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April 12, 2016 GF Products & Books, OH FORKS!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That's Gluten Free 2015, OH, Forks! A Little Bit of Everything and All That's Gluten Free Cook Book 2014, Teach Me Healthy Eating! 0 Read more >
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Do you like carrots? Do you use them regularly in your recipes, or have them for a midday snack? Maybe you like to chop them finely into salads, or julienne them and use them in your noodle base! Some like to steam them in broth until they are soft, or use them in their bone broth bases. Whatever you use them for, they are full of healthy beta carotene!
Here are some fun facts about carrots that you may find helpful!
*One Cup of raw carrots contains about 52 calories.
*Carrots are orange from beta carotene, and they contain roughly 16,000 IU of it.
*The longest carrot was over 18 feet, and the heaviest over 18.9 pounds!
*Carotenemia occurs when a person ingests too much beta carotene. This can cause a yellow-orange tint to the skin, especially in the palms of the hands, and soles of the feet.
*Carrots are 87% water.
*In 2004, carrots were the 7th most valuable crop in the United States.
*China is the world’s top producer of carrots, followed closely by Russia in second, and the United States in third.
*In 1607, the settlers of Jamestown introduced carrots to the world.
*Hippocrates created a broth recipe for good health consisting of carrots, celery, root parsley, and leeks.
*The Ancient Greeks called the carrot a philtron, which translates to “love charm.” They believed the carrot made both men and women more amorous.
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If you’re from anywhere in Fort Wayne, you probably had some effects from the most recent wind storm that seemingly came out of nowhere, and knocked power out to over 30,000 people in the county. A few days later, and finally our power is back on! Bet your non-gluten free buns I jumped on the computer fast as I could! Felt a little lost without her these past few days…but thankful I had my cell phone for internet service!
It’s pretty difficult to eat correctly during power outages, too. Most people who were out of power were frequenting fast food establishments and restaurants that still had power. Unfortunately for us, eating that way just doesn’t prove to be worth it in the end. Not only that, but the kids loved the idea of “indoor camping,” and once we knew the food and tortoise were safe, we could finally relax into enjoying it, too.
So, for our first night we had turkey sandwiches, chips and dip, and vegetables and dip. I also made gluten free tuna tacos, and we had some fruit bits. The second night I got a little craftier, and opted to cook some pizza and fries on the grill for the kids. To my surprise, the pizza turned out perfectly, and I was told the fries were “excellent” too! Pizza and I try to avoid each other at all costs…unless it’s a cauliflower or spinach based crust. I went for salmon on the grill & a sweet potato & GF butter noodles! Delicious!
Nights like these make me thankful that stove top cooking is easier, and less-stressful! I take lights, garbage disposal systems, and dishwashers for granted. It’s hard enough trying to eat gluten free and clean… even harder when there’s no power!
Here are a few treats that we’ve made to order in the past few weeks!! Party platters with roll-ups, frozen pies, fresh pies, strawberry bars, and homemade ice cream sandwich cookies! All gluten free, of course!!
And a garden update! Everything is growing like crazy, and I managed to save the large tomato plant that fell over in the wind storm!
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Sweet Potatoes! A true, natural super food for humans, fitting in to many dietary groups, too! Full of Vitamin A and antioxidants, one large potato can provide enormous amounts of protection against early aging, cancer prevention, and maintaining good eyesight. Very versatile, sweet potatoes can be used in everything from soups and bases, to main dishes, and even desserts! Packed with more nutrients than you can imagine, like vitamins B5 and B6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and carotenoids from their orange color! Low in sodium and fat they fit with gluten free and paleo eating lifestyles!
While orange is the favored and most available color of sweet potato, there are also yellow, white, and purple varieties available. Orange and yellow contain the most vitamin A, but purple contains a myriad of antioxidants great for the body!
Help your heart! Sweet potatoes are GREAT for heart health! B6 helps to break down homocysteine, which is a substances that hardens blood cells and arteries inside the body. An orange sweet potato has an average of 440mg of potassium, which is also very heart healthy! As an electrolyte, potassium helps regulate your heart rate.
Along with heart health comes immune benefits, too! With such high vitamins A, C and E, they have high levels of anti-inflammatory properties. This is why sweet potatoes are seen as a staple in many paleo lifestyles and diets. The magnesium contained by the sweet potato can help regulate stress levels in the body, naturally. The dietary fiber can also work to keep the gastrointestinal tract regular!
There have been numerous studies done on the effects of beta-carotene on cancer patients, and specific kinds of cancer. In certain instances, breast cancers patients did benefit from eating more orange vegetables, high in the levels of anti-carcinogenic properties. For these studies, purple and red vegetables showed to be MORE beneficial than the super orange foods.
The Downside of Sweet Potatoes
While these are some of the healthiest vegetables on earth, they are also very high in carbohydrates, and calories. They also have more sugar than regular “white” potatoes. Eating orange vegetables frequently can cause a slight orange tint to the skin, and fingernails. No other major side effects had been reported.
Christopher Columbus took sweet potatoes to Europe after his first voyage to the New World in 1492.
Sweet potatoes are roots, whereas regular potatoes are tubers (underground stems).
Sweet potatoes are native to Central and South America and have been grown for at least 10,000 years.
By the 16th century, Spanish and Portuguese explorers had taken sweet potatoes to the Philippines and to Africa, India, Indonesia and southern Asia. Around this same time, sweet potatoes began to be cultivated in the southern United States.
George Washington grew sweet potatoes at Mount Vernon.
China grows about 80 million tons of sweet potatoes each year, Africa produces about 14 million tons, Central and South America churn out about 2 million tons and the United States harvests about 1 million tons.
George Washington Carver developed 118 products from sweet potatoes, including glue for postage stamps and starch for sizing cotton fabrics.
Sweet potatoes are North Carolina’s official state vegetable. North Carolina is the leading producer of sweet potatoes in the United States, producing about 40 percent of the national supply.
Resources Used:
livescience.com
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Busy! Busy! Busy! I’m preparing for this weekend big event with the Jorgenson YMCA in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I’ve almost got the taste testing list solidified (yes, there are still a few last minute decisions, I know, shocking!) and I’m waiting on one of the last table decorations to get here today! This process has been similar to preparing for a book event, but so much more involved! Assuring that banners, signage, and social media postings are done appropriate is a LOT of work! And of course, making sure that the treats I’m making for everyone are P E R F E C T. *wipes the sweat from my brow…* I’m excited to reveal the table décor on our Facebook page very soon!
Now for the serious…
And of course, this morning I had a message from a fellow self-publisher that I needed to check out immediately. The article was from another foodie blogger, who has been threatened with a lawsuit by a reader. Why, you ask? Because the nutrition information they posted wasn’t correct to the recipe the person made. Wow. I had to re-read it four times. You may be wondering if that’s even possible….it is. Unfortunately for people like me.
First, let me discuss nutrition labels. I like them, because it gives those paying close attention to calories and fat the numbers they need for their diets. Second, I like being able to show how my recipes fair in the “health” section. Third, I don’t like to be misleading with my recipes. So, I added nutrition labels in to the OH, Forks!! Cook book.
That said, those nutrition labels are for informational purposes only, and are not “scientifically correct.” Yes, I did use the great website to make them all, and many big companies and places use them, too. Yes, their numbers are correct for the brands, amounts, and products I used in my recipes. However, if you omit something, use a different amount, substitute or what have you…those numbers may change a little.
Being completely honest, I don’t pay much attention to calorie counts, fat counts, or the like. I didn’t add in my nutrition labels to claim “complete health and perfection” with any of my recipes.
I felt the need to post a permanent disclaimer on the nutrition label side of things, if for nothing else, my own protection. In the past few weeks, I’ve taken extra precautions to protect ALL of my work, which for this cook book means the labels, pictures, recipes, words and more. There are a group of people out there that just don’t have enough to do with their spare time, and have taken up stealing author’s work and reproducing it under their own names, profiting all the way. It’s disgusting, and I’m NO FAN of pirating sites, or this type of behavior.
I appreciate those who have stuck by me, supported me, and backed this entire cook book endeavor! I’m hoping it brings you happiness, as well, knowing the project you support is indeed making headway in the public, and has begun doing events!! 🙂
April 20, 2015 OH FORKS!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That's Gluten Free 2015 0 Read more >
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While the excitement and anticipation is steadily building, I’ve also been racking my brain trying to decide which foods to bring for everyone to sample! As with any event, there’s the standard needs of advertising and marketing…even some handouts! I’ve spent the past few weeks designing new “swag” items that I can hand out at this event! So far, I’ve designed some informational post cards, buttons, banners, bumper stickers, AND book marks! Still contemplating doing another round of recipe cards, with recipes NOT already included in the cook book!
Although I haven’t gotten my taste testing list one hundred percent finalized, I can tell you that I know one thing that will absolutely be there! My new Chocolate Avocado Dessert Bars! In all of my recipe creations, transformations, and flops- this one has to be one of my all-time favorites!! These frozen treats make the perfect paleo summer treat, and have NO added sugar! There are even a few slight alterations one could make to this one to personalize the recipe even more! I can’t wait to get more feedback on this one!
So, if you’re out and about in Fort Wayne on April 25, 2015… make sure one of your stops is at the Jorgenson YMCA! They’re having their Healthy Families week, and we’ll be holding down a table with plenty of copies of the OH, FORKS!! Cook book for sale! Certain proceeds from these book sales are going to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, and to the Scleroderma Foundation!!
If you want to check out the cook book on Amazon, use this link!
March 19, 2015 OH FORKS!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That's Gluten Free 2015 0 Read more >
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It’s definitely been a bit since I’ve updated, and I apologize about that! January has proven to be a rough and tough month, and I’m hoping February will have the answers I’m desperately seeking! While I’m typing this, our area is under a Winter Weather Warning, due to the expected 14” of snow for us. Now, that’s nothing for the upper East, as they’ve just gotten over three FEET of snow…but people around here are panicking and buying milk, bread, and beer like the world’s shutting down!
And, of course, it’s SuperBowl weekend! Our team has gone through the ringer, for sure. Yes, we are Patriots fan. No, we’re not keen on the cheating scandal….but….as with all of the other scandals the NFL has had to face (ahem: rapists, murderers, dog murderers, other cheating QBs, and the like) we figure it’s all in game, in the grand scheme of things. Today, I read on someone’s Facebook page that “cheating was only bad if the team got caught, and since they got caught, they should be disqualified.” Hmph. Well, all that for ball air, in a game where the other team forgot to show up? And then the rapists keep playing? And the dog murderers come back like nothing happened, after a few monetary fees paid? I think not! Anyway, don’t tread on me about it…. It’s a game I watch for a few hours of entertainment, and then it’s over.
For our football festivities, we’ll be having a number of gluten free goodies! A few new recipes, I’m thinking, are in order, too!! Taquitos, Chocolaty Football Mix, Cheese-ball, and mini-sliders are just a few of the planned items on the menu! Who knows what all I’ll come up with!! Stay tuned for the blog on all the snacks we made!!
If you’re interested in purchasing an Oh, Forks! A Little Bit of Everything and All That’s Gluten Free Cook Book, please email us at glutenfreeforme@skyefalcon.in, or send on a message on our Facebook page!! Thank you for your support, and following!!
January 31, 2015 OH FORKS!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That's Gluten Free 2015 0 Read more >
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If you’ve tried a recipe, and something was missing or didn’t seem right, please send us a message! That said, remember that cooking gluten free is trickier than “normal” cooking, and until you’ve tested our recipes a time or two, things may not turn out perfectly! This sort of “issue” is NOT what we are referring to on this page!! However, you can message us cooking issues, too, and we’ll try to help!
*Mexican Wedding Cookie Balls, page 172: missing: note after -1 cup confectioners’ sugar (1/2 mixed into dough, ½ used to coat cookies after baking.)
*Cinnamon Rolls, page 29: missing: Step #8- For immediate cooking, allow to rise at room temperature for one to two hours. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-25 minutes, depending on your oven’s temperature. For cooking in the morning: After cutting dough, and covering with plastic wrap, put dough in refrigerator overnight. Allow to rise in 200 degree oven for at least one hour before baking.
January 4, 2015 OH FORKS!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That's Gluten Free 2015 0 Read more >
OH, Forks!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That’s Gluten Free ©2014
Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! I hope you got everything your heart desired! We have had a fabulous Christmas, although completely different than what we’re all use to!
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost New Year’s! I’m running towards that ball drop faster than ever this year. So many great things happened this year, some of them with your help and backing! I’m so thankful to have had created my SECOND cook book, and have it come to print. Thankfully, so far, there have only been a few things I’ve noticed were omitted in printing! Otherwise, I still think it’s a pretty damn great book!
Let’s talk about editing. I’ve paid for editors that have done horrid jobs. I’ve earned free editing services by huge companies, just to get shafted in the end. Because of the wasted money (that won’t happen again) I’ve decided to do things “my way” until I get my base created. I’m sure by now you’ve seen that I’m #allaboutthatbase. (That’s a hashtag I use regularly on social media.) What’s my “base?” It’s the next few publications I’m working on. Don’t worry, the few things I found as “errors” will have a blog page dedicated to them. One is just oven temperature, and the other is temperature and cook time! Coming soon!
2015 will bring book signings, and taste testing’s in different areas of the county. I’m excited to spread the word of gluten free eating in a simple, laid back sort of way. I would love to have more open dialect about how difficult it truly is to live a gluten free lifestyle in today’s world. Even more so living the paleo lifestyle, with children.
Isn’t it interesting to know that no human can digest gluten? Gluten is made to be indigestible by us. Did you know that? Some people just have a strong enough system to tolerate it as it passes through. In any case, it is an inflammatory agent. Inflammatory agents DO interfere with your organs and body, just how depends on your immune system.
If you’re trying to go gluten free, you are gluten free, or you have thoughts on the topic, please feel free to inbox us, or comment! We hope your Christmas holiday was filled with love and traditions!!
December 25, 2014 OH, Forks! A Little Bit of Everything and All That's Gluten Free Cook Book 2014 0 Read more >
OH, Forks!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That’s Gluten Free ©2014
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By now you’ve surely heard that our new gluten free cook book, OH, Forks!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That’s Gluten Free is for sale!! Our cook books feature heavy, wipe-able pages (over 200 of them!) made from 100% recycled paper! We have pictures, simple directions, awesome nutrition labels, and an index that keeps everything fancy, and easy to find!
Ingredient flexibility! Our recipes are simple, and ingredients can be found at your normal grocery shopping locations. (We frequented Meijer, Kroger, WalMart. Now adding in Fresh Market, too.) For example, if you’re not gluten free, simply swap your tradition flour for the GF variety on the recipe. Or, if there’s a dairy cheese listed, swap to vegan cheese. No eggs? Egg free scrambles can be used, too. There are MANY ways to make these recipes dairy free, vegan, or geared around your allergy or autoimmune disease. Questions? Just inbox us, or send us a message on Facebook!
November 16, 2014 OH, Forks! A Little Bit of Everything and All That's Gluten Free Cook Book 2014 1 Read more >