Eliminating Toxic Food Dyes

I recently read an article titled, 13 Banned Foods Still Allowed in the US. This article is written by the authors of the soon to be published book titled, Rich Food, Poor Food. This book outlines foods that have been banned in other countries because of their toxic nature, but not banned in the US. The article, from Shape magazine mentions 13 items you should eliminate from your diet. I am pinning this article on Pinterest and writing the list in the notebook that stays in my purse. To be honest, I know I do not consume some of these items, and I can tell how to easily eliminate some others, but the food dyes caught my attention.

According to the article, you should not eat anything with the coloring agents: blue 1, blue 2, yellow 5, and yellow 6. Of  course I know that eating all natural foods that do not contain any artificial colors is the best bet, but that is not a realistic goal for me and my family at this time. BUT, I do think I can eliminate a few things.

I went to my pantry and pulled out the 2 brands of macaroni and cheese that we typically buy. Again, I realize the nutritional pitfalls of these foods, but they are not all we eat, so I don't mind them being in the rotation for our family's foods.

     

It turns out that the blue box, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese contains yellow 5 and yellow 6 while Velveeta Shells & Cheese does not. My family is saying good-bye to the blue box. It is a small step, but it is a step in the right directions and every significant journey starts with one step. 

I have known about Annie's Organic Mac & Cheese for quite a while, but I live on a budget and have passed it over because of the cost. It's time to make a change. I can not feed my girls foods that can be dangerous simply because they are cheeper. 

I have talked with the girls and we will purchase Annie's Organic Mac & Cheese to fill our mac & cheese need and perhaps indulge in the Velveeta Shells & Cheese once in a while. As a mom, I realize that what I need to do is offer a better rotation of side dishes that do not come from a box. Perhaps a homemade mac & cheese, potatoes, pasta with parmesan cheese (the real stuff). We'll get there, one step at a time.

Can we have a rational conversation?

I don't understand the gun laws in this country. I am not a gun owner and probably will never be a gun owner. I am not opposed to people owning guns, but I do believe that gun ownership should be regulated. I think we need to take a look at this process. I also believe that that disagreeing is a positive part of the creative process and people who can disagree in respectful ways while remaining open to the views of others can get a lot done. Let's find those people and lock them in a room and let them work this out.

Here are some of the places where I am confused. I am not making any specific statement about these events, but they make me go, "hmmmm?"

I have a daughter with ADHD. She takes medication for her ADHD. She needs this medication and she wants to be on this medication because she likes her brain better when it is medicated and she can focus. I see a doctor every 3 months in order to be able to keep her on this medication. In addition, I can not get a prescription for more than 1 month at a time. I have to contact the doctor each month to get a new prescription. I have to go to the pharmacy in person with a paper prescription because you are not permitted to order this prescription over the phone. I also have to show a photo ID TWICE to get this prescription. I have to show it when I drop off the prescription and I have to show it when I pick up the prescription. All of this annoyance is due to REGULATIONS placed on the purchase of this medication because some people have chosen to misuse ADHD drugs. It is annoying and it makes things difficult for me, but I accept that this is the reality.

Here is where it gets even more confusing for me...I was in Walmart the other day. I had requested a new prescription for my daughter's meds early because of the holidays. I do NOT want to get caught without my daughter's meds and holiday office/store hours can get tricky, so I called for a new prescription. I tried to fill it at Walmart the other day because I was there picking up other holiday necessities and I wanted to get all of my errands out of the way. The pharmacist refused to fill my prescription because it was a week too early for me to be permitted to have these pills that are prescribed by a doctor. I was sent away because of the regulations that were placed on access to this drug. That same morning, I was chatting with a woman and her family in the fabric isle. She was angry because she had to call a manager and yell at him in order to be able to buy her ammunition that morning. It seems she did not know what type of ammo her gun needs, so she had her teenage son request the ammo and she was going to buy it. When the counter clerk told them she could not sell the ammunition to them because you can't sell ammo to a minor, the woman explained that the ammunition was for her. Regulations prohibit the clerk from selling to the mom either because it was the son who requested the ammo and he is a minor. As a result, the woman I was chatting with had requested to see the manager and yelled at him (her words). She got her ammo but I did not get my meds. To be fair, I did not try yelling at the pharmacist. Although, I did jokingly say that the people who make these rules should have to spend a week with my kid unmedicated. :-)

Now, regulations are put in place because of people who have done things that are wrong. I am sure the woman with the ammo is telling the truth and is actually buying the ammo for her gun and not giving it so some random minor who asked her to buy him ammo. I am also not going to sell my daughter's ADHD meds to college kids who want to use it to study for exams. We both are forced to live with regulations.

Why does she get to have her ammo but I do not get to have my meds? Well, the ammo is sold by a retail store that wants to please its customers. My meds are dispensed by a licensed pharmacist who wants to please customers, but must adhere to the regulations in order to keep that license. Even if I had yelled at the pharmacist, I am pretty sure I would not have been able to get those meds. I have to go back in a week.

Why is having a minor with you a problem? I am not sure why, but I do know that I have been sent away from the state run liquor store without a bottle of alcohol because I was in the store with a friend who did not have his wallet. I was buying the alcohol, we were both in our late 20s, and he was actually older than I was. I had to leave and come back later to get the bottle of alcohol. Because the liquor store is state run, the regulations were enforced. Because Walmart is a retail store, the regulations were not enforced. 

While we are on the topic of alcohol, let's look at that. Sometimes people do bad things when drinking alcohol like driving. A majority of us do not drink and drive, but when people do the results can be catastrophic. As a result, there are REGULATIONS on alcohol. These regulations are not only because of drunk driving, but because alcohol can be addictive and because minors are not permitted to buy alcohol and many other reasons. In North Carolina, where I live, I can only purchase liquor at a state operated store. Also, I can not purchase any beer or wine on Sunday before noon. That makes NO sense to me. I am a working mom and I have to do my grocery shopping on the weekend because of my busy schedule. Because I hate being in a crowded store, I try to go first thing in the morning. If I happen to need to shop on Sunday morning, I can not pick up a bottle of wine. What? What on earth does buying wine on Sunday have to do with anything? If I buy it on Sunday morning will I be more likely to drive drunk and kill people? Is Sunday when minors are are out trying to buy alcohol so they lock it down to protect the kids?

Look, regulations are a fact of our life. We all have to share this space and we have to find a way to live that looks out for all of us. Many of our laws and regulations are put in place to prevent bad things from happening. So yes, we all are subject to regulations because of a need to look out for the "greater good." I don't have the answers but I do have a lot of questions and I would like them to be answered in a respectful and reasonable way. 

Photo Credits:

http://abcnews.go.com

http://connect.additudemag.com

http://thewhiskyexchange.com

Pumpkin Quinoa Breakfast Idea

I recently tried quinoa for the first time. Since then, I have been trying to find a way to cook it for breakfast. I saw a recipe for  Apples and Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa on Pinterest, and wanted to give it a try. It called for apple sauce, which I did not have, so I decided to take the author's suggestion and try it with pumpkin and cranberries. Not feeling adventurous enough to create the entire recipe on my own, I hit Google in search of a pumpkin quinoa recipe I could use a guidance for my own creation. The Pumpkin Quinoa Breakfast recipe that served ad my inspiration can be found at the Make and Takes blog.


Here is how I cooked my Pumpkin Quinoa Breakfast:

• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup rinsed quinoa
• 2/3 cup pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons pureed carrots (Optional - I had some so I added them)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup splenda
• 1/8 cup pecan meal (can be chopped pecans instead)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 apple cut into small chunks

**Note: I doubled the amount of the spices to fit my preferences. I also substituted splenda for brown sugar.
Combine milk, water, and half each of the spices called for in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes (or until water absorbed). Turn off heat, stir in the rest of the spices, the pumpkin and the carrot. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, apple chances, cranberries, and pecans. Serves 4.

My Version of "Best Banana Nut Muffins"

This recipe comes from an AWESOME blog called "Pinch My Salt."
http://pinchmysalt.com/baking-with-whole-grains-best-banana-muffins/
I am including the recipe here with my modifications.

Best Banana Muffins

1 ½ C. whole wheat flour
½ C. Oat Bran **I use 1/2 C Whole Rolled Oats (soaked in water from this recipe while mixing other ingredients)
½ C. Pecan Meal (I make my own ground pecans)
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt

2 T. butter, melted  **I use 2T Olive Oil
½ C. honey **I use 3/4 C Splenda and 1/8 C water instead (I use this water to soak the oats)
3 egg whites
1 C. banana **I don't measure my banana in a cup, I use 3 (usually from the freezer)
2/3 C. buttermilk **I use powdered.

**I LOVE nuts, so I add a handful of chopped pecans, walnuts, or even almonds.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 regular-sized muffin cups or line with paper cups. **I find that cups stick to the muffins
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (first six ingredients) until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients (last 5 ingredients).
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
5. Immediately spoon batter into the 12 muffin cups, filling each cup almost to the top. **I use an ice cream scoop to fill my muffin tins.
6. Place immediately in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking early! **Do not leave them in any longer than 25 min. 22 is usually enough.
7. Turn muffins out of pan and cool on wire rack.

8. Enjoy!

Warning: May Contain Vegetables!

I am on a mission to get my family to eat more vegetables. With Isabel (the oldest), this is pretty easy. I can talk to her about the importance of changing her eating habits and how it will help her as an athlete. She has already made positive changes to her diet and is eating more fruits and vegetables. With Anabel (6 yrs), this is "Mission Impossible." I have used hidden vegetables in my cooking for a while, but I am going to be taking it up a notch from now on.

Today I cooked one of my old favorites, Veggie-Rich Pasta Sauce. Using spaghetti sauce to hide vegetables allows me to feed my girls spinach, peas, mushrooms and many other veggies that they would not normally eat. Whenever you are hiding veggies in a recipe, you have to consider what will work with the color, texture and flavor of the recipe. By now, my kids don't think anything of the slightly brown color  (caused by the spinach) that my spaghetti sauce has because it has always been this way. While the "recipe" always changes based on what is in my freezer or fridge, here is the basic idea.

Veggie-Rich Pasta Sauce
1. Check freezer, fridge, and pantry for vegetables and tomatoes to include. Sort into 2 groups: cooked/frozen/canned and fresh. As with soups, this recipe is a great time to put little bits of leftover veggies to use.
2. Sauté 2-4 cloves of finely chopped garlic in 2T olive oil.
3. Add in any chopped raw veggies you are putting in the sauce (tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc) and sauté until soft. I usually prefer to include peppers and mushrooms, but I forgot to pick some up this week.
4. Toss in a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes (or any type of canned tomatoes you have in the house) and a small can of tomato paste. If you are using fresh tomatoes, they go in during step 3.
5. Add in frozen and cooked veggies, stir well. Today I used blended cauliflower (leftover), frozen peas, frozen spinach, and carrots that I had blanched and frozen in the past.
6. Add spices such as: salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf, basil. I like to add in a handful of fresh basil leaves. (I have a pot of basil growing in the dining room. It is a very easy herb to grow indoors.)
7. Add in a jar of any tomato based pasta sauce you have in the house and simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes (until all veggies are cooked and soft). I usually let it simmer longer.
***(If you are using a homemade spaghetti sauce, you can prep that sauce along with the these steps. You simply sauté the fresh portions along with steps 2 and 3.)
8. Allow the sauce to cool with the lid off.
9. Once cool, blend all of the ingredients in the blender.
9. This sauce keeps well in the fridge or can be frozen in smaller batches.

Tonight, we are going to enjoy this sauce with meatballs and whole wheat spaghetti. I will cook the meatballs in a small pot of sauce and that will add to the flavor of the sauce. It will be served differently for each member of my family. Isabel will eat meatballs, spaghetti, and a side of broccoli. Anabel will eat meatballs, spaghetti, and a side of carrots and ranch. I will eat 1/2 cup of pasta with sauce and 2 cups of broccoli. I put the broccoli in my bowl and put the pasta and sauce on top. This is a dinner I can easily eat a few times this week.

It has been too long!

I decided to write a post for my blog and realized it has been nearly a year since I have written anything. Wow, that's a long time. I know I have thought about writing in my blog often, but I just have not done it. That does not mean I do not value writing in my blog. I have been writing in a journal instead. I have done a lot of writing over the past year, but it has been on paper. It has been a busy year for work and family commitments and has included some positive changes. I hope to write about them here.

Pizza

A friend of mine asked me to post these recipes. This is a great weekend recipe. I like to have my girls help me make pizza.  We use Canadian bacon, pepperoni, feta cheese, artichokes, and sun dried tomatoes as toppings. I usually make a double recipe. This pizza reheats well. I hope you enjoy!

 

Pizza Sauce (makes 1 quart)

1 teaspoon crumbled dried basil

1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried marjoram

1/4 cup white wine (the cook can drink the rest)

• Add herbs to wine and marinate for 15 minutes.  

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I buy a jar of already chopped.)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• While herbs and wine marinate, sauté garlic in olive oil until soft but not brown. 

1 1/2 cups chopped crushed plum tomatoes (I use canned)

2 tablespoons tomato paste (I use the entire can)

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

• Add tomatoes, paste, herb/wine mixture, and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from stove, puree in a blender until smooth. Return sauce to skillet and summer uncovered until it thickens slightly.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (makes an 8 slice, 15 in crust)
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast.
1 1/2 teaspoon low calorie baking sweetener (I use 1t Splenda and 1/2t sugar)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
extra flour for kneading and rolling

• Mix yeast, sweetener, salt, oil and water in a bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes; the mixture will become cloudy and thick.  When this happens, put the flour in another bowl and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture and fold into the flour. Add more lukewarm water if needed. Knead dough until it becomes smooth, and place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Place the dough in a warm area for about 45 minutes or until it doubles in size. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 15 inch round, place on pizza pan, top with sauce and toppings and bake at 500 degrees until crust is crispy.

*I use 1 3/4 cup of whole wheat four plus 1/8 cup wheat germ and 1/8 cup ground flax seed instead of the 2 cups of flour.

Both of these recipes are from The Miami Mediterranean Diet by Michael Ozner, MD.