Pumpkin Gingerbread

I will admit, I wanted very much to make Pumpkin Ginger cupcakes, but the recipe called for butterscotch instant pudding and J was unable to find anything but sugar free. Boo aspartame!

So, Plan B. WOW. Slight modifications to the recipe per some reviews, so I've shown it here with commentary. The original recipe is here of course.

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar: I used 1 1/2 cups regular sugar, and 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
  
• 1 cup vegetable oil: I used 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger: I use a more liquid version that looks like this and NOT the powdered variety. I think this makes a huge difference!
  
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves: I left this out b/c I forgot. It did not suffer. I'll do it next time :-)
  
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing, combine sugar, oil and eggs; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin and ginger.
3. In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, baking powder, cloves, allspice and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

applesauce oatmeal muffins

I'll admit I didn't take my own photo before we'd devoured all of these (so you know the recipe is good!). Another AllRecipes gem, these applesauce oatmeal muffins are to die for.

I didn't have any quick-cook oats in the house, so I went for the packets of instant oatmeal that we take on our backpacking trips (low-sugar variety) and upped the cinnamon for my own taste. I was liberal with the topping, making sure to use every last bit.

J was nomming happily and gave this one two thumbs up. I especially like that it's low-fat (and surprisingly low-sugar).

Fresh, Raw, Homemade Almond Milk

My friend Nadia directed me to this set of instructions for How to Milk and Almond. Can't wait to try it!

Apple & Kraut Pork Chops

My dear friend Rhonda made pork chops for dinner. Sounds pretty darned delicious, so check it out!

If you're doubtful about the sauerkraut part of this equation, go here to see that sauerkraut is quite wonderful for you. It bolsters the immune system much like kefir and yoghurt do.

Of special note from that site:  
Flu Fighter
With the spread of Avian Flu spreading across the globe, one enterprising Korean scientist, Kang Sa-Ouk of Seoul National University, took 13 chickens infected with avian flu virus and a couple of other diseases, fed them Kim chi extract and found that 11 of the birds recovered. Experts think the vital bacteria are created during the fermenting process and this gives the dish its health-boosting qualities.

Pile it on!

what's in your smoothie?

I usually like to make smoothies in the morning when I have time, especially when I'm feeling the need for a boost. This morning's smoothie contains some pretty awesome stuff:

Strawberries: Heart protective, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, great source of Vitamin C

Mango: one of the best sources of betacarotene, quercetin and astragalin, another great source of vitamin C, and vitamin A

Pineapple: Manganese, Vitamin C and Thiamin (again with the anti-cancer)

Peaches: Tons of Vitamin A, which is good for your eyes!

Ginger: Digestive aid which also helps to clear out mucus

Wheat Germ: Vitamin E, Folic Acid, Fiber, Omega-3, Vitamin B, iron, calcium, zinc

Bee Pollen: vitamins, minerals, proteins and amino acids, enzymes and coenzymes, as well as antibiotic, antihistamine, and antioxidant properties; great source of energy

Local Honey: builds immunity against local pollen allergies, and tastes good :-)

Apple Juice: Good for your heart, good for the fight against bad cholesterol

Budgeting and Menus

One of the benefits of the All Recipes site, like many other websites these days, is the community they've built around the recipes and food in general. I rarely fail to check reviews before starting on a new recipe, as often other readers have made beneficial corrections or suggestions for improvement. Sometimes folks go overboard and basically rewrite the recipe (annoying) while others correct things like the amount of water needed for a bread machine recipe (totally necessary).

They also link to blogs, and I clicked on this particular entry because I am always looking for ways to save money without eating total crap. I also love that it's a menu plan, laid out for grabbing by busy folks (like me).

It looks tasty and well thought out, so I do believe I'll be copying some of it. Convert to vegetarian items where you see fit/necessary.

Albert Heijn's Avocado Raspberry Walnut Salad

Albert Heijn is the standard grocery store in the Netherlands, much like Publix in the South, only shinier and more visually tantalizing (for me). I love Dutch design anyway, but Dutch design combined with Food puts me in ecstasy. Or at least like a kid in a candy shop :-)

I found this recipe on their website awhile back, and have translated to the best of my minimal Nederlands knowledge. I welcome corrections, though obviously you can wing a lot of it and still come out tasty.

Avocado-Raspberry Walnut Salad

Ingredients
* 12 walnuts broken up
* 1 dash/sprinkle sugar
* 125 g raspberries (fresh, or thawed from frozen)
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 1 dash white wine vinegar
* 4 dashes walnut oil
* 2 chunks of lettuce (enough for your preference)
* 2 ripe avocados
* 2 dashes lime juice
* a few sprigs of mint, shredded

Caramelize the rapsberries with the sugar on low heat. Take two raspberries, crush and add the mustard, vinegar and oil... until it tastes right/good. Salt/pepper to the dressing for taste.

Tear up the lettuce in large pieces, cut up the avocado and sprinkle with the lime juice. Sprinkle dressing and ingredients.

Serves 4.

Note: Avocado and Raspberries
Avocados are amazing and tasty. Check out the World's Healthiest Foods website for details on avocados and raspberries. They pack nutritional punch that hits a gamut of health concerns.

southern biscuits from scratch

I make no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of AllRecipes.com and found this particular goodie there as well. They turned out well, though nothing will ever be as good as Bojangles :-)

JP's Big Daddy Biscuits

INGREDIENTS
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1/3 cup shortening*
* 1 cup milk (see note in direx)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl---only add as much milk as you need, you may not always need the whole cup!
3. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15 to 20 times. Pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown.

* Whole Foods has a *great* non-hydrogenated, organic shortening option in their baking section. Don't go Crisco!

soup for the sickies

I found this recipe in the Washington Post, and have tried to keep it fresh in my mind as well as share with others. This is the perfect "sickie" medicine, bolstering your immune system with a flavourful punch.

Daphne Miller's Mushroom Ginger Soup for Health
1 ¼ cup shiitake, white button, maitake, cremini, or oyster mushrooms cut in ¼ inch slices
1/2 inch cube of fresh ginger (you can add a bit more if you really love ginger)
2 cups cold water
1 tablespoon white or red miso paste
1 tsp Mirin, sake or rice vinegar
1 tbsp finely chopped scallion

Put mushrooms, ginger and water in a pot with a lid and bring to a boil, immediately turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and take out ginger. Put ¼ up of broth in a bowl and stir in miso paste and Mirin.

Stir this mixture into the pot. Serve topped with scallions.

Serving size: 1 dose

Note: Ginger
Ginger is *great* for clearing out mucus and sinuses. It naturally warms the body, provides a quick energy boost, and is awesome for your digestive tract (soothing for both upset stomach and nausea). I've taken to adding it to my morning smoothies for extra goodness.

Note: Mushrooms
Mushrooms are fantastic for your immune system. See this page for more info. I had a farmer tell me he makes a dose of them when he feels illness coming on; he pours boiling water over dried mushrooms (however much he needs for what he's cooking) and lets it sit for 30 minutes. The juice from that goes into a shot glass and voila, you've got an immune boosting shot. We do this every time we reconstitute mushrooms now.