Sunday, June 30, 2013

Crock Pot Pork Back Ribs w/ Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus

Dinner Tonight: Crock Pot Pork Back Ribs w/ Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus




A beautiful day out after a night of some heavy rain. Looks like we got a lot of rain coming our way on and off all week. Have to be up early and at the hospital for my yearly scans, for my upcoming Melanoma Cancer check up. It's always a tough time when I have these, the test is easy but it stirs up a lot of bad memories of my past fights against Melanoma. I just have to think positive, I'll get the results in about 2 weeks when I go for my check-up. On to dinner! Mom had a hankering for my Crock Pot Ribs, so guess what we had! I prepared Crock Pot Pork Back Ribs w/ Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus. Also boiled some Corn on the Cob for Mom and Dad.




Last night before I went to bed I cut the Ribs in half, so they'll fit in the Crock Pot, and put each half in a JB's Fat Boy Hawg Waush BBQ Sauce to marinate all night in the fridge. Then this morning I got out the Crock Pot, lined it with a Reynold's Crock Pot Plastic Liner, and sprayed that with Pam Non-Stick Spray. Got the Ribs out of the fridge, discarded the Hefty Bags, and put them in the Crock Pot where I'll cook them on low for about 8 hours. Long up in the afternoon you can start smelling the aroma of the Ribs, intoxicating! After 8 hours their ready and now for the hard part of cooking them, getting them out whole without breaking them up! Their that tender, when eating them you need no knife, the bones just slide out. Tender, moist and just full of flavor! For all of us JB's Fat Boy Sauces and Rubs can't be beat. The Ribs were incredible.
Hefty Gallon Plastic Bag then rubbed and covered the Ribs in




For side dishes I prepared boiled Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes, and Corn on the Cob (for my Parents). To prepare the Asparagus was very easy I just brought about 1 inch salted water to a boil in a large skillet. Added my Asparagus in one layer. Cooked until tender, about 5 minutes  Drained, and transferred to a serving platter. Sprinkled with Sea Salt and Black Pepper, and topped with a pat of butter (Blue Bonnet Light Stick Butter). Very good and easy recipe for Asparagus. I also heated up some Bob Evan's Mashed Potatoes and boiled a couple of Green Giant Mini ears of Sweet Corn. I think I satisfied my Mom's Hankering for Ribs! For dessert later, I baked a loaf of Pillsbury Nut Quick Bread. A slice of that topped with a scoop of Breyer's Carb Smart Vanilla Ice Cream.

Easy & Fresh! Yummy Salad Recipes

Another good one from Diabetic Living On Line web site, it's all about the salads! I left the link to all these great recipe ideas at the end of the post.






Easy & Fresh!
Forget skimpy salads that leave you feeling hungry. We have the best salad tips, plus yummy recipes that are loaded with all your favorite fixings. Healthy summer meals just got easier!


Yummy Salad Recipes
Salads don't have to mean sacrifice with this bunch of mouthwatering, flavor-packed recipes. Plus, they're each filling enough to make into a main dish.




Buffalo Chicken Salad
Need a healthful meal in a flash? This low-carb salad has the spicy kick and satisfying crunch of your favorite restaurant-style Buffalo chicken without the extra calories and fat. And it only takes 15 minutes to toss together......




Clementine-Arugula Salad with Lime-Poppy Seed Dressing
This citrus-infused side salad will surely be a hit around the dinner table. Plus, it takes less than 20 minutes to make and boasts only 14 grams of carb per serving......



Get these and all the rest of the salad recipes by clicking the link below


http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diabetic-recipes/salad/yummy-salad-recipes/?sssdmh=dm17.676005&esrc=nwdlo062513

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

You may know that you can usually just cut mold off of cheese, but the same does not hold true for bread. If you see the slightest sign of mold on baked goods, throw them out. Mold sends out feelers that often can't be seen

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Seasoned Chicken Roaster Bone-In Breast w/ Green Beans and New Potatoes...

Dinner Tonight: Seasoned Chicken Roaster Bone-In Breast w/ Green Beans and New Potatoes along with
Baked Sourdough Bread





Sunny, no humidity, and 77 degrees, Perfect day! Got the 4 wheeler out for quite a while today. Spent some time by our community lake and just riding around enjoying the beautiful day. For dinner tried a new one from Perdue Chicken, the PERDUE® OVEN READY Whole Seasoned Roaster Bone-In Breast (3 lbs.).  For dinner tonight, Seasoned Chicken Roaster Bone-In Breast w/ Green Beans and New Potatoes along with Baked Sourdough Bread.






Okay to prepare the Chicken I first Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut open outer bag and remove Oven Ready Roaster Bone-In Breast, sealed in a cooking bag. Place in a shallow roasting pan, seasoned side up. I Cut one small 1" slit in cooking bag over the breast to vent during cooking. The instructions warn that the Cooking bag will expand during cooking; so allow enough room for the bag to expand without touching oven rack or walls. I cooked it from fresh so the next step was to place the pan with breast (still in cooking bag) on lower shelf of oven and roast for approximately 80-90 minutes, until internal temperature of the breast reaches 180ºF. When done remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Cut open cooking bag (use care to avoid hot steam and juices) and transfer breast to serving plate or cutting board. You  can use the remaining juices in bag for a seasoned gravy. Another delicious and easily prepared Chicken Dish from Perdue! The Chicken was well seasoned and came out moist and tender.





For a side dish to go with the Chicken I prepared a Cut Green Bean and New Potato Dish. I'll need 2 cans Alouette Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Spread and I'll use Ritz Whole Grain Crackers with it.
Del Monte Cut Green Beans, Water as needed, 1 Tbs. extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 tsp. Hungarian Sweet Paprika, and about 8 New Potatoes rinsed but not peeled. I would have liked to use fresh Half Runner Green Beans and made a larger batch of this, but fresh Half Runners are very difficult to find around here this year. i used a small Dutch Oven to prepare this. i added the beans, Sea Salt and Ground Pepper to taste, Olive Oil, Water, and the Paprika together and brought to a boil and then reduced the heat till it was simmering and covered it. The combo of the beans and olive Oil simmered together creates a nice little broth. If I was using fresh Green Beans they would have to simmer a lot longer but being from a can it reduced my cooking time. After about 15 minutes I added my Potatoes, laying them on top of the Beans and pressing them into the broth and added a half cup of Water. I continued to cook them until the Potatoes were fork tender, about 25 minutes or so. Green Beans and Potatoes, a perfect pairing! The Paprika added a nice flavor to it all. Add the moist Roasted Chicken to it, WE have Dinner! I'll definitely be using the PERDUE® OVEN READY Whole Seasoned Roaster Bone-In Breast again! For desert/snack later I bought some







PERDUE® OVEN READY Whole Seasoned Roaster Bone-In Breast (3 lbs.)


Deliciously seasoned and juicy, whole bone-in chicken breast. Oven ready for convenience. Cooks perfectly in the bag for easy clean up. Refrigerated.


INGREDIENTS
*Ingredients: Chicken, water, salt, potassium and sodium phosphates, brown sugar, dextrose, carrageenan, yeast extract, maltodextrin, natural flavor.

*Seasoning Ingredients: Dextrose, modified food starch, onion, maltodextrin, natural flavor, garlic, cottonseed oil, dried carrot, xanthan gum, dried parsley, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, carrageenan.


PRODUCT HANDLING
Keep refrigerated or frozen. Thaw in refrigerator or microwave. Cook thoroughly.
**If breast temperature is below 180ºF, return to oven and continue cooking, checking the temperature every 10 minutes until the temperature reaches 180ºF.

COOKING AND PREP
• Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cut open outer bag and remove Oven Ready Roaster Bone-In Breast, sealed in a cooking bag. Place in a shallow roasting pan, seasoned side up.
• Cut one small 1" slit in cooking bag over the breast to vent during cooking. Note: Cooking bag will expand during cooking; allow enough room for the bag to expand without touching oven rack or walls.
• Cook from Fresh: Place pan with breast (still in cooking bag) on lower shelf of oven and roast for approximately 80-90 minutes, until internal temperature of the breast reaches 180ºF.**
• Cook from Frozen: Place pan with breast (still in cooking bag) on lower shelf of oen and roast for approximately 80-90 minutes until internal temperature of the breast reaches 180ºF.**
• Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Cut open cooking bag (use care to avoid hot steam and juices) and transfer breast to serving plate or cutting board. Remaining juices in bag can be used for a delicious seasoned gravy.


Nutrition

Serving Size 4oz (112g)
Servings Per Container about 11
Amount Per Serving (* % of Daily Value)
Calories 170
Calories from Fat 80
Total Fat 9g (14%)
Saturated Fat 2.5g (13%)
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 60mg (20%)
Sodium 360mg (15%)
Total Carbohydrate 0g (0%)
Dietary Fiber 0g (0%)
Sugars 0g
Protein 20g

Kitchen Hint of the Day!


Although it may be tempting for health reasons, never omit the salt from your bread recipe. Salt strengthens and tightens the gluten, keeping bread from becoming crumbly.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Fish (Cod) Tacos w/ Refried Beans

Dinner Tonight: Fish (Cod) Tacos w/ Refried Beans




Beautiful day out, a good breeze kept the humidity down all day. I had purchased a large fillet of Cod yesterday when I was Kroger. I sliced it up into 3 pieces, saving 2 pieces that I froze to make Fish Sandwiches out of later and 1 piece for my dinner tonight. I prepared Fish Tacos along with a side of Refried Beans.




I first washed the Cod off in water and patted dry with a paper towel. I then grabbed a Hefty Zip Plastic Bag and added Zatarain's Lemon Pepper Breading Mix and the Cod, shaking it till it was well covered. I pan fried it in Canola Oil, fried it about 3 minutes per side. The Zatarain's gives it perfect seasoning. After it was done I broke it into smaller pieces for the Taco.




For toppings along with the Cod I used Green Giant Sweet Yellow and White Corn Kernals, Shredded Lettuce, Ortega Diced Jalapenos, Sliced Black Olives, fresh grated Dutch Gouda Cheese, and Taco Bell Bold and Creamy Chipotle Sauce. If you've never tried the Taco Bell Bold and Creamy Chipotle Sauce and you like Taco Sauce with a nice little kick to it you'll love this Sauce! Not over bearing heat but a nice little warm up. The Cod with all the toppings and Sauce make a good Taco. Cod is so versatile, you can cook it about any way and use it for countless dishes. I also warmed a can of Old El Paso Fat Free Refried Beans, perfect side for Tacos and it's Fat Free! For dessert later some Peanut Butter and Crackers. I used Jif Reduced Fat Peanut Butter and Ritz Whole Grain Crackers.





Taco Bell Home Originals Bold & Creamy Chipotle Sauce



Taco Bell Home Originals Bold & Creamy Chipotle Sauce is the perfect finishing touch for your tacos, Mexican salads and sandwich wraps.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 2 tbsp (29g)

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 100Calories 110

% Daily Values*
Total Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 300mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 1g
Protein 1g

Historic Hamilton, Ohio Farmers Market

Historic Hamilton, Ohio  Farmers Market


Farmer's Market
In the summer of 1875 a contingent of farmers and other local vendors drove their trucks into downtown Hamilton, Ohio near the courthouse on High Street where they offered goods such as firewood, dairy goods, fruits, vegetables, eggs, crafts, and more. The atmosphere was casual, the open air commerce enticing, the goods fresh, and the result remarkable. This became a downtown institution until the mid-1950's.

Thanks to the effort of Historic Hamilton, Inc. the Hamilton Farmer's Market is up and running again offering various types of produce and flowers. Specialties include mushrooms, herbs, and beautiful flowers, all of which are locally grown.




Today's Farmers Market

The Farmers Market is held every Saturday between May and October in downtown Hamilton, Ohio at the Bulter County Courthouse Square. This year the Farmers Market runs from May thry October . Here you'll find local farmers, merchants and other vendors displayed their produce, crafts and other products on the tailgates of their vehicles and sidewalk stands.


http://downtownhamiltonsid.com/farmers-market

33 Crowd-Pleasing July 4th Recipes

Here's some  Crowd-Pleasing July 4th Recipes from the Eating Well web site! I left the link to the site at the end of the post.




33 Crowd-Pleasing July 4th Recipes
We've got all the great-tasting, healthy recipes you'll need for your 4th of July, healthier pasta salads and potato salads, juicy burgers and flavorful grilled meat recipes. But the real star is dessert. This gorgeous flag cake, made with a lightened cream cheese frosting and fresh summer berries, is sure to have everyone ooh-ing and ahh-ing. And don't miss our easy red, white and blue recipes featured on NBC's Today show!


Put a fresh twist on your classic American fare with this selection of easy, healthy July 4th recipes. Make a festive menu for your July 4th cookout with delicious coleslaws and potato salads, juicy burgers and grilled chicken and of course, fresh summer desserts. These All-American recipes for the 4th of July are healthier versions of classic picnic favorites that everyone at your cookout will enjoy.



Peach Custard Pie
We use low-fat milk along with nonfat Greek yogurt in the creamy custard for this peach pie. The yogurt gives the custard a smooth texture without using cream or too many egg yolks. A slice is just as delicious served warm from the oven as it is chilled. For an added treat, serve topped with fresh blueberries....



Beer-Barbecued Chicken
Here's our spin on the roast-a-chicken-on-top-of-a-can-of-beer technique that's popular with barbecue aficionados. To simplify things, we just pour a little beer inside the chicken as it cooks. The beer keeps the meat juicy and a smoky-flavored spice rub both under and over the skin gives it extra flavor. Barbecuing poultry with the skin on helps prevent the meat from drying out. To keep calories and fat in check, remove the skin before serving.....



Get these and more Eating Well recipes by clicking the link below!


http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/all_american_4th_of_july_recipes?sssdmh=dm17.676642&utm_source=EWTWNL&esrc=nwewtw062513_Blinktop

Fish on the grill

A very good article on one of my favorite grill items, Fish! I left the link at the bottom of the page.


Fish on the grill
Cook fish in your backyard. Grill prep starts the process.


BY JANE SCHREIER JONES - CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fire up the barbie — but, please, not for an artery-clogging beef steak. Instead, prepare fish on your backyard grill for a tasty and quite healthy meal.

Wow your family and even party guests with main courses chockfull of flavor and flair, such as barbecue salmon, fish tacos, tuna steaks, grilled tilapia and other scene-stealers.

All types of seafood can provide the thrill of the grill, say those-in-the-know. “But firmer fish such as salmon, halibut, trout, walleye, swordfish and tuna are easier to manage on a backyard grill,” points out Aleda Zink, owner of Dayton Fish Co., on North Main Street in Dayton.

“Scallops are fun and easy to grill because they are meatier and don’t fall apart,” points out Executive Chef Michelle Brown of Jag’s Steak and Seafood on West Chester Road in West Chester. “With scallops, the more caramelization the better, so don’t be afraid to use high heat.”

Great backyard seafood dishes start with proper grill prep. “Fish likes to stick to grill grates so make sure you have a clean grill to start, by heating it and using a metal brush to remove particles,” advises Matt Klum, executive chef at Jay’s Seafood Restaurant in Dayton’s Oregon District.

Klum recommends using tongs to rub a hot grill down with paper towel soaked in canola or vegetable oil — but do so cautiously. “Because you’re doing this while the fire’s hot, you’ll get some flare up, but use long tongs,” he says. There’s also a Pam for Grilling spray for the less adventurous.

Keep seafood refrigerated before cooking, of course. Klum says fish does not need to be washed; just dry it off with paper towels before seasoning it and rubbing it with a little bit of olive oil. “Let the seafood sit for a few minutes before putting it on the hot grill,” he says.

“I like to marinate fish in Italian dressing or another product before grilling,” says Zink. “That helps with the sticking and adds flavor.”

How long to grill fish? Zink says the rule of thumb is 10 to 15 minutes for each inch of thickness. “Flip it just once,” she says.

“For flakier fish, such as sea bass or halibut, prepare a foil pocket with the fish, herbs, lemon and olive oil,” says Michelle Brown. “Cook it on the grill, but not on the hottest part of the grill. Keep the lid shut. Ten minutes at 450 t0 500 degrees should do it.”

TERIYAKI SALMON

4 salmon steaks (about 6 oz each), skinned, or 1 to 1.5 lbs fillet, skinned

1¼ cups soy sauce

1/3 cup sake (Japanese rice wine) or mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)

6 Tablespoons granulated sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 Tablespoon minced or grated ginger root

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. To prepare the salmon: quickly rinse under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Divide each steak into 2 pieces by cutting along either side of the central bone and then discarding the bone; alternatively, cut the fillet into 8 equal pieces.

Place the salmon in a shallow glass or ceramic container and pour 1 cup of the marinade over the fish. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, turning the fish occasionally. Let the salmon come to room temperature before cooking.

Prepare grill. Remove the salmon from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Place the fish on an oiled grill rack. Position the fish 5 to 6 inches from the heat source, turning once and brushing with the reserved marinade several times, until the flesh is just opaque, 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Serve the salmon at once with reserved marinade as dipping sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Source: Dorothy Lane Market



Fish school

Facts about fish and nutrition:

• Seafood is a great source of protein, high in heart-healthy essential Omega-3 fatty acids.

• It’s naturally low in fat, calories and carbs.

• Decades of research show that eating seafood can decrease your risk of obesity, heart attack and stroke.

• Four major health organizations including The American Heart Association recommend eating seafood twice a week.

• Americans are not eating enough seafood. We’re eating about 3.5 ounces per week, half what the USDA recommends.



http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/lifestyles/fish-on-the-grill/nYS8D/

Kitchen Hints of the Day!

Hint #1 - When baking cakes and cookies, the ingredients should always be at room temperature. For pastry, it's just the opposite-the ingredients should be cold.




Hint #2 - Electric stand mixers are a boon for bakers, because the dough hook attachment reduces or eliminates the need to knead. To keep the dough from climbing up the hook, spray it with nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil before turning the mixer on. This is also a great tip when you're using a hand mixer.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Kitchen Hint of the Day!Kichen Hints, chopsticks


The next time you get chopsticks with your Chinese take-out, keep a few for your kitchen. Even if you haven't mastered the art of eating with them, they're perfect for leveling off cups of flour and other dry goods. 

Low Country Seafood Boil w/ Baked Sour Dough Bread

Dinner Tonight: Low Country Seafood Boil w/ Baked Sour Dough Bread
Dinner is served!




Well I always wanted to make a Low Country Seafood Boil and today was that day! I hit the Kroger Seafood Department early this morning and purchased my ingredients which included Jumbo Shrimp, Alaskan Crab Legs, Little Neck Clams, and a loaf of Sour Dough Bread. I already had the Potatoes, Seasoning, and Corn on the Cob. I had purchased a Big kettle a few weeks back at Meijer. Dinner tonight, Low Country Seafood Boil w/ Baked Sour Dough Bread.




I love trying new recipes and really excited to prepare this! I started by soaking my Littleneck Clams in water and scrubbing them down to remove any excess grit. Then I filled a large pot with enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Added the crab boil and old Bay Seasoning and bring to a boil. Adjust the Old Bay Seasoning to suit your taste. When the water boils, add the potatoes and sausage. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Add corn, lemon slices, crab legs, and clams and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for no more than 3 minutes. Drain and serve with the Bread of your choice. I baked a Loaf of Sour Dough Bread. I left the full recipe at the end of the post. And what a meal it turned out to be! The Clams were incredible and the Crab Legs sweet as can be. The Potatoes, Shrimp, Corn on the Cob, and Turkey Smoked Sausage just a perfect mix! I'll have to purchase some more of the Ekrich Smoked Turkey Sausage, best I ever had. Then the Sour Dough Bread to mop everything up with. For dessert later a Dole Mini Banana.

Simmering Away!







Low Country Seafood Boil
A few of the Ingredients


Ingredients:


Water
1 Lemon cut in half
1 Spice bag of McCormick Shrimp and Crab Boil
2 Tbs of Old Bay Seasoning
12 red new potatoes
6 (4-inch) Smoked Turkey Sausage Link
6 Green Giant Extra Sweet Mini Ears of Corn
2 pounds Jumbo Peeled Shrimp
4 Clusters of Alaskan Crab Legs
6 Littleneck Clams, cleaned



Directions:
Fill a large pot with enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Add the crab boil and old Bay Seasoning and bring to a boil. Adjust the amount of Old Bay Seasoning to suit your taste. When the water boils, add the potatoes and sausage. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Add corn, lemon slices, crab legs, and clams and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for no more than 3 minutes. Drain and serve with warm fresh baked Sour Dough Bread.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

7" Whole Wheat Gourmet Crust Pizza w/ Mushrooms, Turkey Sausage, Turkey Pepperoni...

Dinner Tonight: 7" Whole Wheat Gourmet Crust Pizza w/ Mushrooms, Turkey Sausage, Turkey Pepperoni,
and Turkey Bacon Crumbles





So tonight it's Pizza Night, a 7" Whole Wheat Gourmet Crust Pizza w/ Mushrooms, Turkey Sausage, Turkey Pepperoni, and Turkey Bacon Crumbles Pizza Night! I tried a new Pizza Crust that I came across at Meijer the other day. Mama Mary's 7" Whole Wheat Gourmet Crusts, It's 100 calories and 18 carbs per serving (1/2 a Pizza Crust). It baked up nice with a good crust. I'll have to use this again sometime.




For my toppings I used Bob Evans Ground Turkey Breakfast Sausage, Hormel Turkey Pepperoni, Oscar Mayer Low Sodium Turkey Bacon, sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms, Sliced Black Olives, Ragu Original Pizza Sauce, and Sargento Reduced Fat Shredded Mozzarella Cheese. The crust with all the toppings makes a very good Pizza!. For dessert later a Healthy Choice Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt.



Ready for the oven!




Mama Mary's 7" Whole Wheat Gourmet Crusts

Our Gourmet Whole Wheat Crusts come 3 in a pack and are made with 100% whole grains and real honey for a family friendly meal!

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size (42 g) | Servings Per Container 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 100
Calories from Fat 30
Total Fat  4g   6%
Saturated Fat  .5g  3%
Trans Fat  0g
Cholesterol  0mg  0%
Sodium  130mg  5%
Total Carbohydrate  18g  9%
Dietary Fiber  3g  4%
Sugars  Less than 1g
Protein 3g


INGREDIENTS
Whole wheat flour, water, soybean oil, contains less than 2% of each of the following: salt, yeast, fumaric acid, wheatgluten, wheat starch, maltodextrin, honey, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate, sorbitan monostearate, manganese sulfate, l-cysteine, ascorbic acid and enzymes added as a dough conditioner, calcium propionate and potassium sorbate (preservative).


http://www.mamamarys.com/7-whole-wheat.php

Wild Idea Buffalo Recipe of the Week - Buffalo Meatloaf

It's Wednesday and time for the Wild Idea Buffalo Recipe of the Week, Buffalo Meatloaf. I made a Turkey Meatloaf last week and can't wait to give this one a try soon! I left the link to the recipe and while there take a look at their on line store where you can order all your Buffalo Cuts.



Buffalo Meatloaf
By: Jill O'Brien

Serves 8 people or 5 yard workers.

Ingredients:

2 – pounds Wild Idea Ground Buffalo
2 – eggs
1½ – teaspoons dry mustard
1 – teaspoon chili powder
½ – teaspoon thyme
½ – teaspoon salt
½ – teaspoon pepper
1 – tablespoon dry parsley
1 – teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
¾ – cup milk
2 – slices dry bread, crumbled
1 – small onion, diced
1½ – cup stewed tomatoes, chopped
¼ – cup ketchup



Preparation:

1 - Mix eggs and spices together.
2 - Wisk in milk.
3 - Mix in Ground Buffalo meat
4 - Add bread crumbs, stewed tomatoes and onion and mix thoroughly
5 - Shape in oval and place in loaf pan, rounding top slightly.
6 - Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour, brush with ketchup and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes. *
7 - Serve with baked potatoes and minted spring peas.


*Optional: Organic Bacon can be added after 30 minutes of cooking. Brush with ketchup as above.

http://wildideabuffalo.com/2012/buffalo-meatloaf/

Kitchen Hints of the Day!

Hint #1 - Before you light up your grill, put a little bit of cat litter in the grease tray. It not only will prevent any flare-ups, it will keep the tray from overheating and warping.




Hint #2 - Make sure to remove the ashes from the bottom of your grill after each use, because the ashes can retain moisture and cause your grill to rust. Before you remove the ashes, try sprinkling them with used coffee grounds. The grounds will keep the ash from blowing up into your face.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Cubed Veal Steak w/ Spaetzle, Sugar Snap Peas, and Whole Grain Bread

Dinner Tonight: Cubed Veal Steak w/  Spaetzle, Sugar Snap Peas, and Whole Grain Bread




Another humid day. No one out stirring around much, I've only seen a couple of cars even go down the street today. Kroger has a decent selection of Veal and I had purchased a Cubed Veal Steak a while back. So for dinner tonight Cubed Veal Steak w/  Spaetzle, Sugar Snap Peas, and Whole Grain Bread.




I set the breading three station up for my Veal, consisting of Flour, Egg Wash (Egg Beater's) seasoned with Paprika, and Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs seasoned with Kraft Grated Parm Cheese. First rolling the Veal in Flour, then Egg wash, and then Bread Crumbs. I pan fried it on medium heat in Canola Oil, about 4 minutes per side. Came out beautifully browned, moist, and tender!




For side dishes to go with my Veal I prepared some Spaetzle. Which is a German Dumpling. At the end of the post I left a little history of Spaetzle and product info. I boiled it in hot water for about 25 minutes and seasoned it with Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper. I added a little I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and Parsley to it when it was ready to serve. Very tasty and goes very well with Veal or Pork. I also heated up a bag of Walmart Marketside Sugar Snap Peas, just microwave in the steamable bag for 2 minutes. My parents were going to eat out tonight until they got a taste of what I prepared, they ate at home tonight! Also had a slice of Healthy Life Whole Grain Bread. For dessert later a Jello Sugarless Double Chocolate Pudding.








Spaetzle

Spaetzle [SHPEHT-sluh; SHPEHT-sehl; SHPEHT-slee] Literally translated from German as “little sparrow,” spaetzle is a dish of tiny noodles or dumplings made with flour, eggs, water or milk, salt and sometimes nutmeg. The spaetzle dough can be firm enough to be rolled and cut into slivers or soft enough to be forced through a sieve, colander or spaetzle-maker with large holes. The small pieces of dough are usually boiled (poached) before being tossed with butter or added to soups or other dishes. In Germany, spaetzle is served as a side dish much like potatoes or rice, and is often accompanied by a sauce or gravy. The cooked spaetzle can also be pan-fried with a little butter and onions (usually a good left-over idea).

http://www.aaltonet.com/spaetzle/spaetzle.html





Maggi: Authentic German Dumplings Spaetzle


You & maggi make great meals. Enjoy maggi spaetzle as a satisfying main course or as a delicious side dish To accompany your favorite meal. Tastes great with chicken or beef. Recipes for: creamy spaetzle with sage; spaetzle, ham & mushrooms; And, cheese & onion SPAETZLE.


Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 46 G
Servings Per Container 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 170           Calories from Fat 10
                                                           % Daily Value*
Total Fat 1 G                                          2
Saturated Fat 0 G
Trans Fat 0 G
Cholesterol 30 Mg                         10
Sodium 350 Mg                                         14
Total Carbohydrate 32 G         11
Dietary Fiber 2 G                                         7
Sugars 1 G
Protein 6 G

Baked Orange Roughy

Baked Orange Roughy



INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup Progresso Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 pound orange roughy fillets
1/4 cup butter, melted, Blue Bonnet Light Stick Butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley



DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Coat a medium baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a shallow bowl, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic powder, and salt.
3. Brush both sides of orange roughy fillets with butter, and dredge in the bread crumb mixture. Arrange fillets in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with parsley.
4. Bake in preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Fish of the Week - Orange Roughy

The orange roughy, red roughy, slimehead or deep sea perch, Hoplostethus atlanticus, is a relatively large
deep-sea fish belonging to the slimehead family (Trachichthyidae). The Marine Conservation Society has categorized orange roughy as vulnerable to exploitation. It is found in 3 to 9 °C (37 to 48 °F) deep (bathypelagic, 180 to 1,800 metres (590 to 5,900 ft) waters of the Western Pacific Ocean, eastern Atlantic Ocean (from Iceland to Morocco; and from Walvis Bay, Namibia, to off Durban, South Africa), Indo-Pacific (off New Zealand and Australia), and in the Eastern Pacific off Chile. The orange roughy is notable for its extraordinary lifespan, with lifespans up to 149 years determined by scientific methods. It is important to commercial deep trawl fisheries. The fish is actually a bright, brick red color; however, the orange roughy fades to a yellowish orange after death.
Like other slimeheads, the orange roughy is slow-growing and late to mature, resulting in a very low resilience. They are extremely susceptible to overfishing because of this, and many stocks (especially those off New Zealand and Australia, which were first exploited in the late 1970s) have already crashed; recently discovered substitute stocks are rapidly dwindling. The flesh is firm with a mild flavour; it is sold skinned and filleted, fresh or frozen.




The orange roughy is not a vertically slender fish. They turn orange after death, but are red while living.
The rounded head is riddled with muciferous canals (part of the lateral line system), as is typical of slimeheads. The single dorsal fin contains four to six spines and 15 to 19 soft rays; the anal fin contains three spines and 10 to 12 soft rays. The 19 to 25 ventral scutes (modified scales) form a hard, bony median ridge between the pelvic fins and anus. The pectoral fins contain 15-18 soft rays each; the pelvic fins are thoracic and contain one spine and six soft rays; the caudal fin is forked. The interior of the mouth and gill cavity is a bluish black; the mouth itself is large and strongly oblique. The scales are ctenoid and adherent. The lateral line is uninterrupted, with 28 to 32 scales whose spinules or ctenii largely obscure the lateral line's pores. The eyes are large.
The orange roughy is the largest known slimehead species at a maximum standard length (a measurement which excludes the tail fin) of 75 centimeters (30 in) and a maximum weight of 7 kilograms (15 lb). The average commercial catch size is commonly between 35 and 45 cm in length. The name orange roughy was renamed from the less gastronomically appealing slimehead through a US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) program during the late 1970s, which identified (then) underutilized species that should be renamed to make them more marketable.
Due to its longevity, the Orange Roughy accumulates large amounts of mercury in its tissues, having a range of 0.30 - 0.86 ppm compared with an average mercury level of 0.086 ppm for other edible fish. Based on average consumption and the recommendations of a National Marine Fisheries Service study, in 1976, the FDA set the maximum safe mercury level for fish at 1 ppm. Regular consumption of Orange Roughy can have adverse effects on health. Compared to most edible fish, Orange Roughy are a very poor source of Omega-3 fatty acids, averaging less than 3.5gm per kilogram.




The maximum published age of 149 years was determined via radiometric dating of trace isotopes found in an orange roughy's otolith ("ear bone"). Similarly, counting by the growth rings of orange roughy otoliths has given a maximum age of 125 to 156 years.[10] The validity of these results is questioned by commercial fishers as some state the former method is controversial and the latter method is known to underestimate age in older specimens. The issue has yet to be resolved definitively but carries important implications relating to the orange roughy's conservation status.




In recent years, human consumption of orange roughy has risen drastically due to increased supply through
Orange Roughy Fillet
new deep-sea trawling techniques. Its recovery rate from fishing is slow because its long life cycle and sporadic reproduction make the fish prone to overfishing. Due to habitat damage of commercial trawling, some may not venture out during mating season. Studies have shown a decline in species associated with Orange Roughy, either indirectly through trophic interactions or directly through catching them, such as sea coral.
The United States continues to import up to 8,620 tonnes (19 million lb) per year. Several major food retailers have established seafood sustainability policies dealing with orange roughy. Some, such as Safeway, Inc., allow the sale of the fish, while others explicitly prohibit its sale. A 2003 joint report by the TRAFFIC Oceania and World Wildlife Foundation Endangered Seas Program argues that there is "probably no such thing as an economically viable deep-water fishery that is also sustainable." and concluded that "Similarly, international agreements to reduce fishing capacity, to remove subsidies which encourage over-fishing, to encourage co-operation in management of fish stocks and flag States to take responsibility for their vessels fishing on the high seas, appear to have gone largely unheeded, to the detriment of deep-sea species and their associated ecosystems."[8]
In addition to the dangers for the species, bottom trawling has been heavily criticized by environmentalists for its destructive nature. The destructive nature of bottom trawling combined with heavy commercial demand has focused criticism from both environmentalists and media.
The Australian orange roughy fishery was not discovered until the 1970s, but by 2008, the biomass was down to 10% of the unfished level. It was the first commercially sought fish to appear on Australia's endangered species list because of overfishing.




Conservation measures consist of imperfectly enforced catch limits, and listings on various endangered species and do-not-eat lists maintained by governments and environmental activist organizations.
According to sustainable seafood guides, such as Seafood Watch (USA), the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand,[16] the Marine Conservation Society (UK), consumers should strongly avoid the species.
Orange roughy is New Zealand's highest value fishery, accounting for 17.2% of total finfish export earnings. The generally accepted fishery management practice is to quickly reduce the original biomass (fish down stage) to a target of 30%. Once this target is achieved, quotas are set. For example, assuming a hypothetical unfished biomass of 100,000 tons, 70,000 tons is considered "surplus" and unrestrained fishing is allowed to remove it. Quotas are set to maintain the 30,000 ton target biomass. The catch size that allows this is the maximum sustainable yield and was originally believed to be 1,200 tons per year. By 2005, it became obvious this quota was too high.
The New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries has reduced catch quotas each year because the species' maturation and reproduction rates have been repeatedly overestimated. Antons Trawling, Ltd. represents 66% of the orange roughy quotas, and appealed the northern fishery's (ORH1) 2008 quota, which reduced the total allowable catch (TAC) from 1,470 tons to 914 tons. In February 2008, the High Court overturned the new quota, ruling the Minister did not have the legal power to set quotas for ORH1 because the strict interpretation of the Fisheries Act required an accurate population assessment and comparison to how many there should be. Due to the expense and difficulty of conducting assessments, only 20% of the areas had assessments. The majority of the unassessed areas had TACs of 10 tons or less, with a few notable exceptions, such as ORH1. As assessments in these areas to replace existing monitoring systems were neither cost effective nor technically feasible, the court recommended amendments to the Act. However, the new quotas are estimated to sustainably support only 11% of the unfished population size. Also, catch misreporting is a serious and common problem, with one ORH1 permit holder pleading guilty in 2008 to exceeding his quota by 180 tons, which by itself represents 12% of the quota. Area limits and feature limits are also routinely exceeded. The Area A catch limit of 200 tons has been exceeded every year, while the 30 ton limit for the Mercury-Colville features has been exceeded in three of the last four years, including a catch of 64 tons in 2004-05. Since orange roughy is a valuable export, the Ministry of Fisheries has launched projects to study the fish.
In 2010, Greenpeace International added orange roughy (deep sea perch) to its seafood red list, which contains fish that are generally sourced from unsustainable fisheries.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Don't throw away that old oven mitt, put it to good use! The old oven mitt makes an ideal holder for barbecue utensils. Use it's hanging loop to attach it to your grill and insert tongs or anything else you need.

WENDY'S NEW PRETZEL BACON CHEESEBURGER COMES OUT TODAY

A new burger's coming to town with buns blazing.

In a twist of events, fast-food chain Wendy’s launched their long-rumored Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger, a premium burger served on a toasted pretzel bun, today. The $4.69 burger includes cheddar cheese, thick-sliced bacon and smoky honey mustard sauce and is sandwiched between a pretzel bun.

Hailed as “the ultimate mash-up of three American loves: pretzel, bacon and cheeseburger” by Craig Bahner, Wendy’s chief marketing officer, the burger performed very well in recent market tests. The burger should be at all locations within a few weeks, and if successful may become a permanent addition to the menu.


http://www.kitchendaily.com/read/fast-food-wendys-launches-new-pretzel-bacon-cheeseburger

Donut Showdown Premiering on Cooking Channel July 3

Donut Showdown - Premiering Wednesday, July 3rd at 10pmET/7pmPT
Donut Showdown takes the donut to epicurean heights with an exciting competition between some of the best donut Makers out there. Hosted by Danny Boome, Donut Showdown brings an expert panel of judges to the diner kitchen to decide which fried treats will make the cut and which ones will cause the judges' eyes to 'glaze' over. David Rocco leads the charge as head judge, joined by fellow esteemed judges, culinary expert Maggie McKeown and popular Toronto restaurateur Zane Caplansky. Each episode pits three donut Makers against each other in a series of challenges, but only one can walk away with the $10,000 prize.


Read more about New Series DONUT SHOWDOWN Among Cooking Channel's July Highlights - BWWTVWorld by tv.broadwayworld.com

Monday, June 24, 2013

Baked Tuna Casserole w/ Whole Grain Bread

Dinner Tonight: Baked Tuna Casserole w/ Whole Grain Bread




I hope everyone else is having a better stretch of weather than what we are having. I'm glad the warm weather is here but we always seem to get the humidity with it, and that's not good. Did anyone watch the guy tightrope across the Grand Canyon last night? Nerves of steel! For dinner I baked a Tuna Casserole and had some sliced Whole Grain Bread with it. Nice light dinner tonight.




I used a box of Walmart Brand Great Value Cheesy Tuna Skillet Meal as my base for the Casserole. It came with Pasta and a Cheesy Sauce Mix. I added a can of Chicken of the Sea Light Chunk Tuna in Water (10 oz.), 1 1/2 cups Water, 2 cups 2% Milk, 3 tbsp. Blue Bonnet Light Stick Butter, a couple of shakes of Hungarian Paprika, and Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs. I mixed all those ingredients up in a 2 qt. baking dish, except the Bread Crumbs which I added to the top of the mix. I then covered it with aluminum foil and baked it at 425 degrees for about 37 minutes. It really came out very good! Nice and creamy, hearty dish. I also had a couple of slices of Healthy Life Whole Grain Bread topped with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. For dessert later a Healthy Choice Chocolate Swirl Frozen Yogurt.









Walmart Great Value Cheesy Tuna Skillet Meal


Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (226.8 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 300Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19.0g29%
Sodium 680mg28%
Total Carbohydrates 26.0g9%
Dietary Fiber 1.0g4%
Sugars 1.0g
Protein 3.0g






Chicken of the Sea Light Chunk Tuna in Water



*Naturally high in protein
*Naturally 99% fat free
*Fresh taste
*Excellent source of Omega-3*
*Wild caught, dolphin safe
*Contains 100 mg of EPA and DHA combined per serving, which is 62% of the 160 mg Daily Value for a combination of EPA and DHA.



Chunk Light Tuna in Water, 5.00 oz.Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 2 oz.
Servings: About 2
Calories: 50.00
Calories from Fat: 5
Total Fat: 0.50 g.
Saturated Fat: 0.00 g.
Cholesterol: 10.00 mg.
Sodium: 180.00 mg.
Total Carbohydrates: 0.00 g.
Dietary Fiber: 0 g.
Sugars: 0 g.
Protein: 11.00 g.

Twinkies To Return To Shelves July 15, Hostess Says

NEW YORK -- Hostess is betting on a sweet comeback for Twinkies when they return to shelves next
month.

The company that went bankrupt after an acrimonious fight with its unionized workers last year is back up and running under new owners and a leaner structure. It says it plans to have Twinkies and other snack cakes back on shelves starting July 15.

Based on the outpouring of nostalgia sparked by its demise, Hostess is expecting a blockbuster return next month for Twinkies and other sugary treats, such as CupCakes and Donettes. The company says the cakes will taste the same but that the boxes will now bear the tag line "The Sweetest Comeback In The History Of Ever."

"A lot of impostor products have come to the market while Hostess has been off the shelves," says Daren Metropoulos, a principal of the investment firm Metropoulos & Co., which teamed up with Apollo Global Management to buy a variety of Hostess snacks.

Hostess Brands Inc. was struggling for years before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in early 2012. Workers blamed the troubles on years of mismanagement, as well as a failure of executives to invest in brands to keep up with changing tastes. The company said it was weighed down by higher pension and medical costs than its competitors, whose employees weren't unionized.

To steer it through its bankruptcy reorganization, Hostess hired restructuring expert Greg Rayburn as its CEO. But Rayburn ultimately failed to reach a contract agreement with its second largest union. In November, he blamed striking workers for crippling the company's ability to maintain normal production and announced that Hostess would liquidate.

The shuttering triggered a rush on Hostess snack cakes, with stores selling out of the most popular brands within hours.

About 15,000 unionized workers lost their jobs in the aftermath.

In unwinding its business, Hostess sold off its brands in chunks to different buyers. Its major bread brands including Wonder were sold to Flowers Foods, which makes Tastykakes. McKee Foods, which makes Little Debbie snack cakes, snapped up Drake's Cake, which includes Devil Dogs and Yodels.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/23/twinkies-july-return-to-shelves_n_3486930.html?utm_hp_ref=@food123

One of America's Favorites - Tapioca

Tapioca (Portuguese pronunciation: [tɐpiˈɔkɐ]) is a starch extracted from Manioc (Manihot esculenta). This
Cassava root
species is native to the Northeast of Brazil but spread throughout the South American continent. The plant was spread by Portuguese and Spanish explorers to most of the West Indies, Africa and Asia, including the Philippines and Taiwan, being now cultivated worldwide.
In Brazil, the plant (cassava) is named "mandioca", while its starch is called "tapioca". The name tapioca is derived from the word tipi'óka, the name for this starch in the Tupí language, which was spoken by the natives when the Portuguese first arrived in the Northeast of Brazil. This Tupí word refers to the process by which the starch is made edible. However, as the word moved out of Brazil it came to refer to similar preparations made with other esculents.
In the Philippines, tapioca is usually confused with sago, as the sap of the sago palm is often part of its preparation. In India, the term "tapioca" is used to represent the root of the plant (cassava), rather than the starch. In Vietnam, it is called bột năng. In Indonesia, it is called singkong. In Malaysia it is called "Ubi Kayu". In Britain, the word tapioca often refers to a milk pudding thickened with arrowroot.
Tapioca is a staple food in some regions and is used worldwide as a thickening agent in various foods. It is considered a gluten-free food.




The cassava plant has either red or green branches with blue spindles on them. The root of the green-branched variant requires treatment to remove linamarin, a cyanogenic glycoside occurring naturally in the plant, which otherwise may be converted into cyanide. Konzo (also called mantakassa) is a paralytic disease associated with several weeks of almost exclusive consumption of insufficiently processed bitter cassava. The toxin found in the root of the red-branched variant is less harmful to humans than the green-branched variety. Therefore, the root of the red/purple-branched variant can be consumed directly.
In the North and Northeast of Brazil, traditional community based production of tapioca is a by-product of manioc flour production from cassava roots. In this process, the manioc (after treatment to remove toxicity) is ground to a pulp with a small hand- or diesel-powered mill. This masa is then squeezed to dry it out. The wet masa is placed in a long woven tube called a tipiti. The top of the tube is secured while a large branch or lever is inserted into a loop at the bottom and used to stretch the entire implement vertically, squeezing a starch-rich liquid out through the weave and ends. This liquid is collected and the water allowed to evaporate, leaving behind a fine-grained tapioca powder similar in appearance to corn starch.
Commercially, the starch is processed into several forms: hot soluble powder or meal or pre-cooked fine or coarse flakes, rectangular sticks, and spherical "pearls". Pearls are the most widely available shape; sizes range from about 1 mm to 8 mm in diameter, with 2–3 mm being the most common.
Flakes, sticks, and pearls must be soaked well before cooking, in order to rehydrate, absorbing water up to twice their volume. After rehydration, tapioca products become leathery and swollen. Processed tapioca is usually white, but sticks and pearls may be colored. Since old times, the most common colour applyed to tapioca has been brown, but recently pastel colors have been available. Tapioca pearls are generally opaque when raw, but become translucent when cooked in boiling water.
Brazil in South America, Thailand in Asia, and Nigeria in Africa are the world's largest producers of cassava. Currently, Thailand accounts for about 60% of worldwide exports.




While frequently associated with tapioca pudding, a dessert in the United States, tapioca is also used in other
Tapioca pudding
courses. Bubble tea is gaining popularity in cities with large Asian populations. People on gluten-free diets can eat bread made with tapioca flour (although these individuals do have to be careful, as some tapioca flour has wheat added to it). Tapioca is also used as an ingredient in the Canadian Daiya brand cheese substitute.




A casabe is a thin flatbread made from bitter cassava root without leavening. It was originally produced by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas Arawak and Carib nations because these roots were a very common plant of the rain forests where they lived. In eastern Venezuela many Indigenous groups still make casabe and it remains their main bread-like food. Indigenous communities including the Ye-Kuana, Kari-Ña, Yanomami, Guarao or Warao are from either the Caribe or Arawac Nations and still make casabe.

To make casabe, the starchy root of bitter cassava is ground to a pulp, then squeezed to expel a milky, bitter liquid called yare which carries the poisonous substances with it out of the pulp. Traditionally, this squeezing is done in a sebucan, an 8 to 12-foot (3.7 m) long tube-shaped pressure strainer woven in a characteristic helical pattern from palm leaves. The sebucan usually is hung from a tree branch or ceiling pole, and it has a closed bottom with a loop that is attached to a fixed stick or lever, which is used to stretch the sebucan. When the lever is pushed down, stretching the sebucan, the helical weaving pattern causes the strainer to squeeze the pulp inside. This is similar to the action of a Chinese finger trap. The pulp is then spread in thin, round cakes about 2 feet (0.61 m) in diameter on a budare to roast or toast.
Thin and crisp cakes of casabe are often broken apart and eaten like crackers. Like bread, casabe can be eaten alone or with other dishes. Thicker casabe usually are eaten slightly moistened. Just a subtle sprinkle of a few drops of liquid is enough to transform a very dry casabe into a very soft and smooth bread very similar to the softest slice of a wheat bread loaf, an incredible change in texture. Because of its capacity to absorb liquid immediately, casabe may cause someone to choke, but goes down quickly with a sip of liquid.
In Guyana, the casabe is simply called cassava bread. It is prepared with an instrument called a matape by the natives of the Rupununi Savanah and other areas of the country that have a high concentration of Amerinidians. In Jamaica, it is called bammy.
In Brazil, the cassava flatbread is called beiju or tapioca.




Tapioca pearls are also known as boba in some cultures. It is produced by passing the moist starch through a sieve under pressure. Pearl tapioca is a common ingredient in Asian desserts such as kolak, in tapioca pudding, and in sweet drinks such as bubble tea, fruit slush and taho, where they provide a chewy contrast to the sweetness and texture of the drink. Small pearls are preferred for use in puddings; large pearls are preferred for use in drinks. These large pearls most often are brown, not white (and traditionally are used in black or green tea drinks), but are available in a wide variety of pastel colors. Not only are they used in the aforementioned drinks, they are also available as an option in shave ice and hot drinks. In addition to their use in puddings and beverages, a recent innovation has seen tapioca pearls baked inside of cakes.




Tapioca root can also be used to manufacture biodegradable plastic bags. A polymer resin produced from the plant is a viable plastic substitute that is not only biodegradable, but can be composted, is renewable, and is recyclable. The product reverts in less than one year, versus thousands of years for traditional plastics.




Tapioca predominantly consists of carbohydrates, with each cup containing 135 grams for a total of 544 calories, and is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Folic acid (vitamin B9) is present in the amount of 6.1 mcg, along with iron 2.4 mg and calcium 30.4 mg. One cup of tapioca also includes 1.5 mg of omega-3 acids, 3 mg of omega-6 fatty acids and 1 gram of dietary fiber.




*Warning on Bubble Tea Tapioca Pearls May Contain Cancer-Causing Chemicals, German Study Claims

*Tapioca pearls in bubble tea contain carcinogens like polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs
After analyzing the tapioca balls which make up the ‘bubbles' in the drink, researchers from the University Hospital Aachen, for instance, found that the pearls contained polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs such as styrene, acetophenone, and brominated substances, chemicals that shouldn't be in food at all, researchers told German paper The Local.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/tapioca-pearls-bubble-tea-carcinogens-polychlorinated-biphenyls-pcbs-article-1.1148110#ixzz2X62nFo6N










Classic Tapioca Pudding


INGREDIENTS:
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten or 1/2 cup Egg Beater's
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
1. Stir together the milk, tapioca, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 5 minutes longer.
2. Whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated. Stir the egg mixture back into the tapioca until well mixed. Bring the pudding to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer until the pudding becomes thick enough to evenly coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. The pudding may be served hot or poured into serving dishes and refrigerated several hours until cold.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Rock- hard marshmallows don't have to be thrown out. You can soften them up in a resealable plastic bag placed on top of warm water. Now go get that grill fired up again.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Roasted Turkey Breast and Stuffing w/ Mashed Potatoes, Cut Green Beans, and....

Dinner Tonight: Roasted Turkey Breast and Stuffing w/ Mashed Potatoes, Cut Green Beans, and Baked
French Bread






Wow, another hot and humid day around here. They say this coming week it will be worse, thank goodness for air conditioning! It's the first few days of Summer and we have a thief in the neighborhood.  Their not taking anything of much value but it's just the point of it! They got a small chase chair and a yard item from us last night. I was sent an email the Neighborhood Watch was going to expand so hopefully that will put a stop to it. For dinner Mom wanted Turkey ans as we all know "What Mom wants Mom gets". I roasted a Turkey Breast along with Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Cut Green Beans, and Baked French Bread.




I used a Jennie - O Oven Ready Skinless Boneless Turkey Breast. I love using the Jennie – O Oven Ready Boneless Skinless Turkey Breast. It’s an easy and delicious way to get your Turkey on! Comes in Jennie O turkey Breast Oven Ready Bag that you bake at 375 degrees for about 2 to 3 hour until it reads 170 degrees. It also now has a pop up inserted in the breast that pops up when done. The Turkey came out juicy and delicious, excellent flavor!




For side dishes I prepared a box of Stove Top Stuffing, for my parents I'm not a Stuffing fan. I also prepared some Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes, Heinz Mushroom Brown Gravy, Del Monte Low Sodium Cut Green Beans, and Baked a Loaf of Pillsbury Rustic French Bread. It was a very early Thanksgiving Dinner here today! For dessert later a Jello Sugar Free Double Chocolate Pudding topped with Cool Whip Free.

 



Jennie – O OVEN READY™ Boneless Skinless Turkey Breast



Get all the great benefits of Oven Ready™ in a smaller-sized boneless and skinless turkey breast; this delicious home-cooked turkey breast is the perfect dinner to serve year-round.Goes directly from your freezer to your oven with no thawing.



Product Features:
Gluten Free
The Biggest Loser® product
Preseasoned
Comes sealed in our Fool-Proof® cooking bag
With Gravy Packet (contains gluten)



Cooking Instructions:



OVEN COOKING METHOD:
Preheat oven to 375 °F.
Remove frozen turkey from white outer package.
Do not remove turkey from FOOL PROOF. cooking bag.
Place in a roasting pan with at least 2″ high sides.
Note – Do not increase oven temperature, cooking bag may melt at higher temperatures.
Cut three 1/2 inch slits in top of FOOL PROOF. cooking bag.
Place pan in oven, allowing room for bag to expand without touching the oven racks or walls.
Roast the turkey until a meat thermometer reaches 170°F.
Note – Meat temperature increases rapidly during last hour of cooking.
Let turkey rest 10 minutes, cut open top of oven bag.
Watch out for hot steam and juices.
Heat gravy as directed on pouch.



APPROXIMATE OVEN ROASTING TIMES IN 375°F. OVEN TEMPERATURE:
2 – 3 lbs 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Nutritional Information
Serving Size 112 g Total Carbohydrates 1 g
Calories 100 Dietary Fiber 0 g
Calories From Fat 10 Sugars 1 g
Total Fat 1.0 g Protein 23 g
Saturated Fat .0 g Vitamin A 0%
Trans Fat .0 g Vitamin C 0%
Cholesterol 40 mg Iron 2%
Sodium 460 mg Calcium 0%
Our products are labeled in compliance with government regulations. It is always necessary to read the labels on the products to determine if the food product meets your required needs regardless of how the product is represented on this site.


http://www.jennieo.com/products/113-OVEN-READY%E2%84%A2-Boneless-Skinless-Turkey-Breast

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

If you want to keep your wine(or other beverages) cool on a hot summer days, use frozen grapes instead of
ice cubes. They'll keep the drink cold and they won't dilute it or change the taste as they thaw. Just make sure you wash them before freezing!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Buffalo Terres Major Filet w/ Corn on the Cob and Baked Potato

Dinner Tonight: Buffalo Terres Major Filet w/ Corn on the Cob and Baked Potato




Whew-whee it's humid out! Really bad out. My parents went to a Church Picnic and it was outdoors at a local Park. They lasted about an hour before they packed up and came back home. Me I opted to stay in where the air conditioner was feeling real good! For dinner I prepared a Buffalo Terres Major Filet w/ Sauteed Mushrooms, Boiled Corn on the Cob and a Baked Potato.




I used another of the Wild Idea Buffalo 8oz. Buffalo Terres Major Filets. Beyond any doubts one of the most tender cuts of any steak, Beef or Buffalo, I've ever had. I didn't even attempt to fire the grill up so I pan fried it in Canola Oil. I seasoned it with McCormick Grinder Sea Salt and Black Peppercorn. I fried it 4 minutes on one side and about 3 minutes on the other side, it gets done very quickly because it's so lean. The Filet came out medium rare, moist and just full of flavor! I topped it with Sauteed Baby Bella Mushrooms.




For side dishes I prepared 2 Mini Ears of Green Giant Corn. I keep this in stock in my freezer now. Never goes bad, stores very easy, and prepares in 10 minutes. If you like Sweet Corn on the Cob you'll have to try this out. I also had a Baked Potato that I topped with Sea Salt, Ground Black Pepper, and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. For dessert later a bowl of Breyer's Carb Smart Vanilla Ice cream topped with Mango Chunks.

   




Terres Major Filet
The second most tender cut on the animal. This treasured cut is found in the chuck shoulder.

8 oz.

http://buy.wildideabuffalo.com/collections/a-la-carte/products/terres-major-filet 











Green Giant Corn on the Cob Mini Ears

Enjoy the succulent taste of corn on the cob year round! Available in a variety of sizes to fit your needs.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 mini-ear (61g)

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 5Calories 50

% Daily Values*
Total Fat 0.5g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 0mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 4g
Protein 2g



http://greengiant.com/pages/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=7

Kitchen Hint of the Day1

Before you put the cooler away, wipe the inside down with a paper towel or rag that has been dampened with water and a few drops of vanilla extract. The alcohol in the vanilla works as a disinfectant and you cooler will smell great!

You Can Eat Cake!

Even with Diabetes "you can have your cake and eat it too"!  From Diabetic Living On Line web site it's all about the diabetic friendly cakes. I left the web link at the bottom of the post, Enjoy!







You Can Eat Cake!
Looking for diabetes-friendly cake recipes that are delicious enough to share? Our recipes are tasty and moist, and feature your favorite flavors such as chocolate marble and island pineapple. Enjoy!


Our Best Cake Recipes
Our favorite diabetic cake recipes will please your sweet tooth and your blood glucose. From rich chocolate cake to moist coffee cake, you can have your cake and eat it too!


Melon Chiffon Cake with Sparkling Fruit
The next time you're hosting a warm-weather gathering, wind up the festivities with this refreshing, irresistible cake and melon combination....



Peanut Butter Blossom Mini Cakes
Your favorite peanut butter cookies have been transformed into low-carb cupcakes. Each mini cupcake only has 9 g carb....


Click here to read the entire article and all the recipes!


http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diabetic-recipes/dessert/cake-recipes/?sssdmh=dm17.674679&esrc=nwdlo061813

Friday, June 21, 2013

Baked Rubbed Boneless Pork Chops Topped with Mango Salsa w/ Loaded Potato Casserole,..

Dinner Tonight: Baked Rubbed Boneless Pork Chops Topped with Mango Salsa w/ Loaded Potato
Casserole, Cut Green Bean, and Whole Grain Bread






Happy first day of Summer everyone! It's the longest day time of the year and the days will be getting shorter starting tomorrow. It was sunny here but humid. Spent the day reorganizing the pantry, always fun! For dinner I prepared Baked Rubbed Boneless Pork Chops Topped with Mango Salsa w/ Loaded Potato Casserole, Cut Green Beans, and sliced Whole Grain Bread.




I had a package of 2 Boneless Pork Chops that I had purchased from Walmart the other day that I prepared tonight. Earlier in the day I used JB's Fat Boy All Purpose Rub and put a rub on them until they were well coated and sealed them in a Hefty Zip Bag in the fridge until i was ready to bake them. I baked them on 350 degrees for 1 hour and let them rest about 3 minutes before serving. I love that JB's Rub, I normally have it on the Roasted Boneless Pork Roast that I prepare from time to time. The Chops came out perfect, good seasoning and moist and the Mango Salsa kicked the flavor up that much more! I used Newman's Own Mango Salsa.




For sides I prepared some Idahoan Loaded Potato Homestyle Casserole. I love all the Idahoan Potato Products. A very quick and easy way to prepare some delicious pipping hot Potato Dishes. I also heated up a can of Del Monte Cut Green Beans and had Healthy Life Whole Grain Bread. For dessert later a Healthy Choice Chocolate Swirl Frozen Yogurt.





Idahoan Loaded Baked Homestyle Casserole





There’s no better way to start a savory Loaded Baked® homestyle casserole than with world-famous Idaho® potatoes, which is why you’ll taste only 100% grown-in-Idaho potatoes in this rich, cheesy, bacony side. For family meals or for special occasions, this cheesy, delicious dish is sure to please.

Oven Directions

Best for Golden Browning

1 – PREHEAT oven to 450°F. COMBINE potatoes and sauce mix in 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
2 – STIR in 1 1/2 cups boiling water, 3/4 cup milk, and 1 1/2 Tbsp. margarine or butter with whisk.
3 – BAKE uncovered for 25 minutes or until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender (sauce will thicken slightly when cooling).
4 – Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes before serving.
BAKING NOTES: To prepare 2 casseroles at once, double all ingredients, increase baking dish size accordingly, and bake about 30 min. To bake potatoes and roast meat at the same time, bake at 375°F for about 45 min; 350°F for about 50 min; or 325°F for about 60 min.

Stove Top Directions

1 – HEAT potatoes and sauce mix, 1 1/2 cups hot water, 3/4 cup milk, and 1 1/2 Tbsp. margarine or butter to boil in 2-quart saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally. Watch carefully to avoid boilover.
2 – REDUCE HEAT, then COVER and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and sauce reaches desired consistency (sauce will thicken slightly when cooling).
3 – Remove from heat and let stand a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving Unprepared Prepared
Calories 100 150
Calories from fat 10 50
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g* 2% 9%
Saturated Fat 0g 0% 8%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0% 2%
Sodium 640mg 27% 30%
Total Carbohydrates 22g 7% 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4% 4%
Sugars 1g
Protein 2g



http://www.idahoan.com/products/retail/loaded-baked-homestyle-casserole/

Happy Summer Solstice

Today is the first day of Summer and here's a little info about the  Summer Solstice.



A solstice is an astronomical event that occurs twice each year as the Sun reaches its highest or lowest excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. As a result, on the day of the solstice, the Sun appears to have reached its highest or lowest annual altitude in the sky above the horizon at local solar noon. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, the seasonal movement of the Sun's path (as seen from Earth) comes to a stop before reversing direction. The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with the seasons. In many cultures the solstices mark either the beginning or the midpoint of winter and summer.
The term solstice can also be used in a broader sense, as the date (day) when this occurs. The day of the solstice is either the longest day of the year (in summer) or the shortest day of the year (in winter) for any place outside of the tropics.