Did your mom enlist you in the “clean plate club” at an early age? Do you get your down-home cooking skills and your growing waistline from her? Well, recent research says that women learn their eating habits (and so many other good things) from their mothers. Here’s why it’s so important to teach our daughters healthy eating habits.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Like the old adage “like mother, like daughter” says, women can pick up many eating habits by watching their mothers in the kitchen.

Investigators found that low-income African-American women often learn from their mothers to be “grateful” for the food they are given, but may get few lessons on which foods are healthier than others.

Specifically, discussions with 21 women between the ages of 25 and 65 revealed that women were often taught that food was scarce, and they should eat everything they are served - a practice that could lead to overeating. And while some mothers told their daughters that they should eat more vegetables because they are “good for you,” other daughters received no such information.

Girls watch their mothers closely, and these findings demonstrate that women have a great opportunity to provide their daughters with life-long healthy eating habits, “by their own positive example,” study author Dr. Diane Baer Wilson told Reuters Health.

“Habits become behaviors when they begin early, when they are routinely observed in parents, and seem to be valued by an authority figure,” she said.”Parents can use their influence to model positive health habits for children, including healthy eating and exercise,” added Wilson, who is based at the VCU School of Medicine in Virginia USA.

During the study, Wilson and her team reviewed information gathered from four discussion groups with the women. Two of the groups included women between the ages of 25 and 45, and the other two groups were made up of women between the ages of 46 and 65.All study participants were members of the African Methodist Episcopalian church, and lived in low-income communities in South Carolina.

Although there were many similarities between the older and the younger women, theresearchers discovered important differences, as well. For instance, younger women were more likely to say that they eat differently now than their mothers did, noting that their busier lifestyle and added conveniences like microwaves often discourage them from cooking large meals three times per day, as their mothers did.

Younger women also indicated that they learned about the importance of healthy eating and its relationship to diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure at an earlier age than older women. In many cases, women also picked up their attitudes about their bodies from their mothers. For instance, older women said they were often taught by their mothers to be happy with their bodies, and their mothers only rarely spoke about wanting to lose or gain weight. However, some younger women reported that their mothers dieted, or were concerned that their daughters looked too thin.

This study may not be 100% in its findings but it is just common sense that we mothers should provide the very best role model for our daughters. Make sure that it exists in our daily approach to children’s nutritional needs.

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Cutting the Cost of Eating Healthy

Many friends and acquaintances tell me that healthy eating is all very well but is far too expensive for those on low incomes.

I feel compelled to explain that even nutritionists, like many others, exist on tight budgets.

Nevertheless, I am pleased to receive these views as they highlight a common misconception.

Perhaps those who genuinely believe healthy eating is expensive are not too keen on the idea of cooking or spending time in the kitchen. Certainly, healthy food can consist of an expensive recipe from a celebrity cookbook. But it needn’t be. Tasty, healthy food can be made using the simplest and most basic ingredients.

Convenience food, on the other hand, may be quick and easy to prepare but is neither cheap nor healthy.

Here are some healthy ideas to help keep your shopping costs down. No doubt you can think of many more:

*Boost your fruit intake by eating it between meals as a snack with seeds, nuts or pieces of cheese instead of spending your cash on chips and chocolate.

*Make home-made muesli rather than buying sugary breakfast cereals: Soak a handful of oats in filtered water for 15 minutes. Add a chopped apple or any seasonal fruit and some nuts or seeds. Serve with a dash of milk or yogurt.

*Make a fruit salad and store for up to two to three days in the fridge: Buy a can of ready-made fruit salad sweetened with apple or grape juice, add chopped fresh fruit of your choice and a little fresh orange or apple juice. Decorate with ready-to-eat dried fruit, nuts or dessicated coconut.

*Increase your vegetable intake by steaming several vegetables at once with your main meal and adding fresh or frozen vegetables to casseroles and stews.

*Home-made vegetable soups with added lentils or barley are quick and easy to prepare and can be frozen into several portions.

*Save chicken bones and boil for an hour to make a delicious stock or gravy.

*For healthier chips, scrub a few potatoes, cut into slices and then sticks, with skins retained. Arrange in one layer in baking pan. Brush with olive oil and soy sauce. Bake for 20-30 mins in a pre-heated oven (220ºC).

*Keep a good stock of low-cost, healthy store-cupboard items such as canned fish (sardines, tuna and mackerel), tomatoes and brown rice.

*Baked beans on a baked potato sprinkled with grated cheese and eaten with a salad is easy, cheap and tasty.

*Boiled or poached eggs and oily fish are useful standbys as they contain vitamin D - a nutrient that is essential to good health.

*Plan ahead and stock up basic ingredients such as rice, meat or fish when they are better priced.

*The ancient, enjoyable art form of cooking is easily learned and you’ll be less likely to resort to expensive takeaways.

Finally, cut down on your transport costs by sharing the shopping chores with your family, friends and neighbors.

Eating well doesn’t have to be expensive if you plan ahead and smartly.

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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New Years eve is upon us and I know what is on your mind…what do I serve my guests? You don’t want to hear “Gee, ham again?” “Gee, turkey again!” as they have become holiday staples for decades.

Our holiday meal suggestion is a wonderful recipe from Chef Scott Bryan at the world acclaimed Veritas, a  New York City restaurant.

Prepare this recipe for your family, friends and guests on New Years Eve and they will talk about it all  year long.

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

1 to 1 and a 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, washed and halved
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
10 shallots, peeled and halved
15 fresh mushrooms, halved
5 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
2 fresh whole chickens (3 1/2 pound each)
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
4 sprigs each of tarragon, rosemary, and thyme
1 cup dry white wine
Fleur de sel (sea salt)

* Servings: 6-8

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, shallots, mushrooms, and garlic with the oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a large roasting pan.

Cut the lemon in half, and rub the chickens with the lemon flesh and then the butter, and season the birds generously with salt and pepper. Place half a lemon and 2 sprigs of
tarragon, rosemary, and thyme in the cavity of each chicken.

Arrange the chickens on top of the vegetables, and roast in the lower half of the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until chickens are cooked and the skin is crisp, basting the chickens every 20 minutes. If the birds are not crisp, increase the oven temperature to 475 degrees for the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking.

Remove from the oven, cover the chickens loosely with aluminum foil, and allow the chickens and vegetables to rest in the pan for 20 minutes.

Remove chicken and vegetables to a platter, pour the fat off the pan, deglaze with the wine, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the carved chicken and vegetables with fleur de sel, and serve with pan juices.

This is a wonderful dish that will excite the taste buds of your guests and make their visit to your home unforgettable.

Happy New Year!

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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After every successful Christmas,there is inevitably an amount of food that is leftover after the event.

The question is what to do with the leftovers so as not to waste those expensive Christmas Day table fare such as ham, turkey, roasted vegetables, seafood and of course the plum pudding.

The first question one should ask, however, is not ‘what can I do with the leftovers?’ It should be, ‘what should I do with the leftovers?’ - To ensure that they are safe to utilize at a later date.

The answer is fairly straight forward and relates mostly to the temperatures at which the food has been kept and the amount of time foods spend at temperatures between 5-65 degrees Celsius, as this is the range most dangerous for micro-biological growth in food. Given that it’s safe to assume that room temperature, especially on December 25, sits smack in the middle of this it is crucial that food does not sit too long on the table, in fact the shorter the better, so after serving the chilled shellfish from the fridge get any leftover wrapped and back in the refrigerator as soon as everyone has eaten.

As for the bevy of hot foods it is best that any surplus is allowed to cool then it is wrapped well and chilled back to 4 degrees Celsius or less, again, as quickly as possible as this will extend the life of the food. Any food that has been cooked and reheated should not be utilized at a later date. The same applies to food that has been frozen as a raw product, and then cooked; you should not attempt to refreeze any food after cooking that has already been frozen.

The other food safety point to note is never place cooked food or food to be served raw, such as salads, on a chopping board after you have worked on raw food that needs to be cooked such as poultry, fish or meats or place raw item above cooked in your refrigerator, this will avoid cross contamination of your food and also avoid an unpleasant leftover banquet experience.

In the simplest terms you can’t go far wrong if you follow these general guidelines:

*Serve cold food cold (under 5 degrees Celsius)

*Hot food hot (over 65 degrees Celsius)

*Do not leave any food at room temperature for periods of time

*Only ever cook, freeze or reheat a food item once

*The safest place for food is in the refrigerator

Now for the fun part, what are the options for utilizing the leftovers from the Christmas Day dining table and how might we avoid the “not ham again” comments that seem to emanate from every family home in the period between Christmas and New Year.Be creative and use your leftovers for casseroles, hearty soups, stews, hot sandwiches…you get the idea.

Happy Holidays!

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Holiday Turkey with Rice Stuffing & Gravy with Fresh Herbs

Holidays are usually the time we throw caution to the wind, and just enjoy ourselves with all our friends and family. Yet, we can create our holiday menu and recipes so that we can do just that without compromising our health. Serving a rice stuffing that is delicious and yet a very satisfying alternative to the heavy bread stuffing usually served is the right path to good health. Enjoy this holiday feasting, knowing that you are nourishing your body at the same time.Ingredients:

* Please read entire recipe before shopping or beginning.
* 12-15 lb fresh whole turkey, (do not use self-basting turkey)

* Stuffing:
* ½ cup wild rice
* 1 cup long grain brown rice
* 1 med onion, chopped
* 3/4 cup diced celery, about ¼ inch pieces
* 2 cups sliced mushrooms
* 1 med green apple, diced about ¼ inch pieces
* 4 med cloves garlic, minced
* ½ cup chopped walnuts
* 6 dried apricots, coarsely chopped
* ½ cup raisins
* ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
* 2 TBS chopped fresh sage
* 3 TBS chopped fresh thyme
* ½ TBS fennel seeds
* ½ cup + 1 TBS chicken broth
* salt and black pepper to taste

* Gravy:
* 6 cups chicken broth
* 2 large carrots chopped in large pieces
* 2 medium onions cut into large pieces
* 2 celery sticks cut into large pieces
* neck, wing tips and giblets from turkey
* 1/3 cup flour mixed with water
* 1 TBS chopped fresh rosemary
* 2 TBS chopped fresh thyme
* salt and black pepper

* Serves: minimum of 8

Directions:

Stuffing:

1. Bring 3½ cups of lightly salted water to a boil. While water is coming to a boil rinse the wild rice under running water in a strainer. When water is boiling add both wild and brown rice, cover, turn heat to low and cook for about 45 minutes, until tender. Do not overcook. You will most likely have excess water when rice is cooked properly. Put cooked rice in a strainer and drain out excess water. Set aside in a large enough bowl to mix everything together.
2. Heat 1 TBS chicken broth in a large stainless steel skillet. Saute onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and celery and continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Mix all the stuffing ingredients together in bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Always stuff the turkey just before roasting - never ahead of time to avoid harmful bacteria. Have the stuffing hot and pack it loosely in the body cavity.

Turkey:

1. Rinse turkey well inside and out. Pat dry. (If you had to buy a frozen turkey, make sure it is completely thawed.)
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and put the oven rack on the bottom shelf. Stuff the turkey loosely with dressing while it is still hot right before roasting.
3. Cut about 48 inches of heavy kitchen twine. Truss the turkey by first binding the legs together with the center of the length of twine. Run the twine along the sides of the turkey toward the neck tightly holding the wings to its sides with the twine. Cross the twine around the neck end of the bird and back to the legs. Loop around legs and tie a knot. Rub the turkey with a little salt and pepper.
4. Place turkey breast side down on a flat or V shaped rack in roasting pan. Make sure you use a rack inside the roasting pan. Otherwise the skin may stick to the pan and tear. Add a cup of chicken broth to the bottom of the pan. Roast breast side down basting about every 30 minutes with the pan juices for about 2½ hours for a 12-15 lb turkey.
5. Bring turkey to the top of the stove, turn it to its back and remove the trussing twine. This will now allow the inside of the legs to brown along with the rest of the turkey. Baste again, and return to the oven. But first, check the breast for doneness by inserting an instant reading thermometer at the thickest part of the breast toward the neck. This will give you an idea how much longer the turkey will need to cook. It should read about 125 at this point. When the thermometer reads between 165 and 170 in the thickest part of the thigh the turkey is perfectly done. Check the stuffing by inserting the thermometer into the center of the cavity. The stuffing should read 165 to be done. If it has not reached this temperature, you will have to remove it from the turkey and finish cooking it in a baking pan on its own. It’s important the stuffing reaches this temperature to be safe to eat. Check the thighs for doneness. Remove your turkey to a platter, but don’t carve it for at least 20 minutes.

Gravy:

1. Simmer all the ingredients except flour, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper for about 1 hour on medium heat.
2. Strain and discard solids. Heat ¼ cup broth in a stainless steel skillet. Whisk in flour a little at a time to incorporate. Using a wire whisk, add the rest of the broth a little at a time on low heat. Keep whisking to avoid lumps until all the liquid is incorporated.
3. Add rosemary and cook for another 20 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Season with chopped thyme, salt and pepper.

Healthy Cooking Tips:

* Roasting a big holiday turkey can be tricky. If you are roasting a turkey that is small and easy to handle it is best to start roasting it breast side down, and turn it breast side up after about 1 ½ hours. Juices from the dark meat flow down through the breast and moistens it. If you are roasting a large turkey it is too difficult to turn, especially when it is stuffed. One way to avoid ending up with a dry breast is to pack it in ice before roasting so it is much colder than the rest of the bird. That way when you roast it entirely with the breast up it cooks slower and there is much less chance of it over cooking and drying out. Tent the breast with foil until there is about 1½ hours left of roasting time. If the breast reads 125 internal temperature at its thickest part and it is not sufficiently brown, turn the oven heat up 25 degrees. If it is getting too brown turn the heat down to 350 to slow down the browning.
* Plan on roasting your stuffed turkey about 30 minutes per lb total.
* Simmer your neck and giblets (not the liver) with water, onions, carrots, and celery instead of using the fat from the turkey for a healthier way of making your gravy.

Well, there it is. Remember that your holidays can be healthy as well as enjoyable.

(5 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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