Ethel Renwick, in her book "Let's Try Real Food," tells us that the food industry's use of additives is not in the interest of the nation's nutritional needs, but for increased sales and profits to themselves. Synthetic chemicals are much cheaper substitutes for flavors and colors than real fruits and vegetables, and that the profit of synthetic foods made from chemicals is enormous.
Additives lengthen shelf life, they make processed food taste and look better, they prevent spoiling and even mask deterioration. Companies producing food would rather add vitamins to low-grade food than help malnourished people get better jobs so they can buy more nutritious food. Additives allow a manufacturer to put LESS of the natural ingredient into their product. Dr. Carlton Fredericks explains that the vast majority of food additives have no counterpart in nature, therefore are not automatically compatible with the body. The U.S. permits any number of additives in our foods which are banned in Europe.
What surprises me the most is the source from which these additives are made. Of the 2,764 classifications of food additives, 1,876 are derived from coal-tar. The same dyes that are used for clothing are also used in food. Dr. Feingold gave examples of what is involved in making imitation flavors. Artificial pineapple flavor takes 17 compounds, and imitation coffee flavor takes from 200-300! These additives are not real food at all! Why not eat pure food... REAL FOOD?
It certainly has become a habit, one we don't even think about when we roam the grocery store aisles, to pick up a box of artificially flavored pudding, or a box of sugary cereal, which might contain between 30%-50% sugar. These cereals should be labeled "imitation cereal" and should be sold in the candy aisle!!! I was shocked to learn that peanut butter (the hydrogenated version), which we generally think of as wholesome and nutritious, is actually 22% Crisco! Chemists went to work on peanut butter, adding emulsifiers to keep the oil mixed throughout, then they added sugar to make it sweet to please the crowd of sugar-cravers they had created, and finally the hydrogenated oil to make it spread easily. A lady by the name of Mrs. Desmond describes it as "peanut flavored cold cream!" She suggests that if the industry wanted to make a product with less than 90% peanuts, it should be called Peanut-flavored cream" or something like that. She actually won her case, so that now peanut butter has to contain at least 90% peanuts. As part of our avoidance of products containing hydrogenated oils, we made the switch to 100% natural peanut butter (yep, the kind you have to stir first and store in the fridge.)
This book was written in 1973, and at that time it was estimated we were eating 10 pounds of additives other than sugar, salt, corn syrup, and dextrose. I wonder what that figure actually is today?
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Make your own Salad Dressings
Since we got back to the U.S. I have been reading a lot of books about food and nutrition, such as:
Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau
More Natural Cures Revealed by Kevin Trudeau
Let's Try Real Food by Ethel H. Renwick
Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (a cookbook)
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
The Non Toxic Home by Debra Lynn Dadd
Prescription for Nutritional Healing
The common theme that runs through these books is that it is better to make it yourself than buy it pre-made from the store. Any convenience food from the grocery store is likely to be filled with additives, food dyes, chemicals, hydrogenated oils or fats, extra sugar and salt and generally have very little nutritional value. We pay the food industry to remove good nutrients, then we pay them to return a fraction of the vitamins and minerals they removed, and then we pay them for the chemicals they put in to fool us in one way or another. There are some products I stopped buying completely after I realized just how imitation they were (like Cool Whip and non-dairy creamer for coffee.) I began to read the list of ingredients and if it contained artificial colors, hyrdrogenated oils, or high fructose corn syrup, I put it back on the shelf. These three ingredients are a tell-tale sign that the product is mostly junk. The nutrition that might have been there before processing was stripped away, then they added their numerous chemical concoctions to make it smell good, look good, and taste good and then they targeted children with their advertising to convince Mom it was worth buying. It is no wonder America is unhealthy. We feed our bodies a constant diet of junk food (either from fast food restaurants or the junk in the grocery store) and we hardly think twice about it.
One of the easiest things to make in your kitchen is your own salad dressing. I started doing this after realizing how many complex chemicals and artificial ingredients were in store bought salad dressing. You can find salad dressings now that are more natural and made without additives, but I am really enjoying the flavors and ease of making my own dressing. Here are a few of our family's favorites....
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. brown sugar (may not be necessary depending on the quality of the vinegar)
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
Place all ingredients in a screw top jar and shake to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings. (I actually cut this recipe in half for our family of 5.)
Honey Mustard Dressing
In small bowl, whisk all ingredients together:
1 cup plain yogurt
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
honey to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Greek Salad Dressing
Place 3 tbsp. olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/4 tsp. sea salt, 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper in a small jar with screw-top lid and shake to combine.
Easy Dressing
Whisk 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil with the juice of 1 lemon. Pour over salad greens and toss till coated. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.
Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau
More Natural Cures Revealed by Kevin Trudeau
Let's Try Real Food by Ethel H. Renwick
Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (a cookbook)
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
The Non Toxic Home by Debra Lynn Dadd
Prescription for Nutritional Healing
The common theme that runs through these books is that it is better to make it yourself than buy it pre-made from the store. Any convenience food from the grocery store is likely to be filled with additives, food dyes, chemicals, hydrogenated oils or fats, extra sugar and salt and generally have very little nutritional value. We pay the food industry to remove good nutrients, then we pay them to return a fraction of the vitamins and minerals they removed, and then we pay them for the chemicals they put in to fool us in one way or another. There are some products I stopped buying completely after I realized just how imitation they were (like Cool Whip and non-dairy creamer for coffee.) I began to read the list of ingredients and if it contained artificial colors, hyrdrogenated oils, or high fructose corn syrup, I put it back on the shelf. These three ingredients are a tell-tale sign that the product is mostly junk. The nutrition that might have been there before processing was stripped away, then they added their numerous chemical concoctions to make it smell good, look good, and taste good and then they targeted children with their advertising to convince Mom it was worth buying. It is no wonder America is unhealthy. We feed our bodies a constant diet of junk food (either from fast food restaurants or the junk in the grocery store) and we hardly think twice about it.
One of the easiest things to make in your kitchen is your own salad dressing. I started doing this after realizing how many complex chemicals and artificial ingredients were in store bought salad dressing. You can find salad dressings now that are more natural and made without additives, but I am really enjoying the flavors and ease of making my own dressing. Here are a few of our family's favorites....
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. brown sugar (may not be necessary depending on the quality of the vinegar)
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
Place all ingredients in a screw top jar and shake to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings. (I actually cut this recipe in half for our family of 5.)
Honey Mustard Dressing
In small bowl, whisk all ingredients together:
1 cup plain yogurt
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
honey to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Greek Salad Dressing
Place 3 tbsp. olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/4 tsp. sea salt, 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper in a small jar with screw-top lid and shake to combine.
Easy Dressing
Whisk 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil with the juice of 1 lemon. Pour over salad greens and toss till coated. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Yummy Lollipops
As I was thinking about interesting things for Clara to play with on our long, boring flight from Paris to Atlanta, I remembered the lollipop she had during Halloween. She loved that sucker and it kept her quiet for quite awhile! But I hated to give her candy that was artificially colored and flavored, so I searched the internet for alternatives. What I found was the company called Yummy Earth!
Two fathers got together and invented organic lollipops and candy because they wanted to give their own children candy that wasn't colored by using chemicals or flavored artificially. They actually color their candy using ingredients like real purple carrots or red cabbage! (But don't worry - you won't taste any carrot or cabbage flavor in the lollipop!) They also use real fruit extracts which gives their candy a very intense flavor. We just received our lollipop order yesterday and all of us are quite impressed with each of the four lollipop flavors. They are really delicious!
While we had to order ours online, their website suggests purchasing their products at places like your local health food or gourmet shop, Whole Foods, Toys R Us, Vitamin Shoppe, or Party City.
Sure, it's still candy, but children do love candy.... and if we are going to allow them to eat candy, it should be as natural as possible, using ingredients that you might find in your own kitchen, not a concoction of dangerous chemicals! You might think I've gone off the deep end, but I think we have to be more concerned than ever about the artificial ingredients that are being added to our foods. I think we have to read the labels, and do our own research, being vigilant about the foods we prepare for our families. The processed junk that is being marketed to us today is a far cry from the real food our ancestors ate. It is hard to eat well when we are surrounded by junk! The junk is always cheaper and more readily available, too. So we have to work at it, knowing that nothing is ever easy. In the end it will pay off, because we will have raised our children to enjoy healthy foods!
Two fathers got together and invented organic lollipops and candy because they wanted to give their own children candy that wasn't colored by using chemicals or flavored artificially. They actually color their candy using ingredients like real purple carrots or red cabbage! (But don't worry - you won't taste any carrot or cabbage flavor in the lollipop!) They also use real fruit extracts which gives their candy a very intense flavor. We just received our lollipop order yesterday and all of us are quite impressed with each of the four lollipop flavors. They are really delicious!
While we had to order ours online, their website suggests purchasing their products at places like your local health food or gourmet shop, Whole Foods, Toys R Us, Vitamin Shoppe, or Party City.
Sure, it's still candy, but children do love candy.... and if we are going to allow them to eat candy, it should be as natural as possible, using ingredients that you might find in your own kitchen, not a concoction of dangerous chemicals! You might think I've gone off the deep end, but I think we have to be more concerned than ever about the artificial ingredients that are being added to our foods. I think we have to read the labels, and do our own research, being vigilant about the foods we prepare for our families. The processed junk that is being marketed to us today is a far cry from the real food our ancestors ate. It is hard to eat well when we are surrounded by junk! The junk is always cheaper and more readily available, too. So we have to work at it, knowing that nothing is ever easy. In the end it will pay off, because we will have raised our children to enjoy healthy foods!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Candy, the Natural Way
Yellow #5, Red 40 or Blue No. 2?
These are too scary for me and you!
These are the names for the colorings added to candy and other foods. As another holiday approaches in which many children get bags and bags of candy loaded with unnatural ingredients that range from chemical dyes, to imitation flavorings, to straight sugar, it may be high time to make a little change that could make a big difference!
Synthetic food dyes are the most likely suspects when it comes to triggering behavior problems in children. For decades allergists have reported that food dyes can trigger reactions like hives and swelling in sensitive people. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs has found that they can cause respiratory problems. Researchers in the United States, Canada, England and Australia have shown that these dyes can bring about many behavior problems, even when children eat only a small amount.
Food dyes are not new - they have actually been around for well over 100 years. They were originally made from coal tar oil, but now are synthesized from petroleum! In past generations, children were not eating foods with these artificial dyes on a regular basis, and their foods came in more natural forms than today. Many of their candies were made with chocolate and pure vanilla (instead of the fake form of it commonly used today, known as "vanillin.") They had candy treats only at special times of the year. When they went to school, they were not offered soft drinks and junk food. They didn't get up in the morning and start the day with a sugary, red or green cereal, or blue toothpaste, or imitation "juice drinks." No processed, chemically treated prepackaged lunch in a box from the store for them!
I saw this list of natural candy possibilities on Feingold's website: (when we get back to the U.S. I want to try some of these!)
Pearson's Mints (available at many WalMart stores)
Valomilk Cups (sold at Cracker Barrel restaurants)
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Squares with White Mint Filling (found at Kmart, Target and WalMart)
Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses
Canel's Milk Lollipops
Linette peanut butter cups are available at WalMart
Joby & Marty's Amazing All Natural Pearlies: Dark Chocolate, Marvelous Mint Filled Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Peanut Butter Filled Milk Chocolate
For fruit candy, find Florida's Natural Au'some Fruit Juice String & Au'some Fruit Juice Nuggets: Strawberry, Blueberry, Apple/Cranberry, and Orange.
Also try visiting the natural foods section of your supermarket, a health food store, or healthy market (Whole Foods, Wild Oats, etc.)
For your own homemade goodies, these are some wacky tips I came across in an email, also from the Feingold Association:
* Use baby food carrots (or pureed cooked carrots) in your cake icing instead of other liquid to make a pretty orange color for cupcake frosting, etc.
* Use concentrated no-pulp orange juice to make a delicious yellow frosting. You might have to adjust the amount of liquid called for to get the right texture.
* And if you need pink coloring, the easiest way is to open a can of sliced beets and use the beet juice! (Eat the beets in your next salad or as a side dish at dinner.) Supposedly, after you add all the sugar and vanilla flavor, nobody will ever suspect a beet ever came near your cake icing!
These are too scary for me and you!
These are the names for the colorings added to candy and other foods. As another holiday approaches in which many children get bags and bags of candy loaded with unnatural ingredients that range from chemical dyes, to imitation flavorings, to straight sugar, it may be high time to make a little change that could make a big difference!
Synthetic food dyes are the most likely suspects when it comes to triggering behavior problems in children. For decades allergists have reported that food dyes can trigger reactions like hives and swelling in sensitive people. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs has found that they can cause respiratory problems. Researchers in the United States, Canada, England and Australia have shown that these dyes can bring about many behavior problems, even when children eat only a small amount.
Food dyes are not new - they have actually been around for well over 100 years. They were originally made from coal tar oil, but now are synthesized from petroleum! In past generations, children were not eating foods with these artificial dyes on a regular basis, and their foods came in more natural forms than today. Many of their candies were made with chocolate and pure vanilla (instead of the fake form of it commonly used today, known as "vanillin.") They had candy treats only at special times of the year. When they went to school, they were not offered soft drinks and junk food. They didn't get up in the morning and start the day with a sugary, red or green cereal, or blue toothpaste, or imitation "juice drinks." No processed, chemically treated prepackaged lunch in a box from the store for them!
I saw this list of natural candy possibilities on Feingold's website: (when we get back to the U.S. I want to try some of these!)
Pearson's Mints (available at many WalMart stores)
Valomilk Cups (sold at Cracker Barrel restaurants)
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Squares with White Mint Filling (found at Kmart, Target and WalMart)
Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses
Canel's Milk Lollipops
Linette peanut butter cups are available at WalMart
Joby & Marty's Amazing All Natural Pearlies: Dark Chocolate, Marvelous Mint Filled Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Peanut Butter Filled Milk Chocolate
For fruit candy, find Florida's Natural Au'some Fruit Juice String & Au'some Fruit Juice Nuggets: Strawberry, Blueberry, Apple/Cranberry, and Orange.
Also try visiting the natural foods section of your supermarket, a health food store, or healthy market (Whole Foods, Wild Oats, etc.)
For your own homemade goodies, these are some wacky tips I came across in an email, also from the Feingold Association:
* Use baby food carrots (or pureed cooked carrots) in your cake icing instead of other liquid to make a pretty orange color for cupcake frosting, etc.
* Use concentrated no-pulp orange juice to make a delicious yellow frosting. You might have to adjust the amount of liquid called for to get the right texture.
* And if you need pink coloring, the easiest way is to open a can of sliced beets and use the beet juice! (Eat the beets in your next salad or as a side dish at dinner.) Supposedly, after you add all the sugar and vanilla flavor, nobody will ever suspect a beet ever came near your cake icing!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Ice Cream in a Bag
Yep, that's right. You can make your own ice cream in a plastic baggy in about 5 minutes. It's cheap, fun, and easy. Ready to try it?!
Place inside a sandwich size ziploc bag:
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Close it tightly. Insert this bag into a larger Ziploc bag that is filled with ice and 1 tsp. salt. Set your timer for 5 minutes and shake vigorously (share the fun - let the kiddos burn off some of that energy by shaking the baggy!) If your hands get cold, put on some oven mitts. Or if you live in Texas, just step outside for this part. :-)
Grab a spoon and eat the ice cream from the bag!
One bag is a decent serving size... enough for me anyway.
(I first saw this recipe on the Regis and Kathy Lee Live show,
a long, long time ago.)
Place inside a sandwich size ziploc bag:
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Close it tightly. Insert this bag into a larger Ziploc bag that is filled with ice and 1 tsp. salt. Set your timer for 5 minutes and shake vigorously (share the fun - let the kiddos burn off some of that energy by shaking the baggy!) If your hands get cold, put on some oven mitts. Or if you live in Texas, just step outside for this part. :-)
Grab a spoon and eat the ice cream from the bag!
One bag is a decent serving size... enough for me anyway.
(I first saw this recipe on the Regis and Kathy Lee Live show,
a long, long time ago.)
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
More High Fructose Corn Syrup? No Thanks.
In an effort to rid ourselves of products that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), I've been making things from scratch. Before I learned about HFCS, I had occasionally made some things from scratch, like salad dressings, pancake syrup, or chocolate syrup, but never on a regular basis, as I'm now endeavoring to do.
HFCS is a carb that is not found in nature, but beverage companies and food processors heavily rely on it because it is cheap to produce. Sucrose (table sugar) is made from sugarcane or sugar beets, but high fructose corn syrup comes from corn. And since corn is subsidized by the government, there is never a shortage of corn. The main problem with HFCS is that the fructose and glucose are free and unbonded to each other, whereas the fructose and glucose in sucrose are linked by a chemical bond that is broken down by an enzyme in the lining of the small intestines. Corn syrup manufacturers say the body can't tell the difference, but many nutrition researchers are not convinced.
HFCS is more stable in solution than table sugar, which means a longer shelf life. Some researchers believe that HFCS increases blood fats (triglycerides) more than the same amount of table sugar does. It is also possible that a diet high in HFCS can impair the body's ability to use minerals properly, such as the depletion of calcium and phosporus when high fructose corn syrup sweetened drinks are consumed.
HFCS shows up in mostly junk foods and junk drinks, but it also can be found in some yogurts, breads, and other surprising foods that are considered healthy. HFCS may not trigger the same feelings of fullness that regular sugar does, because it doesn't trigger the release of the hormone leptin. HFCS may also increase a person's risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
So, in light of such evidence, I have been working on ways to reduce our family's consumption of high fructose corn syrup. The choices are to go without the HFCS product, or make it myself.
I actually dumped out half a bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup when I read the ingredients list (but saved the bottle to put my own homemade syrup in!) The first, and main ingredient, on the syrup's label is High Fructose Corn Syrup.
After trying a few recipes, we decided we liked this one the best for its rich chocolate flavor and its dark color which is most like the store bought variety. It isn't quite as thick as the store bought kind, but that's probably due to the fact that it is missing HFCS!
We also have stopped buying Mrs. Butterworth and Aunt Jemima and Log Cabin pancake syrups. Instead we like to use 100% maple syrup, which is a little expensive, or we can make it quickly on the stove. I start the syrup cooking before I start making pancakes or waffles to give it time to thicken.
Not only is homemade healthier, it tastes better too!
For more information on High Fructose Corn Syrup, Read this.
HFCS is a carb that is not found in nature, but beverage companies and food processors heavily rely on it because it is cheap to produce. Sucrose (table sugar) is made from sugarcane or sugar beets, but high fructose corn syrup comes from corn. And since corn is subsidized by the government, there is never a shortage of corn. The main problem with HFCS is that the fructose and glucose are free and unbonded to each other, whereas the fructose and glucose in sucrose are linked by a chemical bond that is broken down by an enzyme in the lining of the small intestines. Corn syrup manufacturers say the body can't tell the difference, but many nutrition researchers are not convinced.
HFCS is more stable in solution than table sugar, which means a longer shelf life. Some researchers believe that HFCS increases blood fats (triglycerides) more than the same amount of table sugar does. It is also possible that a diet high in HFCS can impair the body's ability to use minerals properly, such as the depletion of calcium and phosporus when high fructose corn syrup sweetened drinks are consumed.
HFCS shows up in mostly junk foods and junk drinks, but it also can be found in some yogurts, breads, and other surprising foods that are considered healthy. HFCS may not trigger the same feelings of fullness that regular sugar does, because it doesn't trigger the release of the hormone leptin. HFCS may also increase a person's risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
So, in light of such evidence, I have been working on ways to reduce our family's consumption of high fructose corn syrup. The choices are to go without the HFCS product, or make it myself.
I actually dumped out half a bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup when I read the ingredients list (but saved the bottle to put my own homemade syrup in!) The first, and main ingredient, on the syrup's label is High Fructose Corn Syrup.
After trying a few recipes, we decided we liked this one the best for its rich chocolate flavor and its dark color which is most like the store bought variety. It isn't quite as thick as the store bought kind, but that's probably due to the fact that it is missing HFCS!
Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
Combine cocoa, sugar and salt. Add water till smooth. Bring to boil for 5 minutes. (careful... it can easily boil over!)
Let cool. Add vanilla. Store in refrigerator. Shake before using.
We also have stopped buying Mrs. Butterworth and Aunt Jemima and Log Cabin pancake syrups. Instead we like to use 100% maple syrup, which is a little expensive, or we can make it quickly on the stove. I start the syrup cooking before I start making pancakes or waffles to give it time to thicken.
Pancake Syrup.
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla, or maple flavoring
Bring to boil, simmer about 10 minutes. Take off heat to cool and it will thicken slightly
Salad Dressing
1/3 cup mayo
4 tsp. white vinegar
4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. celery salt
fresh ground pepper
Whisk together, let stand 10 minutes, whisk again until sugar is dissolved. We love this dressing on fresh spinach leaves and sliced red apples.
Not only is homemade healthier, it tastes better too!
For more information on High Fructose Corn Syrup, Read this.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Joy of Pizza
I don't know about your family, but we can't seem to get enough pizza! Pizza in Italian actually means "pie." I read somewhere that Americans eat more than 100 acres of pizza a day!
One day while rummaging through our fridge, searching for something to make for lunch, I started tossing out ingredients to make a pizza with....
whole wheat tortillas
pepperoni
shredded mozarella (I've also used shredded cheddar, or a mixture of both cheeses)
pizza sauce
fresh spinach, chopped
Parmesan cheese
And from the spice rack...
turmeric
Italian seasoning
And came up with what I call Turmeric Tortilla Pizzas!
To make them, preheat the oven on its broiler setting and raise the oven rack for broiling.
For each tortilla, spread on pizza sauce,
sprinkle lightly with turmeric (don't overdo this hearty spice or your pizza might be rejected because it "tastes funny!"),
then mozarella,
then spinach
then pepperoni (or your families favorite pizza toppings),
then sprinkle with Italian seasoning and Parmesan.
Broil until bubbly and cheese is melted.
Why turmeric?
One day while rummaging through our fridge, searching for something to make for lunch, I started tossing out ingredients to make a pizza with....
whole wheat tortillas
pepperoni
shredded mozarella (I've also used shredded cheddar, or a mixture of both cheeses)
pizza sauce
fresh spinach, chopped
Parmesan cheese
And from the spice rack...
turmeric
Italian seasoning
And came up with what I call Turmeric Tortilla Pizzas!
To make them, preheat the oven on its broiler setting and raise the oven rack for broiling.
For each tortilla, spread on pizza sauce,
sprinkle lightly with turmeric (don't overdo this hearty spice or your pizza might be rejected because it "tastes funny!"),
then mozarella,
then spinach
then pepperoni (or your families favorite pizza toppings),
then sprinkle with Italian seasoning and Parmesan.
Broil until bubbly and cheese is melted.
Why turmeric?
Herbs and spices such as turmeric, ginger, cilantro, oregano, rosemary, and thyme, and pungent foods such as onions, garlic and chili peppers have significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Researchers studying turmeric and curry powder have found that these spices are anti-just about everything you don't want to see happen in your child's body. They improve circulation by keeping blood platelets from sticking together. They protect the liver from toxic substances. They have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help to keep all the tissues of the body healthy, including the lining of the intestines and blood vessels. Turmeric is the most mentioned spice in medical literature, according to Dr. Bill Sears. Turmeric seems to act like a natural version of a newer group of anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects!
source: The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood, Sears
Sunday, April 15, 2007
What? No Sugar in Those Brownies?
At the back of an old copy of "What to Eat When You're Expecting" is a collection of recipes. Strange ones. (And don't get excited, I'm not pregnant....)
Many of them substitute apple juice concentrate for the sugar. I have had this book for probably over 10 years and never, ever did I think I would ever try a single recipe in that book.
Lo and behold, I am now trying them.
And apple juice concentrate instead of sugar works - sometimes. I don't think it worked in the raisin oatmeal cookies. They were too dry and crumbly. But it does work nicely as a smoothie sweetener.
Yesterday I tried the Fudge Brownie recipe. It is quite unusual....
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups apple juice concentrate
1/2 cup butter
6 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used plain yogurt since we happened to have no buttermilk and we were also out of milk at the time)
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts (I added chocolate chips instead!!!)
Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, wheat germ and baking soda. Combine juice concentrate, butter and cocoa in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Add to dry ingredients and beat till smooth. Add buttermilk, egg, egg whites, and vanilla, beat just till mixed. Fold in nuts. (Here I added a cup of chocolate chips!!!)
Pour batter into greased 13x9. Bake till toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool before cutting.
Then I added sugar.... by frosting them with Easy Fudge Frosting!!
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tsp vanilla
Beat all with mixer for 2 minutes. Spread on cooled brownies.
I honestly didn't think anyone in this house would eat those brownies. I told them that they were sweetened with apple juice concentrate instead of sugar. No one minded. I didn't tell them there was wheat flour and wheat germ in them. They probably would have minded if they had known that..... The chocolate chips added some extra chocolate umph, just in case the brownie tasted too wheaty instead of chocolatey. (They do have a different texture, but the chocolate chips and the frosting do a good job of distracting you.) And the frosting, well... at least it's homemade and contains no artifical flavorings, colors, or preservatives!!!
Many of them substitute apple juice concentrate for the sugar. I have had this book for probably over 10 years and never, ever did I think I would ever try a single recipe in that book.
Lo and behold, I am now trying them.
And apple juice concentrate instead of sugar works - sometimes. I don't think it worked in the raisin oatmeal cookies. They were too dry and crumbly. But it does work nicely as a smoothie sweetener.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
(makes 1 large serving or 2 small)
* This recipe is listed as Frozen Berry Yogurt, but I adapted it to make smoothies and/or popsicles.
1 ripe banana
1 cup frozen whole strawberries
1 container of plain yogurt
1/4 cup apple juice concentrate
Process in blender, pour into glasses, and enjoy!
Yesterday I tried the Fudge Brownie recipe. It is quite unusual....
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups apple juice concentrate
1/2 cup butter
6 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used plain yogurt since we happened to have no buttermilk and we were also out of milk at the time)
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts (I added chocolate chips instead!!!)
Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, wheat germ and baking soda. Combine juice concentrate, butter and cocoa in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Add to dry ingredients and beat till smooth. Add buttermilk, egg, egg whites, and vanilla, beat just till mixed. Fold in nuts. (Here I added a cup of chocolate chips!!!)
Pour batter into greased 13x9. Bake till toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool before cutting.
Then I added sugar.... by frosting them with Easy Fudge Frosting!!
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tsp vanilla
Beat all with mixer for 2 minutes. Spread on cooled brownies.
I honestly didn't think anyone in this house would eat those brownies. I told them that they were sweetened with apple juice concentrate instead of sugar. No one minded. I didn't tell them there was wheat flour and wheat germ in them. They probably would have minded if they had known that..... The chocolate chips added some extra chocolate umph, just in case the brownie tasted too wheaty instead of chocolatey. (They do have a different texture, but the chocolate chips and the frosting do a good job of distracting you.) And the frosting, well... at least it's homemade and contains no artifical flavorings, colors, or preservatives!!!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
What Do You Put In Your Oatmeal?
Ok, this is probably a weird thing to blog about. But our family loves oatmeal. I recently got a little experimental with it and discovered some new twists for an old breakfast favorite.
First of all, we used to buy those instant flavored oatmeal packets that you add hot water to, stir and eat. We thought they were pretty good. As you know from a couple posts ago, we made some changes around here, and are weeding out the extra processed food products which are usually loaded with sugar and missing the nutrients that were there before the processing. But that doesn't mean we have to sacrifice flavored oatmeal! Oh, no! Check out our favorite variations.
Our Basic Oatmeal recipe:
(1 serving)
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
Pour all ingredients into your cereal bowl, throw into microwave, set it for 2 minutes, take it out and add your toppings.
Variations:
Apple Cinnamon
~Several spoonfuls from a Mott's Healthy Harvest (no added sugar) Granny Smith applesauce cup
~Swirl in several spoonfuls of plain yogurt. Make sure it has the healthful bacteria, "live and active cultures." Here in Croatia, it is labeled "ProBiotik."
~A tiny bit of brown sugar (We like to use the unrefined, natural brown sugar that is available here, Billington's brand)
~A tablespoon of flaxseed meal
~A sprinkling of cinnamon (Did you know about the health benefits of cinnamon? See * below!)
~milk, for consistency you like
Blueberry
~Keep a bag of frozen blueberries in your freezer so you can add them to your breakfast cereal or your oatmeal. Toss in as many as you like to your already cooked oatmeal. Kids love the half frozen state of the blueberries as they slowly thaw out in the oatmeal.
~Swirl in several spoonfuls of plain yogurt
~A tablespoon of flaxseed meal
~brown sugar
~cinnamon
~milk
Banana
~Mash 1/2 of a banana. Stir into cooked oatmeal.
~Add the yogurt, brown sugar, flaxseed, and cinnamon.
~milk
* Cinnamon makes insulin work more efficiently to stabilize blood sugar levels, reduces cholesterol levels and other artery clogging fats in the blood. I now keep our cinnamon on the table so we remember to use it more frequently.
Now it's your turn. What do you put in your oatmeal?!
First of all, we used to buy those instant flavored oatmeal packets that you add hot water to, stir and eat. We thought they were pretty good. As you know from a couple posts ago, we made some changes around here, and are weeding out the extra processed food products which are usually loaded with sugar and missing the nutrients that were there before the processing. But that doesn't mean we have to sacrifice flavored oatmeal! Oh, no! Check out our favorite variations.
Our Basic Oatmeal recipe:
(1 serving)
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
Pour all ingredients into your cereal bowl, throw into microwave, set it for 2 minutes, take it out and add your toppings.
Variations:
Apple Cinnamon
~Several spoonfuls from a Mott's Healthy Harvest (no added sugar) Granny Smith applesauce cup
~Swirl in several spoonfuls of plain yogurt. Make sure it has the healthful bacteria, "live and active cultures." Here in Croatia, it is labeled "ProBiotik."
~A tiny bit of brown sugar (We like to use the unrefined, natural brown sugar that is available here, Billington's brand)
~A tablespoon of flaxseed meal
~A sprinkling of cinnamon (Did you know about the health benefits of cinnamon? See * below!)
~milk, for consistency you like
Blueberry
~Keep a bag of frozen blueberries in your freezer so you can add them to your breakfast cereal or your oatmeal. Toss in as many as you like to your already cooked oatmeal. Kids love the half frozen state of the blueberries as they slowly thaw out in the oatmeal.
~Swirl in several spoonfuls of plain yogurt
~A tablespoon of flaxseed meal
~brown sugar
~cinnamon
~milk
Banana
~Mash 1/2 of a banana. Stir into cooked oatmeal.
~Add the yogurt, brown sugar, flaxseed, and cinnamon.
~milk
* Cinnamon makes insulin work more efficiently to stabilize blood sugar levels, reduces cholesterol levels and other artery clogging fats in the blood. I now keep our cinnamon on the table so we remember to use it more frequently.
Now it's your turn. What do you put in your oatmeal?!
Monday, January 29, 2007
"Let food be your medicine.....
....and medicine be your food."
These were the words of Hippocrates in 400 BC. I've really been thinking about those words lately, and what they might mean for our family. We aren't a total junk food family, but neither are we a pure, health food family. My goal for this year is to pay closer attention to what our family is eating and re-shape our tastes if necessary so that we will crave wholesome, healthy, natural foods, and then we can start to tip the scale on the "pure and healthy" side. With Clara, it will be easy. We're simply shaping her tastes since she has not been exposed to the junk food that the rest of us have been eating. But the boys will take a little more time to win over. They like Fruity Pebbles and Go-gurt and Pop Tarts. I'm on a mission to change their tastes to whole grain cereals (adding fruit to sweeten naturally), plain yogurt (which doesn't have the added sugar and artificial colorings), and making our own homemade sweets instead of buying the junk food in boxes. Reading labels will be part of life. Buying organic when possible is also on the shopping list.
When we check the labels we are looking for these three villains:
1. high-fructose corn syrup
2. artificial coloring that has a number symbol attached to it
3. hydrogenated oils or trans fats
I read that if we just avoid these three items, we'll have de-junked our diets by 90%! I want to teach my children that bad foods will make them feel bad, and that good foods will make them feel good. It will require a lot of willpower, to choose a snack of carrot sticks instead of gummy worms. Awareness is the key! If I can at least help them understand the differences between healthy "grow foods" and the junky, sugary "fake foods," I will have won at least half the battle.
I am also looking for ways to make meals more nutritious. I read on the package of whole wheat flour that it can easily be used in recipes by using equal amounts of whole wheat and all purpose flour (unbleached!) Another interesting item to add is wheat germ or flaxseed meal. These changes are hardly detected but will boost the nutritional value of homebaked goodies. Instead of buying muffin mixes which contain artificial flavorings and other unwanted additives, we will be making our own homemade muffins with real fruit added. These are treats I can feel good about giving to the baby. And to our growing boys. They like to help make them too! We are also switching to whole grain pastas. I have tried these before in spaghetti, but I used all whole wheat and the change was too noticeable to everyone. There were complaints. Last week when I made baked linguine, I used half regular noodles and half whole wheat. No one even knew it. I couldn't really tell the difference myself in the way it tasted, but I knew it was better to have the whole grains in our food.
We hardly ever have soda in the house. Instead, we like to drink iced tea, water, juice or milk. To boost the antioxidant levels of our iced tea, we add several bags of green tea to the regular tea when brewing. We started juicing our own fruits and vegetables last year with the juicer I purchased online...and love the taste of fresh juice that does not contain any additives and has not been pastureized.
If the junk food isn't in the house, we'll be forced to eat real food. I don't expect that we'll be healthy eaters overnight, but little by little, we can incorporate these changes and slowly adjust our habits and our tastes. Of course, doctors and the medicine they prescribe are sometimes absolutley necessary, and I don't have a doubt in my mind about it. But I do believe that if we are feeding our bodies the healthy food that it needs, (and this is especially true of children and their growing bodies,) we may be able to avoid certain illnesses and problems that are aggravated and/or caused by our junk food diets. This is exciting to me!
Healthy food... Healthy children... Healthy future!
These were the words of Hippocrates in 400 BC. I've really been thinking about those words lately, and what they might mean for our family. We aren't a total junk food family, but neither are we a pure, health food family. My goal for this year is to pay closer attention to what our family is eating and re-shape our tastes if necessary so that we will crave wholesome, healthy, natural foods, and then we can start to tip the scale on the "pure and healthy" side. With Clara, it will be easy. We're simply shaping her tastes since she has not been exposed to the junk food that the rest of us have been eating. But the boys will take a little more time to win over. They like Fruity Pebbles and Go-gurt and Pop Tarts. I'm on a mission to change their tastes to whole grain cereals (adding fruit to sweeten naturally), plain yogurt (which doesn't have the added sugar and artificial colorings), and making our own homemade sweets instead of buying the junk food in boxes. Reading labels will be part of life. Buying organic when possible is also on the shopping list.
When we check the labels we are looking for these three villains:
1. high-fructose corn syrup
2. artificial coloring that has a number symbol attached to it
3. hydrogenated oils or trans fats
I read that if we just avoid these three items, we'll have de-junked our diets by 90%! I want to teach my children that bad foods will make them feel bad, and that good foods will make them feel good. It will require a lot of willpower, to choose a snack of carrot sticks instead of gummy worms. Awareness is the key! If I can at least help them understand the differences between healthy "grow foods" and the junky, sugary "fake foods," I will have won at least half the battle.
I am also looking for ways to make meals more nutritious. I read on the package of whole wheat flour that it can easily be used in recipes by using equal amounts of whole wheat and all purpose flour (unbleached!) Another interesting item to add is wheat germ or flaxseed meal. These changes are hardly detected but will boost the nutritional value of homebaked goodies. Instead of buying muffin mixes which contain artificial flavorings and other unwanted additives, we will be making our own homemade muffins with real fruit added. These are treats I can feel good about giving to the baby. And to our growing boys. They like to help make them too! We are also switching to whole grain pastas. I have tried these before in spaghetti, but I used all whole wheat and the change was too noticeable to everyone. There were complaints. Last week when I made baked linguine, I used half regular noodles and half whole wheat. No one even knew it. I couldn't really tell the difference myself in the way it tasted, but I knew it was better to have the whole grains in our food.
We hardly ever have soda in the house. Instead, we like to drink iced tea, water, juice or milk. To boost the antioxidant levels of our iced tea, we add several bags of green tea to the regular tea when brewing. We started juicing our own fruits and vegetables last year with the juicer I purchased online...and love the taste of fresh juice that does not contain any additives and has not been pastureized.
If the junk food isn't in the house, we'll be forced to eat real food. I don't expect that we'll be healthy eaters overnight, but little by little, we can incorporate these changes and slowly adjust our habits and our tastes. Of course, doctors and the medicine they prescribe are sometimes absolutley necessary, and I don't have a doubt in my mind about it. But I do believe that if we are feeding our bodies the healthy food that it needs, (and this is especially true of children and their growing bodies,) we may be able to avoid certain illnesses and problems that are aggravated and/or caused by our junk food diets. This is exciting to me!
Healthy food... Healthy children... Healthy future!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Shall We Eat Out, Or In?
Cooking hasn't always been one of my favorite things to do. But I love to eat home cooked food, and sometimes I see the cooking part of it more as a chore than a delight, something that has to be done if I want to eat good food. Living in a foreign country pushes me to two extremes, depending on my mood.
One, I never want to adventure out to a Croatian restaurant where I won't be able to read the menu, the waiter may not speak English well enough to translate the menu, therefore I will end up eating some mystery dish that may taste good enough, but leave me questioning what exactly it was! I can't seem to fully enjoy something unless I have some idea what it is... So we stay home and I cook up something in my kitchen that night. I know every ingredient, I can make the things we like, and the baby can play and/or eat happily wherever she wants. We have found that so many Croatians have taken on the habit of smoking, and they foul up the air everywhere we go, leaving us with dazzling headaches and clothing that reeks of smoke.
Or Two, I decide to go on a cooking strike, and no matter what the consequences, we ARE going out to eat! This has sometimes gone well, like when we stopped to have a kebab on Zagreb's main square after looking at the Christmas markets there.
Kebab, literally "rotating meat" in Turkish, is sliced lamb which is slowly roasted on a vertical rotating spit. It is similar to gyros. Kebab is most popularly served in pita bread, with tomatoes, lettuce (they call it salad here), and two sauces to choose from. One is a creamy herb sauce, the other a spicy red sauce. We ate ours while standing at a tall table outside the tiny cafe and gave Clara bites while she sat in her stroller. Kebabs are European fast food and they are quite delicious! (Kebabs are not to be confused with shish-kebabs - two very different things!)
A favorite pasttime of mine is to look through cookbooks while I eat breakfast or lunch. Swedish Homecooking is one of my favorites!
After living there for 18 months, we came to love the simple Swedish way of life. Their food is interesting to say the least, and we usually wouldn't touch the thousand varieties of pate or pickled herring. We did however love the fried Baltic herring, especially when it was situated next to a mound of mashed potatoes! We also loved their Cinnamon Buns which are topped with pearl sugar instead of slathered with frosting as we do in America, though I can certainly wolf down a frosting covered cinnamon roll just as easily! Their cinnamon rolls sometimes were made with the cardamom spice, which at first I didn't like, but now I think it is wonderful!
As I looked through this cookbook, I came across a recipe for Baked Macaroni. This recipe, very simple and easy to make, is the Swedish variation of macaroni and cheese and my whole family, but especially Clara, loves this dish. Every time I take this casserole out of the oven, it looks exactly like the picture in the cookbook! THAT is a rare happening, indeed!
One, I never want to adventure out to a Croatian restaurant where I won't be able to read the menu, the waiter may not speak English well enough to translate the menu, therefore I will end up eating some mystery dish that may taste good enough, but leave me questioning what exactly it was! I can't seem to fully enjoy something unless I have some idea what it is... So we stay home and I cook up something in my kitchen that night. I know every ingredient, I can make the things we like, and the baby can play and/or eat happily wherever she wants. We have found that so many Croatians have taken on the habit of smoking, and they foul up the air everywhere we go, leaving us with dazzling headaches and clothing that reeks of smoke.
Or Two, I decide to go on a cooking strike, and no matter what the consequences, we ARE going out to eat! This has sometimes gone well, like when we stopped to have a kebab on Zagreb's main square after looking at the Christmas markets there.
Kebab, literally "rotating meat" in Turkish, is sliced lamb which is slowly roasted on a vertical rotating spit. It is similar to gyros. Kebab is most popularly served in pita bread, with tomatoes, lettuce (they call it salad here), and two sauces to choose from. One is a creamy herb sauce, the other a spicy red sauce. We ate ours while standing at a tall table outside the tiny cafe and gave Clara bites while she sat in her stroller. Kebabs are European fast food and they are quite delicious! (Kebabs are not to be confused with shish-kebabs - two very different things!)
A favorite pasttime of mine is to look through cookbooks while I eat breakfast or lunch. Swedish Homecooking is one of my favorites!
After living there for 18 months, we came to love the simple Swedish way of life. Their food is interesting to say the least, and we usually wouldn't touch the thousand varieties of pate or pickled herring. We did however love the fried Baltic herring, especially when it was situated next to a mound of mashed potatoes! We also loved their Cinnamon Buns which are topped with pearl sugar instead of slathered with frosting as we do in America, though I can certainly wolf down a frosting covered cinnamon roll just as easily! Their cinnamon rolls sometimes were made with the cardamom spice, which at first I didn't like, but now I think it is wonderful!
As I looked through this cookbook, I came across a recipe for Baked Macaroni. This recipe, very simple and easy to make, is the Swedish variation of macaroni and cheese and my whole family, but especially Clara, loves this dish. Every time I take this casserole out of the oven, it looks exactly like the picture in the cookbook! THAT is a rare happening, indeed!
Baked MacaroniWe enjoyed this with a green salad the other night. This is Comfort Food at its best - simple, yet delicious!
1 2/3 cups plain macaroni
6 cups water
1/2 lb. ham steak
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup grated cheese
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt (1/2 tsp. for boiling macaroni, 1/2 tsp. for dish)
black pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions, using the 1/2 tsp. salt in the water. Cube ham and brown lightly in the butter. Mix together the cooked macaroni with the ham. Transfer to buttered oven proof dish. Beat egg and milk and pour over macaroni mixture. Add salt and pepper. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake until pudding is set and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
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