[Liz]

Creamy Boston Clam Chowder
Loaded with tender potatoes, vegetables, clams, topped with crispy bacon crumbles.

Ing 6 slices bacon 1 tbl butter 2 chp celery ribs 1 chp medium onion a 2 minced gar/cl 2-3 cubed medium white potatoes 1 bottle clam juice 1 cup chicken broth ½ teaspoon thyme ¼ teaspoon black pepper ⅓ cup flour 2 cups halfnhalf, divided 2-6.5 oz cans diced clams, chives, oyster crackers garnish.

Method Cook/stir/crisp diced bacon. Remove bacon to plate. Add butter to bacon drippings. Add chp celery and onion to butter/bacon drippings. Saute over med til onions are soft, 5-7 min. Add garlic; cook a minute. Add thyme, and black pepper to pot. Turnup heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, simmer on low uncovered 15-20 min; potatoes are soft.

Make roux of flour/1 cup halfnhalf. Gradually pour into soup. Turnup heat and BTB. Once boiling, stir 1-2 min to thicken. Add rest halfnhalf, and clams. Heat through. Do not boil. Taste for s/p. For thinner soup, add broth or cream. Serve in bowls, topped with bacon crumbles and chives, oyster crackers.

[Liz]

Maple Roasted Baby Carrots / Simple tasty side.
Oven roasted baby carrots smothered in sweet maple glaze. Easy, delicious and totally addictive.

Ing 20 baby carrots 2 tbl melted butter ¼ c maple syrup 1 tbl ea br/sugar/whole
grain mustard tsp apple cider vinegar ¼ tsp cracked black pepper Flaky sea salt

Method Foil-line rimmed b/sheet. Chop off carrot tops, leaving a little tuft. Wash and dry well. Peel if desired. Layer in pan, carrots, combined glaze ingredients – melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, wholegrain mustard, vinegar, bl/pepper, turning to coat. Bake 50-60 min turn and baste w/ glaze every 15 min; cook through and caramelize. Watch closely; burn easily. Set on server; sprinkle w/ sea salt.

Notes Cut larger carrots (so glaze doesn’t burn). Serve w/ slow cooked turkey breast.

[Liz]

Maple Roasted Baby Carrots / Simple tasty side.
Oven roasted baby carrots smothered in sweet maple glaze. Easy, delicious and totally addictive.

Ing 20 baby carrots 2 tbl melted butter ¼ c maple syrup 1 tbl ea br/sugar/whole
grain mustard tsp apple cider vinegar ¼ tsp cracked black pepper Flaky sea salt

Method Foil-line rimmed b/sheet. Chop off carrot tops, leaving a little tuft. Wash and dry well. Peel if desired. Layer in pan, carrots, combined glaze ingredients – melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, wholegrain mustard, vinegar, bl/pepper, turning to coat. Bake 50-60 min turn and baste w/ glaze every 15 min; cook through and caramelize. Watch closely; burn easily. Set on server; sprinkle w/ sea salt.

Notes Cut larger carrots (so glaze doesn’t burn). Serve w/ slow cooked turkey breast.

[gleeaikin]

A recent discovery. Butterfat as in butter and cream provides butyric acid which helps weight loss. This complicated so here is AI on this subject:

“AI Overview:
==Butyric acid (or butyrate) from butterfat aids weight control by acting as a primary energy source for colon cells, which strengthens the gut barrier, reduces inflammation, and modulates gut bacteria. It promotes weight management by stimulating hormone release (like GLP-1) that improves insulin sensitivity, reduces fat storage in liver/adipose tissue, and increases energy expenditure.

—Weight Management Mechanisms: Butyrate reduces obesity by decreasing lipogenesis (fat creation) and reducing triglycerides in the liver and adipose tissue. It also increases satiety by stimulating the release of gut hormones like GLP-1 and PYY.
—Gut Health and Bacteria: As a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), butyrate serves as the main energy source for colonocytes (70% of their ATP). It improves gut microbiota diversity, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria that combat inflammation.
—Insulin and Metabolism: By reducing intestinal inflammation, butyrate enhances insulin sensitivity, preventing metabolic disturbances associated with high-fat diets.
Sources: While primarily produced by gut bacteria fermenting dietary fiber, dietary butyrate is found in dairy products, particularly butter and ghee.

==Studies indicate that butyrate effectively prevents body mass gain, especially under high-fat diet conditions, by modulating gut microbiota composition and increasing energy expenditure.”

Since getting this information I have been starting my day with a light breakfast of Cherrios and half and half cream with frozen wild blueberries, and a light sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar. Also a cup of 2% milk (all my grandparents families had cows), and my daily complement of supplements. At 87 I have gradually added supplements over the years as problems like varicose veins, chronic back pain, and cataracts have surfaced. All those under control and better now. I hope to plant some food this year as I now have more energy. Last year my ten year old fig tree was wildly prolific and the birds did not destroy figs as they did the previous year.