Whole Wheat Bread - Dangerous Preservatives

Preservatives are bad for our health. The widespread over use of preservatives is being linked left and right to many health issues, not the least of which is obesity. The FDA has okayed the use of these toxins and poisons in our foods and then turns around and makes noise about schools needing to track the ever growing BMI's of it's students. That's just wrong!

Preservatives are not natural and are not food - so why are bread manufacturers making bread with high fructose corn syrup, Citric Acid E330 or 330, Annatto Extracts, Calcium Sulfite, Caramel color, Benzoyl Peroxide, and so many more. These additives are health hazards, pure and simple.

• High fructose corn syrup (HFCC) - THE BIG OFFENDER! Nine of the twenty samples of the high fructose corn syrup in the US in 2005, when tested, did contain measurable amounts of mercury. It also causes insulin spikes, type II Diabetes, obesity, an increase in triglyceride levels, can lead to coronary artery disease or high blood pressure, and it goes directly to the liver, causing the liver to release enzymes, which instructs the body to store more fat.
• Citric Acid E330 or 330 - made using sulfuric acid, asthmatic severe reaction
• Annatto Extracts - causes hyper activity and asthmatic severe reaction
• Calcium Sulfite/Sulphite - asthmatic severe reaction
• Caramel color - causes hyper activity
• Benzoyl Peroxide - used in bleaching flour and bread enhancer agent and it can cause or feed cancer cells.
• Potassium Bromate- used in bleaching flour and it can cause or feed cancer cells.

And so the best way to have bread, a nice fiber filled and preservative/HFCC free bread is to make your own! No time? Use a bread machine.I have found several machines at garage sales for as little as $5! Making bread with a machine takes about 15 minutes of actual time work...don't believe me? Try it! You'll love it!

Country Whole Wheat Bread

MAKES 1 LOAF

Italian bakers call this bakery-style European country bread Pane (PAN-nay) Integrale, referring to the wheat flour used in the recipe.


Made in a Bread Machine

Add the ingredients in this exact order

• 1 1/3 cups cold water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the mixing bowl and the baking pan
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 to 2 1/2 all-purpose flour)
• Optional: 1 T. wheat gluten
• Optional: 1 heaping T. dough enhancer
• 1 package active dry yeast

On dough machine, select "Wheat Bread" and "Dough" cycle. When machine if done (usually about 2 hours later) transfer dough into 2 one pound loaf pans or 1 two pound loaf pan. Alternatively you can make 16 - 20 dinner rolls.

If you are using loaf pans, roll dough into 1 or 2 (depending on number of pans) fat cylinders nearly as long as the pan(s) you are using. Place dough in pans and cover with a dish towel. Let rise somewhere warm for about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Using a sharp knife slash the top of the loaf several times, making each cut about 1/2 inch deep. Place in the oven. For a crisp crust, spray or brush the loaves with cold water every 3 minutes for the first 9 minutes of baking. After 9 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.; lightly sprinkle the bread with additional flour, if desired. Bake about 20 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when you tap the top (if necessary, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking). Transfer bread to a wire rack; cool completely.

Made by hand or in a mixer with dough hook

• 1 1/3 cups warm water (105 degrees F. to 11 degrees F.)
• 1 package active dry yeast ( 1 & 3/4 teaspoon yeast)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the mixing bowl and the baking pan
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 to 2 1/2 all-purpose flour
• Optional: 1 T. wheat gluten
• Optional: 1 heaping T. dough enhancer

In a large mixing bowl stir together the warm water, yeast, oil, salt, and sugar. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the whole wheat flour, about 1/2 cup at a time. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour, a little at a time. Stir until most of the flour has been absorbed and the dough begins to form a ball.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining all-purpose flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball. Lightly grease a mixing bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to grease the surface. Cover only with a damp towel; let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 to 60 minutes).

Punch the dough down. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover; let it rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease a baking sheet. Shape the dough into an 8x4-inch oval loaf. Place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the dough with additional flour. Cover; let the dough rise until the loaf is almost doubled in size (about 30 to 45 minutes).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Using a sharp knife slash the top of the loaf several times, making each cut about 1/2 inch deep. Place in the oven. For a crisp crust, spray or brush the loaves with cold water every 3 minutes for the first 9 minutes of baking. After 9 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.; lightly sprinkle the bread with additional flour, if desired. Bake about 20 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when you tap the top (if necessary, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking). Transfer bread to a wire rack; cool completely.

Bread Baking Tips

• Before mixing the yeast and water, take the temperature of the water using a quick-read thermometer. The water needs to be 105 degrees F. to 115 degrees F. to activate the yeast. If the water is too hot, the yeast will die and the bread won't rise.
• Misting or brushing the crust with water creates a hard, crisp crust once the moisture dries.
• Slashing the dough adds to the character of the loaf, but it also lets the dough expand and allows the moisture under the crust to escape. Make sure your knife is very sharp so you don't tear and deflate the loaf.
• To store, let the bread cool completely and place it in an airtight container or bag. It should keep for 2 to 3 days. Don't store it in the refrigerator since this will make the bread become stale more quickly. Or, you can freeze it in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients are key to healthy eating. You can make almost dish and still eat with wellness and health in mind. No matter how unhealthy the original, most recipes can be made more healthy by tweaking the ingredients. The tricky part is mastering the art of not effecting taste and texture any more than you can help.

Fortunately, when it comes to pasta salad, this is too easy!

Pasta Salad Basics

Start with a healthy pasta. Healthy = high fiber without losing flavor or adding an odd, grainy texture. The solution is Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta. I like to use the Rotini. Cook pasta according to package directions (8 minutes of cook time) and the drain off water. Let it sit for about 20 minutes to cool while you cup up your add-ins (see below).

Next, the dressing. I love Italian on Pasta salad! Although ranch is an acceptable alternative if you are looking for something different. I prefer to skip the preservatives in most prepared dressings, the bad fats in veggie oil and the MSG in most dry dressing mixes. (P.S. Autolyzed Yeast extract is also MSG.)

My dressing of choice is Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix. Make it with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and you have a dressing made with GOOD FAT and no preservative. One package of dressing prepared according to the package directions is enough dressing for 1 pound of pasta plus 3 - 4 cups of additional ingredients (see options below).

To make the dressing for my pasta salad, I use Pompeian OlivExtra Plus with Omega-3 DHA. The flavor is outstanding and the health benefits are astonishing. More details here.

The vinegar of choice is red wine vinegar. I love the flavor it gives this salad. All vinegars are helpful for keeping cholesterol, triglyceride levels and blood pressure levels in check. They also lower glucose and insulin response and to decrease the diabetic's sensitivity to carbohydrates and starch. They may also be beneficial in fighting infection.

Another vinegar that is wonderful with this dressing is apple cider vinegar.

Additional, healthy add-ins:

• Chopped Tomato (Roma is best because it is firm, but any will work.)
• Sliced Olives, - green, black, or both
• Diced fresh peppers - red, yellow, green
• Turkey pepperoni or diced turkey ham (2 - 3 oz per 1 pound of pasta)
• Reduced fat or fat free cheeses (6 - 8 oz): cheddar, Monterrey jack, mozzarella, Parmesan, or whatever you like best
• 2 - 3 tablespoon real bacon bits (which is surprisingly lean)
• 1 tablespoons total of any or all of the following:Italian seasoning, basil, parsley

Mix all and refrigerate for about 4 hours to allow the flavors to meld together.

Now that's something to sing about!

"Funiculì, Funiculà"

"Funiculì, Funiculà" is a famous song written by Italian journalist Peppino Turco and set to music by Italian composer Luigi Denza in 1880.

Here sung by a varied selection of veggies in a Classy Songs with Larry segment - what could be more appropriate to go with pasta salad?

Chicken Cacciatori (Crock Pot)

This is on of the easiest recipes I've developed yet! And by "developed" I mean I threw stuff in a pot and turned it on high for 3 hours. Caleb says most of my cooking is ad lib - I like that!

So I skimmed couple online recipes, checked the contents of cupboard and fridge, then went at it. I didn't even bother to defrost the chicken or the peppers!

The only "work" involved was skinning the tomatoes, a step easily skipped of you have canned tomatoes on hand.

In spite of the quantity of garlic and onions, they are not overly present in the flavor, thanks to the crock pot's tendency to mellow all flavors beautifully.

Chicken Cacciatori served with brown rice

Ingredients:

• 4 frozen or thawed skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 onion (3 -4" diameter)
• 1 - 15 oz can stewed tomatoes (or 1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh, skinned tomatoes - see easy skinning directions below)
• 3 gloves of garlic
• 1 cup red wine (Optional, but wow the flavor boost! The alcohol will cook off. You can substitute chicken broth)
• 1 cup frozen red, yellow, green pepper and onion blend (I get mine at Kroger or Save-A-Lot. You can substitute fresh strips of peppers and a bit of additional onion if you like, but frozen is so easy!)
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Mushrooms (optional - you decide quantity)

Directions:

1. Spray inside of crock pot with cooking spray for easy clean up.
2. Cut both ends off the fresh onion, slice in half, then slice each half in 1/4" strips. Place in bottom of crock pot.
3. Lay chicken breasts on top of onions.
4. Put peeled garlic in a blender or food processor and add tomatoes on top. Puree until just a few chucks of tomato remain. Pour over chicken.
5. Add wine if using. If not using wine, add chicken broth.
6. Add pepper and onion blend.
7. Add mushrooms, if using.
8. Add tomato paste in dollops over surface of chicken.
9. Sprinkle salt and pepper over contents of crock pot.
10. Turn crock pot on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-9 hours.
11. Check part way through, if you are able, to make sure the chicken is submerged under the liquid.
12. Serve over brown rice (see below) or a high fiber pasta (Smart Taste is best!) to keep this dish a healthy as possible.

Skinning Tomatoes:

• Bring pot of water to a boil.
• Get a bowl of ice water ready.
• Add a few tomatoes at a time and let cook for a minute or a bit less.
• Remove tomatoes from boiling water and place them IMMEDIATELY in the ice water.
• Voila! Their skins will come right off!

Perfect Brown Rice

• 1 cup short, medium, or long-grain brown rice (makes 2 cups of cooked rice)

1. Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds. Bring 10 cups water to a boil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add the rice, stir it once, and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes. (Reduce heat slightly if necessary to keep from boiling over.) Pour the rice into a strainer over the sink.

2. Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat. Cover the pot and set it aside to allow the rice to steam for 10 – 20 minutes. Uncover the rice, fluff with a fork, and season with salt if desired.

Here we go Italian again! Shocking, I know. What is it with these people and their amazing cuisine?

I've been reading "Opera for Dummies" and I love it! It's as good as a self help book for a vocal music nut like me. I know opera fairly well, but I had no idea who much I still had to learn. It's been a fantastic read and I'm only half way through it.

My favorite new discovery is the duet I have included here for your listen pleasure. I adore Maria Callas. Here she sings with tenor Tito Gobbi "Dunque Io Son" (I Am Yours) from Rossini's The Barber of Seville. In the photo with the video, Gobbi is looking rather Tony Curtis with guy liner a la Some Like it Hot. Marvelous!

For the sake of relevance, I also included a Looney Tunes video I am sure you are all familliar with that also uses music from The Barber of Seville. Enjoy!

I bit of fabulous Italian opera to digest to!

"Dunque Io Son"


"Rabbit of Seville"

Tuna Cannellini

The goal: to make a tuna salad filling enough to be served without bread.

The solution: Cannellini beans!
(Optional substitution of Great Northern and Navy - all white beans.)

So delicious and good for you, too! My favorite combination.

Tuna is very nutrient dense food.

It contains:

Tryptophan - a happy making amino acid that can perk your mood, restoring a sense of well-being and behavioral self-control. Pretty awesome, huh?

Selenium - could be your most potent ally against cancer, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, aging, and infections.

Protein - high quality proteins, such as the protein in tuna, can be used to maintain an active metabolism.

Vitamin B3 - which is essential in converting the food or supplements into energy. It aids the digestive system, skin, and nerves so that they will function normally.

Vitamin B6 - essential for the body to release energy from proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. It also plays an important role in developing the central nervous system and cell building.

Vitamin B1 - helps with digestion, growth, and it keeps the nerves healthy.
All B Vitamins help our bodies cope with stress as well.

Phosphorous - required by the body to help calcium with bone and teeth formation.

Potassium - this mineral helps regulate blood pressure and heart function. Research shows that increasing your potassium intake can lower your blood pressure.

Magnesium - Reversing osteoporosis, slowing down and even reversing bone loss, Preventing heart attacks, because it keeps calcium from building up in your arteries and it helps maintain a regular heartbeat, and aid in relieving migraines, insomnia and depression. Health benefits of magnesium also include relief of PMS, high blood pressure, backache, constipation, kidney stones and chronic fatigue. (Side note: It even fights some food cravings, such as the PMS symptom of chocolate craving. Seems PMS is caused by low levels of magnesium, and cocoa is rich in magnesium.)

Omega-3 - relieves pain and inflammation, better brain function and higher intelligence, less depression, superior cardio health including protection from heart attack and stroke, less incident of breast, colon, and prostate cancer.

...and it has just 157 calories per 4oz.

GO TUNA!!!

Tremendous Tuna Cannellini

Ingredients:
2 - 5oz cans of light tuna in water, drained
2 stalks of green onion
3 T. reduced calorie mayo (try olive oil mayo - it's amazing!)
salt and pepper to taste
1 can Cannellini beans (Great Northern and Navy are acceptable substitutes, but I don't like then quite as well.)

Mix drained tuna and mayo. Slice or cut (with kitchen scissors) just the green portions green onion into 1/8 - 1/4 inch pieces and dis-guard the white base. Add salt and pepper.

Heat beans, undrained, in a sauce pan until boiling. Drain liquid. Add tuna mix to beans. If tuna needs to be hotter, heat in saucepan with beans on low heat stirring frequently.

Serves 2. (Or 1 if you are hungry - go for it!)

So amazing! You have to try it to believe how wonderfully and filling this salad is! The beans provide fiber that slow the digestive process and keeps your blood sugar from spiking like a slice of bread would. All this keeps you feeling fuller longer.

Serve with fruit, veg or both. I chose baby carrots and grapes. An unexpectedly marvelous combination.

Bon appetite!

Tonight's Musical selection:
The Muppet Show - Three Little Fishies

NOTE ON WARNINGS ABOUT TUNA AND MERCURY LEVELS:

What is a tuna-lover to do? Should we stop eating tuna?

"No. Eat more tuna! Overall, the dangers of not eating fish [including tuna] outweigh the small possible dangers from mercury. The recommended amount for adults is to eat one or two servings of fish per week — but probably only 10% to 20% of the population in the U.S. eats sufficient fish. The real danger in this country, the real concern, is that we're not eating enough fish. That is very likely increasing our rates of death from heart disease."

- quote from Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, and co-author of one of the most comprehensive studies to date on the impact of fish consumption on human health.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1706623,00.html#ixzz0xBKl1E6h

Chili Con Carne

Homemade Chili Con Carne

I know that most will consider this a cold weather meal, but it's never out of season at our house. This wonderful recipe comes from my sister in Wisconsin (see above photos of her 3 1/2 year old daughter enjoying the meal) and is highly adaptable for all pallets. Make it mild or hot, what ever you like best!

Also, mom added the tomato paste when she made it! Yum!

Ingredients:

• Bush's Chili Starter
• 15oz. Tomatoes
• 1/2 - 1 lb hamburger (leave out if desired)
• 1-2 small can(s) tomato paste (2 cans makes it thicker than 1 can - your preference.)

Optional spices:

• Chili Powder
• Cumin
• Garlic
• Hot sauce
• Oregano

Here's how it works:
Brown hamburger (if using), drain and rinse.
Process tomatoes until mostly smooth in a food processor or blender
Add these 2 ingredients and Chili starter and tomato paste to a crock pot.

Decide which, if any, optional ingredients you will add.
Start with 1/2 teaspoon of each and taste after you add - keeping in mind that the flavor will get strong as they cook, but not a lot stronger.

For mild, just add mild chili powder and 1 - 1 1/2 t. garlic. For hot go all the way with cumin and hot sauce (I like Franks Red Hot!!).

Let all cook for 3-4 hours on high. Cook without the lid for the last hour if you want it thicker.

Serve over rice, with tortilla chips, or whatever you wish!

Aside from the obvious mariachi or salsa music that would beautifully accompany this meal, I would prefer Bizet's Carmen.

Factory girl meets handsome soldier. She falls for him but he loves another. Soldier is sent to arrest her for a fight in the factory but she seduces him and escapes; instead soldier goes to jail. A bullfighter enters scene and falls for girl and she for him. Soldiers superior office also wants the girl, soldier defies him and is forced to join band of smugglers. (What other option could there be, after all?) Bullfighter and the now ex-soldier fight, girl saves bullfighter. Later at a bullfight, ex-soldier pleads his love, but she had seen he is not a nice man and refuses him. The jealous ex-soldier stabs the girl in the heart and she dies just as the bullfighter has his victory in the ring. The end.

Ahhh! Opera and it's tragedy, but the music is great and I'd wager you know these 2 tunes from the show:

Maria CALLAS sings Carmen HABANERA

Votre Toast (Toreador Song) (This one you may not recognize until 1:16)

Frozen Coffee - A Miracle in My Kitchen

After 3 years or attempting to perfect the at home, blended, frozen coffee I have succeeded!

There are so many flavor variation I have yet to try, but the basic, mocha and caramel are done!

I highly recommend using espresso in these drinks. (See my previous blog "Coffee, Tea, and Me - Part 2: Coffee/Espresso" for a low cost incredible way to make espresso at home.)

FROZEN COFFEE

(*Note - this recipe make about 44 oz. of iced coffee. I have included a single serving version below.)

• Fill a blender with approximately 4 1/2 cups of ice cubes.
• Add 6 shots of espresso (entire contents of Stove Top Espresso Maker)
• Blend espresso and ice.
• Add 1 cup powdered dry milk
• 1/2 c. splenda or sugar
• Blend all again. If the drink is as thick as you want it pour it out into 3 medium servings or 2 large servings.

If you want it thicker add about 1 cup more ice cubes and blend again.

• Mocha - add about a 6 second squirt of Hershey's chocolate syrup
• Caramel - add you favorite caramel syrup about 1 tablespoon at a time until it tastes how you want it.

Single serving recipe

• Fill a blender with approximately 1 1/2 cups of ice cubes. Add 2 shots of espressoBlend espresso and ice.
• Add 1/3 cup powdered dry milk
• 2-3 Tablespoons of splenda or sugar
• Blend all again.

Optional: to thicken add an additional 1/3 cup of ice cubes.