Turkey Meatball Sandwich

Wow, had this for lunch the other day and will be having it again very soon. Low carb and low calorie and very filling.

1 package Honeysuckle White Fresh Italian Style Turkey Meatballs
4 Aunt Millie's Whole Grain Hot Dog Buns
8 2% Mozzarella slices
LaRosa's Pasta Sauce


   1. Heat Pasta Sauce in large sauté pan.
   2 Bring to a boil, quickly reduce to low and simmer 5 minutes.
   3. Add meatballs and simmer for 15 minutes or until meatballs and sauce are hot.
   4. Divide meatballs on Buns, top each with 2 cheese slices and serve

Diabetes 2 Friendly Product Review - Mission Carb Balance Tortillas

                                                             Mission Carb Balance Tortillas

Tried these 2 weeks ago and now have them whenever I have Tortillas.

Keep your carbs under control with the #1 low-carb tortilla. You’ll get big tortilla flavor without all the carbs of regular tortillas. In fact, there are as few as 5 net grams of carbs per tortilla, depending upon tortilla size. Mission Carb Balance Tortillas are available in soft taco, fajita, and burrito size, are always soft and tender, and deliver the balanced protein-carb-fat ratio that most dieticians recommend.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 item (28g) Amount Per Serving
Calories 80 Calories from Fat 15
Total Fat 2g
   Saturated Fat 0g
   Monounsaturated Fat 0g
   Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
   Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 240mg
Total Carbohydrate 12g
   Dietary Fiber 8g
   Sugars 0g
   Sugar Alcohol 0g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 0%     Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%     Iron 0%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.  Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
    

Apple-Cheddar Popovers

What a great way to start your day! A nice hot batch of these is the way to start it. From the diabetic-recipes web site.
 
Apple-Cheddar Popovers
(makes 8 servings)

    butter-flavored cooking spray
1     tart apple, such as Pippin, Granny Smith, or Fuji, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/3     cup (40 g) shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese
2     large eggs
1     cup (140 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4     teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
1     cup (240 ml) low fat (1%) milk
1     tablespoon (13 g) stick reduced-fat margarine, melted

   1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C), Gas Mark 8. Lightly coat 8 popover cups with cooking spray.
   2. Place 1 tablespoon (15 ml) each of the apple and cheese at the bottom of each popover cup.
   3. In a food processor or blender, combine eggs, flour, and salt. Process until well blended. With the machine running, add milk and margarine through the feed tube. Process until smooth. Fill the cups two-thirds full with the batter.
   4. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C), Gas Mark 4, and continue to bake for another 20 minutes until popovers are puffed and golden brown. Let cool at least 15 minutes, then remove from pan.

Per serving:     111 calories (28% calories from fat), 5 g protein, 4 g total fat (1.4 g saturated fat), 15 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 58 mg cholesterol, 160 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges:     1 carbohydrate (bread/starch), 1/2 fat
http://www.diabetic-recipes.com

Pizza De Luxe

 Keeping with the theme of the upcoming Holidays and it's food's I found this on the Diabetic-Recipes web site.

Pizza De Luxe

1     11 1/2-inch (28.75 cm) thin-crust Italian bread shell
1     cup (189 g) Contadina Original Pizza Sauce
2/3     cup (80 g) shredded part-skim milk (1/3 less fat) mozzarella cheese
6     ounces (180 g) turkey sausage, crumbled, pre-browned in a skillet, drained thoroughly on paper towels, then placed in a bowl (do this ahead)
1     small white onion, thinly sliced
1/2     cup (48 g) thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2     teaspoon (2.5 ml) crushed dried oregano
1/2     teaspoon (2.5 ml) crushed dried basil
    crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

   1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Place the shell on an ungreased 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick pizza pan.
   2. To assemble the pizza, spread the pizza sauce over the shell, leaving a 1-inch border around the rim. Sprinkle with half of the cheese.
   3. Arrange the cooked sausage on top of the cheese, covering evenly. Top with onion and mushrooms slices. Sprinkle evenly with oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes (if using). Top with remaining cheese.
   4. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the crust is crisp and the cheese is melted and browned. Cut into 6 wedges.

Per serving:     243 calories (35% calories from fat), 16 g protein, 10 g total fat (3.7 g saturated fat), 25 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 32 mg cholesterol, 683 mg sodium
Exchanges:     1 medium fat meat, 1 1/2 carbohydrate (1 1/2 bread/starch), 1 vegetable, 1 fat

http://www.diabetic-recipes.com/recipes.htm

Food Preparations - Steaming

Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. Steaming is considered a healthy cooking technique and capable of cooking almost all kinds of food.
Method

Steaming works by boiling water continuously, causing it to vaporize into steam; the steam then carries heat to the nearby food, thus cooking the food. The food is kept separate from the boiling water but has direct contact with the steam, resulting in a moist texture to the food. This differs from double boiling, in which contact with steam is undesired.

Such cooking is most often done by placing the food into a steamer, which is typically a circular container made of metal or bamboo. The steamer usually has a lid that is placed on the top of the container during cooking to allow the steam to cook the food. When a steamer is unavailable, a wok filled less than half with water is a replacement by placing a metal frame made of stainless steel in the middle of the wok. Some modern home microwave ovens include the structure to cook food by steam vapor produced in a separate water container, providing a similar result to being cooked by fire.
[edit] Benefits

Overcooking or burning food is easily avoided when steaming it. Health conscious individuals may prefer steaming to other methods which require cooking oil, resulting in lower fat content. Steaming also results in a more nutritious food than boiling because fewer nutrients are leached away into the water, which is usually discarded. A 2007 USDA comparison between steaming and boiling vegetables shows the most affected nutrients are folic acid and vitamin C. Compared to raw consumption, steaming reduces folic acid by 15%, and boiling reduces it by 35%. Again compared to raw consumption, steaming reduces vitamin C by 15%, and boiling reduces it by 25%. Phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties have been found to retain significantly better through steaming than through boiling or microwaving.[1] Most other nutrients are reduced by a similar amount by both methods of cooking.[2]
[edit] Food by steaming

In Western cooking, steaming is most often used to cook vegetables - it is rarely used to cook meats. In Chinese cuisine, vegetables are mostly stir fried or blanched and seldom steamed. Seafood and meat dishes are steamed. For example: steamed whole fish, steamed crab, steamed pork spare ribs, steamed ground pork or beef, steamed chicken, steamed goose, etc. Other than meat dishes, rice can be steamed too, although in Chinese this is rarely referred to as "steaming" but rather simply as "cooking." Wheat foods are steamed as well. Examples include buns, Chinese steamed cakes etc. Steamed meat dishes (except fish and some dim sum) are less common in Chinese restaurants than in traditional home cooking because meats usually require longer cooking times to steam than to stir fry. Commercially sold frozen foods (such as dim sum) used to have instructions to reheat by steaming, until the rise in popularity of home microwave ovens which have considerably shorter cooking times.

Spice of the Week - Allspice

Allspice takes its name from its aroma, which smells like a combination of spices, especially cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. In much of the world, allspice is called pimento because the Spanish mistook the fruit for black pepper, which the Spanish called pimienta. This is especially confusing since the Spanish had already called chillies pimientos. Lets also thank the Spanish for centuries of linguistic confusion created by naming all the natives they met ‘Indians’.
Allspice is the only spice that is grown exclusively in the Western Hemisphere. The evergreen tree that produces the allspice berries is indigenous to the rainforests of South and Central America where it grows wild. Unfortunately the wild trees were cut down to harvest the berries and few remain today. There are plantations in Mexico and parts of Central America but the finest allspice comes from Jamaica where the climate and soil are best suited to producing the aromatic berries.
The spice was imported to Europe soon after the discovery of the new world. There were several attempts made to transplant it to spice producing regions of the east, but these trees produced little fruit. Despite its rich fragrance and a strong flavor resembling other more coveted spices, allspice never had the same caché in Europe as cinnamon or pepper. The English started making regular shipments to England in 1737, but by that time the lust for spices been eclipsed by other New-World products like sugar and coffee. It was quite popular in England though, where it came to be known as ‘English Spice”.
In the Napoleonic war of 1812, Russian soldiers put allspice in their boots to keep their feet warm and the resultant improvement in odors is carried into today’s cosmetic industries, where pimento oil is usually associated with men's toiletries (especially products with the word ‘spice’ on the label). 

Spice Description
Dried allspice berries resemble large brown peppercorns. Unripe berries are harvested and sun dried until the seeds in them rattle. They vary in size between 4 to 7 mm (1/8 - 1/4 in) in diameter and are dark brown with wrinkled skins. The outer case contains two dark, hard kidney-shaped seeds. Allspice is available whole or ground. Sometimes the whole berry will be called ‘pimento’.
Bouquet: pungent and aromatic, like a combination of nutmeg, clove , ginger and cinnamon.
Flavor: warm and sweetly pungent like the combination described above with peppery overtones.

Preparation and Storage
Whole dried allspice will keep indefinitely when kept out of light in airtight jars. It can be ground in a spice mill or an electric coffee grinder. The ground spice loses flavor quickly.

Culinary Uses
Jerked meats like pork, chicken and kid reflect the Spanish/Jamaican background of Allspice. It is a particularly popular spice in European cooking, an important ingredient in many marinades, pickling and mulling spices. Many patés, terrines, smoked and canned meats include allspice. A few allspice berries are added to Scandinavian pickled herring, to Sauerkraut , pickles, soups, game dishes and English spiced beef. Traditionally, allspice has been used in cakes, fruit pies, puddings ice cream and pumpkin pie. Some Indian curries and pilaus contain allspice and in the Middle East it is used in meat and rice dishes. It is also used in liqueurs, notably Benedictine and Chartreuse.
Allspice can be used as a substitute, measure, for measure, for cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg. Conversely to make a substitution for allspice, combine one part nutmeg with two parts each of cinnamon and cloves.

Attributed Medicinal Properties
Because of its eugenol content, allspice has attributes similar to clove. It is a digestive and carminative. The oil is classed as rubefacient, meaning that it irritates the skin and expands the blood vessels, increasing the flow of blood to make the skin feel warmer. The tannins in allspice provide a mild anesthetic that, with its warming effect, make it a popular home remedy for arthritis and sore muscles, used either as a poultice or in hot baths.

Pork Chop w/ a Applewood Rub and….

Really a great tasting dinner tonight! I used McCormick Grill Mates Applewood Rub on the Pork Chops, used bone in pork loin chops. Pan fried them and used Extra Virgin Olive Oil. As sides had Sauteed Portabella Mushrooms and boiled Mini Carrots along with Kroger fresh baked Harvest Grain Loaf Bread. If you haven’t tried McCormick Applewood Rub yet give it a try! Too Good.

Diabetes 2 Friendly Product Review - Dreamfields Pasta

Being diagnosed with Diabetes2 back several years ago I had to make changes
to my lifestyle and eating habits. Loving Pasta as much as I do I had to find a healthier more Diabetic friendly option and I did in Dreamfields Pasta Products.
 
One of the most prevalent myths that comes with a diabetes diagnosis it that you will never be able to enjoy many of your favorite foods again, pasta being one of them. That’s simply not true! While you do need to control carbohydrate, calorie, and fat intake, and make sensible food choices, Dreamfields pasta can be part of your healthful eating plan.

Dreamfields has per serving (2 ounces dry or about 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked):
    * About the same high fiber as whole wheat pasta
    * Only 5 grams of digestible carbohydrate
    * 65% lower glycemic index (GI) than traditional pastas
      Dreamfields GI =13
      Traditional pasta GI = 38

All of these qualities translate into a lower blood glucose rise after eating Dreamfields as compared to eating the same amount of traditional white pasta. You can truly have your Dreamfields pasta and enjoy it too...without feeling guilty or compromising blood glucose control.

Carbohydrate: Back to the Basics.

People with pre-diabetes and diabetes pay a lot of attention to carbohydrate because it is the primary determinant of post-meal blood glucose levels. Carbohydrate is one of the three building blocks that make up all the foods you eat. The other two are protein and fat. Whether or not you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, carbohydrate is an important part of a healthy eating plan because carbohydrate-rich foods provide energy, fiber and important vitamins and minerals.

Everybody (even people with pre-diabetes or diabetes) needs to eat some carbohydrate each day. In fact, the average minimum daily amount of carbohydrate recommended, or the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance), is 130 grams/day.

With only 5 grams of digestible carbohydrate per serving (2 ounces dry or about 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked), Dreamfields pasta can easily fit into most meal-time carbohydrate goals.*

http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/index.php
        

Low Calorie Baked Apple Crisp

Low Calorie Baked Apple Crisp Recipe
Makes 8 servings

By Kimberley Eggleston, About.com Guide to Low Calorie Cooking The tart granny smith apples in this low calorie baked apple crisp are complimented nicely with the sweet crumb topping and creamy frozen vanilla yogurt. This apple crisp truly makes a superb fall treat. Prep Time: 15 min; Cook Time: 30 min
**You can substitute the Granulated Sugar with Splenda to cut the Calories and Carbs**

Ingredients
4     medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1     tbsp granulated sugar
2     tsp lemon juice
3/4     cup rolled oats
1/4     cup flour
2     tbsp melted butter
1     tsp ground cinnamon
1/4     tsp salt
1     cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
Directions

   1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

   2. Place the apples evenly in the bottom of a 11x7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

   3. To complete the crisp, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and stir until the mixture resembles of course meal. Top the apples evenly with the oat mixture.

   4. Bake the crisp at 350°F for 30 minutes.

   5. Top each apple crisp serving with 2 tablespoons of frozen vanilla yogurt.

Categories

Dessert

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 105.7g
Amount Per Serving
Calories
139
Calories from Fat
32
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
3.5g
5%
Saturated Fat
1.9g
9%
Trans Fat
0.0g
Cholesterol
8mg
3%
Sodium
114mg
5%
Total Carbohydrates
25.6g
9%
Dietary Fiber
3.0g
12%
Sugars
12.6g
Protein
2.4g
Vitamin A 4%     •     Vitamin C 6%
Calcium 4%     •     Iron 3%
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

http://caloriecount.about.com

Genetically-Engineered Salmon Headed for Our Plate?

Genetically-Engineered Salmon Headed for Our Plate?

Salmon

The Food and Drug Administration recently completed three days of hearings and public comment on the effort by AquaBounty Technologies to market farm-raised salmon that’s been genetically modified to grow twice as fast as normal salmon. These fish have a growth hormone from a close relative, the Chinook salmon, inserted into them.

The hearings, conducted by an independent panel, ended without the FDA reaching a decision on whether the Massachusetts company can proceed with sales of the “frankenfish,” which it calls AquaAdvantage salmon. Next steps include an Environmental Assessment of the salmon, followed by a mandated 30-day comment period. The agency says it has not set a timeline for making a decision on whether to allow AquaBounty to move forward with sales.

If the FDA were to give its approval, it would be about two years before these AquaAdvantage salmon would reach the market. It would be the first such scientifically altered animal food product to reach our dinner plates.

The two primary issues are whether the salmon would be safe to eat, and would it be safe for the environment.

FDA staff had previously issued a report, finding the genetically-engineered salmon to be as safe to eat as normal salmon.

But some critics of the report felt the safety tests should have included more data. One of the chief concerns is what would happen if these fast-growing fish were to somehow escape into the ocean and breed with other “natural” salmon.

The words “genetically modified” or “genetically engineered” raise red flags for many people—and when hormones are mentioned in connection with foods like meat and dairy products, additional alarm bells go off for many.

On the other hand, we’ve all heard about the dwindling numbers of Atlantic salmon and other species in the ocean today. Salmon that grow to maturity in half the time would likely help ease some of these overfishing issues.
http://www.foodchannel.com/

Mushroom Omelets

 Tried this one this morning. If you love Mushrooms you'll love this recipe. I had an Aunt Millie's Whole Grain English Muffin and a slice of Canadian Bacon as sides.

Mushroom Omelets
(makes two servings)

    butter-flavored cooking spray
6     ounces (180 g) fresh wild mushrooms such as shiitake, portobello, chanterelles, etc. or button mushrooms (or a combination of 2 or more kinds), thinly sliced
2     scallions, white part only, thinly sliced
1/4     teaspoon (1.25 ml) fines herbs
1     tablespoon (15 ml) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
    freshly ground pepper
8     ounces (240 ml) liquid egg substitute
2     sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

   1. Spray a nonstick small skillet or omelet pan with cooking spray and heat over high heat for a minute. Add the mushrooms and scallions; cook over high heat until the mushrooms are just cooked through, stirring. Add the fines herbs, parsley, and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.
   2. Using the same small skillet, again lightly sprayed with cooking spray. add half of the egg substitute. Cook over medium heat, lifting the sides of the eggs to allow uncooked eggs to flow under. Once the bottom is lightly browned, carefully flip the omelet to brown the other side. Using a slotted spoon to drain off any liquid, spoon half of the mushroom mixture onto the omelet and fold in half. Transfer the omelet to a warmed plate and keep warm.
   3. Repeat the procedure, making the second omelet. Place a sprig of parsley on each omelet.

Per serving:     83 calories (4% calories from fat), 14 g protein, trace total fat (0.1 g saturated fat), 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 205 mg sodium
Exchanges:     2 very lean meat, 1 vegetable

http://www.diabetic-recipes.com/recipes

It's Getting Near Holiday Dinner Time

 It's getting closer to the family gatherings for the Holiday seasons. Seen this low carb and low calorie Turkey Dinner on the Diabetic Recipes web site and wanted to pass it along.

1       15-pound (7.2 kg) turkey with giblets
2     tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons (10 ml) crushed dried
1     tablespoon (15 ml) chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon (5 ml) crushed dried
12     large cloves garlic, smashed with the sides of a knife
1/4     cup (60 ml) dry white wine (optional)
1     onion, peeled and cut into quarters
2     carrots, peeled and sliced
2     celery ribs with leaves, coarsely chopped
4     cups (960 ml) 98% fat-free, no-salt-added canned chicken broth
2     parsley sprigs
1     small bay leaf
1/4     cup (60 ml) dry red wine
    salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper

   1. Place oven rack in lowest position; preheat oven to 325°F (160°C),
   2. Remove and set aside neck and giblets for gravy. Remove and discard any fat from turkey. Wash turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Combine thyme, and sage. Sprinkle turkey with the mixture. Place turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan. Place garlic cloves in body cavity.
   3. Loosely tent turkey with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Roast turkey, breast side up, for 3 1/2 hours or until an instant meat thermometer registers180°F when inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, rotating the pan and removing the foil tent after 2 1/2 hours roasting time. If using wine, baste turkey several times with white wine.
   4. Meanwhile, rinse neck and giblets; remove and discard neck skin and any fat. Place neck and giblets in a large saucepan with onion, carrot, celery, chicken broth, parsley sprigs, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Discard the neck and giblets, parsley sprigs, and bay leaf. Strain the broth and vegetables through a fine sieve, forcing as much of the vegetables as possible into the strained broth. (You should get about 2 1/2 cups liquid). Chill strained liquid until ready to use.
   5. When turkey is done, remove from oven and place on a carving platter. Remove the garlic cloves from the body cavity. Squeeze the roasted garlic pulp into a small bowl and set aside. Loosely cover the turkey with foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
   6. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings from the roasting pan through a fine sieve into a small freezer-proof bowl. Place bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes to solidify the fat.
   7. Stir the red wine and 2 tablespoons of the reserved giblet broth into the roasting pan and cook on top of the stove over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan. Skim off all fat which has formed at the top of the pan drippings. Add the de-fatted drippings and remaining reserved broth to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and whisk in reserved roasted garlic pulp. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the gravy mixture has thickened slightly. Taste and add salt (if using) and pepper to taste.
   8. Carve the turkey, discarding the skin. Arrange the turkey on a serving platter. Pour the gravy into a sauceboat and pass separately.

Per 4-ounce (115 g) turkey + 2 tablespoons (30 ml) gravy serving:     197 calories (27% calories from fat), 24 g protein, 8 g total fat (1.9 g saturated fat), 0 carbohydrates, 0 dietary fiber, 86 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges:     4 lean protein

Roasted Squash

A delicious holiday side from the Diabetic Recipe web site.

 Roasted Squash
(makes 10 servings)

5     pounds (2.4 kg) assorted hard winter squash (butternut, acorn, delicata, or sweet dumpling), seeded and cut into 4-inch chunks
    refrigerated butter-flavored cooking spray
    salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper
2     tablespoons (25 g) reduced-fat margarine, at room temperature
2     tablespoons (24 g) brown sugar

   1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), Gas Mark 6.
   2. Arrange squash, cut side up, in 2 large roasting pans and lightly coat tops with cooking spray. Season with salt (if using) and pepper to taste.
   3. Roast for 20 minutes. Switch pan positions and continue to roast another 25 minutes, until squash is tender when pierced with the tines of a fork. (Squash may be made ahead to this point, covered, and refrigerated until next day.)
   4. When ready to serve, preheat broiler. Lightly brush cut surfaces of squash with margarine and sprinkle with brown sugar. Broil until sugar begins to bubble, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer squash pieces to a serving platter and serve hot.

Per serving:     96 calories (22% calories from fat), 2 g protein, 3 g total fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 19 g carbohydrates, 5 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 29 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges:     1 1/2 carbohydrate (bread/starch), 1/2 fat

Potatoes 3 ways

What's a Holiday Dinner without Potatoes. So we have three different kinds and three different ways. Also from the Diabetic Recipe web site.

#1  Baked Sweet Potato Wedges
(makes 6 servings)

4     small sweet potatoes, peeled
    canola cooking spray

   1. Preheat oven to 500F. .
   2. Cut sweet potatoes lengthwise into wedges about 1/2-inch thick. Lay in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Lightly coat with cooking spray.
   3. Bake for 30 minutes, turning wedges once or twice during baking period, until potatoes are crisped and tender.
   4. Transfer potato pieces to a heated serving dish. Serve at once.

Per serving:     76 calories (0 % calories from fat), 1 g protein, 0 total fat (0 saturated fat), 19 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 26 g sodium
Diabetic exchanges:     1 carbohydrate (bread/starch)

 #2 Braised New Potatoes with Thyme
(makes 6 servings)

1 1/2     pounds (720 g) small red new potatoes, about 1 inch (1.25 cm) in diameter, scrubbed
3/4     cup (180 ml) 98% fat free, no salt added canned chicken broth
2     teaspoons (10 ml) olive oil
1     tablespoon (15 ml) fresh thyme leaves

   1. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with chicken broth, adding additional water as needed to barely cover potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain.
   2. Return potatoes to saucepan and add olive oil and thyme. Toss to evenly coat. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and serve.

Per serving:     107 calories (14% calories from fat) 3 g protein, 2 g total fat (0.2 g saturated fat), 21 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 24 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges:     1 1/2 carbohydrate (bread/starch)

#3  Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
(Makes 6 servings)

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
4     large cloves garlic in skins
2     large baking potatoes, 1 1/2 pounds (720 g) , peeled and cut into quarters
1     teaspoon (5 ml) margarine
1/4     cup (60 ml) skim milk, heated

   1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), Gas Mark 6.
   2. Place the garlic in a single layer on aluminum foil and close securely. Bake in oven for 40 minutes until soft.
   3. While the garlic is roasting, boil the potatoes until knife tender. Remove from water and place in a bowl with the margarine. Mash completely.
   4. Squeeze the garlic pulp from each roasted clove into the potatoes. Add the milk and combine well. spinkle with pepper to taste.

Per 1/2 cup (130 g) potato serving:     102 calories (7% calories from fat), 3 g protein, 1 g total fat (0.1 g saturated fat), 22 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 20 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges:     1 1/2 carbohydrate (bread/starch)

Green Beans with Almonds

 Thought I would add all the sides to that Turkey Dinner! From
the Diabetic Recipes web site.
Green Beans with Almonds
(makes 8 servings)
3     pounds (1.4 kg) fresh green beans, stem ends removed
1/2     teaspoon (2.5 ml) butter-flavored buds or butter-flavored cooking spray
1/8     teaspoon (0.6 ml) garlic powder
1 1/2     teaspoons (7.5 ml) crushed dried thyme
2     tablespoons (30 ml) slivered almonds, toasted

   1. Cook beans in a large pot of boiling water to cover. Reduce heat and simmer until crisp tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
   2. Toss with butter-flavored buds, garlic powder, and thyme. Serve hot, garnished with toasted almonds.

Per serving:     64 calories (13% calories from fat), 4 g protein, 1 g total fat (0.1 g saturated fat), 13 g carbohydrate, 6 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 12 md sodium
Exchanges:     2 1/2 vegetable

tip: to toast the almonds, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F (180° C) oven until fragrant and brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Shake the pan once or twice so that they toast evenly. Check after 3 minutes. Once they begin to color, they will brown very quickly. Do not allow them to burn.

Buffalo Chicken Slider

Seen this on The Food Network today on Paula Dean‘s Show. Looked so good thought I’d pass it along.
Ingredients

Blue Cheese Sauce: Ingredients

* 1 Cup Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
* 1/2Ccup Crumbled Blue Cheese
* 1/3 Cup Chopped Celery
* 2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
* 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
* 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Buffalo Chicken Ingredients


* Peanut oil, for frying
* 3 Eggs
* 1/2 Cup Frank’s Hot Sauce
* 1/2 Pound Boneless Chicken Breasts Tenders, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
* Pinch Sea Salt
* Pinch freshly Ground Black Pepper
* 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
* 12 Slider Buns
* 12 Slices Tomato, optional
* 12 lettuce leaves, optional

Directions
*In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, blue cheese, celery, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
*In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough peanut oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 350 degrees F.
*In a medium-size bowl, beat the eggs with the hot sauce. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and then coat in flour. Fry the chicken for6 to 8 minutes.
*Toss the chicken into the blue cheese sauce. Put 1 piece of chicken on the bottom half of each bun. Top with tomato and lettuce, if desired. Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately.

Food Preparations - Barbeque

Barbecue or barbeque is a method and apparatus for cooking meat with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of charcoal, cooking gas or even electricity; and may include application of a marinade, spice rub or basting sauce to the meat or vegetables.
The term as a noun can refer to the meat, the cooking apparatus itself (the "barbecue grill"] or to a party that includes such food. The term as an adjective can refer to foods cooked by this method. The term is also used as a verb for the act of cooking food in this manner.
Barbecue is usually cooked in an outdoor environment heated by the smoke of wood or charcoal. Restaurant barbecue may be cooked in large brick or metal ovens specially designed for that purpose.

Styles
In British usage, barbecuing and grilling refer to a fast cooking process directly over high heat, while grilling also refers to cooking under a source of direct, high heat—known in the U.S. and Canada as broiling. In US English usage, however, grilling refers to a fast process over high heat, while barbecuing refers to a slow process using indirect heat and/or hot smoke (very similar to some forms of roasting). For example, in a typical U.S. home grill, food is cooked on a grate directly over hot charcoal, while in a U.S. barbecue, the coals are dispersed to the sides or at significant distance from the grate. Its South American versions are the southern Brazilian churrasco and the Argentine asado.
Alternatively, an apparatus called a smoker with a separate fire box may be used. Hot smoke is drawn past the meat by convection for very slow cooking. This is essentially how barbecue is cooked in most U.S. "barbecue" restaurants, but nevertheless, many consider this to be a distinct cooking process called hot smoking.
The slower methods of cooking break down the collagen in meat and tenderize the tougher cuts for easier eating.

Techniques
Barbecuing encompasses four distinct types of cooking techniques. The original technique is cooking using smoke at lower temperatures (usually around 240°F) and significantly longer cooking times (several hours), known as smoking. Another technique is baking, utilizing a masonry oven or any other type of baking oven, which uses convection to cook meats and starches with moderate temperatures for an average cooking time (about an hour plus a few extra minutes). Yet another technique is braising, which combines direct dry heat charbroiling on a ribbed surface with a broth-filled pot for moist heat, cooking at various speeds throughout the duration (starting fast, slowing down, then speeding up again, lasting for a few hours). Finally, grilling is done over direct dry heat, usually over a hot fire (i.e., over 500°F) for a short time (minutes). Grilling may be done over wood, charcoal, gas (natural gas or propane), or electricity.

Grilling (gridironing, charbroiling)
The choice and combination of woods burned result in different flavors imparted to the meat. Woods commonly selected for their flavor include mesquite, hickory, maple, guava, kiawe, cherry, pecan, apple and oak. Woods to avoid include conifers. These contain resins and tars, which impart undesirable resinous and chemical flavors. If these woods are used, they should be burned in a catalytic grill, such as a rocket stove, so that the resins and tars are completely burned before coming into contact with the food.
Different types of wood burn at different rates. The heat also varies by the amount of wood and controlling the rate of burn through careful venting. Wood and charcoal are sometimes combined to optimize smoke flavor and consistent burning.

Charcoal
Cooking with charcoal, like cooking with gas, is a more manageable approximation of cooking over a wood fire. Charcoal does not impart the rich flavor of cooking over hardwoods but is cheap and easy to purchase in sizes appropriate for close proximity cooking in typical commercially available home grills and griddles.
Charcoal gridironing generally begins with purchasing a commercial bag of processed charcoal briquettes. An alternative to charcoal briquettes is lump charcoal. Lump charcoal is wood that has been turned into charcoal, but unlike briquettes, it has not been ground and shaped. Lump charcoal is a pure form of charcoal and is preferred by many purists who dislike artificial binders used to hold briquettes in their shape, and it also burns hotter and responds to changes in airflow much more quickly. Charcoal cannot be burned indoors because poisonous carbon monoxide (CO) is a combustion product.[21] Carbon monoxide fumes may contribute to the pink color taken on by barbecued meats after slow cooking in a smoker. Many barbecue aficionados prefer charcoal over gas (natural gas or propane) for the authentic flavor the coals provide.

A chimney starter
A charcoal chimney starter is an inexpensive and efficient method for quickly obtaining a good charcoal fire. A few pages of newspaper are wadded up underneath the chimney to start the fire. Other methods are to use an electric iron to heat the charcoal or to soak it with aliphatic petroleum solvent and light it in a pyramid formation. Charcoal briquettes pre-impregnated with solvent are also available. Although the use of solvents is quick and portable, it can be hazardous, and petroleum solvents can impart undesirable chemical flavors to the meat. Using denatured alcohol ("methyl hydrate", "methylated spirit") instead of commercial petroleum-based lighter fluids avoids this problem.
Once all coals are ashed over (generally 15–25 minutes, depending on starting technique), they can be spread around the perimeter of the grill with the meat placed in the center for indirect cooking, or piled together for direct cooking. Water-soaked wood chips (such as mesquite, cherry, hickory or fruit trees) can be added to the coals for flavor. As with wood barbecuing, the temperature of the grill is controlled by the amount and distribution of coal within the grill and through careful venting.
For long cooking times (up to 18 hours), many cooks find success with the minion method, usually performed in a smoker. The method involves putting a small number of hot coals on top of a full chamber of unlit briquettes. The burning coals will gradually light the unlit coals. By leaving the top air vent all the way open and adjusting the lower vents, a constant temperature of 225°F can easily be achieved for up to 18 hours.
The Japanese-style kamado cooker utilizes lump charcoal for fuel. The kamado is made from ceramics and can be adjusted to cook for more than 30 hours on a single load of lump, the heat being retained in the ceramic walls, radiating into the food. There is no need to use water pans or replenish fuel during the cook, as is the case with steel water smokers. Furthermore, lump charcoal contains no additives or fillers as contained in charcoal briquettes. The very small amount of air needed to keep a ceramic cooker going at low temperature helps maintain a moist environment, whereas in a steel smoker, steam must be added from a water pan over the briquettes to keep the food from drying out. The kamado dates back several thousand years with roots in China and Japan.

Natural gas, propane, and electricity

Grilling with natural gas, propane, or electricity is a step further removed from cooking over a wood fire. Despite this, and the higher cost of a gas grill over a charcoal grill, many people continue to prefer cooking over a gas flame or electric element. There are also some hybrid charbroilers and griddles that combine these two energy sources together for cooking.
Gas grills are easy to light. The heat is easy to control via knob-controlled gas valves on the burners, so the outcome is very predictable. Gas grills give very consistent results, although some charcoal and wood purists argue that it lacks the flavors available only from cooking with charcoal. Advocates of gas grills claim that gas cooking lets you "taste the meat, not the heat" because it is claimed that charcoal grills may deposit traces of coal tar on the food. Many grills are equipped with thermometers, further simplifying the barbecuing experience. However, propane and natural gas produce a "wet" heat (combustion byproducts include water vapor) that can change the texture of foods cooked over such fuels.
Added wood smoke flavor can be imparted on gas and electric grills using water-soaked wood chips placed in an inexpensive smoker box (a perforated metal box), or simply a perforated foil pouch, under the grilling grate and over the heat. It takes some experience in order to keep the chips smoking consistently without catching fire; some high-end gas grills include a built-in smoker box with a dedicated burner to simplify the task. Using such smokers on quick-grilled foods (steaks, chops, burgers) nearly duplicates the effects of wood and charcoal grills, and they can actually make grilling some longer-cooked foods, such as ribs, easier, since the "wet" heat makes it easier to prevent the meat from drying out.
Gas and electric gridirons, charbroilers, and griddles are significantly more expensive due to their added complexity. They are also considered much cleaner, as they do not result in ashes, which must be disposed of, and also in terms of air pollution. Proper maintenance may further help reduce pollution. The useful life of a gas or electric grill or griddle may be extended by obtaining replacement gas grill parts when the original parts wear out. Most barbecues that are used for commercial purposes now use gas or electricity for the reasons above.

Solar power

There have been a number of designs for barbecues that use solar power as a means of cooking food. The device usually involves the use of a curved mirror acting as a parabolic reflector, which focuses the rays of the sun on to a point where the food is to be heated.

Spice of the Week - Sesame

Sesame
Sesame is an ancient spice, one of the first recorded plants used for its seeds. It has been used for thousands of years and is still an oil seed of worldwide significance. Early Assyrians believed their gods drank sesame wine as a prelude to creating the world. A drawing on an Egyptian tomb of 4,000 years ago depicts a baker adding sesame seeds to dough. Around the same time, the Chinese were burning sesame oil to make a soot for ink. Ancient Greek soldiers carried sesame seeds as energy boosting emergency rations and the Romans made a kind of hummus from sesame and cumin. Sesame has been considered a symbol of good luck and signifies immortality to Brahmins. Sesame oil is a non-drying oil, highly stable rarely turning rancid in hot climates. It is very rich in protein, a polyunsaturated fat used in margarine production and cooking oils. Non-culinary uses include its use as an ingredient in soap, cosmetics, lubricants and medicines. In southern India it is used to anoint the body and hair. The “Open Sesame” of Arabian Nights fame, probably derives from the sound the ripe seeds make when they burst from their pods, a popping noise that sounds like a lock spring opening.

Spice Description
Sesame seeds are contained in the pods of a tropical plant. They are tiny, flat ovals, measuring about 3 mm (1/8 in) long. Seed color can vary, though they are usually beige or creamy white when husked. The seeds are sold dried and whole or ground to form tahini paste.

Preparation and Storage
The whole seeds are enhanced by lightly toasting before use. They are ready when they start to jump. Store in airtight containers out of light. Tahini paste tends to settle into layers and requires stirring before use. It should be kept in a tightly sealed glass jar.

Culinary Uses
The simplest and now commonest use of sesame is as whole seeds sprinkled over cakes and breads, like poppy seeds. In Syria and Lebanon it is mixed with sumac and thyme to make the condiment zatar. Sesame is a key ingredient in halva, the Middle Eastern confection, where the seeds are ground and pressed into blocks with various sweet or nutty ingredients. Sesame in its ground form, tahini, is widely used throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean. It is a flavouring for hummus, a sauce for kebabs and is often mixed with lemon and garlic to make a bread dip — a popular Arab appetizer or mezze. In Mexico, its oil is called ajonjoli which is frequently used for cooking. Black sesame appears frequently in Chinese, Japanese and Korean dishes where meat or fish is rolled in the seeds before cooking for a crunchy coating. Black sesame is an ingredient of gomassio, the Japanese tabletop condiment, and other colourful rice and noodle dishes.

Attributed Medicinal Properties
Sesame oil is mildly laxative, emollient and demulcent. The seeds and fresh leaves may be used as a poultice. The oil has wide medical and pharmaceutical application.
Plant Description and Cultivation
A tropical herbaceous annual that grows 1 -2 m (2 - 6 ft) tall. The plant has an unpleasant odour. The leaves vary from ovate to lanceolate and are hairy on both sides. The flowers are purple to whitish, resembling foxglove, followed by 3 cm (1.25 in) capsules containing numerous seeds. It matures in 80 -180 days when the stems are cut and hung upside down for the ripe seeds to fall out to be collected on mats. Mechanical harvesting is also used, with total worldwide production of almost 4 billion pounds annually.

Lit'l Smokies® Mummy Dogs

A great Halloween treat! I added Turkey Lit'l Smokies and Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls in the recipe to cut even more calories and carbs. This is from the Hillshire Farm
web site.

Lit'l Smokies® Mummy Dogs
Total Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ready to do the Monster Mash this Halloween? Well here's a snack the kids will love! Hillshire Farm® Lit'l Smokes® all wrapped up for their trip straight to your mouth. Add ketchup for that extra effect!
Ingredients
    * 32 Hillshire Farm® Turkey Lit'l Smokies®
      1 Can (8 ounces) refrigerated Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
      Mustard or Ketchup, if desired

Directions:
   1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
   2. Unroll dough, separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal.
   3. Cut each rectangle lengthwise into 8 strips with a knife or pizza cutter, making a total of 32 strips. Wrap one strip of dough around each sausage stretching dough slightly to look like bandages.   Leave tip of sausage exposed to create face.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
   4. Bake 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. Draw features with mustard on tip of sausage to create face.  Serve with mustard and ketchup, if desired.

Diabetes 2 Friendly Product Review - New Hope Mills Pancake Mix

New Hope Mills
Sugar Free Pancake and Waffle Mix

Having  been diagnosed with diabetes, it's been difficult to find something to eat for breakfast that won't shoot my blood sugar through the roof.  I then found New Hope Mills Pancake Mix! Hot, fluffy pancakes and crispy waffles without loads of carbs.

Love pancakes and waffles drenched in syrup but hate the idea of all that refined flour and sugar? Then New Hope Mills Pancake and Waffle Mix is for you. They use wheat gluten and a low glycemic cornstarch which are much higher in protein and lower in carbs than traditional flour. So, go ahead, enjoy your pancakes and waffles. You'll be doing your body and your taste buds a favor.

Serving size: 1/4 Cup Mix makes 3-4 Pancakes
80 Calories 6 Carbs


Ingredients: Wheat Gluten, Cornstarch, Milk Protein, (Casein Protein, Whey Protein), Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate) Natural & Artificial Flavor, Sucralose.

A Different take on Chicken: Catalina Cranberry Chicken

Catalina Cranberry Chicken

 Ran across this while browsing the Kraft Foods Recipe web site. Sounds mighty tasty!




Ingredients
4 lb. bone-in chicken pieces (breast halves and/or thighs)
1 can  (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 bottle (8 oz.) KRAFT CATALINA Dressing
1 env.  onion soup mix

*HEAT oven to 350°F.
*PLACE chicken in 2 (13x9-inch) baking dishes.
*MIX remaining ingredients; pour over chicken.
*BAKE 50 min. or until chicken is done (165°F).
nutritional information
per serving

Calories  
 430
Total fat
 19 g
Saturated fat
 4.5 g
Cholesterol
 100 mg
Sodium
 890 mg
Carbohydrate
 34 g

Cheese Rye Appetizers

Cheese Rye Appetizers

Another appetizer from Simple and Delicious. Good 

appetizer for the upcoming Holidays.

 

“I enjoy serving this hors d’oeuvre at family gatherings. It can be mixed ahead of time, refrigerated, and then spread on bread and baked at the last minute. Even kids like it.” —Joyce Dykstra, Lansing, Illinois

30 ServingsPrep: 20 min. Bake: 10 min./batch

Ingredients

• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 can (4-1/4 ounces) chopped ripe olives
• 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 30 slices snack rye bread

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Spread a rounded
• tablespoonful over each slice of bread. Place on an ungreased baking
• sheet. Bake at 450° for 6-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.
• 
  

Nutrition Facts: 1 appetizer equals 108 calories, 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 160 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

tasteofhome.com

 

Thai Shrimp Appetizers

Thai Shrimp Appetizers

From Simple and Delicious. 

Looks like a great appetizer for those football weekends!

 

8 ServingsPrep: 15 min. + marinating

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pounds cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 10 ingredients.
• Add the shrimp; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 30
• minutes. Drain and discard marinade; arrange shrimp on a serving
• plate. Yield: 8 servings.
• 
  

Nutrition Facts: 1/2 cup equals 170 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 172 mg cholesterol, 224 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 23 g protein.

© Taste of Home 2010

Braised Ribs

Looks like Braised Ribs sometime this week! From the
Simply Recipes site.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients

• 12 beef short ribs, bone-in
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil or olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 750-ml bottle good dry red wine (we used a zinfandel)
• 6 cups veal stock (can substitute beef stock)

Method

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Season ribs to taste with the salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed ovenproof pan over high heat. Add ribs and brown on all sides. Work in batches if you need to so that the ribs don't get crowded (this will help with browning).
2 Transfer ribs to a plate. Pour off excess fat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pan and sauté, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan, set aside. Then add the wine to the pan, deglazing the pan, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by three-quarters until thick and slightly syrupy, about 15 minutes.
3 Return the ribs to the pan, add the veal stock and enough water to cover the ribs. Bring to a boil, cover with foil, and place in the oven. Braise, cooking in the oven, until the meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. During the last 1/2 hour of cooking, add back in the vegetables. Allow the ribs to cool in the liquid, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
4 The next day, remove the excess fat that has solidified at the top from the overnight chilling. Place the pan with the ribs and cooking liquid over medium heat, uncovered. Cook until the liquid has reduced by three-quarters, about 1 hour. Continue to cook, spooning the sauce over the ribs, until the sauce is thick and ribs are glazed. Take care not to burn the glaze; move the ribs around in the pan to keep them from burning.
Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice. Serves 6.

Halloween Candy Article

Halloween Candy: A Dietitian's Guide
By Mary_RD on Oct 12, 2010 10:00 AM in Tips & Updates

A long time ago, I placed (fine) candy in the “sometimes” or “rarely” food group.  That group is reserved for scrumptious foods that have no nutritional value.   They are served on holidays – personal (birthday), religious (Christmas) and civic (4th of July) – as well as at rare times when luck comes your way.

I suppose Halloween is a quasi religious holiday, being the time of the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), and a special time in other faiths.   But I could never see the point of giving kids a pillow case full of candy.  To me, that is excessive and wasteful and it gives the wrong message.  But, so far, I can’t get kids to agree.  And so Halloween is what it is: Damage Control.

Halloween Candy Coming In

Generally, Halloween night is a free-for all.  Everybody eats candy.  And that might go on for another day, but sooner rather than later we get a grip and candy is rationed to one piece at lunch and another after school.  Some is shared with family members who are too old to Trick-or-Treat.  And eventually the pillow case is forgotten at the back of the closet, and the candy is tossed with the next decent cleaning.  Some creative parents play the humanitarian card and donate the candy to the local Food Bank, while other wily parents talk the kids into freezing their booty to spread throughout the year.

Halloween Candy Going Out

The candy that you choose to distribute is another story.  Year after year, I’d try to persuade my daughter to let me hand-out something else - pencils, stickers, glowsticks - even nickels - but she wouldn’t hear of being odd, and she wanted candy.  But I held the purse strings, and so I gave out candy that did the least damage.  Damage Control candy is low in calories and fat, and is served in small portions.  Damage Control candy might look more like a toy, which makes it less likely to be eaten.

Join me in Halloween candy shopping using my Damage Control Halloween Candy List.  The candies on the list have fewer than 100 calories per serving and might not be eaten at all!

    * Lollipops:  Consider Blow Pops (50 calories), Dum Dum Pops (51 calories), Ring Pops (wear, don’t eat)
      
    * Gum: Chew over Chiclets (10 calories), Gum Balls (20 calories), Bubble Yum (25 calories), and others
      
    * Chewy candies: Behold Skittles (43 calories) and jelly beans (41 calories)
      
    * Hard candies: Check out Sweetarts (50 calories), Smarties (25 calories) and hard candies (24 calories)

    * Powdered candy: Think about Pixy Sticks (60 calories), Pop Rocks (34 calories) and Fizzies Drink Tablets

    * Sugar-free candy – your dentist will love you!  There are sugar-free Twizzlers (33 calories each),  jelly beans, lollipops, and more

    * Candy that is more like a toy
      Let’s hear it for wax bottles (20 calories), wax lips (15 calories), candy lipstick (20 calories),  and candy buttons on paper tape (30 calories, excluding paper.)

Food Preparations - Frying

It's believed by experts that the technique of frying foods originated in the Middle East. The date is uncertain, but it's generally thought to be around two millennia before the birth of Jesus Christ. Frying is therefore age old, and involves the process of bringing oil or fat to a melting point. The reason fat or oils is used, is because they can reach such a high heat. Unlike with boiling water, fat or oil becomes so hot that they can sear the outside of foods. This keeps the moisture and flavor in the food, but also leaves the outside crisp. A criticism of frying food is from the health lobby, which maintain that frying lowers the nutrient value of food, and covers it in unhealthy fats, which can clog the arteries of the heart.
Types Of Frying

There are numerous frying techniques, which vary country to country. The most popular in the west are as follows,

    * Saute  
          o A cook will place a small amount of fat to layer the surface of a frying pan. With a high heat, usually with flipping the food, to quickly brown the food, but keeps the moisture and avoids absorbing the fat.

    * Stir frying
          o Just like with sautéing, only a small amount of oil is used. A technique which is used with woks, the food is stirred continually, so that it does not brown or burn. But, will make sure all the food is covered in any sauce added. In Chinese cooking there are numerous techniques with varying speeds of execution, heat used, and tossing done.

    * Shallow frying
          o Another style of pan frying, this time using more oil or fat. Whatever food is placed in the pan should be covered half way up with oil. A quick and less fussy way of achieving a similar result to deep frying.

    * Deep frying
          o This takes shallow frying to the extreme. The food is completely immersed in the oil. Either a deep pan can be placed over a cooking hob, or a stand alone deep fat fryer can be used. The heat should be around 300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The pan or deep fat fryer should not be more than half way filled with oil.

There we have it, four of the most popular way to fry food. You may have noticed that as the list progresses the less healthy it becomes. Sautéing and stir frying can involve food like noodles, vegetables, alongside meats like steak and pork chops. Whereas deep frying involves all the heart cloggers, such as chips, doughnuts, fish and chicken in batter.

Spice of the Week - Dill

The word “dill” comes from the Norse “dilla”, meaning “to lull”. Drinking dill tea is recommended to overcome insomnia. A native to Europe, it is a Russian favorite and can be cultivated near the Arctic Circle. Both seeds and leaves are edible.

Spice Description
The seed is light brown, winged and oval, with one side flat, with two ridges. The other side is convex with three ridges and three oil channels. Seeds are about 3.5 mm (0.15 in) long. The leaves and stalks are aromatic and are used fresh or for pickling.
Bouquet: aromatic and somewhat sweet
Flavour: aromatic and slightly bitter, similar to caraway

Attributed Medicinal Properties
Dill seeds contain carvone as an essential oil. Dill is considered caminative, stomachic and slightly stimulant. Dill water is given to children for digestive problems. Also it “destroys the hiccups”.

Culinary Uses
Dill is mainly used in pickling, where most of the plant is used. “Dill Pickles” have become a North American classic and in Europe Sauerkraut and dill vinegars have been popular for centuries. It is especially popular in Russia and Scandinavia, where it is used in courts-bouillons and sauces for fish, pickled salmon, casseroles and soups. It is also used on cakes and breads, particularly in rye breads, the way caraway is used. Dill should be used sparingly as the flavour grows. Its flavour works well in sour cream and yogurt sauces. The chopped fresh leaves are frequently used with trout and salmon, shrimp, deviled eggs, green beans, cauliflower, beets, soups, cottage and cream cheese.

Diabetes 2 Friendly Product Review - Joseph's Sugar Free Syrup

You can have Diabetes2 and have your pancakes and syrup too! I love a good breakfast but not all the calories and carbs that sometime go with it. Joseph's syrup provides an answer to that. Low carb and low calorie with a fantastic taste! Makes me want astack of cakes now. I'll review the pancake mix I use next week!

All natural maple flavor.
    * Thick syrup
    * butter and maple flavor
    * 0 net carbs
The best sugar-free maple syrup because its THICK with butter and maple flavor. Use it on your low carb pancakes, hot cereal and other desserts.
Nutrition Facts:
    * Serving Size 1/4 cup (60ml)
    * Servings per container 6
    * Calories 35
    *   Calories from Fat 0
    * Total Fat 0g
    *   Saturated Fat 0g
    *   Trans Fat 0g
    * Cholesterol 0mg
    * Sodium 30mg
    * Total Carbohydrate 9g*
    *   Dietary fiber 0g*
    *   Sugars 0g
    *   Sugar Alcohols 9g*
    * Protein 0g

Ingredients: Water, maltitol, all natural maple flavor.
*Net carbs as listed by the manufacturer on the label = 0g per serving.    

Low Calorie Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Muffins

The aroma of these streusel-topped pumpkin muffins is exquisite as they bake. Your entire home will smell of the bounty of fall. While the muffins themselves are not overly sweet, the streusel topping makes up for any sweetness you may be missing! From about.com

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

    * Streusel Topping:
    * 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
    * 2 Tbsp brown sugar
    * 1 Tbsp melted butter
    * 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
    * Muffins:
    * 1 cup white flour
    * 1 cup whole-wheat flour
    * 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
    * 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
    * 1 tsp salt
    * 1 tsp baking soda
    * 1 cup canned pumpkin
    * 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
    * 1/4 cup canola oil
    * 2 large eggs, beaten
    * 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. To prepare the streusel, combine the first four ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour through the baking soda). In a smaller mixing bowl combine the remaining five ingredients. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, and mix with a large spoon until moistened.

4. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray, and fill each muffin space 3/4 full with the batter. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over each muffin.

5. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack, and cook completely.

Makes 12 muffins

Per Serving (1 muffin) Calories 224

Low Calorie Pumpkin Pie

Keeping with the fall theme, Fall’s favorite pie. A low calorie and low carb version. From Taste of Home.

* 8 Servings
* Prep: 10 min. Bake: 35 min. + cooling

Ingredients
* 1 egg
* 2 egg whites
* 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
* Sugar substitute equivalent to 3/4 cup sugar

* 1/2 cup reduced-fat biscuit/baking mix
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1 can (12 ounces) fat-free evaporated milk
* 1 cup reduced-fat whipped topping 

 

Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the egg, egg whites, pumpkin, sugar substitute, biscuit mix, vanilla and spices until smooth. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
* Pour into a 9-in. pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Dollop with whipped topping before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 servings.

Editor’s Note: This recipe was tested with Splenda no-calorie sweetener.

Nutrition Facts: 1 piece with 2 tablespoons topping equals 124 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 160 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 1-1/2 starch.

Low-Calorie Pumpkin Pie published in Light & Tasty October/November 2004, p50

Pumpkin News!

It's that time of year again, my favorite time of the year, the leaves are turning the air is turning cooler and it's time for the classic Charlie Brown Show "The Great Pumpkin". Here's a little background on the show and a "Big" Pumpkin update.

The Great Pumpkin is an unseen character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.
The Great Pumpkin is a holiday figure (comparable to Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny) that seems to exist only in the imagination of Linus van Pelt. Every year, Linus sits in a pumpkin patch on Halloween night waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear. The Great Pumpkin was first mentioned by Linus in the comic strip in 1959, but the Great Pumpkin invariably fails to appear, and a humiliated but undefeated Linus vows to wait for him again the following Halloween.

This premise was reworked by Schulz many times throughout the run of the Peanuts strip, and also forms the basis for the 1966 animated television special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The best-known quote regarding Linus and the Great Pumpkin, originally from the comic strip but made famous by the TV special, is "There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin."

1,674-pound SD pumpkin just shy of world record
By Associated Press  |   Friday, October 8, 2010  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Central
Photo
Photo by AP

PARKER, S.D. — This pumpkin weighs nearly enough to be Cinderella’s coach.

South Dakota farmer Kevin Marsh of Parker knows his 1,674-pound pumpkin isn’t pretty — it’s won an ugliest pumpkin award at a Colorado event. But it’s also only 51 pounds shy of the world record listed by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth.

It’s not the first big pumpkin Marsh has grown. One he grew earlier this year was 1,536 pounds, and he had one at 1,488 pounds last year.

Marsh says he doesn’t have any big secrets for growing behemoth squash. He says he buries vines as they grow so they get double the amount of roots, and uses a lot of organic fertilizers.

West Chester, Ohio Great Pumpkin Fest

W EST CHESTER TWP, Ohio. — West Chester’s Great Pumpkin Fest is this weekend, and although the festival has no connection to the fabled Great Pumpkin in the “Peanuts” comics, it is geared primarily toward children and families.
The 10th annual event runs from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday at Keehner Park, 7411 Barret Road.
Barbara Wilson, public information officer for West Chester Twp., said the festival has some new features this year.
“We have extra pony carousels so kids don’t have to wait very long,” she said. And those are real ponies, not wooden ones, she said.
Another highlight is the costume contest. Registration for this will begin at 2 p.m. with the actual contest judging at 3 p.m., Wilson said.
Kids will be divided into eight age groups and will be judged by the Primrose School. Trophies and other prizes will be awarded.
While many Halloween attractions in the area feature blood-curdling chills, the Pumpkin Fest has a more genteel version called the “not so scary haunted trail.”
Run with the help of local Girl Scouts, the trail includes stops where kids play games and the Scouts are dressed in costumes.
If the weather is good, and it is expected to be, Wilson said as many as 5,000 people may attend the event.
“We just wanted to have a fall festival for the community that was focused on families,” Wilson said.
There is also a Pumpkin Fest happening noon to 6 p.m. every Saturday through Oct. 23 at McMonigle Farm, 7441 Franklin Madison Road in Middletown.
It features pumpkins, hayrides, and other family fun and for the second season pumpkin fest.
For more information, call (937) 672-8248.

41st Ohio Sauerkraut Festival

41st Ohio Sauerkraut Festival
Start: 10/09/2010
End: 10/10/2010
Timezone: US/Eastern
Event Features:
* 350,000-400,000 people attend
* Over 500 craft & food booths
* Hand crafted items for sale
* Most foods have sauerkraut in them although you can still get non-kraut foods too.

Every fall, Waynesville, Ohio becomes the center of European and German-inspired culture in the Midwest during the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival. More than 400,000 visitors flock to the unique charm of Warren County's Sauerkraut Festival each year, which offers the nation's widest sauerkraut-related fare and more than 450 artisan craft booths.
 Sauerkraut Fesival Food

The Sauerkraut Festival can be traced to its humble roots as a part of a local sidewalk sale in 1970. Today, this unique Warren County festival has grown into a national event that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors dining on more than 7 tons of sauerkraut.

This specialty dish with German origins accompanied the first inhabitants of Warren County. Now, scores of people visit Warren County, Ohio to taste the finest Ruebens, Kraut Dogs and Cabbage Rolls made from the highest quality sauerkraut. With more than 30 food vendors, there is certain to be a dish perfect for everyone. Those with daring palates will enjoy crazy sauerkraut creations such as pizza, donuts, fudge and sundaes.
 Sauerkraut Festival Crafts

With your favorite sauerkraut dish in hand, stroll the festival streets browsing a wide selection of arts and crafts. With more than 450 artisans from across the U.S. and Hawaii, this is one of the largest arts and crafts shows in the country.

So, this October be sure to visit the town of Waynesville and browse arts and crafts from more than 25 states while eating local cuisine with one focus in mind: sauerkraut!

Shrimp and Scallop Gumbo

Shrimp and Scallop Gumbo w/Cornbread Ears
Whoo Whee Dat some good Gumbo! First time I ever made Gumbo and it won’t be the last. This first time I used Luzianne Gumbo Dinner Kit, next time I’ll try it from scratch.

Ingredients
1 Pound of Shrimp and Sea Scallops
4 Slices of Turkey Bacon
2 Russet Potatoes (Diced)
6 Cups of Water
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pepper, Sea Salt for seasoning
1 Box of Luzianne Gumbo Dinner Kit

*Dice the Russet Potatoes and microwave for 4 minutes to soften
*Fry Bacon and set aside when done.
*In a 4-5 Quart pot,bring water and Olive Oil to a boil
*Add Luzianne Gumbo while stirring
*Empty half of the Red Pepper Packet into the Gumbo. Put remainder aside.
*Reduce Heat , Cover and simmer for 18 minutes. Meanwhile quarter the Sea Scallops, peel the raw Shrimp, and crumble the Turkey Bacon.
*Taste, and if desired, add remaining Red Pepper from packet and Sea Salt. Add the Shrimp, Scallops, Crumbled Turkey Bacon, and Potatoes. Cover and continue to simmer for 7 more minutes.

I made some Cornbread Ears to serve with the Gumbo. Toooo good!

Florida Crab Cakes

If you like crab cakes I think you'll like this! Came across this from the diabetic-recipes.com site.

Florida Crab Cakes
1     Pound (480 g) crabmeat, preferably lump
2     Shallots, minced
1/2   Medium red bell pepper, seeded and minced
1/2   Medium green bell pepper, seeded and minced
1     Rib celery, finely minced
1     Large clove garlic, minced
3     Tablespoons (11 g) minced flat-leaf parsley
1/4   Cup (11 g) unseasoned dry bread crumbs
1 1/2  Teaspoons (7.5 ml) Old Bay Seasoning or other seafood seasoning
1/4     Teaspoon (1.25 ml) freshly ground pepper
1/8     Teaspoon (0.6 ml) cayenne pepper
1     Large egg, beaten
    refrigerated butter-flavored cooking spray

   1. Pick through crabmeat, removing all bits of shell. Place in a bowl and mix with shallots, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and parsley. Stir in bread crumbs, Old Bay Seasoning, finely ground pepper, cayenne pepper, and egg.
   2. Wet your hands with cool water. Pat crab mixture into 4 large or 8 small patties. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
   3. When ready to cook, lightly coat a cast iron or heavy nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place over high heat and add crab cakes. Brown for about 3 minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown and crusty. Serve hot with the salsa alongside.

Per serving:     170 calories (16% calories from fat), 27 g protein, 3 g total fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 9 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 133 g cholesterol, 672 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges:     4 very lean protein, 1/2 carbohydrate (bread/starch)
Thanks to  diabetic-recipes.com

Food Prep - Stir Fry

Stir-frying is an Asian technique for cooking meat and vegetables quickly, so that they retain texture and flavor. Stir-frying typically involves a quick sautee over high heat, occasionally followed by a brief steam in a flavored sauce.

Chao technique
A product of the chǎo (炒) technique
The chao technique is similar to the Western technique of sautee. A traditional round-bottom cast iron or carbon steel pan called a wok is heated to a high temperature. A small amount of cooking oil is then poured down the side of the wok (a traditional expression in China regarding this is "hot wok, cold oil"), followed by dry seasonings (including ginger and garlic), then at the first moment the seasonings can be smelled, meats are added and agitated. Once the meat is seared, vegetables along with liquid ingredients (for example often including premixed combinations of soy sauce, vinegar, wine, salt, sugar, and cornstarch) are added. The wok then may be covered for a moment so the water in the liquid ingredients can warm up the new ingredients as it steams off. To keep the meat juicy, usually a cook would take the seared meat out before vegetables are added, and put the meat back right before vegetables are done. In some dishes, or if the cooking conditions are inadequate, different components may be stir fried separately before being combined in the final dish (if, for example, the chef desires the taste of the stir fried vegetables and meats to remain distinct).
The food is stirred and tossed out very quickly using wooden or metal cooking utensils. Some chefs will lift the wok to the side to let the flame light the oil or add a dash of wine spirit to give the food extra flavor. Using this method, many dishes can be cooked extremely quickly (within a minute).
Some dishes that require more time are cooked by adding a few dashes of water after the stirring. Then the wok is covered with a lid. As soon as steam starts to come out from under the lid, the dish is ready. In this case, the food is stir fried on high heat for flavor and then steamed to ensure that it is fully cooked.

 Bao technique
The wok is heated to a dull red glow. With the wok hot, the oil, seasonings, and meats are added in rapid succession with no pause in between. The food is continually tossed, stopping for several seconds only to add other ingredients such as various seasonings, broths, or vegetables. When the food is deemed to be cooked it is poured and ladled out of the wok. The wok must then be quickly rinsed to prevent food residues from charring and burning to the wok bottom because of residual heat.
The main ingredients are usually cut to smaller pieces to aid in cooking. As well, a larger amount of cooking fat with a high smoke point, such as lard and/or peanut oil, is often used in bao.

Spice of the Week - Cilantro

One of the most widely used and loved herbs and spices in the world are derived from the same plant, Coriandrum sativum. The leaves of this plant are frequently referred to as cilantro, while the seeds are most commonly called coriander. Depending on the cuisine, the entire plant is used for the various flavors and aromas that are present in each constituent part. Loved by many and abhorred by some, this common plant is an essential ingredient in many cuisines around the world.

Originally grown around present day Greece, cilantro has been used as a culinary herb since at least 5,000 B.C. It is mentioned in Sanskrit text and the Bible. Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D.) used the name Coriandrum after "coris", the Greek word for "bedbug" as it was said they both emitted a similar odor. Coriander is one of the herbs thought to have aphrodisiac qualities; the Chinese used it in love potions and in The Thousand and One Nights a man who had been childless for 40 years is cured with a coriander concotion. Spanish conquistadors introduced it to Mexico and Peru where it now commonly pairs with chilies in the local cuisine.

Herb Description
Cilantro leaves have pungent smell described by some as "soapy" The stems also have a strong odour and flavour. Leaves and stems pair well with piquant foods, such as in the cuisines of the US Southwest, Latin America, Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, and in parts of northern Africa. Flavours are used to "lift" other flavours; they enhance and promote other pronounced flavours. Coriander roots are used often used fresh as a base flavour for Asian soups.

Culinary Uses
The leaves are always used fresh. They feature in Spanish, Middle Eastern, Indian, Oriental and South American cookery. They are often sprinkled like parsley on cooked dishes, minced or puréed in sauces, soups and curries. In Thailand the root of the coriander plant is used to flavor meats, curries and soups. In Mexico and the Southwestern U.S. it is used in everything from salsas and salads to burritos or meat dishes.

Attributed Medicinal Properties
Cilantro is considered an aid to the digestive system.  It is an appetite stimulant and aids in the secretion of gastric juices.
The essential oils of the cilantro leaves contain antibacterial properties and can be used as a fungicide.  Rich in vitamin C.

Cultivation
Cilantro, is a fast growing annual reaching 12 - 24 inches tall.  The entire plant including the leaves, the seeds and roots are all edible. Coriander can easily be grown in pots. Simply pick or trim fresh leaves or whole stalks as required.  The leaves get a stronger and sometimes disagreeable flavor as they get older and larger. Grow in full sun. The soil should be kept moist but well drained.