Foodie Pick: April Fruits & Vegetables In Season

I am going to challenge my family to buy more vegetables and fruits that are in season this month.  I buy in season now because that is the only option when buying organic produce and vegetables. It was really startling when there was an item that was not available because it was not in season. We shouldn't see a summer crop in the winter. It gives you a greater appreciation of food and you look forward to your favorite fruit or vegetable coming into season.  When these fruits and vegetables come into season, they are usually on sale. 

This is also challenging me to try new recipes. I want to switch things up a little because I am getting in a little bit of a rut, with the same vegetables and fruits. I don't want to go a whole year with missing out on a certain fruit or vegetable. There is nothing better than an in season fresh vegetable or fruit. 

Here is a list of in season April fruits and vegetables

Fruits

Grapefruit
Kiwi Fruit 
Lemons
Oranges
Strawberries

Vegetables

Artichokes
Asparagus
Avocados
Beans (snap) also known as green beans
Broccoli 
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumbers
Garlic
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Onions
Potatoes
Spinach
Squash

Foodie Pick: Shiitake Mushroom

Shiitake Mushrooms

This is a self made recipe that was inspired by a dish that I had at a restaurant. I had one of those moments of sitting there and said, " Oh this would be so good if it had this and that." I made the recipe the following week and it was so good. I miss having this recipe while pregnant. The Shiitake Mushrooms can cause a little stomach discomfort for some (Looking at husband). I myself did not experience this.  

Shiitake Mushrooms are great. They have great health benefits of reducing cholesterol, strengthens immune system, prevents cancer, prevents thrombosis (blood clots) and aids in weight loss. There is a lot of nutrients vitamins B2,  B3, B5, B6, Manganese, Phosphorus, Fiber, Potassium, Selenium, Zinc, Copper, Vitamin D and Magnesium.       

Shiitake Parmesan

1 bunch of scallions chopped medium
1 C white wine
1/2 C Butter
16 oz of linguini
6 cloves of garlic
1/2 lemon juiced
3 tbsp. fresh parsley
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms
1C parmesan & 1/2 C parmesan for serving

Method 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine, and cook for 9 to 13 minutes and drain.

Heat butter in a large saucepan over low heat, and saute garlic about 1 minute. Mix in wine, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Mix shiitake mushrooms, butter, parsley, red pepper flakes and parmesan into the saucepan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cooked linguine, and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated. Dish and put remaining parmesan on top.

Foodie Pick: Bill Granger's Banana Maple Upside-Down Cake Recipe

        Ingredients

3.5oz unsalted butter, softened
7.8oz superfine sugar
4 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
5.5oz plain all-purpose flour
1tsp baking powder

Caramel Topping

1.8oz unsalted butter
2.1oz firmly packed brown sugar
2.1fl oz maple syrup
4 bananas, sliced in half lengthways to serve

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Place the caramel topping ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is rich and golden..


Pour the syrup into 9 inch greased or non-stick springform cake tin and arrange the sliced bananas, cut-side down, over the base of the tin.


Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then add the vanilla extract.


Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt, then gently fold through the butter mixture. Spoon the batter evenly over the bananas and smooth the top with a spatula.

Place the cake on a baking tray to catch any escaping syrup and bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Transfer to a large serving plate. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Foodie Pick: Free Food For Veterans 2012

Please call your local location to verify if they are participating in the deal. Happy Eating!

• Applebee's: Free Entree for veterans
• California Pizza Kitchen: Free Pizza on 11/11 - 11/12
• Chili's: Free Meal on Veteran's Day from 11AM to 5PM
• Denny's: Free All You Can Eat Pancakes on Monday, November 12, 2012 for Veterans
• Famous Dave's: List of Offers & Deals 
• Golden Corral: Free Dinner Buffet & Beverage on Monday, November 12, 2012 4PM - 9PM
• Hooters: Free Wings for Veterans on Veterans Day with Drink Purchase
• Little Caesar's: Free Crazy Bread
• Lone Star Steakhouse: Free Entree for Veterans on Nov. 12, 2012
• Longhorn Steakhouse: Complimentary Texas Tonion and Non-Alcoholic Beverage
• McCormick & Schmick's: Complimentary Lunch or Dinner Entree 
• Olive Garden: Free Entree for Veterans 
• Outback Steakhouse: Free Bloomin' Onion and Coca-Cola Nov. 11-12th+
  • 10% Off Military Mates Discount Nov. 13 - Dec. 31
• Red Lobster: Free Appetizer to Veterans and Active Military Duty
• Sizzler: Free Lunch until 4PM on Monday 11/12/12
• Texas Roadhouse: Free Lunch fromVeterans Menu on Monday 11/12/12
• TGI Friday's: Buy One Get One Free Meal on Monday, November 12, 2012 for Veterans
• UNO: Free Individual Pizza or Entree w/purchase of Pizza or Entree on 11/11-11/12
• 7-Eleven: Free Small Slurpee from 11AM - 7PM 2012

Foodie Pick: PICKING CHERRIES LITERALLY

Image found at agricultureguide.org 

1 Cherry Tree = 30 Cherry Pies

I recently went with some family to go cherry picking, it was my first time. It's a small cherry farm around Landcaster, CA.  The way it worked was you grab a bucket and if you filled up your bucket it was about $40. It was fun for about 5 minutes for me. I got bored and started taking some silly and artistic pictures. There is a catch 22 when it comes to picking fruit. All you want to do is eat the fruit right after you pick it off the tree, but that is against the rules. As you drop the cherry into the bucket, you feel separation anxiety because you really really want to eat it. Then you want to fill your bucket all the way to the top where it over flows then you stop! It cost $40 a bucket, then you realized I will be happy with my half a bucket. I started to think about the  first person that looked at a cherry and said, "Hum I am going to eat this." I think this is a good simple minded person activity, good for small children. I think it would have been better with learning some history and more about cherries. There was not enough mental stimulation or learning. The plan after picking the cherries was to meet up and make pies. It was an all day thing with a last pie in the oven at 10 o'clock at night.  

Cherries are a great Super Fruit. The darker cherries are higher in antioxidants and vitamin levels. All cherries help to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Cherries also have Melatonin in them that help regulate the heart rhythm and sleep cycle. Cherries are a great source of  Vitamin A,  Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Folate and Fiber. Cherries are good for the brain for the prevention of memory loss. It is a natural anti-inflammatory which it is great for those with arthritis and it has been used for many years for gout. There has been studies done that proved that cherries combat body fat and lower sugar levels. 

In the United States there are more than a 1,000 different varieties of Cherry trees Most of the trees blossom  over a three week period, in late May and early June. America crops produce 300 million pounds of cherries. About 75% of the American crop comes from Michigan. Go Cherries!

Foodie Pick: The Dangers of Eating Microwaved Food

Image found at science photo library.com 

The story of the Microwave begins with two researchers Blanc and Hertel that found, cooking in a Microwave significantly changes the nutrient value in food. They did a two month study with eight individuals that ate food that was Microwaved and took blood test immediately after the food was consumed. The test reveled that hemoglobin levels decreased. These two scientist were told that if they released their findings that they would face hefty fines and up to a year in prison. Years later the gag order was removed and this is how this story is shared today.

After World War 2 Russia experimented with Microwave ovens. Their research started 1957 and is still ongoing. They had a lot of great findings in their research. When pre-pared meats are Microwaved d- Nirosodiethanolamine is created; this breaks down the protein and pulls in radiation.(cancer causing) When milk and cereal is heated up in the Microwave, the amino acids are mixed and splits the proteins.(cancer causing) Free radicals are created when heating up vegetables.(cancer causing) The indigestion of Microwaved foods caused higher percentage of cancerous cells in the blood. Malfunctions occur in the lymphatic system causing the degeneration of the immune system. The unstable catabolism in the Microwaved food, lead to disorders of the digestive system. Those who ingested Microwaved food lead to disorders of the digestive system and showed more: stomach cancers, degeneration of peripheral cellular tissues and excretory system function. As a result Russia banned Microwaves in 1976. The ban was lifted in 1987 after Perestroika.

There are violent changes in the food by Microwaving it and causes the food molecules to form new life forms called radiolytic (mutation) compounds. This causes deterioration in the blood and immune system. Standing in front of the Microwave is dangerous for your health because Microwaves leak radiation. You can see how it makes cells explode when putting an egg in the Microwave. There has also been a link found in Microwave emissions and fertility problems in men.

The Microwave is a form of electromagnetic energy, something like light waves and radio waves. Microwaves are very short waves of electromagnetic energy that travels at the speed of light.

The body is electrochemical and any changes to this from a Microwave will effect the whole physiology of the body. Degeneration and circuit breakdowns of electrical nerve impulses also take place. Long lasting residual effects of magnetic traces are left though out the nervous system and lymphatic system. It destabilizes and interrupts the production as well as hormonal balance in men and woman. The Microwave causes high levels of brain wave pattern disturbance through out a persons brain. From this disturbance, there were many problems found: loss of memory, loss of the ability to concentrate, emotional instability , reduced intelligence and effects sleep. It causes the brain to “short out” the electrical impulses in the brain, which can cause long term brain damage. The body doesn't recognize the food that is microwaved and can't metabolize it. Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous tumor growths. When eating Microwaved food, it increases cancerous cells in human blood.

There is a story of an Oklahoma woman that died from a simple blood transfusion because the nurse put the blood in the Microwave to heat it up. The blood was altered by being heated up in the Microwave and killed her.

When the Microwave came into peoples home the way things were done changed forever. People developed short attention spans. The saying of “ all good things come to those who wait” went out the window. People developed a “ I want it now” complex and we have the Nazis to thank. They first invented the Microwave oven, to use to support mobile operations. Now over 90% of American homes have a Microwave oven. I am not one of these homes! Once I started eating Organic, I thought to myself why go through the trouble of getting food with nutrients to put it in a box that just zaps all the nutrients out, it is an oxymoron.         

Foodie Pick: Corn Syrup & High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Image found at Tvtropes.org 

First I will begin with what is Corn Syrup and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Corn Syrup is manipulated from the starch of corn. High Fructose Corn Syrup under goes a process that has to create a chemical reaction. The molecules have to change and convert into different molecules. The enzymes also have to change. With this many different reactions taking place before someone consumes it, this makes you wonder what reactions are taking place in your body after you digest it. This causes concern for what it can do to your enzymes, hormonal balance and the health for your over all cells. You can see how High Fructose Corn Syrup looks like a science experiment when the guys from King Corn make Corn Syrup themselves. (This weeks Pick of the Week)

In 1882 Corn Syrup was refined and the production of dextrose (glucose) from corn starch was started. In 1967 High Fructose Corn Syrup was created. By the mid 1980's HFCS was the sweetener used in many soft drinks. From 1977 to 2001 America's consumption of sweetened drinks went up 135%. Corn Syrup now is being re-branded as “Corn Sugar.”

High Fructose Corn Syrup is used in a wide variety of foods, in place of sugar. It is estimated that 78 pounds of Corn Syrup is consumed a year per person. This number wows me! It is said that Corn Syrup is being used in place of sugar for economical reasons; but other countries are not using High Fructose Corn Syrup. What is interesting is that most drinks made outside of the USA don't have Corn Syrup as an ingredient. What else I find confusing is that Coke makes a soda without corn syrup, that has a yellow cap; but only around the time of Passover. Why not give consumers the opportunity all year long?

Beverages that have High Fructose Corn Syrup have high levels of carbonyl that has been linked to cell and tissue damage that contributes to Diabetes. High Fructose Corn Syrup is rapidly absorbed in the blood stream and there is not much of a question of how it has been linked to obesity. It leaches micro nutrients from the body and also increases your appetite. In other studies there have been high levels of mercury found in Corn Syrup. With high levels of Mercury, it can harm the: brain, heart, kidneys, lungs and over all immune system.

With trying to stay away from Corn Syrup, start by reading all labels because Corn Syrup will be where you least expect it. This can be found in foods that are not sweet like: any processed foods, snacks, breads and meats. Most of the bottled and canned beverages contain Corn Syrup. These include: soft drinks, sports drinks, lemonades and ice teas. You will find that a lot of fast foods contain Corn Syrup. There are a lot of people out there that are Diabetic. Big or small you don't have to join them. When the body can no longer filter the 78 pounds of syrup, your blood becomes syrup.      

Foodie Pick: Spinach & Cheese Bake Recipe

Image found at megabeth.net 

3 Packages of Frozen Spinach

1 1/2 C of Whipping Cream

3 Large Eggs

1 1/2 C Sini Fulvi Fontal Cheese

1 tsp Nutmeg

1 Medium Chopped Onion

1Tbsp of Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper

Pre Heat oven 350 degrees F

Method: Combine Spinach in a large bowl, Whipping Cream, 1 C of Cheese, Eggs, Onion, Garlic Powder, Nutmeg, Salt & Pepper.

Put in an oven safe dish and drizzle the remaining 1/2 C of cheese on the top

Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes

Foodie Pick: Does Milk Really Do A Body Good?

Image found at altadena milk.com

We have all seen those commercials that tell us to “drink our milk” and all those ads with the milk mustaches.  Then learning about rBGH makes you wonder what have we been drinking.  What I noticed when I was recycling that the milk bottles that were not rinsed out completely turned a neon green color over time.  This is what made me research what is going on with the milk. I have never seen this happen with my Organic milk containers.  I will always buy Organic Grass Fed milk. You can taste the difference between the treated milk and the un-treated milk.  The two companies that are well distributed that do not use the hormone are Clover and Altadena. There are more companies just look at the label for Organic and says Not From Cows Treated With rBGH. To make sure what you are drinking I would research the company that you are buying your dairy foods.

In 1985 the US started the research and gave the official Go in 1994 to use the hormone. rBST & rBGH is a generically engineered bovine growth hormone. They are similar, if not the same. This is sold everywhere under different trade names that are licensed under the Monsanto Corporation that invented this product. The rBST is injected into cows to increase their milk production. It increases the milk production by 15%.  It has been rumored that rBST has been linked to cancer of the breast, colon, lung and prostate and others.   

The cows treated with this hormone have painful side effects. It creates inflammation of the utters that create a pus and then gets into our milk. I have heard that sometimes blood gets into the milk because the utters are so raw and inflamed. To treat these cows and to try to heal their utters, they are pumped with antibiotics. As a result the antibiotics get into the milk and then we drink it. These are very heavy duty antibiotics to treat a 1,000 pound animal. With us receiving all these antibiotics through our dairy products and meat, we build our resistance up to antibiotics. So when we go to the hospital with a simple virus (cold), a stronger antibiotic has to be used that can be damaging to the liver, kidneys etc. Please take in consideration the dairy products you consume: butter, cheese, sour cream and the rest of your dairy products.            

Foodie Pick: Why Is Organic Better?

Image found at thedailygreen.com

When you walk into a store that has only Organic produce the smells are overwhelmingly amazing. You can close your eyes and smell the apples, oranges, broccoli, bananas and ohh the strawberries. When you pick up the apple you do not see a reflection of yourself on the waxy surface; but from the smell of the apple you can almost taste the fresh crisp apple in your mouth. Organic foods are produced without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers. They do not contain GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms). The plants or animals DNA have not been altered and the food was not grown in a lab. 

I pick Organic food because it taste better and it still has its nutrients. It has not been washed in Clorox. The crops don’t have synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers or use radiation to kill bacteria. Animals on Organic farms eat only Organic feed.

The animals are not confined and can roam around free. The animals are Not injected with antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.

I do not want my fruits and vegetables to be soaked in a Clorox bath were they loose all their nutrients and flavor and then sprayed with a waxy substance so the can be pretty. Gallery lights are set above the produce so it can shine off the wax and almost sparkle. I want to see natural texture and bruises that tell you when the fruit and vegetables are ripe. I would have never thought so many pesticides were used. There are about 40 pesticides used on non Organic brown rice. About 51 pesticides used on non Organic leafy green vegetables. Those non Organic strawberries have a whopping 59 pesticides used on them. Why I am trying to stay away from so many chemicals, because the exposure to chemicals can cause DNA damage and breakage. This leads to genetic mutations, cancer, and sometimes death. Organic is good for life.

*EXTRA PICKY TIP – Your investment in your health today; will save you thousands of dollars in healthcare cost in your future. *