Brent is a meat and potatoes man....born and raised....I always seem to get more compliments on the food when it surrounds this genre. When we went to Argentina together (when Josiah was 5 months old...to work at an orphanage...and travel) he was delighted to find the local restaurants serving up large and inexpensive portions of Argentine beef...taters, empanadas, and homemade pasta. =) Some of the familiar Spanish words he grew fond of were bife de chorizo, bife de lomo, and milanesa...words describing various cuts of meat that were mouthwateringly delicious (if you like beef, that is...which...we do.)
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Here's a review of some of the healthy staples that reside in our kitchen...my favorites! My mom introduced me to this salt, and I've been hooked ever since. I traded in my ordinary table salt for this mineral-rich version. From the back label..."Unlike most table salts, RealSalt is not bleached, kiln dried, heated, or altered with chemicals or pollutants. It also has a full complement of beneficial trace minerals, with nothing added." I read a book called "Sugar Blues" by William Duffy (thanks to your mom, Joanna!) and it mentioned that many varieties of table salt sneak in dextrose (sugar!) and other goodies to keep the salt from clumping...watch out! Now aren't you curious about yours...go check! But you'll have to watch out for the RealSalt at my house too....I have been known to mix in kelp granules for an extra nutritional boost! Next time you come over I'll bet you won't be able to tell... =) This highly saturated fat has had such a poor and incorrect reputation for years, but unrefined (extra) virgin "coconut oil is rich in lauric acid (also present in mother's milk) which has strong antifungal and antimicrobial properties. It builds the immune system and protects against viruses, yeasts, parasites, and other pathogens in the gut. Research has shown that coconut oil, like butter, promotes normal brain development, is less likely to cause weight gain than polyunsaturated oils, contributes to strong bones and has anticarcinogenic effects." (excerpts taken from Nourishing Traditions) One of my pet peeves (I know, I'm quirky) is trying to find a boullion that doesn't have MSG, hydrolized or isolated soy protein, or dextrose (to name a few...). So when I found this brand, I was rather excited. This fun little jar is used nearly every day at our house. It adds just that little dab of depth to many a Rollins 'recipe' (my hubby makes fun of me because I hardly use one) It's kind of spendy, but I found mine for a great deal and bought a few. If you can find it, but the organic one, because the others have additional unnecessary additives. Another super brand for boullion is "Rapunzel"... RAW HONEY! On my trip to Wyoming, I found a reasonable source for raw honey and brought this baby home with me (they made me check it as baggage!). It's so raw that there are "flecks of bee" in it! =) Why raw? It isn't cooked at all and thus retains a high enzyme content (enzymes are deactivated at 118' wet heat, and 150' dry heat). When I purchased this honey, the lady said she has people calling all the time requesting raw because their naturopath prescribed it for their allergies! I scoop out a small amount into a jam jar for the shelf, and keep the rest tucked away in the pantry. This was a great deal buying directly from the source...but here's another fabulous raw honey product (my mom served this to me with fresh lemon juice as a tea...SO good and therapeutic! Thanks, ma!) This is the brand "Rapunzel"...and this is unrefined and unbleached sugar. It's filtered, dried, and sieve ground- thus not separated from the molasses at all. So if you're going to use sugar, this is the most natural way to go, as all the nutrients aren't stripped from it! Don't get me started on sugar...it's one of those things that we (ok, I) try to avoid, but is virtually impossible and somewhat impractical as a wife (of a sweet toothed man) and mama to completely eliminate it from our diet. SO we use this, natural sugars (honey, maple syrup, agave, stevia, etc.), and yes, on occasion, I bake with evaporated cane juice* (sugar, but less refined) for my family (husband). =) Oh yeah...and we also use *ecj in our homemade ice cream...and granita...and....=) I'd love to hear what your favorite staples are... Yesterday our boy was sick and it lasted through this morning....but my dear hubby let me sleep in as late as I wanted and go off shopping all morning. So after I grocery shopped my socks off (which is actually fun for me) (Havilah, I missed you at Costco!) I came home motivated to tackle a few kitchen projects that I've been wanting to do for awhile. 4. We're about to make nachos...how's that for healthy! I told you one of my weakness is chips....but the chips we're having tonight (after the kids are in bed) are Organic Blue Corn Baked Tortilla Chips from Trader Joe's....that's a mouthful! "After baking, the chips are sprayed with a small amount of expeller pressed oil, then salted..." That makes me feel a bit better about indulging in a treat. We'll mix up some meat, black beans, spices, salsa, and cheddar....then a few dollops of "Nancy's organic, cultured sour cream".... I've avoided baking the majority of our marriage. I'm intimidated by it. When my hubby gets desperate he just makes his own.(very delicious, I might add) But there's those odd moments of inspiration I have....and today was one of them. I was on a mission to bake a yummy cookie with nice texture, dark chocolate, and some healthy additives. Result? Take a look.... First I googled "best chocolate chip cookie recipe", then I printed it out, and followed it to the 'T' (except that I doubled it) Then I started throwing in this and that and "what if..." Yep, it's a turkey carcass, and it smells soooo good. I volunteered to de-bone the turkey from our family dinner if I could take home the bones for soup. I've got two pots on at the same time. I'll strain them, and stick 'em in the fridge overnight so I can skim off the fat. It gives me secret pleasures to see the leftover gelatinous goodness still in the pot waiting to become a complete soup. You want to know the secret ingredient in my favorite stock? Leeks....they add a yummy, oniony depth that just oozes homemade. Ok, so it's not so secret, but it's a staple stock ingredient in our house. |