Almond chewy chocolate cookies

8 oz	semi sweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp	butter, softened
2 lg	eggs
1/3 c	granulated sugar, plus more for decorating
3/4 c	ground almonds or almond flour

These cookies are gluten free but who needs to know. Everybody will enjoy these.

1  Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2  Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave
3  Stir softened butter into chocolate
4   Beat eggs and add sugar
5   Continue beating until egg mixture is light
6   Gently stir egg mixture into chocolate mixture
7   Add ground almonds, combining very well, but gently
8   Cover and refrigerate overnight
9   Form into 1 in. balls and roll in bowl of granulated sugar.
10  Place on lined cookie sheet
11  Bake for 8-10 min. or until set.


Enjoy

US Food Country if Origin Label (COOL)

Well there fellow readers, I just found our something that I should have know n about years ago.  I am a label reader but the tiny print got away from me until I learned to look for it.  Food sold in the US now must show where the product was made or grown.  So when we buy Jalapenos we know if they are from California or Mexico.  If we know of a food that is contaminated and comes from ABC land we can avoid it and still eat the product from XYZ land.

In this way we can have the knowledge to truly buy local or make sure that the lamb is really from New Zealand. However there are some problems with this new rule.  While the product must show country or origin it is usually so small and hard to find.   I recently bought some canned pumpkin only to discover that it was from China where there was a problem with pumpkins exploding because of too many chemicals on them.  Since I do not want my pies exploding, I tossed them just to be safe. 

The other problem is the exemptions to the law.  I get the small stores that sell fresh fish and meat, they are too small and usually get their stuff local anyway.   Processed foods, like bacon, cold cuts, trail mix and the like do not have to show country of origin.   Mixed veggies will be exempt as well.   Why?  USDA bent on the side of the industry yet again and not the consumer.  Good watchdog.

Another loophole that is being allowed is the multiple country of origin label.  This means that if a food processor (say meat) has meat from Canada, the US and Mexico it can say that all on one label instead of identifying and changing labels with each batch processed.  This defeats our ability to determine true place of origin. However, we must still be glad that we have a start.  Buy local when you can and just be an informed consumer.

I Scream for sherbet.

August 1, 2011
 

Where did the summer go and where did the year go.  Ever get the feeling that you stood still and time fly by.  Well let us stop time and do something good for ourselves and our families.  What you don’t know what you can do?   How about some ice cream?  Get out that old ice cream maker in the back.  Make some fresh ice cream or sherbet for the family.  Never did it?  Still in the box?  Well then, you need to open that box clean it out and get the bowl or mixing part in the freezer ASAP.  It needs to be frozen before you begin.  Then after each use, clean it out and stick it in the freezer in a plastic bag so you don’t  get freezer burn.   Once it is frozen you are ready to begin. 

Now you will need some sugar about a cup and 7 tablespoons of water.  Gently boil until the sugar disappears.  Next add the juice of a lemon or lime, or lemon oil or some mint leaves 3-4.  If you used the leaves, when they wilt pull them out and send to the compost heap.  Cool the syrup.  Now add 3 ¾ cups of a juice, orange is what we like.  Lemon juice or some citrus will work well.  Nectarine would work as well.  Yes it is very liquidly.   Now take the bowl or center piece out of the freezer and place in the machine. Add your liquid and turn on.  It will mix very slowly.  Yes it looks like it will not pull together. Wait wait. About half an hour it will be ready to eat.  If still to soft for you place the container in the freezer until solid enough.  Enjoy!

Organic or Not

Organic clsims on personal care products such as creams and  lotions are not regulated.  The USDA Organic label on food only ensures that what you put in your body is truly organic.  Producers personal care products can label a product organic with only one ingrediant being organic.



The requirements set by the USDA for food items states that they must be third-party certified to the USDA National Organic Program standards.  These standards prohibit the use of genetically engineered seeds or crops, sewage sludge, toxic and persistent pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.  These items are obviously dangerous to our helth and shoud not be placed on your body.

Please be aware of this when you shop for your products.  I represent two companies who pride themselves in these standards.  If you need personal products please contact me.

How to Read a Label Personal Products

We use products on our body's and children's body's all the time. What do the labels mean?? The US government does not regulate the words  "gentle" or  "natural", nor does it require safety testing.  So what does this mean to us??  Every product must list the ingredients.  Know what to look out for.

Avoid these perservatives listed at the end:

1.  all "paraben" 2. DMDM hydantoin 3. Imidazolidinyl urea   (even sounds nasty) 4. Methylchloroisothiazolinone 5. Methylisothiazolinone 6. Triclosan 7. Triclocarban 8. Triethanolamine (or "TEA")  9. at the start of the list look out for ingredients that start with "PEG" or have an "-eth" in the middle (e.g., sodium laureth sulfate). 10. Avoid  "FRAGRANCE," or "FD&C," or "D&C."

For our little ones avoid these 6 items as we must protect their growing bodies:
1. 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3 Diol
2. BHA
3. Boric acid and sodium borate
4. DMDM Hydantoin
5. Oxybenzone
6. Triclosan

These ingredients have been shown to cause harm.  While they are safe in one product our continued use of them over and over is what makes them a hazard we can avoid.

Rose Cupcakes

• 12 mini cupcakes
• White icing
• Scissors
• 6 rolls of fruit leather in red
• 1 roll of  fruit leather in Green Color

How to make the roses

1. Frost 12 mini cupcakes with white icing.
2. To make a rose, unroll a piece of the cherry or strawberry fruit leather and
   divide it in half along the wavy perforated middle line. Take one of the halves
   and roll up about 5 inches to form the flower's center. Set the rolled strip
   wavy side up in the middle of a cupcake and continue to loosely wrap
   the remaining fruit leather around the center at a slight angle until the flower
   is completed.
3. Repeat this process for the remaining flowers. (You should be able to get 2
   mini roses out of each roll of fruit leather.)
4. Cut leaf shapes from the wavy edge of the Color by the Foot strip as shown,
   then tuck the leaves under the roses.
5. Adapted from http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/rose-cupcakes-686747/

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Chicken

A winter treat.

Serves: 4
Prep: 13 min
Cook: 32 min
Total: 45 min
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 carrots, sliced   HINT (use 2 1/2c baby carrots to save time.
• 1 pound sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 12 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded (about 3 cups)
• 7 to 9 ounces baby spinach
• OPTIONAL  stir in some red or green hot sauce for spice.

Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic, curry powder, and ginger. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
2. Stir in the carrots, sweet potatoes, and 3 cups of the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the carrots and sweet potatoes are tender.
3. Transfer to a food processor, working in batches if necessary. Puree the hot mixture until smooth. Return to the saucepan and add the spinach and the remaining 1 cup of broth. Bring to a simmer.
4. Remove from the heat. Divide among 4 bowls and top with the chicken. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper to taste.
Nutritional Facts per serving
Calories     367.6 cal
Fat     11 g
Saturated fat     2.3 g
Cholesterol     67.6 mg
Sodium     334.9 mg
Carbohydrates     37.7 g
Total sugars     11.4 g
Dietary fiber     8.7 g
Protein     30.5 g
Courtesy of the Rodale Recipe Finder.