The Skinny on Getting Thin

            We all, as Americans, can probably stand to lose a few pounds.  As we make our way through the Thanksgiving holiday buffet, the work Holiday party, the Hanukah holiday celebration, the Christmas holiday feasts, the up and coming New Year holiday and the associated Hors d'oeuvre and let's not forget about the food filled Chinese New Year holiday grazing  we are bound to put on a few extra pounds.  Not as if we didn't already carry a few with into the holiday season.  The point is we are all tempted to make the coveted New Year's Resolution...  Well, don't...  You read correct, don't make another resolution that is bound to be covered with disappointment like last year's purchase of a tread mill, elliptical or stair climber.

            Please, just go with me here...  Instead of a resolution, commit to a subtle change in life style first.  Stop eating potato chips.  That's it, just stop doing that one thing and in a month or two, after you are over your urges, add something to your life like walking or taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work.  Then in a few months take away another thing, something like soda or sugar in your coffee or something along those lines.  Then in a month or two add something fun like, jumping rope for 20 min a week.  Increase as you feel comfortable and pull back if it's too much.  If jumping rope is not your thing, try walking at a brisker pace when you walk somewhere.   

           If you want to get serious, how about seeing a counselor...  Oh boy, have I gone too far?  Think about it... Often our eating is emotional.  The "add" does not necessarily have to deal only with physical exercise.  The point is, to add something that will give your decision to be healthier, a little momentum.

            By the "take away and add" method you can make subtle changes in your daily life that have very long term, positive consequences.  It's not about a resolution, it's about a decision to be healthier in your mind so that you can be healthier in your body.  Slow, gradual changes are almost always better and longer lasting than quickly gotten gains.

            A good friend of mine was very over weight and they had one of the weight loss surgeries to help them lose the weight.  After about 6 moths they did in fact lose a considerable amount of weight.  Two years later their weight crept back up to almost where it was prior to the surgery.  The point is, most of us have multiple things that are complicating our weight issues.  We MUST deal with the internal as we deal with the external. 

            Healthy lives are not based on only healthy habits.  It's got just as much to do with asking the difficult questions.  Questions like, when I talk to my son, why do I eat a bag of Doritos?  or When I talk to my mom, why do I feel like making cookies and eating most of them?  When I don't feel good about myself, why do I do things that add to my negative self image? 

            By finding the answers to these questions and embracing the "take away and add" method, your life can be one full of joyful surprises.  By staying away from the New Year's Resolutions you can also stay away from the all or nothing mentality that has left you frustrated in the past.

So, what's your first take away?

To be organic, or not to be organic, that is the question!

 Are organic foods worth the extra price and hassle?  Let me answer that question with a question.

 Which is wiser, to change the environment to allow a specific kind of seed to germinate and grow or is it wiser to plant a seed into an environment that is best suited for that seed?  Change the environment or plant a different seed?

Vegetables raised on mega farms are often doused with all sorts of chemicals that kill weeds, spur unnatural growth, and kill pests.  These farms eliminate the natural balance of a normally diverse ecosystem and replace it with an environment that is suited to only allow one seed type to germinate and grow.  Any other plants and animals either leave the area or die because it is  simply too toxic for their survival. 

 This is where organic produce and farming comes into the picture.  Organic farmers use the ecological diversity of an area to help them grow the plants that are best suited to that particular environment.  Organic farming is not just a method of farming but a method of living.   It's more labor intensive, it's costlier, and the harvests are less than with traditional farming practices.

 Even still, there is much discussion regarding the benefit of organic vegetables.  I believe that it's a worthy discussion to have.  As we discuss these kind of things we tend to do a little research and in turn we can find out all sorts of useful information.  And like they say, an informed decision, is a good decision.

 Did you know that some fruits and vegetables are more susceptible to contamination from pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer than others?  Below is a list of the "Dirty Dozen" from the Organic.org website.

12 Most Contaminated
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes (Imported)
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes

12 Least Contaminated
Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn (Frozen)
Pineapples
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas (Frozen)
Kiwi Fruit
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papaya

 When considering whether or not to go the organic route, the "Dirty Dozen" list is a great place to start but take some time and consider the following questions before you ever get to the grocery:

1.  How much of my budget can / should be be allocated to organic foods?

 Maybe you are considering moving to an organic diet.  If so allocate 20-30% of your food budget to organics.  If you try to buy all organic products it can get a little overwhelming and a bit pricy.  If you are a seasoned organic consumer, then maybe you allocate 60% or more of your budget to organic products.  Either way, food prices are only going up.  Eating healthy does not have to be cost prohibitive.  Plan your budget and stick to it.  It's amazing what you can do when you stay disciplined in sticking within your budget.

2.  Do I regularly throw away food that I intended to cook but never got around to?

 In America we tend to throw away a LOT of food.  If you find that you are buying food to cook but end up eating out two or three or even four times a week then you may want to purchase less when you go.  Sure you will make multiple trips to the grocery store throughout the week but that way, you are getting fresher produce and meats, you are not buying food that you will not cook, and you will become what I call a "purpose driven shopper".  Meaning that you are more likely to go into the store on a mission to get a few specific things and as a result you will be less likely to "impulse buy" which will undoubtedly save you plenty of cash by the end of the month.  However, if you tend to use a farmers market then frequent the same vendors each time you go.  This is a great way to get to know the families that actually grow your food and they often give price breaks to frequent flyers.

3.  Are there children that will be eating the food that I purchase?

 If you are feeding little ones then you may want to consider sticking to all organic fruits and vegetables.  Their little bodies have enough to fight against, adding herbicides, pesticides, and hormones to the mix only makes it worse.  If not, then you can make wise purchases by using  the dirty dozen list and managing your budget accordingly.
 
4.  What fruits and vegetables do I eat the most?

 When it comes to vegetables I usually eat the same vegetables year round.  I will eat some off the wall veggies when there is a sale going on or if find a recipe that I'm interested in trying that has a vegetable that is not normally on my radar.  The point is, I can usually get a couple bushels of corn in the late summer / early fall and can corn or green beans or carrots or whatever it is that I like the most.  If it's local and organic I can often get a better price if I purchase in bulk.  Investing into some canning equipment is a great way to get the freshest vegetables year round.  Think about going in on some of the equipment with a friend and take a weekend a put up your beans and corn together.  It's a great time and it is much easier on your wallet than you might think. 

5.  Is there a local CSA in my area?

 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a great way to make darn sure that your fruits and vegetables are truly organic, and if they are local then they have a better carbon foot print since they did not need to get shipped from Mexico or Florida.  Using a CSA supports your local growers and it gives you a chance to even visit the farm and even help out if you want to.  Most CSAs give you fruits and vegetables and sometimes even eggs and flowers for up to 30 weeks out of the year.  In the Dayton region there are quite a few CSAs.  Regardless of where you live, you can find a CSA near you by going here: http://www.localharvest.org/.

6.  Why not grow it yourself?

 Starting a small family garden is a great way to ensure that your vegetables are fresh and organically raised.  While managing and maintaining a garden is work, it's also very rewarding.  You can grow your own tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, collard  greens, potatoes, broccoli and just about anything else you can imagine.  Family gardens usually provide much more than a small family can eat so you'll end up giving your produce away to your neighbors.  It's a great way to meet the folks in your neighborhood and maybe they will grow something that you like and you can trade vegetables. 
 All of the answers to these questions require you to  be and/or become a part of the solution.  Remember what I said earlier, an informed decision is a good decision.  Get involved and don't be afraid to ask questions.  A farmers market is a great place to start, even if you don't end up buying anything.  Get a feel for the place and the sellers, listen to what is going on around you and take it in.  Before you know it you may have your own booth there selling your own homemade salsa and canned green beans. 

At the end of the day it's your decision and you are the best judge for what is best for you in this stage of your life.  All that I ask is that you be willing to ask yourself if organic produce and food products are right for you.  Whatever your decision I have no doubt that it'll be the right one.

Chef Pat @ CFL

What a Crock!

Let's talk about Crockpots...

Most of us have one lurking in some unreachable corner of our cabinets somewhere next to the spring-loaded sugar cookie gun and vacuum sealer contraption.  I'll be honest, I think that Crockpots are under rated.  I know that they are not a "Kitchen Essential" but they are darn handy!

I'd be willing to bet that 90% of the time the a Crockpot is used in America, it's being used to make a pot roast.  We have limited our usage of this great kitchen tool to the degree that it's a waste of cabinet space. 

A little history:  Back say oh about 200 years ago, you know, the founding of our great country.  Yea, um, they didn't have Crockpots, they had Dutch Ovens.  A simple cast iron deep dish pot with a lid.  That  pot was filled up early in the morning with whatever they had to throw in it and covered with coals and buried in the ground.  By the time they got back from mending fences or whatever they were doing, they had a hot meal and even the toughest cuts of meat would come out fork tender.  That simple contraption entered the 70s and for whatever reason we decided to electrify it.  Here is a better and slightly more accurate history of the Crockpot.

Needless to say somewhere in the late 70s the Crockpot was a standard kitchen appliance.  It was used to cook all sorts of stuff and Betty Crocker had some truly great old school recipes for the time.  Fast forward to 2011 and we value Crockpots about as much as we do shag carpet and a water picks.

 

So how do you get the most out of your Crockpot?

Glad you asked...

 America's Test Kitchen has some great recipes in their Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook.  There are also some wonderful web resources out there.  I've listed a few that I find helpful:

http://www.a-crock-cook.com/crock-pot-recipes.html

http://busycooks.about.com/od/favoritecrockpotrecipes/a/favoritecrockpo.htm

http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/126473/7_crock_pot_recipes_that

http://www.recipe4living.com/articles/the_25_best_crockpot_recipes_countdown.htm

Now these are just a few resources that I use.  There are hundreds more out there and some you will find that you like more than others.  So, take some time and look around these sites, there are some amazing recipes designed just for your Crockpot.    

For Example:  Crockpot Oatmeal, Crockpot Mac-n-Cheese, and Crockpot Lasagna.

These are just some of the really good and fun recipes that are out there.  I encourage you to get creative. 

Some words of wisdom:

If you are going to use your Crockpot, use the low setting.  These recipes are designed for their ingredients to be in a low temp, low pressure environment.  Starting it later and using the high setting is not a good idea.  It will work but it's much better if you follow the recipe as it is written. 

Don't be afraid to experiment, it's only food.  Every cook has made hundreds or thousands of mistakes in the kitchen.  All of those mistakes has and will continue to make us better at what we love to do. 

When it comes to seasonings, it is often best to add your seasonings later in the cooking cycle of your recipe.  Herbs like thyme and Cilantro can turn bitter after long hours in the Crockpot.  So it may be a good idea to add them an hour or so before you plan on serving.  

At the end of the day, you are your harshest critic.  For some reason, in our western culture, we seem to think that if we cannot be perfect then we should not even bother trying.  I say that's just a crock.  Have fun, eat well, and love much.

 

Chef Pat @ CFL

The Day After...

Ok, now that the turkey is in the refrigerator, the stuffing is gone and the mashed potatoes just don't quite taste the same reheated, what do you do with the leftovers?

Here are some great suggestions.

1.  Freeze it - Using your turkey to make a turkey and vegetable stew later in the year will be an easy meal when you are tired and dont want to mess with making a big meal, especially when the weather gets really cold.

2.  Turkey Pot Pie - Nothing says comfort food like a homemade pot pie. 

3.  Turkey and noodles  - This is an Ohio staple. 

4.  Turkey BBQ - I know it sounds unusual but give it a shot.  Use a fresh potato bun (hamburger bun) with piping hot turkey and BBQ sauce.  Some potato chips and a pickle and you will be dreaming of summer BBQs in no time at all.  This really goes great with a tall glass of sweet tea!

5.  The Ever Popular Turkey and Cranberry Sandwich - I believe that some people look forward to this sandwich as much as they do to the actual Thanksgiving meal itself.   Be sure to use a nice sourdough bread then add your turkey, some mayo, lettuce, and top it off with some cranberry sauce.

6.  Turkey Salad - A modification of the traditional Chicken Salad. 

7.  Turkey Enchiladas - Add a few green chilies, some onions and a can of tomatoes to your leftover turkey and wrap it in a flour tortilla and top with your favorite enchilada sauce.  A great way to change up on flavors in the colder months too.

8.  Turkey & Rice with Mixed Vegetables - Make some brown rice, add a can of cream of mushroom soup and cup or two of cooked turkey and half of a bag of frozen vegetables.  It's a wonderful comfort food and it goes great with a couple pieces of toast.  Plus, it's a very easy dinner to make when you don't have time to prepare a full on meal.

9.  Broccoli, Turkey, Rice, and Cheese Casserole - Add your cooked rice, cooked curkey, frozen broccoli, a can of cream of mushroom soup and a little shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 45 min.  Very easy and very yummy!

10.  Turkey and Dumplings - Again a standard comfort food.  Use your favorite recipe for chicken and dumplings and swap the chicken for the turkey and you have yourself a great meal that you can eat on for a few days.

 11.  Make a nice big salad and a use your turkey as a topping. Turkey is a lean meat so you will not be hurting your self by using turkey to supliment your salads.

12.  White Chili - White Chili is an often overlooked chili recipe but it's extreamly flavorful and good for you.  There are hundreds of recipes for a white chili on the internet.  Find some that look good to you and just use your turkey in place of chicken or pork in the recipe. 

The point is, get creative.  There is no need to let your holiday bird go to waste.  Turkey is an American staple and it has many, many uses.  The only thing that will limit your use of your leftover turkey is your imagination.

What are your favorite leftover turkey recipes?

Chef Pat @ CFL

Time To Talk Turkey

We've all had turkey on Thanksgiving.  We all expect turkey on Thanksgiving.  But if we are really honest it's the side dishes that make the meal.  We all love to see that big bird on the table but honestly, don't we also love the Green Bean Casserole, Candied Yams, Stuffing, and Pumpkin Pie even more.  Well all that is about to change.

I want to show you how to cook a turkey so that it really is the best part of your Thanksgiving Day meal.

To end up with a perfectly juicy and flavorful bird we need to start with a fresh bird.  Some frozen kosher birds are also outstanding but I do prefer a fresh turkey.  Thankfully we have Bowman & Landis just up the road.  If you don't have the benefit of a local turkey farmer your grocer should be able to point you in the right direction.  Remember, if you are using a kosher or self-basting bird, there is no need to brine it.  It will only make it too salty.

So once you get your bird you need to clean him well.  Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.  Inside and out.

Next you will need to prepare a brine.  Brining the turkey will cause it to absorb water that is loaded with salt, sugar, and other flavors that will enhance the flavor of your turkey and keep it nice a juicy.

For your brine:

1 Cup of Kosher Salt
1 Cup packed brown sugar
4 oranges quartered and crushed
8 cloves (whole)
1 T of pepper corns
1 gallon of apple cider
8 cloves of garlic (Diced)
1 sprig of rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme
1 gallon of water

Bring half of the water to a boil, add all ingredients except the water and cider.

Ensure that the salt and sugar are dissolved.  Add the water and cider to the brine mixture.

Once the mixture is cooled off Line a 5 gallon bucket with a trash bag or two.

Place your bird into the bag and pour the brine over it. push out all of the air in the bag and tie it off.  Pull the bag out of the bucket and place it in a cooler that is lined with ice.

Let your bird sit in that brine for no less than 24 hours & no longer than 48 hours.  Turning 4 times each day.

Once your bird has bathed in your brine, rinse it off and again pat it dry.  Discard the brine as it is tainted with the blood of your bird and is a cocktail of bad stuff waiting to happen.

Once your bird is dry, let it come up to room temp.  So, let it sit in your roasting pan on the counter for a couple hours.  Once it's up to room temp.  we are almost ready to put it in the oven.

Add some onions, carrots, and celery to the bottom of the roasting pan with some chicken broth to assist with making gravy later.

First generously dust your bird with olive oil, salt, and pepper, inside and out.  Preheat your oven to 425
Using a V-Rack place your bird, breast down, in the rack.  Ensure that your bird is coated with the salt, pepper, and oil on its back side too.

After an hour, remove your bird from the oven.  Flip it breast side up and reduce the heat to 325 and finish cooking for about an hour and a half or so.  Using a thermometer verify that the turkey is at 170 in the thickest part of the breast.

Let the bird rest for 40 min or so prior to slicing it.

This is the recipe that I've been using for years and it is a real hit with the family.  The times are for a fairly large bird, about 20lbs.  You will need to make asjustments based on the turkeys weight.

Enjoy it and don't be afraid to play with the brine a little, try using honey and garlic or even a teriyaki sauce or whatever, have fun with it...

As always, let us know your thoughts and have an amazing Thanksgiving holiday!

Chef Pat CFL

The Holiday Season: Lots of Food, Lots of Calories

If you're anything like me, on thanksgiving day I pile my plate high and wide with all of the food that is forever associated with Thanksgiving: Turkey, Stuffing, Taters and Gravy, Mac & Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, Candied Yams and the list goes on and on...

So, how do we make it through the holiday season without another New Year's Resolution that is bound to be broken?

Ok. First off you have to WANT to do this. It's not going to come easy. If you're going to have your cake and eat it too then guess what, you gonna look like you ate cake! Not that cake is bad...

The point is, the choice is up to you as to how you want to handle the holidays. If you want to commit to a healthier version of the traditional holiday meals it starts with the little things.

Here are 12 simple ideas to help you traverse your holiday family meals with a little less food guilt.

1. Use a smaller plate. The bigger the plate that you use the more your gonna put on it. Go small...

2. Once you have your plate in front of you, take the time to really enjoy it. Don't just inhale the food. Taste it! Chew each bite, savor it, get the most out of each bite you take. Follow each bite of food with a drink of water. Not a gulp, but enough of a sip to clean your palate to get you ready for the next bite.

3. Pass on the butter. For your dinner rolls and mashed potatoes and cornbread and sweet potatoes, hold off on using additional butter. I promise you that there is plenty of butter already in the dish, you do not need to add more. By skipping the butter, you are saving yourself loads of cholesterol, fat and calories that you honestly will not even miss.

4. This next one is a little touchy so be ready... If you are like most Americans, Thanksgiving dinner has as many emotional pitfalls as Golden Coral has deserts. If you are emotionally charged, don't eat! Take a breather, maybe a little walk or something like that. The point is, if you are using food to calm you down, all hopes are lost in trying the eat healthier.

5. When dishing up your plate, us a small spoon. Most of us use a serving spoon that can serve up a cup and a half of mashed potatoes. Try using a soup spoon instead. You portions will be smaller and it will be easier to manage your intake.

6. After you have gorged yourself on the bird and all the other fixins, take a walk. It's a great time to talk to a sister or brother or friend that you've not had a chance to catch up with in a while, plus it gets your body working on using all of that fuel that you just consumed.

7. I don't know a person alive that can pass up a pecan pie or a pumpkin pie on Turkey day. So, instead of having 1/8th of a pie to yourself, buddy up with someone and have them take half of your piece.

8. Alcohol. Based on my family experience, alcohol is best left out of the equation for Thanksgiving. However, if you do consume alcohol, set a household limit to two drinks or something along those lines. This will limit your intake and it can also help to diffuse difficult emotional stuff that seems to pop up at family events.

9. Dress up for your dinner. Wear your favorite jeans or dress, your favorite top and shoes and all of that. Dress up and dress nice. If you are looking good and feeling good before your meal, you'll still want to look and feel good after your meal and that will help curb your eating.

10. Take your vitamins. If you are a daily vitamin person, then don't skip on this day. Give your body what it needs.

11. When dealing with leftovers, get stuff in the freezer right away. If you reserve some leftovers for grazing the next day then that is great, just get the rest of it in the freezer for soups or casseroles or whatever you are going to make with them. The less that is readily available to eat, the less you will eat.

12. Remember, Thanksgiving was originally celebrated after years and years of unbearable hardship from the original settlers of this great country. It was the Native American's benevolence that allowed the settlers to survive. You may want to echo that same idea. Take your leftovers to the local fire house or to a church that is serving lunch that day to the homeless.

So, there are 12 solid ideas that you can do to have a fun filled holiday meal and also help keep the pounds away.

We here at CFL would like to wish you and all of your family members an amazing, joy filled Thanksgiving day. Remember, kindness has to start somewhere, why not with you.  Bon Appétit!

 

Tell us what you think!!

Chef Pat @ CFL

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