Splenda

I must say, I have felt suspicious of all the claims regarding Splenda from the beginning. So much seemed “too good to be true” and I’m typically suspicious of overly processed food and “diet” foods in particular. Well, today, while checking out one of my new favorite blogs (Health+Sanity),  I ran across some links to info on that very subject. Now, I have not researched this myself. This just spurs me on to take a closer look. I, myself, have refused to knowingly partake of this newfangled product, but know so many folks that have embraced it wholeheartedly. Well, I happen to care about those folks, so want to pass on this info for your ponderence. Perhaps you’d like to take a second look yourself.

• Truth About Splenda: Facts vs. Fiction
• More Deception - click on the video links she provides to hear from Dr. Mercola.

I will definately keep my eyes on this issue and, when I can, will do more research. I will post as I learn more over time. But nothing’s stopping you from taking a closer look at what you eat – what’s in that stuff anyway, hmmm?

Fajitas

I love to know where things came from and am always asking “how did they ever think that up?” While searching for a fajita recipe, I stumbled across a history lesson on that scrumptions dish (if you like Tex Mex) on What’s Cooking America.

Fajitas History

Texans would probably like to lay claim to the fajita, but history gives credit to Mexican ranch workers living in West Texas (along the Rio Grande on the Texas-Mexico border) in the late 1930s or early 1940s. When a steer was butchered, the workers were given the least desirable parts to eat for partial payment of their wages. Because of this, the workers learned to make good use of a tough cut of beef known as skirt steak. In Spanish, fajita is a form of the word faja which translates to “belt” or “girdle” in English.

The fajita is truly a Tex-Mex food (a blending of Texas cowboy and Mexican panchero foods). The Mexican term for grilled skirt steak is arracheras, and its American counterpart is fajitas. Today, the term fajita has completely lost its original meaning and has come to describe just about anything that is cooked and served rolled up in a soft flour tortilla. The only true fajitas, however, are made from skirt steak.

Click the title for the full article and recipe. Unfortunately, I don’t have the ingredients I would need to follow that recipe, so the search continues. If all turns out well, I’ll post what I do come up with. Ah, I’d better go get the skirt steak out of the freezer so I can set it to marinade in the morning.

Remains a Mystery

I finally saw the allergist yesterday about those hives. Wouldn’t you know, I haven’t had any hives this week since stopping the Atarax (on day 5 of no med). But it turns out that they do not do the skin test as the allergens they test for do not cause hives (I think that’s what he said). So I didn’t have to stop the Atarax. But for now, I’m staying off to see if the hives come back.

The doctor asked me a bunch of questions, all answered “no.” Many of the questions I’ve already thought of. But he said they have to ask them. I will also get some bloodwork to check thyroid, iron level, etc. Apparently most of the time these tests all come back negative. In other words, for most people, the mystery is never solved. Chronic hives can continue anywhere from 6 weeks to several years, until they “burn themselves out,” as the doctor put it. It is possible mine have burned themselves out; but he seemed to think they would more than likely come back in the next week or so. We shall see.

For now, I have Atarax and Claritin in my arsenal if they do come back. The doctor also gave me some epi-pens to have on hand – because of the face swelling I have had. Another one of those “you’ll probably never need it, but I’d be remiss not to give it to you – just in case.”

So, if the hives never come back and my bloodwork doesn’t reveal anything – it will remain a mystery. But at least it will be over, for now. If either the hives do come back, and/or the bloodwork reveals any issues, I’ll post an update here.

More Chicken Soup

I found that chicken soup recipe I mentioned in the previous post:

• 1 5-6 pound chicken
• 10-12 quarts water, cover and bring to a boil (or what will cover the chicken and fit in your pot)
• 1 large onion
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 pound carrots
• 1 bunch dill
• 1 bunch parsley

Put the chicken in the pot and cover with water. When the soup  comes to a boil, skim off the top, add the veggies, and turn down to a simmer. Season to taste and simmer for about two hours.

You can remove everything and just consume the broth. We usually eat the veggies in the soup, along with some or all of the chicken after it has been removed from the bones and broken into bite sized pieces. If you don’t use all the chicken in the soup, you can use it in sandwiches or other recipes calling for cooked chicken.

Another suggestion from my husband: try pureeing the sweet potato into the broth. It is pretty soft and falling apart by the time the soup is done. I believe I tried this once and it worked fine. I don’t really care either way – the flavor is wonderful.

Soup Therapy

We had all been feeling a bit under the weather here with colds. So, I pulled a chicken out of the freezer and cooked up some good old home made chicken soup. There is nothing like a hot bowl of soup to soothe away those snivels. Since finishing it off my husband’s cough has finally cleared up and my nose is much better. Now I’m not saying we were cured by the soup. It’s only a matter of time and you’ll get over it, anyway. But it’s definitely good for you and makes you feel better.

Why is chicken soup superior to all the things we have, even more relaxing than “Tylenol?” It is because chicken soup has a natural ingredient which feeds, repairs and calms the mucous lining in the small intestine. This inner lining is the beginning or ending of the nervous system. . . Chicken soup . . . heals the nerves, improves digestion, reduces allergies, relaxes and gives strength.

from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, p. 124

I can’t say I make it exactly the same way every time. But here’s how I made the last pot:

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 2 carrots peeled and cut in half
• 2 celery stalks cut in half
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

I put all this in a large stock pot and poured in about 3 quarts of water, to cover the chicken and brought it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, skim off any scum that rises to the top, turn down the heat and simmer for several hours. I started it right after lunch and let it simmer about 4 hours or so, until I was ready to make the soup. I removed the chicken and veggies (discarded the veggies) and strained the broth out into another pot. At this point you have some nice, home made chicken stock that you can put in containers and freeze for later. Really, nothing beats using your own home made stock in your recipes.

The chicken is practically falling off the bone. I broke it up into pieces to cool on the cutting board. I peeled and chopped several more carrots and tossed them into the broth. I added about a cup of noodles and let that simmer while the chicken cooled enough to handle. Then I broke up the chicken – making sure to remove all the bones – and put it into the pot. Let’s see, I added salt and pepper and about a teaspoon of some of my favorite herbs (dried) basil, oregano, and thyme, and a clove of garlic (pressed). Then it just took a little while longer for the noodles and carrots to be done and ready to eat. Good stuff – even better the next day.

Somewhere around here I have a recipe that uses sweet potatoes instead of noodles that I really like. If I can find it, I’ll post it. It’s not your average chicken soup and well worth trying. It is in a book of home remedies I had picked up some time ago and is packed full of good nutrition for your health. Sure hope I can find it.

Start Planning that Garden

Well, we can’t do that just yet as we’ll be moving again this summer. But it is definately something I have had on my mind lately. I hope, hope, hope our next abode has space for a garden. Especially after reading this article: Bio-Intensive Mini Gardens — Recipe for Survival.

I had a little bitty garden when we lived in St. Louis years ago. I grew the basics – tomatoes, zuccini, cucumbers, etc. But lately, with e-coli scares and other worrisome goings on in the world, I’ve thought on a grander scale about sustainability. The above article gives me a wee bit of hope – maybe it is possible without having several acres - to grow a substantial amount of food for my family, lessening our dependance on a less than ethical food industry.

Organize! – or not

A mental note I make for myself each and every year is to do a better job of organizing and keeping things neat around the house. I live with a military man who acts as my barometer when things begin edging toward chaos – in his mind anyway. So, when I saw this article on Shirley’s blog, I got a little excited: Say Yes to the Mess.

The article did make some good points, worth remembering, such as this one:

“It’s chasing an illusion to think that any organization — be it a family unit or a corporation — can be completely rid of disorder on any consistent basis,” said Jerrold Pollak, a neuropsychologist at Seacoast Mental Health Center in Portsmouth, N.H., whose work involves helping people tolerate the inherent disorder in their lives. “And if it could, should it be? Total organization is a futile attempt to deny and control the unpredictability of life. . .”

However, I was a bit disappointed in the article overall. It is typical human nature, I suppose, to swing to extreme one way or the other. Sure, people can over-obsess about neatness and organization in futile efforts to reign control in their lives. And that is not a healthy thing. But there is such a thing as too much disorder – chaos. Just as you can over-stress about “everything in it’s place” you can add unecassary stress to your life when that essential item or bit of information cannot be located! Yeah, OK, so I’ve been there.

I dare say that if you fear the health departent setting foot in your home, you have some work that needs doing. A little time and effort spent on basic cleanliness and minimizing clutter is not a bad thing. Balance, people! We need balance! That is the goal I have set for myself this year – to keep myself balanced. I can become overly obssesive about things, and I can also let things go a bit too much. So my balance lies somewhere between minimizing stress when I can’t find something I need, or must clear the counters off before I can even make breakfast – not to mention keeping my husband happy – and minimizing the time I spend on trying to get organized and structured.

I wish each of you balance this year – peace. Happy New Year!

Forgotten Tradition

It was a tradition in my family to eat black-eyed peas on New Years Day. I have generally carried on this tradition since marriage, making sure to have something with black-eyed peas on the first day of the year. It seems it was said to bring good luck for the year – or something of that nature. Well, good thing for me I don’t put my faith and trust in such things. Because this year – I forgot!

Between returning from holiday travels and preparing for my folks to visit this weekend, it never even occurred to me. Sometime after my folks left I suddenly remembered and gasped “I forgot to make black-eyed peas!” My husband just shrugged. Oh well, no big. We had food to eat and did not go hungry. But I did kind of miss them once I realized it. Perhaps I’ll pick some up to make before the week is out. Here’s the recipe I have used most often in past years from my 1989 Betty Crocker cook book:

Hoppin’ John

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup black-eyed peas
• 2 ounces salt pork, diced, OR 3 slices bacon, cut up
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup uncooked regular rice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Heat water and beans to boiling in 3-quart sauce-pan. Boil 2 minutes: remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour.

Add enough water to beans to cover if necessary. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours (do not boil or beans will burst).

Drain beans, reserving liquid. Cook salt pork in 10-inch skillet until crisp; add onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender. Add enough water to bean liquid, if necessary, to measure 2 cups. Add bean liquid, salt pork, onion, rice and salt to beans in 3-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling stirring once or twice; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 14 minutes (Do not lift cover or stir.). Remove from heat. Fluff with fork; cover and let steam 5 to 10 minutes. About 5 servings.

This makes a good meal with cornbread and perhaps some salad. It’s not a bad way to start off the year. I remember another food tradition I learned of when we lived in Hawaii – consuming Ahi, a type of tuna. Do you have any traditions for bringing in the new year?