I just entered us in Crate and Barrel’s Ultimate Wedding contest (I am THAT girl now. I’ve accepted it). Vote for us so we can win a 100K wedding organized by celebrity wedding planner Jo Gartin. Sounds pretty good, right?
At least we have a pretty good love story, if I do say so myself…
And pass it on….
I was watching tv the other day and saw this ad:
It’s the Corn Refiners Association latest attempt to defend their product high-fructose corn syrup. The ad shows a couple having a picnic in the park. A girl offers her boyfriend a bite of a popsicle. He says, “Don’t you love me?”
She says, “Of course I do. Take two bites.”
And he says, “But there’s high-fructose corn syrup in that and you know what they say…”
“What?” she says.
Then he just sits there with his mouth open… “um…”
She calls him silly; it’s just corn. It’s just like sugar. Same calories. Perfectly safe, in moderation.
Silly.
Not silly. If that boyfriend could have spit out the words there are plenty of arguments to be made. Like…
1. High-fructose corn syrup is not the same as sugar. It may be sweet like sugar, but to the body the two are not the same at all. Unlike sugar which is glucose that is easily burned up and used, fructose gets metabolized as fat. It all goes through the liver and the body stores what it can’t use. So when you consume 120 calories of fructose, 40 end up stored as fat.
2. We’re consuming way too much of it. HFCS is cheap – a lot cheaper than sugar. So food manufacturers use it and it winds up in just about everything on the grocery shelf. Take a look next time you’re shopping. Check the bread, salad dressings, crackers. I bet it’s in there.
As for it being safe in moderation, OK, but the numbers are anything but moderate. On average we’re consuming 65 grams of HFCS per day. Before it came on the market in 1975, 20 grams per day of fructose was average.
So we’re consuming more, the body’s storing it as fat, and wait it gets better….
3. HFCS disrupts the release of hormones that regulate appetite. Now studies are showing that fructose doesn’t trigger leptin – a hormone that’s released to tell them brain the stomach is full. So HFCS leads to major overeating. There’s another connection between HFCS and fat.
That’s right. What do you have to say to that girlfriend?
If it’s true what they say: Love feeds the soul, then Friday I had the 72 oz steak.
This weekend Ross (remember, boyfriend and guinea pig?) asked me to marry him. And I said, “YES!”
My feet have yet to hit the ground. We had the most incredible weekend celebrating with family and friends. How lucky we are to have such wonderful people in our lives.
I’m up to my eyeballs in love. Woo!
Up until a few months ago my knowledge of leafy greens started with romaine and ended with spinach. Come to find out those are so 2008. Today it’s all about mustards, collards, dandelions and kale. Who knew such a smorgasbord of edible foliage was out there? Before, I probably would have guessed kale was a cousin of shrimp. No clue. Now I buy a bunch every trip to the grocery store. I admit, I used to hurry past that wall of green in the produce section on my way to the carrots and baby spinach. But I’m trying to spend more time in the weeds.
And by weeds I mean leafy greens, not the… well, you know. And the greener the better. I understand the common prejudice toward green things. I’ve never had a problem with the color. My food aversions are of the shape variety – like hot dogs. But that’s neither here nor there. Greens though, never an issue. If you can get past any preconceived notions and the image I’ve given you of actually eating weeds, kale and other dark leafy greens are actually quite tasty when done right. Plus they’re about as green as it gets and mama didn’t push those green beans because they’re beans. Green means vitamins, minerals and all that good stuff. So go get ya some.
Here’s my standby way of preparing kale.
What you need:
1 bunch kale
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced into crescents
1 tbsp tamiri or soy sauce
2 tbsp water
What you do:
Wash kale by submerging leaves in a bowl of cold water. Dry, and tear kale leaves away from stems and into pieces.
Heat olive in pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute a few minutes, until translucent. Add kale and stir to coat with oil. The kale will turn a brilliant bright green and begin to wilt. Mix together the tamiri (or soy) and water. When greens begin to wilt, add liquid and allow the leaves absorb it, about 5-8 minutes. Taste to see if they’re done – greens should not be bitter, but a little sweet and still green.
And here’s more on how to cook mouthwatering greens and five more ways to eat kale.
I bought the herb turmeric months ago after reading about it’s healing powers and thought I’d give it a try. It’s hailed as a digestive aid, inflammation fighter and cancer defender. It can also be applied directly to the skin to heal wounds and eczema. But until a few weeks ago all it had done is brighten up the spice cabinet with a little yellow.
It was time to put this guy to work. I tried this Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup in Cooking Light. Mine was a bit amateur – I didn’t have coriander or fish sauce and I swapped the snow peas for frozen peas and carrots. But you wouldn’t have known the difference. I was also missing the pad thai noodles, but I did have some leftover cooked spaghetti squash in the fridge. Worked just like noodles. Inventive, no? This is my new favorite now. I’ll definitely be making it the next time the temperatures drop below 30 again.
Recipe serves 7
Here’s what you need:
4 cups water
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
1 package pad thai noodles or brown rice noodles
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 tsp red curry paste
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 can light coconut milk
1 pound shredded cooked chicken (or diced)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tbsp sugar (or substitute agave nectar or honey)
2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
7 lime wedges
Here’s what you do:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add spinach and peas to pan; cook for 30 seconds. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Add noodles to pan; cook 3 minutes. Drain; add noodles to spinach mixture in bowl.
Heat canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and the next five ingredients (through garlic) to pot; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth to pot and bring to a boil. Add coconut milk to pot; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Pour chicken mixture over noodle mixture in bowl. Stir in cilantro and red pepper. Add dash of cayenne if you’d like. Serve with lime wedges.
Here’s something to think about.
In 1960 the average household spent 17.5 percent of their income on food, while 5.2 percent of their income went to healthcare.
Fast forward nearly 50 years to 2008…
Last year the average household spent 9.9 percent of their income on food and 16 percent of income on healthcare.
Going by this, the average U.S. household is spending half as much on food and three times as much on healthcare as we did 50 years ago. True, part of the increase in healthcare spending can be attributed to advances in medicine, etc., but looking at the increase in diet-related disease along with changes in eating habits (e.g. the rise of the fast food chain), the lines are drawn. As our spending on food has decreased, the amount of money going to healthcare has increased.
After months of debating the complicated healthcare crisis, when you look at this little statistic, things look a lot simpler.
What if Americans spent a little more on food? What if we put more value on the quality versus quantity? What if we invested in heath education programs? What if the focus shifted to prevention? What if government spending on healthcare went to subsidizing broccoli instead of insurance companies? What if the role of food in our country became a topic in the healthcare debate? I think it should be.
It’s something to think about … and a little fodder for the debate you’ll be having with someone in your family over the holidays.
Helping others feels good. But this takes it to a whole new level. Cami Walker, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, followed the advice of a holistic health educator to give one gift a day for 29 days. Then she wrote a book about it – “29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life.” I just read about her and the book here.
It’s all about how the act of giving – “stepping outside of your own story long enough to make a connection with someone else,” as Cami puts it – has changed her attitude and consequently helped her cope with a difficult disease. She is more mobile and less dependent on pain medication now. And she credits it to the power of giving and positive emotions.
Pretty cool. But wait, there’s more. The article goes on to suggest that self-centered people have a higher risk of heart disease. OK, exaggerating. More like it points out a correlation between the severity of one’s heart disease and the amount of time spent talking about oneself. Still, interesting. One obnoxious talk show host who speaks in third-person comes to mind. Tyra, taken a stress test lately?
That was negative. I’m going to go do a random act of kindness now to balance.
Cami’s 29 days has sparked a movement and a web site: www.29gifts.org/. There’s also a store. That’s quite a lot to come out of just a few simple acts of kindness.
Last night my roommates and I hosted a macaroni and cheese cook-off. The only thing healthy about this was the green beans we made as a side/palate cleanser. Actually, I take that back. There’s nothing wrong with a little pasta, cheese and milk when it agrees with you. These dishes were made with real, wholesome ingredients. And that’s perfectly healthy … you know what I’m going to say, right? … “in moderation.” But making it your entire meal like we did last night … not so healthy. Nevertheless, I’m sharing this because who doesn’t love mac & cheese? We’ve all got to splurge every now and then. What else is Thanksgiving week for?
The winner was Mac & Cheese Cupcakes (our apartment’s creation). We think the bite-size minis would make a perfect party horderve (pictured top left). Other contenders ranged from the classic elbow mac and cheddar, to the gourmet: Martha Stewart’s cafe macaroni and cheese (pictured bottom left). The top right picture is of our entire spread. There would have been enough food to feed ourselves (eight mac & cheese-loving girls) and then put that guy on Man vs Food to shame. There were a lot of leftovers.
In the end it was the crispy edges on the cupcakes that gave them a leg up over the rest (pictured bottom right). The recipe (slightly adapted) from Epicurious is below. Enjoy, “in moderation.” Come to think of it, these individual servings help make that whole moderation thing a little easier too. That is, if you can stop at just one.
Here’s what you need:
Here’s what you do:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cook the macaroni according to the package, until tender. Drain and toss with a little olive oil and set noodles aside.
Butter cupcake pans (2 large or 4 mini) and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, then set aside.
In a large sauce pan, whisk together the milk and cornstarch until it’s well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Stir in the mustard, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened. Once thick, stir in the cheddar cheese until it’s melted and smooth. Fold in the macaroni. Then stir in the chives.
Spoon macaroni and cheese into the cupcake pans. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, then dust tops with breadcrumbs.
Bake until golden brown on top, about 15-25 minutes.
I don’t really believe it, but Thanksgiving is next week. This holiday has completely snuck up on me. Thankfully I don’t have any major responsibilities for the day. In years past my sister Molly and I have volunteered to make macaroni and cheese, which my mother said, “we don’t need this year.” Probably because we double the recipe and take up valuable real estate in the oven. This stresses my mom out.
There’s only so much space in the oven and sooooo many things that need to be warm and ready all at the same time. Plus a giant bird. To actually get everything at the optimal temperate at once, and then to get everyone to sit down for dinner simultaneously is really a tremendous feat.
For all those facing a similar task next week, here are a few ways to get a head start on the day – 101 dishes that you can make in advance and even serve cold.
Mom, sign me up for one of these….
28. Toss cooked Israeli couscous with toasted pecans, orange zest and juice, chopped mint, cider vinegar and honey. Bake in an oiled dish or use as stuffing.
41. Toss chunks of sweet potato and 2-inch lengths of scallion with neutral or peanut oil. (Again, a little sesame oil helps.) Roast, turning as necessary, until nicely caramelized; drizzle with soy.
43. Toss chunks of butternut squash with butter and curry powder. Roast until half-tender, then stir in chunks of apple and some maple syrup. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until everything is nicely browned and tender.
50. Cook chopped onions in olive oil until soft. Add chopped spinach and a handful of raisins — maybe a little port, too — and cook until wilted and almost dry. Roasted pine nuts are good on top.
I like this guy. Sam Kass is the assistant chef at the White House. In the morning he makes the Obamas breakfast omelets and in the afternoon he brainstorms with policy makers on ways to improve national school lunch programs and fight child obesity.
Quite the interesting guy, at 29 he has no formal culinary training; he just learned by doing at a restaurant in Chicago. His goal wasn’t only to make food that tastes good (he’s got that part down). Sam had his eye on bigger things – like the government subsidized high-fat lunches in school cafeterias.
His philosophy: “It’s got to taste good, you know? They’re not going to eat it, no matter how healthy it is, if it doesn’t taste good.”
He’s an advocate for healthy eating habits. He speaks out against pesticides. And (I hear) he makes a mean chicken salad with toasted almonds.
Watch out, Ross. 
