Green Bean Casserole

I found the recipe at: http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipes/classic-green-bean-casserole-24099, but I'm pretty sure it is very similar to what we use. I don't think we use the soy sauce, but it would probably be a good addition. Kim recommends using fresh cooked or canned green beans with a preference towards canned. She likes to jazz it up with fresh sauteed mushrooms.

Ingredients

• 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup 
  or (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
  or (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Healthy Request® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup  
• 1/2 cup milk  
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce  
• 1 dash black pepper  
• 4 cups cooked cut green beans 
  or use 1 bag (16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, thawed
  or 2 packages (9 ounces each) frozen green beans, thawed,
  or 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) green beans, drained 
  or about 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans for this recipe.
• 1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions 

Directions

1. Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
   
2. Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir the bean mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining onions.
   
3. Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

Corn Casserole Recipe

 

Old-time Hartwell Farm Corn Pudding

aka Corn Casserole Recipe
-Boasts a checkerboard top of crisp bacon, melty cheese squares

As New England-y as red-flannel hash. Good old-fasioned cooking!

Ingredients

1 1-pound can (2 cups) cream-style corn
1 cup medium-fine dry bread crumbs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces sliced Cheddar cheese, cut in 1 1/2-inch squares
3 slices bacon, cut in 1 1/2-inch lengths

Directions

1. Combine corn, bread crumbs, milk, green pepper, salt, and pepper.
2. Pour into a 10 x 6 x 2 baking disk. 
3. Arrange alternate pieces of cheese and bacon across top in checkerboard fashion. 
4. Bake in slow oven (325 degrees) 1 to 1 3/4 hours. 

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

BPA-free Coffee Makers (automatic drip)

After way too much research, I have concluded that if you want drip coffee from an automatic coffee maker WITHOUT BPA you are going to have to pay double. The choices are very few and far between. There are choices like some of the Keurig makers that are too expensive and designer for my tastes.
In general Cuisinart has lots of option. Most of their coffee makers don’t have BPA. The exception to this is some of the cheaper ones. So, I recommend you check their website. The coffee makers that are BPA free will say that they are.

The least expensive models they have that are BPA free are the following:
Cuisinart DCC-1200  -> $68.28 on Amazon
Cuisinart DCC-2650 –> $80.51 on Amazon
Cuisinart DGB-625BC –> $74.99 on Amazon
Cuisinart CHW-12  -> $71.73 on Amazon

Here is some else that has done research as well, and pretty much came to the same conclusion.
Please note, if you are willing to spend more time making your coffee, like a percolator, or like using a french press then there are different options. If you want an easy way to make BPA free coffee, you are going to have to shell out the money.

Chicken Soup recipe for fighting congestion

Devised by cold-and-cough expert Irwin Ziment, MD, who was chief of medicine at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center when he cooked it up, the soup gets much of its power from red pepper flakes. They contain capsaicin, known as a fast, effective decongestant. In addition, the hefty dose of garlic -- 30 cloves, although they cook down to produce a much milder, sweeter flavor than one would expect -- loads the soup with enough phytochemicals to give it infection-fighting powers.

Dr. Z recommends 1 cup three times a day, and inhaling the vapors is part of the prescription. Soon, you'll be breathing again.

Dr. Ziment's Garlic Chicken Soup

The spicier the soup, the better it will be at clearing your head, so be generous with the red pepper flakes -- just don't make the soup so hot you can't tolerate it.

2 quarts chicken broth
2 cups sliced carrots
2 garlic heads, about 30 cloves, peeled
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/4 cup minced cilantro
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed, or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 bay leaf
Dried hot red pepper flakes, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a stockpot; bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to pot, stir well, warm if necessary, and serve, or freeze in small containers.

 

Why and how much…

Dr. Ziment's Garlic Chicken Soup

When drippy red noses are everywhere, it's time to make a big batch of Dr. Ziment's sinus-clearing Garlic Chicken Soup. We discovered this aromatic mixture while tracking down foods that double as medicine. Chicken soup was top of the list because pulmonary specialists have found that it actually helps clear the airways and reduce inflammation. But this spicy version is practically a wonder drug for head colds -- and it tastes amazing, especially if you love spicy food.

Devised by cold-and-cough expert Irwin Ziment, MD, who was chief of medicine at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center when he cooked it up, the soup gets much of its power from red pepper flakes. They contain capsaicin, known as a fast, effective decongestant. In addition, the hefty dose of garlic -- 30 cloves, although they cook down to produce a much milder, sweeter flavor than one would expect -- loads the soup with enough phytochemicals to give it infection-fighting powers.

Dr. Z recommends 1 cup three times a day, and inhaling the vapors is part of the prescription. Soon, you'll be breathing again.

Courtesy of RealAge.com

10 Low Fat Ways to Use Leftover Turkey

When Thanksgiving is done and you still have lots of turkey left, you may wonder what you can do with it all. Actually, quite a lot. First, chop, dice or shred your leftovers and store them in re-sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator. That way, you can reach for a bag or two as you need them. Then you’ll be ready to try one or more of my 10 Low Fat Ways to Use Leftover Turkey.

1. Soups Add 2 cups of chopped leftover turkey, a selection of chopped vegetables and 1 cup of uncooked rice or noodles to 3 cans fat-free, low sodium chicken broth.

2. Salads Add leftover turkey to a mix of arugula and spinach, sliced mushrooms, cranberries, shredded carrots, sliced red onions and a sprinkling of heart-healthy walnuts. Toss with your favorite low fat or fat free fruity dressing or vinaigrette.

3. Sandwiches and Wraps Use slices of leftover turkey to make all kinds of sandwiches. Be sure to use whole grain breads and rolls, and low fat or fat free fillings. If you don’t like the taste of fat-free mayo, use mustard instead, or flavor your mayo with a little curry powder or another herb or spice. Make a turkey-salad filling with crunchy celery, cranberries and apple. Use plain low fat yogurt for the dressing. Stuff into a whole wheat pita or spoon into the center of a whole wheat tortilla wrap and roll up.

4. Pizza Toppings Top a prepared whole wheat crust with 1/2 cup of tomato or barbecue sauce, 1 cup of chopped turkey and 1/2 cup reduced fat cheese. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.

5. Quesadillas Combine shredded turkey with a little cumin. Spoon on one half of a low fat corn tortilla; sprinkle with reduced fat cheese; fold tortilla in half and cook in a nonstick skillet (coated with cooking spray) for 5 minutes, turning once.

6. Burritos, Enchiladas, Fajitas, and Tacos Add shredded turkey to salsa, black beans, low fat sour cream and reduced fat cheese; or combine with sautéed onions and sweet peppers; with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes; or mix with mild green chiles, seasonings, scallions and a can of enchilada sauce. Use low fat flour or corn wraps with these fillings.

7. Pot pies Add leftover turkey, sliced mushrooms and leftover green beans and carrots to low fat, reduced sodium condensed chicken or mushroom soup. Top with a low fat biscuit topping (there’s now a low fat version of Bisquick) or phyllo pastry sheets.

8. Casseroles Combine 2 cups chopped leftover turkey with 2 cups cooked whole grain rice, a can fat-free, low sodium broth or chopped tomatoes, and a selection of chopped vegetables in a 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

9. Skillet Meals Add 1 1/2 cups of chopped leftover turkey to sautéed onion, mushrooms, broccoli and rice cooked in fat-free broth. Sprinkle some parmesan before serving.

10. Pasta dishes Add leftover turkey to your any number of pasta dishes. Use shredded turkey instead of ground beef in your favorite lasagna recipe. Be sure to use reduced fat cheeses.

Finally, don’t forget the carcass: put it in a big pot of water along with some onion, carrots, celery, peppercorns and herbs; bring it to a boil, then simmer. After a couple of hours, you’ll have a rich stock, which you can de-fat and use for low fat soups, stews and gravies throughout the holiday season.

By Fiona Haynes, About.com Guide

Turkey Preparation

Perfectly juicy turkey with a dollop of mashed potatoes on the side — there's not much that tastes better during the holidays.

Just be sure to serve up a side of safety with your home-cooked meal. Certain types of bacteria can thrive in turkey that's not safely prepared, cooked or chilled.

These food-safety steps are as important for veteran chefs as they are for first-timers:

1. Thawing

Do not thaw a turkey at room temperature. Leave it in its original packaging, or put it in a leak-proof bag. Then, choose an option:

• Thaw on a tray in the fridge. Allow about one day of defrosting for every 5 pounds. For a 20-pound bird, you need four to five days, for example.
• Thaw in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold. Allow about one hour for every 2 pounds of turkey — 10 hours for a 20-pounder.

Tip: For option two, set a timer so you don't forget about your bathing bird. And, cook it immediately after thawing.

2. Cooking

Use times on packages or from a cookbook as a guide. But, always use a meat thermometer to make sure the bird is properly done. The internal temperature must reach at least 165° F.

Tip: Place the thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

3. Dressing

The safest way to cook dressing is in its own separate dish — not inside the bird. This helps prevent food-borne illness. Cook dressing to 165° F.

Tip: Use the turkey's cavity to add extra flavor. Place fresh herbs and chunks of onions, apples or lemon in it, for example. Discard items before serving.

4. Storing

Within two hours of cooking, refrigerate any leftovers. Use small, shallow containers to help chill foods quickly. Cut any large sections of turkey meat into smaller pieces. Store turkey separately from dressing and other dishes.

By Melanie R. Polk, M.M.Sc., R.D, F.A.D.A.

Eat Breakfast even when you are NOT hungry

First thing

For the best results, eat breakfast within an hour or so of waking up -- even if you're not hungry. Morning-time low blood sugar produces a brain chemical designed to mask hunger pangs -- but can cause sugar cravings later in the day.

Carbohydrates

We're talking complex carbohydrates here (whole-grain cereals, steel-cut oats, high-fiber fruits, etc.) The fiber keeps blood sugar on an even keel and helps you feel full longer.

Protein

Protein slows digestion, helps prevent spikes and dips in blood sugar, and can even give you a dose of depression-fighting tryptophan. Dr. DesMaisons recommends that you get a third of your daily protein at breakfast.

Information courtesy of Dr. DesMaison

Peanut Energy Bars

This carbohydrate-rich bar, full of nuts, seeds, fruit and oats, was adapted from Amy Harrison's prize-winning submission in the Plains (Georgia) Peanut Festival recipe competition sponsored by The Peanut Institute. It includes a little protein, and is a great grab-and-go pre-workout snack on mornings when you don’t have time to digest a full meal.

Ingredients

· ½ cup dry roasted salted peanuts

· ½ cup roasted sunflower seeds, or other chopped nuts

· 2 cups raisins, or other chopped dried fruit

· 2 cups rolled or instant oats

· 2 cups toasted rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies

· ¼ cup toasted wheat germ (optional)

· ½ cup creamy or crunchy natural peanut butter

· ½ cup packed brown sugar

· ½ cup light corn syrup, or honey

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine peanuts, sunflower seeds (or other nuts), raisins (or other dried fruit), oats, rice cereal and wheat germ (if using) in a large bowl.

3. Combine peanut butter, brown sugar and corn syrup (or honey) in a large microwaveable bowl; microwave on High until bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla and stir until blended. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until coated.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Press down firmly. (It helps to coat your fingers with cooking spray.) Let stand for about 1 hour to harden. Cut into bars.

Taken from EatingWell.com

Basic Soup Recipe

Prep: 20 minutes, Cook: 50 minutes Makes: 28 cups 1 lb. carrots, sliced 3 med. onions (1½ lbs.), chopped (4 c.) 4 lg. stalks celery, sliced 2 lg. cloves garlic, crushed with press 2 cans (28 oz. each) whole tomatoes in juice 1/2 sm. head green cabbage (1 lb.) thinly sliced (6 c.) 3/4 lb. green beans, trimmed and each cut into thirds 1 can (48 to 49 oz.) chicken broth 6 c. water Salt and pepper 3 med. zucchini (1 1/4 lbs.), sliced into half-moons 2 bags (6 oz. each) baby spinach leaves 1. Coat 12-quart stockpot (or 2 large saucepans) with nonstick cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, add carrots, onions, celery, and garlic; cook 8 minutes or until vegetables soften, stirring occasionally. 2. Add tomatoes with their liquid, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Add cabbage, green beans, broth, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. 3. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to high; stir in zucchini and spinach and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. TIP: Make a big pot of this basic soup. Then each night of the week, you’ll mix two cups with extra ingredients to create a totally new soup, from Southwest Chili to Greek Fish Stew, in 20 minutes or less. You can even freeze the soup in serving sized containers so adding variety is quick and easy. Each cup: About 45 calories, 2 g protein

EATING FRUIT

We all think eating fruit means just buying fruit, cutting it up and popping it into our mouths. It's not that easy. It's important to know how and when to eat fruit.

What's the correct way to eat fruit?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUIT AFTER A MEAL! FRUIT SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

Eating fruit like that plays a major role in detoxifying your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.

Let's say you eat two slices of bread, then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it's prevented from doing so.

In the meantime, the whole meal rots and ferments, and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach, and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

Eat your fruit on an empty stomach, or before your meal! You've heard people complain: Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc. This will not happen if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. Fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas. Hence, you bloat!

There's no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruit becomes alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruit, you have the Secret of Beauty, Longevity, Health, Energy, Happiness, and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT the concentrated juice from the cans. Don't drink juice that has been heated. Don't eat cooked fruit; you don't get the nutrients at all. You get only the taste. Cooking destroys all of the vitamins.

Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit-fast to cleanse your body. Eat fruit and drink fruit juice for just 3 days, and you will be surprised when your friends say how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty, and a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange!

AN APPLE a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

EATING 2 - 4 ORANGES a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones, and reduce the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. Also a key source of lycopene, the cancer-fighting oxidant. Also found in watermelon: Vitamin C and Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, good for your eyes.

Courtesy of: From YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge experts Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Mehmet C. Oz, MD

Boiling an Egg

Many of you would laugh, but I couldn't remember how exactly to boil an egg today. So I searched the internet on how. Here is what I found. It seems to be a very good method.

The Classic
Hard Boiled Egg

The simple, classic Boiled Egg, is indeed one of the finest and easiest edible delights known on earth, with just 70 calories, and full of nature s most perfect form of protein.

While there are many ways of preparing Boiled Eggs, we suggest below the directions for making eggs which are the easiest to peel and which will not have the dark green discolored coating on the yolk (see step 2 for tips to help avoid the green discoloration).

Extremely fresh eggs will not peel easily. In fact, an egg that is just a day or two old is almost impossible to peel. As eggs age, the shells will peel more easily. It is advisable that eggs used for hard cooking (including Easter Eggs) be at least 2 weeks old before cooking for easiest peeling. Hard cooked eggs that are cooked slowly over low heat (and not  boiled ) will be more difficult to peel.

Directions for Large Eggs:
1. Place eggs in a saucepan with enough COLD tap water to cover completely by 1 inch. Bring to a ROLLING boil over HIGH heat. Once the water is brought to a rolling boil, PROMPTLY reduce heat to a lower medium boil and cook an additional 10 minutes for a "hard boiled" egg. For a "soft boiled" egg reduce the time by a few minutes.

2. Remove from heat and IMMEDIATELY place eggs under ice cold water or in a bowl of ICED water to chill promptly to help yolks stay bright yellow. Chill for a few minutes in the cold water until the egg is completely cooled. This is an extremely important step which prevents the greenish "ring" from forming on the surface of the yolk over time. If the egg is not chilled immediately after cooking an unsightly dark greenish ring will eventually appear on the outside of the yolk.

3. To peel...crack on all sides, roll egg between hands to loosen shell,and remove shell. Enjoy while still warm, with a light sprinkling of salt if desired.

To serve in egg cup, place egg in cup small end down, slice off large end of egg with knife or egg scissors and eat from shell with spoon.

Refrigeration is necessary for hard boiled eggs if they eggs are not to be consumed within a few hours.


Refrigerated boiled eggs, kept in the shell, can be kept for up to 1 week.

Farmers Markets in the Valley

Support local growers and farmers. Below are some of the known Farmers Markets in the Phoenix Metro area.

Phoenix

Town & Country Market
10am - 2pm Wednesdays year-round
2021 E Camelback Rd.
Local, organic and imported produce.
602-955-6850

Roadrunner Park Farmers Market
8am - noon Saturdays year-round
3501 E Cactus Rd.
Arizona produce, crafts, honey, jams, and other foods


Washington Park Farmers Market
9am - 1pm Saturdays through July.
Washington Park Center
2240 W Citrus Way (half-mile south of Glendale and 23rd Avenue)
Produce from local growers, pies, salsas, breads, jams, tortillas, tamales, and other foods
623-848-1234


The Farm at South Mountain Farmers Market
8am - noon Saturdays.
6106 S 32nd St. (Just south of Southern Ave)
Fresh organic greens, root vegetables and other produce.
602-276-3056


East Valley


Chandler Farmers Market
3pm - 6pm Thursdays year-round.
Compadres Stadium
4001 S. Alma School Rd, Chandler
Local produce, honey, tamales, bread, and tortillas
623-848-1234

Mesa Community Market
9am - 1pm Fridays year-round
263 N Center St.
Fresh produce, jams, salsas, and crafts.
623-848-1234