Tips for healthy shopping

Providing our families with nutritious and healthy meals/snacks can be challenging, especially when you’re day is filled with work, household chores, homework etc., if you’re like me it’s important to make sure you’re providing a balanced diet.

I wanted to share these tips I located on a blog at Your Kitchen Magician

If you don’t have an all natural/organic market near you, here are some helpful tips for healthy shopping in your regular supermarket:

Read ingredient labels carefully. Items can be marked ‘all natural’ and still contain amounts of unnatural ingredients

The bulk of your shopping should be from the outer aisles and perimeter of the store. This is where you’ll find your fresh produce, meats, dairy, etc.

Less is more. If you’re buying a ready made dessert like a cake, the ingredient list should not have 20+ items. We all know a basic cake contains milk, eggs, flour, etc. Too many ingredients make it a chemistry experiment, not a cake.

Avoid processed foods. They are high in sodium, sugar, and other additives that you should moderate or avoid completely

If you go to the deli counter do not be afraid to ask about the ingredients used.

Shop for 100% juices, not the juice drinks that contain 3-5% juice and then claim to be natural.

If you can’t find organic, buy locally grown produce.

Avoid products that contain high fructose corn syrup, or have salt and sugar as their top ingredient

Romancing the Pomegranate

Add a liitle spice in your life tonight.

Pomegranate Secrets

Not everyone likes pomegranates. “Like many foods, you either love ’em or you don’t,” says The Professor. “I think those little sweet-tart juicy beads are glorious,” says tatamagouche.

If you don’t like pomegranates, consider the possibility that you’ve never had a good one. Selection is key—an unripe pomegranate can be too tart and dry, and an overripe pomegranate can be mushy and rotten, says madgreek. A perfect pomegranate will be heavy for its size, and firm but slightly spongy to the gentle touch. The larger the pomegranate, the better. And the ideal pomegranate will have a rich pinkish-peach color, says madgreek—not dark crimson red (overripe) or black (rotten).

The edible part of the pomegranate, those juicy seeds, must be carefully separated from the bitter white pith surrounding the seeds. Sra. Swanky recommends an underwater method that many Chowhounds swear by. Cut the pomegranate enough to break the rest with your hands, then hold the pomegranate under water, submerging both pomegranate and hands, and break it open. The seeds will sink, and the white pith will rise. And here’s CHOW’s take on removing the seeds. Or forget about quick preparation, and think of pomegranates as a food to be eaten leisurely. “They’re a good thing to eat when you want to linger and take the time to enjoy yourself, especially if you want to have a romantic evening,” says rweater. “Sipping wine and nibbling on pomegranate seeds, candlelight…etc.”

You can also prepare several pomegranates at once and store the seeds in a container in the fridge, says Pat Hammond. They keep for weeks in the fridge, says madgreek. “They’re wonderful in rice, couscous, and especially lovely on hot cereal like oatmeal,” says Pat Hammond. “I find they add sparkle to all sorts of savory foods, too.”

CHOW

 

 

Chili

I really enjoy cooking in the winter for two reasons it keeps the house warm and the smells are wonderful.  This Chili recipe is a delicious and nutritious meal that’s perfect for the cold months ahead. I found this recipe at the Publix web site.

1 onion (rinsed)
1 1/2 lb ground chuck beef
3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes/sweet onions (undrained)
1 (10-ounce) can milder diced tomatoes/green chiles (undrained)
1 (16-ounce) can chili beans in mild sauce (undrained)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans (drained)

Steps

 

1. Remove ends and peel from onion; chop onion coarsely and divide in half. Preheat large saucepan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Place beef, chili powder, seasoned salt, pepper, and one-half of the onions in pan. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring to crumble meat, or until meat is brown and no pink remains.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients, including remaining one-half onions. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
3. Reduce heat to low; cook 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors. Serve
   

CALORIES (per 1/8 recipe) 310kcal; FAT 11g; CHOL 50mg;
SODIUM 1160mg; CARB 29g; FIBER 7g; PROTEIN 22g;
VIT A 25%; VIT C 20%; CALC 8%; IRON 20%

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Both of my grandmothers were excellent cooks. As a child, I lived in my grandmother Eva’s kitchen, she loved to entertain and I spent many weekends, observing recipes, shinning silver, cleaning chandelier tear drops and preparing for celebrations, my mother’s mom, grandmother Marie baked the most delicious pies I’ve ever tasted which is probably where I got my love for baking pies.

 

Around 2002 I started a tradition of baking apple pies for the holidays and today, I spent the day with my daughter baking apple pies, during the holiday season I normally cook 20 or so for my family however this year I’m adding a few special people to the list.

One in particular is a military man who works in my apartment complex as a leasing agent to show our appreciation for the sacrifice him and others are making for the country.

To all the other military personnel, please accept our love and prayers and much gratitude from our hearts. Here is the recipe I used:

Deep Dish Apple Pie

8-10 tart apples ( I use Granny Smith’s)           
1 fresh lemon (seeded 1 tablespoon)                 
 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar (or to your taste preference)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine (I use I can’t believe it’s not butter)
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 box 2-9 “ Pillsbury Pie Crust                                 

If you’re using the Pillsbury Pie Crust, thaw them in the refrigerator until ready to use. Your deep dish pie pan should be about 9 in. wide and 2 in. deep.

Prepare the dry ingredients: add the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt, mix thoroughly.

Peel and core your apples and thinly slice lengthwise. After slicing each apple, drop the slices into a bowl with lemon juice, and turn them in it to stop them from going brown, and then add apples slowly to dry mixture and toss (I like to turn it with my hands) until evenly coated.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C, gas).

Turn the apples into your lined deep dish and dot with butter; place the remaining pie crust dough over the top. Seal and flute the edges. Cut three small vents in it near the center to allow the steam to escape. Cover the edges with foil to prevent from cooking to fast or burning.

Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes, or until the crust is evenly browned and the juice beings to bubble through the vents. If the pie appears to be browning too quickly, reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F (180 degrees C, gas)

 Pie crust recipe coming soon.