Archive for the ‘Food’ Category
Posted by terrepruitt on April 7, 2011
Ok, so I haven’t made it yet, and I didn’t make up the recipe, but I plan on making it. I found my instructions for my immersion blender. It is an old one. It is a Thane Thunder Stick Pro. I can’t find the year on the instructions, but I know that I bought it since I’ve lived here. That has been within the last 12 years. Ha! I know they have improved since then. If I end up using it as much as I hope I will just have to get a new one.
Anyway, the recipe for teriyaki sauce is as follows:
I will definitely experiment with this because I will avoid the “artificial sweetener” and MSG. I might just try the below recipe from allrecipes.com.
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cooking sherry
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
I am sure someone has mentioned to me to make my own teriyaki because I LOVE teriyaki and I don’t like the High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) used in the brand I normally by. I had a friend call me recently to tell me of a brand that didn’t have HFCS but the choices were spicy and ginger or something.
So, I will just try to make my own. Not that I have to use the blender, but why not?
Do you like teriyaki?
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: artificial sweetner, cooking sherry, emulsion blender, ginger, HFCS, High Fructose Corn Syrup, immersion blender, MSG, teriyaki, teriyaki sauce, Thunder Stick Pro | 1 Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 5, 2011
Last week one of my friends posted something on her Facebook page about green garlic. I meant to ask her about it when I talked to her but I forgot. Then she visited my blog and made a comment that included green garlic. She said she had posted a recipe of green garlic and spinach soup. She has many things that she makes that I want to try and I told her I put that on my list, well, I can cross it off. She had me over to lunch and she made green garlic soup.
First of call green garlic is somewhat what it sounds like. It is not GREEN so much as it is “new’ or not yet read to be mature garlic garlic. It looks like a scallion, but it is the garlic before it starts changing into cloves and a bulb.
I was able to witness this being made and she made it look so easy. Much easier than the recipe looked. She made a creamy soup without any cream. It is awesome. I need to find my immersion blender and start using it and I too will be able to make creamy soups and sauces without cream.
She cut up the green garlic. Sautéed it in olive oil. She used a little bit of butter, maybe a teaspoon or two. She cooked it until it was tender. Then she poured in a box of stock. I spotted the recipe and it called for vegetable stock, but as we were dining she said she used chicken. So I am going to use whichever one I can find without Canola Oil. 🙂 Then she put in a huge bunch of spinach. It wilted quickly then she blended it all in the pot.
It was gorgeous. It was delicious. It has to be nutritious because it was garlic, olive oil, spinach, and low sodium chicken stock. Oh, she did add crème fraîche to the bottom of our bowls, but that could be left out.
I can’t wait to find my blender’s directions so I can change the blade and get to making soups. I sure it will happen just in time as the weather changes.
If my friend happens to read this and wants to correct, add, or change anything in my notes on her recipe please do. Also, if you are here . . . . thank you so much. Thank you for visiting and thank you for having me over for your yummy soup and closet shopping!
Soup? Do you make your own soup? What is your favorite recipe?
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: blender, chicken stock, closet shopping, emulsion, emulsion blender, Facebook, Facebook page, favorite soup recipe, green garlic, green garlic and spinach soup, green garlic soup, immersion blender, olive oil, spinach, vegatable stock | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 2, 2011
You might have noticed that everything I do is on my way home from teaching Nia. It is true, I tend to run my errands after my Nia Classes. I am out, so it is easy to just stop to pick up what we need. Two issues with going to a store after I teach 1) I usually look akin to a drown rat with my sweaty limp flat hair and 2) I am usually hungry. 
I am one of those people who should not go shopping when they are hungry. I end up walking down the aisles where dinner ideas start popping in my head. With menus forming into my head as I am shopping sometimes I end up backtracking and going on all over the store. By the time I get all that I need I am really hungry. There are a lot of foods that I don’t even bother bringing in the house. I work hard not to eat the “junk food” but sometimes when I am hungry and it is there, I will eat it. Therefore some things are “banned” from being in the house like potato chips, ice cream, candy, cookies, and stuff like that.
There is no need for that stuff to be in the house. But there are other things that aren’t necessarily “junky” foods that become unhealthy when you eat the whole bag or box. Two such foods I should really just keep out of the house are sunflower seeds and cereal. You know I love sunflower seeds because I have posted about them. I love them. I can eat a whole lot of them. There is a lot of fat in sunflower seeds so eating a lot of them just adds a lot of extra fat. They have 17 grams of fat in 1/4 of a cup. Extra nutrients are not good. Not matter whether it is fat, protein, or carbohydrates.
The cereal is Kashi 7 Whole Grain Honey Puffs. I think these things are like Super Sugar Crisps. Remember that cereal. I love cereal but I know it is not really a healthful food. For one serving this cereal has 1 gram of fat, 80 grams of potassium, 25 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein. So it is really something that should be considered a treat. To me it is just like a desert. (Hanging my head) I eat it like I will not be allowed another meal. This is a confession here people.
I just need to NOT buy this cereal. Every time I buy it I do good for a day or two and then–whoosh, it’s gone. I know this, but when I go shopping after Nia I am really hungry and I think I can eat it as I believe it should be eaten, as a treat, maybe every other day and according to the serving size, but I never manage that. I need to just not buy it.
What about you? Is there a food you think you are better off just not having in the house at all? Is it a snack food? Is it something that might be considered somewhat healthy when eaten in the proper portion?
Posted in Food | Tagged: banned foods, confession, dinner menus, healthy food, junk food, Kashi cereal, Nia Classes, Nia Teacher, Sunflower seeds, SuperSugar Crisps, teaching Nia, Whole grain | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 26, 2011
I love garlic. I made dinner tonight with a ton of garlic and it is just so yummy. Garlic is part of the onion family. It is often referred to as the “stinking rose”. Garlic itself is quite aromatic. If you eat enough of it, it usually lingers on your breath and seeps out through your pours via sweat. During digestion a portion of it cannot be digested and gets into the blood where it is excreted through lungs and skin. Aside from making you aromatic 😉 , garlic seems to help with a lot of things in the body.
There is a protein needed to move iron around in the body, while garlic does not have this protein in it garlic may help the body increase its production. Garlic is also proving to be an anti-inflammatory. Which affects the circulatory system, the muscular system, and our bones. The properties in garlic assist in the blood not clumping and in keep the vessels open. Garlic has been shown to reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol.
If you like garlic you shouldn’t hesitate to eat it, cook with it, and use it generously. Unless, of course you are taking the type of medications that might act adversely with a large quantity of garlic.
This food helps with infections from both bacteria and viruses. I remember watching the Doctor Oz show where he said a clove of garlic in the ear over night can eliminate an ear infection. It might help in the treatment of some infections that are resistant to antibiotics. Garlic has a long history of being used in a medicinal fashion.
My family used to eat sautéed garlic. It is very strong when cooked and eaten this way. I think that roasting it tends to cut down on the bitter that comes out when frying it. Roasting helps bring out the sweetness.
I never made a marinade without garlic. I use garlic a lot. Tonight I cooked broccoli in minced garlic and sprinkled powered garlic on the pasta.
I didn’t realize that some people have a fear of garlic. This phobia is called alliumphobia. I guess I did know that there was a fear of garlic—I would think that vampires suffer from alliumphbia. 🙂
Do you like garlic? How do you use it? Do you cook with it? Do you use fresh garlic? Do you use garlic powder?
Posted in Food | Tagged: alliumphobia, anti-inflammatory, antiboiotics, curculatory system, garlic, lower cholesterol, muscular system, onion, reduce blood pressure, stinking rose, vampires | 9 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 3, 2011
I always hear about collard greens and how nutritious they are. I was in the store the other day shopping after my Nia class. I always feel energetic after Nia. Sometimes even a little adventuresome, so I decided to buy some collard greens. I was hoping I could cook some mushrooms and throw the greens in and let them steam a little bit. I looked up how to cook collard greens and what I found was boil with ham hock. Uh-oh. The two things I read talked of cooking the bitter out or disguising it with bacon or ham. I looked at the pictures of dull green soggy veggies piled on a plate and realized why I had never eaten collard greens. Ewwww. It looks like a soggy pile of spinach.
I decided to go ahead with my plan. I minced a shallot and cooked the mushrooms. I didn’t salt the mushrooms because I was thinking that I would need all the salt I could use on the collard greens AND I would need to sweat the greens. Right as the mushrooms were done cooking I put a little butter in the pan, I was thinking this would help counter-act the bitter I had read about.
I put some wine in the pan. I was thinking in addition to the salt sweat I was going to have to somewhat steam the greens because I had also read something about the greens being tough. I put the greens in and put a spoonful of minced garlic on it. Then salted it a bit. They cooked much faster than I thought considering what a heart leaf it is.
So, my hubby was happy. It tasted like the mushrooms I usually cook or like all the other veggies except there was a slight sourness to it. So, now that I know they don’t taste horrible and they can be cooked and enjoyed without boiling them with ham hock, I can step away from the normal flavoring and try other flavors. Ones that will compliment the strong flavor of the leaf.
Do you cook collard greens? Do you boil them with the ham hock? How do you cook them? Give me some ideas because I think I will be making them a lot more because it really made my husband happy.
Posted in "Recipes", Food, Vegetables | Tagged: boiling vegetables, Collard Greens, dark green vegetables, garlic, green vegetables, green veggies, hamhock, happy husband, mushrooms, Nia, Nia class, Nia Classes, soggy vegetables, sweat the greens | 18 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 22, 2011
I believe that movement, like Nia, can help keep our bodies mobile and balanced. I also believe foods can give us nutrients to help our bodies function better. I believe there are natural ways to help stave off disease. But I do also believe that at anytime our cells can malfunction and cancer can occur. I don’t try to eat healthy with the idea that if I do I won’t get cancer because so many things can contribute to cancer. So many people have it. I was just remembering the days when I didn’t know anyone that had cancer. Now I know too many. There are so many different types. There is no guarantee one will not get cancer. On a commercial recently for a show I saw a doctor asked who gets lung cancer, her response was, “Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer.” That is the truth. Anyone can get it. Unfortunately.
What I DO really believe is that a healthy body can fight it better. A lot of the treatments for cancer kill off good stuff in our bodies as well as the cancer. So if we have a strong healthy body it can combat the offending cells and treatment. Healthy people get sick, but they can often recover faster because they have a base of good health. A body can only handle so much. It is not able to fight off everything thrown at it. There is too much now-a-days. So the healthier the start, the better.
I know a lot of foods claim to decrease the risk of cancer but that is usually not what I am thinking about when I eat it. I am thinking about how the food is thought to assist in the function of the body. I am thinking about how I believe that the ingredients on my avoid list* interfere with the body’s healthy functions, which could very well result in a decrease risk of cancer, but will definitely result in your body FEELING better. Plus I believe that when your body feels better you will actually FEEL better emotionally.
None of us want to get cancer so foods thought to decrease the risk are worth consuming, but I think it is unwise to think that we will not get cancer because we are eating foods “proven to fight”/”shown to decrease the risk”. We should concentrate on eating well to feel well and stay healthy.
*Ingredients I avoid: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), Partially hydrogenated Oils, Canola Oil
On somewhat of a side note: I have joined a Team for the American Cancer’s Society Relay for Life. The walk is May 14, 2011. If you would like to contribute, please do. I am walking in memory of a friend who succumb to cancer and family and friends that are survivors or are in current battles. Also on April 30, 2011, I’m walking in the San Jose MS Walk: http://bit.ly/terremswalk
Posted in Food | Tagged: American Cancer Society, cancer, Canola Oil, food nutrients, HFCS, High Fructose Corn Syrup, lung cancer, MS Walk, Nia, Partially Hydrogenated Oils, Relay For Life, San Jose MS Walk, San Jose Nia | 5 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 10, 2011
The other day I mentioned something about a particular food being poison, my friend “pishawed” me saying it really WASN’T poison. So I started thinking that maybe I had been a bit harsh so I looked up the definition of poison. What came up was wiki and it states, “In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms”. So now I don’t think I was being harsh.
In the context of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)*, Canola Oil, partially hydrogenated oil, and so many of the CHEMICALS that make up our food, I think it is pretty accurate calling them poisons —- if you are of the belief they disturb our natural healthy body functions. If you believe that HFCS actually does interfere with the production/the release of leptin which is the agent that helps notify the body it is full; if you believe genetically modifying a rape seed so is has “less” than the normal of the bad acid AND includes a pesticide so the insects won’t eat it; if you believe partially hydrogenated oil aka trans fat increase the LDL** levels and LOWERS the HDL*** levels; then I believe it is perfectly reasonable to say it causes disturbances to organisms or in short is poison. But that is only IF you believe any of that stuff.
There are a lot of things that we COULD call poison if we want and be accurate; alcohol, antibiotics, medicines, etc. These things also interfere with our bodies systems, but they are not consumed ALL the time. If they are . . . there are issues, as you can agree in the case of an alcoholic. An alcoholic’s body does not function properly and a lot of health issues generally arise. Too much antibiotics without the proper counter measures can lead to OTHER types of infections or issues. So it is, we ingest these types of “poisons” with care, caution, and infrequency. But it is difficult to do that with our food.
There are so many chemicals, our food is sooooo over processed, so much of our food is genetically altered a lot of it can be considered poison . . . in my opinion. So, was a I being harsh? No, I don’t think so. Could be that if we start looking at what our food is doing to us we might see the need to change things. Food is supposed to be NUTRITION, but ours is not so much any longer.
As I always say, I don’t eat perfect. I am working hard to reduce my consumption of overly processed foods, things with HFCS, Canola Oil, and partially hydrogenated oils in them. I believe by reducing my intake of these things cause disturbances to organisms, I am allowing my body to get more out of the food I eat.
What do YOU think? Was I being harsh by calling something that has HFCS, Canola Oil, AND partially hydrogenated oil in it poison?
*HFCS or the new name “corn sugar”
**LDL = Low-density lipoprotein, commonly thought of as “bad” cholesterol
***HDL = High-density lipoprotein, commonly thought of as “good” cholesterol
Posted in Food | Tagged: Alcohol, antibiotics, bad cholesterol, Canola Oil, corn sugar, food being poison, food CHEMICALS, good cholesterol, HDL, HFCS, High Fructose Corn Syrup, LDL, leptin, nutrition, over processed food, partially hydrogenated oil, rape seed | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 8, 2011
After my Nia class this past week, I went out to have something to eat with a friend. I wanted something on the menu without this and with that, and instead of this could I get that on the side? In the past I have hated going out to eat because I couldn’t ever find anything I liked. Well, several things have happened;
1) I eat more variety than I used to eat
2) Almost every restaurant serves a salad and
3) I can now rearrange a menu item and the server doesn’t have a fit.
I think a lot of it is due to food allergies.
Well, not entirely because long before people started discovering they were allergic to gluten restaurants started being more flexible with their menu. So many things have tomatoes and even though I will eat a tomato, I prefer not to have them IN things. Now-a-days it seems so many things have a hot, spicy chipotle or something other sauce on it. So I am ALWAYS at the very least requesting that something listed on the menu as part of the dish be eliminated. I do believe though that so many people are allergic to so many things servers and restaurants are more sensitive to the fact and they just try their best to do what you want. Sometimes they might feel the need to charge you when you do a lot of rearranging, but they will usually let you know if that is the case. And you will be able to get what you want.
I used to pour over the menu trying to find the thing that I could eat. I used to break out in a sweat when it was my turn to order. My husband used to . . . .no, he still does, roll his eyes. Now I can pick something and take off a few things or add this. I once was reminded that if the kitchen isn’t busy and they have all the ingredients for what you want, you can always just ask for it. Sometimes you get a surprise. Years ago I was at a hotel and I asked if they could make me a grilled cheese even though it was not on the menu. When my order came up I was horrified because I didn’t remember ordering two, but there were two sitting there. The waitress saw my face and laughed explaining that the cook thought it sounded good so he made one for himself. Whew! I certainly didn’t want two.
While I don’t really love food allergies because I understand that they can have very serious consequences if the person that is allergic to a particular food happens to consume it. I also understand that living with a food allergic can be quite a challenge. I do, however, love that as a result I think restaurants are more accommodating. I love that most restaurants will have a vegetable option and/or vegetable sides. Also, if there really isn’t anything on the menu that grabs me, I can usually fall back on a salad. Since so many things contain gluten that you might not even thing about, I can also rearrange the salad if I want.
What about you? Do you order straight off the menu? Or do you rearrange things a bit?
Posted in Food | Tagged: allergic to gluten, food allergies, food variety, Nia, Nia class, restaurant eating, salads, vegetable sides | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 18, 2011
The Prime Rib potluck had purple potatoes. The hostess made purple potatoes or maybe they were blue. She roasted yellow and purple fingerling potatoes. I have seen purple potatoes in the store, but not purple fingerlings. I have never had a purple potato. The way they were cooked was incredible—they were perfect. The seasoning was perfect and they way they were cooked was perfect. The purple ones did not taste different from the regular ones. But they were so pretty. I was mesmerized by the deep purple color. There is an idea out there that it is important to eat the color of the rainbow. There is a lot of nutrients in the different colors of fruits and vegetables. Research is proving that there are antioxidants found in the different colors.
Anthocyanin is responsible for the purple and blue colors of fruits and vegetables. This particular flavonoid is proving to have anti-cancer and heart-protective effects. Research is also discovering this antioxidant has benefits shown to boost the immune system and protect against age-related memory loss.
Potatoes with the darkest color are proving to have almost four times the amount of antioxidants . . . AND they hold up to 75% of their nutrients after being cooked. As you know a lot of vegetables lose a large amount of their nutrients when cooked.
According to the USDA’s website: “All potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates, potassium, vitamin C, folic acid, and iron.” So with the purple variety you would be getting all of that plus the added benefits of antioxidants. PLUS . . . you can’t overlook the beautiful color they add to any plate!
Have you had a purple potato?
Posted in Food | Tagged: anthocyanin, anti cancer, antioxidant, complex carbohydrates, folic acid, immune system, iron, Potassium, potluck, Prime Rib, purple potatoes, roasted potatoes, vitamin C, yellow potatoes | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 15, 2011
Just a short follow-up on the Horseradish root. The root is basically odorless and flavorless until it is grated or crushed. As part of the mustard family it has a bite or heat to it. The grated or crushed root is mixed with vinegar to make the condiment. Other ingredient and spices can be added to make it creamy or more flavorful, but the vinegar helps keep it from turning dark.
There is a lot of medicinal uses for horseradish. It is thought to aid in digestion when mixed with vinegar. Which is great because that is what is contained in most of the prepared versions, and most often eaten with meat. Since it aides in digestion that could be why it is sometimes considered a laxative.
It is also thought to help with circulation. It is also on record as an antiseptic and a diuretic.
Horseradish is a good source of Vitamin C. There is a site on horseradish that has some great information about processing horseradish. It says that if you cry when cutting onions process your horseradish outside.
One website states that milk infused with horseradish can actually help with skin clearness and color. I have to remember this site because it also says that a horseradish eaten throughout the day can help get rid of a cough following the flu.
I don’t eat horseradish but after reading some of the benefits I think I should start . . . or at least use it to improve my skin color. I would consider learning how to prepare it since the “hot” versions of prepared horseradish I found contain High Fructuose Corn Sryup. I think if my hubs is going to eat Prime Rib HFCS is something that could be avoided.
Do you eat horseradish? How do you eat it? What do you eat it with?
Posted in Food | Tagged: clear skin, HFCS, High Fructose Corn Syrup, horseradish, hot horseradish, prepared horseradish, Prime Rib, process horseradish, root, spicy horseradish | 2 Comments »
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