It's Pumpkin Season!

PUMPKIN COOKIES     

 

½ C             Butter

1 C              Sugar

2 C              Flour

1 C              Pumpkin puree

1 C              Golden raisins

1 C              Pecans, chopped

2                  Eggs

2 T               Baking powder

½ tsp           Nutmeg

2 tsp            Cinnamon

¼ tsp           Ginger, ground

1 tsp            Salt

 

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until soft.  Slowly add the sugar and continue to beat together until light and fluffy.  Beat the eggs lightly then add to the sugar/butter mixture.  Sift the together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Blend well.  Add the raisins and nuts.  Drop the cookie dough by teaspoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and carefully transfer to a cooling rack.  Make about 4 dozen.

Don't drink the juice!

For years I have had some people taking certain medications tell me that they could not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice.  Medical research has proven that they were correct.  Even if you have a glass of grapefruit juice and wait until much later in that day to take your medications, there is still an effect from the juice.  Grapefruit juice negatively interacts with more than 50 medications, including statins. Because the effects of the citrus juice last more than 24 hours, simply taking your meds at a different time won't solve the problem.

 

If you are not sure about the effect of grapefruit juice and your medications, consult your doctor.

Hearts of Romaine Recall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 11, 2012 - Charlotte, North Carolina – Fresh Express Incorporated is conducting a voluntary, precautionary recall of a limited quantity of Fresh Express Hearts of Romaine Salad with a Use-by Date of October 11 and Product Code of S270A24 due to a possible health risk from Salmonella.

No illnesses or consumer complaints have been reported to Fresh Express at this time in association with this recall. No other Fresh Express products are subject to this recall.

The recall notification is being issued out of an abundance of caution based on an isolated instance in which a random sample yielded a positive result for Salmonella as part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s random sample testing program. Fresh Express is coordinating closely with regulatory officials.

Fresh Express customer service representatives are already contacting relevant retailers to confirm the recalled product has been removed from store shelves and inventories and that none is available for consumer purchase. Customers with questions are instructed to contact their Fresh Express customer service representative. The recalled salads were distributed primarily in the West-Northwest and Midwest regions of the U.S.

Consumers who may have purchased the recalled salad are asked not to eat it, but to throw it out instead. Fresh Express is offering a full refund. Consumers with questions or who would like to secure a refund may call the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center at (800) 242-5472 during the hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Specific recall information follows:

• Product Being Recalled: Fresh Express Hearts of Romaine in 18 oz. package
• Product Code: S270A24 (located in upper right corner on front of package)
• Use-by Date: October 11 (also located in upper right hand corner of package)
• Distribution: Primarily in West-Northwest and Midwest regions of the U.S.

·        Salmonella is an organism that may cause fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and possibly bloody diarrhea in healthy individuals. It can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Consumers with these symptoms should consult their health care provider.

·        Fresh Express Precautionary Salad Recall- 10/11/12 (No other Fresh Express Salads are included in this recall)

 

·        Fresh ExpressHearts of Romaine SIZE18 oz. UPC ₀71279-26201₇

 

·        Production Code S270A24 Best If Used By Date OCT 11

·        POSSIBLE DISTRIBUTIONSTATES

·        AZ, AR, CA, CO, HI, ID, KS, LA, MN, MT, NV, NM, ND, OK, OR, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY

Long time!

Sorry, but, it has been a very long time since my last post.  I lost the password and, well, got so busy with summer things and life.  Sad thing is, no one noticed.  Now I have a new password and will be posting again soon. 

 

If you have any ideas on information you need in a post, now is the time to let me in on the need.  I am going a new direction and want to help as many people as I can with new information.  Health and Wellness and Food Safety will be part of the new direction I am heading.  If you have any information on recipes, product safety or general food facts...let me know.  Thanks for hanging in there with me. 

Yes you Can make it low fat!

Low Fat Oatmeal   

2cups     oats, Old Fashioned...Not instant
4cups     water
2 whole  cinnamon sticks
2 tsp       ground cinnamon
1 tsp       vanilla
6 pkts     sweetener, Sweet and Low, Equal, or Tuvia
1/4 cup  Sugar free, Imitation Maple Syrup
1 very small pinch of salt in the water

Put Cinnamon Sticks, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Sweetener and Sugar Free Imitation Maple Syrup in the water and bring to a boil.  Add the 2 cups of oats.  Bring the ingredients back to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium.  Let cook 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Top with fresh berries, bananas, apples, or raisins. 

Healthy Habits for Good Health

Healthy Habits start with eating a balanced diet and making other lifestyle changes. Some of the things you can do to enhance your health include:

• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Move more. Don't just sit around and be a couch potato.
• Eat a variety of foods. Not just meat and potatoes.
• Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruits.
• Control your intake of sugars, salt and sodium.
• Choose fat-free or low-fat milk products.
• Include more whole grains, fish, beans and nuts in your diet.
• Put more color into your meats. There is more than just "red" meat.

Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories and provide essential nutrients and dietary fiber that may protect you from chronic diseases. Mix up your diet and enjoy all nature has to offer...to your good health.

KEY WEST GLAZE

4T Butter
1T Frozen Lime Concentrate
1T Frozen Orange Concentrate
1T Blackening Seasoning
1T Sugar


Melt butter in a sauté pan and add Orange and Lime concentrate and sugar. Bring to a simmer and then add the Blackening Seasoning. Remove from heat and use as a glaze on broiled fish, pork or chicken.

Do you have a favorite recipe from the Keys? Post it and share.

Who is United States Pharmacopeia?

When choosing dietary supplements it is important to purchase items with the USP notation on the products. Why and who is the USP?


The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is a scientific, not-for-profit organization that sets public standards for medicines, supplements, and food ingredients. Only those products that meet its stringent criteria are permitted to display the USP Verified Mark on their label. The USP Verified Mark on products tells you that they have been independently verified for quality, purity, strength, disintegration or dissolution (the ability for the tablets to breakdown in the stomach so that the dietary ingredients can be absorbed) and consistency.


USP’s standards are recognized in more than 130 countries and have helped ensure public health standards for over 200 years. More detail is at www.usp.org. Today it is very important to take care of your health and wellness. This is a new mission for Chef Johnny and many others who are getting into that senior citizen age bracket. Post your personal story and let others know what you are doing to improve your health and wellness.

Chinese Gooseberry aka: Kiwi

Even though "kiwi" is slang for someone from New Zealand, the kiwi fruit is actually native to China. It's been so important to Chinese culture, in fact, that it is still the country's national fruit. The fruit was first introduced into New Zealand in the early 1900's. Although the Chinese name is "yang tao", New Zealanders soon dubbed the fruit "Chinese gooseberry".

When U.S. importer Norman Sondag decided to market the fruits in the United States, he wanted a new name so that he wouldn't have to pay the high tariffs then in place for berries. Kiwifruit was suggested by New Zealand grower jack Turner, inspired by the brown furry-looking natural bird of New Zealand. So there you have it. The story of the kiwi fruit.

Recall of Streusel Topped Pies

Price Chopper Supermarkets Recalls Streusel Topped Fruit Pies


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 27, 2012 - (Schenectady, N.Y.) -- Price Chopper Supermarkets is issuing a voluntary recall on its Price Chopper Bakery five and eight inch Apple, Blueberry, Cherry, and Peach Streusel Pies due to the streusel topping containing eggs, an allergen that was not listed on the ingredient label.

Other than this labeling issue, the product is safe for consumption for those not allergic to eggs.

In addition to alerting the media, Price Chopper has initiated its Smart Reply notification program, which uses purchase data and consumer phone numbers on file in connection with the company’s AdvantEdge (loyalty) card to alert those households that may have purchased the product in question.

Customers can return the product to their local Price Chopper for a full refund. For more information, visit the pricechopper.com website or call Price Chopper at 1-800-666-7667, option 3 between the hours of 8:30am and 7:00pm

What to do with Apricots?

APRICOT HORSERADISH SAUCE

2/3 cups of prepared horseradish sauce
3 Tablespoons of APRICOT SAUCE (see recipe)

Combine and serve over broiled salmon or smoked salmon.

APRICOT CHERRY SAUCE

3 cups Apricot Preserves
½ cup dried apricots, halved
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup light corn syrup
2T Blackening Seasoning

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until begins to simmer. Remove from heat and serve over pork or chicken. May make ahead and keep refrigerated.

Possible Listeria Contamination

Michigan
Firm Recalls Salad Products for Possible Listeria Contamination
01/27/2012 06:24 PM EST

18th Street Deli Inc., a Hamtramck, Mich., establishment,
is recalling approximately 118 pounds of julienne salad products with turkey,
ham and hard-boiled eggs. The salads contain eggs that are the subject of an FDA
recall due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

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How about a Raspberry?!

These tiny berries are packed with vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants to protect the heart and are one of the most nutritious fruits. Raspberries are the seventh highest fruit on the ORAC scale. Raspberries also contain high levels of ellagic acid, a compound with anticancer properties. They are also high in vitamin C and fiber and contain good amounts of iron. They do not keep long so should only be picked when ripe.

Rich in Vitamin C

Strawberries are very high in antioxidant activity and are extremely rich in vitamin C that helps to boost the immune system. They also contain other antioxidant phenolic plant chemicals such as antyocyanins and ellagic acid which can block cancer cells. When choosing strawberries, look for the plump and glossy berries. The dull ones are usually past their best nutritional life. Smaller strawberries tend to have higher levels of ellagic acid concentrated in the outer layer and they have more flavor.

Potential Salmonella Exposure

Winn-Dixie Issues Voluntary Recall On LEASA Brand Sprouts Due To Potential Salmonella Exposure
01/19/2012 12:15 PM EST


Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., today announced an immediate Class I voluntary recall of all LEASA Living Alfalfa Sprouts sold in the 6 oz. package with a UPC code of 7546555912. According to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), the product is potentially contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Iron Deficiency and Your Diet

Today a young man at my church and I were discussing anemia and his wife's battle to overcome it while not eating much red meat. I hope this helps the many who have the same battle with iron deficiency and anemia. There are several negative effects of iron deficiency and most are due largely to the impaired delivery of oxygen to the tissues and impaired activity of Iron containing enzymes in various of the bodies tissues. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia in additional to many other issues such as learning disabilities, impaired immune functions, and decreased energy levels. Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia. However anemia is the last stage of iron deficiency. It is recommended that the daily iron intake should be 10 mg in men and 15 mg for females. There are two kinds of dietary iron, "heme" iron and "non-heme" iron. Meme iron is that iron that is bound to hemoglobin and myoglobin. It is found in animal products and is the most efficiently absorbed form of iron. Non-heme iron is found in plant foods. Non-heme is poorly absorbed.

Here is a list of selected foods, in milligrams per servings, that contain iron.

Clams, cooked, 3 ounces 23.8 mg

Sirloin steak, cooked 3 ounces 2.9 mg

Lentils, cooked, 1 cup 6.6 mg

Tofu, firm, 4 ounces 6.6 mg

Quinoa, cooked, 1 cup 5.3 mg

Pinto Beans, cooked, 1 cup 4.3 mg

There is another cause of iron deficiency that is caused by a seficiency of any of servral vitamins and minerals. The most common are vitamin B12 or folic acid. It has been determined that the highest groups of the US population with liron deficiency are infants under 2 years of age, teenage girls, pregnant women, and the elderly. Your diet affects your iron levels and the ability of the body to obsorb the proper amounts of iron. Learn other factors that may cause this deficiency and anemia and change your lifestyle and diet.

Arthritis and the Effects of Fats and Diet

Are your joints out of joint? Is arthritis pain and swelling in and around your joints causing you daily discomfort? There is a connection to arthritis and fat that can be controlled by diet. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the immune system, instead of protecting the body, begins attacking the body. When these attacks happen, it causes swelling of the membrane that lines the joints. Eventually the swelling eats away at the joints' cartilage.

A diet of low saturated fats reduces the body's production of protaglandins, hormonelike substances that contribute to inflammation. A low-fat diet may hinder the communications sent by the immune system, thereby interrupting the body's inflammatory response and helps the joints to heal. If you want a very simple way to reduce your intake of saturated fats...just don't add them to food and foods you eat.

Simple ways to reduce fats include replacing butter, sour cream, and cheese with their lower-fat or fat-free counterparts. The fat that does help with relief is the omega-3 fatty acids you get from primarily cold water fish like Spanish mackerel, trout, and salmon. The omega-3 fatty acids reduce the body's production of prostaglandins and leukotrienes, both substances that contribute to inflammation. There are other specific food items that switch on the body's inflammatory response. Those items include wheat, dairy foods, corn, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and eggs. Knowing which foods, if any, to avoid can be difficult. Keep tract of what foods you eat just before each flareup of your arthritis. Avoid those and log your eating habits and find what does and does not cause flareups. After you have an idea on what foods cause flareups, stop eating them for 5 days to see if those are what are causing the problems.

Remember, fats and your diet can affect your arthritis.