Many of you have probably begun noticing an abundance of summer squash and zucchini in your CSA shares and in the farm markets in recent weeks... And there is more to come! These delicious veggies produce in huge volumes once the warm weather hits, leaving us all to find creative ways to use the crops before they spoil.
And these aren't the only things we're finding in abundance as summer unfolds- berries, cucumbers, beets and onions are also making themselves known. Luckily, there are literally hundreds of amazing ways to cook these varieties, and better yet, tons of ways to preserve them as well. Because while we may be drowning in these fruits and veggies at the moment, there will certainly come a time when we miss their summer flavor- and that's where preservation comes in!
Because there are so many options, listing them all here would be nearly impossible, so instead we've compiled a list of our favorite sources for preservation ideas. Try these books and links for delicious and varied recipes for preservation, from quick and easy tips for freezing and creating refrigerator pickles to instructions and recipes for canning produce, pickles and jellies. Though some of these ideas will be more involved, all of these resources are geared towards small-scale, at home preservation. So dig-in and have fun!
Books:
• The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving
• Preserving Summer's Bounty
• Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preserving and Freezing
Links:
• Canned Heat at Epicurious.com
• National Center for Home Food Preservation
Recipes:
• Pickled Red Onions
• Relish, Sauce and Chutney- All in one day (scroll down to click on recipes)
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Chocoholic? Nah, just a big fan...
A good piece of chocolate has about 200 calories. As I enjoy 2 servings pers night and a few more on the weekends, I comsume 3,500 calories of chocolate a week, which equals one pound of weight per week.
Therefore...
In the last 3 1/2 years, I have had chocolate caloric intake of about 180 pounds, and I only weight 125 pounds, so without chocolate, I would have wasted away to nothing about 6 months ago!
I owe my life to chocolate.
HA! That is something I read in a little paper called "The Fish Wrapper" and thought...now that's a novel idea! I love the thought of owing my life to chocolate. And that made me think about how raw chocolate or 'cacao' as it is called amongst the superfood set, is grown, because the rainforest could very well owe it's life to chocolate. You see, cacao is best grown in the rainforest so when we buy it, we are supporting the financial viability (and therefore sustaining life there for it's inhabitants) of the forest 'as is' and not needing to cut it down to make money...pretty smart! Below you will find my top 7 reasons to be stocking up on raw Cacao in the form of nibs, powder, or mixed with organic sugar in a scrumptious organic bar or truffle!
1. Magnesium: Cacao seems to be the #1 source of magnesium of any food. Magnesium balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and is associated with more happiness. Magnesium is the most deficient major mineral on the Standard American Diet (SAD).
2. Iron: Cacao contains 314% of the U.S. RDA of iron per 1 ounce (28 gram) serving. Iron is part of the oxygen carrying protein called hemoglobin that keeps our blood healthy.
3. Chromium: Chromium is an important trace mineral that helps balance blood sugar. Nearly 80% of Americans are deficient in this trace mineral.
4. Anandamide: Anandamide (The Bliss Chemical) is an endorphin that the human body naturally produces after exercise. Anandamide has only been found in one plant — Cacao.
5. Antioxidants: Cacao contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world. By weight, Cacao has more antioxidants than red wine, blueberries, acai, pomegranates, and goji berries COMBINED.
6. Help to save the rainforest by buying products that can only grown in a healthy and sustainable rainforest system.
7. One word: YUM
find more info and products:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16354380#email
http://www.rawcacao.com/
http://www.sunfood.com/
Therefore...
In the last 3 1/2 years, I have had chocolate caloric intake of about 180 pounds, and I only weight 125 pounds, so without chocolate, I would have wasted away to nothing about 6 months ago!
I owe my life to chocolate.
HA! That is something I read in a little paper called "The Fish Wrapper" and thought...now that's a novel idea! I love the thought of owing my life to chocolate. And that made me think about how raw chocolate or 'cacao' as it is called amongst the superfood set, is grown, because the rainforest could very well owe it's life to chocolate. You see, cacao is best grown in the rainforest so when we buy it, we are supporting the financial viability (and therefore sustaining life there for it's inhabitants) of the forest 'as is' and not needing to cut it down to make money...pretty smart! Below you will find my top 7 reasons to be stocking up on raw Cacao in the form of nibs, powder, or mixed with organic sugar in a scrumptious organic bar or truffle!
1. Magnesium: Cacao seems to be the #1 source of magnesium of any food. Magnesium balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and is associated with more happiness. Magnesium is the most deficient major mineral on the Standard American Diet (SAD).
2. Iron: Cacao contains 314% of the U.S. RDA of iron per 1 ounce (28 gram) serving. Iron is part of the oxygen carrying protein called hemoglobin that keeps our blood healthy.
3. Chromium: Chromium is an important trace mineral that helps balance blood sugar. Nearly 80% of Americans are deficient in this trace mineral.
4. Anandamide: Anandamide (The Bliss Chemical) is an endorphin that the human body naturally produces after exercise. Anandamide has only been found in one plant — Cacao.
5. Antioxidants: Cacao contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world. By weight, Cacao has more antioxidants than red wine, blueberries, acai, pomegranates, and goji berries COMBINED.
6. Help to save the rainforest by buying products that can only grown in a healthy and sustainable rainforest system.
7. One word: YUM
find more info and products:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16354380#email
http://www.rawcacao.com/
http://www.sunfood.com/
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