Spanish Rice

This is a family recipe that we enjoy. The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs. hamburger, but if I use meat I only use 1 lb. It's also good with ground turkey instead, or as listed here, substitute the meat for beans.

Spanish Rice

3 c. cooked rice
1 1/2 c. cooked pinto beans
1 large chopped onion
2 cans tomato sauce
1/2 c. ketchup
prepared mustard to taste
garlic salt to taste
1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
plenty of cheese

Mix all ingredients in pot, sprinkle cheese over top, cover, and heat until warm and cheese melted.

Whole Wheat Rolls

Though these aren't light and fluffy, they're yummy, hearty, satisfying, and versatile--and my kids love them.



Whole Wheat Rolls
Yield: 15 rolls

1 c. water
2 Tb. oil
1 egg
3 1/4 c. whole wheat flour (or third part each of whole wheat flour, white flour, and cracked wheat)
1/8 c. honey
1 tsp. salt
1 Tb. yeast

• After softening yeast in water, add all ingredients and mix thoroughly until dough is proper consistency.
• Grease cookie sheet(s).
• Divide dough into 15 pieces. Shape into balls.
• Cover with dishtowel and let rise 39-40 min or until double in size (or less--I often make them as biscuits, not having enough time to let them rise completely).
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 12-15 min or until golden brown.

Budget Saver Tip #8: Credit Cards

Tip #8: If you use a credit card (and do limit yourself to one), pay it off completely every month--or don't use it, except for true emergencies.

Ideal use of credit cards takes self control and discipline. And my husband and I are two of those apparently rare people who "work the system" when it comes to using credit cards. In fact, we are the kind of people credit card companies hate! We earn point toward airfare by using our card, but we rarely (if ever) pay any interest because we pay our card off every month. In financial matters I hate being in debt more than anything, so paying that bill in full every month is always a relief.

If you don't have a credit card but have thought of getting one, I would suggest trying a debit card first (if you haven't already). Since a debit card takes money directly from your bank account, you can't use more money than you have. But it's still plastic, (way too) easy to use, and necessitates knowing how much money you have all the time--so it's good preparation for credit card use. If you find you're disciplined and financially aware with a debit card, you would probably be a wise credit card holder. Just be sure to "do your homework" and check out all the fine print before you decide on a card.

And if you're unfortunately like the average American, with $9,000+ credit card debt, here and here are some good tips to help you regain control. It's maddening enough to pay mostly principal on a mortgage; I can't imagine doing it just on daily spending!

Homemade Italian Dressing

The other day I wanted to make a recipe that called for Italian dressing (a stir-fry, to be exact), but we didn't have any. However, remembering all the extra yucky stuff store-bought dressings usually contain, I decided to make my own. So I found a recipe online, modified it a bit, and tried it out. The result was tasty, though not yet perfection, so I will be tweaking it again until I find the right combination. But I wanted to offer it as food for thought (and experimentation). What I love most, though, is that this recipe prepares a bunch you can store and use by the tablespoon whenever you need to whip up a quick batch of Italian dressing.

Update: I've used this twice now to make chicken and vegetable fajitas and they were excellent!

Homemade Italian Dressing

• 1 Tb.onion powder
• 1 Tb. garlic salt
  
• 1 Tb. white sugar (I'm going to cut this down next time, as I like my Italian dressing more spicy than sweet)
  
• 2 Tb. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 Tb. dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp. celery salt
• 1 Tb. salt

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic salt, onion powder, sugar, oregano, pepper, thyme, basil, parsley, celery salt and regular salt. Store in a tightly sealed container (or a baggie).

To prepare dressing, whisk together 1/4 c. white vinegar, 2/3 c. canola oil, 2 Tb. water and 2 Tb. of the dry mix.

Update (6/15/10) - The second time I made this I preferred the variation of adding more garlic salt and cutting down on the oil.

The Obesity Epidemic

Obesity is a problem we often hear discussed in the media and which has many of us concerned. Even though no one in my immediate family has had to deal with this issue personally, we watch others go through it and worry for them and their health. In my work as a medical transcriptionist, so many of the reports I transcribe include doctors' suggestions, orders, and pleas to their patients to lose weight. When they don't, as is too often the case, they end up with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, and/or other health problems. Of course, losing weight is not an easy thing for most people to do. And too many people's lives are ruled by their taste buds--and too many don't make room for exercise in their lives. But I think education about the causes of obesity, and first and foremost, becoming committed to a truly healthy lifestyle (and any personal changes required), are two of the most powerful ways that we can combat this epidemic.

"It is reported in the United States alone that obesity is responsible for $90 billion in medical costs and 300,000 premature deaths every year. According to some sources, one third of the adults in our country are obese, and another one third of our population is overweight."1

In fact, I found out a few weeks ago that this isn't only a human problem. Whenever I see overweight/obese pets, I cringe (if you truly love your pet, please don't overfeed it!), but I didn't realize such pets were also subject to human ailments: I saw a neighbor on her way home from the vet, very concerned because she had just found out that her little, beloved (obese) dog has diabetes. Now she even has to give him insulin shots! So, so sad.

I think that in the United States we have become too passive about our own health and rely too much on modern medicine to just "fix" us with a few pills. We only get one body and if we abuse it long enough, it will betray us. We're not invincible, after all. And as a Christian, I also believe that we will one day be accountable to God for how we used the gift of the bodies He gave us.

Budget Saver #7: Soap

Here's another simple, rather obvious tip for your budget: Bar soap costs less than liquid soap. It also lasts longer and its packaging produces less waste. To help your bar soap stretch even farther, remove the package and before use let it dry out for at least a few days. (Each time we start using a new bar, we remove the packaging of the next one, so it has several weeks to harden). This makes it even more longer-lasting and creates less soap scum in your soap dish. And speaking of soap dishes, my favorite is one with slits in it that allows for drainage into a lower dish, so the soap itself never sits in water to become soft and gross.

But what about the "ick factor" and potential skin-drying of bar soaps? Or the superior convenience of liquid soaps? In addition to the above-linked article (which is excellent and succinct), check out this one for answers to these questions and more.

German Pizza

Another new recipe for me. I don't know how German this actually is, but it's tasty. (Modification: I changed the ground beef for ground turkey--and 1 lb. actually seemed too much. Also, I'm going to cut down the salt somewhat next time I make it, as it seemed too salty to me.)

German Pizza
4-6 servings

1 lb. ground turkey (or less)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, diced
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tb. butter
6 medium potatoes (about 2 1/4 lbs.), peeled and finely shredded
1/2 tsp. salt (or less)
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 c. milk
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese

In skillet over medium heat brown ground turkey, onion, and green pepper.
Add salt and pepper. Remove meat mixture from heat.
Melt butter in 9x12 casserole dish in oven.
Spread shredded potatoes over butter and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt.
Add meat mixture over the top.
Combine eggs and milk, pour over all.
Cook, covered, at 450 degrees, until potatoes are tender, about 30 min.
Top with cheese. Cover and heat until cheese melts, about 5 min.

Salt Addiction

TIME magazine last week had a great article about America's addiction to salt and how the government has recently become involved in the crusade to lower US salt consumption (and thereby, hopefully, reduce hypertension, heart attacks, and strokes). My family does not have this addiction, since nearly everything we eat I prepare from scratch (and I don't like food very salty), and we rarely use the saltshaker to add salt to our meals. Though none of us has high blood pressure (in fact, mine at times is too low), I still found these facts educational and my cooking/eating habits and convictions about the topic strengthened:

"Most Americans consume a good teaspoon and a half of sodium a day--more than double the 1,500 mg our bodies need. This excess salt is raising our blood pressure and with it our risk of heart attack and stroke--events that kill about 800,000 Americans a year.

"...Our saltshakers are responsible for just 11% of the sodium we consume. The rest is added before your food reaches the table, whether it's a packaged TV dinner or a meal at your favorite restaurant... It's basically cocaine for the palate... That's why restaurant cooks in particular use it in quantities that would make most customers' jaws drop. They grab fistfuls of it to cover steaks and roasts. They put a big pinch in a salad. It's everywhere."

• Denny's country-fried-steak dinner has more than 3,600 mg of sodium, roughly the equivalent of 24 strips of bacon.
• Red Lobster's Admiral's Feast has 4,400 mg of sodium--which is almost 2 tsp and 3X the adequate amount adults need daily.
• A Hebrew National jumbo hot dog contains more than 1/3 the recommended daily maximum of 2,300 mg.
• Just 6 Rold Gold big stick pretzels contains 1/2 the maximum.

And, get this:

• A single serving of Raisin Bran has 350 mg--or 1/6 the recommended daily max.

(From May 16, 2010 TIME magazine, pp. 43-44.)

Knowledge is power...if it changes behavior.

Rice 'n Bacon Soup

Here is one of the winners of last week's venture into new recipes. (I did have to modify it a bit: Since I had no wild rice, I substituted brown rice.)

And yes, bacon contains nitrites and lots of sodium, but this recipe calls for only 2 strips of it and it adds so much flavor to the soup--which is how I believe meat should generally be used (and Michael Pollan agrees with me). It's not a quick recipe, so plan accordingly--but the finished product is wonderfully delicious.

Rice 'n Bacon Soup
8 servings

1 c. uncooked brown rice
2 c. boiling water
2 strips bacon
1/4 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. sliced celery
1/2 c. sliced carrots
1 c. or so sliced fresh mushrooms (depending on how much you like mushrooms)
1 can (14 or so ounces) chicken broth--low sodium and MSG-free
1-2 recipe's-worth of cream of mushroom substitute
1-2 c. milk
1 tsp. seasoned salt--MSG-free
Pepper to taste

Bring water to boil in large saucepan. Add rice and simmer, covered, until fully cooked (30-40 min). Add extra water, if needed, to prevent burning. Set aside.

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon; crumble and set aside. Drain all but 1 Tb. drippings (I didn't end up with more than that). Saute onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms.

Make cream of mushroom soup substitute (it's yummier than the canned stuff, I promise).

Add sauteed vegetables, cream of mushroom soup, crumbled bacon, broth, milk, seasoned salt, pepper to rice pot. Cover and simmer until everyone is ready to eat (or up to 1 hour--I didn't simmer it near that long).

Want to Share?

Last week as there were not many grocery items that I buy on sale, I decided to use some of my $35 budget to buy items for recipes I wanted to try for the first time. (It was about darn time, too!) This week I will share with you the ones we liked...

And to continue with new recipes, would you like to share your favorites with me? I would love to try out your favorite healthy, yummy recipes (reserving the right to possibly modify them to fit my family's needs), and then in turn post them here for everyone else to enjoy.

Participants can email me at katrinaskitchen35@gmail.com.

Thanks!

Why Raw Honey?

I wrote about some of the amazing health benefits of honey here and would now like to offer some resources for those interested in learning the differences between raw and commercialized honey. If you are using commercialized honey, you are not getting nearly as much benefit from it (if any) as you would if using raw honey, which is what my family has always used (though ours is filtered--I'm not one to enjoy bees' wings in my honey:)). Below are some sites that I have found educational:

Lavender Bee Farm
Raw Honey is Best
Artisanal Honey

Ham and Lima Bean Soup

This one of my favorite bean soups and is absolutely to-die-for when made with ham bone broth. The broth is so tasty, as is, you probably won't even need to add salt!

Ham and Lima Bean Soup

Cover ham bone (trimmed of meat and fat) with water and simmer continuously in crock pot for a couple days. When marrow liquefies and bone becomes soft, you know you've successfully created a good broth.

Pour enough of this broth into another pot to make the amount of soup you want--or pour out the amount you don't want into another container for later use and cook your soup in the crock pot.

Add desired amounts of prepared dry lima beans and/or navy beans and/or great northern beans, diced onion, and any other desired vegetables.

Add diced ham just before serving time, with only enough time to heat up. (If the meat is cooked for a long time, the flavor is leached out into the soup, leaving the meat itself flavorless and chewy.)

Enjoy!

Your Sugar Intake

I posted the following on my private family blog last year and wanted to post it again here, as it is still a very important and relevant topic:

I like sweets as much as the next person and there have been times in my life when my diet has included too much of them. I am fortunate in that my mom raised my siblings and I on basically no refined sugar, so I always have that habit and example to fall back on. This isn't to say that we didn't ever have sweets growing up, just that she usually used sugar substitutes in the goodies she made for our family--and she still does. (I will talk about sugar substitutes in another post.)

First of all, in order to recognize how to cut back, most people need a reality check on how much sugar they are actually consuming. I am often surprised when I eat a few meals with other people by how many sugary things are included as a matter of course and not as dessert (which, for my family, is the only time sugar is included).

Think about your beverages first. Do you drink chocolate milk, punch (Cool-Aid or non 100% fruit juice), or soda (pop)? If so, those add a lot of sugar--and calories--to your daily consumption. Do you eat sweet foods for breakfast? Most people do, if the number of sweet breakfast foods available are any indication; think donuts, sweet rolls, pop tarts, sugary oatmeal packets--and the vast majority of cold cereals. I habitually refuse to eat or drink anything sweet (except for fruit, which is a must) in the mornings because otherwise I get a headache and feel gross for hours afterward (not the best start to the day). --Oh, and here's a plug for the benefits of eating breakfast, if you're one of those people who doesn't.

Next, think about those extras that many people add to lunches and dinners that really aren't necessary or don't have much nutritional value or substance, like most fruit snacks, granola bars, and jello. Even much of the canned fruit available at the store is packed in sugar-laden syrup! And most jams and jellies are made with tons of sugar.

These are just a few ideas to get the wheels turning. If after doing the above inventory you feel overwhelmed about cutting it all out, don't be. As we say in Spanish, "poco a poco." If you will make small changes little by little (I've said this before and I'll say it again), you can help yourself and your family become sensitized again to non-sugar foods, and feel better and be healthier. You could even lose extra pounds, if you need to: One of my friends was struggling to lose some weight, and after she swore off a few food items, including refined sugar, she lost the pounds! And my dad, who has always been a chocoholic, a while back finally chose to follow my mom's long-time lead and swore off sugar too. He also lost quite a bit of weight and noticed an increase in energy, clarity of mind, and fewer aches and pains. Amazing!

Cashew Turkey Pasta Salad

Sweet but with a zip, this pasta salad has hit the spot for me several times and is a dish often requested for birthdays and parties at my parents' house. (Note: My mom cut this recipe down from the very large amount she makes for our large family so that it would fit my little family better. Thus, it has a couple of weird measurements.)

Cashew Turkey Pasta Salad

Desired amount of diced, cooked turkey or chicken
10 c. uncooked spiral pasta
4 diced celery ribs
8 chopped green onions (or 1/2 white onion, thinly diced)

Cook pasta. Cool.
Pour sauce (see below) over pasta.
Add turkey.
Add celery and onions.
Chill (preferably 2 hours).
Add cashews just before serving.

Sauce:
1 7/8 c. mayonnaise
5/8 c. honey
2 1/2 Tb. cider vinegar
2 1/2 tsp. salt (preferably Redmond's Real Salt)
4 Tb. (or more to taste) pineapple juice concentrate
2 c. salted cashew halves*  (As these get soft if left in the salad, I prefer to sprinkle them on top just before serving or to allow people to add them to what they dish up as they go.)

*Note: cashews aren't shown in the picture.

Vegetable Casserole

The best thing about this recipe, besides that it is delicious and healthy, is its versatility, as you will see by the lack of specific measurements and vegetable types...

Vegetable Casserole

Vegetables:
Use whatever vegetables you have and whatever amount you want it to end up to be.
Cook the vegetables in MSG-free bullion water (or, preferably, bone broth).
Once cooked, use the water off them in the white sauce.

White Sauce: (May need to half this depending on the amount of vegetables.)
Melt one square of butter.
Add 1 c. flour, stir well.
Slowly add the liquid from the vegetables, stirring smooth after each addition. If needed, thin with milk after the bullion/broth is stirred in.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Can be served straight from the pot, or poured into casserole dish and kept warm in oven. Can add a breadcrumb topping, cheese, etc (but is good simply as is).

Applesauce Cake

A moist, tasty cake, this is a good recipe for times when you want something sweet but healthy. I have used it a few times to make birthday cake for little ones, particularly times when they have been sick on their birthday (and we don't eat sugar when we're sick). If you don't like raisins, nuts would also be good, or it would be good without either.

Applesauce Cake

1 c. shortening (butter)
1 c. honey
4 eggs (or 2 eggs and 4 tsp. baking soda)
4 c. unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. whole wheat flour (if using white wheat flour--or 2 c. wheat and 2 c. refined white, if not)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. raisins

Cream honey and butter.
Add eggs, cream well.
Add applesauce, sift in dry ingredients.
Add vanilla and raisins.
Pour batter in greased and floured 9x12 or 8x8 or 2 bread loaf pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 min or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

MSG

Lots of people have heard that MSG (monosodium glutamate), a "flavor enhancer" is bad for consumption, but did you know the following?:

• MSG is found in almost all of the processed foods that are manufactured in the United States.
• The literature is clear in demonstrating that MSG is toxic to humans and that over 25% of the population suffer adverse reactions from MSG.
• In studies where mice were fed MSG by feeding tube, normal neonatal mice suffered acute degenerative lesions in the inner retina, and some mice became grotesquely obese.
• Neuroscientists believe that the young and the elderly are most at risk from MSG.
• Since 1998, some of our agricultural crops have been sprayed with AuxiGro WP Metabolic Primer (AuxiGro), a product that includes 29.2% processed free glutamic acid (MSG). Produce sprayed with AuxiGro is not identified as being sprayed. Therefore MSG is back in baby food, without disclosure. (It was officially removed from baby food in the 1970s.)
• MSG has now been implicated in a number of the neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and Huntington's disease.

The history of MSG (which is pretty interesting), all the above information, and more can be found here.

So what specific food items have MSG in them? The list is endless but includes chips and many other snack foods, salad dressings, frozen dinners, cream soups, and instant noodles. And if we're talking fast food, you can pretty much guarantee it has MSG in it! Here is an extensive list of popular fast food restaurants and their accompanying MSG-filled products.

My family's diet isn't completely MSG free, but almost. I have a friend who is allergic to MSG (she gets a reaction exactly 7 minutes after ingesting it), so her family avoids it completely. And as I learn more about it and make an effort not to often buy or eat foods with MSG, I know I am helping my family feel better and eat healthier.

Alternatives for Cream Soups

A friend of mine asked a very good question the other day that is one I have been playing with for a while: What is a healthy alternative to using canned cream soups in casseroles, sauces, and other recipes? Well, making just a basic white sauce is the first option that comes to mind (obviously you may need to double or triple this recipe, depending on how much you need):

Basic White Sauce

• 1 Tb. butter
• 3 Tb. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. chicken bone broth (or canned low sodium chicken broth with no MSG)
• 1/2 c. milk
• salt and pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly.

Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth.

Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens.

Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

Can be varied by using vegetable broth, sauteéd chopped celery, celery seed, or sauteéd chopped mushrooms.

If you're looking for something a little more interesting, here are a couple of others:

Substitute for Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 c. water
1/2 c. chopped onions
1 garlic clove crushed
1 or 2 Tb. olive oil
2 c. chopped or sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tb. corn flour (or regular flour)
some Worcestershire sauce or some mustard, just enough to taste (optional)
Salt, and pepper.

Heat oil on medium heat.
Saute the onion, garlic and mushrooms.
In a mixing bowl add water and flour and beat until it gets the consistency of heavy cream. Add more flour if needed.
Add this mixture to onions mixture little by little so it does not get lumpy and keep stirring.
Add rest of ingredients, bring to boil for a few minutes, then add to whatever dish you are preparing.
And if you have a wheat grinder, you can make bean flour from dry beans, which makes another kind of delicious "white" sauce. (Click the link below for a great video tutorial and some other fabulous cooking-with-food-storage ideas):

Substitute for Cream of Chicken Soup

Grind 4 Tb. of any white bean (lima, navy, etc.) to make 5 Tb. bean flour
Combine 5 Tb. bean flour
1 ¾ c. water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon into a saucepan (or preferably, the equivalent amount of a bone broth)
Cook on stove top at medium temperature until thick and delicious (whisk frequently). The soup should cook in 3 minutes. (This may be longer if your grinder makes a very coarse flour).
Use this with cooked veggies and or meat for a complete meal. (Replaces a can plus the water or milk in recipes).
So why not just go with the easy option of cream soups for your recipes? One reason is to avoid all the unnecessary salt contained in them. Another you will see in the next post...