Posted on 12/01/2020 4:14:05 PM PST by Jamestown1630
To those who know Kimchi, this may seem like a joke – but it’s not.
I first learned to love kimchi when I had it made by a friend’s Oma 30-odd years ago, and I got pretty spoiled on the home-made stuff. We occasionally find jarred, refrigerated kimchis that can rival home-made in local supermarket produce aisles, but not reliably; and getting to the closest ethnic market is a traffic/parking nightmare.
I happened to see the Jayone pictured above in a local store, and bought it just for larks – but to my surprise, it’s actually very good! It may lack a certain element of fizz-and-zing that you experience with the ‘real’ stuff, but for a very unexpected canned variety, we liked it a lot. If you can’t find fresh, and aren’t up for the complicated project of making your own, this may somewhat assuage your addiction if you can find it somewhere nearby. Open up, transfer to a glass container, and chill well.
(My husband doesn't think it's 'hot and spicy' enough - but maybe it can be doctored to personal taste ;-)
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I recently had a birthday, and got some very nice presents. One of them was a Taiyaki iron.
Taiyaki is a popular little fish-shaped Japanese waffle-like cake, usually stuffed with sweetened red bean paste – but often also stuffed with custard, chocolate, Nutella or fruit preserves. It’s a popular street food in Japan, and you can buy little irons for making them, for home use. I haven’t tried it yet, and I’ve read that they don’t work real well on an electric stovetop, though some say they’ve managed it. (If the electric stove doesn’t work, I’ve got one of those little butane- burning ‘hot plates’ to try – watch this space.)
http://chefiso.com/p/taiyaki-recipe/
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I’ve always loved Gordon Lightfoot’s music – he’s a poet-singer in a very old tradition of storytellers. I’ve especially liked his song, ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’.
But I realized the other day that I didn’t really know much about the Edmund Fitzgerald and her story; so I found this – the 45th anniversary of her sinking was just a few weeks ago - and this is a very moving video. (I got almost to the end, thinking that YouTube at least had the good grace to not interrupt certain types of vids with commercial ads; but alas…)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5i_XMqdULM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vST6hVRj2A
Millions of men – and women – all over the world brave the dangers of the seas to ensure the economies, food needs, and defense of their respective countries and communities. Even in the modern world of steel ships and boats and high technology, it takes a lot of grit to do a job like that.
-JT
Look up other herb combinations for it. I’ve found many.
(It may not last as long as the store-bought stuff - it’s not full of preservatives and stabilizers. But in my house, it gets eaten pretty quickly anyway.)
Good to know.......(smirk).
Sounds as good to me as most of the ‘science’ being touted these days.
Chocolate Peppermint Bark
ING 18 oz. White Chocolate (melted), 6 oz. Crushed Peppermint Candy (or candy canes)
6 oz fine-chp Bittersweet Chocolate 3 oz H/Cream 3/4 tsp Peppermint Extract
METHOD Spread half the white chocolate into a rectangle on wax-paper lined 12x8" sheetpan.
Chill firm. Then spread w/ chilled bittersweet chocolate mixture. Chill to set.
FINAL Spread w/ rest melted white chocolate , then top w/ crushed candy canes or peppermint candy.
Chill to set, then cut into desired squares....or break into chunks.
DARK CHOCOLATE LAYER melt bittersweet chocolate, cream, peppermint extract. Stir blend well; cool to room temp.
Our family has stopped giving gifts for Christmas - we try to focus more on the ‘reason for the season’ & family get-to-gethers with great food. For kids still in school, we do give them gifts. Still, with the ‘no gift’ policy, my SIL always gives me a little “something” - pair of gloves, bottle of wine, etc. If I have ‘nothing’ to give back, it’s really annoying. I do have a good friend that I exchange gifts with at Christmas.
I can jelly, so I can give jars of homemade jelly ... but my bro, for health reasons, has gone low carb, so jelly won’t work for him/SIL. My youngest brother uses the jelly as a glaze on salmon & his wife puts it on baked brie - he found/bought me jelly jars this year during the shortage to make sure he would get a batch of jelly! So ... what to do this year? I have always wanted to do homemade vanilla so I’ve bought beans & jars & will be putting them together next week (cooking for a big dinner tomorrow, so everything Christmas is “after the dinner”). I also listen to a podcast about homesteading & she has links to gifts ‘in a jar’ like brownie mix, cake mix, artisan bread, etc. I can give a jar of mix to a few people - a thoughtful little ‘something’ that won’t break the bank. My niece has 2 little kids (2 & 4) that she’s trying to keep off sugar, so in her mix, I’ll use Swerve (measures 1:1 like sugar). On the podcast, there are other gifts like lotion bars, soap, etc. - not up to doing those, but some of you might, for future gifts.
Here are some links, if you’re interested:
Frugal Homemade Homestead Gifts (mixes in a jar:brownie, cake artisan bread, pancakes, etc.)
https://melissaknorris.com/podcast/5frugalhomemadehomesteadgifts/
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I am making my vanilla in 8 oz bottles I ordered from Amazon. They will have a tag as to when the vanilla is “ready” ... 8 weeks minimum, 6-24 months, even better.
Homemade Vanilla: The Big Bottle Method
https://chickensintheroad.com/cooking/homemade-vanilla-the-big-bottle-method/
Homemade Vanilla Extract (small bottle - 2 oz)
https://chickensintheroad.com/cooking/homemade-vanilla-extract/
Great post/info! Thanks!
I loved that book by Trillin....”American Fried.”
All about his foodie adventures, in which he made that remark you posted.
More wine and cheese may help reduce cognitive decline, fight Alzheimer’s disease
https://www.studyfinds.org | December 11, 2020 | by Chris Melore
FR Posted on 12/11/2020, 10:59:05 AM by Red Badger
AMES, Iowa — If the sight of a cheese platter and some good wine at a party brings you sheer delight, researchers from Iowa State University have great news for you and your brain! Their study reveals this popular pairing may actually contribute to better cognitive health as you age. Researchers say this is the first large-scale report which finds that specific foods can help fight Alzheimer’s disease.
The study examined health records for nearly 1,800 adults between 46 and 77 years-old in the United Kingdom. Participants, who are all part of the biomedical database UK Biobank, completed a Fluid Intelligence Test (FIT) at the start of the study between 2006 and 2010. The group then had two follow-up assessments in 2012-13 and 2015-16. All of these tests gave researchers a snapshot of the group’s ability to “think on the fly” as they aged.
The 1,787 participants also answered questions about their food and alcohol consumption during each of these three examinations. Study authors wanted to know about a wide variety of dietary choices each person was making over the years. Participants were polled on their consumption of various foods and beverages, including: fresh fruit, dried fruit, raw vegetables, salad, cooked vegetables, oily fish, lean fish, processed meat, poultry, beef, lamb, pork, cheese, bread, cereal, tea, coffee, beer, cider, red wine, white wine, champagne, and liquor each participant consumed. How your diet can help cut the risk of Alzheimer’s
The results reveal a surprising diet that may form an unlikely defense against cognitive decline later in life. Researchers discovered cheese provides the most protection against age-related cognitive issues. Its impact is significantly greater than any other food in the report.
The study also finds consuming alcohol daily, particularly red wine, can improve cognitive function as you age. While red meat continues to be a dietary concern, researchers say eating lamb weekly can increase mental prowess over the long haul.
One thing researchers find is not good for long-term brain function is excessive use of salt. They add people who are already at risk for Alzheimer’s disease are likely the only ones who need to strictly watch their salt intake.
“I was pleasantly surprised that our results suggest that responsibly eating cheese and drinking red wine daily are not just good for helping us cope with our current COVID-19 pandemic, but perhaps also dealing with an increasingly complex world that never seems to slow down,” principal investigator Auriel Willette says in a university release. “While we took into account whether this was just due to what well-off people eat and drink, randomized clinical trials are needed to determine if making easy changes in our diet could help our brains in significant ways.”
“Depending on the genetic factors you carry, some individuals seem to be more protected from the effects of Alzheimer’s, while other seem to be at greater risk. That said, I believe the right food choices can prevent the disease and cognitive decline altogether. Perhaps the silver bullet we’re looking for is upgrading how we eat. Knowing what that entails contributes to a better understanding of Alzheimer’s and putting this disease in a reverse trajectory,” neuroscience Ph.D. candidate Brandon Klinedinst adds.
The study appears in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease:
https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad201058
Timely article.
Dementia runs in my family - but I probably won’t go off the deep end until I’m nearing 80. ;)
I never salt things, and we eat little processed foods. Red wine, Merlot and Pino Noir or any of the reds from Chile or Argentina are favorites.
And there is always, ALWAYS cheese in the house! :)
“Here’s a list of foods linked to increased rates of Alzheimer’s disease:
Processed cheeses, including American cheese, mozzarella sticks, Cheez Whiz and Laughing Cow. These foods build up proteins in the body that have been associated with Alzheimer’s.
Processed meats, such as bacon, smoked turkey from the deli counter and ham. Smoked meats like these contain nitrosamines, which cause the liver to produce fats that are toxic to the brain.
Beer. Most beers contain nitrites, which have been linked to Alzheimer’s. (Sorry)
White foods, including pasta, cakes, white sugar, white rice and white bread. Consuming these causes a spike in insulin production and sends toxins to the brain.
Microwave popcorn contains diacetyl, a chemical that may increase amyloid plaques in the brain. Research has linked a buildup of amyloid plaques to Alzheimer’s disease.
https://www.alzheimers.net/foods-that-induce-memory-loss
As for your cheese, I hope you are accessing unprocessed cheese or those processed in the correct milk to accomplish your goal. The best cheese for you because of their processing are:
mozzarella, blue cheese, feta, cottage cheese, ricotta, parmesan, swiss, aged cheddar, and goat.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-dairy-bad-or-good
Merry Christmas and stay healthy. My name is whitney69 and I will forget this article over my next beer.
wy69
Great information!
“...mozzarella, blue cheese, feta, cottage cheese, ricotta, parmesan, swiss, aged cheddar, and goat.”
Everything but the GOAT. We don’t eat any processed cheese. That’s not even FOOD, LOL! I have a hate/hate relationship with goats having to care for them on my Aunt’s farm when I was a kid. Evil, jerks.
We DO eat bacon, but it’s the good stuff. We don’t do white foods for the most part. We’re not beer drinkers, and make air-popped popcorn, which we grow. (Puffy Pop and Cream Puff are great popping corns!) Most of the meat we eat is hunted and fished for and we’re raising our third steer ourselves this year for beef. His name is ‘Weber’ as in the grill. ;) (We already ate ‘Dinner’ and ‘Supper.’)
So, unless we get run over by a bus, we should be OK. ;)
On one of Melissa’s other podcasts on gifts, she said one of her favorite things was a “Danish Dough Whisk”. I had never heard of it, but Melissa raves about how great it is to incorporate dry/wet ingredients. I think a neat idea would be a mason jar of Artisan Bread mix with a Danish Dough Whisk as part of the jar decoration - the whisk design is rather pretty, IMO.
Amazon Danish Dough Whisk
https://www.amazon.com/Blender-Admixer-Dessert-Kitchenware-Stainless/dp/B06ZYLPDYV/
Homesteader’s Gift Guide
https://melissaknorris.com/podcast/homesteader-gift-guide/
Pure decadence------a wedge of room temp blue
cheese, a rustic baguette and a chilled robust red wine.
You find the greatest sites to visit! Thanks! That’s my kind of gal and gift. :)
Yummy!
Since we’re eating up leftovers from the previous week’s meals, I made us nice salads with greens from my greenhouse, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes and cucumber, homemade croutons and BLUE CHEESE CRUMBLES on top. :)
Drinking a (also leftover, LOL!) Pinot Grigio along with.
(.....mouth watering.....)
I like home-made gifts. Some of the ones I’ve treasured the most and saved for decades have been little ornaments made by friends and relatives - and I’ve gotten some very nice recipes from home-made gifts of food.
I was VERY disappointed to find that the brownie recipe gift tag does not print. There is no clickable link on that particular recipe. Other recipes on that site do have clickable links, but you have to give your email to get the recipe card/tag - very little is truly “free” any more (but #1 below is!!).
SO, not to be deterred, I spent some time this morning (up at 3 am - couldn’t sleep due to big birthday party tonight for which I’m doing/have done ALL the cooking) and scrounged around online to see what I could find and I came up with a couple of things I really like:
#1
Really cute Christmas mason jar recipe tags - I love them & these are the ones I’m going to use with my jar gifts! There are several possibilities with these, but I think I’m going to print the recipe in a size that I can glue to the back of the ‘gift’ card. You could also handwrite it on the one with lines, but unless it’s very short ingredients/instructions, that could be tedious for multiple jars (which I’m doing).
Scroll down - it’s the 2nd one. You can print the Christmas one in 2 sizes - pdf for both sizes downloaded & printed beautifully for me - yay!! The 3rd one (not Christmas) is really cute, too (& that pdf also worked like a charm).
https://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/search?q=mason+jar+cards&x=0&y=0
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#2
This cookie recipe in a jar caught my eye because the layers look so nice with the different textures - it’s based off of a Mrs. Fields Copycat recipe “Free” recipe card in exchange for your email.
https://awellpurposedwoman.com/mason-jar-cookies-free-printable-gift/
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#3
Last, but not least - I loved this one because it has a bunch of different mason jar gift ideas - a few of them that caught my eye:
Lemon Cake
Peppermint Coconut Oil [peppermint scented homemade goodies like lotion bars and body scrub]
Sewing Kit [great for a college kid]
Friendship Bean Soup
Homemade Playdough
Snow Globe
Hot Cocoa
Loves to Bake [measuring spoons, mini cookie cutters, etc. - my little grandniece might get something like this for her next birthday - loves to bake with mommy]
Chocolate Christmas Cookies
Raspberry Brownies
Mani Pedi
Apple Cinnamon Pancake Mix
18 Mason Jar Gift Recipes with Free Printable Gift Tags
https://www.freebiefindingmom.com/mason-jar-gift-recipes-free-printable-gift-tags/
Note: I did not check out if/how the gift tags work.
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