Good Eats

A French Bread Mood

2012-02-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

French Bread (from Christy Alfrey)
Dissolve the following ingredients in a small bowl:
2 TBS yeast
1/2 c. warm water
1/2 tsp sugar

In a mixing bowl combine:
2 c. hot water
3 TBS sugar
1 TBS salt
1/2 c. oil

Add 3 cups of flour to the mixing bowl mixture and mix well. Stir in yeast mixture until well blended. (I do all of this in a kitchen aid). Add 2-3 cups more of flour (always 3 for me). Mixture will still be a bit sticky, but not sticking to the bowl while being mixed. Leave in the bowl and let rise 1 hr mixing a few strokes a couple of times. (Yeah, I never do that. Just leave it in the bowl to rise for an hour). Divide dough into 2 or 3 pieces. (I do two) Roll out onto a floured surface and then roll lengthwise like a jelly roll. Slash the top diagonally with a knife. Brush with egg white. Let rise 15 min. Bake at 400 for 25 mins.

Joan used a wooden spoon...not a Kitchen Aid mixer.

Chocolate on Bacon

2012-02-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

My first experiment. The bacon was too thin, the chocolate too thick..but still scrumptious!

Bacon Lovers Delight

2012-02-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

Why I love bacon: It smells so good when cooking! And to eat them crisp and salty and somewhat chewy: heaven!

I bake them on a big cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven....here are some samples of my latest bacon cooking spree!

Why We Make Cookies

2012-02-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

Because they smell so good baking! And to eat one is a quick "pick me up" !

I have taken to making thin crispy chewy kind of cookies rather than the thicker cake-y kind.

Crispy Chewy Oatmeal Deluxe Cookies

· 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

· 1 teaspoon baking soda

· 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

· 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar minus 2 TBSP.

· 3/4 cup granulated sugar minus 2TBSP.

· 1 large egg

· 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

· 1 1/2 cups quick oats

· 1 cup raisins or less (craisins OK)

· 1-1 1/2 cups choc. chips

· 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking soda.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice during mixing. Add the egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add the vanilla; mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Wait: Joan just uses a wooden spoon!

Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and mix on low speed until well combined. Add the oats, raisins, chocolate, and walnut pieces; mix to combine after each addition.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of dough onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat, spacing 2 inches apart.

I did 8 cookies to a pan.

Bake cookies until golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days

Inside Out Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2012-01-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

David told me about this: You can sprinkle grated cheese on your griddle and then slap your cheese sandwich down on it...cook until the cheese on the outside melts and starts to get chew-y, crispy. Flip and..before you finalize that flip, lay some more grated cheese on the griddle, then slap that sandwich over it real quick. Cook as before. Then you have 2 sides of chewy crispy cheese. MMMNNNNNmmmmmm.

Cute Idea for a Buck!

2012-01-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

Got this at Trader Joe's before Christmas. What a great idea...decorate your own gingerbread man...and share it because it is so huge! It comes with frosting and little candies to use to decorate it. 99 cents.

Cherry Chocolate Frosting

2012-01-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

I made these morello cherry brownies from scratch (using the Bourdin Bakery recipe below), then frosted them with a wonderful frosting:

This post is dedicated to Amy who loves cherries AND frosting very much!

I love that I do not have to handle any white sugar in this recipe....any sweet stuff is found in the honey and in the dark choc. chips and the jam.

CHERRY CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 cup semi sweet choc. chips (joan uses 63%)...Melt and cool to almost room temp.

Add...

2/3 cups sour cream

1/4 cup cherry preserves (I take the cherry chunks out of the preserves, to make 1/4 cup )

2 T. honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix/beat it all until light and fluffy. Then add...

1 1/2 T softened butter and continue mixing well.. ...This makes so much frosting. I frosted a 9 x 13 pan of brownies and had almost a cup of frosting left.

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Boudin Bakery's Brownies (note Joan's variation )Total time: About 1 hour

Servings: 24 or more...depends on how big you cut them. They are so rich, cut them small.

Note: Adapted from Boudin Bakery.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, plus extra for greasing the dish.

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate ( use 63% choc. chips and a square (1 oz.)unsweetened choc.)

5 eggs

3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (6.38 ounces) flour (unbleached of course...once I used half oat flour...turned out great)

2 1/2 cups toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts ( I omit this usually if we are on a tight budget)

To make them cherry..I put in 2 cups drained morello cherries (purchased in a jar from Trader Joe's)

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish.

2. In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the melted chocolate, then the salt and flour just until combined. Gently fold in the nuts.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven until puffed and almost set, about 45 minutes. A toothpick inserted will be slightly moist. Remove and cool slightly before serving.

Note: These are dense and delicious. I keep them refrigerated.

Each serving: 336 calories; 4 grams protein; 38 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 21 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 64 mg. cholesterol; 113 mg. sodium.

Bargain in Glendora

2012-01-11T13:38:00.000-08:00

To feed my lemon addiction, I will continue to shop at a unique 99 Cents Store (Not 99 Cents Only chain) in Glendora, CA. 16 lemons for 99 cents! Now I am using 2 a day! In my water.

I have even converted John to using lemon in his water.

To try!

2012-01-09T20:51:00.000-08:00

This looks like fun to make and serve and eat!

Cookie of the Month Club's First Mailing

2012-01-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

Molly is sending John (her dad) a package of her homemade cookies, each month. What a nice surprise he will get in the mail each month! These were delicious and I see they are made of whole wheat flour, of course.

Meyer lemons

2012-01-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

"What shall I do," asked Joan, "with these Meyer lemons Sheelah gave me that she picked from Bruce's backyard?" Here are some thoughts...lemon curd. Lemon Curd. Lemon curd!

And maybe a lemon meingue pie...

Lobster Bisque and the Recipe!

2011-11-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

Joan was given a lobster tail to take to Betty. She said she doesn't like lobster. So Joan took it home and made lobster bisque....2 bowls full....one fore John, one for Joan. MMMmmmm.

Recipe is below the picture.

Here is the recipe I used, but I had to cut it in half. It was great! I love how the paprika gives the bisque it's pinkish color

lobster bisque

6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
4 1/2 cups milk 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons minced onion
3 cups cooked lobster meat, shredded
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup light cream
DIRECTIONS:
1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper and celery salt until well blended. Gradually stir in the milk so that no lumps form, and then stir in the chicken stock. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the soup begins to thicken. Add the onion and lobster; season with paprika. Cook and stir for 10 more minutes. Stir in the cream, heat through and serve.

Caramels for Sale

2011-11-20T21:46:00.001-08:00

OK..Here's the story. We were in Upland, buying garments at Beehive Clothing and this
man came in and started to talk to one of the clerks. "Have you tried the caramels they sell at the bookstore? They are incredible." So I, Joan, had to go on over there real quick..it was just 2 doors down...and buy just one to try out. It was 50 cents...for one!!!!!!!
It was quite small. Delicious, yes! You could taste the real butter...but 50 cents a piece kind of shocked me.

Bake Potatoes in your Slow Cooker!

2011-11-20T21:44:00.001-08:00

It's true! I never knew this before. Megan told me about this and she got ti from the cookbook Fix It and Forget It.

Just scrub your potatoes, pierce with a knife and wrap in foil. Place in slow cooker for 4 hours. Amazing!

Our Favorite Pizza

2011-11-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

John and I sat at this table (too bad photo is so small-it is from the site, not my camera). So you feel like you are right there in Times Square...they have this big photo mural....love it!

..is from New York Pizza Company in Upland...on Foothill. They have the best thin crust pizza.

The day we went they had a special: 12 " pizza for 5 bucks. $1 for each extra topping. John's extra topping was BBQ chicken, and mine was bacon. We watched the cook stretch the twirl the pizza dough. The oven was 600 degres (I asked!) and I saw how they maintained the lovely ridge on the pizza...half way through the baking process, the pull the pizza out for a second and run the pizza cutter lightly around the area between the crusty rim and the edge of the pan.
Close up of my bacon pizza...
See the golden brown rim of the crust?
Close up of the thin crust.

Carrot Know How

2011-11-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the carrots you bring home are alive? And they will continue to "grow" green leafy fronds on the top...and as this happens, the carrot gets a bit rubbery and loses some nutrition. But if you cut off the tops as you see in the picture, when you bring them home from the store, your carrots will stay fresher much longer!

Sunday Lunch

2011-11-14T14:48:00.000-08:00

MMMmmm...we each had a baked sweet potato, a half of a butternut squash, and half of an acorn squash. (We also had a beef sandwich). This was at noon. Boy! We weren't hungry the rest of the day!
Cracked pepper and real butter is all you need to add. Some folks don't even need that...this food is so rich!

John's Favorite Breakfast

2011-11-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

John sliced open a perfect avocado the other day. Then he put it on this 9" plate and took this picture and said...Let's have my favorite breakfast.

Which is Huevos Rancheros.

So I whipped it up for us...I like my eggs easy over, with a runny yoke. John likes his with the yoke cooked hard. To make the guacamole, I basically just chop the nice soft avocado with a knife and mash some of it down a bit with a fork, and that is it. We like it chunky, not smooth. I sometimes will put in a fine diced garden ripened tomato, and a tiny bit of fine diced onion, but I am a purist and just love the pure taste of the avocado. We drizzle Tapatio on it and the eggs and beans. John also puts ketchup (yuck) on top of the Tapatio.
So here is John's plate.We love Tapatio because it doesn't have vinegar in it lie a lot of sauces do.

Chicken on Sale

2011-11-10T21:16:00.000-08:00

I love to buy whole chicken when it is on sale. This one was 69 cents/lb. and over 5 lbs.

I baked it in the oven with carrots, onions, celery inside the cavity. Then I cooked the carcass after I took the meat off the bone....with water in my crockpot on low for 8 hours. Got the best broth!!

I got 6 one cup bags of chicken for the freezer ( I nibbled on some so actually the yield was higher than 6 cups)...to use when whipping up a quick meal such as chicken curry...or chicken and gravy and mashed potatoes...or to put in stuffing, or to make BBQ chicken sandwiches (just thaw in microwave and add some BBQ sauce and pile in toasted buns. Anyway..here are the baggies before I put them in the freezer (In another heavier plastic bag of course.)

Clever Megan

2011-11-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

So, I made pancakes one morning while we were in Gilbert: my favorite buttermilk pancake recipe...and what do you know? Clever Megan whipped out her pizza cutter to cut the kids' pancakes nice and cleanly! Wow! If only I had used this device when the kids were growing up and I made pancakes several times a week...for nearly 2 decades.

Favorite Lentil Soup

2011-11-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

This nice glass bowl is actually holding quite a bit of soup.

Once, when John and I were making one of our many trips to Wisconsin

and had been eating quick fast food or road food for a while (we had been in Missouri visiting Molly and family and had so many things to do -places to go- that Molly didn't have time to make any gourmet meals like she is wont to do. We even had a meal at Sonic. We had frozen custard at Drew's. Then on the long drive from St. Louis up to Wisconsin, we had Burger King, etc. ) When we got closer to Wisconsin, I called Jane, my dear friend in Point, and asked her for a favor.

I said:"I NEED some Lentil Soup! Can we come visit you and can you, will you please, make some for us and we can talk while we eat. We want to come to your house before we even go to 509 First Street. " She agreed to and we drove along happily, in anticipation (at least I was happily anticipating the soup, John could take it or leave it.)

When we got to her house, she did not have the soup even started. She had had a very busy day that included riding her bike a long way to one of her doctor appointments. She had other things going on, too. Nevertheless, she assembled the ingredients and followed the recipe exactly, like it is written here. I don't grate the carrots, but fine dice.

So we talked while she made the soup and while we ate it. Fully recharged with this wonderful nutrition, and our visit, we then got into our rental car and proceeded to my folk's house.

Note...you can subsitute a bottle of spaghetti sauce for the diced tomtaoes.

My Favorite Lentil Soup from (from Jane Brody’s Good Food Book- a bit tweeked)

2 T. oil

2 large or 3 medium onions, chopped (2 cups)

3 carrots, coarsely grated (Joan prefers tiny diced)

¾ t. marjoram, crumbled

¾ t. thyme leaves, crumbled (or just use 1 1/2 teasp. Italian seasonings if you do not have the marjoram and thyme )1 28-oz. can tomatoes with their juice, coarsely chopped (I buy S&W’s diced in juice)

4 cups broth (I use salt free broth made with boullion)

4 cups water

1½ cup dried lentils, rinsed and picked over

¼ to ½ t. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 T. dried parsley flakes

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1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and sauté the onions, carrots, marjoram and thyme, stirring

the vegetables, for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, broth, and lentils. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer the soup for about 1 hour or until the lentils are tender.

3. Add the salt, pepper, and parsley, and simmer the soup for a few minutes.

Best FOOD Product of the YEAR

2011-10-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

This product deserves an award! I would love to know the history of this product:who thought it up, who designed the very appealing packaging? It is so comfortable to hold and lovely to look at! Inside this genius packaging is one of my favorite dried fruits. What is it?
*
*

Plum Amazins! Look! It almost sounds like raisins, which is very appropriate since they are a dried fruit like raisins. For some reason, people don't like the word "prune" and I have noticed that in the last little while packages of prunes were being labeled "dried plums".
I found these at the Apple Valley Wal*mart this past week. I paid $2.00. The plastic container is definitely re-usable...just peel off the plastic label.

I looked for them at WinCo and at Stater Brothers grocery stores. Not there.

Here is the Nutritional label.... the other side of the box has bar graphs that show that this product has 50% more fiber than raisins or cranberries....and half the sugar! Wow!
Have you ever tried to dice a prune? ...the pieces stick to your knife...it is just a mess. Well, here you have chopped prunes ready to go...ready to sprinkle on your hot oatmeal, put in cookies...
...or sprinkle on your yogurt fruit salad. Thank you Sunsweet!

Moores Pasta Salad

2011-10-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

Whenever we go to Moores Cancer Center in San Diego, love to go up to the snack bar where they serve great chicken curry sandwiches on the best fresh bread and always with aside of this wonderful savory cold pasta salad.
I was craving it again...(I made some while we were at Megan's,too) so got the ingredients and made some.

Moores Pasta Salad

1/2 box whole wheat rotini, cooked
1/3 cup basil pesto
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced red pepper,
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

Finished product! You can add more diced celery and red pepper and even more pesto if you want. If you don't have parsley, it still will be very good. I love the fact that the whole wheat pasta has lots of fiber.

Butternut Squash

2011-10-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

I found butternut squash at the 99 Cents Only Store Today!

This is how I cook it.

I first poke it with a sharp knife in several places and microwave it for about 90 seconds...one and a half minutes.

Then I take it out of the microwave and cut it in half. Then I scoop out the seeds, and place cut side down in a glass baking dish and bake at 425 degres for 45 minutes...sometimes less...It is done when you poke it with a fork and it goes in so easy...The softer the finished product, I believe, the better.
Golden and sweet...with a little butter...it is my FAVORITE squash.

Taste Test Today

2011-10-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

At Winco today I was ready to by some La Victoria Salsa (Medium) for $1.78 when I noticed an new brand: Spikes...which was $1.03. They were both 16 oz. And in glass jars. So I bought both of them and took them home to try.
I already had some Mission tortilla chips and it was time for "second breakfast"so I dug in.
The winner was Spike. Why? It was chunkier (well I did bring home the bean and corn style instead of their regular style), and sweeter. I still will eat La Victoria, though, when I want a more tomato-y and "hotter" taste.

Black Bean Brownies

2011-10-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Kelsy for sharing these recipes with me. I put off making these for the longest time, thinking they would not taste very good. Finally I made them and took the pictures you see here. I got 16 brownies form one 8 x 8 pan. They are light and chocolate-y...very good! I look forward to making the variations.

Flourless Black Bean Brownies

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar (can substitue agave nectar)
3 Tbsp. oil
3 or 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. peanut butter (optional, but I always go for this one!)

Blend everything up in a blender or food processor. Pour into a greased 8 by 8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (mine were done in my superhot oven at around 25 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick). Cut in pieces and enjoy!

Here are some Canellini (white bean) variations I'm excited to try:

Lemon Ginger: Use canellini beans instead of black beans. Add 1 tsp. lemon extract, 2 tsp. ground ginger and zest of one lemon to bean mixture. Top with sliced almonds.

Cranberry orange: Use canellini beans instead of black beans. Add 1 tsp. orange extract, 2 tsp. ground ginger and zest of one orange to bean mixture. Top with minced dried cranberries.

Cherry almond: Use canellini beans instead of black beans. Add 1 tsp. almond to bean mixture. Top with minced dried cherries and sliced almonds.

Pumpkin: Use canellini beans instead of black beans. Add 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp salt to bean mixture. Top with chopped pecans.

Apple spice: Use canellini beans instead of black beans. Add 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp salt to bean mixture. Top with chopped walnuts.

This recipe I copied exactly from what Kelsy sent me via email. I have not made them yet, but when I do, I will not use espresso flavor...just cocoa.

Amazing Black Bean Brownie Recipe

For those of you who have a hard time tracking down agave nectar (which is becoming much more readily available) substitute honey 1:1 for the agave nectar. Ania's head notes encourage you to keep these brownies in the refrigerator, they will slice much better if refrigerated several hours or preferably overnight. I used instant coffee this time around, but you can find natural coffee substitute at many natural food stores.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well (hs: canned is fine)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups light agave nectar
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (hs note: or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.

Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.

Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)
Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies

Joan's version of Philly Cheesesteak

2011-09-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

I got some sirloin steaks for 2.98 per pound...2.68 lbs. I cooked them on low overnight in the crockpot with pickle juice to cover. (Pickle juice leftover form Betty's pickle jar. All it needed on low was about 6-7 hours in my particular crockpot.

Then using my big comal, I toasted the buns and piled the meat in ...
The I thought it needed some cheese so I spread a spoonful of this wonderful product on one side of the bun on the inside...the heat of the meat further melted the creamy sauce.
John and I agreed these were heavenly. The toasted bun and the spicy cheese sauce made them outrageously yummy!
And now I will reveal this most special ingredient...which will now be a staple at our house. I bought it originally to put over cooked broccoli...

Keep scrolling down..

This is it! So good...comes in glass jars even!
I imagine using it in other dishes..with cauliflower, with noodles, with potatoes...

This is also, I realize, a great pantry item for those of us who liked to be prepared for emergencies. I can't wait to experiment some more with this sauce!

A Most Beautiful Plate

2011-08-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday night for supper, we had potstickers. On the side we had steamed broccoli with some slivers of steamed carrot slices. We also had a salad consisting of chopped romaine letuce, yellow tiny pear shaped tomatoes and blue berries.

The best thing about this meal was, to me, the cherry tomatoes.

You see, they are slightly cooked...and oh so very yummy!

So after I finished cooking the pot stickers according to package instructions in my iron skillet, I turned off the flame, tossed in some cherry tomatoes from the garden and put a lid on the skillet for a few minutes. The heat in the pan cooked the tomatoes to perfection: they still kept their shape. They were not over cooked, just cooked...or warmed enough to change the taste from 100% raw to something incredibly delicious.

WARNING: you must pop one whole cherry tomato at a time into your mouth. Make sure it has cooled off a bit. Do not bite into it with lips slightly parted . It will squirt hot tomato-y juice all over. Keep your lips closed as you bite into this delcious round red globe.

Better than Dibs

2011-08-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

Want a bite of something cold and creamy and yummy? And that is beter than "Dibs"?
Freeze ripe banana slices on wax paper or parchment on a cookie sheet. When frozen, remove them and serve or store in ziploc bag in freezer for instant creamy and fiber filled, vitamin mineral filled natural frozen bananas.

Eat them in a bowl with a spoon, or with your fingers from a plate. And you can, of course, blend them in a blender with milk or soy milk or almond milk and make a thick creamy shake. The Hulihan household has been doing frozen banana shakes for over 20 years now. I like the sliced frozen ones even better than a shake. I don't have to clean out a blender...and each cold creamy slice in my mouth is heavenly and cools me off!
Eat me!

What David Taught Us

2011-08-19T21:34:00.001-07:00

Progressive International Jumbo Potato Cutter from amazon.com! I paid 15.99 last week but now it is 21.99. Hmm...Anyway, after you peel a half pound of carrots and cut them in half, it takes just seconds to make a plate full of bright crunchy carrot sticks! Mmmm.

The dip he taught me is..get some good refrigerated ranch dressing and some Srirachi Sauce and blend them together.
This is such a great healthy snack! Thanks, David!

Produced in our backyard

2011-08-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

Green grapes are ripe about first week of August. This is about all we got..the birds ate the rest. These are kind of sour. Have to do research on how to get the grapes to be sweeter.

Apricots are ready early July. We got maybe a dozen...its a small tree. But we need to prune it better.

Cherry tomatoes! We picked a cup every other day starting in early July. MMMmmm.

The Red Barn

2011-08-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

On our way home from our adventures in Idaho and Utah, we had to stop in Santaquin to go to The Red Barn to check out the cherries and other items they sell.
Since these cost over $16.00 a bottle, we passed. Maybe next time.
A cute display. Did you know...?

1 bushel= 4 pecks

1 bushel = 8 gallons

1 peck = 2 gallons

1/4 bushel = 1 peck
John getting a free sample of cold fresh raw apple cider!
Berries and cherries galore here.

We bought some huge cherries that were so dark red they were black. Funny thing-they did not sell cherry pitters. This is a great place to stop. They also had ice cream comes, fudge, cookies fresh baked, aprons, books, and chocolate covered cherries and blueberries, etc.

Make Your Own Magic Shell

2011-05-04T13:46:00.001-07:00

I finally did it! I made my own Magic Shell....finally after many many references Larissa made to me about making my own with coconut oil and cocoa.
Tommy and Christine gave me a lovely glass jar of organic virgin coconut oil and so I decided to take the plunge and try it.
Here is the recipe, so very simple.
Magic Shell
In small saucepan, combine
2 Tablsp. coconut oil
4 Tablsp.. unsweetened cocoa
1 Tablsp. honey
Heat gently until coconut oil has melted and all is combined and liquid-y.
Take off heat. Using a teaspoon, drizzle the dark liquid over your ice cream. It will harden almost immediately. I like
Very yummy..you can add chopped nuts..that is even better.

Make Your Own Easter Grass With Wheat

2011-05-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

2 weeks or so before Easter, soak some wheat kernels (also called wheat berries) overnight.
In the morning, drain them in a sieve and then plop onto about 4 layers or so of wet paper towel that is nestled into a favorite bowl or container.
Keep a squirt bottle filled with water nearby and occasionally squirt with water. Depends on where you live as to how much. In the desert here, I squirted it twice a day. If using a basket, have some plastic wrap on the very bottom of the basket, then put the wet paper towel on top of that.
This was about 13 days later...
If you have a cute critter to stick in the grass, do so This was on top of a screw on lid of a cantiner I got at Dollar Tree...it was perfect!...and of course some small eggs:

John's Quest

2011-04-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

This is just a sample of John's recent juice purchases. He likes to get different various high energy, nutritious drinks to improve his health.

I Had To Do It

2011-04-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

After we finished our 2 cans of raisins, I ordered a box of 12 from the company. These SunView Organic Raisins. I got this box 2 days after I placed my order. 45 dollars includes shipping. No tax. 12 cans. Normally 4.99 at Whole Foods.

We like the Green Seedless the best.

Ginger Dreams

2011-04-14T17:53:00.001-07:00

I used to dream of candy like this: Clear hard candy made from ginger. But this candy is a reality! Made by the Go Naturally company. Again at Whole Foods. I see it is available on amazon.com.

Move over jelly beans !

2011-04-14T17:50:00.001-07:00

I have discovered these organic raisins at Whole Foods! They are big, plump, moist, flavorful. Who would even choose a jelly bean if these were available! This is pure delight..and no pesticides! Lots of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and fiber. Yum!

Water Rich Snacks!

2011-04-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Since I am chronically dehydrated, I have decided to have really healthy, water rich snacks. Here is today's snack: I had a half red pepper in the fridge and I am so proud of myself that I did not forget about it and let it turn slimy. I chunked it up and had it with some humus that I bought earlier in the week.
Lots of fiber and vitamins and I do love the taste. MMMmmm!

My Last Bag

2011-04-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

OK..I am giving up potato chips.
They are my all time favorite comfort food, especially the thick super crunchy Kettle brand from Oregon and these Dirty Chips(which have the lowest sodium of any potato chip on the market. See the label as proof!)
Why, you may ask?
Well..because I want to be healthier. Potato chips have been implicated as possibly contributing to high cholesterol(which I have). I also need a good experience in resisting temptation. Believe me, this will be hard. Especially since this is how I usually get my raw onion in my diet since I always make my onion dill dip to go along with my chips...and I use 1 whole cup of finely chopped raw onion mixed with a cup of light sour cream plus the dillweed.

So about 5 days ago I finished up the last few chips in this bag...and that's that.

How Do They Do That?

2011-04-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

OK..last Sunday evening I ordered 2 books from Amazon.com They arrived by special delivery (this cure Hispanic man who drives a special white van) the next day, Monday, in early afternoon. I have Amazon Prime, which Larissa gave me, which promises shipment in 2 days...but this..this is FAST! I am going to try again..that is..order something Sunday evening (tonight) and see what happens.

Finally, A Mug I REALLY Like

2011-04-03T16:19:00.000-07:00

I know this sounds selfish, but I must report on the best mug for me, ever: I got it from Ross for 1.99 and it holds a little over 2 cups. It is very pleasant to hold and the thick rounded edge of the rim make it a pleasure to drink from! i bouth 5...each in a differenct color. But red is my favorite. So this is how I have my morning hot chocolate now.

The Best Way To Do Yams

2011-04-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

Bake then at 425 degrees for an hour and 10 minutes or until they ooze and the oozings start to carmelize. Serve with real butter an cracked black pepper. Be sure to use foil on your baking sheet! Or you'll have a sticky blackened mess that will take a long time to clean off.

Tips for Next St. Patrick's Day

2011-04-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

First of all, if you live near a Trader Joe's, get your corned beef from them:It has no nitrates! And very little fat compared to the ones in regular stores. And the combination of spices they use are really yummy.

Also..cook the carrots, potatoes and cabbage in a separate pot from the corned beef. Why? The vegetables take on too salty a flavor if cooked with the beef, plus they lose their vibrant color.

Our meal for March 17th: I also made Irish Soda Bread with 1/2 wheat flour.

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

2011-03-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

At any time, one will find in our fridge a container full of dark chocolate dipped macaroons.
They are easy to make! Below is a cookie sheet lined with Parchment paper of relatively big macaroons. The batch I made later gave me about 40 smaller macaroons
and I was more pleased with them. They all fit on one large cookie sheet.
A close up after they had backed at 350 degres for 15 minutes or so...

And here they are on a plate after being dipped and set in the fridge to harden.
These are the ingredients....except I forgot the vanilla.

C H O C O L A T E D I P P E D M A C A R O O N S

THE RECIPE...I got it from this site

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/bakers-chocolate-dipped-macaroons/Detail.asp x

However, this is how I do it ..I made some good changes:

1. Just use the whole bag (14 oz.) of coconut (Baker's or Mounds or whatever brand you want)

2. Therefore, you will not use the entire can of sweetened condensed milk...leave about 1/3 inch in the bottom of the can. (It is such a pain to measure out sweetened condensed milk into a measuring cup..I just pour it from the can, and leave some in the can...since you are using the whole bag of coconut ( original recipe calls for 2 2/3 cup coconut and then you are left with some coconut in the bag. My method eliminates leftover coconut.

3. USE PARCHMENT. Even when I generously grease the pan, the cookies stick like crazy. Actually this is more of a candy than a cookie. We love coconut...it is so good for you and it keeps John "regular".

4. Don't drop the mounds onto the parchment lined cookie sheet....grease your hands with a bit of oil and make balls.

5. Bake longer than the recipe says...that way the cookie will not fall apart, but be nice and chew. let them get golden on the edge and then some.

6. I use dark chocolate chips ...just microwave them in a bowl. Turn microwave off every 20 second and stir until all are melted.

Here are the ingredients I use (also vanilla...forgot to put in picture. Good Luck! ~Joanie

Do store in refrigerator, otherwise the chocolate get whitish and crumbly because, well, I did not temper the chocolate...I need to learn how to do that!

Recipe For Flourless Chocolate Cake

2011-02-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

This is quite healthy, I believe! No flour (so no extra carbs)...just lots of egg and walnuts (protein!) And of course, we all know the health benefits of chocolate!

Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cake

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

4 tablespoon butter (unsalted recommended, I use salted)

1 cup walnuts

4 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar, divided (I used baker's sugar and about 2 Tablespoons less than 1/2 cup because I like to cut sugar in every recipe I use.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

9 " spring form pan, well greased and floured.

1. Melt the chocolate chips with the butter. Set aside and cool (You can melt it in microwave, 10 seconds at a time, stirring it when it starts to melt. )

2. In food processor or blender, grind the walnuts into very small pieces. Be careful not to grind them into powder.

3.In a large bowl, beat the eggs yolks. Gradually beat in the 1/4 cup sugar (it actually has less than 1/4 sugar, remember?) until the mixture is thick

4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Then add the remaining sugar( a little less than 1/4 cup), a tablespoon at a time, while continuing to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. (In my preparations, I must have had some food on the beaters, because I just ended up with soft peaks that fell over...it was OK..it still turned out great.)

5. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and allow it to cool 10 minutes before removing sides of pan. This is a delicate cake and should be served without removing the bottom of the pan.

It is said this cake can be doubled and still made in a 9 inch spring form pan....just bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Still check for doneness after 45 minutes, though.

This cake has a yummy dense chocolatiness..can be served with whipped cream or ice cream.

recipe from...

The Great American Chocolate Contest Cookbook by T.K. Woods. It is by Vivian Cohen who wrote:

"This recipe comes from my great-grandaunt from Czechoslovakia. My family cannot live without this cake."

Kale

2011-02-20T09:24:00.000-08:00

I am trying to eat Kale more. When I think of kale, I think of Kelsy who eats it a lot and of my friend Jane in Wisconsin who also is a great fan. Believe me, I am eating this for my health, not because I really really enjoy it..although I do really enjoy it in a frittata. I am looking for more recipes that use kale.

Valentine's Day Meal

2011-02-20T09:17:00.001-08:00

Cheese Fondue as an appetizer. This is the first time I ever made a cheese fondue. I got a cute little pot and cut up some artisan bread.
Kale Frittata with fresh steamed asparagus spears. Frittata is one of the best things I like to make. So easy. I always use brown rice. This one, I had the flame a bit too high..it wasn't blackened...just dark brown..added a nice little crunch.

For dessert...a flourless chocolate walnut cake.

2010-12-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

John's Incredible Pizza, part 2

2010-06-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

This is John's favorite place to eat becasue they have a great BBQ chicken pizza. I personally like the peanut butter pizza and the basil garlic pizza. So when Megan sugested we go there, we were quite in favor of the plan. The kids thought that we just called it John's Incredible Pizza because John, their grandpa, like it so much...but then we got there and they see the name John's Incredible Pizza on the building and they were surprised. It is an all you can eat buffet with soup, salad, pizza, pastas, baked potatoes and all the toppings...and desserts.
Josh was especially pleased that he could continue watchin World Cup soccer as we ate. At one point, he made quite a shout when a goal was made by a favored team!

This is a view of the adults' table..joan took the picture and so you don't see her in this...

John's Incredible Pizza, Part 1

2010-06-27T07:23:00.001-07:00

Elizabeth posing so sweetly....
Fresh, hot breadsticks were quite ahit with the Abbotts. Here is Ethan with his.

Jonah enjoying some cool peach slices....

Asher is happy with his pizza....

Vietnamese Food, Part 2

2010-06-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

This was my dish: Called Pho Noodle With Rare Steak Only. That meant the cook took raw meat out of the fridge and cooked it up in their homemade broth. This dish cost $5.75 . The noodles must be rice noodles..they are white and very light. the broth was very savory and I was told to put the bean sprouts in the soup and rip up the basil leaves. (The bean sprouts and basil springs came on the side. You can see a bit of it on the left of this picture...there is also the pork John gave me on the plate with the bean sprouts.Both of our meals arrived at our table in less than 2 minutes from the time we ordered.

So in the broth was sliced green onions and some cilantro..that sliver of carrot is from John's little dish of sauce that i used.

Some day I will learn how to use chopsticks. See how white and delicate the noodles are?

John finishing up his meal. His cost $6.95. His only complaint..the noodles were too long...and hard to eat...This is a guy who, when he get a plate of spaghetti, the first thing he does is chop up all the spaghetii until each piece is 1" long or less.

Anyway..it was a delightful experience and I felt very well nourished, content and just the right degree of "fullness" when we left the restaurant. Next tine I will try the grilled chicken with lemon grass on vermiceli.

Vietnamese Food, Part 1

2010-06-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

We went to a Vietnames Restaurant for the first time. There are 2 on Bear Valley Road in Victorvile. This one was called:Pho Belwood.

By the way, Pho means Soup
said the owner after I asked him.

This is how John's dish looked. On the menu it is described as:
VERMICELLI W/SHRIMP, BBQ PORK & EGG ROLLS
I got John's pork, which was so so good. The noodles are hiding under all those pretty vegetables and things. Below is a close up of the clear dressing John was given: The man said: No sauce, no good....he taught John how to dribble it all over and mix it in...I tasted some in a spoon...sweet, savory....tiny hint of sour. Yummy.
The nexy 2 phots are of the condiments that were on the table, of which we did not partake...our food was flavorful enough. John's noodles tasted like cucmbers to me.

Summer Treat Idea!

2010-04-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

https://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=347805

Watermelon Popsicle

SERVES 8 ACTIVE TIME: 10 min TOTAL TIME: 2 hour 10 min

1/4 seedless watermelon (about 3/4 lb)
4 Tbsp Sugar in the Raw Natural Cane Turbinado Sugar From Hawaii (Nature's Market)
link
Add All Ingredients to List
You'll Need: Cocktail forks or popsicle sticks
Cut unpeeled watermelon in 16 wedge-shaped slices. Insert cocktail fork or popsicle sticks in rind of each slice. Sprinkle melon with sugar.
Arrange on baking sheet and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
Chef Tip(s):
Use sharp knife to make small cut in rind of each melon wedge. This will make it easier to insert fork or popsicle stick.

Chicken Tikka Misala

2010-04-28T14:35:00.001-07:00

Lately, every time I talk to Moly on the phone and ask what she is cooking for the evening meal, she says...Chicken Tikka Masala! I usually ask this question when she is having company.

So, having never tasted in myself (I do not think), I looked it up and here are 2 recipes for it. I am putting it here on my blog as areminder to make this very soon!

Chicken Tikka Masala
http://www.bigoven.com/174497-Chicken-Tikka-Masala-recipe.html
A popular dish in many Indian restaurants. Supposedly this dish was created in a Glasglow restaurant when a customer ordered some Chicken Tikka and thought it was too dry. He ordered some gravy to go along wth the dish. The chef complied and made a sauce from tomato soup, yoghurt, and spices. The story isn't proven ...but the dish has become very popular. It even became Britain's "true national dish". We really liked this dish. Feel free to adjust seasoning to your own taste. Add more cream if you like. We served it with some homemade Indian flatbread...Paratha[Sidu's recipe~a Bigoven member]. You can also serve it with some homemade Naan bread.
Posted by: ellie36
Ingredients
Chicken Tikka:
0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
0.5 teaspoon ground coriander
0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( I used some chile flakes)
1 teaspoon table salt
2 lbs boneless skinless chiken breast , trimmed of fat (I used 2 1/2 lbs)
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
1 Masala Sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion diced fine
2 medium garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated)
2 jalapenos
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 can crushed tomatoes
3 teaspoons sugar
0.75 teaspoon table salt
1 cup heavy cream
0.25 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
1 tsp turmeric
Preparation
FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl.Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Add the crushed garlic and ginger.Rub it on the chicken and drizzle the olive oil. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight (or several hours).Take the chicken out from the fridge and add the yoghurt. Make sure it coats the chicken well. Let marinate for another 1-2 hours. In the meantime, get all the ingredients for the masala ready.
FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, turmeric, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. It is at this point that you may adjust the seasoning and add more spice if you like it spicier. Stir in cream and return to simmer.Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.
While sauce simmers, grill chicken on medium heat. Make sure you coat the chicken well with the yoghurt. Also, make sure you oil the grill ...as the chicken can easily stick. You can also do the chicken in the oven using the broiler. Just adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler. Dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, and serve over rice.
Tips:
If your sauce is too thick, thin it out with some more cream or milk or chicken stock before serving.
You can also grill the chicken first and keep it warm... then proceed to make the sauce...
Cuisine: Indian Main Ingredient: Chicken
http://www.bigoven.com/174497-Chicken-Tikka-Masala-recipe.html
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Chicken Tikka Masala
http://megatroncat.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/chicken-tikka-masala/
2 pounds of Boneless Chicken Breasts
¼ cup of Plain Yogurt
3 tsp. of Ginger (Adrak) (minced)
3 tsp. of Garlic (Lehsan) (crushed)
¼ tsp. of White Pepper
¼ tsp. of Cumin Powder (Pisa Zeera)
¼ tsp. of Mace
¼ tsp. of Nutmeg
¼ tsp. of Green Cardamom Powder (Ilaichi Powder)
¼ tsp. of Red Chilli Powder (Pisi Lal Mirchain)
¼ tsp. of Turmeric Powder (Pisi Haldi)
3 tbsp. of Lemon Juice (Nimbu Ka Arakh)
Margarine (melted – for basting)
4 tbsp. of Vegetable Oil
2 pounds of Tomatoes (chopped)
2 tsp. of Green Chillies (Hari Mirch) (finely chopped)
2 tsp. of Cloves (Loung)
8 Green Cardamoms (Choti Ilaichi)
2 tsp. of Ginger (Adrak) (julienned)
1 tsp. of Fenugreek
5 ounces of Tomato Paste
10 ounces of Tomato Puree
2 tsp. of Ginger Paste (Pisi Adrak)
2 tsp. of Garlic Paste (Pisa Lehsan)
1 tbsp. of Red Chilli Powder (Pisi Lal Mirch)
Salt (to taste)
3 tbsp. of Butter
2/3 cup of Cream
Honey (Shehed) (to taste)
1) Whisk together all of the ingredients (not the sauce ingredients) in a large bowl. Add the chicken breast, cut into 2 inch cubes. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake the chicken for 8 minutes, basting with margarine twice. Drain excess marinade and bake for another 2 minutes.
2) While doing this, make the sauce. Deseed and chopped green chilies. Put tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato puree in a pot and add approximately 4-1/4 cups of water. Add ginger and garlic paste, green chilies, red chili powder, cloves, cardamoms, and salt. Cook over low heat until reduced to a thick sauce. Strain through a strainer and bring to a boil. Add butter and cream. Stir. If the sauce tastes sour, add honey to taste. Add fenugreek and ginger juliennes, stir, and serve with the chicken.
Serving Suggestions: Serve Hot With Plain Rice, Chapati Roti or Nan
Degree of Difficulty:: Medium
Recipe Category: Main Course Chicken/Bird
Recipe Ethnic Group: Pakistani

How I Make Chicken Curry

2010-04-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite "curry from scratch " recipe....The best way to top it off is with chopped fresh cilantro leaves. Below are the 4 different ways I make cuury:

1. Trader Joe's Curry Simmer Sauce...It is a 15 oz. jar. You add about a cup of water...It make

enough for 4-6 servings. I like that it comes in a glass jar. You can cook your chopped up raw chicken breast (about a pound, cut in 1 inch chunks.
I keep bags of dice chicken meat in the freezer (from my baked chickens) and add them to the sauce. Then I simmer it for a few minutes and it is ready to go!

By the way, I can't have chicken curry without

raisins

and

pineapple tidbits

and peanuts or cashews

...it just would not be complete!

Other toppings...chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions, grated carrot, diced bell pepper.

2. Trader Joe's Thai Green Curry Sauce.

3. A can of coconut milk and a can of Masaman Curry paste.

Just open cans and combine them in top the cooking put and cook.

4. The recipe shown.

Finished products! MMMmmmm! We are into brown rice now...so if you make it, make sure you give it 45 minutes to cook. It's more time but it is worth it

Cornmeal Crust Bell Pepper Pizza

2010-04-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Recipe to follow....it is temporarily lost. Topping includes corn and red onion, too....

Super Food for Omega 3's !

2010-04-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

There is big hype now about Omega 3 oils..here is today's Yahoo article on a great source of this important oil. I love sardines anyway..glad they are about a dollar a can.

The #1 food you should eat (and probably don't)

by The Editors of EatingWell Magazine, on Wed Apr 14, 2010 9:59am PDT

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/the-1-food-you-should-eat-and-probably-dont-1285090/
My dad’s family is from Norway and for as long as I can remember we’ve been eating fish balls, fish puddings, pickled fish, fish in a tube and fish in a can. Most people thought it was a little weird.
But these days, I’m feeling less like an outcast when I bust open a can of fish, especially sardines. I know a lot of you have strong feelings about sardines, but want to know why I love them?
Sardines (Pacific, wild-caught) are one of the healthiest foods we can consume, according to the health and environmental experts we interviewed for “Sea Change” in our latest issue of EatingWell magazine. These days so many of us are trying to get more omega-3 fats in their diet, because they benefit your heart and your brain. Click here for delicious recipes to help you eat more of these super-healthy omega-3 fats. These nutritional powerhouses are one of the best sources of omega-3 fats, with a whopping 1,950 mg/per 3 oz. (that’s more per serving than salmon, tuna or just about any other food) and they’re packed with vitamin D. And because sardines are small and low on the food chain, they don’t harbor lots of toxins like bigger fish can. Find out why leading scientist Carl Safina thinks eating smaller fish can benefit your health and our oceans. Plus, they’re also one of the most sustainable fish around. Quick to reproduce, Pacific sardines have rebounded from both overfishing and a natural collapse in the 1940's, so much so that they are one of Seafood Watch’s “Super Green” sustainable choices. (Click here to find out which 6 super-healthy fish and shellfish you should eat and which 6 to avoid.)
If you’re trying sardines for the first time, or you just really want to learn to like them, here are a few tips and a few recipes to stoke your sardine love:
For the uninitiated, a good place to start is with a boneless, skinless variety. They come packed in water or olive oil. They’re mild, and can be used in recipes in place of canned tuna fish.
If you’re lucky enough to have fresh sardines available in your supermarket, try them in place of the canned sardines. Lightly dredge them in salt-and-pepper-seasoned flour and sauté them in a little olive oil.
Sardines also come smoked, and come packed in sauces like tomato and mustard—give one of these a try. Smear them on a cracker or piece of toast for a snack or light lunch.
For veteran sardine eaters, the sky’s the limit! Sardines with bones and skin are delicious, too, and they look awesome on top of a salad or platter. P.S. The bones and skin are both edible. Those tiny bones deliver calcium too!
Try sardines in these delicious recipes:
Greek Salad With Sardines The fresh, tangy elements of a Greek salad—tomato, cucumber, feta, olives and lemony vinaigrette—pair well with rich-tasting sardines. Look for sardines with skin and bones (which are edible) as they have more than four times the amount of calcium as skinless, boneless sardines.
Spring Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette A bold, layered salad that showcases sardines and asparagus, this beautiful dish adds variety to your weekday dining. If you prefer tuna to sardines or have fish from the night before, go ahead and use that instead.
Sardines on Crackers
A protein-packed and portable snack.
Makes: 4 servings
Active time: 5 minutes Total: 5 minutes
4 whole-grain Scandinavian-style cracker, such as
8-12 canned sardines, preferably packed in olive oil
4 lemon wedges
Top each cracker with 2 to 3 sardines each. Finish with a squeeze of lemon.
Per cracker: 64 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 20 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 1 g fiber; 94 mg sodium; 102 mg potassium.
Tomato Toast with Sardines & Mint (pictured above)
Canned sardines make an elegant, yet inexpensive appetizer when served with fresh mint, tomato and onion on toast.
Makes: 12 toasts
Active time: 15 minutes Total: 30 minutes To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate the sardine mixture (Step 2) for up to 2 days.
1 4-ounce can boneless, skinless sardines packed in olive oil, preferably smoked
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 slices multigrain bread or 12 slices baguette, preferably whole-grain
1/2 medium ripe tomato
1 tablespoon very thinly sliced yellow onion
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Flake sardines with a fork into a mixing bowl. (The pieces should not be mashed, but should be no bigger than a dime.) Add mint, oil and salt; toss gently to combine.
3. If using whole slices of bread, cut off the crusts and cut each into four triangles. Place the triangles or baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake until crispy and golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. As soon as you remove them from the oven, rub each slice with the cut side of the tomato. As you progress, the tomato will break down until only the skin remains; discard any remaining tomato.
4. Top each toast with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sardine mixture. Top the sardine mixture with a couple of onion slices and serve immediately.
Per toast: 41 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 5 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 3 g protein; 1 g fiber; 113 mg sodium; 63 mg potassium.
By Hilary Meyer

favorite bread type

2010-04-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

I love crusty artisan breads!

Sweet and Spicy Brownies

2010-04-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

This is a keeper!!!!!!!!!

Sweet and Spicy Brownies
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Melt chocolate and butter in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently; stir in sugar and set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan. Add eggs, one at a time, to chocolate mixture in saucepan, beating well after each addition. Stir in flour and TABASCO® Sauce and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour mixture into pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick a inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into squares.
Makes 16 brownies.

Keep them in the freezer....they taste great frozen!

A Favorite Candy

2010-04-18T23:57:00.000-07:00

Licorice babies! I bought some a few weeks ago when I stopped to Charlie Brown's in Little Rock, on my way up to Fillmore. They have every imaginable candy in the world there. I can never find these licorice babies anywhere so when I saw them at Charly Brown's I had to buy them. I left them at Larissa's (well, there were a few left in the bag after she and I enjoyed some every day)) and she faithfully saved them for me. This is a good photo of them..they are an inch long. Theyhave a great textrue. The licorice scottie dogs at Trader Joe's look like they might be the same but they are not the same texture or taste as these. These babies also have a much more intense licorice flavor than the scottie dogs.

After I eat these 3, it will be a long time before I get more...

2010-03-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

This was the best Irish soda bread I ever ate. So easy and quick to make! I think it is so good this time because I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half unbleached white. It has a beautiful color, and "crumb", as they say

..and even though I forgot the salt, had a great flavor!

Here is the recipe again...

Irish Soda Bread 2010

IRISH SODA BREAD
2 tbsp melted butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

1 3/4 cup buttermilk
2 level teaspoons baking soda
2 cups wheat flour
2 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 tsp salt
Raisins -3/4 cup or so
Combine all ingredients. The dough will be sticky and wet. You may want to add more flour so it has more cohesiveness. Mound it up in your hands and plop onto an oiled baking sheet or pie pan. Use a pie pan if you think the dough may spread out...that is, if the dough is not that stiff.
　
Place mound on baking sheet, cut X in top and brush with buttermilk.

Bake 50-55 minutes or an hour at 350 degrees

Solving the Mystery of Duros

2010-03-04T18:31:00.001-08:00

For years, I would see these in the produce section of our grocery stores...in a big bin. i never knew what they were! I thought they were flavored bullion things to make soup with.

Well...here is what I learned by asking the guy at the store who stocks these things: Duros!
You fry them or microwave them..they puff up and you put tapatio sauce on them and eat them...I microwaved these 4 for half a minute....

Crack Pie

2010-02-12T19:43:00.001-08:00

C R A C K P I E ....so called because it is addictive, pleasurable and very expensive.

John found this in Thursday's LA Times Food section and alerted me to it...so I will put the article and recipe here and someday I will make it....

latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-crackpie11-2010feb11,0,3355019.story
latimes.com
Crack Pie: It's love at first bite

She thought she didn't even like sweets. But one spoonful of this rich, silky delight, and she was smitten.
By Rene Lynch

February 11, 2010
As a woman, I know I'm supposed to swoon at the sight of chocolate and lower my voice when I rhapsodize about chocolate truffles, souffles and bouchons, as if I were talking about an illicit love affair.

So the first time my then-boyfriend, now-husband brought me a box of exquisite chocolates for St. Valentine's Day, I squealed with delight like I knew I should -- and then promptly stowed the box in the back of the fridge. He found them a few months later -- the cold and the cocoa butter had already rendered them dusty, and it was clear that I hadn't eaten a single one.

He looked at me, he looked down at the box he held in his hand, he looked back at me -- a look of utter shock on his face. I was caught. I had no choice but to confess:

I don't like chocolate.

I'm actually not much for sugar at all. Now, don't get me wrong. I have yet to turn down a dessert that is offered to me. But when it comes to cravings, I tend toward the salty and crunchy. Say, a plate piled high with twice-fried French fries. Or salty potato chips. Or salty pretzels. Or salty . . . well, you get the idea.

But then I met Crack Pie.

Sold at Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar in Manhattan, this pie has taken New York City by storm, partly because of the audacious name, partly because of the jaw-dropping price tag -- $44 a pie, yes, $44 a pie -- and partly because anyone who has tried it, including myself, CNN bigwig Anderson Cooper and the people who are buying the 60 to 90 Crack Pies sold each day or two, can't stop raving about it.

Still not convinced? Out-of-town demand is so high that the bakery just started shipping the pie by FedEx. They've even sought trademark protection for the name.

Crack Pie is a twist on Chess Pie -- an old-school dessert found in the "Joy of Cooking," popular because it can be made with common pantry ingredients such as butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla.

But Milk Bar pastry chef Christina Tosi's reimagining makes Crack Pie an original. Instead of just a humdrum pie shell that serves as a container for the filling, Tosi dreamed up a shell that begins with a homemade oat cookie blended with a bit more butter, sugar and a healthy dash of salt.

The result is a crust that is divinely rustic and unrefined -- don't bother trying to get a perfect edge as you press it into the pie plate. It just won't happen.

Under Tosi's reconsidering, the interior of this pie takes a glug of heavy cream, a bit of milk powder to help give the mixture body and egg yolks instead of whole eggs.

It's baked at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, and then 325 degrees for about 10 minutes, just until the top is golden brown. The interior will jiggle when you remove it from the oven.

You will fear that the pie is undercooked.

But you must have faith.

It's not an understatement to say that this pie defies description. But I'll try. It's ooey-gooey. Buttery and rich. Silky. Pillowy. I'll wager that it's not like any pie you've ever had before because that salty-sweet-crunchy-oaty crust is as much a part of the pie as the filling itself. In a weird way, it remind me of kettle corn, with that one-two, salty-sweet hit that keeps you coming back for more. And more. And more.

Now, Tosi says Crack Pie must be served cold. And this is where she and I disagree. Take it out of the oven and let it cool just a bit -- otherwise, it's like pouring molten lava on your tongue, and I tell you this from personal experience -- but you want it to be warm when served.

Tosi and I agree, however, on how it should be eaten.

With a spoon.

While it's still in the pie plate.

With your favorite someone.

It's clear that I'm in love. I'm prepared to forsake all others. In my mind, I might as well be on a Crack Pie diet -- reaching this level of dessert nirvana means I can happily pass up all other desserts forevermore. (This must be what other women mean when they say they will do anything for chocolate.)

As for my husband, he's given up trying to guess what I want for Valentine's Day. We're at that "Here's the credit card, just tell me what I bought you" stage. But that doesn't mean romance is dead. I know exactly what I am buying for this holiday of love, and with whom I'm going to eat it.

And if you ask me for details, I'll look around to make sure no one else is listening in, drop my voice to a throaty whisper -- and tell you all about it.

rene.lynch@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

Momofuku's Crack Pie

Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling and chilling times

Servings: Makes 2 pies (6 to 8 servings each)
Note: Adapted from Momofuku. This pie calls for 2 (10-inch) pie tins. You can substitute 9-inch pie tins, but note that the pies will require additional baking time, about 5 minutes, due to the increased thickness of the filling.

Cookie for crust

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 ounces) flour

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter

1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar

3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) sugar

1 egg

Scant 1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) rolled oats

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.

5. With the mixer running, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined. Stir in the oats until incorporated.

6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Crust

Crumbled cookie for crust

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar

3/4 cup plus a scant 3 tablespoons (7 ounces) light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon (3/4 ounce) milk powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

3/4 cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 egg yolks

2 prepared crusts

Powdered sugar, garnish

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.

3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air.

4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells.

5. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown (similar to a pecan pie), about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack.

6. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. The pies are meant to be served cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Each of 16 servings: 432 calories; 4 grams protein; 45 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 27 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 187 mg.

Nuts to Chew Cookie

2010-01-24T14:50:00.000-08:00

This is Molly as she is driving her and me back to Missouri in October after being in Point for Sandy's funeral. She is nibbling on the wonderful, unbeatable "Nuts To Chew" cookie!

I put my cookie on the dashboard and took a picture of it

This cookie costs $1.49 and is worth every penny! It is called Nuts To Chew and one of my quests in life is to learn how to duplicate this...to learn how to make them myself...to figure out the recipe. It has milk chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans,

and just the best feel and texture ever! They are made at the Stevens Point Area CoOp and get sold out quickly on the days they are baked!

Mom's Thanksgiving Day Jello

2009-11-24T09:56:00.000-08:00

These are the ingredients. I use low fat cream cheese. Of Course. I buy pecans at Costco.
You can make this without nuts if you desire.

After you set the first layer, which is strawberry, you pour on the second layer...which is the blended cream cheese and yellow jello (that has had the boiling water then cold water added to it as described on box.) Then the nuts. I chopped them first, then threw them in the blender for a few seconds after the other 2 ingredients were well mixed.

A square of the final product. I got 15 squares from the 9" by 13" pan. You could get 20 pieces if you cut them a bit smaller and that is still a good portion.

RECIPE FOR THANKSGIVING DAY JELLO

(Inspired by Bernice Hulihan Farley)

And as per requested by Megan and Amy....

I first had this jello at a Thanksgiving Day meal at John's Aunt Bernice and Uncle Lee's place in Manti, Utah back in 1979. It was so nice to see this colorful jello on everyone's plate (or was it on a separate dish?) that I decided I would make it every Thanksgiving...and I pretty much did.

1 6 oz. box strawberry jello

1 6 oz. box orange jello

1 3 oz. box lemon jello

1 small can mandarin oranges

1 10 oz. carton of frozen sliced strawberries (in syrup), thawed.

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened at room temperature.

1 cup pecans, chopped (Optional but it adds a great texture to that middle layer!)

(I just realized that some years, I put a little crushed pineapple into the white layer.)

Get out your 9" by 13" cake pan.

First layer: The red layer. Make the jello, but when it is time to put the 2 cups of cold water in, use the container of strawberries as part of your cold liquid and add more water or ice to total about 2 cups of stuff. (I dump it allinto my 2 cup liquid measuring cup to make sure I have it right. Pour into pan and put in fridge.

When red layer is set, after a few hours, make the lemon jello up as directed on package. Then put this liquid mass into the blender with the softened cream cheese. Add chopped nuts after the first 2 ingredients are well blended. At this point, if you do not have nuts, it is OK . You can blend up some drained crushed pineapple into this if you want. (like 1/2 or 3/4 cup).

Pour this layer over the red layer and refridgerate until set.(few hours).

Make orange layer. Open can of manadarin oranges and drain water out into cup. Follow direction on package. Use the canned mandarin orange water for part of the water. After you have made the jello, add the drained mandarin oranges. Pour this over the cream cheese lemon jello layer and put back in fridge until set.

Makes 15-20 serving. Cool, sweet, colorful and refreshing.

As you can see..this should be made the day before Thanksgiving and get started early in the day.

My First "Baked Ziti"

2009-11-09T20:10:00.001-08:00

I was going through my cupboard and found a (Safeway Brand)box of ziti. This is a tube pasta without the ridges (Penne has ridges, ziti is smooth.)
I decided to make Baked Ziti using the recipe on the box. The recipe, it stated on the box, was developed by cookbook author marlene Sorosky-Gray.

Here is the exact recipe, which is followed exactly, only I halved it and used a 9" x 9" glass baking dish. I used 8 oz. of ground turkey. I also sprinkled some shredded mozarella on the top along with the shredded Parmesan cheese before I baked it.
This was so good. John and I both enjoyed it quite well.
Here is the full recipe. Remember: I halved it.

Baked Ziti

1 16 oz. package Ziti
16 oz. lean ground beef.
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jars (25 oz.) pasta sauce, any variety
(I used Classico Mushroom and Ripe Olives)
6 oz. Provolone cheese slices
6 oz. shredded mozarella
1 & 1/2 cups sour cream
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
non-stick cooking spray
(I just used olive oil from a bottle and slathered it onto the bottom of the baking dish.)

In a large skillet, brown the meat, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add pasta sauce and simmer for about
15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook ziti according to package directions and drain. Grease a 9 x 12 inch baking dish. Layer half each of the ziti, hamburger mixture, provolone cheese, mozzarella and sour cream. Repeat the layers. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake 5 more minutes. Serves 8. (Note: I used up all the sour cream in the first set of layers.

I served this meal with salad, and corn and garlic bread. MMMMmmm. I will always love gooey hot cheese dishes like this!!!!!

Revisiting Norwegian Pancakes

2009-11-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

So John's first words as we woke up Monday morning (yesterday) was: "I dreamt of having a baggie of Norwegian pancakes." I recalled how I used to make "Norwegian Pancakes" all the time for breakfast for the kids and John and then if there were leftovers, I would cut them in half and put them in baggies for a snack. Sometimes Kelsy's school lunch would just be a baggie full of Norwegian pancake halves.

So, feeling ambitious, that morning (5 am) I whipped up a half batch of ...

NORWEGIAN PANCAKES

In blender... put...
1 cup milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
dash salt
a squirt of honey
2 teaspoons melted butter

Blend well. Pour straight from blender into hot skillet that has been greased. ( These are like making crepes...pour enough to coat the bottom of the skillet as you tip the skillet around.) If you melted the butter in the skillet, you can use that, or use some canola oil.
THE TRICKY PART IS HAVING THE SKILLET HOT ENOUGH. I got 5 Norwegian pancakes from this recipe...just enough for 2 people. You serve lemon wedges on the side, and soft brown sugar. Sprinkle the pancake with the lemon juice, then brown sugar..you can swish the brown sugar around with a spoon to cover the surface of the pancake. Roll up and eat...or cut in half and put in baggies for a snack later. Because they are egg-y...you may want to refrigerate them if you do not eat them up in 4 hours. ENJOY! Brings back memories, huh, kids???

Healthy Snack!

2009-10-11T07:37:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting to make these for a loooooong time and I finally did this week!

I melted a bunch of 63 % dark chocolate chips (Thanks to Molly, who bought them at Sam's club in St. Louis and brought them up to Stevens Point to give to me and then I packed them in my suitcase and brought them back to California on the airplane).

I melted the chocolate chips in a stainless steel bowl over simmering water, and then I stuffed each prune with a pecan and drenched it in the chocolate, lifting it out with a fork and letting the excess chcolate drip off back into the bowl. Then I set each one on wax paper covered tray and refrigerated them. After they hardenend, I put them in a tupperware. Now, John and I just grab one from the fridge when we want them. What a life.

Here is also a picture a Kalea, age 4, enjoying one.

The prune has been studied and found to contain the highest amount of antioxidants of any fruit. The pecan also has the highest amounts of anti-oxidants of any nut. Amd we all know dark chcolate is very good for you. So...I ask you...is there any better treat you can have on this earth?????

Anyone out there have a cute name for this treat? "Chocolate covered prunes stuffed with pecan" is too long and unappealing. We need a cute name, and then I can package them and sell them...maybe???? Hmmm...after writing this, I want to go eat one...but it is Fast Sunday...quick...run away from that thought!
OK...names...how about....Proofles????(Cross between "truffles" and "prune")

Scenes from Notting Hill

2009-09-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

HI everyone..if you scro1l down to the Notting Hill Brownie post, you wil1 see the famous scenes in the movie that are the actual history of the famous "Notting HIll Brownies". I used my lttle camera and had to break it up into 3 segments...hope you can view them OK.

Someday this chocolate

2009-09-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

Someday when I am very rich and can afford to buy this great chocolate..the bombalinas, the Black Pearl bar, the bacon/chocolate bar...if you are with me, I will share. I have just pictured here the bombalina. I have copied the descriptions of the other 2 products I think I wold love. Click onlink on side...How To Eat Chocolate ...It will take you tto the site that sells these chocolates, as well as tell you HOW to enjoy chocolate.

Naga Mango Bombalina 62% dark chocolate enrobed mangoes + sweet curry
$9.00
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/category/bombalinas

Black Pearl Bar
Inhale warming ginger as menthol-nuanced wasabi cools. Sense the evolution of flavors in the mouth. Commence with ginger, followed by earthy cacao notes, mellow wasabi reminiscent of coriander, finishing with black sesame seeds, rich in nutty texture.

Black Pearl: ginger + wasabi + black sesame seeds + dark chocolate, 55% cacao
3oz.

Consume within 6 months
$7.50
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/black_pearl_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars

It was surely only a matter of time! Following the huge popularity of Mo's Bacon Bar in deep milk chocolate, we can present the newest member of the exotic candy bar family. With the same applewood smoked bacon and Alder wood smoked salt as its famous relative, the beautifully rich 62% dark chocolate encases these tantalizing flavors.

Mo's Dark Bacon Bar: applewood smoked bacon + Alder wood smoked salt + dark chocolate
62% cacao3oz.
$7.70

consume within 6 months
SKU: CB-EXO-DBA
"I began experimenting with bacon + chocolate at the tender age of 6, while eating chocolate chip pancakes drenched in Aunt Jemima® syrup, as children often do. Beside my chocolate-laden cakes laid three strips of sizzlin' bacon, just barely touching a sweet pool of maple syrup. And then, the magic—just a bite of the bacon was too salty and I yearned for the sweet kiss of chocolate and syrup, so I combined the two. In retrospect, perhaps this was a turning point; for on that plate something magical happened, the beginnings of a combination so ethereal and delicious that it would haunt my thoughts until I found the medium to express it—chocolate.

From there, it was just a matter of time…and what began as a love of salt and sweet quickly unraveled into an obsession. No sooner could I wait to unveil the royal coupling in solid bar form, a deep milk chocolate with bits and pieces of applewood smoked bacon and just a sprinkling of Alder salt. Really, what doesn't taste better with bacon?"
–Katrina
SKU: CB-EXO-DBA
BACON BAR-STUFFED DATES
15 medium-sized Medjool dates
3 chorizo sausages, casing removed
1 Mo's Bacon Bar (8 squares)
8 pieces Nueskes Bacon
1 batch of Spicy Oaxacan Red Sauce
cilantro, for serving

Cut a date on one side lengthwise, remove pit. Stuff with chorizo and place ¼ of a bacon bar square in the center of the chorizo. Fold chorizo around chocolate.

Wrap in half a piece of smoked Nueskes bacon. Sear bacon-wrapped dates in pan until crispy. Set aside. Pour red sauce half-way up the sides of a baking sheet with 1-inch side walls and transfer dates to the baking sheet. Space dates 1 inch apart. Bake in sauce for 25 minutes at 350ºF. Serve in sauce, garnish with cilantro and bacon bar shavings.
SKU3: CB-EXO-DBA

The Notting Hill Brownies recipe

2009-09-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

I am putting this recipe here on this blog so I won't lose it. Molly and I made these at her house once and Molly was so impressed, she immediately put some on a plate to take to her neighbors, sure that these brownies would impress them so much, they would want to come to church with her!

Notting Hill Brownies
2 cups butter (1 lb.) melted and cooled (1 and 1/2 cups work good, too)
2 cups granulated sugar (joan uses 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cup brown sugar - (packed)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 large eggs lightly beaten
1 1/3 cup cocoa
2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups walnuts or pecans (optiona l)
Nonstick cooking spray (Joan uses oil or melted butter.)

Method : Blend melted butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar in bowl of large mixer. Add vanilla and eggs and blend well on slow speed until combined. Stir together cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt in separate bowl. Fold into batter and blend well, scraping bottom of mixing bowl to ensure ingredients are evenly combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in nuts if using. Pour or spoon into 13- by 9-inch baking pan greased with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until brownies are set and slightly firm but not dried out, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool, then freeze 1 hour before cutting. To cut, unmold from baking pan. Peel off parchment paper. Cut into large blocks (about 2 1/2 by 3 inches). Wrap each in wax paper and keep frozen or refrigerated. This recipe yields 15 large brownies.

Note: When I bake them for 40 minutes, and then put atoothpick in to test it, it is still quite gooey...so bake it a little linger..try not to overbake. It is tricky.

Comments: These Notting Hill Brownies (from the comedy with the same name) are high and dense and make a dramatic statement. To serve these for a party, pile brownies on a platter and dust with powdered sugar. They're also great served with a scoop of ice cream on top and chocolate syrup or frost with Master Brownie Frosting (see recipe) for a rich, chocolate treat.

FOLLOWING ARE SCENES FROM THE MOVIE "NOTTING HILL"

Brownies:Homemade or Mix

2009-09-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

I recently made some very delicious homemade brownies. Then, out of curiosity, I bought a Betty Crocker brownie mix and made them up. The taste and texture were different from my homemade ones. The mix was too salty. The texture was too gummy (and I overbaked them a bit, so they were not partly raw). Now I have another project: revisit my Nottinghill recipe and see how I like them now. I will keep you posted.

Boudin Bakery's Brownies (Adapted)

2009-09-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

Today, even though it was 89 degres outside and 86 degrees inside, I decided to make a new brownie recipe I saw in the LA Times. Yes, I fired up my oven to 350 degrees! The picture was so tantalizing, and well, I seemed to have needed some chocolate aroma therapy! So here is a picture from the newspaper (the last picture)along with the recipe.

Here are also my picture of mine (blue and white dish)and at the end of this post I will tell you what I did different in the recipe. Notice my 2 pictures: the plate of brownies on the bricks is taken with no flash (outdoors). The plate of brownies on the tablecloth was taken with a flash (indoors).

Here is my opinion of these brownies: REALLY GOOD! MMMMmm G O O D !

CULINARY SOS
Boudin Bakery's brownies
Though famous for its sourdough, the bakery also makes great, fudge-like brownies.
Noelle Carter

Dear SOS: Could you possibly get the recipe for the brownies at Boudin Bakery near South Coast Plaza? They are the most delicious brownies I have ever tasted!

Mindy Morse

Los Angeles

Dear Mindy: It may be most famous for its San Francisco sourdough, but Boudin Bakery puts out an equally mean brownie. Thick and almost fudge-like in consistency, it's richly flavored with a slightly sweet finish. Arm yourself with a big glass of milk before delving into one of these winners.

Boudin Bakery's brownies

Total time: About 1 hour

Servings: 24

Note: Adapted from Boudin Bakery.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, plus extra for greasing the dish.

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

5 eggs

3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (6.38 ounces) flour

2 1/2 cups toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish.

2. In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the melted chocolate, then the salt and flour just until combined. Gently fold in the nuts.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven until puffed and almost set, about 45 minutes. A toothpick inserted will be slightly moist. Remove and cool slightly before serving.

Each serving: 336 calories; 4 grams protein; 38 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 21 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 64 mg. cholesterol; 113 mg. sodium.

Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times, September 2, 2009

OK...WHAT I DID DIFFERENT> I used 1 1/4 cup oat flour and 1/4 cup unbleached flour.
I used 1/2 teaspoon salt instead of 1 teaspoon.
I used 2 1/2 cups sugar instead of 3.
I used my whisk and beat the egs and sugar and vanilla with it for 2 minutes, that's all.
I added 1 cup chocolate chips.

Bear Naked bar

2009-08-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

Just discovered this product today at Stater Bros., where they were giving free samples and charging $1 for each bar...they were very very good..so I looked them up...and here is some info and a review that I totally agree with. They have tapioca syrup in them..that must be the secret. I would love to figure out how make something just like this...!!!!!!!

Bear Naked Bar

Each bar is made with 15 to 17 grams of whole grains, with no hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, or preservatives. To find out what I thought of the Chocolaty Cherry flavor, keep reading.

The soft and chewy consistency of this bar reminded me of a homemade cookie, and that is a plus. As you can see from the photo, it's made mostly with whole oats, but you can also see bits of dried cherries, pecans, and almonds. The oats and ground flaxseeds add a fair amount of fiber, and the honey, maple syrup, and molasses add a subtle natural sweetness. The chocolaty flavor complements the cherry perfectly, so it tasted more like a dessert than a granola bar.

This bar is slightly high in the calorie department, but definitely kept my energy levels high throughout a tough cardio workout. If chocolate doesn't float your boat, Bear Naked makes these grain-ola bars in two other flavors, Fruit + Nut and Tropical Fruit. Each bar is less than $2, so they're affordable, tasty, and satisfying.

http://www.fitsugar.com/3503058

Joan looked up tapioca syrup...here is what she found. You can buy it online. I called henry's, Clark's Nutrition Center, and Whole Foods..nonee of them carry this product. It is 5.99 from Barry Farms site..plus 13.OO S & H (yikes)

Tapioca Syrup
A food ingredient produced from the cassava tuber or yuca root as it is also known. The tuber provides the base to make Tapioca products, such as pellets (pearls), flour, flakes, or the Tapioca Syrup. High in starch, Tapioca Syrup is commonly used in the production of other foods or as a replacement for corn syrup in baked goods. Tapioca Syrup is used to add sweetness, binding or texture to beverages, baked goods, table syrups, frozen desserts, and candies. When used as a binding agent, Tapioca helps to keep foods such as meats from drying out after they are processed. Tapioca pellets are commonly used as a thickening agent in pie and tart fillings or in soups, sauces and gravies. When cooking with Tapioca products, do not overcook any items with Tapioca as they become starchy and overly stickly.
http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--38638/tapioca-syrup.asp

http://www.barryfarm.com/nutri_info/sugars/tapiocasyrup.html

Learning some new lingo

2009-08-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

A few blocks from our house is a shopping center that includes this place called Fruit Avenue. I never went in there, but lately have been curious. I took a picture of the sign outside..and you can see the words on the window, too. Then I went home and researched the names of these items for sale:

The first picture (after the picture of the store..or I guess you could call it a juice bar.) is of a chamango The word is a combination of champagne and mango. The drinks vary and can be non alcoholic. For example..you can have pureed mango or pureed peach and mix it with something bubbly like 7-up or ginger ale or sprite.

The next picture is jugo. Juice. Fresh juice.

After that are 2 pictures of what is called fresas con crema
The

Pie Number 4

2009-08-21T16:48:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry..I just had to make another blueberry pie..this one with tapioca instead of flour. It was like a science experiment...Oh, and I put lots more chopped pecans in the crumb topping and instead of white flour, I used ground up oatmeal. recipe will appear in this very post later in the week....be patient....

The Very Best Granola Bar Ever !

2009-08-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

I normall do not like granola bars that you buy in the store. But John introduced me to these this summer. From Kashi ...T L C...what is so good about these is the layer of choclate on top and the coconut sprinkled on that nice dark chocolate and the moisture content and texture of the oat-y bar itself. Whoever dreamed up this bar at the Kashi labs deserves a bonus!

Naughty Doggie!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

I was looking forward to having some Naan for lunch the other day...I was going to smear it with pesto and layer sliced tomatoes and mozarella on it. I could not find it anywhere!!! Hmmm...last time I lost bread, I thought to myself, I found out Cookie snatched it from the counter and ate it.

So I went looking for the wrapper. This was really special naan...bought at Trader Joe's..it was theriMultigrain Tandoori Naan (6 Naan) 18 oz. I paid 3.79 for it. Expensive. But so worth it.

Maybe I missplaced it...maybe I put it on the cupboard, or in the refrigerator..no...no where to be found anywhere...but I was not ready top blame Cookie until I found the empty wrapper. She would not have eaten the wrapper, nor would she have put it in the trash, so it must be laying around the house or yard SOMEWHERE.

Sure enough..John found it in the yard while he was mowing the lawn. Naughty doggie!

Moral of the Story:
If you are at our house, do not leave bread close to the edge of the counter.

Naan

2009-08-15T10:19:00.001-07:00

Well, our local Winco sells Naan, the bread from India..so simple...I did pay 1.98 for this package of 2. John and I split one for an accompaniment (I cut one in half, then buttered the 2 halves after I warmed them up, then folded them to put on the plate so they would keep warm and so they would fit on the plate)to our egg/soyrizo dish we had for supper last night. You warm the Naan up in a skillet with a few drops of water and then smear a little butter on it. I will next time get whole wheat Naan from Trader Joe's ..just tastes better and we do need the fiber.

I tried making Nan once but it did not turn out...I think it was abad recipe...so that is one of my quests. I think they chatrge too much for this bread, so I will learn to make my own.

Pie Again

2009-08-15T10:13:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry...I have just been a glutton for blueberry pie. I made another one. Blueberries continue to be 99 cents a pint this week...so for 2.50 worth of berries (this pie called for 5 cups), and 50 cents worth of butter and maybe 20 cents worth of sugar , flour, cinnamon and lemons juice..and my labor of love, I got this pie! It is best, John and I think, cold from the fridge the next day. Of course, it is good warm from the oven, too....we have it both ways.

It has been a very very very good year for blueberries.

By the way, John likes the crumble top pie better (I had used a graham cracker crust for that one, too...) I will add recipes to those other blog posts soon.

Kiwis

2009-08-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

This was my "Welcome home afer a long day out at Fort Irwin" fruit salad for John and me last night.

Each plate had...
2 sliced kiwis
1/2 container of Yoplait pina colado yogurt
5-6 chopped pecans
2 Tablespoons blue berries.

I read somehwere that kiwi repairs damagd DNA. So I try to give Us kiwi several times a week.

John's Hibiscus

2009-08-13T14:57:00.001-07:00

Mile High Blueberry Pie

2009-08-13T14:48:00.001-07:00

Blueberry Buckle

2009-08-09T15:49:00.001-07:00

I baked a blueberry buckle this morning. How fun! The recipe called for 4 cups of blueberries, put I put in 5 ! I got 2 1/2 cups berries from each 11 oz. carton (99 cents a carton at Albertson's this week.)Other than that I followed the recipe exactly...except I just used a wooden spoon, not a mixer with a flat paddle. John and I agreed the results were great! Yummy! As of 4:01 pm today, it is half eaten...just by the 2 of us!
This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated current issue and also online. Here is the recipe.

Blueberry Buckle
Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 8 to 10. Originally Published July 1, 2005.

A blueberry buckle is a blueberry coffeecake with a streusel topping. The batter will be extremely thick and heavy, and some effort will be required to spread it into the prepared cake pan. This buckle is best made with fresh blueberries, not frozen ones, which are too moist. If you'd like to serve the buckle as dessert, consider a vanilla ice cream or whipped cream accompaniment (see related recipe for Cream Cheese Whipped Cream). Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Ingredients
Streusel
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool
Cake
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ( 7 1/2 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened but still cool
2/3 cup granulated sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs , room temperature
4 cups fresh blueberries (about 20 ounces), picked over

Instructions
1. For the streusel: In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.

2. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment or waxed paper round, and spray round; dust pan with flour and knock out excess.

3. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Disengage bowl from mixer; stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be very heavy and thick. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan; with rubber spatula, using a pushing motion, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Squeeze handful of streusel in hand to form large cohesive clump; break up clump with fingers and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes (cake will fall slightly as it cools).

5. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place upside-down plate (do not use plate or platter on which you plan to serve the cake) on top of cake pan; invert cake to remove from pan, lift off cake pan, then peel off and discard parchment. Re-invert cake onto serving platter. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=6634

Sugar Sleuthing

2009-08-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of article at ldsliving.com

Sugar Sleuthing
http://www.ldsliving.com/magazine/show/2133/Sugar-Sleuthing

Avoiding sugar may seem like a simple task. Eliminating chocolate, ice cream, candy, and other desserts would get rid of most of your dietary sugar, right? You might think so, but the sugar count has risen in many of our everyday foods. In fact, two-thirds of our sugar comes from manufactured foods - granola bars, fruited yogurt, and even pizza. Decreasing dietary sugar is very hard to do when you don't know what you are looking for. With that conundrum in mind, here's some background information for all the Sherlocks out there who want to detect this sneaky sweet.

Not so Sweet
Dietary sugar has been accused of causing lots of problems. The most obvious are dental problems and obesity; but sugar is also suspected of increased risk for heart disease, breast cancer, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer. Yet is sugar guilty as charged?

To uncover the truth, we must look at the way our bodies process food. Most of what we eat is converted into sugar because our bodies only burn calories when food is in sugar form. Insulin is necessary to move this sugar into "storage" parts of the body such as muscle tissue and the liver, where the sugar is converted to glycogen, a fuel for the body.

However, the body only has storage for 2500 calories of glycogen. When these areas become full, insulin transports sugar into other areas, known as fat storage. Because your body is already converting most of the food you eat into sugar, adding lots of additional sugar can cause an overload and an increase in your body's fat stores. Additionally, diets high in calories and increased fat stores contribute to Type II diabetes.

Too Much of a Good Thing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that the average adult not exceed 10 teaspoons of sugar per day, but the typical American eats 30 or more teaspoons daily. This means that almost everyone in the country is eating around 120 pounds of sugar per year - 70 pounds more than the recommended amount. The typical consumer isn't the only person responsible for this, though. Food processing companies know that many Americans have become more health conscious, so they use tactics to hide the amount of sugar. Unless you know what you're looking for, it's hard to know exactly what you're eating.

Sneaky Sugars
You may think that finding the sugar content in a food is pretty easy - after all, ingredients in a food must be listed from most to least on the package. Finding where sugar falls on the list should be pretty simple, but companies get around this rule by using several different types of sugar in small amounts. This way, sugar doesn't appear to be one of the main ingredients.

These food con artists use many disguises to hide sugar content. The following are just some of the aliases for sugar: corn sweetener, maltose, rice syrup, invert sugar, corn syrup, glucose, malt syrup, sucrose, crystalline fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, molasses, brown and raw sugar, dextrose, honey, and maltodextrin syrup. Anything that ends in "ose" can generally be considered a sugar.

Now that you know your sugars, you are in good shape. By purchasing very few foods that have any of sugar's aliases in the top three ingredients, or several of them throughout the list, you are making wise nutrition decisions.

Natural vs. Refined: What's the difference?
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that all sugars are "bad guys." Many healthy foods naturally include sugar, for example, milk contains lactose. These natural sugars are less likely to do harm because the body breaks them down differently - it's generally the refined or processed sugar that you need to look out for. Added sugars have a high glycemic index, which means that the sugar is quickly introduced into the bloodstream - the cause of a "sugar high" (and afterward, a "sugar crash"). Natural sugars are helpful substitutes for their counterparts because of their lower glycemic indexes and unlikely contact with chemicals - plus, they are usually packaged with other nutrients, like calcium and vitamins.

Here are some of the "good guys" for replacing added sugar:
Stevia: Naturally 300 to 1,000 times sweeter than refined sugar, this herb alternative is the only option that doesn't affect blood sugar levels. It can be found in powder or liquid form.
Maple sugar flakes: These can be used instead of both white and brown sugar in baking. The flakes are made by drying pure maple syrup and crushing it.
Agave nectar: Made from the Mexican agave plant, it is usually found as a liquid sugar. This option does contain calories, but because it is sweeter than refined sugar, you shouldn't have to add much to please your sweet tooth. It also has a low glycemic index.

Mystery Solved
Right now, you might be thinking, "Okay, now I can't eat anything without feeling guilty," but you don't have to remove sugars completely from your life. By being aware of these sneaky sugars, you can start to pull yourself away from the average 100 pounds of sugar eaten you probably eat annually.
LDS Living, Inc., July/August 2009. Photo by Benis Arapovic

Raw Cake Recipe...or buy the mix

2009-08-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/user-post-if-you-think-this-chocolate-cake-will-blow-your-diet-for-the-week-think-again-487222/

This is kind of like raw fudge...but this has a frosting recipe with it! Molly and Kelsy will like this

Think that chocolate cake you’ve been eyeing will blow your diet for the week? Think again. Eco Chef Ani Phyo’s desserts are actually good for you. But before we get to the cake, let’s talk about the chocolate.

All chocolate comes from the same place, a berry called a cacao pod, which contains 30 to 40 beans. But there the similarity ends: Low antioxidant conventional cocoa powder is processed with salt to help it dissolve more easily in liquid, while real cacao powder, which is basically ground, raw beans with the fat removed, is a virtual superfood! Real cacao chocolate is full of powerful antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals and supply nutrients like potassium, zinc, magnesium and iron for radiant skin, healthy hair and strong nails. A 2003 study found that a quarter-ounce of cacao each day actually lowers blood pressure, while the caffeine increases alertness and tryptophan makes us feel happier.

No wonder you still want that cake.

So have a piece! Ani only uses cacao in creating the chocolate desserts that are part of her amazing new book, Ani’s Raw Food Desserts: 85 Easy, Delectable Sweets and Treats. And she believes the stuff not only makes us happier, but healthier. “The desserts in my book are more than treats: They provide healthy, whole food nutrition that you can include in any diet as a meal, snack or dessert,” Ani explains. “Eating more of my desserts will help you become healthier. A traditional slice of cake includes flour, sugar, eggs, butter and trans fats. Mine is made from delicious, vitamin- and antioxidant-rich nuts and fruit. Plus, in the hot summer months, who wants to cook?”

Not us. So we begged Ani to give us the recipe for the super-yummy Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake pictured above. (Then we realized it’s also in the book. Duh.)

RECIPE

Combine
three cups of walnuts*,
two-thirds of a cup of unsweetened cacao powder or carob powder
and one-fourth of a teaspoon of sea salt in a food processor and pulse until coarsely mixed (avoid over processing).
Add one cup pitted Medjool dates and pulse until well mixed. Shape into two stackable cakes of desired shape and set aside.

To make the frosting, combine one-third cup semi-soft pitted Medjool dates with one-fourth cup agave syrup in the food processor until smooth. Add one-half cup ripe avocado flesh and process until smooth.

To serve, frost the top of one of the cakes with half of the frosting and top with one-half cup raspberries. Stack the second cake on top and frost the top and side. Serve immediately, or put in the fridge for a few hours to firm up, where it can keep for up to three days.

P.S. Lazy like us? Skip the recipe and grab a box of Ani’s Raspberry Ganache Raw Chocolate Cake Mix (it’s the world’s first raw food cake mix, natch). Mix up the frosting, add raspberries, and you’re done!

Just in time to savor that second piece.

*Ani uses organic, preferably farmer’s market ingredients.

Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is the founder and editor of EcoStiletto. You can find more info about Rachel on our About Us page.

Want a smaller carbon footprint? EcoStiletto.com is giving away a free pair of eco-friendly shoes worth $500 or more every month! Get the lowdown on shrinking your carbon footprint from an Ugg boot to a Manolo with daily green fashion, beauty, lifestyle, parenting, celebrity and eco-events nationwide and change the world, one small step at a time. Stiletto-size me

Delicias !

2009-08-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

I discovered this incredible product: See if you can find it in the ice cream section of your grocery store. Six 3 oz. bars...not like a frozen juice pop, but more like a fudgsicle in texture. Bits of coconut to chew on, too. Absolutely the best treat I have had in a long time!

Here is what it says in back of the box.

Made especially for Latinos craving the flavors of home,
NESTLE Delicias brand brings authentic "paletas" to your freeser.
Lusciously creamy and coolly refreshing varieties with intense flavors and real fruit will delight your taste buds. Enjoy each unique NESTLE Delicias flavor.

130 calories per paleta (bar).

Now i get to search for other flavors.
Believe me, in this heat, we need treats like these. Forecast for the week: It will probably hit 113 degrees!

Another reason to avoid MSG

2009-07-30T12:51:00.001-07:00

The Surprising Ingredient Causing Weight Gain By Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D. - Posted Mon, Jul 27, 2009, 12:23 am PDT
75% of users found this article helpful.

Here is the article from yahoo today..this article will disappear and I won't know where to find it, so I am putting it here....and sharing it with my blog readers...
To your health!

Say it isn't so! A recent study out of the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill cites what animal studies have hinted at for years: MSG (aka monosodium glutamate) could be a factor in weight gain.

The study focused on 750 Chinese men and women, ages 40-59, living in 3 rural villages in north and south China. Most of the study subjects prepared their meals at home without commercially processed foods and roughly 82 percent used MSG. Those participants who used the highest amounts of MSG had nearly 3 times the incidence of overweight as those who did not use MSG, even when physical activity, total caloric intake, and other possible explanations for body mass differences were accounted for. The positive correlation between MSG and higher weight confirmed what animal studies have been suggesting for years.

Maybe you're wondering what monosodium glutamate is exactly, and what you can do to avoid it in your diet. MSG is a flavor enhancer in foods—some believe it may even provide a fifth basic taste sensation (in addition to sweet, sour, salt, and bitter), what the Japanese call "umami" (roughly translated as "tastiness"). MSG is considered an "excitotoxin," since its action in the body is to excite neurotransmitters (important brain chemicals), causing nerve cells to discharge and also exciting nerves related to taste. Perhaps this ability to excite these nerves is a factor in an association between increased MSG usage and weight gain.

How prevalent is MSG in the U.S. diet? Americans consumed about 1 million pounds of MSG in 1950, and today that number has increased by a factor of 300!

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describes MSG as "naturally occurring," and has it on the GRAS ("generally regarded as safe") list. However, not only could MSG be causing us to gain weight, but some studies also reveal that as many as 25 to 30 percent of Americans have adverse reactions to it (e.g., palpitations and migraine headaches), and as many as 30 percent are extra sensitive to it if they consume more than 5 grams at one sitting.

OK, if you're an MSG user who could stand to lose a little weight (or know someone who is), what should you do?

Unfortunately, eliminating MSG from the diet is much easier said than done, since—given the fact that food processors often change recipes—there's no list of "safe" foods that never contain MSG. A good start is to avoid anything with MSG anywhere in the ingredient list, but there will still be many foods that have MSG hidden inside other ingredients. Likewise, even products labeled "no MSG added" can still contain these hidden sources.

Best bets for avoiding MSG
Buy organic produce whenever possible.

Make things from scratch, avoiding processed ingredients as much as possible.
Limit making stews or soups in a crock pot, since slow-cooking tends to cause small amounts of glutamic acid to be released from the protein sources (e.g., meat, chicken) in the recipe.

© 2007 Johns Hopkins University. All Rights Reserved. This article from Johns Hopkins University is provided as a service by Yahoo. All materials are produced independently by Johns Hopkins University, which is solely responsible for its content.

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/weightloss/2200/the-surprising-ingredient-causing-weight-gain/

Another Not So Good Eat. Read your Labels!

2009-07-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

I am cutting and pasting the entire article here....I shared this information with Amy and she told me MSG can be added to foods but under the natural flavoring label..read entire article..it ends with stuff about aspartame.

MSG - Slowly
Poisoning America
Author Unknown
5-1-4
http://www.rense.com/general52/msg.htm

I wondered if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity epidemic, so did a friend of mine, John Erb. He was a research assistant at the University of Waterloo, and spent years working for the government.

He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called The Slow Poisoning of America. In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies.

No strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so the scientists have to create them. They make these morbidly obese creatures by injecting them with a chemical when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and humans?) to become obese They even have a title for the race of fat rodents they create: "MSG-Treated Rats" .

MSG?

I was shocked too. I went to my kitchen, checking the cupboards and the fridge.

MSG was in everything! The Campbell's soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavored potato chips, Top Ramen, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals, Kraft salad dressings, especially the 'healthy low fat' ones. The items that didn't have MSG had something called Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, which is just another name for Monosodium Glutamate. It was shocking to see just how many of the foods we feed our children everyday are filled with this stuff. They hide MSG under many different names in order to fool those who catch on.

But it didn't stop there. When our family went out to eat, we started asking at the restaurants what menu items had MSG. Many employees, even the managers, swore they didn't use MSG. But when we ask for the ingredient list, which they grudgingly provided, sure enough MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein were everywhere. Burger King, McDonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell, every restaurant, even the sit down ones like TGIF, Chilis', Applebees and Denny's use MSG in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken seemed to be the WORST offender: MSG was in every chicken dish, salad dressing and gravy. No wonder I loved to eat that coating on the skin, their secret spice was MSG!

So why is MSG in so may of the foods we eat? Is it a preservative or a vitamin?

Not according to my friend John. In the book he wrote, an expose of the food additive industry called The Slow Poisoning of America, (www.spofamerica.com ), he said that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body.

Even the propaganda website sponsored by the food manufacturers lobby group supporting MSG at http://www.msgfacts.com/facts/msgfact12.html explains that the reason they add it to food is to make people eat more. A study of elderly people showed that people eat more of the foods that it is added to. The Glutamate Association lobby group says eating more benefits the elderly, but what does it do to the rest of us?

'Betcha can't eat just one', takes on a whole new meaning where MSG is concerned!

And we wonder why the nation is overweight? The MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products. It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn't added.

Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance: NICOTINE for FOOD!

Since its introduction into the American food supply fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the prepackaged meals, soups, snacks and fast foods we are tempted to eat everyday.

The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food. They claim it's safe to eat in any amount.

How can they claim it is safe when there are hundreds of scientific studies with titles like these?

The monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese rat as a model for the study of exercise in obesity. Gobatto CA, Mello MA, Souza CT, Ribeiro IA. Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol. 2002

Adrenalectomy abolishes the food-induced hypothalamic serotonin release in both normal and monosodium glutamate-obese rats. Guimaraes RB, Telles MM, Coelho VB, Mori RC, Nascimento CM, Ribeiro Brain Res Bull. 2002 Aug

Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats: an animal model of multiple risk factors. Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, Ichikawa K, Shinohara N, Yoshinari Fujishima

Hypertens Res. 1998 Mar

Hypothalamic lesion induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in suckling period and subsequent development of obesity. Tanaka K, Shimada M, Nakao K, Kusunoki Exp Neurol. 1978 Oct

Yes, that last study was not a typo, it WAS written in 1978. Both the medical research community and food "manufaturers" have known MSG's side effects for decades!

Many more studies mentioned in John Erb's book link MSG to Diabetes,

Migraines and headaches, Autism, ADHD and even Alzheimer's.

But what can we do to stop the food manufactures from dumping fattening and addictive MSG into our food supply and causing the obesity epidemic we now see?

Even as you read this, George W. Bush and his corporate supporters are pushing a Bill through Congress. Called the "Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act" also known as the "Cheeseburger Bill", this sweeping law bans anyone from suing food manufacturers, sellers and distributors. Even if it comes out that they purposely added an addictive chemical to their foods. Read about it for yourself at: http://www.yahoo.com.http://story.news.yahoo.com/news? tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040311/ap_on_go_co/obesity_lawsuits_4

The Bill has already been rushed through the House of Representatives, and is due for the same rubber stamp at Senate level. It is important that Bush and his corporate supporters get it through before the media lets everyone know about MSG, the intentional Nicotine for food.

Several months ago, John Erb took his book and his concerns to one of the highest government health officials in Canada. While sitting in the Government office, the official told him "Sure I know how bad MSG is, I wouldn't touch the stuff!" But this top level government official refused to tell the public what he knew.

The big media doesn't want to tell the public either, fearing legal issues with their advertisers. It seems that the fallout on the fast food industry may hurt their profit margin.

So what do we do?

The food producers and restaurants have been addicting us to their products for years, and now we are paying the price for it.

Our children should not be cursed with obesity caused by an addictive food additive.

But what can I do about it? I'm just one voice, what can I do to stop the poisoning of our children, while guys like Bush are insuring financial protection for the industry that is poisoning us.

I for one am doing something about it.

I am sending this email out to everyone I know in an attempt to show you the truth that the corporate owned politicians and media won't tell you.

The best way you can help save yourself and your children from this drug-induced epidemic, is to forward this email to everyone. With any luck, it will circle the globe before Bush can pass the Bill protecting those who poisoned us.

The food industry learned a lot from the tobacco industry. Imagine if big tobacco had a bill like this in place before someone blew the whistle on Nicotine?

Blow the whistle on MSG.

If you are one of the few who can still believe that MSG is good for us, and you don't believe what John Erb has to say, see for yourself. Go to the National Library of Medicine, at www.pubmed.com
http://www.pubmed.com . Type in the words "MSG Obese", and read a few of the 115 medical studies that appear.

We do not want to be rats in one giant experiment, and we do not approve of food that makes us into a nation of obese, lethargic, addicted sheep, waiting for the slaughter.

With your help we can put an end to this, and stop the Slow Poisoning of America. Let's save our children

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/FluoridePoisoning/message/1908

Hidden Sources Of MSG In Foods
From the book 'Excitotoxins - The Taste That Kills'
By Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD
3-6-3

What if someone were to tell you that a chemical (MSG) added to food could cause brain damage in your children, and that this chemical could effect how your children's nervous systems formed during development so that in later years they may have learning or emotional difficulties?

What if there was scientific evidence that these chemicals could permanently damage a critical part of the brain known to control hormones so that later in life your child might have endocrine problems? How would you feel?

Suppose evidence was presented to you strongly suggesting that the artificial sweetener in your diet soft drink may cause brain tumors to develop, and that the number of brain tumors reported since the introduction of this widespread introduction of this artificial sweetener has risen dramatically? Would that affect your decision to drink these products and especially to allow your children to drink them? What if you could be shown overwhelming evidence that one of the main ingredients in this sweetener (aspartate) could cause the same brain lesions as MSG? Would that affect your buying decisions?

And finally, what if it could be demonstrated that all of these types of chemicals, called excitotoxins, could possibly aggravate or even precipitate many of today's epidemic neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, ALS, and Alzheimer's disease? Would you be concerned if you knew that these excitotoxin food additives are a particular risk if you have diabetes, or have ever had a stroke, brain injury, brain tumor, seizure, or have suffered from hypertension, meningitis, or viral encephalitis?

Would you also be upset to learn that many of the brain lesions caused by these products in your children are irreversible and can result from a SINGLE exposure of these products in sufficient concentration?

How would you feel when you learn the food industry hides and disguises these excitotoxin additives (MSG and Aspartate) so they can't be recognized? Incredulous? Enraged? The fact is many foods are labeled as having "No MSG" but in fact not only contain MSG but also are laced with other excitotoxins of equal potency and danger.

All of the above are true. And all of these well known brain toxins are poured into our food and drink by the thousands of tons to boost sales. These additives have NO OTHER purpose other than to enhance to TASTE of food and the SWEETNESS of various diet products.

Hidden Sources Of MSG
As discussed previously, the glutamate (MSG) manufacturers and the processed food industries are always on a quest to disguise the MSG added to food. Below is a partial list of the most common names for disguised MSG. Remember also that the powerful excitotoxins, aspartate and L-cystine, are frequently added to foods and according to FDA rules require NO LABELING AT ALL.
* Food Additives that ALWAYS contain MSG *

Monosodium Glutamate
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Protein
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Plant Protein Extract
Sodium Caseinate
Calcium Caseinate
Yeast Extract
Textured Protein (Including TVP)
Autolyzed Yeast
Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
Corn Oil

* Food Additives That FREQUENTLY Contain MSG *

Malt Extract
Malt Flavoring
Bouillon
Broth
Stock
Flavoring
Natural Flavors/Flavoring
Natural Beef Or Chicken Flavoring
Seasoning
Spices

* Food Additives That MAY Contain MSG Or Excitotoxins *

Carrageenan
Enzymes
Soy Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Isolate
Whey Protein Concentrate
Also: Protease Enzymes of various sources can release excitotoxin amino acids from food proteins.

Aspartame - An Intense Source Of Excitotoxins

Aspartame is a sweetener made from two amino acids, phenylalanine and the excitotoxin aspartate. It should be avoided at all costs. Aspartame complaints accounts for approximately 70% of ALL complaints to the FDA. It is implicated in everything from blindness to headaches to convulsions. Sold under dozens of brand names such as NutraSweet and Equal, aspartame breaks down within 20 minutes at room temperature into several primary toxic and dangerous ingredients:
1. DKP (diketopiperazine) (When ingested, converts to a near duplicate of
a powerful brain tumor causing agent)
2. Formic Acid (ant venom)
3. Formaldehyde (embalming fluid)
4. Methanol (causes blindness...extremely dangerous substance)
Common Examples:
Diet soft drinks, sugar free gums, sugar free Kool Aid, Crystal Light, childrens' medications, and thousands of other products claiming to be 'low calorie', 'diet', or 'sugar free'.
A Final Note...
Dr. Blaylock recounted a meeting with a senior executive in the food additive industry who told him point blank that these excitotoxins are going to be in our food no matter how many name changes are necessary...

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Cone or Cup?

2009-07-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

True or False? Licking ice cream is more satisfying than eating it with a spoon.
True, according to Kay McMath, a food technologist for New Zealand's Massey University. "Flavor in ice cream is released when the fat-which carries the flavor-is warmed to at least body temperature," says McMath. When you lick ice cream it coats the tongue and fully warms the frozen treat. A spoon, on the other hand, insulates the ice cream. And then there's the psychological aspect of savoring the treat more slowly: you just cannot lick ice cream as fast as you can spoon it.

http://food.yahoo.com/blog/yahoofreshpicks/13124/5-summer-food-mysteries-solved/Now I know why my dad loves to eat his ice cream in a cone! For those of us who want to cut calories a bit, cone eating is preferred..you get maximum taste and enjoyment with less actual ice cream...sometimes when I eat ice cream in a bowl or cup, I want a second (or even third) bowl. Not good. Too greedy. Puts on weight.
So now..my choice is...cone!

Bulghur

2009-07-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

I am craving a nice hot dish of bulghur..or as they call it at "The Pita Stop" (A Mid East restaurant here in the high desert),burghul. Pronounced "BURR gul".

Burghul

2 tablesppons butter or oil
1 cup bulgur or burghul
2 cups water or broth

Saute until golden the burghul in the butter or oil. Add the 2 cups broth or water. Bring to a gentle boil, stir, cover and cook over low heat 20 minutes (like you do withr ice) or unitl bulghut is fluffy and liquid is absorbed. Makes 2 cups. Serve as side dish like you would rice.

Hot Dogs Are NOT a "Good Eat"

2009-07-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

This just in...(Yet, reseacrh showed this 30 years ago which is why we never gave our kids hot dogs....)I believe it is the nitrates in processed meat that causes the cancer. I also have believed that Vit. C can be a good antidote to the nitrates.
We do eat vegetarian hot dogs...they taste the same!

Do hot dogs need warning labels?

NEWARK, N.J. - Hot dogs may be as American as baseball and apple pie, but an anti-meat advocacy group says they're hazardous to your health and should carry warning labels.
The group, called the Cancer Project, wants to force hot dog makers to use warning labels. An offshoot of a pro-vegetarian organization, the Cancer Project filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Superior Court in Newark on behalf of three New Jersey residents. The defendants are Kraft Foods Inc., manufacturer of the Oscar Mayer brand; Sara Lee Corp.; Nathan's Famous; and the makers of the Hebrew National and Sabrett brands.
The lawsuit cites a report by the American Institute for Cancer Research that concluded regular consumption of processed meat can increase the risk of colorectal and other forms of cancer
http://www.verizon.net/newsroom/portals/newsroom.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=newsroom_portal_page__article&_article=2013236

The 9 Inch Plate Diet

2009-07-22T12:29:00.001-07:00

Fitness Special: The Nine-Inch Plate Diet
An author has figured out why Americans are so fat. And he's on a mission to change our eating habits—one (small) plate at a time.
By Kirsten Matthew

Photos: Courtesy The 9 Inch Diet

Alex Bogusky doesn't think bigger is better. He believes we should think small—especially if we want to stay trim. The idea that if you eat less, you weigh less is hardly a new concept, but it's one that Alex has packaged into a tidy little eating plan and book, The 9-Inch Diet, that hits stores this week.

His "eureka" moment came after buying a 1940s lake house. The co-chairman of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, an ad agency, discovered the old kitchen cabinets wouldn't fit his dinner plates. So he did some research and found out that in the past 30 years, plates have gone from 8.5 inches in diameter to 12 inches.

Those plates get piled high with food in homes across the country and that, Alex says, is the reason why so many of us are packing on the pounds. His remedy is simple: It doesn't matter what you eat, just eat 9 inches of it—not 12. And when it comes to snacks, Alex says, stick to healthy ones and don't eat too many. The same goes for booze: "Nothing more than a glass of wine with dinner," he advises.
The 45-year-old admits that eating out is the biggest challenge to his plan. "Of all the things restaurants have to provide—staff, furniture, ambience—food is the cheapest," he says. "That dynamic has forced them to give us too much. And we've followed with our portions at home."

Next to Japan, we eat at restaurants more than any other nation in the world—4.2 times a week to be exact. And folks in the Big Apple dine out even more often: According to the Department of Health, New Yorkers get at least a third of their calorie intake away from home.

The obesity rate in Italy and France is almost 70 percent lower than in the U.S. That's because "their standard plate size is still 10 inches," says Alex, compared with our 12.

To fix that, Alex, who lives in Boulder, Colo., but is a regular visitor to NYC (his dad grew up in the Bronx), suggests we throw out our crockery and start over. Within a week of eating on smaller plates, he claims, our stomachs and brains will be sated by smaller servings.

But what about those of us who eat out for every meal? "No diet is going to work if you do that," Alex explains. But if you do, you should start thinking creatively about how to avoid overeating. Order off the kids' menu, for example. "It's a great tip!" the author exclaims. "Don't be embarrassed about it." Or order a regular meal, then eat only the part that fits on a salad plate. "If the server won't bring you one, spread out your hand. That's the area your food should fit into," says Alex, who has lost 15 pounds by following his own plan for the past four years.

His favorite tip? Stuff a paper plate in your bag (typically they are 9 inches in diameter) so you always have a guide. "If you're dedicated, it's not that weird," says Alex.
"I like the idea of carrying something around with you," he says of his paper plate tip. "It's just strange enough to catch on. Someone needs to come up with a line of plates that travel," he adds. "Maybe I'll do a collaboration with Kate Spade."

Ali Nazik recipe

2009-07-22T11:30:00.001-07:00

I am fascinated by Ali Nazik and am putting the recipe here so I can find it again and make it. Find the recipe at
http://www.turkishcookbook.com/2006/03/ali-nazik.php

The site would not let me cut and paste it...

essence of frozen custard

2009-07-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

When you go get a frozen custard anywhere...first get a small vanilla cone. That is the best way. Cool "velvet on the tongue". A spoon just muddles the experience. Then after you have enjoyed the pure essence of the vanilla variety, you can get another flavor or a sundae. Go hungry. Around 5:30 pm. Call it supper. You're blissfully done eating for the day.

Frozen Custard Sundae

2009-07-22T11:09:00.001-07:00

Frozen Custard is on my mind lately. I was so pleasantly surprised, when on a recent trip to Silverthrone, Colorado, they had a custard place called "Good Times". The photos above are taken from the website

http://www.stlouiscustard.com/

Bottled Water

2009-07-08T21:41:00.001-07:00

AP – FILE - In this June 3, 2008 file photo, Liberty Valley Elementary School, then, kindergarten student

I wanted to save this article that was posted on yahoo today because I may never find it again .... not only do we have to worry about the quallity of the water in store bought water bottles, we have the problem of the plastic it is stored in...

Stricter labeling urged for bottled water
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_bi_ge/us_bottled_water_vs_tap/print
By EMILY FREDRIX, AP Food Industry Writer Emily Fredrix, Ap Food Industry Writer Wed Jul 8, 7:41 pm ET

Consumers know less about the water they pay dearly for in bottles than what they can drink almost for free from the tap because the two are regulated differently, congressional investigators and nonprofit researchers say in new reports.
Both the Government Accountability Office and the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, recommend in reports released Wednesday that bottled water be labeled with the same level of information municipal water providers must disclose.
The researchers urged Americans to make bottled water "a distant second choice" to filtered tap water because there isn't enough information about bottled water. The working group recommends purifying tap water with a commercial filter, however.
Both reports were released at a congressional subcommittee Wednesday morning.
Bottled water — an industry worth about $16 billion in sales last year — has been suffering lately as colleges, communities and some governments take measures to limit or ban its consumption. As employers, they are motivated by cost savings and environmental concern because the bottles often are not recycled.
Bottled water sales were growing by double-digit percentages for years and were helping buoy the U.S. beverage industry overall. But they were flat last year, according to trade publication Beverage Digest.
Beverage Digest editor John Sicher said some consumers are turning on the tap during the recession simply because it's cheaper.
From 1997 to 2007, the amount of bottled water consumed per person in the U.S. more than doubled, from 13.4 gallons to 29.3 gallons, the GAO report said.
The issue before a subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee was less about waste and water quality concerns and more about the mechanics of regulating bottled water.
As a food product, bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and required to show nutrition information and ingredients on its labels. Municipal water is under the control of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The two agencies have similar standards for water quality, but the FDA has less authority to enforce them, the GAO said, and the environmental agency requires much more testing.
Subcommittee chairman Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., said the subcommittee was requesting information Wednesday from a dozen bottled water companies on their water sources, treatment methods and two years' results of contaminant testing. It was not immediately clear which companies were being contacted.
"Consumers may not realize that many regulations that apply to municipalities responsible for tap water do not apply to companies that produce bottled water," he said in statements opening the hearing.
The GAO noted the FDA has yet to set standards for DEHP, one of several chemicals known as phthalates that are found in many household products, while the EPA limits the presence of phthalates in tap water.
In a survey of officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the GAO found they think consumers are misinformed about bottled water.
"Many replied that consumers often believe that bottled water is safer or healthier than tap water," according to the GAO report.
The Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group said in its report that consumers do not get enough information to determine which water is best for them.
Both groups said some bottled water brands include the same information required of tap water providers on either labels or company Web sites.
The GAO called for more research but said the FDA should start by requiring that bottled water labels tell consumers where to find out more.
Community water systems must distribute annual reports about their water's source, contaminants and possible health concerns.
Consumers should know where all their water comes from, how it is treated and what is found in it, said Richard Wiles, senior vice president for policy and communications for the Environmental Working Group.
"If the municipal tap water systems can tell their customers this information, you would think that bottled water companies that charge 1,000 times more for this water could also let consumers know the same thing," he told The Associated Press.
The bottled water industry's trade group, the International Bottled Water Association, planned to testify Wednesday that the product, — subject to the same regulation as other soft drinks, teas, juices and other beverages — is safe. Additional standards apply for bottled water products labeled as "purified water" or "spring water," among other labels, because they must prove a connection to those sources, according to planned testimony from Joseph Doss, president and chief executive of the International Bottled Water Association.
Doss said consumers can learn about bottled water by contacting the company, reading its Web site and visiting sites run by state governments.
State safeguards for bottled water often exceed the federal, though they are less stringent than for tap water, the GAO wrote.
The trade group declined to comment on the reports before they are released

Difference between Mid East and Turkish Food

2009-07-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

(Food Photo shows Ali Nazik....
We went to San Diego today for John's Dr. appointment and picked up the San Diego reader, which comes out weekly. This restaurant review was so informative, I had to save it here, and the photo that came with the article...enjoy!

Gimme More Turkey
By Naomi Wise | Published Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Pasha Mediterranean Grill & Café
3614 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, 619-294-4444

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/jul/01/gimme-more-turkey/?print

Pasha drew my eye with an ad in this paper, including a coupon for a freebie appetizer platter. Hmm...a new bargain destination? Worth trying? I scurried to the website and found that the restaurant wasn’t just another generic Mediterranean eatery but specifically Turkish. Now that’s something fresh! (There’s also the charming Bird House Grill in Encinitas, and a doner-kebab joint downtown, but that’s about it for Turkish, far as I know.) The menu revealed standard Middle Eastern dishes, but also several distinctly Turkish specialties I’d never encountered before — two salads, three entrées, a dessert. Good enough for a start. And this would be third in a row for an exploration of new or newish restaurants serving various global forms of “barbecue,” after Southern and Japanese, and leading right in to July 4. Posse roundup time!

Several of my friends have traveled in Turkey. They’ve come back raving about their trips but not so much about the food. Still, knowing a trifle about Turkish history, I’m curious about the cuisine.

First off, Turks are not generic “Middle Easterners,” even if they share a common religion in Islam. They don’t speak Arabic (a Semitic language) but the totally different Turkish (a Ural-Altaic Turkic language, most closely related to Azeri and Uzbek). Their location and ecosystem tie them to Asia Minor (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, etc.), Persia, and the Adriatic Sea, rather than the Mediterranean Arab world — think snow, not sand.

And when the Ottoman Empire swept through the rest of Asia Minor en route to Greece, its military fell in love with Armenian food (same as me) and scooped up large numbers of Armenians to serve as army cooks while they were conquering the world. Greece gained an infusion of fresh recipes from Armenia, shaping the Greek cuisine we know today, but traditional Greek dishes also gained worldwide currency, especially their ancient masterpiece of stuffed grape leaves — now best known by the Turkish word dolma.

One end result of all this conquest was the settling of a huge Armenian population in the city of Izmir, which became the “cuisine capital” of Turkey, after a fashion, spreading its culinary influence (at least until the whole Turkish-Armenian thing went horribly tragic, as the empire rotted, but I’m not going to go into that in a restaurant review…).

What other influences did the Turks pick up in their conquests and meld into their own cuisine? Inquiring minds want to know.

When we arrived at Pasha, we found a medium-small room with dark tablecloths, paper napkins, walls painted a light terra cotta and hung with a spare but beautiful collection of Turkish handicrafts. The restaurant is owned by a youngish couple, the husband from Lebanon and the wife from Turkey. Both do some cooking and some serving. But the night we ate there, most of the Turkish dishes — the malatya (Turkish potato salad), the etli borek (meat pie), and the spinach borek — were all unavailable; they just hadn’t been prepared for a midweek night.

We began with the vegetarian meze platter, for which we had the coupon. Everything on it was very pleasant, especially the lively tabouli and the light, faintly smoky baba ghanoush. (A typo on the website spells it “Babagannosh,” which sounds like Turkish/Russian-Yiddish for “Grandpa’s getting a snack.”) None of the appetizers on the platter seems uniquely Turkish, or in any way different from every other meze platter in town.

Be sure to save some of the çaçik (pronounced “jah-jik,” the Turkish version of Greek tzatziki or Indian cucumber raita) and the garlic-yogurt sauce for your main courses, as dips for your grilled meats.

We also ordered the Turkish Shepherd Salad (coban salatasi) — diced tomatoes amended by cukes, scallion, onions, parsley, and bell pepper in a lemon vinaigrette, topped with a light snowfall of feta cheese. The tomatoes are under a lot of pressure to perform in this dish, and sad to say, they didn’t: They were nearly tasteless, hard supermarket-style globe tomatoes, and June is not yet their season. The dressing needed more acidity for “oomph” to compensate for their blandness. “This time of year,” said Marty, “the only tomatoes worth anything are little ones, cherry or grape tomatoes.” “Yeah, even if you leave the regular ones on the counter, they never ripen and sweeten,” added the Lynnester. Oddly, the leftovers of this salad improved greatly during two nights in the fridge, allowing the dressing to soak in and saturate the veggies.

The best of our entrées by far was a Turkish specialty, Ali Nazik. It features small, richly seasoned cubes of charbroiled beef served on a warm bed of tart, creamy patliçan (pronounced “PAHT-lee-jahn”) salad, mashed eggplant mixed with yogurt and plenty of garlic. It comes with grilled tomato and grilled slices of slightly spicy red pepper. It all works together, with a fine contrast between the chewy, salty meat and lush, garlicky eggplant. (The eggplant is also available separately on the meze list.) “I’d come back for this dish,” said Lynne, who lives nearby, and probably will do just that.

Shrimp kebabs came in second. The shrimps were well seasoned if quite salty, and reasonably tender. Like nearly all other entrées, they were accompanied by fluffy basmati rice, pita, hummus (standing in for the baba ghanoush promised on the menu with the seafood dishes), and the fine house salad, a lively mixture of greens, tomatoes, cukes, onions, and (in this plate alone) a few whole basil leaves.

The lamb shish kebab was flavorful with a marinade and charring, but dry and rather tough. It set Marty, Dave, and me to reminiscing about Sayyat Nova, an exquisite Armenian restaurant in Greenwich Village, way back when I was a teen beatnik, thrilled to taste this new cuisine with my dad and stepmom. That restaurant’s rendition had a subtle, garlic-perfused olive-oil marinade for large leg of lamb chunks charred outside but rosy inside.

At Pasha, the chunks are smaller and cooked medium (pinky-brown) inside, and the marinade is more assertive, possibly, judging by the result, including an acidic, tenderizing component like lemon juice. “I think the meat’s been marinated too long,” said Dave. “The texture on the exterior, just under the char, is a bit mealy.” “And the lamb doesn’t have much lamb flavor,” Marty observed. “I don’t know whether that’s because it’s cooked too well done or if the lamb itself is lacking.”

Unable to fulfill our hopes of a borek, we asked the owner whether the gyro meat in the Iskender (doner) kebab plate was house-made or bought. Bought, alas. Instead, the owner persuaded us to try a shawarma. Because this is a newbie restaurant with not much volume yet, the traditional shawarma of a huge hunk of flesh rotating on a vertical spit has proven impractical. “Instead, I cut it in slices, so the delicious marinade goes all through the meat, then I charbroil the slices,” he said. We chose beef shawarma over the alternative chicken breast, which dries out too easily. But the beef proved just as dry. “It’s almost like jerky!” Lynne said. “You can’t even taste the marinade, just the charring,” said Dave. Dipping the slices in çaçik or garlic sauce left over from the appetizer platter helped, but only a little.

There are two desserts. The house-made baklava is flaky and nutty (with both pistachios and walnuts) but sparing on the honey syrup — much less sweet than standard versions. “I like this a lot,” said Lynne. “It’s not overwhelming.” Kunafa is genuinely exotic, a large wedge-shaped pastry with delicate top and bottom crusts of crunchy farina flakes, sandwiching a filling of melted mild cheeses (mozzarella and Jack or Havarti, or another cheese of that ilk). It’s topped with crumbled pistachios, lightly dressed with fragrant rosewater-scented sugar syrup, and is barely sweet at all. It’s like a cheese course and a dessert all in one.

The Turkish coffee was strong and a little bitter, with all the “mud” hiding at the bottom of the cup. It comes unsweetened. We stirred in sugar with our fork handles (no spoons provided — yeah, it’s still a start-up).
Bottom line: Pasha is indeed a bargain. With the coupon for a free appetizer platter, the bill came to $28 per person total, all inclusive. But I feel the restaurant isn’t making the most of its greatest potential strength. Generic Middle Eastern restaurants are a dime a dozen, some cheaper than this and some offering easier parking. In order to compete, the Turkish dishes that distinguish Pasha from the crowd should be available all the time, and I’d also like to see more of them, if the Ali Nazik — outstanding hit of our dinner — is any example. Then there’d be a reason to come back over and over and explore what could be a unique menu. Hey, flaunt it if you’ve got it, baby!
Pasha Mediterranean Cafe & Grill

** (Good)

3614 Fifth Avenue, Hillcrest, 619-294-4444, themediterraneancuisine.com.

HOURS: Tuesday–Sunday 11:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.

PRICES: Soups and appetizers, $5–$22; salads, $7–$13; sandwiches, $8–9; entrées, $9–$25 (most $13); lunch specials, $6.

CUISINE AND BEVERAGES: Middle Eastern (Lebanese) menu with several Turkish specialties.

PICK HITS: Vegetarian meze platter, ali nazik (Turkish beef cubes over eggplant salad), patliçan salad (eggplant salad, if not ordering ali nazik), shrimp kebabs, baklava.

NEED TO KNOW: Loads for vegans, including three entrées (two always available). Unisex bathroom, marginally handicapped accessible. No alcohol. Halal (Islamic version of kosher) ingredients.

Highy recommended product!

2009-07-04T23:38:00.001-07:00

John orders this box of packets of crytals that you put in a glass of water...the flavor is so so yummy (I do love anything citrus, though.) It is great with ice cubes in the tallest galls you can find! So refreshing...and all that vitamin C ! Here is the site:

http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/49639