Native to the United States, the Blueberry wasn't popular to eat until 1916 when it finally went from Farm to Table. Blueberries are proven to Prevent Cancer ~ Lower Risk of Heart Disease Slow Breakdown of Bones ~ Reduce Belly Fat Improve Vision and Elevate to a Better Mood SOME THINGS BLUEBERRIES CAN TEACH US:
1. BE WELL ROUNDED 2. SOAK UP THE SUN 3. FIND BEAUTY IN SMALL THINGS 4. LIVE A FRUITFUL LIFE 5. BE A GOOD PICK 6. IT'S OKAY TO BE A LITTLE BLUE 7. MAKE SWEET MEMORIES
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Whether you're an avid golfer or not, Kiawah Island's Ocean Course Club House { click on the highlighted name to learn more } is a visual and culinary blessing even in winter. Try the Crispy Shrimp with your Martini or Margarita on the deck . . . then enjoy a romantic sunset stroll on ten miles of pristine beach. While most everyone is thinking about apples in Fall, here in the Northeast the ELBERTA PEACHES have just finished their peak. My five year old tree produced better than a hundred pounds even after being pruned hard in late winter. Elbertas are fabulous eaten fresh. The stones pop right out and their perfume fills the house. Still, they can NEVER EVER compare with a peach grown in Georgia . I 've Grilled Elberta's, Pied Elbertas, Jammed, Ice Creamed and Baked Elbertas, added Ginger to them and even Chutneyed Elbertas ... no matter what I did to them, their flavor always vanished in the process ! I only know of THREE THINGS to successfully do with Elbertas : 1. Enjoy as many FRESH as you can stand 2. delight your neighbors and friends with bags of them ... and ... 3. make PEACH CORDIAL
CIN CIN ~ L'CHAIM ~ NA ZDROVIE
SLAINTE ~ SEI GESUND ~ SANTE SALUTE ~ SKOL ~ CHEERS A'KALE MA'LUNA ~ KIPPIS ~ PROSIT A dear friend of mine has two gnarled hundred year old apple trees on her property. brought to Upstate NY from Scotland as seedlings. They look very much like these. The apples are super hard and sturdy, yellow with brown spots and an occasional blush. Thankfully, she never sprays them and they yield abundant disease free fruit every October. The skins are thin but strong, and when they drop, they retain their shape and are not marred. They're crisp and snap when bitten into; luscious sweet, somewhat spicy and tart and nothing at all like any store bought apple. This variety is considered a rarity... an heirloom once popular in the Catskill Region where Cider Mills used to dot the valleys, known as The CHAMPAGNE of APPLES. We've used these apples in every conceivable way with excellent results; our second favorite being apple sauce. It was when we juiced them that we understood just how special they really are ! This rare cultivar deserves to live on. I harvested seed from two apples in October 2014 and placed them between sheets of dampened paper towel in a covered airtight container stored in the fridge. According to Apple Tree Propagating Experts, if the seed doesn't sprout in two weeks time, they should be considered discardable duds. I almost followed that advice when a month had gone by with no changes and again when two months showed nothing. Patience paid off well after the third month with a 60% sprout ! I'm so excited about planting them all, watching that first set of leaves form and giving trees away to good homes ! WANT ONE ? HERE IT IS ! The perfectly thoughtful, practical and reasonably priced gift your friends and relatives will be using more often than not. Now, please know that absolutely NO ONE asked me to write this on NINJA's behalf. This NINJA EXPRESS CHOP came last week as a credit card points trade and these pics were taken in my kitchen today. You can buy yours at TARGET K~MART AMAZON Originally, I wasn't at all happy about any of the redemption items, but my plan was to cash in on accumulated points and cancel the card. I was also disgusted that 4,000 points afforded me a mere $ 20.00 item. I certainly wasn't expecting much from this appliance. The beautifully designed compact top holds the motor with electrical cord and feels secure in one hand. The Tupperware style lid has a capped hole, preventing dirt from affecting the motor housing and doubling as a food storage cover. The blade body sits on a stainless steel pin and easily lifts straight up and off without me being concerned about slicing a finger. I loaded the sturdy plastic container with one rib CELERY cut into 3 inch lengths, the YELLOW PEPPER, a slice of GINGER, a quartered CLEMENTINE with a slice of peel, half a TOMATOE quartered, some fresh CILANTRO, a teaspoon of BRAGG's organic APPLE CIDER VINEGAR and a splash of EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL. . . . and put on the lid as instructed. I placed the motor housing on top, which easily connected to the blade through the open hole in the lid, pushed down on the silver "switch" to the count of ONE ~ TWO ~ THREE If you look close, you'll notice two pepper seeds at the bottom of the base. The base stayed sturdy and stationary as it chopped, never slipping or sliding ! . . . grabbed the white blade stem and lifted it straight up ~ off ~ and out ! Could've put on the fitted storage lid and refridgerated... But . . . It was SO DELICIOUS . . .
didn't even need salt . . . devoured the entire thing ! YUM !!! Anyway, I LOVE this thing and hope it lasts awhile. It seems like it will. Your comments are most appreciated and your personal info remains private. HAPPY CHANUKKAH MERRY CHRISTMAS When I saw this gorgeous BOK CHOY at my local Market yesterday for a mere Dollar Fifty, I knew it had to come home with me. Although this veggie is claimed to be in the Cabbage Family, I'd rather liken it to Chard with a very mild flavor. BOK CHOY { click on the highlighted word to learn more } has been analyzed for its contribution to human health. ONE CUP of the cooked stuff is said to yield: BETA CAROTENE 2.6 mg VITAMIN C 44 mg FOLIC ACID 69 mcg CALCIUM 158 mg POTASSIUM 631 mg MAGNESSIUM 19 mg It also contains GLUCOSINOLATES click on highlighted word to learn more which have been known to inhibit cancer when ingested in small doses. It being so cold outside, I decided to make a Thai inspired soup of it with hopes of being infused with tropical warmth. BOK CHOY SHRIMP SOUP ONE BOK CHOY WASHED and CHOPPED RAW SHRIMP HALF POUND or MORE PEEL the SHRIMP reserving the skins and bring the skins to a BOIL in 1 CAN COCONUT WATER mixed with 1/2 CUP or MORE WHITE WINE SIMMER this for about FIVE MINUTES and SET ASIDE. Git yerself 'bout ONE TABLESPOON of COCONUT OIL and bring it near SMOKIN' HOT in a WOK ! DUMP the CHOPPED BOK CHOY in the WOK and STIR FRY for about SEVEN MINUTES. It will throw off lots of its own liquid. ADD TWO CLOVES MINCED GARLIC, about a TABLESPOON FRESH GRATED GINGER OR USE THE POWDERED GINGER IF YOU MUST SPLASH IN about 1/4 CUP of KEY LIME JUICE and a TABLESPOON or MORE of TAMARI or SOY SAUCE DRIZZLE IN HALF TEASPOON of SESAME OIL POUR in RESERVED SHRIMP SKIN LIQUID without the skins o'course A DASH OR TWO TOBASCO AND FINALLY THE RAW SHRIMP !!! JUST HEAT THIS ALL THROUGH FOR A VERY FEW SHORT MINUTES... DON'T OVERCOOK THE SHRIMP ! POUR YOURSELF A GLASS OF WINE TRADITIONALLY WHITE WITH FISH BUT I STILL PREFER RED FILL SOME BOWLS and SMILE ON YERSELF !!! DELICIOUS ! YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED ! PLEASE KNOW YOU NEED NOT SUPPLY YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS ! Springtime in New York always comes with a sense of new beginnings. The air has a fresh sweet smell. People walk with renewed vigor. There's a sense of something good and important about to occur. I pull out my hummingbird feeders with anticipation of their arrival ...on the tail of Canada Geese, it's said. Of course, it's not literal. The hummers move on their own wing beats and have never been known to hitch a ride on a goose tail. The sound of Canada Geese overhead, usually means that hummers have completed their migratory journey as well...back to their place of birth ...a homecoming...perhaps with a new spouse...to create the next generation. For the past dozen years, the hummers have been on time. Males arrive on May first and my feeders will be ready with homemade sugar syrup and hung in their usual location. It's probably my thousandth time making their food. I pour a cup of white sugar and one cup water into a small saucepan. As I stir over a high heat to dissolve, my mind begins to wander. No longer in my kitchen, memory has me in NYC, strolling uptown on Columbus Avenue with two friends. A red light stops us and we're being looked over by a handsome Italian enjoying his drink at a corner cafe. He gives us a quick little smile of approval. Paige asks me, "Do you know that guy ?" I answer, "No...I have no idea who that is. Do you, Callie ?" She shook her head and we crossed the street as he watched. It was an uncomfortable compliment. A block away Paige declared, " I know who that is ! That was Robert DeNiro ! That's why he looked so familiar. We have to go back. I have to see if it's really him or just a look alike." And so we did. A small crowd had now gathered around the window, chatting eagerly and finger pointing . Yes, it was Robert DeNiro, wearing a corduroy jacket with suede elbow patches, Touki Smith at his side with an incredibly tight fitting short dress. Just then, Richard Belzer, who's very very tall, emerged from the place, hailed a cab, popped in and was gone as folks shouted, "It's the BELZ ! It's the BELZ ! It's the BELZ !" Back in the kitchen, my sugar syrup has begun to boil. I take it off the heat and put it in the fridge to cool. Again, I'm taken by memory. This time to Junction Pool in Roscoe, NY, { The best Trout Fishing Town in the USA }. I'm walking my Chowmation dog, Miss Abbey at the river edge where two men are fishing. The short older man turns and calls to me with excitement, "Ooh-ooh...miss...would you come here ? See this dawg ? Look at this dawg ! This is exactly the kinda dawg I was telling you about ! This is the kinda dawg you should get !" I could hear the other fellah say, "What are ya doin, man ? I told you, I don't wanna be bothered by anyone today." "But we talked about this in the car and this is the kinda dawg I was talkin' about. You gotta see it !" The man turned. It was Robert DeNiro...or his twin. He seemed very annoyed. The syrup has cooled off. I add two and a half cups cold water, stir and pour into feeders. The hummingbirds will be happy. I hang one at my kitchen window and the second near the porch swing. Spring is here and anything can happen. Maybe I'll go see one of DeNiro's new movies: THE BIG WEDDING GRUDGE MATCH FIRST MAN Whaddya think ? WHETHER YOU'VE LIT THE FIRST ADVENT CANDLE THIS SUNDAY AS A COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS . . . OR . . . GOT YOUR MENORAH READY FOR CHANUKAH THIS COMING FRIDAY . . . know it or not... believe it or not... you are taking part in ancient rituals that celebrate the same basic thing. That mutual celebration is the celebration of MIRACLES orchestrated by the One and Only, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient GOD ! At this time of year, it's customary to enjoy Potato Pancakes { aka LATKES } They are delicious, nutritious, home inspiring soul food, ridiculously easy to throw together with readily available and inexpensive ingredients. Here's what you'll need to serve SIX people:
WHAT TO DO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE:
Peel the potatoes and drop them in icy cold water, which will help prevent them from turning brown as you work. * Some folks prefer to leave skin on the tater. * That's where most vitamins are. If that's what you decide to do, the pancakes will not be as "pretty". But, who cares ! Right ? Just be certain to clean them very well before proceeding ! Into a large bowl grate the potatoes as finely as you can, and splash them with some lemon juice, which will also prevent them from turning brown as you work. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and allow them to rest at room temp for about 10 to 15 minutes. WASH YOUR HANDS VERY VERY WELL Using your hands, grab a large wad of potatoes and S Q U E E Z E them so that most liquid oozes back into your bowl. Place the squeezed taters into a new bowl. When all taters have been squeezed, you will notice a WHITE RESIDUE on the bottom of the original bowl. THIS STUFF IS POTATO STARCH ! It's what helps make the LATKES crunchy ! Carefully pour off the water and use a spatula to add this potato starch back into your taters ! Add remaining ingredients, being especially mindful when adding the flour. You may not need as much flour as you think. The goal is to use as little flour as possible; just enough to hold the mass together. Mix all together and form into small 4 or 5 inch circular pancakes. FRY in MEDIUM HIGH HOT OIL . . . NOT SMOKING HOT . . . first one side til golden and flip ! It's a MUST to serve these with SOUR CREAM and/or APPLE SAUCE !!! It's also traditional to serve them with a Mushroom Gravy... but that's a recipe for another time. SIMPLY DELIGHTFUL !!! Does a Non Toxic Whistling Tea Kettle exist ? Is your tea kettle or coffee maker poisoning your water ? In a society deeply concerned about going "green", and the purchase of bottled and filters for water at their height, the answer may surprise you ! There are hundreds of tea kettles available on Amazon, that range in price from $ 5.00 to $ 475.00. I wonder who would spend $ 475.00 on a tea kettle ? All it's supposed to do is boil water. Should a non toxic whistling tea kettle be so difficult to find in the year 2012 ? Apparently, it is ! And it also is certain TEA KETTLE MADNESS ! Available stainless steel tea kettles, { be they $ 50 or $ 150.00 }, are seamed together with materials that rust within a few months. How much rust and unknown substances from the seam are being boiled into the water from the very first use ? Suppliers like Cuisinart, { $ 120.00 for their kettle } recommend that consumers wipe the inside dry after every use to avoid this issue ! Aw c'mon ! Who has time for that ? It's a water pot ! Does this make any sense at all ? Available enameled tea kettles, { such as Paula Deen's @ $ 50.00 }, apparently fail as well. Consumers complain when the interior is wiped with a paper towel, a dark residue from the enamel comes out ! UGH ! What's in that enamel ? What's it doing to the water ? Has it been rendered "SAFE" by USA standards ? There are kettles lined with non stick coatings, just like the stuff they put on fry pans and other cookware. Have you ever inspected a used "teflon" coated pot after use ? The coating wears away...into the food and water ! Common sense tells us THIS CAN'T BE NON TOXIC ! Literally look into the available electric water kettles that automatically shut themselves off when the water has boiled. EVERY SINGLE ONE has a toxic seam or immersed plastic piece. We all KNOW that boiled plastic releases toxins into the water. It made me think of all the coffee makers people use where the water is heated in plastic or unseen areas and the consumer simply doesn't consider what's being absorbed into the water ! The available glass tea kettles come with whistling toxic plastic lids as well as warnings in case the glass shatters ! For $ 190.00, the Brits boast a tea kettle made of copper. Apparently, the copper gets boiled into the water. An overabundance of copper in the human body causes a list of maladies. NOT AT ALL A GOOD IDEA ! The ONE and ONLY NON TOXIC TEA KETTLE I have found is ONLY being offered by The Vermont Country Store. Click on their highlighted name to view their product. They claim stainless steel tea kettles, in three sizes, with ONE HUGE drawback; NO WHISTLE !!! It's astounding, frustrating and disgusting that there is only ONE supplier, therefore only ONE choice ! In search for the NON TOXIC WHISTLING TEA KETTLE, I simply conclude that a fortune can be made by creating and marketing one. If you can shed some light on this topic, I sure would like to know ! In 1943, Norman Rockwell rendered this heartfelt image of a WW2 refugee thanking God for her meal. The painting was used as the cover for The Saturday Evening Post. It shows evidence of an unseen generous US Soldier who has loaned the young woman his large coat to stay warm. Although seventy years have passed since that insane era, the image can very easily be believed in our own time, for we still haven't solved the problem of people suffering in similar situations. The madness of war continues under a new name and the innocent continue to be the greatest victims. As the Roman Empire, founded on military might, fell apart, so we live in a similar period of decay. The Founder of Harvard University's Sociology Department, Pitirim Sorokin, observed that our culture is oriented towards the physical senses; has exhausted itself and is d i s s o l v i n g; proving that the future MUST reform itself around other ideas and purposes. Let's hope we are able to form around the idea and purpose of L O V E which brings with it many spiritual fruits, such as JOY - WISDOM - UNDERSTANDING - COUNSEL KINDNESS - GOODNESS - PATIENCE FAITHFULNESS - GENTLENESS - SELF CONTROL FORTITUDE - KNOWLEDGE - PEACE { to name a few } as opposed to egomania, greed and other hate filled havoc wreaking ideologies before we all perish ! For those of you who have a tremendous amount to be grateful for, and will be concerned about roasting the finest Turkey ever, I share the following reliable and successful technique: PERFECT TURKEY or TURKEY BREAST EVERY TIME ! Done in almost half the time of most recipes, this no fail method will bring you the result. The only requirements for the success of this procedure is knowing the total weight of your oven ready bird, { which includes the weight of the stuffing, if any }, and Aluminum Foil or tight fitting cover for the roasting pan. You'll need to do a bit of math, so get your pencil and paper ready. CLEAN, SEASON, {Bell's Seasoning is as good as it gets, or create your own mixture. Some folks swear that the enzymes in dried Apricots added around the bird, help in making it even juicier, giving a different unexpected flavour, despite the sulphites. Some criss cross the breast with bacon for yet another dimension of flavour. This bacon is removed before the last half hour of roasting.}, STUFF, {if desired- but REMEMBER to know the approximate weight of your stuffing}, AND TRUSS THE BIRD. COOKING TIME FORMULA FOR TWELVE POUNDS OR LESS OF TURKEY: 15,{ FIFTEEN }, MINUTES PER POUND PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 15,{ FIFTEEN }, MINUTES. EXAMPLE: TEN POUND TURKEY PLUS ONE POUND STUFFING IN BIRD EQUALS ELEVEN POUNDS OVEN READY BIRD. {11 pounds oven ready bird } X { 15 minutes } = 165 minutes + 15 minutes = 180 MINUTES or 3 HOURS COMPLETE START TO FINISH ROASTING TIME. COOKING TIME FORMULA FOR OVEN READY TURKEYS WEIGHING MORE THAN TWELVE POUNDS: 15,{ FIFTEEN }, MINUTES PER POUND FOR THE FIRST TWELVE POUNDS, PLUS 12,{ TWELVE }, MINUTES PER POUND FOR EACH POUND OVER THE ORIGINAL TWELVE POUNDS, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 15,{ FIFTEEN }, MINUTES. EXAMPLE: FOURTEEN POUND TURKEY PLUS TWO POUNDS STUFFING IN BIRD EQUALS SIXTEEN POUNDS OVEN READY BIRD. { 12 pounds } X { 15 minutes } = 180 minutes PLUS { 4 pounds } X { 12 minutes } = 48 minutes PLUS an additional 15 minutes. FULL ROASTING TIME CONSEQUENTLY EQUALS 243 MINUTES or 4 HOURS and FIVE MINUTES !!! Now that you know what your roasting time will be, this is the procedure: PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES ! PLACE BIRD IN ROASTING PAN AND SEAL WELL WITH ALUMINUM FOIL LEAVING A BIT OF SPACE BETWEEN THE FOIL AND THE BREAST SO THE SKIN WON'T STICK TO THE FOIL. PLACE BIRD IN OVEN. SET TIMER FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES !!! WHEN TIMER RINGS, TURN DIAL ON OVEN TO 375 DEGREES. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR !!! NOW CALCULATE WHAT TIME IT WILL BE WHEN THERE IS A HALF HOUR REMAINING OF YOUR FULL ROASTING TIME. WHEN THAT TIME COMES, OPEN OVEN DOOR AND REMOVE ENTIRE ROASTING PAN FROM OVEN. CLOSE OVEN DOOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO KEEP HEAT IN. CAREFULLY, { and I mean carefully as steam will wildly escape at this point }, REMOVE FOIL, { and bacon if you used it }. REPLACE BIRD INTO OVEN AND ROAST FOR THE FINAL HALF HOUR. YOUR BIRD IS NOW PERFECTLY ROASTED AND GOLDEN ! REMEMBER TO ALLOW IT TO REST FOR TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE CARVING ! !!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!! |
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