Enchiladas

I have many recipes for enchiladas. This is the recipe that we will be making for Nathan's birthday party. This is actually a recipe that we got from my sister-in-law. I don't measure anything in this recipe. So, use your best judgement. We make a LOT because they warm up very well and can be frozen. It takes two people. One to fry them in the skillet and the other to make and wrap them. Wear old clothing because enchilada sauce stains and grease from frying can pop. The fryer is advised to wear long sleeves.

browned hamburger
chopped fresh mushrooms
chopped onions
Monterrey Colby Jack shredded cheese
large flour tortilla shells
enchilada sauce (poured into pie pan)
chili powder
aluminum foil or wax paper

Brown hamburger. Set aside in bowl. Warm tortilla shells in microwave for about 30 seconds. Heat oil in a medium skillet (we use two skillets). Dip tortilla into pie pan of sauce and coat both sides. Set tortilla on a large plate. Add hamburger, onion, mushrooms, and cheese to the center. Don't fill too full. Wrap like an enchilada. Place in hot oil in skillet and fry until lightly brown. Turn once. Line casserole dish with either aluminum foil or wax paper. Place fried enchilada into lined casserole dish. Sprinkle with a dash of chili powder. Repeat frying procedure until bottom layer is full. Add wax paper (or aluminum foil) and start another layer in dish. We make meat and cheese, then switch to all cheese enchiladas. Add sour cream or salsa, if desired.

*If you make them, you have to invite us over!  :)

Zucchini Pizza

Cut off both ends of one zucchini and peel until all the green is gone. One medium to large zucchini made 2 pizzas. I use a carrot peeler. Once the green is all gone, finish peeling zucchini into a strainer until you get to the seeds. You can also put in food processor to shred. Don't peel the seeds. Throw the rest away or slice and keep for later use. Place the strainer over another bowl to catch liquid. Sprinkle liberally with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes and liquid will drain into bottom bowl. While zucchini is sitting, other vegetables or toppings can be prepared. After zucchini sits, squeeze as much liquid out of it as possible. Discard liquid.

Add pizza sauce to crust. This time I used an already prepared/cooked crust (like Baboli). Add some cheese (mozzarella, pizza flavored cheese, parmesan, or feta) to sauce, not a lot, just enough to give the toppings something to stick to. Add drained zucchini strips. Continue adding whatever toppings you want. We used zucchini, mushrooms, turkey pepperoni, chopped tomatoes, and chopped jalapenos for our toppings. Finish off with more cheese.

Cook according to crust directions. I cooked on ungreased pizza pans on the grill outside at 350 degrees for approx. 15 minutes until cheese is melted and crust looks crisp.

Fruity Monkey Bread (kid approved!)

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com. Additionally, I took some of the comments that were made to the recipe and made some changes.

1 can of biscuits
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 apple (chopped small)
dried craisens
chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. nutmeg

Mix sugar and cinnamon in Ziploc bag. Tear biscuits into fourths. Place biscuits in bag and zip up. Shake -- not your hips -- the bag, until coated. Spray a bundt pan (tube pan with hole in the middle), or muffin tins, or bread pans with non-stick spray. Layer biscuits, apple, craisens, and pecans in pan. In a medium saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar. Add vanilla and nutmeg. Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute. Pour mixture over biscuits. Cook 350 degrees. If bundt pan is used, cook for 35 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil. If smaller pan is used, cook for less time - like 20 minutes. Keep checking to avoid burning the tops or boil overs.

I used muffin tins and mini bread pans and cooked for 20 minutes. I didn't cover with aluminum foil.  I put fruit and nuts on top. May want to put them on bottom of pan next time.

Winning breakfast casserole! (pic included)

This is my son's new favorite breakfast casserole recipe. I got it out of our local newspaper on the same page as an article about Charlie Sheen. So, that is why I called it the WINNING breakfast casserole. This is the recipe as written. I will add changes that I made at the bottom, if anyone is interested.

8 slices of bacon
1 med onion chopped (1 cup)
1 loaf (8 oz) Italian bread, cut into 1-in cubes (5 cups)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Reserve 2 TBS of the drippings. Drain bacon on paper towels; crumble and set aside.  Add onion to drippings in skillet; cook and stir three min. or until softened. Spread 1/2 of the bread cubes in a greased 13 X 9 baking dish.  Layer with half each of onion, bacon, cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese.  Spread evenly with cottage cheese. Top with remaining bread cubes, onion, bacon, cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. Beat eggs in medium bowl until foamy. Add milk, mustard, nutmeg and pepper; beat until blended. Pour evenly over top.  Press bread cubes lightly into egg mixture until completely covered. Let stand 10 min. Bake 40-50 min or until center is set and top is golden brown. Makes 12 servings.  --recipe from McCormick


CHANGES I MADE: I substituted Jennie-O turkey ham for the bacon. Instead of Italian bread loaf, I used gourmet whole grain wheat loaf. I estimated on all measurements of cheese, as well as adding fresh parmesan cheese. I estimated on the cottage cheese, probably using more than one cup. Recipe calls for 5 eggs. I used 2 eggs and enough "egg whites" for 6 more eggs because it didn't look "eggy" enough. It says to bake 40-50 minutes. I cooked for a full 60 minutes, uncovered. Picture below:

This picture taken after cooking for 50 minutes.

Pressure Cooker

I have used my pressure cooker twice now. Both times to cook beans. The taste of beans that are not canned are AMAZING! Who would have thought beans would smell so good? Not to mention, they are very healthy and a great substitute for meat. If I don't cook anything else besides beans in my pressure cooker, it will still be worth it. A bag of beans (un-soaked) can be cooked in 30 minutes - with a quick steam release. My cooker is stainless steel. They are more expensive than the aluminum cookers, but I wanted a quality product that would last a long time. It is a 6-quart cooker, and sometimes I wonder if it will be big enough. You can cook whole meals in them; roasts, ribs, pork loins, etc. They are suppose to be just as tender, as if you slow-cooked them all day, but much much faster. It also promotes energy savings. Because it doesn't take as long to cook, the user saves electricity/gas to run the stove and also eliminates most of the heat from the kitchen when cooking during the summer. I cooked up some kidney beans today for some chili. I could have made the actual chili in the cooker (not just the beans), but there is something to be said for enjoying the aroma while it is cooking and leisurely "tending" to it. The weekend allows for more time to enjoy the joy of slow-cooking. But, for those busy times, get a pressure cooker!

Here is a link to a website for the cooker that I have. It has great ideas for meals and a time chart:

http://fastcooking.ca/pressure_cookers/cooking_times_pressure_cooker.php

Lasagna

Short Nathan story: Nathan was warming up some leftover lasagna for lunch. He says to me, "I think I'll become Italian." I said, "really? why is that?" He said, "They have the best food ever." Later, as he was eating, he asked if I put my lasagna recipe on my blog. I told him I couldn't remember. He said, "Check it." So, since I have not posted my recipe for my lasagna, I am posting now. Nathan recommends it.

1 lb ground beef (or sausage or half and half)
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 small fresh mushrooms, chopped (I used canned)
olives, chopped (optional)
2 jars or cans of spaghetti sauce
1 (16 oz)cottage cheese
1 pint ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (fresh is best)
1 egg
1 (16 oz) pkg. lasagna noodles
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (separated)
oregano and/or basil

In a large skillet, cook hamburger (or sausage) until browned. Drain excess grease. Add mushrooms, onions, and olives until onions are transparent. Stir in one jar of pasta sauce, saving enough to cover noodles on top. Add oregano and/or basil. Heat through. In large bowl, combine cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, grated parmesan, one cup of mozzarella cheese, and one egg. Spread thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom of a 13 X 9 greased pan. (I usually have enough to do two pans)Layer with uncooked noodles, cheese mixture, and meat sauce. Last layers should be noodles, remainder of spaghetti sauce, and remainder of mozzarella cheese. Spray aluminum foil and cover. Cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and cook 15 minutes more. Cheese should be lightly browned on top.

Easy and Quick Beef and Noodles

Wanted to share an easy and quick way to do beef and noodles. Buy Reames frozen egg noodles. These are the next best thing to homemade noodles, in my opinion. I also buy canned beef (two cans). Canned beef is not the healthiest choice, but we don't have it that often. The canned beef that I buy is from Aldi's. It is in a can similar to canned chicken or tuna (in the same area). It comes with a little bit of gravy in the can and is already cooked and tender. I cut/shred it into smaller pieces before using. Bring beef broth to a boil. You can use canned beef broth or leftover broth from a roast. You can also use beef bouillon cubes or granules and mix with water until dissolved, according to directions. Bring broth to a boil and then add noodles. Reduce heat and simmer until noodles are soft. Add canned beef with broth. To thicken broth for gravy, mix about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with JUST enough COLD water, (while stirring with spoon) until cornstarch is dissolved. Add to simmering pot of broth and noodles. Stir until desired consistency. If needed, repeat cornstarch and water process to thicken even more.

Our family usually eats this with mashed potatoes, but they are optional. Sometimes, I use instant potatoes (Idahoan only - not all stores have this brand. Walmart does.) Tonight I'm mashing some real potatoes.

BBQ pulled pork

Yesterday, we fixed BBQ pulled pork and it was excellent. Thought I'd share how we did it. Of course, there's not just one way to fix it.

I bought a whole pork loin at Sam's Club for around $17. We cut it into thirds and froze 2/3 of it (separately) and fixed the remaining third. Placed in a crockpot (we have a large crockpot) with some Rustic Rub that we had made a while back (Emeril Lagasse's recipe). Covered with water and cooked on high for about 7 hours. Removed and let cool. Pulled apart or shredded and placed into an aluminum disposable pan (from Sam's). Added KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce (a lot), 3/4 bottle (I took care of the rest) of Bud Lite with lime and about a cup of water. Added garlic salt, seasoning salt, and onion powder. Stir. Covered with aluminum foil and cooked on grill for about an hour. It is so easy, delicious, and relatively inexpensive. One third of the loin will feed the three of us for several days.

The BEST egg white scrambled eggs!

I had the most flavorful breakfast and I just had to blog about it! I've been learning to use seasonings and herbs to add flavor to food, instead of fat and calories.

Scrambled eggs this morning - egg whites (pre-packaged), artichokes (canned and chopped), chopped baby spinach, bleu cheese crumbles, one fresh basil leaf(chopped), garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (for garnish).

It's hard to believe that healthy eating can taste so good!

Romaine salad with rotisserie chicken, bleu cheese, walnuts, and tomatoes

I just wanted to share a wonderful salad that I had this evening (Kirk and Nathan had leftover enchiladas, beans, and rice). It started with romaine lettuce (iceberg lettuce has the least nutritional value of all the greens); rotisserie chicken; bleu cheese crumbles; chopped tomatoes; walnuts; light raspberry and walnut vinaigrette (and some salad seasoning from The Melting Pot Restaurant). Served it with Baked Pita chips. I will have to admit that I probably enjoyed that more than I would have the enchiladas.

Choosing Healthy(ier) When Eating Out. (It's hard)

I don't cook every night. Sometimes, my husband, son, and I enjoy a nice evening out. It is very tricky ordering out when you are trying to make healthy eating choices. I was really hungry for a tenderloin. It's been a very long time since I've had one. I'd heard that 54th Street Food and Drink had a good one. That's where we ate this evening. Did you know they have two kinds of tenderloins? The regular and the "Tenderloin on Steroids". I'm not joking. The tenderloin on steroids has ham, bacon, and cheese on top of the tenderloin. Wow. I did not order this one. I ordered the plain tenderloin with no cheese. It was beautiful. I tossed the bun (it looked so nicely buttered, browned, and crispy). I ate half the tenderloin. I remember thinking that this tenderloin is a LOT bigger than a deck of cards (recommended serving size for meat). I made sure that I ate the vegetable condiments that I liked - tomato, onion, pickle, and horseradish. Yum! I ate only half of my waffle fries and gringo cheese sauce. I brought the rest home to either let my husband eat tomorrow or take for lunch. For dessert (later), I had two Reese's dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I had been wanting some dark chocolate. By the way, dark chocolate is healthier for you than other kinds of chocolate.

Now, I'm headed to exercise my delicious dinner off!

P.S. My husband ordered a hamburger with BBQ pork on top with cheese. Nathan ordered a bacon cheeseburger.

Healing Herbs and Spices

1. Cayenne (red) pepper- helps pain, treats shingles pain and diabetes-related nerve pain. Shrinks blood vessels in your nose and throat, relieving congestion. Metabolism booster, speeds up for a couple of hours after eating. Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and antidiabetes properties.

2. Cinnamon - helps control blood sugar in diabetics; cuts triglycerides and total cholesterol; helps prevent blood clots; antibacterial, anti-inflammatory; shown to conquer E. coli, among other types of bacteria; high in fiber (comes from the bark of a tree); and can reduce heartburn in some people.

3. Cloves - anti-inflammatory; protects against heart disease and cancer; slows the cartilage and bone damage caused by arthritis; improves insulin function; clove oil has numbing effect in addition to bacteria-fighting powers (good use for toothaches); in test tubes, cloves also killed certain bacteria that were resistant to antibiotics.

4. Coriander seeds - digestive aid; helps with irritable bowel syndrome; antianxiety herb; Its essential oil fights bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella. Has been shown to lower cholesterol in animals and is being further studied in humans; antioxidant.

5. Garlic - when eaten daily, can help lower heart disease risk by as much as 76 percent; thins blood and reducing chances of blood clots; antioxidant; appears to ward off cancer, especially stomach and colorectal cancer. The compounds flush carcinogens before they damage DNA, and they force cancer cells that do develop to self-destruct. Antibacterial and antifungal - help with yeast infections, some sinus infections, and the common cold. Can even repel ticks.

6. Ginger - Reduces pain and swelling in people with arthritis. May help with migraines by blocking inflammatory substances called prostaglandins. Boosts digestive juices and neutralizes acids while reducing intestinal contractions. Effective against nausea. One study showed worked just as well as Dramamine, but without making you sleepy.

7. Mustard - made from seeds of a plant from the cabbage family - strong anticancer group of plants. May inhibit growth of cancer cells; can break up congestion; helps with pain if used externally; mustard powder added to a foot bath helps kill athlete's foot fungus. Too much though, can have a laxative effect or cause vomiting.

8. Nutmeg - kills a number of bacteria; inhibits an enzyme in the brain that contributes to Alzheimer's disease and  improves memory in mice. Researchers are currently studying it for an antidepressant.


9. Sage - memory enhancer; some lab studies show that it protects the brain against certain processes that lead to Alzheimer's disease. In at least one study, a sage-oil concoction improved mood, increasing alertness, calmness, and contentedness. In a British study, healthy young adults performed better on word recall tests after taking sage-oil capsules. Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties; boosts the action of insulin to reduce blood sugar.

10. Turmeric - top anticancer agent; slows inflammation that contributes to tumor growth; works in the same way as broccoli and cauliflower to clear carcinogens away before they damage DNA and repairs already damaged DNA. Lab studies showed that Turmeric helps stop the growth and spread of cancer cells that do form. Research shows that it may protect against colon cancer as well as melanoma. In animal studies, curcumin (a chemical in turmeric), decreased the formation of amyloid, the stuff that makes up the brain deposits characteristic in people with Alzheimer's disease.


SOURCE:

Cleary, Allison, et al. Food Cures. New York: The Reader's Digest Association. 2009. Print.

Greek Yogurt

I love Greek yogurt! There are several brands, but my favorite is Stonyfield Oikos organic Greek yogurt. It is more expensive, but to me the quality is so much better. I've used the plain yogurt as a substitute for sour cream and there is no discernible difference in taste, in my opinion. I haven't tasted fat free sour cream in a while, so I'd have to compare tastes.

So far my favorite flavor is caramel. It is a delight! Makes for a healthy and filling dessert (with protein). By the way, it is fat free.

cooking fresh green beans

Who would have thought that fresh green beans take so long to cook?! I didn't. I tried my first batch of fresh green beans last night. I've always been a canned green bean girl. I've done frozen, but didn't cook them very long and they had zero flavor - it wasn't even a zero flavor - it was a negative flavor. I cooked those darn green beans for 2 hours. I know some people like them crisp tender, but we always had them "dead" or really really soft. That's the way I know them. They are not really a "start when you get home from work" side dish. However, I think a crock pot will help me next time. I'll throw them in before I leave for work with some water, bacon, and onion. They should be delicious by the time I get home.

In addition to our green beans last night, we had butternut squash; long grain wild rice; and a turkey loin pre-marinated in garlic and red pepper. I roasted the loin in aluminum foil in a shallow pan with a dash of red wine. Ok. Maybe it was more than a dash. Ok. Maybe I soused it. No matter which way you pour it, it was a good dinner!

I have some more fresh green beans that I didn't cook last night. I'm going to try to blanch them and then freeze them for next time. I also think that I will freeze a small amount of bacon just to be sure that I have some for the next batch of green beans.

During the 2 hours that I was cooking, I reminisced a little about my grandma cooking in the same kitchen that I currently cook. I remember hearing the clang clang clang of the vents on the lids of the Salad Master pots simmering on the stove. Maybe she was cooking green beans or any other numerous dishes for the 3 meals-a-day that she cooked. I inherited these pots and use them daily. As the vents went clang clang clang, it was as if grandma was there in my kitchen.

fruit smoothie

Nathan and I thought we needed a dessert after dinner. So, he suggested a fruit smoothie. This is what we did. The only thing I would do differently next time is choose a seedless fruit. The blackberries were very seedy.

2 cups blackberries
4 Tablespoons all natural peanut butter
1 banana
dried blueberries and craisins
skim milk - enough to fill the blender
12 ice cubes
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Add all ingredients to blender and mix until completely smooth. Next time we will use less seedy fruit. Tasted very good! If I had vanilla or plain yogurt, I would have added some.

Fried Salmon Patties

I'm sure everyone has their own recipe for salmon patties. But, I'll share how I made these.

3 cans (7 oz) of boneless, skinless, salmon fillet packed in water (drained)
3/4 cup onion (chopped)
1 cup bread crumbs
3 eggs
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T seafood seasoning (lemon pepper and dill)
pepper
3 T olive oil

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat. Patty salmon (1/2 inch thick or so). Fry 3-4 patties at a time in oil until golden brown and then flip and brown other side. Drain on a paper plate covered with paper towel. Add more olive oil to fry the remaining patties. Serve with Dijon mustard, if desired. Eat with or without bun. Makes 6-8 patties.

Edamame!!!! Now what to do with it

I bought some frozen edamame (ed-uh-mah-may). This is what I found on www.edamame.com:

"Edamame is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time. The word Edamame means "Beans on Branches," and it grows in clusters on bushy branches. To retain the freshness and its natural flavor, it is parboiled and quick-frozen. In East Asia, the soybean has been used for over two thousand years as a major source of protein. Edamame is consumed as a snack, a vegetable dish, used in soups or processed into sweets. As a snack, the pods are lightly boiled in salted water, and then the seeds are squeezed directly from the pods into the mouth with the fingers."

I might try boiling them in salt water first. Will have to look for more recipes. I bought a HUGE bag from Sam's Club. Hope we like them! I'll let you all know how they turn out!

Healthy food blog that I found

http://summertomato.com/tag/frozen-vegetables/

Beware: Canned seafood

I tried a new recipe today. It looked so good! Seafood stuffed jumbo pasta shells in a Parmesan cream sauce. I noticed the first sign of disaster when I opened the cans of crab. Seriously, I have no idea why I bought cans of crab meat. That's what the recipe called for. Anyway, opened the two cans of crab meat (drained) and dumped in a bowl to mix with my other stuffing mixture. It sure didn't smell like crab meat. At that point, I really wondered if I should even make this recipe. I really was mad that I didn't buy fresh crab meat. It called for tiny shrimp, too -- so I grabbed a can of that while I was at the store (it WAS right next to the canned crab meat). I made the recipe like it called. It's not a bad recipe. But, the crab, shrimp mixture that you are supposed to stuff the jumbo pasta with tasted AWFUL! It really is upsetting. I will probably throw it away. If I make this recipe again, I will use real crab meat and I also thought to mix some cream cheese in with the REAL crab to stuff the shells with. That would probably be pretty tasty. MORAL of the story: seafood should always be fresh -- not even canned will do; except maybe for high quality canned tuna, salmon, or mackerel.

Because we had no leftovers from earlier (that we wanted to eat), I made vegetable soup tonight. I used frozen mixed vegetables instead of my usual canned veggies, so I hope against all hope that it tastes good!!!!

2 vegetables in a meal! What a concept!

People might think I'm weird (and at times I am a bit quirky), but I don't think there is anything wrong with having two different vegetables with a meal. 5 SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ARE RECOMMENDED PER DAY! When I cook several dishes (not a casserole or soup), I try to have 4 items. It looks better on a plate. Also, a variety of colors makes it more appealing to the eye. I wanted pasta (starch) with our meal last night with our lemon pepper chicken. But, didn't want to do a potato or rice because I thought that was too many carbs. So, I decided to do corn and peas. Now, I do realize that those are the starchiest of vegetables, but it worked and gave nice color to the ensemble. So, tilapia with lemon-pepper seasoning sprinkled on it baked in the oven; box of Suddenly Salad pasta; canned corn and canned peas; buttered whole wheat bread. Now, in the future, I am going to try to buy more frozen vegetables, rather than canned veggies. I'm leery of the added sodium and preservatives in the canned goods. I also believe that frozen veggies retain more nutrients than canned. As far as the pasta salad, I'm sure if I would have made a homemade pasta salad instead of out of a box, it would have been healthier. But, this was on hand, fast, and easy.

Can't wait for the fresh vegetables from our garden; if we can get all the snow melted and the ground dried out!

Disaster with Huevos Rancheros

Tried a new recipe that a good friend gave to me with raving reviews. Seemed simple enough. Tortilla in muffin pans spread with melted butter, black beans mixed with salsa in tortilla. Crack egg into muffin tins. Cook 8 min at 400 degrees, until set. Add shredded cheese, cook 6-7 min. more. voila! beautiful golden authentic huevos rancheros. Like Hell. I used wheat tortillas instead of flour called for in recipe. I couldn't get my eggs to cook. Somehow I must have not put on the recipe card to put the oven at 400 degrees and instead cooked at 350 degrees. Some of them were completely hard, some were gooey. I probably should have used the same types of containers. I used muffin tins, souffle bowls, and mini- pie pans. That probably didn't help. I'm away from cooking for a week and I freaking forget how. Oh, well.  Better luck next time! It's kind of funny.

If anyone wants this recipe from Food Network Channel, let me know and I'll post. Maybe they'll turn out better for you.

The evils of processed food

Once you start eating highly processed food, you might find it tough to stop. Here's why:

1. It's super-easy to eat. With no bones, pits, or clumsy shapes to interfere, processed foods are an object lesson in instant gratification.

2. The texture tantalizes. Processed foods are engineered for optimal mouthfeel -- whether crunchy, creamy, or gooey.  These fun-to-eat qualities can quickly override your better judgement.

3. Flavors hit full-force.  Health-sapping sugar, salt, and fat -- plus additives such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein -- ratchet up taste far beyond what you'd find in nature.  All the more reason to keep it real.

Better Homes and Gardens, March 2011, pg. 168

Make a food diary for a week

Here's an idea! Make a food diary for a week. Do this for several reasons. Many times, if you know you have to write it down, you won't eat it. Also, at the end of the week you can look at what you ate. What do you think? Did you eat healthy? How much junk food did you eat? Were your meals balanced? How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat in a day? Try it and let us all know what you think.

How to lower cholesterol

I am reading a new book about how to lower cholesterol. Cholesterol Down: Ten Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in Four Weeks--Without Prescription Drugs by Dr Janet Brill.  For some reason, I just can't seem to get mine down even though I am eating very healthy. It's gone down from "oh, shit" to "still that high?". Anyway, I will keep you posted on what I've read.

So far... ALMONDS (1 oz; about 23 nuts) and OATMEAL (1 cup) eaten daily will bring it down. She cites research study upon study about how these foods help bring down your LDL levels. (bad cholesterol). She explains the science of it in very plain terms. I've been doing this for last several days and I've lost weight, too! I've been exercising, but I usually don't lose it that fast. I will keep you posted.

I have this book on my kindle.

hot sauce

I tried my hand at hot sauce today. My mom sent me a link on the internet to a copycat recipe for Taco Bell's hot sauce. This is what I did:

3 cups of water
3 tsp. cornstarch
1 can (6 oz) of tomato paste
3 T. white vinegar
4 tsp chili powder (you may desire it to be less hot - so cut back)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper or ground red pepper (less pepper if you don't want a kick)
1 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Dissolve cornstarch in water in a medium saucepan. Mix well all dry ingredients in a separate bowl; chili powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.  Mix the dry ingredients in with cornstarch and water mixture. Stir. Add tomato paste, vinegar, and lime juice. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before pouring into glass container. Store in refrigerator. Makes approx. 3 cups.

Grape-Nut Cookies

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3 Tbls. honey
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 cup grape-nuts cereal

(next time I will add raisens or craisens, choc. chips, or peanut butter)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
3. Add honey, eggs, and vanilla; mix well.
4. Add baking soda, salt, rolled oats, flour, and grape-nuts. Combine until just mixed.
5. Drop Tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets.
6. Bake for 10-14 min. or until golden brown.
7. Cool 2-3 minutes; remove from cookie sheets.
8. cook on wire racks.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Recipe from Spry Living Magazine. 2001 Feb. pg. 5

Unsalted Butter

Did you know that unsalted butter (yes, REAL butter. Julia Child and I love real butter) is fresher than salted butter. The salt preserves it so it has a longer shelf life and can sometimes mask inferior ingredients. The unsalted butter has a shorter shelf life and therefore is fresher. When baking, always use unsalted butter unless the recipe states otherwise. This way it is fresher and you control how much salt is added. The amount of salt added to salted butter varies and is not consistent. If you use unsalted butter for things like toast, you can always add a bit of salt to your tastes.

Bought New Vegetarian Cookbook

We made a trip to Border's Bookstore today. When we got back out to the car, Nathan (my 11 year old), asked me what I bought. I told him a vegetarian cookbook. "What?! We aren't vegetarian!" My husband told me that I should probably take it back and get my money back. Do you feel the resistance? It's not like I'm going to force them to be vegetarians. But, it doesn't hurt to eat more veggies and less meat once in awhile.

Beer Chicken

I have a metal gadget that you put an open can of beer in the bottom and then you stick a chicken on it and bake or grill. Have you ever wondered who would have thought of putting a can of "anything" up a chicken's butt, cooking it, and then eating it? I mean, gross.

Bean Brownies and Diet Soda Cake

I've shared this tip with all my facebook friends, but thought I would share here as well.  A nutritionist on television said that you can puree a can of beans in the blender (Northern or Black). Mix the pureed beans into a brownie mix INSTEAD of the oil and egg. I have not tried it, but will very soon. Maybe this weekend!

Another friend of mine suggested to put a can of diet soda into a cake mix instead of the usual liquid ingredients. Dark cola for a chocolate cake and a clear soda for the lighter colored cakes.

writing a cookbook?

Has anyone written a cookbook before? I wonder how hard it would be. I love to try new recipes and enjoy cooking so much. I think that makes me a "foodie".

Beginning a Blog - Exciting!

Well, I got a hair-brained idea to start a blog to talk about food, cooking, nutrition, and overall health with some family anecdotes mixed in. Are you ready for a fun and exciting adventure with me?