New Design

As you can see, I've been making some changes to the appearance of my blog. I just felt like a change! I also found a handy gadget that you will see on the right side of the page - a seasonal foods tool. Using the drop down menus, you can see what foods are in season in different parts of the country. Let me know what you think!

Exporting the Western Diet

The link below will take you to a news video about an island now called the fattest place on Earth. Why did this small nation's inhabitants, who were once healthy, become overweight? Why are so many now suffering from Type 2 diabetes? They imported our foods!

ABC News Video about the Fattest Nation on Earth

Processed Foods and Weight Gain

As we approach the new year, losing weight will be on the minds of many Americans. Here is an interesting article about some of the foods you may think are good for you, but aren't. And you'll notice that they are all processed foods!

The Truth About Your Weight Gain - 6 Foods To Avoid

A Poem

My mom shared this poem with me, and now I am sharing it with you. It's a nice reminder of the people involved in the food that nourishes us, and how that food connects us all.

Kneading Bread

by Belle B. Broadbent

While the dough I gently grasp,

I think of those who must clasp

Seed to sow the garden grain

And reap the harvest it contains.

And those who then work hour by hour

Turning this grain into flour.

While these joining clasping hands

Feed the hungry of the lands.

So I find a kinship spread

While I'm gently kneading bread.

Christmas Morning Breakfast

Christmas is a week away, and I've been busy baking cookies and making candies. I wanted to share a recipe that my family loves for Christmas morning. It's perfect served with real maple syrup and bacon! Merry Christmas to everyone!!

Eggnog-Spiced French Toast
serves 4

2 large eggs
12 oz. evaporated milk
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. rum extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
8 slices of firm, day-old bread
Nonstick cooking spray
Powdered sugar

Beat eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, rum extract, cinnamon and nutmeg in shallow dish until well blended. Place a few slices of bread into egg mixture, turning over to evenly moisten both sides. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Transfer prepared bread slices to skillet in a single layer. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove slices to a serving platter. Repeat process for remaining bread slices. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Edible Landscaping

Below is a link to an interesting article about Rosalind Creasy, an environmental activist and author of Edible Landscaping. Creasy has started a movement to replace traditional American lawns with decorative fruit and vegetable gardens. She has proven that a vegetable garden can be beautiful and practical. Be sure to look at the slideshow that accompanies the article. I'm going to try and find a copy of her book!

Edible Landscaping article

Venison

It's deer season in Ohio, and as I write this, my husband is sitting in our woods with his shotgun. Venison is a very healthy meat. It has less fat, calories and cholesterol than beef. It is also wild, organic food.

Some people look at deer hunting as cruel, or as an activity for "rednecks." They couldn't be more wrong. My husband's family has been hunting deer for generations. It is a time-honored tradition. Deer are treated with respect and dispatched as quickly as possible. The meat is never wasted. It is a more humane way of getting meat than the methods used by factory farms that supply the supermarkets.

Because venison is so lean, it must be cooked carefully. It has a tendency to be tough if not handled properly. It's not a meat to be put on the grill. Tenderloins can be fried, but most of the cuts of meat should be cooked in sauce or gravy. Some people like to make summer sausage, but I'm not crazy about it myself. I like to prepare venison in the slow cooker with a mushroom gravy or hunter sauce. I also like to can it. Canned venison is almost like shredded beef and is very tender. The recipe below came from my husband's Aunt Cheryl in Minnesota. When canning, always be sure to follow your canner instructions carefully and use all food safety precautions.

Aunt Cheryl's Canned Venison

1. Make a bouillon brine, using 2 beef bouillon cubes to one 1 cup of water. (The amount you make will depend on how much meat you are canning.)

2. Cut venison into chunks.

3. Fill canning pint jars with meat up to 1 inch from top of jar. Add 4 tablespoons of bouillon brine and 1/2 tsp. of canning salt to each jar. Put lids on jars as directed in your pressure canner instructions.

4. Process venison at 10 lbs. of pressure for 75 minutes, or 15 lbs. of pressure for 60 minutes. Remove and cool as directed.