The Meat You Eat

Summer has Started!

bblrd — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:42:04 +0000

For many, summer cooking is a highlight because of their grill. You don’t have to have an elaborate backyard built-in to feel like the king or queen of your domain. Grilling is fun, challenging and exciting. However, it can be dangerous, not just because you are using an open flame, but because you are cooking out of your usual area. Be sure you are not leaving meat outside and that you are using a food thermometer to correctly check the temperature when cooking. No one wants an over cooked steak or food borne illness. At our house we make sure to cook all hamburger patties to 165F or higher. Adding things like Worcestershire sauce or onion soup mix can alter the color of the meat so the color isn’t a good indicator of doneness. Try adding different marinades, seasonings or sauces to meats when preparing and cooking to find what your family likes best, just be sure it is cooked safely. For more information on safe grilling, try contacting your local Extension Service.

Lunch Meat…

bblrd — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 02:41:52 +0000

Growing up, I was never one for a cold sandwich, be it lunch meat or some sort of salad. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich, but will definitely pass on tuna salad or cold cuts. Oddly enough, I will eat lunch meat with pickles and cream cheese… Growing up, we often had “fancy” appetizers like rye bread with cheese spread and green olives or pickle wraps. Every once in a while, I still get a craving for this family favorite, maybe you will enjoy these too.
Pickle Wraps:
Lay out corn beef lunch meat on a plate, spread the meat (very carefully) with low-fat cream cheese. Place a whole dill pickle in the middle and roll up. Then slice so you can see the whole thing rolled up. Serve on a toothpick.

As odd as it may sound, they taste great. Just like many not-so-good for you foods, lunch meat can make a menu if enjoyed in moderation. No cold cut sandwich for me, pass the pickle wraps!

Easter

bblrd — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:39:57 +0000

Don’t forget to check out my post on Egg Boxing from last year! You are welcome to make our tradition your tradition!

Kitchen Cleanliness

bblrd — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 07:19:27 +0000

Remember that germs are everywhere! Even my kids remind me as soon as we walk in the door “wash your hands!” Kitchens can harbor all sorts of germs from unwashed produce and raw meat. Be sure you are putting specific processes in place when storing food. I would recommend keeping any raw meat in a separate area of your refrigerator when you are defrosting/storing it. To prevent any possibility of dripping or people accidently touching/spilling when reaching in the fridge, I keep raw meat in the bottom draw of my fridge. Everyone in the house knows that as the “yucky meat drawer” so the kids never touch it and I don’t have to worry about other foods coming in contact with the contents. Also, it is important to always wash your produce before you cut or eat it. For example, you want to wash a watermelon before you cut it to assure you don’t get any bacteria from the rind to be transferred to the inside of the melon.

Co-op?

bblrd — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 01:18:39 +0000

Spring is hopefully coming soon and if you are like me, you are already thinking ahead to planting a garden. If you are not lucky enough to have the space or the time, how are you planning on getting your fresh produce? For many, you will stick to the supermarket, others will venture out to the weekly farmers market in a local parking lot. But for some, maybe you will co-op. Lately I have heard a lot about the benefits of joining a garden/produce co-op. There are several sites and companies that even offer the benefits of fresh food coops year round. Some communities or businesses provide this as a seasonal service. Have any of you participated in a food co-op or have any recommendations?

Jingle or Jiggle all the way?

bblrd — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 02:37:19 +0000

Is everyone full after the Christmas holiday? It’s that time of year to once again make a resolution. I don’t know the actual statistics, but I would have to guess that most New Years resolutions have something to do with eating better, exercising more and or losing weight. I do know that most people fall off the resolution band wagon after a few weeks. This year think about starting off the new year right. While the above resolutions are good ones, pick more achievable goals, make small gains towards your goal and evaluate your progress often. This year make a smart goal by picking a measurable, manageable goal with a specific timeline. Don’t say “I will lose weight” or “I will lose 20 pounds” but instead say set your sights on something specific like “I will lose 1 pound a week for the next 2 months by exercising 10 more minutes a day, 5 days a week” or “I will eat 5 fruits and vegetable servings a day in January” then in February increase to 6 servings a day.Set yourself up for success, not failure this year. Find small ways to reduce your holiday jiggle, and improve your overall health.

Inventing “New” Traditions

bblrd — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 04:26:24 +0000

During the holiday’s many people do things because they were/are a family tradition. Many of these events involve food. It is also important to adapt old traditions and form new memories for your young family. One tradition I plan on reinventing this year is the Christmas Eve Oyster Stew. Every year, for as long as I can remember, my mom makes a small pot of oyster stew “because my parents and grandparents always had it.” However, my siblings and I are/nor ever were fans of this food and refused to partake in this tradition. This year we will not be going to my parents for Christmas Eve and instead will be hosting supper here. That leaves me a few days to decide what type of new holiday food tradition I will be starting, and believe me, it will not involve oysters. Any ideas for a fun Night-Before-Christmas feast?

Holiday Baking

bblrd — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 01:45:54 +0000

It seems like everyone is catching the cookie baking craze this time of year. Instead of making several items myself for the holidays, my friends and I do a Cookie Exchange. Two to eight of us get together and decide an amount of cookies to bake and each pick a type to make. This year four of us will be exchanging a dozen cookies each. It is a fun way to bake your favorite cookies and give them in decorative containers as gifts to friends. It also takes off some of the stress as my cookie platters will have a variety of cookies to sample.

I plan on making my favorite Russian Wedding Cake Cookies for my cookie exchange. What recipe would you bake?

Gobble Gobble

bblrd — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:58:08 +0000

Thanksgiving has come and gone and if you are like me, you have leftover Turkey at your house. My husband loves Thanksgiving turkey and purposely doesn’t eat it on Thanksgiving because he knows that means leftovers and in our house, hot turkey sandwiches. We always use leftover roasted turkey in Hot Turkey Sandwiches by first shredding/dicing it to form 6 cups turkey, then mixing in a Low Sodium/Healthy Cream of Celery Soup, 1-2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup diced celery and a little black pepper. I slow cook this until the celery is tender and it reaches 165 F and then serve in leftover dinner rolls, or whatever you have. What do you do with leftover Thanksgiving foods at your house?

Fresh

bblrd — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:48:57 +0000

Fresh is a very “current” food word now a days. Many restaurants are marketing “fresh salads,” “fresh sandwich combinations,” “fresh” whatever really. But what is fresh to you?

To me, when I think fresh, I think FARM FRESH! Like strawberries hand-picked or milk straight from the cow… While now-a-days, “fresh” fruits and vegetables are probably the most popular items. With the rise in popularity of farmers markets and eating local, looking for fresh ingredients is much easier for those living in more urban settings. Fresh for some is still walking out to the backyard garden and eating a handful of sugar snap peas right off the plant.