Honey Crisp                                                           Courtesy of WA Apple Comm

I confess..I liked being a country girl growing up.   I wasn’t a “farm girl,” but I lived out in the country on several acres of land in the boonies, surrounded by farm land, fields, woods and cows.  Life was a dream, for a kid back in the 60s anyway.

From the “Bye!” in the morning until I decided to stroll back home sometime later in the day, I guess around dinner time, the day was pretty much an adventure, with the fields, woods and streams being  my playground for me, my sister and my friends…oh, and our dogs, Smokey and Beauty.

Thirsty?  Drink straight out of the brook (I’m still alive).  Hungry?  There was always some sort of wild fruit growing out there…and it didn’t seem to matter if it was ripe or not…we ate it anyway.   We always knew where to find the wild strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, elderberries, black walnuts, pears, grapes, rhubarb, and apples.   And if that apple was especially green and sour, well, a little salt would help that out…right off the salt block for the cows.  (I’m still alive).  Nothing better than a sour green apple with salt on it.  My brothers must have taught me those things.  Oh, the fun kids miss nowadays.



Pink Lady                                                                Courtesy of WA Apple Comm




Apples… you sure won’t find me eating a plain apple much lately.  They just aren’t one of my favorite fruits.  I love them dehydrated and I have my own dehydrator.  The trouble is, when I eat them that way, it’s hard to remember that eight little chips are like eating a whole apple.  You can easily eat four apples in a matter of minutes and not even know it.  But I love homemade applesauce, a baked apple, apple pie… and fresh apple cider. But apples are so good for us…

About that high blood pressure…the Iowa Women's Health Study named apples as one of only three foods -- along with red wine and pears -- that decrease mortality risk from both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease.

Apples not only taste good, but they are packed with antioxidants that help ward off Alzheimer’s disease.  A study in the Journal of Food and Science points to apples as being the fruit with the highest content of antioxidants.

As far as cider being healthy, it has long been known that drinking apple cider vinegar is good for your intestines, but German researchers say that apple drinks such as apple cider, because of the fermentation in the colon, fight cancer.

There are two kinds of cider.

• Fresh cider: Squeezed from fresh apples. It's very perishable and needs to be kept cold or frozen. Many fresh ciders now are pasteurized. Only buy unpasteurized cider from a maker who doesn't use windfall apples, which can be contaminated by bacteria.

• Hard cider: Fermented cider. It tastes like sweet, fizzy beer. Although it was difficult to find for many years, it is slowly returning to the market, made by artisan producers. Look for good hard ciders in some specialty wine stores.

Source: U.S. Apple Association



There are always new varieties of apples coming out. One of the hot varieties that almost everyone has heard about is the Honey Crisp, which has a taste of cider. There’s a striped Cameo, which is tart, and a rosy-yellow Pink Lady (Cripps Pink), which is on the sweeter side, the sweet and crispy Fuji, or the sweet and creamy Fiesta, and finally the crunchy and tart (and probably needing a little salt) Lady Alice. 


The saying, “An apple a day,” still stands.




Lady Alice                                                                Courtesy of WA Apple Comm



Taffy Apple Bars 

 1 ready to bake Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough tube

8oz cream cheese – softened

½ c. peanut butter

½ c. brown sugar

1 t. vanilla

Granny Smith Apples

1 c. peanuts – coarsely chopped

Caramel topping 

Spread dough on a cookie sheet.   Bake per directions or until baked through.  Cool. Blend cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar & vanilla.  Spread over cooled dough. Thinly slice enough Granny Smith Apples to cover the mixture.  (Soak in white soda to prevent browning). Sprinkle with peanuts and drizzle with caramel topping.  Cut and serve.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Apple and Celery Salad with Peanuts 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
3 crisp red apples such as Fuji or Rome, cut into
1/4-inch-thick julienne
2 tart green apples such as Granny Smith, cut into 1/4-inch-thick julienne
4 large celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch-thick julienne
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Whisk together lemon juice and mustard in a large bowl. Add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified. Add apples, celery, and parsley, tossing to coat. Just before serving, sprinkle with peanuts.

Cooks' note:

Salad may be made 3 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

Serves 8-10 as part of a buffet


from Epicurious - I have made this and it is really good!

“Slow food;”  it’s a movement, if you will.

Basically, it’s about eating more healthy…a change in lifestyle.

I know there are people here in Wisconsin who eat this way…fresh foods, organics.  But look around in Wisconsin and what you’ll still see is mostly fast foods…

Out west it’s a different story:





"TOURISTS who took a wrong turn on their way to San Francisco’s cable car recently were in for a shock. There, between City Hall and other government buildings, a temporary organic garden had sprung up. Around it bustled a farmers’ market. Healthy-looking people were sampling local hams, heirloom tomatoes and raw-milk cheeses. And thus the Slow Food movement, founded two decades ago in Italy, officially arrived in America, the home of fast food. For several days there were taste pavilions here and slow hikes, slow picnics and slow dinners there. Chefs demonstrated their craft and put the footage up on You Tube.  The world’s food celebrities weighed in on everything from the global food crisis to the role of food in the presidential election. "


Continued HERE

Holy tomatoes…the all clear has been given. 

What was thought to be bad is now good!


"As of today, FDA officials believe that consumers may now enjoy all types of fresh tomatoes available without concern of becoming infected with salmonella Saintpaul," the outbreak strain.”

Read the story from  My Way

So it is now safe to indulge in all types of tomato activity….

Dip your hot dog in homemade catsup.

Coat those ribs in homemade BBQ sauce.

Put a giant slice of beefsteak tomato on your burger.

Make your favorite pasta sauce out of Roma tomatoes.

Or…try this….




 

Two gangs fight by help of 10 tons of rotten tomatoes. 1st price is a keg of lager ...

Note:  Certain hot peppers are still on the Beware list

125 Healthiest Supermarket Foods in America


They may not be your choices.

But they are the healthiest choices….

They are the choices from across America, so some may not be available in our local stores; but if you really want something…you could order it online.



Here's a sampling.....


BEST BEER

Guinness Draught





There may be better-tasting beers out there, but do any of them have fewer calories than this Irish stout?
So far, we haven’t found one.  

Per bottle: 125 calories



BEST ICE CREAM

Breyer's All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip






Packs fewer calories per serving than other leading brands but still tastes delicious.  

Per ½ cup: 150 calories, 17 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 8 g fat




BEST EVERYDAY READY-TO-EAT TUNA

Starkist Flavor Fresh Pouch Chunk Light in Water





A convenient classic.  Per 2 oz: 60 calories, 13 g protein




And for the other 122 items....



from Mens Health.com   à here


(Don’t worry women, you can eat these foods too!)

Mark Roh, U.S. Food and Drug Administration's acting regional director holds a bag of tomatoes
being tested for salmonella bacteria at FDA's southwest regional research lab, in Irvine, Calif.,
Monday June 9, 2008, where microbiologists are working to trace the source of the outbreak.
McDonald's, Wal-Mart and other U.S. chains have halted sales of some raw tomatoes as federal
health officials work to trace the source of a multistate salmonella food poisoning outbreak.
(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)



I’m not sure what’s more scary.…the tomatoes in the photo or the scientist!

Anyway…lately, it’s always something.

Another salmonella scare.

What…did we just not used to find out about all of them?

Did they just get overlooked or not reported?

That’s what I’m thinking.

Sure…we’re a society that’s eating out more.

I know that must be part of it.

But it sure does seem like every time we turn around, there's another food scare.


See which tomatoes are safe and which are not...

Read about it at U.S. News & World Report       í  here

With more teens getting less physical education in school, eating fewer balanced meals at home, and spending more time on the computer, anything they can do to keep off a few pounds can help.

A good breakfast can do just that….

Lean Teens Eat Breakfast

 Among teenagers, eating breakfast helped adolescents weigh less, exercise more and overall have a much healthier diet than their non-breakfast eating peers, according to researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

The researchers followed over 2,000 teenagers in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, and tracked their weight, eating patterns and other lifestyle habits for five years. The article, which was published in the journal of Pediatrics in March of 2008, stated that the teenagers were just under 15 year of age at the start of the study.

Studies have indicated that breakfast eating declines during adolescence. Some data reveals that only 14% of 12-19 year olds consistently eat breakfast. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between eating breakfast and weight change within a five year period in an adolescent population.

The findings revealed that children who ate breakfast regularly were more healthy overall. In addition, breakfast eaters in this study had a lower body mass index (BMI), according to the authors. BMI measures weight relative to height. The higher the BMI, the more overweight a person is. Teenagers in the study who consistently skipped breakfast weighed on average about 5 pounds more compared to teenagers who included breakfast in their everyday routine.

In this study, although breakfast eaters consumed a greater amount of energy, carbohydrates, and fiber, they consumed lower percentages of total calories from saturated fat. This dietary intake has been shown to improve energy balance and weight control since fiber rich foods (foods most consumed at breakfast) contributeto better glucose and insulin control which leads to an increased satiety and ultimately lower body weight.

This study supports the importance of consistent breakfast consumption in improving overall dietary intake, contributing to healthy weights and promoting a healthy lifestyle in youth. As the rates of breakfast consumption declines throughout the teenage years and early adulthood, the impact of consistent breakfast consumption may be an important indicator of an overall healthful lifestyle pattern in adolescents. Furthermore, thefact that regular consumption of breakfast is associated with a healthier weight and less weight change over time, may serve as an important message to teenagers who are engaging in unhealthy dietary behaviors, such as skipping breakfast, in their effort to lose weight. Educational efforts should focus on the importance of breakfast whether it is consumed at home or at school. In addition, education that promotes healthful breakfast (whole grain cereals, fruits, low fat milk) is important since diets that include nutrient and fiber rich food have been shown to have a positive effect on weight and disease reduction.


This is an excerpt from The Breakfast Scoop, Vol. 1, No. 3, an electronic newsletter covering issues related to breakfast and school breakfast programs. It is made possible by a partnership of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instructionand the University of Wisconsin-Extension  Wisconsin Breakfast Newsletter Website http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/food/schoolbreakfast/newsletter.cfm

 

Calorie counting at restaurants?

Not as far as I’m concerned.

Sorry, but as much as the government wants me to know that Burger King's Double Whopper w/Cheese has 1010 calories or that McDonald's Deluxe Breakfast (Lg. size Biscuit) w/o Syrup & Margarine has 1140 calories in order to try to shame me into purchasing a side salad (20 calories) with no dressing, I’m not going to look.  Okay…I don’t order those food items…but someone does.  It doesn’t matter though, I still don’t need to be told the calories I’m eating. 

It's my choice in the end, though.  If I don’t want to look at it, I don’t have to.  I know there are people who are looking; and counting.  If I’m going to go to a fast food restaurant I’m not just going to order a salad.  To me, a salad accompanies a meal at a nice restaurant.  I just can’t do it.  I just wonder why the salad people are in a fast food restaurant in the first place?  Although, I’ve noticed there are a lot of varieties of salads now for the skinny bunch.

I find the best way to lose 10-15 pounds is the liquid way.  The first time for me was by cutting out regular soda and going to diet instead.  I never thought I would be capable of doing that.  I hated the taste.  Then I finally let those two words one of my doctors (who’s really overweight) always said sink in, “wasted calories.”  That was the easiest way to lose 10 pounds.  I figure if someone who drinks a couple alcoholic drinks everyday would cut those out, they could lose 15 pounds easily (vodka martini  - 210 calories, beer -  about 45 calories, wine -  about 100 calories).

But then came along McDonald’s Iced Coffee (280 calories) and  Starbucks Peppermint Mocha (222 calories).  The cost is a detour for the Starbucks…It seems like in four sips that little cup is gone…and so is $4 for what was just some glorified hot chocolate.

Summer is always bad….Kopp’s is hard to resist.  Boy, that can really put on the pounds.  And as much as some people might not want a Dairy Queen in the neighborhood…just having it closer than Kopp’s is going to make it just as appetizing for a Tropical Blizzard (about 675 calories).   Ding, ding, ding…the calories are adding up and the picture in my head is like looking at a slot machine...loser!  But I get three ice cream cones.

 So, back to the original theme of this post.  Shame!  That’s what its all about.  It wasn’t that hard for people to ask for the information, or have it printed in a pamphlet on the counter, was it?  Next they’ll have meat cutting charts of beef steers and pigs up on the signs next to the pictures of the hamburgers and ribs.






And to please PETA, how about a before shot of the animals when they were frolicking on the farm before they were butchered?  That will shame you too. 



         Chicken Nugget



Maybe all this shaming will just make you turn around and leave. 

Now that will be good for business. 

So, now that you’ve read my rant, you can read about Manhattan....


"City health inspectors began issuing violation notices on Monday to restaurants that did not have calorie counts posted beside the prices on their menu boards."

"By day’s end, five restaurants had been cited, the health department said. They were Dunkin’ Donuts at 445 Park Avenue South, at East 30th Street; McDonald’s at 1560 Broadway, at West 46th Street; Popeye’s, at 321 West 125th Street, between Frederick Douglass Boulevard and St. Nicholas Avenue; Sbarro at 22 West 34th Street, next to the Empire State Building; and TGI Friday’s at 677 Lexington Avenue, at East 56th Street."

Read the article in the New York Times

5 Restaurants in Manhattan Get Citations Over Calories      × here

Shame on them!

(CBS)


I have to admit, I just don’t get it.

All of these young parent-to-be’s who bolt to the obstetrician to get that first ultrasound  and then make that decision as to whether they want to know if the baby is a boy or a girl.

First, I don’t understand the reasoning of every pregnant woman having this ultrasound in the first place.  I called and spoke to an ultrasound tech at an OB-GYN’s office today and asked what was up with all of these ultrasounds that are given routinely now.  See, I had heard that they are just too routine, and may not actually be as safe as once thought.  She told me that they are a standard of care now at 20 weeks.  But, of course, if everything is going well, they could be refused. 

She said at 20 weeks, abnormalities could be seen, so it is beneficial.  I asked what types.  Any digits missing, malformed organs (hear, lungs, kidneys, intestines), Downs Syndrome (even though there is a blood test for that).  Basically the growth and development of the baby is observed.  Some medical issues can be taken care of before the baby is born.

One of the greatest joys in the delivery room as a parent, I think, is the moment your child is born and you ask, “Is it a boy or a girl?”

I know, “Oh, but I have to get the nursery ready…it has to be pink or blue.”  And “I have to get those baby clothes ahead of time.”  “I have to pick the perfect name…it’s too difficult to choose one for each gender.” 

I just don’t know how we managed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


There have always been ideas about how you could determine whether you would have a boy or a girl.

Times Online calls some of them Old Mother’s Tales:

— The mother-to-be must pick up a single key. If she lifts it up by the handle her child will be a boy, by the other end, a girl, and by the middle, she will have twins

— A wooden spoon or pair of scissors placed under the bed, or a pink bow under your pillow, will result in a girl

— Eat only the ends of loaves of bread for a boy. For a girl, eat only the middles

— Eating salty foods, meat and cheese is supposed to produce a boy. Eating sweet food and fruit is said to result in a girl

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now studies have found that nutrition is playing an important part in whether a woman will have a boy or a girl - and specifically, that cereals and proteins, especially for breakfast, will most likely produce a boy.

“In the quest to select a baby’s sex, success could depend on breakfast cereal and better nutrition, according to a new study that may offer some women another reason to eat their Wheaties. Mothers-to-be who skip breakfast and eat less are more likely to give birth to girls, while moms who consume more calories and a wider range of nutrients  — including, specifically, those from breakfast cereal — are more likely to deliver sons.

That’s according to new research by British scientists that provides what they say is the first-ever evidence that a mother’s diet at conception may determine her baby’s sex. “

Read the rest of the article at MSNBC


Mom’s Diet May Influence Baby’s Sex – Study Says   Ã here

With this news coming out, I’m sure more women will stop skipping breakfast when they want to think about having a baby. 

That’s a good thing. 

Then there will be those that over do it and stock up on cereal and protein to try to have the boy.  I just hope some women don’t start starving themselves before they become pregnant in hopes of having girls.

Don't do this....


What were they thinking back then????








The cola ad print says, "Laboratory tests over the last few years have proven that babies who start drinking soda during that early, formative period have a much better chance of gaining acceptance and 'fitting in' during those awkward pre-teen and teenage years. So, do yourself a favor, do your child a favor. Start them on a strict regimen of sodas and other surgary carbonated beverages right now, for a lifetime of guaranteed happiness." 


Right....I believe that....


Look, Mom, no cavities!


And to think today we try to ban soda in schools!

H/T:  thecitydesk

 

Rep. John Read, R-Mississippi



It's difficult enough to get bars and their employees to follow the law and know when to stop serving intoxicated customers.

We know the sad reality of that all too well.

Imagine this.

Imagine if you are overweight.

On the upper end of that BMI scale.

You go into a restaurant.

The server comes to the table and looks you over....

and says "No food for you!"

Well, that just might be possible in Mississipi...the "fattest state in the nation."

That is, if Republican Rep. John Read has his way....

Read the article

Mississippi Considers Restaurant Ban for Obese    É  here

Boy, oh, boy...

Now that would be a hard one to enforce.

What....do you have booths with built-in scales?

Is obesity in the eye of the beholder?

I know there is a problem in our country, but are we capable of policing each other in regards to weight?

I know insurance costs have risen because of the health related issues for obesity.

But, it is not illegal to be huge.

And isn't it bad enough having an overweight doctor telling a patient they are fat?

Now they want a waitress to tell you?

How about this...

Look in a mirror. 

Check the size tag on your clothes.

Those two things will tell you right there.

Each person has to make up their own mind whether they will or will not lose weight.


_______________________________________________




 

Back in November I blogged about the study that was done regarding children who aren't getting enough sleep are more prone to gaining weight.  While I can't disregard a study...I did not totally agree with it.  I think kids need to get some exercise rather than sitting at the computer and they need to eat some old-fashioned balanced meals instead of fast food or processed foods.

Meanwhile,  there are many theories flying around about why children are overweight.

One survey found that many parents don't believe their children are overweight , or if they are overweight, they believe their child will outgrow the weight problem.  Parent's are in denial.

Then there's this, in a must read article, Fat kids, silent parents  by Amy Benfer,

"A variety of factors have contributed to the country's ballooning weight -- poverty, inactivity, poor nutritional education, lard-rich fast food. A disproportionate number of overweight children continue to come from lower-income families. But as issues of obesity invade middle-class homes, parents who are versed in the four basic food groups and have the money to provide healthy meals are tongue-tied by a new conundrum: Having done their perfect-parent best to protect their children, in particular their daughters, from the dangers of eating disorders and self-loathing, they have ended up with a generation of fat children (not to mention adults) who now need to lose weight. But as they prepare themselves to finally confront their children about their weight, they find themselves bound and gagged -- deprived by the experts of appropriate language for the task".

Benfer goes on about overweight children, again highlighting girls,

"No one wants children to grow up feeling bad about themselves. But silence about weight isn't helping children or parents. The actual formula for anyone who is trying to maintain a healthy weight is ridiculously low-tech: Eat less, exercise more. But in order to be in a position to offer this simple solution, we need to stop encouraging girls to pursue an unrealistic body weight in the name of beauty, so that we can encourage them to maintain a realistic weight in the name of health."


Another concept of why children are overweight is not a new one.  The absence of a parent at home, specifically "mom," is thought to be the reason behind the overweight child.  Mom is less able to supervise outdoor play or has less time to cook and therefore buys more fast food. Unfortunately for working mothers who are already struck by guilt, the effects are pretty substantial.

From Maternal Employment and Childhood Obesity
               Patricia Anderson, Kristin Butcher, and Phillip Levine                        

                                               Economic Research Service/USDA
                 

"Childhood overweight may be one of the most significant health issues facing American children today. In the 1963 to 1970 period, 4 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 were defined as overweight; that level had more than tripled by 1999, reaching 13 percent. The rise in women working outside the home coincides with the rise in childhood weight problems.From 1970 to 1999, the fraction of married women with children under 6 who participate in the labor force doubled, rising from 30 to 62 percent, while those with children ages 6 to 17 rose dramatically from 49 to77 percent. However, time series evidence is not sufficient to imply that these trends are related. This study explores whether the rise observed in both maternal employment and childhood overweight represents a causal relationship between these two phenomena."




We can go on, and on seeking, blaming, trying to find the right answer as to "why" more children are obese.

In my opinion the common factor here seems to be the word "parent." 

While it is the child putting that food in his or her mouth, it is the parent's responsibility to make sure the child is getting the proper nutrition.  Cook the balanced meal for dinner - Possibly eat it while sitting with the whole family talking about how the day went.

It is the parent who buys the food that is in the home and needs to educate the child, from the time the child eats solid food, what constitutes a healthy snack.   You don't need to stock up on junk foods.

It is the parent who needs to monitor what foods are being served at school in the school lunch programs or what your child brings to school in his or her bag lunch.

It is the parent who needs to encourage and participate with the child in activities and exercise at home, after school and in the evening, to discourage sitting around watching television and spending time on games and the computer.

Oh, that's right....

You're rushed. 

You don't have time.....

Ask yourself what's really more important?

Getting your child or yourself to the next activity?

Or getting your child to adulthood not obese.  Not unhealthy....

Are working moms to blame for fat kids?  Maybe.... 

It seems to me it's a family problem.

U.S. farmers are raising more exotic species nowadays than just pigs and cows for your dinner table. 

They’re eyeing new markets and revenue sources. 

 

You’re probably already familiar with buffalo or bison. 

 

Check out the new favorite “other” meats:

 

Emu (Australia)

 

This bird can run 30 mph but can't fly.  Has a brain the size of a marble.
Delicate red meat that looks and tastes like beef.

Distinctively patterned emu leather makes cool shoes and wallets.



Alpaca (So. America)



Has three stomachs but no top front teeth.
Its thick fur makes incredibly warm, luxurious sweaters.



Ostrich (Africa)

 

Eggs take an hour to soft boil.
Flesh is red meat, but steaks are low fat.



Llama (So. Africa)



Known to spit when upset.
An excellent pack animal and good guarding sheep.



So, is everybody HUNGRY??

Because this recipe sounds downright YUMMY ....

Grilled Ostrich with Wild Mushrooms

4 ostrich medallions

Wild Mushroom Mixture:
2 ounces each: cepes, morels, wild shiitake, mousseron, and coral mushrooms
2 shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup white wine
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

Mustard Shallot Sauce:
1/2 cup white wine
4 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 fresh bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup venison stock (can substitute chicken or beef stock)
1/2 cup crème fraîche

Mustard Shallot Sauce: Sauté shallots in butter. Add white wine, herbs, and Dijon and simmer. Add venison stock and reduce by half. Whisk in crème fraîche.

Wild Mushrooms: Sauté shallots briefly; add wild mushrooms. When the mushrooms are almost done, add garlic and white wine. Reduce until dry.

Ostrich: Sauté ostrich medallions for about 4 minutes per side. Place sautéed mushrooms in center of hot plate. Slice ostrich and arrange around mushrooms. Ladle sauce over meat.

Craigs Meats & Catering


Wisconsin Food Safety Laws for Small Farmers

"Unglued?"  Well, just look at those eyes on that Emu .... 

And, I've said it before in comments, I don't want to eat any meat that someone's dog might "growl" at.

Other than that, if you want to eat it, go for it. 


I've got great cholesterol readings. 

I'll stick to steak, the original red meat, medium-rare, please ....  moo ....