Mixed Bag: Update, GMOs, apps…

Tell me again, how beautiful I am 🙂

Sorry I’ve been so silent in posting. My husband lost his job and we are living with my son–Thank you, Ted & Dana!
I’ve been trying to organize recipes and GF baking substitutions which include milk, butter, eggs, sugar and GF flour mixes. There is soooo much information out there and I’ve decided to pull it all together in one wonderful place for you to use as a reference.
What’s funny, as I’ve used this blog as my own reference. Especially looking back at the apps I reviewed earlier. I have an opinion on those apps: pay as little as possible for a GMO/GF app. You won’t use it much after you have chosen your favorite products and know where to find them.

There is a new app tho. It’s SHOPNOGMO iTunes. And, here’s a shopping guide ShopNoGMO. Its a big help choosing non-GMO products. Fooducate also finds GMOs in products and that app will alert you when you walk into stores you’ve chosen. NOTE: the app has to be open to work. I wondered why it didn’t alert me the other day. That’s why!

I learned another thing the other day. ORGANIC products can be grown from GMO seeds 😦 and pesticides can be used on non-GMO products. So it seems to me, you need to find products that are organic and non-GMO to cover all your bases.

Boars Head produces turkey lunchmeat that is ALL NATURAL. I haven’t found it yet in my area. I’m thinking it’ll be at Whole Foods, but there isn’t one near me and the local FRESH MARKET doesn’t have Boars Head. I’m also afraid it will be $15-20 per pound 😦 Some day, organic/non-GMO products will be the norm instead of the exception.

Have an outrageously awesome day 🙂

Did You Know — do you care :)

updated: June 8, 2013

The following is a list that I will continually add items to over time.

1. Basamati rice has the lowest glycemic index of rice

2. Bananas. You can slow down how fast they ripen by covering the end where the bananas are connected with plastic wrap. Totally cover the end and make sure as little air as possible gets to the ends. It REALLY works!

3. If you add acid — tomatoes, vinegar, citrus — while cooking beans, it’ll take forever for them to cook. AND    Salt at the end, just before serving. Beans will turn into rocks and never soften if you salt early. Trust me on this one.

4.  Kellogg’s Rice Krispies in the traditional blue box contains GLUTEN 😦  The malt flavoring is derived from barley. The good news: They have a YELLOW box that is gluten free. Yeah! I can have rice krispie treats without getting glutened!
I must say I’m having trouble finding gluten free Rice Krispies. I called Kellogg’s and they told me who actually carries their product where I live. You also can call 1-800-962-1413.  The ONLY place where I live that carries the GF Rice Krispies is Rite-Aid. Color me surprised. I fully intend to call my favorite local grocery chain and ask them to carry it also. If you want to do this, I was given the package # 3800055019 to make it easier to order. ENJOY!

5.  Sugar usually comes from can, and cane is a form of grass, which is related to wheat 😦

6.  In a nutshell, celiac is simply a reaction to a food. Oh really! How many of you have had any reactions to foods!!!!!

7. SHOCKER: Play-Doh contains wheat!

8.  If a recipe calls for a small amount of vegetables, pick some up at the supermarket salad bar–it’s cheaper than buying a whole package!

9. White vinegar is usually made from a gluten grain, BUT if it is distilled, the gluten is removed.

10. Malt vinegar is NOT distilled and is NOT gluten free.

If anyone has obscure facts to add to this list, please let me know 🙂

More info on Vinegar than you ever wanted to read!

I saw a post the other day on Facebook and they were talking about what kind of vinegar to use in a particular recipe. I, of course, gave my 2 cents and didn’t think about it again until today. I have accumulated a LOT of recipes and “how to’s” over the years and I stumbled upon the following. Don’t worry, I didn’t hurt myself when I stumbled on the vinegar article 🙂

Vinegar Variety

Not very long ago it seemed there were no more than two kinds of vinegar: white and cider. For better or worse, the subject of vinegar has become more complex and therefore much more interesting.

Vinegars vary in strength of acidity: most are 5%. This measurement is usually listed on the label. If higher than 5%, use less vinegar than the amount called for in the recipe, tasting the dressing and adjusting for flavor.

Distilled white vinegar lacks the distinctive flavor of other vinegars. It is more often the choice for pickling than for making salad dressings. Hmmm, I use it to clean my kitchen sink.

Apple cider vinegar has a pungent flavor and is a good choice for dressing a salad including tomatoes.

Malt vinegar, with its assertive nutlike flavor and caramel color, is favored by lovers of fish and chips and can also be used in salads when a bold flavor is desired. Ahhh, this is the kind of vinegar Long John Silver’s offers 🙂

Wine vinegars (white, red, or even rose) are a good all-purpose choice for salad-making. In general, use white wine vinegar in a mayonnaise, red in a vinaigrette. Recently some elegant vinegars, much esteemed in nouvelle cuisine salads, have been arriving from France. They are costly but often exquisite. Look for Champaign vinegar, or white wine vinegars infused with such fruits as raspberries, blueberries, cherries, and strawberries.

Sherry wine vinegar boasts a bold, nut-like flavor. Its acidity may be as great at 7 percent, so it can be used with a light hand.

Herb vinegars are usually an infusion of herbs in white wine vinegar. Most familiar is tarragon wine vinegar, but you may also come upon such ready-made flavors as thyme, garlic, shallot, sage and oregano–or combinations.

Balsamic vinegar comes from Modena, Italy, and is aged in wooden barrels. This process gives it a rich, dark color and a heady flavor. It is more intense and complex than most vinegars and also somewhat higher in acidity (at least 6 percent).

Anyone else have any good websites for information, recipes or support for eating better (more naturally)?

Keith Griffie sent in this diet/lifestyle,

http://paleodietlifestyle.com/paleo-diet-recipes/

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A web site I found very helpful is…

Non-GMO Project Home

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AND, help for those who have IBS. Heather’s web site is VERY helpful…excellent information on IBS whether you have diarrhea or constipation. She has recipes and also supplements. I do not use her supplements.

http://www.helpforibs.com/