Archive for the ‘Health & Wellness’ Category
Happy Monday, Dear Readers:
This weekend saw two trips to HEB–one was our fabulous new one, the other in Friendswood, where I haven’t been since the new one opened up. I was able to sample and enjoy a lot of things, and had the accompanying heartburn afterwards. Neighbor E and I used up the last of our Chipotle coupons for a free meal, (they expired Sunday) and we buzzed around for a while, before finally ending up at home. He wanted to walk around Baybrook Mall, and since it was his turn to drive, I wore my usual t-shirt and bike shorts along with a fanny pack. For some reason, I thought he meant “power walking,” but it turns out he just wanted to meander. No matter, I was slinging the kettlebells around later anyway. It was great, we saw everything, took pictures, and we had a blast.
Also in this post: an exclusive picture of Neighbor E!
I forgot to mention in my last post that this week’s breakfast quiche was also created with some of the 3-foot-high green onions and garlic scapes from the garden. I just went out and cut a bunch with the kitchen scissors, rinsed them, then chopped them on the cutting board. Very, very tasty, especially when I added a few shakes of green Jalapeno Tabasco sauce instead of my usual Chipotle Tabasco, my favorite. Both are very good, and not burning hot; I just found a bottle in the pantry that was never opened. Had no idea! With all the green stuff from the garden, it worked really well.
Breakfast quiche in the Crock Pot has a basic formula: 8 to 10 eggs, a cup of milk, a 8 ounces of grated cheese, and a pound of browned breakfast sausage, usually HEB’s sage flavor. Colby’s my favorite cheese for this, I’ve also used Colby Jack and mild cheddar–but if you like sharp cheddar, go for it. Brown and crumble the sausage (and onions or other veg, if using), and toss into the bottom of the Crock Pot (after you put the liner in it, of course.) In a large bowl, add 1 cup of whole milk (half and half and/or cream will also work), the eggs, any seasonings (including Tabasco, if you like) and mix. The immersion blender is good for this. Then mix in the cheese with a spatula or spoon, and pour into the Crock Pot, stirring to combine. Cover it, plug it in, turn it on, and cook for 3 hours. This breakfast quiche is why I love the slow cooker liners–it’s a bear to clean it off the stoneware, even when you grease it well. But it’s also 6 days worth of breakfast I only have to microwave and eat.
So, it was Saturday–Buddhist meeting at 11:00 am, and then a couple of stops on the way to HEB. Before the meeting, I returned two quarts of milk to Target. I’d purchased skim milk by mistake, since it was marked down (but with long freshness dates.) Well, I returned the unopened one and picked up whole milk–but darnit, they sure do look alike. Saturday morning, I returned both quarts. Why? They both taste like skim milk. If I’d wanted skim milk. . .well, anyway, for whatever reason, both milk types made my coffee taste like dirty water. Target, like most grocery stores, have a guarantee on their food. So I reluctantly returned the milk before the meeting.
On the way from the meeting, I stopped at JoAnn’s for some reconnaissance for a potential scrap fabric project (found what I needed, but I didn’t buy anything for it.) I also got a look at our now-closed The Fresh Market building. Sad, it is. I was so happy when they put one down here, but it’s not just ours, as I mentioned in my last post–it’s 3 states, and all of their Texas stores.
Neighbor E texted me on Friday and said they were closing at 5:00 pm for good, days ahead of the originally scheduled May 18th closure. They must have sold everything down to the walls, including the baskets. There’s something about the words “50% off” that makes people pay attention, although the store was always busy when I went in there. The security guard is still there, sitting in her vehicle, but the windows are all papered up.
And then it was gone. . . .
I’m guessing the employees were still inside, packing up whatever was left, sweeping, mopping, and dismantling the fixtures for shipment back to their headquarters in North Carolina. Soon those folks will be looking for work, unless they move to a different store out of state.
After I left that sad little spot, headed to the big HEB, since I still needed milk. I had a few items on my list, not many, but you know what I say–I’m heading to HEB for lunch!
I was treated to all kinds of tasty samples–fish, chicken, barbecue–and some other new things HEB is starting to carry. I wondered if they carried my favorite cheese, Manchego. All I had to do is ask:
Manchego!
Of course they do! If you’re not familiar with this Spanish sheep’s milk cheese, well, it’s wonderful. If you’re in a grocery or gourmet store that has a “cheese department,” ask if they would let you try a sample. (HEB will–I already asked.) It’s a pricier cheese, so obviously, it’s not on my regular grocery list right now. But if you have the opportunity, try a little sample, you might like it too. Trader Joe’s is the cheapest I’ve seen, and the import grocer Phoenicia is also less expensive than the rest.
Why is it my favorite? Years ago I saw Rachael Ray make this really delicious Chili Sweet Potato Hash recipe, and I wanted to try it. So interesting and unusual. . .but didn’t know what Manchego was. I printed out the recipe, and bought everything I needed. I made it one time, with Manchego, and was immediately in love with the whole thing. I had that for breakfast every day for more than a year, making it on Sundays. I stopped eating Manchego when I had to go on the yeast-free diet for a while. I haven’t made it in a long time, although I do have a couple of chunks of Manchego in the freezer that I’m avoiding touching. It’s the “good stuff,” so you know I’m “saving it.” But when things get better for me and my bud Neighbor E, I think I’m going to have to make it for him one day, and the GER too. It really is that good, and is, to date, my all-time favorite Rachael Ray recipe.
And if you’re wondering why I never made it for you, GER, it’s because I’d already moved out of your house and into Clear Lake when I saw it. The recipe was first shown in late 2004 or 2005, and came out in the book shortly thereafter. But I’m happy to make it for you anytime, because it’s absolutely delicious with HEB’s sage breakfast sausage. Note: the recipe is available on The Food Network’s website here, but if you have her book Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats, it’s on page 255.
Nevermind how many of those hot, fresh tortilla samples I had by the bakery department. . .just, never mind.
This was the weekend that HEB featured their Healthy Living department, with interesting samples and a 20% discount on all “sports nutrition items” and energy bars. This included things like protein powders, energy drinks–all that stuff the gym rats gobble down. You know, those big jars with stylish graphic labels of some kind of “whey powder” and “pure protein.” I’m not knocking anyone for their choices, of course, but to the rest of us, it’s a bit mysterious, so we keep a respectable distance.
Also handed out was a pack of coupons for these “healthy items.” Included are coupons for. . .Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s Fit Kitchen. (Yes, frozen dinners.) At least Lean Cuisine has gluten-free options, but. . .sorry, I’ll pass those coupons onto Neighbor E if he wants them or Neighbor R if he doesn’t.
Now look–if healthy food gives you heartburn, you’re not healthy! You need to get on the Yeast Free Diet, get the prescriptions from your doctor or something OTC (you might need more than one jar of Yeast Control) and get RID of that yeast overgrowth in your gut. If you’re not sure if it’s yeast, try treating yeast first and see what happens. It can’t hurt.
Remember what I tell you about anything–read them labels, because I’ve made that mistake before. Some of those “energy bars” are loaded with sugar, or other rubbish you wouldn’t normally eat if you know what it is. There’s frequently soy protein in stuff like that, so if you don’t want soy–even if it’s touted as “non-GMO”–don’t buy it until you at least do a cursory read. Just saying.
I have three 3-day passes to 24-Hour Fitness, and I will need to start using them soon, they expire on the 31st. Neighbor E doesn’t want one, and Neighbor R doesn’t even like to drive! (She’s elderly.) So I’ll be heading to the gym this week, and using them all up. Since it’s supposed to rain really good this week, I won’t be on the bike, so that will be a good thing. Hook up my phone and listen to music for a while, or a good podcast.
I was also introduced to a brand of sports nutrition called FitAid. I was given samples of FocusAid and TravelAid, soft-drink style canned drinks with a little bit of fizzy and sweet, lots of nutrition and good things. There are several varieties of these drinks, and all sweetened with agave syrup, not sugar. I just don’t drink soft drinks anymore, not since 1998, so I was a bit reluctant to try one. But I was quite pleasantly surprised, and they pass my “taste test.” It won’t taste like a cola, it’s more like a lightly sweet 7-Up or ginger ale. The folks who were sampling it were also very nice. I don’t know how much they cost, but were my situation different, I might put one in my lunch bag occasionally.
What I will be doing if I find myself on long drives for work is getting some of this interesting Chike High Protein Iced Coffee for the moment I get hungry later in the am:
More than just a coffee drink.
What’s that? You’ve never heard of this stuff? Me either, so join the club. It was my favorite thing to sample, and I’m glad I tried it. The lady who was sampling this with the spicy tilapia and herbed salmon offered me a sip (or two) of the Chike original flavor. It’s quite tasty, but I thought it was the Mocha. No, original, and it was very delicious (which is how I talked her into a second sample.)
A closer look at the label.
It too, was on sale, but even 20% off HEB’s price of $26.99, I passed. . .but I did get a single-serve packet for Sunday, of the Mocha flavor. (That was cheaper, and better, than buying two of my favorite chocolate/cherry/cashew Kind Bars, which are usually 4 for $5 or 2 for $3 at HEB.) I was also handed a coupon for $5 off the big bag, which is 17.56 ounces, and I think she said it was 14 servings. But that would be for a mid-morning thing when I’m hungry and it’s way too early for lunch.
So what’s in it? It says soy, and it says caffeine, but I have my doubts:
The label, which, I promise, I read more than once.
I couldn’t find any soy in it, but it says soy, and I had no reactions from it. So. . .I can’t say it’s bad for me. But it’s made right here in Texas, so you know it’s good, right?
Sunday morning, I got out my little whiz blender and made some with almond milk:
The setup
I can’t believe I was coherent enough on Sunday to do this, but I was. The label says to use “6 to 10 ounces of milk or water,” so I just went with the requisite 8 ounces.
Blend it right in!
Hit that button:
BLITZ!
I could have put ice in the blender, but I didn’t think about it. I just poured it over ice, good enough for me.
Yum!
Now let me say that although it claims to have the caffeine of 2 shots of espresso, I don’t believe it does (or the effects of caffeine have been neutralized.) Had I consumed 2 shots of real, regular espresso (not decaf like I normally would) I would have been picking my claws out of the ceiling and calling around for bail money. I would have been sweating like a sauna and begging Neighbor E to take me home for a cold shower. None of that happened to me. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but if you’re looking for a shot or two of full-leaded espresso, head to Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Dunn Brothers, or any coffee shop in your area that serves it. You will not get that from this iced coffee. That’s not a bad thing, though–Americans consume way too much caffeine, and it’s not a good thing. I know, because I did it.
Now onto Sunday.
As I mentioned, we had those coupons to use up on Sunday, and E wanted to buzz around Baybrook Mall first, and of course, I was happy to go with him. I was in Baybrook a couple of weeks ago when I had the brakes repaired (remember that RING??), but he hasn’t been there in quite a long time. He hasn’t seen the new additions, and our new Sur la Table store. (Being a guy, he just wasn’t interested in Charming Charlie.) We walked around, he took some pictures, particularly around the restaurants, where a 2011 Jaguar was parked, and later, a Corvette and a BMW. (He’s a car guy.)
There are a number of other places planned for that outside area, one of which is called Gloria’s Latin Cuisine. The planned entries are represented by very intricate murals in the intended spots. E found one he really liked, so here is the exclusive picture of one of my taste-testers:
Neighbor E, who can’t wait to walk into this place for real one day.
Doesn’t it look like he’s going into a bakery? Honest, that’s a mural on a stone wall, and he thought it would be funny to take a picture in front of it. But it’s a good one, taken on his iPhone. (E also has a sweet tooth, so you understand why he wants that bakery to open.)
Finally, I introduced E to my favorite place, Sur la Table. We had a small bite of their Lemon Buttermilk Quick Bread, made in a sheet pan rather than a loaf pan and cut into dice-sized pieces. A very nice lady offered to make me a cappuccino, and I happily accepted.
E was accustomed to going into Williams-Sonoma when we had one, but that spot is now yet another dress shop. Sur la Table was a new experience for him, but I’ve been shopping at them for several years–well, he’s read about it here for a while. E went back into the huge chef’s kitchen, where they conduct cooking classes and whip up things like that cake for you to try. His eyes bugged out. I knew he’d enjoy it.
Another thing we sampled was this Iced Tea Lemonade. Now, I wouldn’t normally buy this kind of thing (and I didn’t), but I really, REALLY like it. It tastes like the iced tea my mother used to make when me and my first brother were little (it ended after the other two came along, I think.) She’d boil water and add three or four tea bags, then turn it off and cover the pot. While that was happening, a lemon or two were squeezed. A big glass pitcher was filled with ice, sugar and lemon added, and a great big metal spoon wedged down the side to absorb some of the heat. Then the bags were removed, and the resulting tea was poured in and mixed with the metal spoon.
THAT is what it tasted like. If you want some real good Southern-style tea quickly, Iced Tea Lemonade from Sur la Table is what you want. It’s expensive, or you could make your own like my mother used to. But it’s THAT GOOD.
After we left Sur la Table, we prowled around a little more, going through clothing stores, furniture stores, and buzzed through Macy’s too.
And the lady in Macy’s let me try on THAT RING again yesterday. The sale price seemed to be lower than the first time, but. . .it’s still in the case, I promise. I only dragged E into Sur la Table, not Victoria’s Secret or anyplace else we females go into.
After the mall, we made our sad journey across the street to visit the now-shuttered Fresh Market. E keeps an electronic journal, and he has a picture of himself outside of Fresh Market the day it opened. He wanted one last picture before it gets rebuilt, whenever that is. The security guard came out and told us that it was closed. . .she thought we were trying to go in it.
E calls it a journal. I call it “evidence that can, and will, be used against you in court.” But that’s what happens when you study law for five years.
Finally, he was ready for lunch, and we headed across the freeway to Chipotle. E had his favorite tacos, and I had the Steak Bowl I like. He also bought a bag of their delicious chips and kindly shared them–they’re delicious and addictive! The weather wasn’t bad, either, so we had our late lunch outside before any rain showed up (we’re getting rain all week, but not a monsoon.) No rush, and we enjoyed the leisurely pace for a while longer.
When it was time to head home, we passed by a place E is absolutely in love with: a place called Torchy’s Tacos. I’ve heard of them, and they do have locations in town, but I’ve never been there. Torchy’s has a cult following, apparently, because on our local NextDoor.com area, people are going bonkers for it.
They’re adding a location in our little neck of the woods, ironically, across the street from Vitamin Shoppe. That spot housed, until sometime last year, a place called Berryhill Baja Grill. I’ve never set foot in that one, either, because I just didn’t know what it was. But folks are getting VERY excited about Torchy’s Tacos coming here. You can see the location here, but they don’t list an opening date yet. That’s OK–it’s a big place with a big buildout, and you just can’t rush these things. The sign is up, and it looks to be about halfway built on the inside:
It’s almost here!
E can’t contain his excitement. He went with his sister D to Tyler, TX (up near Dallas) a couple of months ago to visit family, and they stopped at the Torchy’s there. E says that this Torchy’s is being built like the one in Tyler, so he’s doubly excited about it.
If you’re wondering how a grown man can get so excited over a chain taco restaurant. . .well, you’ve never been to Texas, have you? We take this kind of thing VERY seriously. And even thinking about dissing someone for this kind of enthusiasm will get you in a lot of trouble very fast. We don’t mess around in Texas!
Once the workers inside the place realized we weren’t going to walk in or storm the place (I mean, really) they were OK with us peering in through the plate glass windows. We were just curious, nothing more.
Will they send out free try-us coupons when they open? We certainly hope so!
With that, we headed home, and he dropped me off by my building. It was a fun time for two friends with coupons for free lunch and a little extra time on their hands.
But wait–there’s more!
I needed to head out again, and back over by Target for something else. (E was driving, I didn’t want to drag him all over the place on my account.) Once I got what I needed, I headed to the HEB in Friendswood for. . .a can of coffee. See, in all the fun on Saturday, I completely forgot to get more coffee to make my regular iced stuff on the weekends. Because I didn’t realize that HEB’s Healthy Living promotion was a weekend thing, I ran into two blokes handing out samples of. . .Chike High Protein Coffee! They made it with HEB’s refrigerated almond milk, and they were sampling the Mocha blend! So I sat through their spiel while I had another sample cup, and bought. . .one more envelope, on sale, which I had this morning. No, I’m not buying them anymore, honest, unless I have a job that requires long drives. THEN I’ll be buying the big bags, carrying some milk with me and shaking it up mid-morning.
Last time I bought coffee for iced, I decided to try HEB’s “Classic Decaf.” not the fancy stuff in a bag, like the stuff I sent my Aunt recently.
Coffee!
I sent her the good stuff. But I realized that I was buying higher grade coffee than I might have needed. So I tried this kind. First I bought the 13 ounce can, just to try it, since it was $2.68. Made it hot, tasted good, so the next batch was made for iced, and it was also really good. Yesterday, I bought the bigger can, which cost $7.98 for 2 pounds, 7 ounces. That will last me for a while.
It’s in a CAN. No kidding.
Why have I never noticed this before??? It’s good coffee!!
I got the idea because a neighbor I am no longer affiliated with buys Kroger’s French Roast in the can. That, too, is really good coffee–and it’s really obvious when you drink it next to stale-tasting Folger’s. It’s always been there, but since 1998, when I moved to Houston, I never noticed. So I’ll have iced coffee all summer, brewing it on Sunday in the French Press and refrigerating it all week.
BTW, if you decide to try any of HEB’s coffees, it looks like they sell it online, too, but they can’t ship it to California. You can buy the Breakfast Blend I sent to my Aunt last month here, if you’re interested. It’s not a strong coffee, either–but if you want regular, just do a search on HEB.com for “Breakfast Blend Coffee.” I think they even have K-cups now.
So, that was my exciting weekend! We really did have fun, and had some really tasty food. Since I managed to get all my laundry and cooking done last week, I just did some vacuuming, dusting, scrubbed the bathtub, took out trash (and Neighbor R’s too), watched some TV and sewed some more.
I’ve got a couple of posts in the can that I’m working on, and I hope to get them finished for you soon.
Meantime, have some good food and have a good week.
Enjoy!
Hello, Dear Readers:
I’m back with another post, with information about new trends, delicious food and healthy things.
First up: a cat being a cat.
Longtime readers of this blog know I love all the kitties, from the tiniest neo-natal just-born kitties the size of a kiwi fruit to the mighty Siberian Tiger. I believe that a cat is a cat is a cat, no matter what the size, species or coloring. They’re all just cats on the hunt. I had cats for 21 years (the last one being Jezebel the Step-Kitty, co-parented with the GER), and they really are the same as a tiger, lion, bobcat or jaguar, just smaller (and they usually use a litterbox inside.) Most house cats can’t tear off a limb the way a tiger can, making the mighty tiger unsuitable for keeping as a pet. If you talk to the GER, he’ll have you believe that Catmandu could indeed take your arm off, or at least a finger. Catmandu has been dead for 4 years, and the GER is still afraid of him.
So I enjoyed the story of smart a Norwegian Forest cat named Clive who didn’t have to hunt much while he lived for two years in a pet food warehouse in Britain. He “went missing,” but he didn’t go far. He did what any cat would do–he found a verified food source and stayed. Why go home when they only feed you once or twice a day, when you can just camp in this place and eat whenever you want? Workers knew there was something stealing food, so they borrowed a cat trap from a local rescue group and caught his furry butt. (The microchip told them how to find the owners.) Clive got pretty porky while he was there, but once he gets re-settled into the household and used to being around his housemates again, he’ll probably lose most of that extra weight. But he’ll probably be a bit grouchy having to wait for his food again.
Because. . .that’s a cat for you.
Speaking of creatures, I was watering the garden the other night, and I looked down and saw. . .two little beady black eyes looking back at me. AAAAHHHHH!!!! I jumped back, and I hope I didn’t yell too loud. I looked that little adolescent possum right in the eyes and told him to “shoo.” He turned around and lumbered away. . .but I don’t know where he went. They might be living under the Boston Fern I wish I’d never acquired. So now I have evidence that the possums think it’s their personal salad bar. There’s no way to keep them out, really, because they’re like cats–they climb fences, get through little holes and everything else. So it’s probably not the first time I’ll have a close encounter of the furry kind back there, especially if the tomatoes, peppers and strawberries do well.
OK, it’s a little late for the holidays, but I came across this post on putting a turkey on an outdoor grill. Sometimes in the south, it may be too hot to roast the darn thing indoors (unless you have one of those turkey roaster ovens you can park outside or on a patio that’s separate.) Sometimes Thanksgiving is 80 degrees around here, too, so it wouldn’t be a bad thing to keep in mind for November. Remember, it was 80 degrees on Christmas Day in Houston; the cold front missed the flight.
But if you’re getting ready for graduations, bridal or baby showers or other upcoming festive occasions, this article on Exposed Cakes from the Trader Joe’s monthly flier will give you some ideas. I’m not wild about less frosting, since that, to me, is one of the best parts of nearly any cake, but, well, you judge for yourself:
In The Garden Of Strawberry Cake, from the Trader Joe’s website article.
I guess it’s because you don’t have to cut the cake open to see what’s underneath. But it’s a nice picture. Would you make it?
If you want something to go with your frosting-challenged cake, there’s some new flavors from the Central Market brand that just showed up at our fabulous HEB:
Oh, YEAH! Who needs Haagen-Dazs?
See any favorites you want to try? Here’s mine:
This can only be good. . .but not sure why it was manhandled.
And of course, chocolate.
Is there any other kind?
No, I haven’t tried any of them yet. I have ice cream like other people have alcohol–to celebrate a special occasion, to deal with something stressful, or any time I need a sweet. When I broke up with a boyfriend–I had ice cream. When it was my birthday, I had ice cream. Usually, it’s Blue Bell, but next time, it will probably be this one. But this container is twice the cost of the Blue Bell or HEB Creamy Creations I usually get. So. . .no rush on trying them.
Switching gears. . . .
Do you have any old cookbooks? I mean, REALLY old cookbooks? How about those ubiquitous (and expensive) recipe cards collections? I actually have my mother’s–the Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library, circa 1971. She was going to toss it, and I asked for it. She only used one or two recipes from the whole thing that I can recall, so it’s basically intact, including the index. (Maybe I’ll make it the subject of an upcoming blog post.) I also have another recipe card collection my mother started in the 80’s, as well as one I started in the late 1980’s. I have a couple of old books, but not *that* old. One from the 80’s, and most of the rest are after 1990 or so, starting with Martha Stewart’s books. Oh, wait–the GER has given me three old books from The Galloping Gourmet, circa late 1960’s, and one or two others. I’ve found a couple of my mother’s titles from the late 50’s and early 60’s on Etsy, and have them on my “watch” list. (I need a big enough house for all this.)
I also have a recipe book from Entergy, who sent it to their customers for free in the 90’s with hundreds of old recipes from Louisiana Power & Light, the utility company they bought. (It just showed up in the mail one day.) Those recipes came from back in the day when “home economist” was an actual job. Nobody in the 90’s tested any of them, so there was no guarantee on how well they would turn out with modern appliances. But flipping through it, there is a recipe called Tomato Soup Cake. I kid you not. Starts out with a boxed mix, you add eggs and a few other things, and a can of condensed tomato soup. UGH. No, I wouldn’t try that on people I hated. Oh, wait a minute. . . .
One of my intrepid Facebook friends from Canada posted something from a website called Vintage Recipe Cards. It’s a website dedicated to showcasing the kind of foods that you used to find in magazines, cookbooks and those infamous card collections: Take a look at this gourmet abomination from the 1950’s:
The Frankaroni Loaf! Isn’t it just yummy?
Aren’t you just anxious to make this recipe for your next dinner party? You can–and here’s the recipe for it. If you make this culinary atrocity, do post in the comments and let us know how it turned out.
And after Thanksgiving, or anytime you want the tastes of Turkey Day, here’s a Sweet Potato-Turkey Pie that will fit the bill. . .and make you forget all about Thanksgiving for another six months. (It includes a can of the disgusting cream of mushroom soup, if you’re interested.)
EEEEEEWWWWWW. . .and there are lots more of these delectable detestables where those came from, just get to the website. The comments alone are hilarious, but a number of people have actually tried these edible train wrecks and love them. Like this classic, um, well. . . .
Yummy! (Not.) Source: VintageRecipeCards.com
One commenter on the Ham And Bananas Hollandaise page says that he made his own Hollandaise instead of the packaged stuff, and it’s delicious. Takes some guts to make this retro cookery, but like I’ve been told on a number of occasions, don’t knock it until you try it.
No, I’m not trying that one. Nor anything in a Jell-O mold or anything called “Aspic.” You try it and tell us all about it.
I showed you that not only to amuse (or nauseate), but also to show how far we’ve come as a nation and a people in regards to cooking, cookbooks, and everyday life. I’m sure every good housewife in the Mad Men era made Frankaroni Loaf and Jell-o molds of all kinds. (I had to eat that stuff only on occasion; thankfully, my mom wasn’t into this kind of, um, “artistry.”) But today, we have cookbooks from a myriad of sources, as well as an incredible array of new appliances, tools and gadgets that make cooking better, easier, healthier, and in many cases, faster.
We don’t have to suffer through these artistic disasters anymore.
Several new cookbooks by famous folks have come out recently, (with saner recipes) and a few months ago, I decided to pop for Giada de Laurentiis’ Happy Cooking: Make Every Meal Count. . .Without Stressing Out. Marked down 30% at Target, I figured it was a good time to get it. (It’s not autographed like my previous Giada books.) It’s all about good, tasty and healthy food, and “practical solutions” for daily life.
If you saw my recent very long popcorn post, you saw one of the recipes from this book, for Warm & Spicy Popcorn. It’s good, and with the fresh parsley from the back patio, it’s just delicious. But popcorn isn’t the only good recipe in this book. There are actually four popcorn recipes, one of which, I kid you not, is Pumpkin Spice Latte Popcorn. After you pop the popcorn, you mix together 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar, a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, and a teaspoon of instant espresso powder, then drizzle it on the popcorn. Is it good? Of course it is, it’s got sugar in it. . .maybe I’ll try it in the fall.
Much like her prior book, Giada’s Feel Good Food, this book includes a lot of healthy recipes of all kinds, as well as advice. Many of the recipes came from her weekly digital magazine Giada Weekly, but others are some that, I suppose, Giada started making out of necessity. (She’s now a single mother and a restaurateur, as well as a cooking show star.) There are 10 chapters, including one on “clean eating,” but making sure it’s tasty, too. Of course, there’s also a chapter on pasta–what did you expect, it’s Giada! But she also acknowledges that while pasta can be part of a healthy diet, there are a lot of folks who need alternatives to pasta, like Trader Joe’s Brown Rice & Quinoa fusilli pasta, which is fantastic and $2.99 for a one-pound bag. (If you can get to a Trader Joe’s.)
Giada mentions too that in Italy, they cook just a small amount of pasta, rather than the whole box as Americans tend to do. It doesn’t mean the gluten-intolerant can still have it, but it does mean that cutting down on the amount of pasta in a dish might be better, even if it’s gluten free pasta. And what to do with the “ends” of several boxes or bags (page 116)? Boil then all together and make soup, toss it with some leftovers, or just toss in some pesto and have it like that. I’ve told you what my favorite is, that I have when I get some of that GF fusilli pasta from Trader Joe’s–about a cup of pasta, boiled in salted water, drained, and tossed with some real butter and a shake or two of Parmesan cheese. Yes, from the green bottle. Don’t need nothing else on it. But that’s not too often.
Giada’s book also has indicators for gluten free, vegetarian and vegan, so you can see at a glance if it’s a good recipe for you to try.
The #breakfast chapter (yes, it’s hash-tagged in the book) starts out with smoothies, something called “Nutella Milk” made in a blender, (I seriously must try that one day), a granola recipe that is *not* gluten free, and a recipe for one thing that actually *is* popular in the culinary arena, “Overnight Oats.” (I haven’t tried that yet either, from this book or from Pinterest.) With chia seeds, almond milk, and just a tablespoon of real maple syrup, it looks pretty good.
Remember when I mentioned that “bowls” are a thing now? Giada steps up to the, um, bowl, with something called American Breakfast Rice Bowl. It starts out with 3/4 cup of cooked rice, and has a lot more ingredients before you get to eat it. This is obviously a weekend breakfast–for one person–like my favorite 4-ingredient Corsican Omelette from Nigella Lawson. Much as I’d like to try it one day (probably with quinoa instead of brown rice), it’s not something for a hurried weekday breakfast. There are also some “toasts” (also a thing now), a couple of frittatas and strata using eggs, a tofu scramble (no thanks) and a selection of waffles/pancakes/muffins for the die-hard baker. (Polenta waffles for brunch, but not GF.)
There is a chapter dedicated to Snacks & Small Plates, which is where that delicious popcorn recipe is, as well as something called Mediterranean Chile Chicken Wings. I haven’t tried this yet, but I might one of these days. (Maybe in the slow cooker, or maybe the toaster oven.) It does contain harissa, which I learned how to make when I dove into the Martha Stewart book Clean Slate last year. It’s one of three chicken wing recipes, which, if you’re familiar, you know can be addictive. I made some for New Year’s Eve many years ago when I lived in the GER’s place from one of Suzanne Somers’ books. Well, nobody complained, and they’re all still alive. . . .
There are other appetizers (“apps”), such as meatballs, arancini, shrimp, crostini (little tiny “toasts,” really), as well as bean dip, Pico de Gallo, and other party standards.
The chapter on salad offers The Only Vinaigrette You’ll Ever Need, which does require fresh thyme leaves, agave syrup, and a shallot, among other things. I should have made some of this yesterday for the lettuce I harvested out of the garden. Well, if it continues to grow, I’ll have some (if the snails and possums let me have some, that is.)
Finally, Giada gets it, and she’s learned to use and enjoy the slow cooker. On page 104, she talks about the benefits of using one, and includes several recipes in the book. (Think she was reading my blogs?) Really, I can’t say enough good about the slow cookers, and I had both of mine going all weekend. Hazelnut Beef With Noodles (page 200) looks interesting, but I can do without the panko bread crumbs.
The chapter on eating clean contains recipes like a detox soup (Giada says she tolerates it better than cold, raw juices) and a bone broth. The new trend of “spiraled veg” gets a note on page 151, where Giada makes spaghetti out of zucchini and a tomato sauce. There are some baked fish and chicken recipes, some vegetarian fare and one treat I want to try one day: the Superfood Fudge Torte on page 160. It’s made with some surprising ingredients and sweetened with agave syrup. No black beans or avocado, but pretty good stuff, and it’s chocolate. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
In the chapter called Weeknight Warriors, where the Hazelnut Beef With Noodles is located, Giada talks about lentils, and offers Lentil Salade Nicoise. Recently I gave you the recipe for Stewed Lentils & Tomatoes, a Barefoot Contessa dish that’s cooked for about an hour. But Giada contends that lentils just can’t get any respect, and in the US, they’re primarily used in recipes like that one. In this vinaigrette-dressed salad, lentils are joined by hard-boiled eggs, baby potatoes, grape tomatoes, black olives and cucumber to make a rich and tasty fare that’s good any time of year. As easy to cook as white rice or quinoa, they can be added to pastas, salads, mixed with grilled veg for a sandwich or pureed into a dip. How come we don’t do that?
Rounding out the everyday chapters is one on vegetables and sides, with all manner of dishes you’ve probably never seen before. If you think you don’t like cauliflower, roasting it gets rid of the chalky taste. On page 209 is a recipe for Roasted Cauliflower with Capers and Almonds. That sounds good, doesn’t it? On the next page is a recipe for Salt Raosted Sweet Potatoes, which sees them topped with a seasoned yogurt sauce. (I still like my sweet potato fries, though.) Lemon Roasted Fennel, page 212, looks pretty tasty, but if you’ve bought fennel, you know that’s for a special occasion–it’s a bit pricey.
Giada’s chapter on Weekends & Holidays is the longer-cooking kinds of recipes, like pot roast, chicken, meatloaf, and, for Thanksgiving, turkey! (There’s even a recipe for a Monte Cristo Sandwich using up Thanksgiving leftovers.) On page 254 is a beef tenderloin recipe using a compound butter made with dry red wine, a fresh rosemary sprig, salt and a stick of butter. This one is a bit more complicated than mine–the wine and rosemary are heated, then boiled until the wine reduces way down. When it cools, you discard the rosemary, then mix the butter and salt in the food processor. Once that’s mixed a bit, you pour in the wine and process until smooth.
The last chapter is, of course, sweet stuff, something Giada wouldn’t be without. From Key Lime Panna Cotta and Limoncello Parfaits to Chocolate Cake Tiramisu with Chocolate Zabaglione, plus a section on treats to make for gifts, the sweet tooth will certainly be happy with whatever you try. Chocolate Dessert Salami? Don’t go starting your new diet until you’re done with this one. How does Eton Mess Semifreddo sound? Giada hasn’t forgotten about folks with furbabies–Peanut Butter Dog Bone Treats will let your doggie friends know you care, just find a bone cookie cutter before you start making them. (Just wish it didn’t call for whole wheat flour, but that’s just me.)
While there’s no one authority on whatever we call “healthy eating,” this book, like Giada’s Feel Good Food and Clean Slate before it, is a good place to start. Healthy, natural food should taste good, and Giada knows just how to do that, with some “happy” food thrown in.
Enjoy!
Happy Friday, Dear Readers:
I’m sorry I’m late finishing this post. I did *not* float away or become waterlogged this week; that was the north side of town, where they took a month’s worth of rain in an hour. You’ve probably seen the pictures of people rescuing terrified horses through several feet of water, a confused armadillo, some dogs, as well as people being pulled from their cars. I’m on the south side of this huge metropolis, where we had that kind of water last May. Twice.
Good thing that adorable baby tiger found wandering in Conroe, also north of Houston, wasn’t in my neighborhood. I might not give it up. . .until it reaches 100 pounds or so. (I love tigers.)
The garden has been enjoying all the rain, but I do need to get out and do some tidying up soon.
I also have been otherwise occupied this week, as well as not feeling up to any task. I didn’t attend last night’s gardening lecture at our local library, and missed seeing Miss Shirley again. If you’re reading this, Miss Shirley, my apologies–I just wasn’t up to going anywhere.
I’m sure all of you have heard by now that the musician Prince passed away yesterday at the age of 57. Like David Bowie a few months ago, fans are downloading his music from iTunes as fast as they can. I haven’t followed him in a long time, and the last new song I heard by him was called Black Sweat, in about 2006, I think. I got it from iTunes a few years ago, and it’s one of those wild, weird fun songs he was known for. I pulled out my copy of The Hits/The B-Sides that I haven’t listened to in a very long time, and will put some of them on my iPod to listen to.
So what’s going on in food?
Remember when I discovered Epic Bars a couple of years ago? I was in a shooting range in League City. No kidding. Guess what? You’ll be seeing more eateries in retail establishments starting this year, and it’s not just Epic bars. This article on SmartBlogs discusses retail eateries in the age of online shopping, and the revival of things like the old Woolworth’s lunch counters. Pasta consumption is down, and chefs are now doing the Spiralizer thing with veggies, something I haven’t tried yet.
It’s all in the Baum + Whiteman’s 2016 forecast. Increases in “clean” eating, dishes, and boasting about ingredient lists also figure in the paper. One buzzword this year is falafel–but you heard that word *last* year, right here, when I showed you how to make Waffled Falafel. Maybe 2017 will be the Year of the Waffle.
I’ve also read (elsewhere) that old-time soda fountains are making a comeback, but with a modern slant. Modern flavors like guava are added to what used to be a simple drink. Look for this to be the next “gourmet coffee,” where you order a custom-mixed non-alcoholic drink. I haven’t seen any of these in Houston, but if I find one (or more), you’ll read about it here.
Now, I’ve written frequently about gluten-free, sugar-free, and healthier versions of favorite foods. This one is apparently “sweeping the Internet,” so they say, and it’s all over Pinterest (but somehow escaped my detection.) I’m a bit late to the game, but if you’ve never heard of Cloud Bread, I’m going to give you a primer, and show you how to make it yourself at home. And, let’s face it, anyone who loves bread is always wishing they could have it, right? So here we go.
I happened across this article in the Daily Mail recently, a London-based tabloid that has some pretty interesting articles from time to time (not to mention more real news than most US-based news organizations.) Of course, their writing can be pretty bad, which makes me think it’s outsourced, but that’s another matter.
Cloud Bread is made similar to a pancake recipe I used back in the 80’s in Sharon Claessens’ Lose Weight Naturally Cookbook. It was a pretty good book for the time. The pancakes I loved to make involved whipped egg whites, then mixing the yolks with cottage cheese (eek!) and a few other ingredients (I don’t remember if wheat flour was involved.) They cook up like regular pancakes, but were described as “light little souffles.”
Darnit, now I wish I had my copy of it. Oh, well. . .I can buy it again one day. (Soon as I buy a house with a big enough study in it.) Many of these recipes had things like whole wheat flour in them, but it was the 80’s. Still, I remember them being mostly pretty good.
Finally, I made some. Verdict: not bad, good recipe to make all the time, if you can keep cream cheese around. I can’t, I keep nibbling on it. If I keep buying it, maybe I’ll get sick of it and just keep one or two in the fridge. I followed the basic recipe of 3 eggs, separated, 3 tablespoons of cream cheese, a quarter-teaspoon of cream of tartar (some suggest baking soda) and a packet of sweetener.
So, what do you do when you want to make this bread? You hit the grocery and buy eggs and cream cheese:
The setup
Separate the eggs, carefully:
Yolks and whites need to be completely separated.
Then add a packet of sweetener, if desired, to the yolks:
Next up, three tablespoons of room-temperature, soft cream cheese are mixed into the egg yolks:
3 tablespoons of cream cheese
Right into the bowl:
Cream cheese. . .so delicious.
Mix well:
And set it aside. Next up, wash the beaters VERY clean and VERY dry. You’ll be whipping egg whites next. (You can also whip the egg whites first.) If your bowl and beaters are not absolutely clean, or have even a speck of yolk or fat, they will not whip at all. (I *was* paying attention to all those Martha Stewart shows.)
First, add the cream of tartar to the egg whites:
And whip like you would any meringue-like recipe:
Whip all the way until you get the stiffest peaks you can get.
Once that’s done, you mix the yolk mixture into the beaten egg whites:
Mix carefully so you don’t deflate the egg whites. It should look like this:
Next, take a parchment-lined baking sheet, (or spray with non-stick spray) and use the batter to make rounds:
They won’t spread out when baking like cookies will, so what you see is what you get with these babies. Bake for whatever time your recipe says (mine was 300F for 30 minutes) and they come out like this:
Cloud Bread, a bit over-baked but still good.
They’re not “tasty” on their own, but they do taste good. I just spread soft cream cheese on the first few I ate. Will they make a sandwich? If you’re careful. I’ve also toasted them in the toaster oven, and they came out a bit crumbly, but I’ve not not tried a standup toaster (because I don’t have one, actually.) My thinking is if you’re going to take them for lunch, wrap everything separately, and make the sandwich when you are ready to eat it. On Momables, she gives instructions on how to use them for kids’ lunches.
This video shows you exactly how to make these rounds.
In this DM article, one of the paper’s writers actually tries the recipe–and bungles it. Here’s where the writer messed up: she added agave syrup to the mixture. It’s fine as is–introducing more liquid into whipped egg whites does what? Flatten them. It’s extra weight and extra moisture, since agave syrup is heavy like honey. Big DUH–the young blonde girl didn’t think. Adding anything that brings in extra weight or moisture will mess the whole thing up. Wait until they’re baked and make a sandwich with them.
One comment from the Daily Mail’s article: “it’s NOT a new invention. . .it’s a lift of a recipe from a diabetics cookbook from before they had insulin…” What your grandma told you is true: everything old is new again, isn’t it?
This is the recipe from Momables:
http://www.momables.com/grain-free-cloud-bread-recipe/
There’s also this article from Yahoo, and this one from Woman’s Day. Apparently Cloud Bread is “the next trend taking over Pinterest.” Yeah, well, I want to know why all the Pinterest folks haven’t yet figured out how to add grapes to the Crock Pot and have it turn into red wine, OK?
Checking out Pinterest, I’ve also seen pizza and breakfast sandwiches made with Cloud Bread, but I haven’t gotten as far as trying them all out. Mostly, it’s a case of Amy wanting to have her cake and eat it too. You can–go look on Pinterest!
Now I wonder–will it waffle? That was the other delay, I was going to make a breakfast sandwich with eggs and bacon and the like and see how it waffled. Well. . .I haven’t gotten around to it yet, OK? If I do, I’ll let you know.
But honestly, I thought they were pretty darn good, and even if you’re not doing low-carb, diabetic, grain free eating, these wouldn’t be a bad little addition to your cooking routine for a quick bread and something different. And all you need is some cream cheese on your grocery list to make it.
Enjoy!
Hello, again, Dear Readers:
Do you eat bananas? I used to, until I discovered they have a high starch/sugar content. Don’t get me wrong, bananas taste delicious, but. . .it’s like eating sugar out of the sugar bowl. Same with white potatoes–too starchy for me. But if you’re a banana fan, here’s an interesting article about how the banana became an American grocery staple in about 100 years.
My grandmother used to tell me to take the “seed” out of the bottom of the banana when I peeled it. I’m not sure that’s a seed, since the plants reproduce asexually–on their own, no pollination required. Every banana sold in the world is a clone, but I’d still take the bottom part off if I were eating them. Read it and give it some thought.
Soon I’ll be posting an update on the HeatCageKitchen garden. This year I’m trying for tomatoes–again–as well as strawberries, basil and hoping for more bell peppers. Heck, peppers of all kinds. Soon as I get the weeding done, which requires several dry days and my favorite cheap & easy DIY non-toxic weed killer. And a lot of time to move the buckets around so I can spray the whole plot.
I went out this morning, and I have two bell peppers that are getting bigger but also changing color. There are spots on each that look to be turning dark purple, and I’m not sure why. I hope it’s just a genetic anomaly and not some disgusting disease or an annoying creature that’s ruining them. Fingers crossed, and I’ll likely have to buy another bell pepper plant anyway. But the Anaheim chili plant is starting to develop more leaves and lots of flowers. That means peppers are coming. They will take a while to get big enough to pick, but when they do, it’s OrangeOnionSalsa (probably using grapefruits) for me.
The Meyer Lemon tree has seven viable buds on it, one of which has gotten a little bigger, and I’m hoping they all stay, and maybe more develop. The Key Lime tree has plenty of little buds, too. And the green onions, which are growing quite well, are developing buds on the tops of some of the blades. What the heck? I’ll take some pictures.
This week AC came for dinner again, and since I’ve been thinking about other things, I was caught a bit short. Last week, Neighbor R gave me an oregano plant with lots of leaves on it, and soon I’ll plant it in a bigger pot, maybe with the basil:
Fresh Oregano!
But I wanted to trim it and use the excess, so I headed over to Pinterest and did some searching. One recipe kept coming up: chimichurri sauce. Generally used on steak, I grilled some chicken breasts and it was magnificent on top of them. So that’s going to be an upcoming post. Of course I didn’t take pictures, but I’ll do what I can.
In addition to salad, I also decided to make her a taste-tester and made something I found on Facebook by Elena Amsterdam. I frequently look at Elena’s recipes on Facebook, and save the link on the ones that look interesting. Well, when I looked at this one, it had five ingredients–and I had them all in the pantry. I bought cashew butter by mistake one day, and it’s been there for a while. This recipe is really easy, bakes up in 45 minutes, and comes out of the oven smooth and light. No sugar, flour or dairy, either.
Let me show you how simple this is to make.
The setup.
First up: grease your loaf pan (I think mine is 9″ x 5″ like the recipe suggests)
Set that aside, and start making the bread.
You need one cup of cashew butter, which is widely available in most grocery stores. I thought I was buying almond butter that day, DUH, but I’m glad I had it now. (I’d already measured it out before I realized I was supposed to take a picture. Another DUH.) So you add that one cup of cashew butter and five eggs into the food processor and pulse it until it’s mixed well:
Then you add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg):
Then pulse it again. After the ACV, add in three-fourths of a teaspoon of baking soda:
And a quarter teaspoon of Celtic sea salt:
I don’t know why it has to be Celtic, but I have some, so I use it. I also have Maldon’s sea salt flakes.
Then just pour it into your greased loaf pan.
Pours really easy. Scrape all that batter out!
Put the pan in a 350F oven for 45 minutes:
And this is what it looks like when it’s done:
Looks like regular bread, doesn’t it?
Let this cool for 2 hours before removing and slicing. Once you do, this is what you end up with:
Tah-Dah! Cashew Bread! (It even looks like Elena’s.)
To store, wrap it in a paper towel, then seal it in a bag, and store it in the fridge for one week.
I didn’t know what to expect when I tried it, but I’m guessing anything Elena Amsterdam makes is going to be good, if you follow the directions like she tells you. This time, I did.
By now you’re asking yourself, “That’s nice, Amy, but what does it *taste* like?” Verdict: pretty good, quite delicious, with a light texture that toasts up well. Even AC said it tasted like bread. “Major thumbs up,” AC says. Not real salty, just enough to be enjoyable. Honestly, it tastes like BREAD, although not *exactly* like wheat bread. It’s not sweet (obviously, since no sweetener is involved), but it’s light like white bread, and tastes like. . .bread. No kidding. I toasted it up and made a meatloaf sandwich with it, too. Oh, YEAH. More cashew butter on the grocery list.
Neighbor R said that it was good, “but I’ll never get used to this gluten free food!” Neighbor E said that it “the texture is good, but it tastes like bread if you took the sugar out.” I’ll agree with that assessment. Again, it doesn’t taste exactly like regular wheat bread will, but if you can’t have regular breads, maybe you’ll enjoy having Cashew Bread. It tastes a lot better than some of the “gluten-free bread” you can buy in the grocery store.
In my local Kroger, cashew butter is found in the natural food section, and that jar ran about $6, if I remember correctly. I can’t find it on the app in my local HEB, but they may have a setup to grind cashews fresh like they do peanuts and almonds in their Healthy Living section. I haven’t checked that yet. However, I did see where Jif now has a cashew butter. . .much like peanut butter, always, always, read that label, especially if you or someone in your household might be allergic to something in it.
This recipe is also Paleo, which is kind of a second cousin to low-carb. I have a very basic understanding of Paleo, which is to eat food that would have been regularly eaten by Paleolithic Man. Yes, “cave man.” Since cave men didn’t have formal agriculture, and things like dairy products and grains, bread, cheese, and other modern conveniences–even low-carb or gluten-free–are out of the picture. Remember that breakfast casserole I made a couple of months ago, which included a shredded sweet potato? That’s a Paleo recipe (but not one of Elena’s.) I know, cave men didn’t have Crock Pots either, but it’s the principle of Paleo, even if it’s far removed from the practice of hunting and gathering. We just roll with it.
Unless I’m wrong, there’s not gluten in cashews or cashew butter, so it’s also going to be gluten free (read the label in case there are thickeners or additives.) The only persons who should avoid cashew bread are. . .people who either don’t like cashews or are allergic to them.
If cashews don’t agree with you, then, yes, you’ll have to leave this one alone. You have my sympathies. I love cashews.
Would almond butter work? I don’t know, but I’m guessing it would. I haven’t tried it yet, but I have some in the fridge, so I just might one day. For now, I’m enjoying the cashew bread. I have some cashew meal in the fridge I bought at Trader Joe’s a while back. I might try using the food processor to turn that into cashew butter later. Can’t hurt. I’ve done it with hazelnut flour before.
No, I don’t think I’m going to try making waffles with this. . .or will I? Let me think on that one. For now, a loaf of bread in the toaster oven makes me pretty happy.
This recipe can be found here on Elena’s blog, and a printable copy is on the Recipes page (scroll all the way down.) There are a number of comments, and a lot of good information in them. Do read them if you’re interested in baking this bread for yourself.
One of these days I’m going to get Elena’s cookbooks and start using them. Especially the cupcake book. Yum.
If you’re missing bread, this might be your ticket It’s easy, delicious, no letting the yeast rise or lots of ingredients. You put them in the food processor and pulse, pour it and bake. Doesn’t get any easier than that.
Enjoy!
Hello, again, Dear Readers:
It’s already March. Nearly the end of the first quarter. How are your New Year’s resolutions going? Or have you forgotten them already? (Most people have, so if that’s you, you’re not alone.)
I’m sorry I’m late–I had mucho trouble getting the pictures uploaded into the site! Thank heavens for Dropbox.
I took a ride back into my fabulous new HEB to do some research for this story, but I couldn’t resist taking a few extra pictures. On the patio, I was greeted with this lovely setting:
Wouldn’t you love to come home to this idyllic patio setup?
Those wooden square things stacked up by the wall with the Texas star on them are actually coolers. No kidding. No, of course I didn’t buy any–yet. But I did take a picture of it for future reference. HEB has a number of those wooden Texas-star adorned pieces, and they’re just fantastic.
For dessert, these lovely cakes are available in the bakery. No, I didn’t sample or buy one, but aren’t these absolutely gorgeous?
Honest. . .very hard to resist, but I did.
When I see a cake like that, especially a wedding cake, I wonder why anyone would need a special occasion to enjoy a cake like that. But they’re not gluten-free, so I keep walking.
Walking over to the fish and meat area, I had a conversation with the guys behind the fish counter. Huge Dungeness crabs and east-coast lobster snap and swirl dangerously in tanks behind the counter, and lovely presentations like this in the case abound:
FISH!
And if you’re a fan of Red Dwarf, you hear Cat sing that song in your head: “I’m gonna eat you little fishy. . . .” Admit it, you did, because I did when I was in HEB.
If you’re a coffee fan, you’ll be enthralled with the coffees available:
These are all HEB’s own house brand of coffee. Good stuff here. The blue ones are regular coffees, like their delicious Breakfast Blend, and the yellow bags are flavored coffees.
Want your regular brand? Here you go:
And nearly every other kind of packaged coffee you could want.
I also found this curious item:
What the heck is better than peanut butter?
I checked the ingredients and found out:
Um, what? How does adding sugar, soy and other chemicals make it “better than peanut butter?” This is why I stress reading labels. Just give me plain old peanut butter, with just peanuts, preferably unsalted and chunky, thanks very much.
I have a couple of posts in the draft file, and I hope to get a new recipe tested soon. But in the meantime, I have something more important to talk about.
Popcorn.
I called Neighbor E the other night, to ask if he wanted to go with me to HEB. No, and he was just finishing up. . .a bag of microwave popcorn. Eeewwwwww!!!
If you haven’t had popcorn in a while, well, there’s a lot more to it than there used to be. You can still buy those Jiffy Pop pans to put on the stove and watch the foil expand–if you’re old enough to remember that.
You can pop popcorn in a big heavy pot, a little oil, with salt and butter when it’s done. But you’re probably more familiar with microwave popcorn, because these days that’s what everyone does, right? You can buy single bags in office vending machines all over the US, and you always know when someone in the office “just wanted some.” And I know a couple of folks who thinks buying it in a big tin can is the best way to have popcorn, or from the microwave.
But I’m here to tell you to ditch the chemical-infused microwave popcorn. I’ll tell you more about that shortly.
We’ve been eating popcorn in the US since the 1820’s. It comes from a variety of corn that produces hard kernels that can’t be eaten fresh (unless cracked teeth is your thing.) Heating the kernel, and the water inside–either in a pot on a stove or in a microwave–causes the water to steam and the corn to turn inside out in a flash.
POP!
Food writer Tori Avey, in this article on the PBS website, explains where it comes from:
The popcorn variety of maize was domesticated by Pre-Columbian indigenous peoples by 5000 B.C.E. It is a small and harder form of flint corn, most commonly found in white or yellow kernels. The stalks produce several ears at a time, though they are smaller and yield less corn than other maize varieties. The “pop” is not limited exclusively to this type of maize, but the flake of other types is smaller by comparison. Popcorn likely arrived in the American Southwest over 2500 years ago, but was not found growing east of the Mississippi until the early 1800s due to botanical and environmental factors. Today the Midwest is famous for its “Corn Belt,” but prior to the introduction of the steel plow during the 19th century, soil conditions in that region were not suitable for growing corn.
She also explains that although most corn in the US is genetically modified, popcorn isn’t. That’s a little good news. Popcorn became a favorite when it was introduced into movie theaters, and, well, it’s just *there* now, isn’t it?
I quit eating popcorn many years ago because of the high carb content, but a couple of years ago, I just had a craving for it, darnit. I walked up to folks and asked, “Have you ever tasted. . .popcorn?” I’m not eating it daily, but I do have it sometimes after exercising with the kettle bell and I’m watching something on TV, or in the afternoon when I’m in the mood for it. Sometimes.
If I’ve given you the idea that popcorn is something you need in your life, let me show you what I found at the lovely new HEB the other night:
Look carefully at the bags of popcorn in the center of the bottom shelf:
Regular, plain, bagged popcorn just waiting for the heat.
Yes, that’s the way we used to buy popcorn, and pop it on the stove in a big pot. Let me point out that the bag on the right, that sells for $2.66, is a four-pound bag. No kidding. FOUR POUNDS. If you pop half a cup at a time, how long will that bag last in your pantry?
But most Americans unthinkingly go for the expensive “convenience” of microwave popcorn. Take a look at what’s actually in one of those bags:
Yes, it’s “gluten free,” but what’s TBHQ? Read what FoodBabe has to say about it in this article:
TBHQ that is found in Smart Balance, stands for “Tertiary Butylhydroquinone.” It’s a dead giveaway that you shouldn’t be eating this, if food companies have to use an acronym for a long chemical name on the ingredient label.
TBHQ is a chemical made from butane (a very toxic gas) and can only be used at a rate of 0.02 percent of the total oil in a product. Why is there a limit to this? Maybe because eating only 1 gram of this toxic preservative has been shown to cause all sorts of issues, from ADHD in children, to asthma, allergies and dermatitis to dizziness and even has caused stomach cancer in laboratory animals.
Here’s a Smart Balance box–she’s not kidding.
This is Smart Balance microwave popcorn, a “healthy” brand.
Admittedly, there are *less* chemicals, and annatto is a natural coloring agent, but still. . .there’s one chemical you don’t need. And even if it wasn’t there, for $1.99, you could have more popcorn than that.
This, I believe, is the Central Market’s organic brand, which looks a little healthier than the rest. You can see more of the chemical breakdown that’s in most microwave popcorn in this infographic from the article on FoodBabe.com:
Source: FoodBabe.com
Still want that stuff? Seriously. . . .
Now, I’ll tell you the best reason to abandon microwave popcorn in an office setting. It’s dangerous. Don’t believe me?
There were several instances during my stint at Boeing where we were evacuated from the building because the fire alarm went off. Heat of summer, cold of winter, daytime or after dark (I tended to stay in the office after 5 pm sometimes.) During the day there could be more than 2,000 people in the building, and we all had to go out to the back garden with the duck community, making the poor creatures wonder what was going on and why we weren’t handing out snacks to them. We sat and waited whilst the Pasadena Fire Department went through EVERY floor (in full gear) and checked every inch of the place. I should point out that the building is a quarter-mile long, and six stories high. This took a while, causing work stoppage.
And what was the cause of these incidents? On several occasions, it was. . .microwave popcorn, that was either forgotten, over-popped, or someone just set the timer too long, causing it to smoke. Not everyone follows the directions exactly. I didn’t hear about any fires caused, but the smoke from microwave popcorn incorrectly popped set off fire alarms and the whole evacuation thing.
NOW do you see why? Work stoppages cost the company money, and waste the time of firefighters called to deal with it. It’s a pain in the butt. And it just stinks up the place, too.
Vani (the lady behind FoodBabe) also gives a recipe for a “superfood popcorn.” I haven’t tried it, but I did find the red palm oil she talks about:
Red Palm Oil
Vani also talks about using organic popcorn. I did find some, but since popcorn is NOT GMO, it might be fine using regular. But if you want “organic,” it’s available:
Organic popcorn? Who knew?
HEB also has it in their bulk section. Check your local grocery if they have bulk items, and you may be able to find it:
Popcorn in bulk.
Whatever you do, put real butter, olive oil, coconut oil, or whatever on your popcorn. Don’t use this and ruin it:
To me, this is like putting Cool Whip on the fresh berries of spring. Why?
“Rich Buttery Taste?” EEEEWWWW!!
A pound of REAL butter costs less than that bottle in HEB. Why would anyone put that on popcorn? Yuck. Can’t have dairy? Use olive or coconut oil. Not this drek.
Anyway. . . .
You can also buy popcorn already popped, in bags just like potato chips.
BOOMCHICKAPOP!
Several brands are available, including HEB’s own Central Market Brand:
Convenient, but certainly not cheap. However, BOOMCHICKAPOP brand is made with all-natural ingredients, and they’re very open about that. I haven’t tried any of these; I just prefer to make it at home.
Here’s an article from Austin Women’s Magazine about. . .popcorn.
Now you’re thinking to yourself, “Okay, Amy, you’ve ruined my microwave popcorn. Now what do I do?”
Well, you re-learn popcorn.
I’ll be the first to admit that the microwave, derided by many as a bad thing, is a spot-on convenience that’s hard to beat. I do, in fact, have one–I’ve had to replace mine twice in the last year; the last one, a Rival, got a demonic possession or something and started acting funny. I now have that huge 900-watt red West Bend one that’s too big for my kitchen. (Long story.) Vani, as well as Dr. Mercola, advise getting rid of microwaves completely; I’m not on board with that yet, but might be in the future.
I have indeed discovered how to make microwave popcorn without the expensive, chemical-laden bags. I have heard of people making it with brown paper bags, but then you’d have to buy the bags. What if you’re out of them? Use a bowl!
I took Jillee’s advice from One Good Thing By Jillee and tried it myself. The first time I made it, I used a flat-bottomed casserole dish with a cover. No. It has to be a bowl (microwave-safe, of course.) You can use oil, but I’ve tried this several times and it doesn’t require oil (although I just made some with a teaspoon of coconut oil in the bowl, and it works well.) Put about a quarter to a third cup of popcorn kernels in the bottom:
And cover it with a microwave-safe plate:
You’ll have to play with the timing a bit–in my 900-watt microwave, 5 minutes was about it:
Partially popped! (Didn’t realize the oven needed a good cleaning!)
When it’s done, the bowl and plate will be VERY HOT.
Use potholders and caution when you remove it from the microwave. If you want butter, melt it now, in a smaller container in the microwave. (You can also do it ahead of time.) To prevent the butter from popping while melting, use a lower power, like 40%, and start at a minute. If it’s not melted, go another 30 seconds at 40% power. You don’t need to melt it all the way; if there’s a little bit left, swirl it around a bit in the bowl and let the warm part melt the rest of it.
If you’re more a stove-top popcorn person, here’s how simple it is: get a heavy-bottomed pot (like a wide chili pot, about 5 quarts or so) and put a couple tablespoons of coconut or olive oil in the pan, heat it on high. Add in up to a half-cup of popcorn, and put the lid on. If you want melted butter, microwave it now and get out your serving bowl. And do NOT go anywhere else! Soon, you’ll hear popping from the pot, and you’ll need to keep an ear close by. When it slows down, and you’re not hearing a lot of active popping, it’s time to turn off the heat and get that popcorn into the bowl–carefully! Pour your butter, salt, or whatever else you want on it, and enjoy.
And here’s a kitchen tip I figured out recently, for whatever kind of popcorn you make. Add your oil/butter and salt, or other seasonings, and stir it with. . .your salad tossing tools.
They toss the popcorn so easily!!
Why did we never think of this before?
If you find some “old maids” in the bowl, you can just put them back in the microwave for one more go-round. Many will pop, some will not. But this only works once. Keep an eye on it to make sure you don’t open your microwave door to flames.
But if you do, I want to hear about it!
I tried re-cooking the old maids with microwave popcorn with a friend of mine at the SGI Community Center in New Orleans. No fire, but it was a mess. She passed away a year later and kept that secret. What happens in the kitchen. . .stays in the kitchen, right, Regina?
I used to have one of those countertop air poppers, and should not have given it to the Salvation Army. I have bought three of them from both Wal-Mart and Target and returned them. Why? The plastic top melted, stunk up my kitchen and made the popcorn taste nasty. However, I have found the best popcorn popper yet:
Of course it works.
I got it last year on eBay, and while I have tested it, and it works, I haven’t made popcorn IN it yet. The instructions tell you to put a flat plate out, but I could just elevate it and open the spout over a bowl. I’ve taken it apart and carefully cleaned it, so I could make popcorn in it if I wanted to. This lovely toy works with a heating element in the base under that cone assembly. It heats the kernels much like a pot would do. It’s 50 years old, and it works better than three different modern air-poppers I tried.
Sur la Table has a selection of popcorn tools and accessories, including this bigger (and pricier) Waring popcorn maker with a “melting station.” It makes 20 cups of popcorn, more than I need, and melts butter at the same time. Popcorn spices are also available, as well as the infamous Nordic Ware bowl and a couple of other silicone accessories that Amazon has. They’re not available in my local Sur la Table, so it’s on my Amazon wish list. There is an air popper from Cuisinart, and a couple of movie-theater-style machines adapted for home use.
Did you think there was this much available for popcorn? Me either.
Now, what if you’re at work and wants some popcorn, but don’t have anything but a microwave? I’ve got you covered there, too.
First thing you want to know is to get something made of SILICONE. I made the mistake, before I found Jillee’s blog post, of buying a Nordic Ware Microwave Popcorn Popper. (It was Target, so it was red.) Used it once, worked great, washed it and returned it. My popcorn was ruined by a nasty chemical taste imparted in the bowl. No thanks. However, the silicone models, from what I’ve read, don’t do that. (I can’t seem to find one locally, so I’ll order one or two in the future.)
There are a number of different types of popcorn poppers for the microwave, including many made of glass–but if you’ve got glass mixing bowls at home, well, try that first. From silicone, though, you can get this 10-cup popcorn maker for under $20, and like the glass bowl method, doesn’t need oil. If you’re in an office of folks who like popcorn, you can be their new BFF (“best friend forever”) and make popcorn for the folks.
But if you’re not, and just want to make some for yourself, there are also several options available in silicone. One I found is made completely of silicone, but I don’t know how much it actually makes. I thought this small popper cup was a good item, but discovered that it is only partly silicone and contains plastic. This one is all silicone and makes a quart. I guess it would be a matter of figuring out how much popcorn you want at a time and popping less than a quart. It’s a little pricey, but it should last forever, if not until you retire. My advice would be to try it out at home before you take it to work. Then you can have popcorn all you want, no fire department involved.
There’s always the brown-paper-bag method although I’m a bit leery of it. Just make sure you know exactly how it works before you bring that to work, OK? The whole point is *not* to call the local fire department!
Soon I plan to do a review on Giada de Laurentiis’ new book, Happy Cooking. However, I’ll give you this recipe (on page 43) that I have tried and absolutely LOVE to make. It uses parsley, which I have growing on my back patio. While it’s thoroughly delicious, if you are caught short without fresh parsley, dried parsley will work too, although not quite the same as the fresh parsley.
You pop the popcorn first, then follow the directions. I prefer the stovetop method with the oil and half a cup of kernels, but microwaving the kernels will work too.
Warm & Spicy Popcorn
Serves 4. (Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I just use a little dash, less than a quarter of this amount)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 7 cups popped popcorn (from 1/2 cup of kernels)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, parsley, coriander, cayenne and salt. Put the popped popcorn in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss thoroughly to distribute. Sprinkle with the spice blend and toss again to coat the popcorn with the seasonings.
So there you have it–a long story about something most people don’t think about too much.
Enjoy!
