Sweet Hits The Spot

"French fries…not traditional fries, but fries with a not uncommon twist. Sweet potato fries."

French fries. Believe me, these little delicious slices of heaven are not finding their way onto a fat free menu. They easily find their way onto fast food and restaurant menus, or as a fitting side to a sandwich or burger. I know very few people who aren’t tempted by french fries and know even less that truly don’t desire to indulge in this fattening treat. I have no intention of disregarding the delicious flavors in healthy food, but I cannot ignore that the food that is NOT good for us, is often music to our taste buds.

The ongoing struggle for healthy eaters is finding other options to some of the most tantalizing unhealthy foods. We can tap into a turkey burger or a very lean ground beef patty versus the regular burger that packs on the pounds. We can grab a diet soda versus a regular. We can sub in salad with low fat or fat free dressing versus the regular dressings or the other side dishes that are far heavier. We can order a burger with no bread to shed those excess carbs and calories. We can eliminate butter and cooking oils in our cooking and use extra virgin olive oil.

We always have options. And finding new options, simply provide us with more choices to keep our healthy diets more interesting. I love locating new recipes that allow this to happen and I recently came across one that grabbed my attention. French fries…not traditional fries, but fries with a not uncommon twist. Sweet potato fries.

All you need is the sweet potatoes and a few spices to be able to substitute this in for its unhealthy fattening  counterpart. You simply cut the potatoes into long strips (like a normal fry), toss them with pepper, chili powder and whatever spices you would like to mix in. Throw them in the oven and bake them for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees. What you get is a healthy fry…far less calories…no fat and a little extra room in your waistband.

Low Fat Meat Choices

Chicken, Rabbit, Seafood, and select Ground Beef.

If you do not wish to be a vegetarian but are trying to pursue a low fat diet, you may find your options for meat quite limited.  Most meat contains quite a bit of fat, which goes against the goals for the typical low fat diet.  There are some meats, however, that can be eaten in moderation while on a low fat diet.

Chicken
Chicken is one of the lowest fat meats, with 2.5 grams of fat for an uncooked four-ounce portion size.  If you grill it or cook it in a way that the juices and fats drip away from the meat, you can lower this some.  Grilled chicken breast is absolutely delicious in a salad or stir fry.

Rabbit
Though it may offend some people to think of eating rabbit meat, it is one of the most delicious, lowest fat meats you can find.  At just 3 grams of fat per three-ounce portion, it is a top contender for low fat diets.

Fish and Seafood
Fish and seafood are both great sources of protein and low on the fats.  Wild-harvested fish tend to be lower in fat than their fish farm counterparts, so opt for wild when you can.  When you buy tuna, be sure to get the kind that is packed in water and not oil.

Ground Beef
Lean ground beef is a good low fat choice, but watch how you cook it and drain any excess grease from fried ground beef.

There are many options for low fat meats that will go well with a low fat diet and still provide you with the protein you need.  Be sure to read labels and always be aware of what you are eating.

Introducing! Ice Cream Happy Hour!

Greetings boozers and ice cream aficionados!

I am here to tell you about a new kind of ice cream; one that contains about 13% alcohol per serving. I’m a fan of alcohol and I’m a fan of ice cream. What’s not to love? Technically though, it is not possible to mix alcohol into ice cream. Why? The freezing point for alcohol is much lower than the freezing point for water (aka: ice). It’s science. …Ice, ice baby.

The lovelies behind the book: Ice Cream Happy Hour (50 Boozy Treats That You Spike and Freeze at Home), Valerie Lum and Jenise Addison found a work around. Note: it requires gelatin, so vegetarians take note.

If you’re not a vegetarian, you’ll likely enjoy the delicious concoctions that are featured in this book. It’s available in tangible coffee table form as well as ebook form for your ipad too! I first heard mention of this wonder via an article on Gizmodo shared with me (aka: appearing on my newsfeed) on Facebook.

You could serve these recipes at a holiday ice cream social and be cruel by not telling the party guests about the spiking. Though they’ll likely sense it the minute the cream on that cold spoon hits their tongue. They may give you a verbal lashing or they may flutter their eyelashes with delight. Doesn’t it tempt you, dear host or hostess to try to find out?

Please note: Clean and sober AA types and ordained ministers on your guest list will probably give said verbal lashing having had no pre-warning. Maybe you should consider inviting them to the upcoming ugly Christmas sweater party instead featuring virgin mojitos and rum raisin (with no actual rum) ice cream instead.

Leftover Turkey on Toast

One of my favorite meals to make for lunch the day after Thanksgiving is leftover turkey on toast. Of course, you can prepare this anytime of year if you have extra turkey.

You will need the following ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups of leftover turkey cut up into small pieces
  • ½ stick of
  • butter
  • 3
  • Tbsp. of
  • flour
  • 2
  • cups of 2%
  • milk
  • 4
  • oz. shredded cheddar
  • cheese
  • 2
  • slices of bread


Follow these steps to make the leftover turkey on toast:

Step 1:
Melt the butter in a medium-sized sauce pan. Use the medium heat setting on your stove to do this.

Step 2:
Add the flour, and stir until the butter and flour have formed a thick paste.

Step 3:
Slowly pour the milk into the paste, stirring continuously. The flour paste will begin to absorb the milk, keeping the sauce thick.

Step 4:
Watch for the sauce to thicken once all of the milk has been added, and then drop in the shredded cheese. Stir until the cheese has completely melted.

Step 5:
Add the turkey to the cheese sauce. Remove the sauce pan from the heat, and give it a few minutes to heat up the turkey.

Step 6:
Place your two slices of bread in the toaster. Once toasted, set on a plate and cover with the turkey and cheese mixture.

Tip:
You will have enough turkey and cheese sauce to feed five to six people. Each person will require two slices of toast.

You don’t have to use cheddar cheese. Monterey Jack, Colby, and swiss cheese also taste great in this recipe.
 

Relaxing

A lost concept

When it comes to relaxing, the U.S. seems to be a little behind.  We are too focused on capitalism to think of relaxing. Siestas sound nice, but unfortunately that seems to be a lost idea on American culture.

Fortunately enough, we have tea.

I know I harp on this more than usual but this is the essential part of the tea drinker's routine.

The thing about our lives is that they are complicated by stress and when we can't go to a place to relax, we die faster than we live.

In many cultures, tea goes hand in hand with meditation and meditation should be your best friend.  I know, I know.  Who has time for meditation?

I have trouble finding time to meditate but why couldn't we have an hour a day set aside for it.

Other places do.  Maybe it isn't technically meditation, maybe it is conversating with a good friend or enjoying nature with the sounds of the wind.  Whatever it may be, this time is essential in our lives and if tea leads us to that peace then why would I harp on it some more.  It's as if the nectar of the gods were handed to us but we can't convince ourselves to drink it or listen because we haven't got the time.

I love green tea, it is my favorite tea.  It not only energizes but it is full of antioxidants and helps me stay connected to my life energy, my hopes and my dreams. It may sound ridiculous but there is something more to this tea.  It is as if I feel more focused when I drink it.  So why not try it.  Take a moment.  Relax.

Pepper Spray: A Food Product, Essentially?

Sure, in the same way that the guillotine is "a haircut, essentially."

 

Fox News commentator Megyn Kelly, while talking about the Occupy and UC Davis protests, dismissed concerns about police officers' heavy-handed use of pepper spray because it's "basically a food product, right?"
 
Well, yes and no. It is true that pepper spray contains capsicum, which is the active ingredient in hot peppers. Pepper spray causes "immediate closing of the eyes, difficulty breathing, runny nose, and coughing." It can cause corneal damage, and has been implicated in several deaths due to respiratory failure. When you breathe after being sprayed, it causes more of the spray to be inhaled, which can cause panic in many people. The effects last from between 30 minutes to 4 hours.
 
Sounds delish!

 
Chili pepper plants have evolved capsicum in order to selectively encourage birds to eat their fruit and disperse the seeds. Birds cannot taste capsicum, and do not find chili peppers to be hot. However, mammals do, and most mammals avoid eating the chilies, which are brightly colored as a warning to the unaware.
 
Humans, of course, have kind of developed a taste for it. The hotness of chilies is measured in Scoville units. The mildest chilies, like pimentos and peperoncinis, clock in at between 100-900 Scoville units. Jalapeno peppers and Tabasco sauce both run between 3,500-8,000 Scoville units. Serrano peppers: 10,000. Habanero: 100,000-350,000. The Bhut Jolokia chili pepper, the famous "ghost chili," widely recognized as the hottest chili pepper in the world, rates a staggering 1,401,000 on the Scoville scale.
 
Law enforcement pepper spray rates between 500,000 and 2,000,000 on the Scoville scale. Meaning that it's somewhere in the neighborhood of having the world's hottest chili rubbed into your eyes, nose, and mouth. 
 
Incidentally, a formal study analyzed some of the most common recommendations for treating pepper spray, including Maalox, lidocaine gel, baby shampoo, milk, and water. The study concluded that none of these methods was more useful than the control group (of doing nothing). In other words, time is the only thing that will fix pepper spray.
 
Because capsaicin is an oily substance, it cannot be rinsed away with water. However, for pepper spray on the skin, a gentle soap may help disperse the oil faster than just letting it burn itself out.
 
So is it true that pepper spray is "a food product, essentially"? Sure, in the same way it's true that the guillotine is "a haircut, essentially." Saying that pepper causes "stinging in the eyes" is a preposterous understatement.

Is a Fat-Free Diet Really a Good Idea?

"Weston Price studied native peoples in several countries to determine how their diet affected their health."

There are many diet plans out there.  In fact, there are so many that the choices are simply overwhelming.  For many years, we have heard that eating fat will make us fat, and that certain fats are especially bad for us, like saturated fats.  Everywhere you look, there is no fat, low fat and fake fat, but if it is so effective, why are we all getting fatter?

I have long been a fan of Sally Fallon and the Weston A. Price Foundation.  Based on the extensive research of Weston Price, Sally Fallon wrote a book called Nourishing Traditions, in which she maintains that some fats, and especially animal-based saturated fats, are not only good for us but also necessary for health.

Weston Price studied native peoples in several countries to determine how their diet affected their health.  What he found was that people who consumed a diet high in animal products were healthier and had fewer dental issues.  Despite the fact that this study was conducted in the 1930s and 1940s, dietary guidelines have remained the same for a very long time.

There are definitely times when a fat-free diet is necessary.  A good friend of mine has pancreatitis, and fat is her number one enemy.  I feel for her and the strict diet she must follow.  Perhaps eliminating fat is not always the answer, however.  I think the basis for every diet is a solid foundation of exercise.  First, become active, and then begin following a diet plan, but one that is sensible and doesn’t require you to completely eliminate any one food group.
 

Make Your Own Waffle Cones

How to make your own waffle cones (recipe adapted from The Cupcake Project):
  • 1 C heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 t vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 t ground cinnamon
  • Pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1 T cornstarch

In a bowl with a whisk, whip the cream with the vanilla until mousse-like (it won't form peaks).

Sift the remaining ingredients together and stir them into the cream to make a batter.

Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.

Heat up the waffle cone iron; heat setting 2.5.

Once the light turns green, it means that the waffle iron is ready. Grease the top and bottom.

Put a dollop of batter onto each of the three waffle molds. The waffle maker comes with a spoon to scoop the batter with so you know exactly how much batter to use. If you use too much, the three waffles will stick together. If you use too little, the waffles will be hard to roll. Tip: The first time that you do it, I would highly recommend doing only one at a time. That way, you can make sure that you've got the technique down without wasting any batter.

Close the lid.

The light will turn red. When it turns green again, it's time to roll your waffle.

The waffle maker comes with a cone shaped mold to roll the waffle around. Here are a couple of rolling tips:

  • Work fast. The waffles harden super quickly.
  • Protect your hands. The waffle will be really hot and you could burn yourself. You might want to use a towel or wear gloves to help you roll.
  • As soon as the cone begins to overlap itself, press down firmly as you continue to roll to make it stick closed. It also helps to hold the waffle in the position shown in step four for a few seconds.
  • Use your fingers to pinch together the hole at the bottom of the cone.
  • If you are making three waffles at once, take them off the iron one at a time. Don't take a waffle off of the iron until you are ready to mold it, otherwise the third waffle will be too hard to shape by the time you get to it.
  • Store the cooled waffle cones in a Ziploc bag until you are ready to fill them with ice cream or whatever else your mind dreams up.

 

Sweet Potato Heaven



I grew up with a sweet potato family recipe that is truly heavenly. Until recently, I was unaware that everyone in the world didn’t prepare their sweet potatoes in the exact same way. When I was posting about the dish on a social networking site, I had a friend ask for the recipe. So here is my version of what is known as “Candied Sweet Potatoes.”

You will need the following items to make this sweet potato dish:
  • 1 large can of Bruce’s Yams
  • 6 Tbsp. butter
  • ¼ cup of brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • ½ cup mini marshmallows


Follow these steps to make your sweet potatoes taste like a little piece of heaven:

Step 1:
Heat up your skillet under the medium heat setting.

Step 2:
Pour the entire contents of your Bruce’s Yams jar into the skillet. Using the juice in the can eliminates the need for water. The juice keeps the dish sweet.

Step 3:
Add the butter and brown sugar immediately, and stir the three ingredients together.

Step 4:
Toss in the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Step 5:
Stir occasionally until the liquid begins to thicken up and the sweet potatoes are a bit mushy.

Step 6:
Transfer the sweet potatoes to a fancy serving dish, and cover with the mini marshmallows.

Tips:
My youngest daughter prefers the sweet potatoes be mashed completely. This is easy to do if your family prefers it that way as well. Just place the sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl and beat on high for 45 seconds.
 

Day of Temptation

Thanksgiving is days away and we all know that healthy eating on this specific holiday, is not the easiest feat. Reality is, temptations lie around us all the time and this holiday is no different. Whether you are cooking or are simply a guest, the challenge lies within finding healthy alternatives to the traditional meal.

For those cooking the meals and eating them, finding 100% fat free options are a staggeringly difficult task. Most people can roll with the healthier option, but want to stay within the Thanksgiving meal itself. So, replacing turkey and all the fixins’ altogether, aren’t very realistic for most. What we can do, is reduce the fat greatly, replace some components with others, monitor our portions and make conscious choices all around.

Take the turkey for example (many recipes call for basting it in butter) to help ensure the moisture within the turkey. And I get it…who wants a dry piece of turkey? Most likely, if I were to get one, I would then slather it with gravy, and that is not helping tackle the healthier Thanksgiving day option either. If you do not overcook a turkey, the meat will stay moist…do away with the butter and save yourself a good chunk of caloric intake and fat. Add spices, herbs, garlic and maybe a splash of extra virgin olive oil, if you insist on adding something to the already delicious holiday bird. Once the turkey is cooked, there are some ways to decrease the impact on your waistline. First and foremost, dodge the skin. Extra fat and calories lie in it and you can help yourself by simply avoiding it all together. Limit the salt as well…your body and your heart will thank you.

Green bean casserole is one of my favorites, but reality is…the bean is about the only healthy component of this dish…those lovely little French onions and cream of whatever, may be delicious but will keep you running on that treadmill for quite some time. Keep the green beans…add a little fresh onion…dash of some spices and roast them in the oven. If you are completely unwilling to forego the casserole, use reduced sodium cream of whatever, take a small helping and try to forget those French onions at the grocery store.

Stuffing…we all LOVE stuffing. I think most people in my family typically tap into the Stouffers Stuffing for Thanksgiving, yet it still holds a special place in my heart. If your recipe calls for butter, avoid it. Try using bouillon cubes or broth instead. This will not give you a fat free version, but it will be a better route to take.

Sweet potatoes often have their place at the table as well. The name speaks for itself….sweet. They are naturally made that way, so for a healthier option, avoid adding sugars and marshmallows. For a much healthier kick on the potatoes all together, try mashed cauliflower as a substitute for the potatoes. This can be a pretty difficult switch as we almost always associate mashed potatoes with Thanksgiving. But if you are serious about your health and your diet, Thanksgiving does not have to be the worst day of the year.

The internet is filled with suggestions and recipes for Thanksgiving. If you are looking at trying healthy options, spend some time looking before you hit the grocery store. Regardless of what your holiday holds, spend more time with your loved ones and less time in the kitchen. Although we remember that Thanksgiving involves delicious food, it is the time we spend with those we care about, that is truly the food for the soul.

 

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