Store It Foods

 Despite my hectic work schedule, I try to make time to prepare a home-cooked dinner at least three times a week. It’s relaxing and invigorating to indulge in the delicious scents of sizzling meat or sautéing mushrooms. I’ve also found that cooking my own food is much healthier than dining out or buying pre-packaged “instant meals.” Not to mention the obvious taste discrepancies.

My only real downfall in the kitchen is a propensity to cook too much food. It’s actually not much of a problem at all because I can always save the leftovers in some food storage containers. Then, later in the week when I’m too worn out to cook a meal from scratch, I can peruse the storage containers and sample an entrée for the second time around.

The prospect of dieting is certainly not a fun one, and at times the mere thought of giving up one’s favorite foods is enough to derail a diet before it even begins. Luckily there are a number of ways people can shed superfluous pounds without resorting to a desperation diet. For starters, it’s advantageous to read food labels. This will help to “budget” or manage one’s daily intake of calories, fats and sodium.

Next, plan out your snacks well in advance so that you have a small, healthy portion of food ready to eat when you feel a hunger craving between meals. If it’s not readily available, you’ll be tempted to chomp on some chips or hit the corner store for candy. Try eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains prepared in your hand grain mill.

When it comes to preparing food for a diabetic, it’s important to be mindful of the sugar content of the food. Even something as simple as a glaze for meat or barbeque sauce can be detrimental to a diabetic. Diabetics need to receive adequate nutrition, but also should be eating food that is low in sugar. It’s also important for diabetics to eat balanced meals on a regular time schedule, otherwise the diabetic can might take too much or too little insulin and have a diabetic reaction, which is quite dangerous.

Starches are great foods for diabetics in moderation; potatoes, rice, and grains.  Vegetables are also excellent sources of vitamins and fiber; I like using a Roma food strainer to create my own sauces and jucices.  Common recipes for diabetics might include stir fry, baked potatoes, rice and vegetables (light on the teriyaki or soy sauce), grilled cheese sandwiches, and casseroles. If the meal is light or heavy on calories, it’s also a good idea to inform a diabetic beforehand so they can adjust their insulin intake if necessary.

If you’re anything like me, you indulge your sweet tooth by eating licorice sticks by the handful. I picked up that habit as a child, and it’s never steered me wrong. Over the years, I’ve picked up a few recipes that have encouraged me to branch out while still enjoying the distinctive taste of good licorice. The following recipe for parfaits should be enjoyed at the end of a warm late-summer day.

Ingredients:

1 packet black licorice sticks, chopped
5 egg yolks
12 fluid ounces cream
4 ounces granulated sugar
1 gelatin leaf
8 cylindrical molds
½ pound blackcurrants
3.5 ounces icing sugar
1 cup water

Directions:
1. Dissolve licorice in the water over low heat. Add the gelatin leaf to the pan, put the mixture through a Back to Basics food strainer and set to one side.
2. Put blackcurrants and icing sugar in a blender and puree to a fine consistency. Set this mixture aside as well.
3. Boil sugar and water together in a pan, lower the heat to simmer. Once the mixture reaches jam stage, start whisking some egg yolks. Add the hot sugar syrup to the eggs when they become fluffy.
4. In yet another bowl, whisk the cream until relatively thick. Pour in majority of blackcurrants and fold; add the cooled egg mixture next; drizzle licorice syrup on last.
5. Pour everything into a mold and freeze it for 12 hours. When it’s time to serve, dip the mold in cold water and the parfaits will pop out.

I am one who will never tire of kitchen gadgets.  When shopping, I am always drawn to stores that sell small kitchen appliances.  I have always thought about why I am so attracted to these stores.  I realize that one reason is because they always have something new.  It could be a revolutionary new gadget I have only seen now, or a new form or presentation of one that I had been using for years. I find it such fun to discover new things.

The store that sells small kitchen appliances is also a good place to get gifts for your friends. Who would not love a blender, food processor or mixer? She might already have a coffee maker, cooker or steamer, but new designs look so modern, so up-to-date.

Emergency survival kits are great tools for securing your family in any emergency situation. Having one on hand provides a feeling of peace of mind and security. Many people actually keep more than one on hand, like having one at home and one in the car. Keeping an emergency survival kit in the car should be mandatory, especially if you are always on the road or you live in a remote area that is prone to severe weather conditions.

Even in any outdoor activities such as hiking or camping in the woods, an emergency survival kit should be included in the backpack as several emergency situations could happen along the way. There are emergency survival kits can be carried in a backpack or shoulder bag. Examples of the contents include water pouches, batteries, food bars, first aid kit, warm clothes, flashlight, and waterproof matches.

A few months ago, I switched to part-time at my job in order to spend more time at home with the kids. Since then we’ve been busy with dozens of activities, from arts and crafts to learning musical instruments and foreign languages. I want to allow my kids to experience all sorts of practical yet fun hobbies so that they can choose the ones they’d like to pursue seriously.

One such hobby takes place in the kitchen, where we’ve been learning how to make our favorite foods from scratch. It’s proved to be a real money-saver for me as well – many food products are marked up to exorbitant prices in grocery stores. You’re really just paying all that money for packaging and convenience. Just last week we used a Roma sauce maker to create a marinara from tomatoes, onions and assorted herbs.

Delicate garden salads and other light cuisine are well-suited for the dog days of summer, but now that the November chill is well on its way in many parts of America, diners are clamoring for something a bit more substantial. I like to wait for an especially cold night to make the following pot roast recipe. It’s a rib-sticking meal that will satisfy even the hungriest members of the family.

Ingredients:
2 pounds sirloin tip roast
3 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 large potatoes
carrots, chopped into manageable pieces
½ yellow onion, diced
3 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Season roast with salt and pepper. Put oil in Presto pressure cookers and warm it over medium heat. Brown roast on both sides and remove from heat.
2. Pour Worcestershire sauce over the top, put onions on top and add other veggies. Cover roast with water.
3. Heat pressure cooker on high with lid on. Don’t be alarmed if rocker jiggles slightly. Bring heat down to low and cook for about 50 minutes. Check periodically and serve.

When fall comes around, I’m the first to venture into the nearby woods in search of a local delicacy. As the leaves take on a faint hint of yellow and orange hue, I know it’s time for the blackberry harvest. The plants flourish in the unique Pacific Northwest climate, and my friends from out of state are always calling me on the phone asking about receiving their annual batch of blackberry jam.

I prefer to make the jam with a couple of quarts of berries – about a quarter of which are unripe, adding a desirable tartness to the condiment. After I’ve washed, milled and preserved the berries, I add a touch of sugar and cook them for approximately one half-hour. Then it’s as simple as setting aside some of the jam for a pie and placing the rest in frozen food storage. If I ration the jam correctly, I’ll end up with an entire year’s worth of tasty bread spread.

When the flu season arrives, are you going to be ready to handle the flu?

There are some simple precautions that can be taken to at least lessen the chances of your contracting the flu.

1. Wash you hands frequently and well.  A five second wash does not do the job.  Take time to make sure you have done it right, and. believe it or not, doing it right does not include using an anti-bacterial soap. Contracting the flu means you have contracted a viral infection, not a bacterial infection.  Regular soap and warm to hot water is a better bet.
2. Carry an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Use it when necessary and appropriate.
3. Shaking hands is a great way to share the flu virus, but it will not give you the disease.  Once again, washing and sanitizing are great preventatives.
4. When using public washrooms, use a paper towel to turn taps on and off.  That is also a good procedure to use when opening the washroom door to exit.
5. If you need to cough, cough into your sleeve rather than your hand. And remember that not all people are going to wise enough to do that.
6. Try to eliminate the practice of touching your nose or mouth with hands that might be carrying unwanted viruses.  Rubbing your eyes should also be avoided.
7. That hard to clean computer keyboard, especially if it is accessed by numerous users, is a great place for germs to accumulate.  Please keep that in mind.  Light switches, door handles, and other such objects are also likely to receive the touch of many hands, some of which might be carrying the flu virus.
8. A cold is not the flu.  The flu generally strikes suddenly, not with a gradual build-up of symptoms.  If you do get sick, please go home.  Don’t spread your illness to others.
9. Prepare ahead.  If your day care provider takes ill, or you have a youngster coming home because the school is closing, will you have anything in place to provide alternate care?
10. Make sure your food storage contains some easy to cook nutritious foods.  If you take sick, you are unlikely to want to prepare elaborate meals, or visit the store to do a bit of grocery shopping.  In fact, you may not be able to do so.  Yet, you will still need to eat.
11. Wash those raw fruits and vegetables.  This is a good practice at any time, but is especially appropriate when flu season strikes.
12. Pay attention to advice being provided by your doctor and other health care professionals.  Guidance will be there if you need it.

Most people will not get drastically sick with even the H1N1 virus, but why take chances.  It is no fun being sick even when the infection is relatively mild.