![20160410_094858[1]](https://shirleyjdietz.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20160410_0948581.jpg?w=574&h=1024)
Washing over me warm
Portland’s wettest from rivers
From mountains and sky
Portland’s germs from
A Thousand hands sharing
And traveling Portland’s water
Making its coffee
Which I take in
Breathing Portland’s air
Touching its soil and
Eating its food
Watered by its rains
Food touched
By Portland hands
Washed in Portland’s water
City of Bridges over water
Over streets
City built by its water
Stand under its warmth
Drink in Portland
On the Train
After all these years I sit
Once again on the train, the
Birthday train where we who
Have birthdays go to be
Special, hoping to be special
And we are, even if no one knows
But ourselves, we who have
Birthdays and ride
The birthday train.
Yarn everywhere, knitters
Chatting and staring at their
Work. Where do they all
Come from and why are they
Knitting, here on the train
The birthday train, perhaps
It is their birthday. They are
Knitting to feel special. The
Girl who talks loudly and
Sells yarn should go away.
I feel strange not knitting
Instead my yarn is already
Wrapped around me, soft
Black, gray, silvery mauve
My new sweater helping me
Feel special on the train. New
Clothes on the train
The birthday train to Portland
To spend a special day.
Lacking rest, head aching,
Bad coffee, which nearly
Landed in someone’s lap
As I rocked back and forth
The motion of the train both
A comfort and a challenge
breakfast pizza and my
daughter friend wanting to
make new memories of
being special on the train
We are special together
Just because we are here
My daughter and I
Riding on the birthday train.
As it turned out, we were on the Yarn Train. Ladies from a Seattle area knitters guild travel regularly to Portland yarn shops for a day trip. So interesting… Just sayin’.
I was looking for interesting information about Half and Half and came across a statement that exactly describes what I love about this product. Ready?
“the addition of half and half gives coffee body and richness without turning it grey”
And that is my experience exactly. On the rare occasions when I’m out of half and half and resort to using the husband’s skim milk in my morning coffee, the mere sight of it is enough to make me give up and dump it in the sink. Not the same and not worth drinking. I’m looking for this and nothing else.
As you might imagine the term half and half means half milk and half cream, but it gets more specific than that when you look at the milk fat content. These are the general parameters:
All these different products have their specific uses that relate to the amount of fat they have. In cooking, the fat in cream makes it stable, meaning that it won’t separate and curdle. If you use a lower fat product like half and half in a sauce or to thicken a soup you should add it at the very end and not over cook it or it will curdle. It won’t taste bad if it does but it doesn’t look good either. It won’t curdle with the heat of your coffee due to an additive, sodium citrate disodium phosphate (less than .5%) which keeps it from separating. One of it’s best and most common uses is to make your coffee rich tasting with that beautiful warm brown color… hmmm.
Using 2 tablespoons in your coffee will give you 40 calories. Using 1/2 cup will give you 315 calories. Personally, I find it better not to measure. After all, I’m not going to be drinking gallons of the stuff.
Be aware that in that same 2 tablespoon serving you will be getting 3 grams of fat, which is 5% of your daily allotment and 2 grams of that is saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of sugar (lactose), 1 gram of protein, 2% of your vitamin A requirement, 4% of your vitamin C requirement and 6% of your iron requirement.
Some people are going to try non-fat half and half, which is a complete misnomer because if there’s no fat in it, it can’t be half cream can it? This product is actually skim milk with added thickeners and corn syrup intending to masquerade as the real thing. It does have half the calories but has twice the amount of sodium. As you might guess, it does not have the body and richness of half and half, not at all.
You can make your own half and half by using 1 part milk to 1 part light cream, or 3 parts milk to 1 part light whipping cream, or 4 parts milk to 1 part heavy whipping cream. But what a lot of trouble – better to not run out of it in the first place!
Click on this link to find other uses for half and half that are interesting and really quite good. Many recipes that call for cream or light cream will do well with half and half and you will have fewer calories as a result.
That’s it for H!
(If you don’t care what’s in grapes or why they’re good for you because you’d eat them anyway just because you like them, jump to the recipe at the end. That’s what I would do.)
Red grapes, purple grapes, black grapes, green grapes, seedless grapes, grapes for wine, grapes for the table, grapes for juice, grapes for jam. They’ve been a popular food for centuries, but lately research has introduced us to the reasons behind their most important health benefits.
Resveratrol, anti-oxidants, quercetin. Big words with powerful effects. They are the nutrients of most interest in all colors of grapes and they are concentrated in the skins and seeds. You should eat grapes. This is why…
You probably wouldn’t remember all the scientific jargon if I gave it to you (I don’t have it in my head either) but what you need to know is that these phyto-nutrients are pretty effective at doing these things
In addition to all the phyto-nutrients grapes are a good source of several important minerals – potassium, copper and manganese – and raisins or dried grapes have a good amount of iron.
They have only about 3 calories per grape and a serving of one cup is about 100 calories, an excellent low calorie snack. They are a great source of hydration, being over 70% water and have a fair amount of fiber as well. Need any more reasons to eat some grapes?
I need to mention that grapes are high on the list of fruits that can have pesticide residues, so organic is best. Choose berries (yes they actually are berries) that are firm, not wrinkled, tightly clustered and have nice green stems. Rinse the whole bunch in water before eating and store in the refrigerator. Freeze them for a snack on hot days. One of my favs, cut them in half and put in chicken salad.
Avocado-Grape Salsa The sweetness added by the grapes makes this salsa, or guacamole, unique and really brings out a wonderful flavor. It is also a very flexible recipe so you can leave out cilantro if you’re not fond of that, or use more avocado, onion or even put in some jalapeno. It all works. Be prepared for NO leftovers.
My post on figs triggered a memory in one reader – a restaurant under a fig tree in Portugal! They actually have to warn patrons about the falling figs, and I would suppose if one falls on you it would be yours to eat. They look delicious as you can see in the tiny picture, bottom right. 
Thank you Joy! You are a delightful, interactive reader. Just sayin’…
As you may have noticed by now, this alphabet challenge is about a lot more than the alphabet, a lot more than practicing our writing, a lot more than seeing if we can post something consistently for a month. If you will treat it as such, it’s like a month long party with chances to meet and get to know a very eclectic bunch of people. And you can go in your pajamas… How sweet. I hope everyone is enjoying the interaction. I sure am.
If you’re like me and didn’t grow up in a warm climate, your only exposure to figs was a cookie called Fig Newtons. Since growing up (getting bigger anyway…) spending time in California and Florida, I now know that a fig is a fruit about the size of a plum that grows on a small tree or bush and is part of the mulberry family. It can be eaten fresh but since it has to ripen on the tree and doesn’t keep for very long, it’s most often encountered as a dried fruit, a lot like a prune. There are a lot of different varieties with differences in flavor but because they are so perishable you won’t often find them unless you grow them.
The taste of a fig is very mild and that is probably why we see them dried more often than not. Drying concentrates the flavor and makes it more distinctive. The dark ones I have pictured are the variety called Mission figs and the lighter colored ones are California figs. Organic is a good choice, as with any product where you are eating the skins and all.
Nothing too remarkable in their appearance – most dried things are not lovely – but the fruit before being dried is very interesting. Figs can be grown in most any temperate climate. I have been trying to grow figs in Florida, which is not exactly temperate, but even here they survive.. To pollinate and have true seeds they need the help of a little wasp that we don’t have in North America but the plant will produce fruit even without that pollination. Summary: they are easy to grow but do better in loamy soil with adequate water and some pruning. If you don’t get fruit, be patient, it could take a few years. One tip I read for plants that don’t fruit is to add lime to the soil. I need to do this and to prune in the dormant season.
Eat figs fresh in salads, or as table fruit. Use them dried on your cereal, in soups, stews, to enrich poultry or lamb, and in baked goods. Here’s a favorite recipe that use the dried figs you would normally find in most grocery store. Give it a go! Fig-Bran Muffins Or, you could always go and buy some Fig Newtons… just sayin’.
Chicken eggs, primarily. Eggs are probably the easiest protein to add to a quick meal, anytime of the day, but certainly for breakfast. They have survived seasons of being bad mouthed for their cholesterol and for harboring salmonella and are presently in pretty good standing.
The marvelous thing about an egg is the balanced pairing of a protein and a fat along with other nutrients in a shell designed to take pressure fairly well. This thin layer of calcium allows the collection, cleaning and transport of eggs, not to mention being pushed out of, sat upon and walked over by the chicken. Packaging genius!
I love that eggs go from raw to safely cooked in practically no time at all. Almost any way you want to apply the heat works well. But there is something to avoid in cooking eggs, that is high heat. Egg protein, which is the clear part that turns white, is denatured by high heat and becomes plasticized.. Don’t walk away from the stove when your eggs are cooking because there are only a few seconds between runny/disgusting and hard like rubber.
I don’t know why people think brown eggs are healthier since brown is only the color of the shell, and we don’t eat that, right? However, anyone who has ever raised chickens knows that chickens who have a happy life running around eating greens and catching bugs have eggs that look markedly different on the inside. Nutritionally there will be a difference. To see exactly how much difference diet can make in the amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol, and vitamins in an egg, you can visit the website Egglands Best and look under health benefits.
Just so we’re clear on terms, cage free is a step better than eggs with no other delineation, but it still allows for large scale chicken houses where crowded conditions necessitate giving antibiotics. Organic will mean that there are no additives of this kind and usually friendlier living conditions for the birds. And there is a lot to be said for having your own small flock, letting them roam free in your garden (great insect control, btw) and gathering your own eggs. Many urban communities do allow backyard chickens, roosters prohibited for obvious reasons, however, we are not all so blessed.
I was able to raise chickens when we lived on a farm. Sometimes a hen would lay a whole clutch of eggs in some out of the way place. There might be a dozen by the time I found them and they would still be okay to eat, but if you don’t know where your eggs are coming from refrigeration is best. Eggs will be considered “old” after three weeks but still may be safe to eat past that point. Older eggs are easier to peel when hard boiled while fresh eggs will be more difficult. Many people say that adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, or a tablespoon of salt and ½ tablespoon of baking soda to the boiling water helps the peel come off easier.
My latest egg cooking experiment was to use my muffin tin, an egg still in the shell in each cup, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. The result was like a boiled egg but the husband pointed out the not-so-efficient use of energy. The best method of hard cooking in the shell is to place in pan with water to cover by an inch, bring to a boil over high heat, turn off the heat and let sit for 15-20 minutes and then cool quickly in ice water.
You can also poach eggs (for a somewhat different but good taste experience), scramble them, fry them, or use them in a variety of recipes – the information on them would fill a book. I don’t want to overwhelm you, just sayin’… Just eat them.
The topic today is dandelion. Yes, the little yellow flowers that your kids pick for you in the spring if you’re lucky enough to have a yard, dandelion. But not the flowers, the leaves.
I’m writing about them not because I cook or eat them very often. It’s because they are part of the husband’s Pennsylvania Dutch heritage – wilted greens- and because he loves to tell everyone about their French name (story #47 of his). This plant is really kind of marvelous in it’s medicinal properties and was actually listed in the U.S. Pharmacopeia as a diuretic until 1926. It’s been a part of folk medicine in many eastern countries. Nutrient-wise, it’s one of the top four of all green vegetables, and in the top 50 of power herbs. Who would have guessed?
I am so impressed by everything this plant contains, and by it’s ability to survive almost anywhere. My theory is that God made this plant with lots of what we need and put it where we could find it easily because we might need it someday. All parts of it can be eaten. The root is being studied because of its cancer fighting properties. I could go on, because reading about it makes you want to go out and get some NOW, but look at this:
1 serving provides this amount of RDA (recommended daily allowance)
And since I did find some in the grocery store this week, we are going to eat wilted dandelion salad tonight. I will cook up some beef bacon to flavor the greens, wilt them and serve over potatoes.
Okay, I won’t go into all of story #47 but the word dandelion comes from “dente de lion” or tooth of the lion which is the pointy shape of the leaves. And “pissenlit” is French for wetting the bed, and that could happen if you eat too much dandelion. Just sayin’…
Eat This!
I am a big supporter of FOOD. I think it is absolutely remarkable that everything we humans need to live and be in health is found on this planet. It’s almost like it was made for us. In fact, it is exactly like it was made for us. I have never been a food blogger but I have done a stint teaching nutrition for the University of Florida Extension Service. I learned a lot and it was fun. I think I can share some of the fun and interesting things about some of my favorite foods – one each day during this A to Z Challenge. All these foods have some kind of health advantage and most of them are nutrient dense and very good for you. Today, it’s celery.
.It wasn’t until I started noticing my blood pressure rising that I got serious about eating celery. Before that it was chopped up in soup once in a while or on the veggie tray with other stuff and dip, of course. Now I buy several bunches at a time and always have it cleaned and conveniently ready. It contains a chemical called 3-n-butyl phthalide (you won’t remember this but when it has a name it’s more real, right?) which smooths the muscles in blood vessels, creating better blood flow and a lower pressure. Studies have shown this to be true. My own experience is that it lowers my systolic pressure about 10 points (but this is not a guarantee for everyone). About a cup of chopped celery a day should give results. (http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/foods-that-lower-blood-pressure/)
It’s cool, crunchy, wet and a very pleasant color when it’s fresh (please don’t let it sit forever in the fridg drawer, please…) And you don’t need to do anything fancy with it – just eat it. It’s quick and ready so keep it simple.
*** Important edit! Please do not forget how important and upgrading peanut butter, raisins, or Ranch dressing can be to celery if you don’t mind the added calories. Thank you readers!
These yellow fruits grow in my yard, the oneacrewoods, because we have a subtropical climate. They do not like cold weather though, and sometimes a freeze does them in completely. The plants pop up from rhizomes (called a corm) in the ground. Certain types of shoots will produce fruit and others won’t. They need a good gardener. They also need a lot of regular watering and lots of feeding. They are hungry and fast growing.
They have a big heavy flower stalk on which the fruit forms. If growing conditions are right, the cluster of bananas can be huge. This cluster had so many that we could not eat them all and had to freeze a lot for banana bread later. The cluster can be picked when the fruit is still green and the ripening is gradual – you can kind of see that in the picture below. Freeze your bananas without the peel in a zip lock bag. It’s handy if you put the amount called for in the recipe in one bag. If you click on the link above you’ll find a recipe for one of my favorites. I like the bread to be very moist but also done all the way to the center, so be sure to bake it the full amount of time and test the center with a toothpick.
I love growing bananas because the flavor is markedly better than the average commercial banana. That being said, I like any banana I can get (except the black ones). Bananas are nutrient dense and about 110 calories for an average sized fruit. They are known for being a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamins B6 and C and manganese. They have wonderful texture (great for baby’s first solid food), and they come packaged so conveniently. Don’t let anyone tell you a bad thing about bananas.
I Just Have to Say... 