamburger has been made from ground beef. Today people are thinking healthier and are looking for alternatives. Turkey burgers have become popular to the health conscious people. People believe the turkey burger to be lower in fat and calories. This makes the turkey burger the healthier choice for them. However ground beef is lower in sodium and cholesterol. Both ground turkey and ground beef can be healthy choices, especially when you buy lean meat.
There are 4 main comparisons of ground turkey and ground beef:
1. PROTEIN, CALORIES, AND FAT:
According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one 3.5oz serving of 85 percent lean turkey contains 180 calories. Compare the same amount of 85 percent lean ground beef, we would then be looking at 215 calories. The beef is also lower in protein than the turkey. Beef only offers 16.9g protein. Turkey offers 18.9g protein. Ground Turkey has 12.5 g fat compared to the ground beef at 15g. Even though turkey is lower in fat grams it still contains more cholesterol than ground beef. We need to also keep in mind that some turkey has ground up skin in the meat. This would raise the fat content.
