Some recipe ideas and links

If you're looking for some specific recipe ideas and links to cook for Jay and Melissa....

Keep in mind that you can make substitutions in these recipes to reduce sodium and fats! (See the other references here for more information.)

Think about substituting black beans for meat in some dishes. (Black beans actually taste good and are less likely to produce undesirable “gas” than other types of beans.)

Chicken and Summer Squash Tostadas

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1215924

Chicken Rotini Salad with Rosemary

http://americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3067839

Other links for recipes

http://allrecipes.com//Recipes/healthy-cooking/low-cholesterol/Main.aspx

Read the ingredient list and nutritional information carefully when you look at these recipes! You may need to make some ingredient substitutions!

(There are links on the left side of the page for additional recipes)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Healthy-Cooking/Low-Fat/Main-Dishes/Main.aspx

Low fat chicken recipes (read the ingredient list and nutritional information carefully!)

(There are links on the left side of the page for additional recipes)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Healthy-Cooking/Low-Fat/Main-Dishes/Chicken/Main.aspx

Low fat beef recipes (read the ingredient list and nutritional information carefully!)

(There are links on the left side of the page for additional recipes)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Healthy-Cooking/Low-Fat/Main-Dishes/Beef/Main.aspx

Low fat pork recipes (read the ingredient list and nutritional information carefully!)

(There are links on the left side of the page for additional recipes)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Healthy-Cooking/Low-Fat/Main-Dishes/Pork/Main.aspx

Some other ideas:

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3056412

Chicago Deep Dish pizza - Use chicken instead of sausage in this recipe

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1924695

Pork and Pinto Bean Nachos

Use baked chips instead of fried, use chicken breast and/or black beans. Also reduce the oil, eliminate the bacon, and go easy on the cheese and use a reduced fat cheese. Use low salt beans.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1924722

Where to use what spice

Seasonings for Variety – reducing salt and sugar

Allspice: Lean ground meats, stews, tomatoes, peaches, applesauce, cranberry sauce, gravies, lean meat

Almond extract: Puddings, fruits

Basil: Fish, lamb, lean ground meats, stews, salads, soups, sauces, fish cocktails

Bay leaves: Lean meats, stews, poultry, soups, tomatoes

Caraway seeds: Lean meats, stews, soups, salads, breads, cabbage, asparagus, noodles

Chives: Salads, sauces, soups, lean meat dishes, vegetables

Cider vinegar: Salads, vegetables, sauces

Cinnamon: Fruits (especially apples), breads, pie crusts

Curry powder: Chicken, fish, tomatoes, tomato soup, mayonnaise

Dill: Fish sauces, soups, tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers, potatoes, salads, macaroni, lean beef, lamb, chicken, fish

Garlic (not garlic salt): Lean meats, fish, soups, salads, vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes

Ginger: Chicken, fruits

Lemon juice: Lean meats, fish, poultry, salads, vegetables

Mace: Hot breads, apples, fruit salads, carrots, cauliflower, squash, potatoes, veal, lamb

Mustard (dry): Lean ground meats, lean meats, chicken, fish, salads, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, mayonnaise, sauces

Nutmeg: Fruits, pie crust, lemonade, potatoes, chicken, fish, lean meat loaf, toast, veal, pudding

Onion powder (not onion salt): Lean meats, stews, vegetables, salads, soups

Paprika: Lean meats, fish, soups, salads, sauces, vegetables

Parsley: Lean meats, fish, soups, salads, sauces, vegetables

Peppermint extract: Puddings, fruits

Pimiento: Salads, vegetables, casserole dishes

Rosemary: Chicken, veal, lean meat loaf, lean beef, lean pork, sauces, stuffings, potatoes, peas, lima beans

Sage: Lean meats, stews, biscuits, tomatoes, green beans, fish, lima beans, onions, lean pork

Savory: Salads, lean pork, lean ground meats, soups, green beans, squash, tomatoes, lima beans, peas

Thyme: Lean meats (especially veal and lean pork), sauces, soups, onions, peas, tomatoes, salads

Turmeric: Lean meats, fish, sauces

Healthy Substitutions

Healthy substitutions

When the recipe calls for	Use this instead
Whole milk (1 cup)	1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk, plus one tablespoon of liquid vegetable oil
Heavy cream (1 cup)	1 cup evaporated skim milk or 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt and 1/2 cup plain low-fat unsalted cottage cheese
Sour cream	Low-fat unsalted cottage cheese plus low-fat or fat-free yogurt; or just use fat-free sour cream
Cream cheese	4 tablespoons soft margarine (low in saturated fat and 0 grams trans fat) blended with 1 cup dry, unsalted low-fat cottage cheese; add a small amount of fat-free milk if needed
Butter (1 tablespoon)	1 tablespoon soft margarine (low in saturated fat and 0 grams trans fat) or 3/4 tablespoon liquid vegetable oil
Egg (1)	2 egg whites; or choose a commercially made, cholesterol-free egg substitute (1/4 cup)
Unsweetened baking chocolate (1 ounce)	3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or soft margarine; since carob is sweeter than cocoa, reduce the sugar in the recipe by 25%

Tips on Cooking for Jay

For those of you who want some help figuring out how to cook for Jay:


General Information for Managing Low Cholesterol and Low Sodium Diets

Read and compare nutrition labels and ingredients.

Avoid:
High fructose corn syrup (it’s in many foods, not just “sweet food.”)
High sodium content (over 400 mg per serving)
Cholesterol
Partially or fully hydrogenated fats/oils
Coconut, palm and palm kernel oil. They have saturated fats even though they are plant-derived oils.
Trans fat.

Be careful when reading nutrition labels.

Trans fat

The nutrition label on a package may say “0 grams trans fat,” but it may not really be trans fat-free. Avoid foods that list partially- or fully-hydrogenated fats in the ingredients list.

Foods labeled “Healthy” aren’t always healthy.
Look carefully at the labels, paying attention to partially hydrogenated fats, sodium, and high fructose corn syrup.

Some foods may surprise you. For example, some low fat ice creams (e.g. Turkey Hill light recipe) actually have less fat and cholesterol than frozen yogurts. Read the labels carefully.

How much of which fats?
Mono- and polyunsaturated fats are “good” fats; trans fat and cholesterol should be avoided in a low cholesterol diet. So it’s OK for foods to contain the mono- and polyunsaturated fats. However, most nutritionists suggest that no more than 30% of the daily caloric intake should come from fats.

Just because a recipe comes from a source like “Cooking Light” doesn’t mean the recipe qualifies for the definition of a low fat, low sodium recipe.
Read the ingredient list carefully and make substitutions as needed.

Be aware of what “serving size” really means.
The serving size listed on a nutrition label isn’t always a reliable estimates of how much sodium and fat will be eaten. For example, a serving of Reduce Fat Wheat Thins is 16 (!) crackers. I know I often eat more than that! A “serving” of American processed cheese is 1 ½ slices.

If you need spices you don’t have, don’t buy them at the grocery store.
Go to People’s Grocery, buy them in bulk and refill your current jars. You’ll save a ton of money. For example, it’ll cost about $1 or less to buy the same amount of bottled cinnamon from Dillon’s. The spices will be fresher at People’s Grocery and you’ll reduce your impact on the environment!

Reading nutrition labels

Look at sodium content and fat content.

(See special section on sodium)

Compare total fat, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, trans fat and cholesterol
Mono- and polyunsaturated fats are not the same thing as partially hydrogenated or fully hydrogenated fats. Whereas the latter two should be avoided, mono and polyunsaturated fats are OK – in moderation.

Not all fats are created equal! If you’re simply comparing fat content, remember that nuts (e.g. peanuts) and other unprocessed may have a relatively high fat content; however these fats are primarily mono and polyunsaturated fats. Again, these are OK in moderation.
It’s difficult to completely eliminate cholesterol in one’s diet. In general, however, cholesterol should be less than 300 mg/day. Jay’s allowable level is probably less.


General tips for reducing fat

Meat selection
Beef: use “choice” or “select grades” and trim fat from the edges before cooking. Sirloin, chuck and round cuts are best.
Hamburger: choose the leanest you can get. Lean hamburger costs more upfront, but it actually about the same when it’s cooked, since so much fat and water comes out of the meat when it’s cooked.
Pork: use “loin,” “tenderloin,” and “round” cuts.
Poultry: use light meat (breasts) instead of dark meat (legs and thighs). White meat contains less cholesterol and saturated fats than chicken dark meat. Always remove the skin – you’ll decrease the fat content by 50-75%, most of which is saturated.

Special notes about poultry
Not all ground turkey is low calorie and low fat. Something labeled “ground turkey” may include darker meat and skin. Regular “ground turkey” can have more fat and calories than 93% lean ground beef. If you prefer beef, just use extra-lean or ground sirloin.

Poultry is often injected with a saline (salt) solution to keep it from drying out during cooking. Try to buy “natural” chicken and be careful how you cook it. Cost-wise it’s a bit more expensive, but you’re paying for salt water when you buy the saline-treated meats.
Again, read and compare labels.

Cooking meats
Grilling, baking and broiling are the best options for cooking meats, but with a little know-how you can pan-sear the meat and finish cooking in the oven.


Eggs and Dairy

Eggs
Substitute 2 eggs whites for each egg or use egg substitutes. (See comments under “Baking” for some hints on how to do this.)

Dairy:
Use low-fat or non-fat milk, yogurt and cheese. Plain yogurt and sour cream are available in low-fat and non-fat versions; use these in place of sour cream.
Use fat-free or 1% milk instead of 2% or whole milk. If you need something a little richer, use fat-free half-and-half or evaporated skim milk. (Don’t ask me how you can have “fat-free half-and-half,” but it does exist!)
Low-fat and no-fat cheeses are available. They can be used in place of regular cheeses.
In general, soft cheeses have lower levels of saturated fat and total fat than hard cheeses, but in some cases (e.g. parmesan cheese) a little often goes a long way.

Fats and oils
Use liquid oils or non-fat cooking sprays.
The best oils are canola (which has no flavor) or olive oil (which can have a rich flavor). You can also use safflower oil. Keep the oil to a minimum - oil still has 120 calories per tablespoon.
For baking, use canola oil. Olive oil can impart an “off” flavor. (See more on baking specifics below.)
Use tub margarine rather than stick margarine for use on breads, etc.

Avoid partially and fully hydrogenated fats!
Manufactured fats, e.g. shortening and stick margarine, contain these types of fats. They are what keep these fat sources from melting at room temperature. Use stick margarine only if you need a solid fat source, i.e. in baking. Don’t use shortening.



Reducing fat while cooking:

Sauté or stir- fry meats rather than frying.

Steam vegetables

Use basket over simmering water. The microwave also works well.

Use herbs to add flavor without adding salt. For example
Rosemary with peas, cauliflower and squash
Oregano with zucchini
Dill with green beans
Marjoram with Brussels sprouts, carrots and spinach
Basil with tomatoes



Hidden fats
Always read both the nutrition label and the ingredient list. When you compare products, make sure you’re comparing equivalent serving sizes.

Tortillas
Flour tortillas are often made with lard. If you use flour tortillas, use the low-fat or fat-free tortillas. Corn tortillas usually have less fat than flour tortillas. (Be sure to compare serving sizes!)

Breads
Avoid breads with partially hydrogenated fats. Find (or make) breads with canola oil or safflower oil.

Foods with high fructose corn syrup
These foods often have a lot of saturated fats. Salt and sugars are often added to compensate for reducing the fat content of some foods.

Beans
Refried beans, chilies, and other canned bean products often have fats added.

Peanut butter
Commercial peanut butter hides a lot of undesirable fat! Although the peanuts are relatively healthy, the partially hydrogenated fats added to many commercial peanut butter is not healthy. (The added fats keep the peanut butter from separating.) Additionally, these peanut butters usually have sugar added, often as high fructose corn syrup.


Hidden sugars

Where is sugar hiding?
Breads, “healthy” cereals, prepared sauces and soups and mixes for gravies and other sauces and seasoning packets (e.g. for tacos) have sugar added. Spaghetti sauce, salad dressing and peanut butter often have sugar added.

Why do these foods have sugar?
Sugar and salt are often added to compensate for reducing the fat content of prepared foods. Read the labels and compare products.

High fructose corn syrup
Some research suggests that high fructose corn syrup may decrease the body’s ability to tell when it’s had enough food (i.e. to feel “full”). That often means that the individual is not only consuming calories in the food itself, but he/she may also consume additional calories on top of that because the body feels hungry.



Sodium

How much is OK?
Healthy people (2,000 calorie diet) should have less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day!! A sodium restricted diet has even less. Many prepared food products have more than 700 mg of sodium per serving!

Foods that have more than 400 mg of sodium per serving are considered high sodium foods. But keep in mind the upper limits of sodium intake and serving size.

Sugar and salt are often added to compensate for reducing the fat content of prepared foods. Read the labels and compare products.

Store brands of canned and frozen foods are often less healthy than the national brands because the store brands often contain more sodium and may contain more fat and/or high fructose corn syrup. In some cases, the sodium content of the generic brands is double that of the national brands.

Avoid foods with a lot of sodium, e.g. canned soups, vegetables, and some cheeses and breads. Look for items that say “No salt added.”

By law, products that say “Lower salt” or “Reduced salt” have 25% less sodium than the regular product. But many of these may still contain a lot of sodium! Read the labels carefully.

Pre-packaged seasoning mixes have a lot of salt. Use fresh herbs or ground spices. Dried thyme, rosemary and marjoram can add lots of flavor to chicken dishes without adding salt.

Some high sodium foods:
Canned and dried soups
Canned vegetables
Ketchup and mustard
Salty snack foods
Olives and pickles
Luncheon meats and cold cuts
Bacon and other cured meats
Cheeses
Seasoning packets

To reduce sodium:

Drain liquid from canned vegetables and rinse the vegetables in water before eating.

Look for "unsalted" varieties of the canned foods and snack foods listed above. Some foods may be labeled "no salt" or "without added salt."

Read the labels of all foods carefully. Even bakery products and cereals can be major sources of sodium.


Hidden sodium – Ingredients to avoid

MSG (monosodium glutamate)
Contributes a lot of sodium in many prepared foods.

Disodium phosphate and sodium benzoate.
Often used as preservatives

Sodium propionate
May be in some cheeses and breads to reduce mold growth.

Some companies use “soda” or “Na;” these are just different ways of saying “sodium.”


Special notes about baking

In baking, you can often substitute 2 egg whites for each whole egg. However, egg whites can actually dry out delicate batters (e.g. cakes) so you may need to add a little canola oil (1 Tbsp or less) to counteract this.

Don’t use shortening or lard and avoid using butter. Stick margarine has no animal fats in it, so it’s probably better than butter for baking when a hard fat source is required. In many baking recipes you can substitute canola oil. You may have to add a small amount of flour to compensate for the more fluid nature of oil over a solid fat; in most batters it will be less than ¼ - ½ cup.

**NOTE: use canola oil rather than olive oil in baking, since canola oil has no flavor. Olive oil can cause an “off” flavor in baking.

You can replace the oil in muffin, cookie, cake and snack bar recipes with pureed fruits or veggies to give your treats an extra healthy boost. For many recipes, you just use the specified amount of puree instead of oil. Check the mix's package or your cookbook's substitutions page for other conversions.
• Use applesauce in spice muffins or oatmeal cookies
• Bananas are great in breads and muffins. Use three very ripe, mashed bananas instead of ½ cup butter, lard, shortening or oil. Or substitute one cup applesauce for one cup of fat.

Other tips for baking:

Plain yogurt and sour cream are available in low-fat and non-fat versions. Use these in place of sour cream.

Use fat-free or 1% milk instead of 2% or whole milk. If you need something a little richer, use fat-free half-and-half or evaporated skim milk. (Don’t ask me how you can have “fat-free half-and-half,” but it does exist!)

Sometimes boxed mixes will give nutrition information for the mix itself and as prepared according to the instructions. Again, read labels carefully. Preparing the batter from scratch is always better. There are many recipes for baked goods that take only one or two minutes more to prepare than a boxed mix.

It's The Thought That Counts

All kinds of thoughts can occur to me when I open a gift:

"How thoughtful!"

"That is so nice of her to think of me."

"I think I already have one of these."

"I think I told him I don't like these."

"What made him think I'd like this?"

"What was she thinking?!"

Among the gifts my husband and I received as wedding presents was a large, blue glass bowl from his Aunt Ellen. His artistic, eclectic Aunt Ellen. The bowl was, well, um, shall we say, unusual.

The actual depression of the bowl had a diameter of about eight inches and was about four inches deep. The top rim of the bowl was about four inches wide on two sides and three inches wide on the other two sides. (Think about making a bowl by pressing down through the center of a cookie sheet.) It might have been a reasonable (albeit large) salad bowl, but the bottom of the bowl was not flat. It looked like mountain ranges had uplifted from the bottom of the bowl. (You can see a picture of it here: http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/blenko.htm)

What was Aunt Ellen thinking?


The bowl was too big to fit in a cupboard. It was too fragile to put in a closet or under the bed. It was too big to set out as "decor," since our dining table did double duty as a desk. (We joked that it couldn't even be used as a bed pan because of the ridges in the bottom of the bowl.) In short, the bowl was useless. And to be honest, we thought it was ugly. So we did what newly-married college students do with a wedding gift they don't want: return it and buy something else.


Our quest to return The Blue Bowl (yes, we did name the bowl), was not an easy one. It seemed that none of the stores sold anything like The Blue Bowl. The reactions varied:


"No, we don't sell anything like that."


"Hmmm, I'm not sure what store that may have come from." (trying to appear helpful)

"You say you got this as a wedding gift?" (trying to hide a puzzled smile)


"Um, I've never seen anything like that here." (stiffling a giggle)


"What on earth is that?!" (peals of laughter)


After a few stores, the task of finding a place to return the bowl turned into a game. The more places we went to, the more incredulous looks and comments we received, the funnier the game. We laughed with the clerks as they tried to help us figure out which store we could try next.


So it was with smirks ready that we approached the clerk in the china department at Frederick & Nelsons. "Oh!" she gasped, "You want to return a Blenko Original?!"


"Well, yeah," I began. "It's pretty ug...," Stepping slightly in front of me, Brian stopped me with a more gracious response: "It doesn't really fit our decor." (Anything worth more than $20 didn't fit in with our decor.)


The atonished clerk finished the paperwork to return the bowl and we left with $35 (about $75 in today's money). "Not much for a Blenko Original," I remarked to Brian as we left the china department.


Then a funny thing happened. I didn't want to sell the bowl back to the store! We had so much fun trying to return the bowl that we actually enjoyed (in a twisted sort of way) owning the bowl. I wanted to run back and tell the clerk I'd changed my mind and wanted the bowl back. Suddenly I realized the bowl wasn't worthless.


As kids, we expectantly opened boxes adorned with bows and colored paper on Christmas and on our birthdays. Sometimes we were disappointed, like when my great aunt sent me slippers she had crocheted using pink, scratchy yarn. "It's the thought that counts," my dad would say. "Your aunt made these for you because she loves you." (To which my eight-year-old mind responded, "If she loved me she would know I hate pink!")


But I'm beginning to wonder what it really means when we say, "It's the thought that counts." Certainly Aunt Ellen had thought about whether we would appreciate and enjoy The Blue Bowl. The problem was what we thought. We were too busy thinking about what we wanted. The Blue Bowl had little value to us when we looked at it with our own expectations and desires.

We hear a lot about God giving each of us special gifts: an ear for music, a great singing voice, insightful teaching, an ability to be an encourager, etc. I fail to see the gifts God has given me because I'm too busy taking them "back to the store." I don't want them because they aren't exciting or fun or obvious or what I deem "useful."

God's not in the business of handing out gifts without thinking about the recipient. I'm convinced he thinks a lot about it. But gifts he gives aren't useful to us until we see the value of them. Until we think about them the way he thinks about them.

I think my dad was right. It is the thought that counts.

What's it like being beautiful?

Let's face it - we all have friends who are poised, elegant and incredibly good looking. No matter what day it is, where they are, or what time is, they always look like... well, like what you and I would love to look like on one day, let alone everyday. Their hair is always neatly styled. Their makeup is always fresh and neatly applied. Their bodies are toned, svelte and tanned. Their clothes are always stylish and well-fitted.

Not only that, but their houses are tidy and clean. You're certain "Home Beautiful" is showcasing their home in their next issue. The laundry is always done. The Christmas cards are addressed by early November and the Christmas gifts were purchased in July, most of them at bargain prices.

They always say the right thing at the right time. Their speech is graced with intelligence and graceful humor. Their demeanor never slips, even when no one is watching.

I feel ugly and awkward next to them. Sometimes it's all I can do to keep from asking them: "What's it like to beautiful?" "What's it like to have your life together?" "What's it like to be perfect?"

I wonder what they see when they look in the mirror. I want to be like them. Sometimes I want to be them.

Thankfully, God's blessed me with Katie. Katie (not her real name) is not thin. Her hair often looks like she's pulled it back just to keep it out of her face for a few minutes. She seldom wears makeup. I have yet to see her in designer jeans or a well-tailored suit.

Katie will the first to tell you that housekeeping is not one of her spiritual gifts. She's usually a bit late. She seems to thrive on chaos.

But everyone loves Katie. She laughs loud and often. She is passionate for her friends. She'll listen for hours when someone needs a shoulder to cry on. She never thinks ill of anyone, nor does she judge them. She'll share whatever she has with anyone who needs something.

Katie is comfortable with who she is. No matter where she is, she always makes others feel at home and loved. She makes us feel safe.

Katie leaves me wanting to ask her, "What's it like to be wonderful?"

Katie once told me comparisons are the poisons that breed discontent. I think she's right. It's not who we are or what we look like that makes us ugly. It's discontentment.

We're taught not to judge others. In some ways that's easy. What's hard is to stop judging ourselves. It's easy to be distracted by the things that seem so visible, but don't last or won't impact the legacy we'll leave. It's easy to want talents and abilities that leave people in awe.

I'm sure I'll never win a beauty contest or have my home photographed for a magazine. But I have gifts that God has given me, even if some of them don't seem glamorous to me. And I'll never learn to use them as long as I continue to make comparisons with the gifts he has given others.

The beauty of a gift is never known until it's used. That's beauty I can live with.

Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes all the way through.

But Mom, everybody else is doing it!

Remember when you were eight years old, whining to your parents that you should be allowed to do something because everybody else was doing it? Their response? The dreaded, "If everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you jump, too?" (To which the eight year old mind says, "Of course not! But I'm not asking about jumping off a cliff!!!")

So now that "everybody's" blogging, I thought I'd start a blog, too.

I hold no delusions that I am witty, clever, particularly profound, eminently famous or wildly popular. Perhaps someday someone somewhere will think my musings mildly interesting, but I'm not going to bank on it.

And Mom, I promise not to jump!