Mystery Food Revealed

Tammy, you must be a label-reader!  You were aware enough of ingredients that you guessed correctly!  It was a Coffeemate creamer, Amaretto to be specific. That is fantastic.  We all need to be as label-savvy as you.  :)

 

Here are those ingredients again -

Water, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed oil, and less than 2% sodium caseinate (a milk derivative), natural and artificial flavors, dipotassium phosphate, disodium phosphate, mono- and diglycerides, cellulose gel, cellulose gum, color added, carrageenan.

 

Let’s see, we have water, not bad, then sugar, not good, but not as bad as number three–the big, bad hydrogenated oil we talked about last month!  Given the choice between good old-fashioned cream and this pseudo-cream substitute, I’ll take the cream please.

 

But what about the fat?!?  Cream contains a high-percentage of butterfat (around 40%).  This fat actually contains vitamins A, D, E and K; antioxidants, selenium, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid–an anti-cancer nutrient), and lauric acid (an antimicrobial fat–a germ killer), and more.

 

But soybean and/or cottonseed oil can’t be that bad?!?  This pseudo-cream substitute contains a man-made hydrogenated oil (read trans fat) that causes cancer, type II diabetes, heart disease, infertility, obesity, hinders the immune system and a lactating mother’s milk.  In a pregnant woman, trans fat can cross the placenta and hinder brain development of the child.  In a nursing mother, trans fats will be present in breast milk and can interfere with the child’s neurological and visual development.

 

So you can see why I choose cream.  I’ll take vitamins and a strong immune system any day over cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and infertility!  We don’t even have to go into the details of the rest of the ingredients, that third one is so bad.

 

Remember, if God created it, it is healthy; if man has messed with it, it is not!

 

Read more here:

All About Trans Fat – a very informative brochure.

Butter Is Better – another short brochure, both are must-reads.

Mystery Food Revealed

Thank you everyone for participating in this month’s Mystery Food guessing game. Most of the responses were on facebook, so I will list them here. Here are the guesses:

• canned buttercream frosting
• ice cream
• pudding
• sweetened condensed milk
• Miracle Whip
• caramel ice cream topping

Caramel ice cream topping was SO close! Good job! This happens to be Marzetti’s Light Caramel Apple Dip.



Let’s review these ingredients again:
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, NON FAT MILK, POLYDEXTROSE, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, BUTTER (MILK, CREAM, SALT), SUGAR, LESS THAN 2% OF: DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES.



Is nothing made from good old-fashioned sugar anymore? Everything is high fructose corn syrup based. Notice it’s the first ingredient, meaning, of all the ingredients, this one is the highest quantity.  Then corn syrup. Sugar is the 7th ingredient listed. And then…aaaah!–partially hydrogenated soybean oil–this is the trans fat we talked about, just the other day. Mono and diglycerides are also trans fat.



But you may be thinking, it’s a treat, all treats are bad for us.  We can have a little, right?



There are levels of bad. If you were to make your own caramel dip (not that hard) at home, you would use sugar, butter, cream, salt, vanilla, and maybe a little corn syrup (I use Griffin’s since it lists corn syrup and sugar syrup on the label, not high fructose corn syrup). These ingredients are much better for you. (Note, I did not say “healthy”, but better. For more information, check out my Ladder of Healthy Eating.)



This is an October treat for us, we don’t eat it all the time. I used to buy the Marzetti dip. No more, we are taking our steps up the ladder. Checkout any good cookbook for a recipe for real caramel. Make some at home. I especially like Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything and The Joy of Cooking. Real food–this is what grandma lived to 90 on!

October Challenge

Are you ready for another challenge?



This month, the challenge is to cut out hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils for 7 days. Check your labels, you might be surprised to learn what foods contain these oils.



Partially hydrogenated oil is the same thing as trans fat. The problem is that a lot of packages claim 0g of trans fat per serving, but it really is anywhere from 0 to .49g. The FDA allows the manufacturer to claim 0, if it is less than .5. Well, half a gram doesn’t sound bad, does it?



Let’s think about it this way, though. When was the last time you just ate 1-oz. of chips. If you have a scale, try weighing out 1 ounce. It isn’t much. Most of us eat more than one serving of most foods at a time. The manufacturer makes that serving size so small so that they can hide how much trans fat and/or sugar the item really has. So, then you are really eating possibly 1.5g of trans fat, every time you enjoy those chips. Studies show that even 2 grams of trans fat a day are dangerous.



If you normally cook with Crisco, use butter instead. Butter is a very healthy fat. It has had such a negative connotation for far too long. Click here to read about that.



Click here to learn more about hydrogenated oils.



I will check back in at the end of the 7 days and report my results. See you then!

Whipped Cream

Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org

Don’t buy fake substitutes! We learned here what is in Cool Whip. It’s loaded with trans fat.  When I was a kid, I had a real thing for Cool Whip.  Now that I’m grown and I read my labels, I won’t touch the stuff!  It just grosses me out to realize it’s just Crisco that is whipped. Have you ever noticed how it never changes if it’s left out at room temperature? I have noticed it on a spoon in the sink, the morning after serving a dessert, and it hasn’t melted like real whip cream will. And it is hard to rinse off a spoon–because it’s grease!



So make it from scratch instead. It really only takes about 5 minutes and tastes fabulous!



1 cup heavy cream (I use raw)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tb sugar



This make about 2 cups of whipped cream. That is plenty for our family of four (with leftover). If you need more, just double this recipe.



I have learned that cream will not whip very well if it is too shallow. So don’t use a big Tupperware bowl. I use one of those square Ziploc disposable containers. This way, when I whip just one cup of cream, it is deep enough to whip in the air.



I fit a collar of foil around the bowl to catch the splatters of cream.



Whip the cream and vanilla on high until thickened, but not stiff. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and keep beating until it’s as thick as you want. I like my whip cream really thick (thicker than in the photo), but you have to be careful.  If you whip it too much, it will separate into butter and whey.



The only disadvantage I see of real whipped cream to Cool Whip is it’s ability to keep.  This will keep for a while in the fridge, you can make it ahead, but I’ve noticed it’s a bit runny the next day.  Not sure if it would re-whip.  I usually make it as close to serving time as I can.



Enjoy!



[Concerned about the saturated fat?  Click here.]

Valentine Cupcakes (or anytime!)

Have your cake and eat it too!

 

Contrary to popular opinion, I am not the food police.  I am not looking around me in shock at what people choose to eat.  I really am an oblivious person.  I’m usually too absorbed in thought to notice others and make judgments.  I am just trying to take my babysteps and I recognize that everyone is at a different place with their babysteps.

 

I do enjoy my occasional desserts.  I try to stick to homemade desserts and forgo the store-bought or restaurant fare.  But sugar is sugar, right?  Well, most (if not all) store-bought (and restaurant) desserts are very high in trans fat.  You name it–cookies, cakes, pies, etc.  You will be much better off if you just make something at home to enjoy.  Use white flour and sugar, but PLEASE, please, please, use butter.  Your heart will thank you.  For more information on that, click here.

 

   Chocolate Cupcakes

This recipe is from a Pam Anderson cookbook.  I LOVE all her recipes!  (I have not attempted to cut back the sugar in this recipe.  Cake recipes are pretty delicate, they are not easily altered, like muffins or yeast breads are.)

I divided it in half to make 12 cupcakes.

 

Measure in a bowl:

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour (it probably wouldn’t hurt to use all-purpose flour)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/8 teaspoon salt (just a little over 1/4 teaspoon)

Whisk those ingredients together and set aside.

 

Melt 7 tablespoons butter and set aside to cool.

 

Boil 3/8 cup (6 tablespoons or 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) water and mix with 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (I use Hershey’s).  Stir until smooth.  Let cool a bit and then add 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

 

In a separate bowl beat 2 egg whites to soft peaks.

 

With a hand mixer, mix melted butter into flour/sugar mixture.  Add cocoa mixture and beat until batter is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.  With a spatula, fold egg whites into batter until just incorporated.  Spoon into paper muffin cups.

 

Bake in a 350F oven 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Then let cool.

 

   Cream Cheese Frosting

Now this is where you can really cut back on the sugar.  The original recipe had 3 times as much sugar as this, yet this version tastes so good!  The extra sugar is not necessary.

 

Beat together 2 1/2 tablespoons softened butter with 4 ounces soft cream cheese, until smooth.  Add 2 drops red food coloring, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar.  Beat until thoroughly incorporated and fluffy.

 

Spread frosting on cupcakes.

 

   Chocolate Heart Decorations

I melted about 1 tablespoon chocolate chips and transferred to a ziploc bag.  I snipped off the tip of the bag and then piped hearts onto parchment.  I let them cool to harden and then placed 2 hearts on each cupcake.

 

 

 

 

Balancing Act

I think our society thinks that being healthy is a balancing act, that there are a tiny set of scales in the body.  They think that you keep these scales balanced by doing and eating healthy things, even though you eat unhealthy things also.  Hey, I know none of us eat a perfect diet!  If you eat something unhealthy, you just have to do a bit more exercise to burn it off.  If you want that dessert, you better have a salad with your meal.  If you drink some soda, you should have some water to balance it out.  This thinking is wrong and if you stay with me, I will tell you why.

 

I have to think that this originated, in part, from our parents and grandparents saying, “You have to eat all your dinner if you want dessert!”  Also, the exercise era has given people a little latitude with what they can afford to eat and stay trim (and staying trim, in our society, carries the appearance of health; not always true, folks).

 

The thing that we need to get into our heads is that it’s not all about fat, good or bad, or calories.  I said it before and I will say it again, the food we eat affects us on a cellular level.  I will show two prime examples here, although there are more.  First let’s talk about trans fat, it’s not just a bad fat that will clog your arteries and cause heart problems (if that isn’t bad enough), it will actually become a part of your very cells!  Every cell in your body has a cell wall, made primarily of fat.  When you ingest trans fatty acids, they become part of that cell wall.  For nursing mothers, trans fat replaces some of the healthy, vital fat that your baby needs, so the baby’s cell walls are also being made up of trans fat!

 

According to Tom Valentine, author of Facts on Fats and Oils¹, “When this man-made molecule of fatty acid, called trans fatty acid, gets into cell membrane construction our cells cannot function optimally – we cannot ward off viruses as well”, and, “this degeneration of the cell membrane is cumulative as we continue to eat these trans fats every day – it doesn’t improve over time, or simply vanish, it slowly gets worse and worse.”

 

My second example is sugar – it’s not just extra calories, it will rob your body of minerals, weaken your immune system, put you on the insulin roller coaster (which we talked about before), stress and fatigue your adrenal glands, and feed harmful yeast and bacteria in your digestive system (causing a host of problems that I will talk about later).  These are not things you can jog off!  This is why you won’t hear me talk about calories here.  It is all about WHAT we are eating, not necessarily HOW MUCH.

 

I was talking to my husband about this the other night and he always comes up with the best analogies.  He said, “How does your car do if you add some water in with the gasoline?”  We all know, it’s won’t run well at all, even if there is just a LITTLE bit of water added.  Our bodies are the same, a little bit of bad is still bad and our bodies won’t run optimally on food that man has adulterated.  My point is not to convince you into changing eating habits by making you feel guilty, but rather, I don’t want you to be deceived.  I want you to be well informed and make informed choices!

 

I’m asking you to renew your mind in this area, make a paradigm shift.  Just because exercise doesn’t counteract these junk food woes, doesn’t mean we stop exercising.  It means we work on cutting out the junk food.  Your sole source of trans fats is packaged food.  Don’t buy margarine or ANY butter substitute (if it’s not butter, it was made by man), don’t use shortening in your baking, don’t buy pre-made pie crust – make your own with butter.  Practically every peanut butter on the store shelf² contains trans fat; unfortunately you can’t trust the labels to give you full disclosure.  Look for PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL on the ingredient listing, if it is there, DON’T buy the item.  This is listed on so many foods that most of us don’t realize.  When I mention trans fats, most people say, “I don’t use margarine, I only use butter.”  That is FANTASTIC, but trans fats are in peanut butter, chips, crackers, graham crackers, pre-made pie crusts, all canned dough, like crescent roll dough and pizza crust; cookies, snack cakes, candy, candy bars, some breads, frozen French fries, fish sticks, pizza, chicken nuggets, burritos, pot pies, cake mixes, Bisquick, canned frosting, and flour tortillas to name a few.  This is one of the reasons why these items ended up on the bottom rung above fast food on my ladder.

 

I think I’ve hammered away at the trans fat issue, let’s get back to sugar.  We can drastically limit our sugar intake by cutting out packaged food, also.  Trans fat is an item you don’t ever want, but sugar is something I know we will all eat from time to time.  A good friend of mine uses a word that fits well here – deliberate.  We must be deliberate in everything, raising our children, spending money, even how we eat.  I will deliberately eat a dessert now and then, but I try VERY hard NOT to allow sugar into my diet that I don’t deliberately want!  The two ways we are deceived into unknowingly eating sugar are through deceptive marketing and ignorance.  Many foods are marketed as healthy, but contain lots of sugar, such as breakfast cereals, sweetened yogurt, granola bars, fruit snacks (these are just candy, folks), fruit roll-ups, many juices, smoothies, and vitamin waters.  This is where those imaginary tiny scales come in again.  I think most people are aware that these foods contain sugar, but they believe the vitamins, whole grain fiber, or beneficial bacteria in that item balance it out.  I will say it again – we must shift our thinking away from this balancing act.  Remember the car running with water in the tank.  Now for ignorance, there are a lot of items that contain sugar as a flavor enhancer, but are not dessert, so we don’t really think we are eating sugar.  Things we all use, like ketchup, salad dressing, pickles, dip, Miracle Whip, salsa, and more.  This is where label reading will help you out.  Sugar is easy to pick out of ingredient listings, but also be aware of sugar’s other names – high fructose corn syrup and anything ending in –ose, dextrose, glucose, sucrose, etc.

 

So be informed, be deliberate, do what you can do and don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can somehow balance the junk food with something like veggies or exercise.  Take you babysteps and move toward the whole food that God created that fuels your body the most effectively!

 

¹ Quoted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

² You can find natural peanut butter.  I buy Smucker’s; it only contains peanuts and salt.