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I'm Thankful For ...
... making it through another Thanksgiving orgy of food. Truly, I don't know why we go to so much trouble every year. By the time everything is cooked and set out, the cook (in our case, cooks) are too worn out to enjoy it.
We were up until after 4:00am Thursday morning, baking pumpkin pies, cheesecakes, and cookies. Then, back up at 9:30am to get the bird ready. I'm not sure I actually had any sleep. (I know Mark didn't.) 
And, sadly, we managed to enjoy one of our newer Turkey-day traditions, again this year ...
Our lovely, beautiful, sat-in-the-fridge-for-a-week bird was still half frozen!
I try to tell myself that, with a refrigerator that freezes the pickles on the back of the shelf, we know our food isn't going to go bad overnight. But, it's really tough to remember that, when you're trying to get dinner in the oven. Too bad you can't fit a turkey in the FlavorWave - that thing'll cook anything from frozen-to-table in record time.
Oh, well. We had our family together. The food was good, if several hours later than we'd planned. And no one had the flu.
All in all, it was a day to be thankful.
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Getting Ready for Turkey Day
Okay, the bird is out of the freezer and into the fridge. After trying to thaw a frozen bird last year, we're taking no chances. It wasn't really our fault, you know.
The refrigerator had a tendency to freeze anything that even approached the back of a shelf. And, operating under supreme optimism, we didn't take the bird out until about 3 days before the big day. Little did we know that it would still be a brick, long after the oven was preheated and we were envisioning the perfect turkey.
This year - new apartment, new fridge - we are positive that a week will just about do the defrost perfectly. If nothing else, 'cuz this baby is almost as frosty as the one next door, we know that it won't go bad. Now, for the rest of the menu.
Obviously, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie. No one (but me) likes stuffing, so that's off the list. Ditto with green bean casserole. Cranberry sauce is borderline, with corn-on-the-cob a huge favorite. (Must be a throw-back to Indian maize.)
Rumor has it that French-onion soup is required. A first in our house, but it sounds good to me. The addition of chocolate-chip cookies and cheesecake have me a tad baffled, especially since I don't have a really good cheesecake recipe at my fingertips.
Guess it's time to start the recipe hunt.
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Jules
Coffeemakers
We are serious caffeine-junkies at our house. So much so, that we end up replacing the coffeemaker about once a year. Admittedly, we aren't exactly buying top-of-the-line equipment. But, still. Every year!?
With the holidays rapidly approaching, I thought I'd anticipate the inevitable and see about getting something with, perhaps, a few more bells and whistles. Or, at the very least, something that might outlast the turkey leftovers. You know - something that grinds the beans, makes the coffee, and then cleans itself! Hey, why not!? I can dream, can't I?
Well, oddly enough, there is a coffeemaker, or should I say coffee system, - the Jura Capresso - that actually does all of that. There are settings for the amount, strength and temperature of the coffee. Not enough?! It also makes frothing milk, dispenses hot water, and even filters the water.
Now, if I can just find one that washes the coffee mugs and - maybe - does windows?!
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Jules
Latest FDA Recall Notices - 10/26/09-11/01/09
Following are the FDA recalls / notices / alerts listed for the week ending November 02, 2009:
- San Link Inc. Issues an Alert on Uneviscerated Vacuum Pack Dried Krasnoperka (Fish)
- San Link Inc. Issues an Alert on Uneviscerated Vacuum Pack Dried Lesh (Fish)
- Mars Snackfood US Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Peanuts In Dove Caramel Pecan Perfection Ice Cream
- Pop's Bakery Inc. Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Whey (Milk) in all Flour Tortillas
- Qualitest Pharmaceuticals Issues a Voluntary Nationwide Recall of All Accusure® Insulin Syringes
- Mrs. Rios Corn Products Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Whey in Flour Tortillas
- Morningstar Foods Issues Allergy Alert on Possible Undeclared Soy Protein: 32-ounce Great Value Half & Half, 32-ounce Great Value
36% Heavy Whipping Cream, 32-ounce Kroger-brand 36% Heavy Whipping Cream, and 64-ounce Wholesome Farms Chocolate Ice
Cream Mix
- Pointe Scientific, Inc. Expands Nationwide Recall of Liquid Glucose Hexokinase Reagent (G7517)
- Alexia Foods Issues Nationwide Allergy Alert and Product Recall Due to Undeclared Pine Nut Allergen: Alexia Olive Oil, Sun-Dried Tomatoes
& Pesto Oven Reds Frozen Potatoes
Please visit the above links for additional information on lots, codes, packaging, product IDs, and returns.
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Jules
Latest FDA Recall Notices - 10/19/09-10/25/09
Following are the FDA recalls / notices / alerts listed for the week ending October 26, 2009:
- Plum Organics Voluntarily Recalls Select Batch of
Apple & Carrot Portable Pouches Due to Potential Health Risk
- Domega International Co. Ltd Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Eggs in White Lotus Seed Paste Moon Cake (2 Yolks)
- American Regent Voluntarily Recalls All Lots of Ketorolac
Tromethamine Injection, USP 30 mg/mL; 1mL and 2mL Single Dose Vials
- Nutkao Urgent Food Recall Due to Undeclared Peanuts in "Kroger Hazelnut Spread"
- Agro Foods Inc.Recalling "Agro Sun Dried Fruits and Nuts Tropical Mix" Due to Undeclared Sulfites
- Unilever Issues Allergy Alert on Wheat in a Limited Number of Tubs of Breyers® Ice Cream
Please visit the above links for additional information on lots, codes, packaging, product IDs, and returns.
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Jules
Latest FDA Recall Notices - 10/12/09-10/18/09
Following are the FDA recalls / notices / alerts listed for the week ending October 19, 2009:
Please visit the above links for additional information on lots, codes, packaging, product IDs, and returns.
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Jules
Latest FDA Recall Notices - 10/05/09-10/11/09
Following are the FDA recalls / notices / alerts listed for the week ending October 12, 2009:
- FDA News Release: FDA Takes Enforcement Action against Ready-to-Eat Sandwich Manufacturer
Please visit the above link(s) for additional information.
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P&G Coupon Savings
One great way to save money at the store is by using coupons. Personally, I hate clipping coupons and, inevitably, most of them expire long before I remember to use them. If you're like me, I have a solution! (Okay, Proctor & Gamble has a solution.)
P&G Everyday Solutions takes coupon savings to a whole new level.
Simply add your shopper discount card (Safeway's "Club Card", Fry's "Shoppers Card", etc.) information to your profile, select the coupons for your favorite products, and upload them to your card. That's it! You're ready to shop.
Load up your shopping cart with all the goodies you need and never worry about coupons again. When you swipe your shopper discount card at checkout, your savings is automatically deducted from the total and prints out on your receipt. If that weren't enough, P&G Everyday Solutions will even send you an email, with links to the latest and greatest savings available.
What could be easier?
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Jules
Weight Loss Diet
Hunting for information on an effective
weight loss diet, I was unhappy to find nothing of the sort on one website. Despite the name.
We are in diet-change mode at our house - again. This means that Mark and I are trying to rethink and retrain our cooking habits. It isn't the first time we have had to make dramatic changes, but it has been a nightmare. Most of our favorite foods are now off the menu and we frantically need new ideas.
During the last year or so before Mark's liver transplant his diet was literally life-or-death choices. Every day, we counted the protein grams and sodium milligrams in every single item that hit a plate or bowl. But carbs and sugar were never an issue. Mark could have all the fruit and candy and pasta and goodies he wanted - as long as they were low sodium, low potassium, and minimal protein. All in all, it was a fairly simple transition.
Now, with diabetes sitting at our table for every meal and snack, we are forced (again) to relearn how to cook. Carbs and sugar, no matter how careful we are, are literally everywhere! Fruits, for the most part, are a no-no. Potatoes, pasta, bread, crackers - all of the foods that we used to serve to keep Mark from feeling starved - now shoot his sugar levels through the roof, no matter how we try to limit them. With meat prices, it's not like we can afford three (or more) high-protein meals every day. It is so frustrating!
So, racking my brain for ideas, I thought that perhaps a weight-loss diet program would be a starting point, since obviously eliminating sugars and other empty calories are a primary part of any low-cal diet. Guess, I'll have to keep looking.
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Jules
Latest FDA Recall Notices - 09/28/09-10/04/09
Following are the FDA recalls / notices / alerts listed for the week ending October 05, 2009:
Please visit the above links for additional information on lots, codes, packaging, product IDs, and returns.
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Jules
Latest FDA Recall Notices - 09/21/09-09/27/09
Following are the FDA recalls listed for the week ending September 27, 2009:
Please visit the above links for additional information on lots, codes, packaging, and product returns.
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Jules
Latest FDA Recall Notices - 09/07/09-09/13/09
The FDA has issued notice of the following recalls:
- Shil La Dang Recalls Gimbob Fish Cake and Modeum, Combination, Sultok and Bean Seolki Rice Cakes Because Of Undeclared Allergens
- Muranaka Farm, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls 60 Count Bunched Parsley Because of Possible Salmonella
- Smiths Medical Issues Urgent Device Recall Of Portex® Pediatric-Sized Tracheal Tubes
- Kilwin's Quality Confections, Inc. Conducted Nationwide Recall of Chocolate-Covered Peanuts Because of Possible Health Risk
- AFC Trading & Wholesale Recalls AFC Beancurd Sheets and Sticks for Undeclared Sulfites
Please visit the above links for additional details, including product codes and descriptions, and return information.
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Jules
Petri Baking Products Issues Allergy Alert
From the FDA's
Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts page:
"Petri Baking Products, Inc. is issuing a voluntary recall on one code of Stop & Shop Home Town Bakery Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Net Wt. 8.9 oz. The affected packages actually contain Peanut Butter Cookies that have peanut butter and milk which are undeclared allergens.
This recall affects 167 cases (2000 packages) of Stop & Shop Home Town Bakery Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies with UPC 6-88267-08457-7 and a “SELL BY FEB.22,2010 A” (printed on side of package).
The product is sold in Stop & Shop stores in the following states: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Maine and New Jersey."
Please follow the link for information on returning any product that falls within the scope of the recall.
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Jules
Quesos Mi Pueblito, LLC Recalls Cheese Products
Due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the following products, with a Sell-by Date from February 2, 2009 to present, have been recalled by Quesos Mi Pueblito, LLC of Passaic, NJ:
La Fe Oaxaca String Cheese
El Viejito Oaxaca Cheese
Mi Pueblito Cotija/Añejo
Mi Pueblito Cuajada Fresca
Mi Pueblito Queso Colombiano de Arriero
Mi Pueblito Queso Molido
Mi Pueblito Queso Cotija Triangulo
Mi Pueblito Queso Fresco
Mi Pueblito Queso Fresco de Rancho
Mi Pueblito Queso Casero
Mi Pueblito Queso Oaxaca
Mi Pueblito Requeson
Mi Pueblito Serrano
The recalled cheese was distributed in New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia through Puebla Foods, Inc., Passaic, N.J. to retail stores and wholesalers.
(Click on company name (above) for chart containing brand name, USP/Size, and packaging details.)
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Jules
Edible Pie Crust
This is an open letter to all of my mothers - be they natural, adoptive, or mothers-by-marriage:
To all of the beautiful women who helped raise me and 'grow me up' and despaired of my ever creating (from scratch) a pie crust that wasn't laughable - or worse - toxic . . .
I MADE AN EDIBLE PIE CRUST!!
I finally did it! I read the directions in the cookbook, I didn't overcompensate, and I didn't overwork the dough. I did - however - forget to prick the sides of the crust (I'm making a chocolate cream pie and needed to 'blind bake' the crust), so it's a tad puffy around the edges.
At this point, I just don't care! The next one will be closer to perfect - I'm just thrilled that this one is going to be edible! At 52, I finally have hope!
PS: One of my favorite clerks at the corner store even wants a piece!
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Dinner Party Recipes
Okay - we are moved in. It happened, despite my cynicism. Things got put away; beds got made; floors got cleaned. Life was good.
Then, in a moment of unanticipated delirium, I thought it would be a great idea to invite a couple of our friends for dinner and fun. I even stepped aside when Mark determined to choose the menu!
What was I thinking?!
Now, I am in desperate need of anything and everything that would work well with Shish-kabobs (Mark's idea) and 'befores and afters' to round out the evening. I am leaning toward potato salad and corn-on-the-cob, with a fresh fruit plate - melons, grapes, berries, apples - at some point. Perhaps,
crudité for noshing before dinner. Or vice versa?!
Oh, Heavens! Help!?
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Jules
Plainview Milk Cooperative Ingredient Recall
While researching a totally unrelated product, I found this information on the
FDA Safety website:
Due to possible Salmonella contamination, Plainview Milk Products Cooperative is voluntarily recalling a variety of products manufactured in the last two years. These items are sold to distributors and manufacturers, not directly to the public. However, Plainview's industry customers may have incorporated the ingredients into their own products and made those goods available to consumers.
Consequently, as of
noon on July 9, 2009, there are 204 items being recalled by distributors and manufacturers that use Plainview products.
The FDA has compiled a list of
items subject to recall since June 2009, related to the Plainview Milk Products Cooperative. Products are grouped by manufacturer/distributor and include (where available):
- Product Description
- Recalling Firm
- Packaging Size
- Lot Numbers
- Stock Numbers
- Product Code
- Label
For ease of use, the database can be searched by Brand Name, UPC Code, Product Description, or any combination of the three.
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Jules
Another Weight Loss Idea
No one wants to think about dieting during the holidays. There are just too many wonderful things to nibble on, everywhere I turn.
Right now, I'm helping Mark work through a huge package of goodies - cookies, petit fours, sausages, cheeses, candies, chocolate, and bread crisps to go with everything. With a little self-control it should last a few more days. Maybe.
Eventually, of course, I'll have to pay the piper and think about shedding those few extra pounds that I am certainly gaining. So, you know me, I headed for the Internet. I found an interesting a new weight loss product today that made me curious. (Gotta plan ahead.)
CLA, or Conjugated Linoleic Acid, occurs naturally in beef and dairy products. Reportedly, CLA will not only help reduce body fat, it will promote muscle growth.
Studies done with mice and rats, to determine the effects of CLA on weight loss, discovered that mice lost weight, but developed fatty liver deposits. These deposits interfere with how the body responds to insulin and are a contributing factor for type-2 diabetes in humans.
The rats didn't lose weight with CLA, but they didn't develop fat accumulations in their livers from being obese, either. (Human tests are ongoing.) So, there's really no way to know how one body will respond or react to CLA, which, it was mentioned, is not even remotely inexpensive.
Realistically, you still want to watch your calorie intake and get regular exercise. But if there's something safe that can help, isn't that a great idea?
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Jules
Pet Promise
I get this great newsletter from
Care2.com:
Healthy & Green Living. It's filled with great ideas for, you guessed it, healthy and green living. There are natural remedies, cleaning ideas, and great recipes - among other things. I highly recommend it.
Friday's issue included a link to a fantastic site. If you're worried about the food that you're feeding your pet, worry no more!
Pet Promise has the answer to all of your questions. I was seriously impressed.
They promise (good word, eh?)
no animal byproducts,
no added growth hormones,
no antibiotic-fed meat sources,
no factory farm meats or poultry.
Pet Promise also promise natural meat, chicken, or ocean-caught fish; and they know where the meat comes from, because they only work with ranchers who can guarantee that their animals were raised without hormones and antibiotics.
What's even more impressive - to this niece and granddaughter of family farmers - is that
Pet Promise didn't intend to be a pet food company. The original goal of their work was to support
family farmers and ranchers; the people committed, for generations, to standards of quality and sustainability and humane treatment of animals. You just don't get that from corporate - grow everything with chemical-enhancements in a cage - farms.
I grew up watching my cousins show cattle at the local fairs and helping my aunt collect eggs from the chicken coop. (If you've ever collected eggs, you know that hens don't share well with others.) Not to mention, steak-and-eggs (or fried chicken) dinners that were the best on the planet. My uncle grew corn for the cattle, that lived in the barn and roamed at will. The chickens were in a large coop, with a nesting area that had more room than the bathroom of our old studio apartment.
This is something that means a lot to me - supporting family farmers, healthy foods for us and our pets, and reducing the market for products that flood our systems with growth-hormones and dangerous additives.
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Jules
Curb Chocolate Cravings
I saw this headline:
Brisk Walk Can Curb Chocolate Cravings today and my first thought was "Heaven Forbid!" A brisk walk - yuck!
Honestly, I don't eat chocolate (or any sweets) on a regular basis. It's a habit I developed years ago when I was having serious problems with my blood sugar levels. My pancreas works a bit too well and overcompensates for sugary foods. But brisk walks? Maybe for nicotine cravings, although . . .
First, I'd have to take a shower, which generally involves a 3 hour wait for hot water and a mad scramble to finish before the warm water does. This exercise in frustration is followed by 40 minutes detangling my hair, 30 minutes lotioning 6 feet of arms and legs, and . . .
aw hell! I just lit a cigarette!
Then, I have to dig through the closet to find something to wear - something that's clean (eliminate 50% of the closet), that fits (there goes another 40%), that suits the weather (kiss 8% goodbye). Now . . .
aw hell! I just lit a cigarette!
See? Brisk walks are just a bad idea! And I haven't even found my shoes, yet.
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God Bless!
Jules
