Nutrition for Health

This is a blog from my alternate blog site, http://fibromaine.blogspot.com. I decided to share because this is good nutrition for everyone, not just for someone dealing with a chronic illness. The benefits of eating well are universal and will not only give us a greater sense of well-being, but will ensure that we are able to give our best back to the universe.


It is often said that the best defense is a good offense. In the life of a fibromite [a person afflicted with fibromyalgia],the proactive steps we take today to take care of our health will save us pain down the road. To that end I have switched to eating whole, fresh foods. When the choices are limited, I make my own. This way I am sure of the ingredients and I know exactly what is going into my body. One of the first things I learned to make for myself was bread.

Fibromites have an unusual metabolism, we will utilize our stores of proteins over our stores of carbohydrates and fats. Because of this our diets should be high in protein and low in processed carbohydrates. We should limit refined sugars, bleached flour, processed white rice, and potatoes, while increasing our intake of fresh vegetables, whole-grains, and high grade protein sources. Because a diet high in animal fats may have other unwanted consequences, a good portion of the protein that we need to consume each day should come from a vegetable source, and this can be incorporated into a multi-nutrient bread.

My breads always contain full-fat soy flour for protein, soy lecithin for essential fatty acids, added wheat germ for fiber, whole wheat flour for the same reason, sea salt to minimize the sodium content without sacrificing flavor, and a natural, unrefined sweetener to kick start the yeast and round out the flavor. The remaining ingredients depend upon my mood as much as my body's needs of the moment.

I made bread this morning using this very recipe: A large, strong mixer is necessary to do this, unless you have the hand and shoulder strength to knead the dough on your own. This recipe is not intended for bread machines. Follow all safety guidelines for your mixer.

1 cup coarse oatmeal
1 cup barley--without husks
2 Tbsp flax seeds

Grind these ingredients in a blender until a fine flour is produced then place in the mixing bowl of a large mixer.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup full-fat soy flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 cups filtered water, brought to the boil
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup your choice vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy lecithin
1tsp fine ground sea salt

4+ cups unbleached white flour or fine ground whole wheat

Add all ingredients, EXCEPT the white flour, into the mixing bowl and blend until all ingredients are incorporated and wet. Allow to soak for 10-20 minutes, or until the mixture registers less than 110 degrees Fahrenheit with a thermometer (yeast reproduce best between 95 and 105 degrees and will die above 115 degrees) .

In the meanwhile heat 1/2 cup of filtered water in a one cup measure in a microwave until it boils. Stir 2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses into the water. Allow to cool to less than 110 degrees. Add 1Tbsp (or one packet) active dry yeast. Stir the mixture to remove clumps and allow to ferment until a head of foam threatens to overflow the measuring cup. Stir down the foam and add it to the mixing bowl.

Using a dough hook on the mixer, combine all ingredients using a slow speed (follow manufacturer's instructions--there is a maximum limit for speed and cups of flour a given machine can take). Slowly add white flour, one cup at a time until four cups have been added. If the dough is still too sticky, add more flour, 1/8 cup at a time until the dough just leaves the sides of the mixing bowl. Total kneading time should not exceed eight minutes from when you began adding the white flour.

Pull the dough out of the mixing bowl and into a well-greased, glass bowl. Coat the dough with oil or butter and a damp cloth or paper towel. Put the bowl toward one side of the tray in a microwave and heat at power level 1 (ten percent of maximum) for five minutes. Move the bowl to the opposite side of the tray and heat again at power level 1 for five minutes.

Let the dough rest and rise for 12-15 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and cut into three equal pieces. Roll each piece out on a floured pastry cloth or greased wax paper until it measures approximately 9 inches by 18 inches. Starting from the narrow edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Pinch the seam closed and tuck the ends under, pinching them together. Place the roll into a well-greased 8.5"x5.5" loaf pan. Brush with oil and cover with a damp towel. Do this for the remaining two pieces as well.

You may either repeat the microwave proofing (raising the dough) by heating them each at power level 1 for five minutes, twice and then resting for 12-15 minutes or you may proof them all together in an oven that is set at a temperature of less than 105 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 1/2 hour. When they are ready, proceed to the next step.

Set the oven to 375 degrees and while it is pre-heating, place the three loaves inside, with space between to allow heat to circulate all around them. Cook for 30-45 minutes depending upon your stove (a convection will take only the 30 minutes, a conventional may take much longer at this temperature--either increase the temperature by 25 degrees or increase the cooking time by 15 minutes).

When they are golden and the aroma is filling the house, they are probably done. Tip one of them out of the loaf pan and thump it on the bottom. It should sound hollow. If it does not, return it to the oven for five more minutes and check again. When they are done cooking, remove them from the loaf pans immediately, placing them on a cooling rack until cool to the touch. You may then store them in a container of your choice.

All my best

--K Hunter

Sodium Nitrate, Good Or Evil

It's amazing how many chemical additives there are in processed food. A little of this, a little of that and it's all done to enhance the taste of the food we buy. Or is it? The FDA has allowed tons of chemicals for consumption by consumers. Some were grandfathered in like sodium nitrate, that's used to kill bacteria and preserve color in meats. It has been used for centuries in the meat curing process. But is it safe?

It is difficult to determine how safe something is by studies conducted on other animals. One problem is the time involved. We humans live longer than the animals used in a study. All animals have a different biological make up and dietary needs. Something that may poison us can make a healthy lunch for something else. Animals are anatomically biased. Also time and quantity are factors that are usually manipulated to acquire study results. The only accurate information will come in the form of autopsies conducted on humans in the future. This will shed light on the actual safety these chemical have had on us.

In Natural terms the only non-organic substances our bodies are designed to intake are water, salt and trace minerals found in edible plants and animals. Even though you may believe that just a trace amount will not hurt you in the long run, think about this. A trace in one food item most certainly won't hurt you but how many do you consume that actually contain a trace. These traces add up and they all don't leave your body very quickly. As you get older these traces add up and can then cause problems later on in life.

What kind of problems? Sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate, both food additives, are also known by another name, Saltpeter. There were rumors back in World War One that the army was adding saltpeter in the soldiers food to prevent them from from getting erections. This would prevent them from contracting any sexually transmitted diseases while on leave. This was never proven. This does bring to mind a possible cause of today's illness ED (erectile dysfunction). Maybe it's the consumption of too many food products containing these additives. Maybe instead of taking drugs you can just change your diet!

There are a lot of chemicals being pumped into processed foods. The best remedy is to eat as much fresh foods as possible and making better choices when we eat out. Also consumers are the force to change what corporations produce. It may take time, but when consumer buying changes, manufacturers change with us. Take MSG in soup for instance. The major soup manufacturers are now removing it from their products thanks to consumers and how they spend their money.

Thanks for listening and stay warm

Bill

Snow And Squash

The white stuff is falling from the sky again.  It'll last through tomorrow sometime.  We'll be cooped up inside till the thaw.  Although we're used to this sort of weather, some parts of the country that don't usually have deep cold with snow and ice are really being hit hard. 

There are some health risks to avoid during the cold winter weather, and I'm not talking about freezing to death.  During the winter cold, even in your comfy home or work place, the air is dry,  so dry that any perspiration you have evaporates immediately on exposure to the air.  That's why you always feel dry.  The air has almost no water in it.  Evaporation happens very quickly.  This type of weather can draw the water out of anything. 

Dehydration happens very easily especially in the winter, although you don't notice it because your not hot or sweaty.  It is important to drink lots of water in the cold dry times.  Coffee, beer and alcohol will increase the rate of dehydration.  Water is the best method of replenishing your body.  If you need something to warm you up try tea.  Herbal and green tea's are the best.

The recipe I have for you today is a side dish that goes well in place of mashed potatoes.  Yes, it's another alternate dish.  The vegetable is one of my favorites because it is prepared in the same way.  It is the Butternut Squash.  With it's slightly sweet taste it adds new flavors to this traditional American side. 

First peel, core and dice one butternut squash.  Place in pot, add water to cover, and bring to boil.  Reduce heat slightly to prevent boil over.  Cook until tender. Check with a fork.  It will take from 20 to 30 minutes.  Drain liquid then add butter, or a healthy margarine, sour cream, black pepper and dill.  Use small amounts at first and add more later to get the right consistency and taste.  With a masher proceed to mash and combine all ingredients.  If it becomes too mushy place back on stove on low heat to thicken.  Watch it carefully so it does not burn.

Stay warm and cozy

Bill

Soup On A Cold Day

It's a cold day today in Maine.  Last night we made chicken and now have some left over.  It's a perfect time for a homemade chicken soup lunch. 

You will need about a cup and a half of chicken meat, cubed.  2 stalks of celery diced. 2 carrots diced. half an onion, chopped.  A quarter cup of rice and a 32 ounce carton of Kitchen Basics, or home made, chicken broth.  Add all but the chicken to a pot.  Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer.  Let cook for 15 minutes then add chicken.  Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.  Serve with a buttered roll.  Enjoy... 

It may be easier just to open a can of soup, but is it healthier?  MSG, monosodium glutamate, is unfortunately in most cans of processed foods.  It may be hidden in ingredients like potassium glutamate, hydrolyzed protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed oat flour, textured protein, yeast extract, autolyzed yeast, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate or calcium caseinate.  For more information on this visit www.healthdangers.com.  Look under drugs then click monosodium glutamate.

MSG has been under fire for causing illnessss from migraines to panic attack syndrome.  The FDA has classified the ingredient as "generally regarded as safe."  What is not well known is that the FDA in 1969 banned the use of MSG in baby food.  Does this seem safe to consume if it was banned from all baby food in the US?  Why was it banned?  Research showed that MSG can cause brain damage in the developing brains of infant animals.  So what about the unborn child a woman is carrying?  How dangerous is it for her to consume MSG? 

I know first hand that MSG can effect your health.  Back in my twenties I developed panic attack symptoms.  I was prescribed Xanax as a relaxer.  For almost a year I struggled with the symptoms.  Then for a whole summer the symptoms vanished.  When they returned I tried to find out what had changed during the summer.  The conclusion was found to be simple.  The Chinese restaurant that I would eat at two or three times a week near work had closed for the summer.  The owners had gone back to China to visit family.  When they reopened, my symptoms returned.  I have to restrict my consumption of MSG to below my tolerance level. 

Even though glutamate occurs naturally in our bodies, the mass produced glutamate in MSG is not a pure form.  Impurities present in this form of glutamate may be the culprit in causing neurological dysfunctions.  Glutamate has a role in joining with neurotransmitters.  There is a lot of information online on this subject.

I don't need to have concrete proof that it is harmful.  I just don't want it in my food.  Soup companies now are bowing to the will of the consumers and are removing MSG from their soups.  But be cautious and check the label for the hidden forms listed above.  Or just make your own with homemade broth or some trusted natural brand.

Stay warm and eat well

Bill

Freshness Made Simple

Tips on food storage. How do you keep veggies fresher longer? Here are a few ideas. Lettuce always seems to turn brown and slimy before you are able to use it up. Never cut lettuce. Tear off what you will use, then use a knife if you need to shred it. Cutting will destroy cells while tearing pulls most cells away from each other. Cut cells will decay and spread the decay quickly. The less damaged cells the longer and fresher the lettuce will be. To keep it fresher place it in a airtight bag with a piece of paper towel. Lettuce will give off moisture. This will dry out the leaves if stored in an open bag. In a closed bag the humidity will equalize and lessen the rate of dehydration. A piece of paper towel will absorb any accumulation in the bag so the lettuce does not sit in water. This keeps the lettuce from rotting.

Onions are a great way to keep other veggies fresher longer. Take peppers for instance. Put a piece of pepper in a closeable bag and within a few days it will be slimy along the cut edges. Put a piece of pepper in a bag with a piece of onion and it will be fresh for over a week. This is true for other delicate veggies. The onion will emit vapors that will retard decay.

If you find that your soda goes flat before you have finished the bottle it is because it has been opened too often. When you open carbonated beverages you will hear a "whoosh". This is from the build up of pressure in the bottle. When you reseal the bottle the pressure in the bottle is not high enough to keep the fizz in the beverage. Gas will escape to the air pocket in the bottle until there is enough pressure to hold the fizz in the liquid. Every time you open the bottle you relieve the pressure and the process begins again. There is a pressure cap made for soda bottles that have a pump built in to put pressure back into the bottle. Or just drink faster.

Today's recipe is quick home fries using leftover potatoes

3 cups Left-over baked or boiled Potatoes diced
1 small Onion chopped fine
1/4 Tsp Garlic powder
1/4 Tsp Celery Seed
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
1/4 Tsp Paprika
Olive Oil

Use a good, well seasoned fry pan. Add Oil, potatoes and onions on medium to medium high. Add garlic powder, celery seed and black pepper. Cook till browned, stirring occasionally. Add Paprika for color and stir in.

Stay warm

Bill

Lets Talk Calories

Lets talk a little about the "C" word. Calories! Calories in my opinion have very little or no value to consumers today. Unfortunately people still look at Calories as a staple to dieting. Most people probable don't even know what a Calorie is or how it is calculated. Calories once had a place in the world of healthy living, but today's information and higher understanding of health have knocked Calories down from their pedestal.

Let's look at what Calories represent. A calorie is a unit of energy. It can represent electrical, chemical and physical energy. Each type is individual and separate from the other. One Calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius (times 1000). The way to determine the amount of Calories in food is by burning it. If, when burned, one once of ground beef raises one kilogram of water 5.9 degrees, then you can calculate that there are 5.9 Calories in one once of ground beef.

What makes up the Calories is more important than the amount of Calories. Calories represent everything organic. Water, salts and trace minerals are not counted since they do not burn. Fats, carb's, sugars, proteins and fiber are all counted as a whole. This is why counting Calories does not work alone. All should be considered separately and then compared to the whole. Jenny Craig does attempt this by placing values on food based on fats and carb's in a broad range.

Lets now look at the individual parts. Water, salts, and minerals do not effect body weight but are important for nutrition. Fiber, a carbohydrate which is non digestible, is important for digestive health. Fiber is counted in Calories, but has no impact on body fat. Proteins are digested into Amino Acids. Amino Acids are a fundamental part of all the cells in your body. Proteins are necessary for your health but do not increase body fat. They do play a big roll in building muscle mass. These components are included in the overall Calorie count, but has no place in a weight loss diet. If just counting Calories, you maybe reducing needed vitamins, proteins and fiber based on food choices by caloric value.

Carbohydrates and sugar. Sugar is a simple form of carbohydrate. So simple that it can be digested in your mouth straight into the blood stream. Even though sugar by itself does not turn to fat it is a trigger that will tell your body to store food in the fat cells.

Lets talk about fat cells for a minute. Think of fat cells like a refrigerator. You store food in it from the market; as you use the food up you replace it. If you start getting more food than you need, you eat what is fresh and keep storing everything else. When the refrigerator becomes full, you get another refrigerator to store more. Your body has a certain number of fat cells originally. If not used they are small. When used to store food they enlarge. At some point your body will make more fat cells if it needs to store more food. The food in the cells is easy to loose. The fat cells themselves are harder to get rid of.

Back to carb's. Sugar also effects glucose ( blood sugar ) levels which can lead to other health problems like diabetes. When burning energy your body will use the easiest form first, sugar, followed by carb's then stored fat. Carb's are a complex form of sugar that can be digested, but needs to be broken down to be used. If there is too much sugar in the blood your body will remove it. Carb's, sugar and fatty acids will be transformed into storeable sugar. Some simple sugar will either be used or stored in the liver and muscle tissue. This is where most body fat will come from. When you look at the nutritional part of a label you will see total carb's, dietary fiber and sugar. This is very helpful information when on a weight loss diet.

Fat!!!! There is a myth that to lose weight you stop eating fat. People equate fat in food with fat in their body. Not the same. If a doctor puts you on a low fat diet it's not to lose weight. Low fat diets are generally for people with heart conditions, high cholesterol or a circulatory problem. Fat has its place in your body. Fat, when digested, enters your body's blood as fatty acids and gets a new name, cholesterol. It has a purpose. Lets think about this! Fats are greasy, oily and slimy, what could they possibly do? Well, that's what they do. Blood is cells that act like a liquid. They course through our bodies rubbing against the cells that make up arteries and veins. Fat acts as a lubricant reducing friction and heat buildup. Too much fat is not good. Unfortunately most people have too much fat in their diets. Reducing the wrong fats is good. Cutting out fat from you diet is not good.

This is why counting Calories is not a good way to lose weight. You must balance the components of the food you eat. Eating more good veggies ( not starchy ones ) and leaner meats is very good for your health and heart.

Be Well

Bill

Morning Aroma

Waking up and thinking of only that first cup of coffee to awaken your senses. Coffee sparks most peoples morning be it hot, iced or flavored. Made at home or bought on the go it fuels our minds allowing us to plow through the day.

There are a plethora of brands of coffee and several ways to produce that savory cup, or in my case mug. Our favorite here at the Hunter household is known as the French Press, or the plunge style coffee press. It captures more of the coffee flavor than the standard drip maker. Just add the coffee grounds, add hot water and let steep for about 5 minuets. The use the plunger to push the grounds to the bottom of the canister and voila, coffee. Letting the grounds sit in the hot water instead of water seeping over them and into a pot allows more flavor to escape the grounds. It is very prevalent when making flavored coffee like our favorites Rain Forest Nut or Blueberry Cobbler. We have compared the drip with the plunge and the plunge wins hands down.

These coffee makers can be inexpensive, we picked one up for under $17.00, but can also be over $40.00 for a brand name one. Both work the same way. We have broken 2 so far. So we buy the lesser of the two.

Needless to say we will not go back to the common drip coffee maker. It would be a step down

Thanks for listening

Bill

What To Do With Left Overs

Open the refrigerator and you'll probably see plastic containers and bags of previous dinners gone uneaten. What's for dinner?...LEFTOVERS! Groan... Do they sell something called leftover helper in the market? Well, all it really takes is some imagination. A little cuisine creativity. And you can turn leftovers in something new.

A leftover pork roast a few weeks ago was transformed in pulled pork by simmering it for several hours in a spicy sauce. I believed I used ketchup, garlic, vinegar, pepper sauce, vegetable stock, and some molasses. Just a little imagination that turned into pulled pork roll-ups. Left over homemade sloppy Joe's turned into a burrito dinner and some nacho supreme. Nacho supreme is one of our favorite lunches created from leftover dinner meats.

Chicken soup is an easy way to make a good lunch from cooked chicken. Just add carrots, celery and chicken to some low sodium natural broth. We use Kitchen Basics broth. Chicken chili, one of my favorites, is another Delicious way of changing leftovers to new-overs.

But the recipe of today is beans. We had a roast beef that went from dinner to beef hash and eggs to barbecue beans. recipe Follows.


Barbecue Beans


Note: Add water only to the beans will cooking them. Adding anything, even salt, will prevent the beans from becoming tender.


Ingredients:


1 Quart Dry Pinto Beans Soak Overnight

1 Lb Leftover meat Chopped (About 2 cups)

1 6oz can Tomato Paste

1/4 Cup Blackstrap Molasses

1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup Whisky

3 Tbsp Onion Flakes

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tbsp Garlic Powder

2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tsp Mustard Powder

Water



Drain and rinse beans. Place in pot and add water only to 2 inches above. Bring to boil and simmer until tender. Drain and rinse again. Set aside.

Place remainder of ingredients, minus meat, into a 4 cup measure, add water to make 4 cups, and mix. Put in pot and bring to boil. Add beans and meat. Add water if needed to cover beans. Reduce heat to simmer. Let cook for about 2 hours.


Enjoy and stay warm

Bill

Some Alternatives

Today's topic will be on using alternatives. People today are looking to trim fat and cut calories, we'll discuss calories in a later article. There are alternative choices for most foods we eat, many of which are healthier choices. The more you know about choices the better and healthier you and your family could be.

Milk is widely used in all forms from fresh milk, cream, butter and cheese there are a lot of choices. But what if your trying to cut out fat or have an intolerance to lactose? Maybe your a vegan? There's also the matter of health. Homogenized milk is linked to heart disease and it's high in fat.

If you cut milk from your diet that means no cereals, no milk and cookies, and no pudding. But... There are alternatives. For instance, we have found that Rice Milk actually tastes good. Not like Soy Milk, which you either like or hate. Rice milk actually tastes good. We use both plain and vanilla. The vanilla is best in cereals. Look for the brand that uses brown rice and not rice syrup, it has less sugar. Rice milk can be used as is or in cooking. I also noticed a new yogurt that was made from rice milk at the market.

Cheese is another story. Even though you can find good tasting non dairy cheeses in the veggie section of your local market. There are also imported cheeses that are made from sheep or goat milk. What, you think that's icky? Pecarino Romano cheese is made from sheep's milk and is widely used on pizza and pasta. Feta cheese is a goat cheese. Sheep and goat milk has lower fat than cow milk. There are some great tasting imported cheeses. If your lucky there may be a local cheese maker near you.

One of my favorite cheese is one made from sheep's milk. Manchego, a Spanish aged cheese, has the texture and taste of Cheddar. This is a wonderful alternative to cows milk cheese, but it is not cheap. If you have an intolerance to cows milk you may want to try sheep or goat cheese. Manchego will make a great mac and cheese dish.

Then there is butter. Many a cooks will use 'Crisco' in place of lard or butter. Margarine is another alternative that is becoming frowned upon because of its trans fats. By the way when they put on a container, no Trans Fats per serving, that does not mean that it has no Trans Fat. It just means the amount is below a certain percentage for the serving size. Now, where was I. Oh yeah... There are a few margarine's that are 100 percent Trans Fat free, but there is also another alternative.

Coconut Milk... Is an excellent alternative for fat in baking and other desert foods like pudding. Coconut milk has a very mild coconut flavor and is an alternative to the other fats normally needed with desert making, including frosting. Have you ever read the ingredients in a container of frosting? Coconut is highly nutritious, rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Super Walmart sells, next to the Crisco, a container of coconut oil for use in cooking. I just use a can of coconut milk. One that only has coconut milk and a stabilizer in it. If you shake the can and it feels solid, that's the one. We make tapioca and carob puddings, cream pies, cookies, cakes, frosting and stir fry with coconut milk.

There will be more on Alternatives in later articles.

Stay warm and eat well

Bill

The Bird

It's Monday morning and a fresh blanket of snow, about 10-12 inches, has covered the yard here in Maine. I'll have to be out shoveling again soon. The snow blower wouldn't start yesterday, so we were shoveling then too. Hopefully it will start today. It may have been ice in the gas line. It was very cold but today it has warmed up and I see melting.

Last night we had chicken. A perfect topic for today. How to get a moist and flavorful chicken. Fist thing you want to do is brine the bird. Why, you ask? To add water and flavor to the meat. Brining is basically soaking the meat in a water and salt solution. The brine is more dense than the liquid in the meat you are brining. Fluids will move from warm to cold and from more dense to less dense. This is natures way of equalizing. As salt migrates into the meat it allows the meat to hold more water. This is a perfect time to flavor the meat by adding seasonings to the brine. This is a good idea. We usually add sugar as well as salt and seasonings.

Marinades are similar to brining. They just have a lot of seasonings. If your marinades contain oil they won't work. Oil is a water barrier and will not allow the flow into the meat. If you add oil to water and put your hand in it your hand will be oily when removed. Water and oil don't mix. Leave oils out of marinades and brines.

Our chicken was mostly frozen so we brined it all day which helped in defrosting it as well. Once brined it is rinsed and dried with a paper towel. Before placing in an oven or rotisserie, you can flavor the out side with a dry or wet rub. Oil can be used in the wet rub to flavor the skin and inside the cavity. We used a wet rub that contained sweet curry, hot pepper, soy sauce, olive oil and honey.

Cooking the chicken. In old cookbooks it was common to bake at lower temps, basting the bird and then raise the temp the last 20 minutes to crisp the skin. If you want a dry bird this is the method. The method for a moist bird is to cook at high temps, 400 – 425 deg. This will sear the skin and block the moisture, in the form of steam, in the bird. Fats will drips out from the bottom and water vapor passes through the top and cavity. Oil will help crisp the skin and seasonings with the oil will flavor the skin. Sugar, like the honey in our wet rub, will caramelize and then burn. This seals the skin further. Even though it looks burnt the chicken will be very moist inside, and the skin will still be good to eat.

If you have a chicken with a pop up timer the rubs may prevent it from working by coating and sealing it. It is best to estimate cooking time, and check temp with a meat thermometer.

Be well and stay warm

Bill

Introduction

This Blog will contain lots of food and health related information that me and my wife have stumbled across and our recipes that we use here up in Maine. Here's a taste of the kind of info you will be reading about.

Rutabagas... yes that purple top turnip as it is sometime referred. Although not a turnip at all it belongs to the same family as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. The only encounter I used to have with this veggie back at home was at Thanksgiving when it would be served mashed in with carrots. It wasn't very tasty then.

Many years ago I was limiting my carb intake and was looking for an alternative to potatoes. I missed French fries and decided to try using a different veg. Boiling rutabagas is not the tastiest way to cook them, but if you fry, bake or roast them it unlocks their sweetness.

Peel a Rutabaga, also known as a Swede, and cut them into French fries. Be careful they are very dense. Place them in a bowl add olive oil, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder then mix. Place on a baking sheet and into a 400 degree heated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender tuning about halfway through cooking time.

You may love them or hate them but they resemble sweet potato fries and are a great alternative to the high carb potato. Rutabagas have 1/3 the carbs of a potato and many time the nutrients. This is, in a nut shell, the kinds of writing you'll find here. Hope you enjoy us.

The Hunters