Presidential trivia

What did our Founding Fathers eat?

 By Sidney Harrison Published February 16, 2015  

            Over  two centuries ago, our founding fathers were creating the United States of America. Every year we celebrate our nation and its creation on the Fourth of July. On this holiday, we honor our founding fathers by grilling up some good food, making fun red, white, and blue decorations, and spending time with friends and family. So while we eat our burgers and ribs, we look back to the men who created our country and their culinary preferences.  Times were much different when our founding fathers lived. They cooked over open wood fires, and often had farms of their own where they got their produce. They didn't have supermarkets and convection ovens.

 Food was simpler for them, and a lot of the founding fathers had easy-to-please palates. Then again, Thomas Jefferson was known for his culinary adventurousness. Culinary historian Karen Hess described Jefferson as "our only epicurean president. He was an avid gardener, and trained his kitchen staff in French cooking techniques. Our nation's founders had a deep love for food, just like us. Washington had his cherries and Benjamin Franklin was a particular fan of turkey. Whether they preferred simple meals or more elaborate dishes, eating was a big part of their lives. After all, they spent a lot of their time navigating politics and drafting important documents. They must have been exhausted after a day full of that. 

We took a look into what kinds of foods our founding fathers ate.

 1.  Cherries  Everyone knows the myth about George Washington and the cherry tree, but did you know that he actually had a cherry orchard on his property? Both he and Thomas Jefferson cultivated cherry trees on their land.

 2.  Green Beans Almost all of our founding fathers lived on large farms. Thomas Jefferson, in particular, had a deep love for farming and he published many books about it. In his Garden Book, he mentioned planting green beans often.

 3.  Turkey  We all associate turkey as a classic American food. After all, what's Thanksgiving without a big, juicy turkey on the table? And it seems that the founding fathers agreed with us. Benjamin Franklin loved turkey so much that he suggested it should be our national symbol. The bald eagle won that fight, but turkey is still popular today. 

4.  Oysters  Seafood in general was popular amongst the founding fathers. Most of them spent a lot of their working lives near large bodies of water. Even though they enjoyed all seafood, oysters were by far their favorites. Martha Washington, our first First Lady, included many recipes for oysters in her cookbook.

 5.  Cornmeal Cakes  It's common knowledge that George Washington had dental issues. For most of his life he wore dentures, so he often couldn't chew foods properly. Because of this, he preferred soft, easy-to-eat foods. Cornmeal cake was one of his favorites.  

Sunday wrap up

Good evening everyone,
At our house, we are anxiously watching the weather! Thankfully, in Arkansas, the weather changes quickly and often so even if we have freezing rain tonight, we may see sunshine tomorrow.

We have a number of friends with problems this week. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. When it rains, it pours! We have deaths, injuries, illness, and disaster in our little group. So please say a prayer for your friends and stay safe and warm! Call if you need me....

Have a great week!

Rice Pudding

Rice pudding

2/3 c. Minute Rice

2 3/4 c. milk

1/3 c. sugar

1 tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Cinnamon

1/2 c. raisins

Combine Minute Rice, milk and raisins, sugar, butter, salt, vanilla and nutmeg in a buttered 1 quart baking dish. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour, stirring after 15 minutes and again when pudding is done. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve warm or chilled. Pudding thickens as it stands.

Eggs

Eggs? New dietary guidelines may downplay cholesterol risks 

Published February 11, 2015.     

     Eating a whole egg, yolks and all, has gotten a bad reputation over the years, but new dietary guidelines may send egg white-only omelets by the wayside. The recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which are now under review, are expected to downplay the importance of lowering cholesterol intake. The most recent set of guidelines in 2010 recommended consuming less than 300 milligrams per day of dietary cholesterol, which is about the amount in one egg.  

In the coming weeks, the committee is expected to release the report for use by the Agriculture and Health and Human Services Departments to write the final version of the 2015 dietary guidelines, due by the end of this year. For decades, the government has warned against diets high in cholesterol. But now many nutritionists believe that cholesterol intake may not significantly impact cholesterol blood levels or increase the risk of heart disease in healthy adults, according to the Washington Post. In December, the advisory panel said in its preliminary recommendations that cholesterol is no longer "considered a nutrient of concern for overconsumption. That would be a change from previous guidelines, which said Americans eat too much cholesterol. This follows increasing medical research showing how much cholesterol is in your bloodstream is more complicated than once thought, and depends more on the kinds of fats that you eat. Medical groups have moved away from specific targets for cholesterol in the diet in recent years. It's unclear if the recommendation will make it into the final guidelines. 

Dr. Robert Eckel, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado in Denver who is a past president of the American Heart Association, told Reuters that there's not enough evidence to make good recommendations on cholesterol right now, but "no evidence doesn't mean the evidence is no. People can enjoy high-cholesterol egg yolks in moderation, but "a three- to four-egg omelet isn't something I'd ever recommend to a patient at risk for cardiovascular disease," he says. The nutritional value of the egg and its yolk has been debated by nutritionists for years. While it had a bad reputation with regard to cardiovascular health, most recent research has shown that cholesterol found in foods isn't fully to blame for increased LDL ("bad") cholesterol in the body. "Eggs are an animal product, and they do contain cholesterol." . "But actually, cholesterol in foods doesn't affect our blood cholesterol as much as saturated fat does. 

Cholesterol in food, in general you do want to avoid, but it's not necessarily the main culprit of high cholesterol. Compared to other animal products, the average egg actually contains relatively low amounts of saturated fats- about 1.6 grams per egg yolk. Studies from the Harvard School of Public Health and the British Nutrition Foundation have also found that eggs have clinically insignificant effects on blood cholesterol, and are not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating only the egg white has been popular because it's considered pure protein and doesn't have the fatty content of the yolk, but some dieticians argue that consuming both the fat and protein can have a positive health benefits when it comes to blood sugar. "You want the fat, because it not only satiates you, but also slows the absorption of your food." . "So you stay fuller longer, and it won't increase blood sugar. A lot of people have toast with just egg whites, but it's giving them a quicker rise in their blood sugar. But if you have the yolk with it or a different form of fat like avocado, your blood sugar won't rise as quickly, because it takes longer to break (the food) down. Of course, all fat must be consumed in moderation, which is why many dieticians recommend eating only a few egg yolks each week. And for patients with a history of vascular disease, keeping track of the eggs they eat is critical to their health. A study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that patients with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease should limit their cholesterol intake from foods to about 200 milligrams a day. 

Despite their fat and cholesterol content, egg yolks are a good source of vitamin A and iron, along with a host of other nutrients. "Eggs, in general, are also good sources of B vitamin, thiamine is one example, and selenium, which is an antioxidant," Cimperman said. "And folate is a good vitamin, particularly for pregnant women. As long as consumers are conscientious about how many eggs they consume and the way they're consuming them- frying an egg in butter is worse for blood cholesterol than a hardboiled egg, for example- they shouldn't be overly concerned about their cardiovascular health. "Even if you're eating something like a nut- that also has saturated fat in it," Cipullo said. "You have to look at the benefits, and the benefits of eggs providing overall protein and vitamins and being easy to eat, that outweighs the fact that it has a few grams of saturated fat. The advisory panel's guidelines may also change recommendations on how much salt is too much and put limits on sugar consumption for the first time. 

Super easy, yummy and healthy sweet potatoes

Upside down sweet potatoes

Ingredients
6 tablespoons melted butter
6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
4 medium sweet potatoes
about 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pour melted margarine in 8x11 baking dish.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over melted butter.
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, rub with brown sugar and place cut side down over butter/cheese mixture.
Bake for 30-35 mins or till tender.

Hands

5 ways to get younger-looking hands 

Published February 08, 2015.

You may be as committed to your anti-aging skin care routine as you are to keeping up with Downton Abbey's dramatic plot, but sometimes the biggest giveaway of your age is nowhere near your face - it's on your hands. From age spots to ragged cuticles, we asked top dermatologists and manicurists for the real cause of these hand-agers and, more importantly, the solutions. 

Age spots.

 They're actually sun spots, says Jessica Wu, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Southern California Medical School. "Even if you don't sunbathe or spend much time outdoors now, age spots are often a sign of how much time you've spent in the sun in past years," she says. Check the evidence: Look at the difference between the skin on the inside of your wrist and on the back of your hands. The skin in both areas is the same age (yikes!). If the spots are new, Wu recommends using products with fading ingredients like licorice or soy found in over-the-counter products, which may help lighten them. Try June Jacobs Intensive Age Defying Hydrating Hand and Foot Cream. Or, opt for stronger, prescription-strength ingredients like tretinoin - the active ingredient in Retin-A and Renova. "In the office, I remove brown spots with laser, chemical peels, or freezing [them] with a liquid nitrogen spray," says Wu. But keep in mind that hands take longer to heal than your face. You can prevent age spots by using sunscreen, Wu adds. "Choose one that provides broad spectrum UVA protection, since these are the rays that are most linked to melanin production," she says. 

Vein-y hands. 

As you age, the skin on your hands starts to thin, says Carolyn Jacob, MD, the director at Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology, and as it does your veins become more visible. To smooth things over, "there are injectable fillers such as Restylane and Radiesse that can plump up the hands and improve the overall appearance," she says. Or, you can go straight to the source and inject the actual veins "to collapse them and make them less prominent," says Wu. 

Bony, wrinkled hands.

 Skeleton hands, as some might call it, are often a natural part of aging. "As we get older, the collagen and fat in our hands break down over time," says Alexandra Zhang, MD, a Cleveland Clinic dermatologist. This leads to a wrinkled, bony look on your hands. "Certain lasers with fractional technology can stimulate the collagen synthesis with reduced 'down time' and may help to tighten the skin," she says.

 Ragged nails and cuticles.

 Showing your cuticles some love not only helps them look youthful, but also benefits your overall health. "Your cuticles help seal the nail and keep out bacteria and fungus," says Wu. So whatever you do, do not cut them or push them back too hard. "Cutting and overly vigorous pushing will make them thick and crack and, worse, lift up," she says, "allowing infection to get under the skin. Keep your cuticles supple and well moisturized with a rich cuticle oil treatment, says Rashida B., a Chicago-based fashion manicurist. Her go-to is Famous Name's Dadi' Oil, which helps prevent brittleness, breaking, chipping, and hangnails. And to keep nails in shape, eat foods that contain antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and silicon to help nourish your skin and grow healthy nails, says Zhang. Also, cutting nails short and weaing a flesh-toned polish helps give hands a more youthful appearance, says Rashida B.

 Dry skin.

 Since flaky, parched skin is a telltale sign of passing birthdays, keep your hands moisturized. Look for topical creams that contain retinol or antioxidants such as Vitamin C, green tea, or coffee extracts, says Zhang. "They will help to even the skin tone and stimulate collagen synthesis, giving your hands a smooth, refreshed appearance. Also, always wear gloves when doing household chores, says Rashida B. "It protects the hands from possible contact dermatitis, which can lead to skin agers like severe dryness, flaking, redness, and inflammation.

Magic custard cake

I finally found the recipe everyone has been asking me for, so here it is again, nice & naughty so eat in moderation...............

MAGIC CUSTARD CAKE

Ingredients:

4 eggs (whites separated from yolks), room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted/125g
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk lukewarm
powdered sugar for dusting cake

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease and Line 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish with parchment.
Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and beat egg whites stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the egg yolks & sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla. Beat for two mins. Add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for approx 60 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. Cool and dust heavily with powdered sugar.