3/30/09

Recipes for Monday

We finished our lovely breakfast this morning. Very enjoyable.

Now, a word about poached eggs. This was my first time making poached eggs. Once I got past the first fiasco, it went well. (Note: Don't put the lid on. It boils the egg!) HERE are some great directions for how to poach an egg.

Now for the Dinner recipes:

Green Beans with Mushrooms and Parmesan Cheese (1 serving: 2/3 Cup)

10 oz. package frozen green beans
1/2 cup canned mushrooms (I am using fresh)
salt and pepper
Thyme (optional)
4 T grated Parmesan cheese

Cook green beans according to package directions. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of thyme, if desired. Heat the canned mushrooms in their liquor; drain, add to cooked beans. Lift beans and mushrooms to a heated oven-proof platter; sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese and place under broiler flame until cheese is just melted.

Zippy Salad Dressing (1 serving: 2 tablespoons)

1 T chopped onion
1/2 tsp. green pepper
1/3 C raw, chopped carrots
1 tsp. parsley
1/3 tsp. Sucaryl solution (more about that below)
1 C tomato juice
1/4 C vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Chop all vegetables finely. Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tightly fitted top. Shake till blended. Refrigerate, covered. Shake well before using.


The gelatin desserts in this book used a product
called D-Zerta. The company was eventually taken over by the company that makes Jello. D-Zerta, created in 1923, was for dieters. It contained aspartame. I made a choice not to use artificial sweeteners, so my Jello has sugar in it. It increases the calories to 80 instead of 24 for the packet.

Apricot Whip (115 calories as listed for four servings. Mine will be 280 calories.)

1 envelope of orange-flavored sugar-free gelatin
1/2 C hot water
Apricots, canned, artificially sweetened (my can has 200 calories because that was my only choice)
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. Rum extract (optional)

Drain canned apricots, reserving juice. Dissolve gelatin in hot water. Add 1/2 cup apricot juice, the lemon juice, and the rum extract, if desired. Chill until slightly thickened. Whip with egg beater until fluffy and thick. Chop the drained apricots and fold into mixture. pour into 4 individual molds. Chill until firm. Unmold on serving dishes.

Now, about that Sacaryl Solution. DON'T use it! But, don't worry. You won't be able to find it. The solution contained something called "cyclamates" which were banned in 1969. Now, this book was written in 1958. That means at least 11 years before they got around to banning this stuff!

In my research, NO artificial sweetener is good for you. That includes Splenda. Splenda came out just over 7 years ago. At that point they had done minimal testing--approximately 2 years. They still haven't fully tested it and yet it is showing up in everything. Do the research before you accept it for your family.

The only sweetener I've come across that is not only NOT bad for you but actually good for you (and has been tested for around 1000 years!) is Stevia. Read up on that as well. Make an informed decision!

3 comments:

Dr. Julie-Ann said...

Oh my goodness! Great minds think alike! I, too, am on a similar journey only my idea was to see if I could lose weight if I ate portion sizes, etc, similar to what they were 60 years ago.

I'm with you on this (and am excited that a kindred spirit is doing this, too!)

50sgal said...

I have used Stevia in the past and rather liked it. I am off any artifical sweetner and for good. I used splenda like crazy in 2008 but not in 1955! I would rather eat a smaller portion of a nice cake made with sugar and butter and milk than some poor tasting substitue, not worth it to me. I am also more happy with my current weight (though I do need to lose weight) but have been obsessed with my weight gain in the past few years. I used to be a size 6 and have not seen that in awhile, but now I am actually losing weight, though I am not dieting. Just not snacking, running around being a homemaker and eating homemade desserts and big breakfasts but not overdoing it. For awhile I was having black coffee and toast at breakfast, but now I just eat a smaller portion of what I give my hubby and the girdle helps me to not overeat, it won't let me! I find now that I 'dress up' more, though it does not seem like it to me anymore, that I feel better about my body image. Even in my work dungarees, I always have a cute headscarf, neck scarf, nice gardening gloves etc, so I still feel pulled together and this does wonders for my image and then does not lead to stress eating. I am going to try some of your diet recipes though. Great new blog, I will try to stop in as much as I can and not feel I am 'cheating' you know 1955 and all!

Roxanne said...

Dr. Julie-Ann--I'm so excited we're thinking alike on this! It just makes so much sense, doesn't it? I love your exercise video!

Bullet Bra. I must get a bullet bra.

50sGal--I agree. Stevia is a great, safe sweetner. When I was pregnant I had gestational diabetes. I did mega-research and discovered that only Stevia was dependably safe. I also discovered the Splenda was NOT.

I also agree that MODERATION with real foods makes so much more sense than all these synthetic chemical foods that our bodies were not made to ingest.

Portion control? Moderation? Quality foods in limited quantities? No one wants us to do that. It doesn't add to the BILLIONS the diet industry is making off of us!

Girdle. I must get a girdle!

I won't tell anyone that you're peeking 3 years into the future for some recipes ;o)