Soft Pretzels recipe

Some days just call for comfort food. These pretzels are tasty and are relatively easy to make. The smell of bread from the oven makes the entire house smell delicious.

The rapid breakdown of the simple carbohydrates in this recipe mean a quick boost in energy and conversion of the tryptophan into serotonin but there's a large surge in insulin, too. You probably ought to eat a protein with this snack; perhaps cheese or tuna or a bean dip.

Soft Pretzels

2 cups warm water
1 egg, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons (2 pkg) yeast
6 ½ to 7 ½ cups white flour
½ cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons water
¼ cup margarine
coarse salt

Measure warm water into large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, margarine, egg and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Cover bowl tightly with aluminum foil. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Divide in half; cut each half into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into pencil shapes about 20 inches long. Shape into pretzels. Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Blend together egg yolk and 2 Tablespoons water; brush pretzels with egg yolk mixture. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk about 25 minutes.

Bake at 400° about 15 minutes, or until done. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks. Makes 32 pretzels.

Hamburger Buns in 30 Minutes recipe

These are the FASTEST hamburger buns that I know of AND they taste great! You can astonish your family with your great culinary skills by making these for dinner. Add a pulled pork topping or sloppy Joe mix to the buns along with a salad and you are good to go.

Hamburger Buns in 30 Minutes

Mix and rest 15 minutes:
3 ½ cup warm water
1 cup oil
¾ cup sugar OR ½ cup honey
6 Tablespoons yeast (or 6 packets of yeast)

Add:
1 Tablespoon salt
3 eggs
10 ½ cups whole wheat flour

Knead enough extra flour into the dough (if needed) to make a fairly soft, but no longer sticky dough

Shape immediately into 24 hamburger buns. Let rise for 10 minutes. Bake 10 minutes at 425°.

HAUPIA (Coconut Pudding) recipe

Really, I AM working on the next installment of the insomnia series; it's just taking waaaayyy longer than I anticipated.

In the meantime, here is my favorite haupia recipe. Haupia is a traditional Hawaiian coconut pudding. The consistency is more along the lines of gelatin rather than a traditional pudding. I've read that haupia is very similar to the European dessert blancmange. Give it a try - it's delicious AND uses simple ingredients AND is easy to make. How much better can a recipe possibly be? (Funny note: the ingredients remind me of the stuff I used to make another batch of Homemade Deodorant today!)

HAUPIA (Coconut Pudding)
By Cynthia Dyer-Bennet (peoples@well.com)

Ingredients:
1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk
7 Tbs sugar
7 Tbs cornstarch
¾ cup water

Directions:
Pour coconut milk into saucepan. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a separate bowl; stir in water and blend well with a fork or whisk. Stir sugar mixture into coconut milk; then turn on heat. Cook and stir over low heat (with a wire whisk if you have one, or use a fork...) until thickened. Pour into 8-inch square pan and chill until firm. Cut into 2-inch squares.
Yield:
16 servings ("Ha, ha, depends on how much you eat," says Cynthia)

The trick to getting it thick enough to set is to cook it longer than you usually would with a custard-type pudding. When it thickens, don't stop cooking/stirring. It should be nearly the consistency of chilled Elmer's glue when you finally put it into the pan it's going to be chilled in. It will probably not smooth itself out in the pan since it'll be incredibly thick, so take a rubber scraper, dip it in water and use it to smooth the pudding evenly in the pan before chilling.

Mama and my name

My name is Mud
Many of you have asked about my mother. I have to say that I don't know. She has written me off as an unworthy daughter.

Having been raised in the United States I grew up with ideas of individual freedoms rather than the ideas of duty to parental ideology. You can imagine the clashes that caused with Mama. The final straws have been my changing my name to one I can be happy with and with my boarding my goats rather than selling them.

The Name Change(s)
I was given a beautiful Japanese name when I was born. It evokes images of Springtime and blossoms. It makes me feel beautiful and graceful and serene. I was put up for adoption when I was six months old and ended up in the home of a Japanese woman and her American serviceman husband. I was unofficially called by a new English name until I became a naturalized American citizen at age six when my name was legally changed to the new name. (Apparently, Japanese law stated that I had to keep the Japanese name when the family adopted me.) I ALWAYS hated the new name. Perhaps there was a memory of the original name floating around in the back of my mind but I found the new name harsh and ugly. That feeling was solidified when everyone I met that had my new name was either fat, or dumb, or cow-like, or ugly. It made me wonder if my parents even liked me.

I always wondered if I was adopted since I didn't look like anyone in my family. I asked my mother once and she responded with anger, informing me that I was NEVER to ask that question again. I found out the truth while looking for my birth certificate and finding my adoption papers instead. My mother's response was a tearful plea for understanding - she wanted me to feel like a real member of the family. However, she hadn't taken into account other Japanese family members never treating me like a real part of the family. I could never understand why my younger sister was treated like a princess while I was the red-headed stepchild. Even Mama treated me like that. Perhaps it was the time, perhaps it is an Asian custom, but I don't remember Mama ever praising me for anything I did well, there was only criticism for things that needed improving. That custom has continued to this day.

After discovering my adoption and the name I had been born with, I changed my middle name to the original name. It resonated with me and I felt like I was carrying happiness around with me everywhere. I never bothered to tell my mother about that name change.

After marrying and divorcing several times I decided to simply change my name back to the original name. I have to wait until I have enough money to more than cover the basics before I can do that.

However, while I was taking Mama around to her doctor's appointments, she would introduce me and I'd ask to be called by the Japanese name. This made Mama more and more disgruntled. She finally demanded that I stop using that name. I tried to explain how I felt about the two names. She agreed that the Japanese name is beautiful but went on to say that she had given me the new name and that was the name I should use. My rejecting the new name means that I am rejecting her personally. She feels that my using the Japanese name means that I am choosing my birth family over her (and for the record, my birth mother doesn't want anything to do with me either - she told me that herself over the phone when I was 26 and had finally located her.) I find it ironic that Mama insists on my English name even though she has never been able to properly pronounce it. None the less, she views everything I do as a personal reflection of her. Therefore, she rejects me.

The Goats
Mama raises Yorkshire Terrier show dogs. She loves them more than her own children (she has said that in my presence on several occasions.) I view them as cute, useless, expensive, yappy, did I say useless, pieces of fluff. I raise Nubian dairy goats. I love my "girls" - they are smart, affectionate, hard-working ladies that provide creamy, delicious milk that I use for drinking, cooking, cheese-making, and for making soap. Mama views them as an unnecessary expense. Admittedly, their board (they are still in southern Arizona) is an expense that I can hardly afford, but I worked hard to buy and raise them, they have champion milk lines, and I want to have them in my possession again. Mama views that as ridiculous, a show of my utter stupidity, profligacy, and lack of common sense. Therefore, she rejects me.

Today's conversation with my mother resulted in her telling me that she is disgusted with me and that she doesn't want to have anything to do with me. I responded with if she ever wants to have a relationship with her oldest daughter again to please call me.

She has finished radiation. She doesn't know what will happen next.

And that is that.

Setting Goals

"The ability to convert ideas to things is the secret to outward success."

-- H W Beecher

I've taken on ANOTHER stocking job (that makes three) in order to make enough money to live indoors. That means I'm working from 5 p.m. until 1:30 a.m. every day - there are NO days off.  This schedule is messing with my circadian rhythm big time.  I find I'm tired all of the time these days and I'm constantly in  a brain fog. The brain fog is what's making it harder to get the blogs finished, not to mention preparing for the business meeting that's coming up on Thursday.

Business meeting? On top of everything else, I've partnered up with one of my bosses to get a shelf stocking business off the ground. She is experienced in the grocery business and I'm experienced with starting businesses. You'd think it would be easy then for me to get everything done even while I'm semi-asleep, but it just ain't so. Our targeted start date is November 1, 2010. That's six months from now; not much time, so I REALLY need to get myself into gear in spite of fatigue. That means setting goals.

I've read many articles about goal setting but this one, this morning, struck a chord with me. It comes from Patrice Dickey's website, Your Guide to the Life You Love. I'll let you know how the goal setting goes for me. In the meantime, perhaps you can set your own goals to achieve something marvelous.

SEVEN STEP GOAL SETTING
******************************************
1. Write down everything you've ever wanted to do, and choose one goal with which to engage in this process.

2. Ask yourself, "Where am I now? What strengths do I have? What experiences, skills, support, networks, belief systems and foundation will support me in achieving this?"

3. Write down the obstacles to the goal.

4. Write down the steps & paths to overcome the obstacles.

5. Write down WHEN you want to get there.  Create mini-deadlines. (Even though I'm the farthest from a football junkie, this made sense to me-- on a football field, every 10 yards the players get a new life -- plus they can even mess up twice in that process and get three downs). Mini-deadlines are easier to achieve.

6. Write down what rewards you expect--and bring them to life with a picture involving your five senses.

7. Ask yourself, and write down the answer: "Am I willing to do whatever it takes? Is it worth it?"

Waldorf Cinnamon Jello recipe

I lived in the Jello Capital of the World (Utah) for twenty-one years. During that time I went from considering Jello as an iffy "dessert" to incorporating it into salads of every kind. I think Jello eventually permeates every brain cell to the point where you consider the stuff one of the essential food groups.

I've since become rehabilitated and rarely use Jello, but I kept this recipe as one of the healthier and, I admit it, tasty salads.

Waldorf Cinnamon Jello

6 oz pkg cherry Jello
¼ cup red hots
1 large apple, chopped
1 can mandarin oranges
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water

Dissolve Jello and red hots in boiling water. Add everything else. Refrigerate until jelled.

Rewiring the Brain

If I had the funds to cover all my needs right now, I would be attending school at UC Berkeley getting a PhD in neurophysiology; specifically the plasticity of the brain after experiencing trauma and how people relearn after brain trauma, whether that trauma is experienced prior to or after birth.

I've always been interested in learning and in improving cognitive abilities. I was ecstatic to have children; I now had my own experimental lab rats on which to practice my theories on learning! (I know that sounds horrible, but that WAS my attitude about those precious, tiny babies.) I LOVED playing learning games with my kids. I carried them upside down around the house as we laughed. I had my tiny babies turning the lights on and off in darkened room as I exclaimed, "Wow! You turned the lights ON, and OFF, and ON.." I stuck Cheerios to their faces and was delighted with them as they groped and learned to find and eat the cereal (this was especially entertaining during church!) We played with electronic "toys". We played with Legos and Capsela blocks. I homeschooled. You get the picture.

I read everything I could find on improving a child's IQ. I read to my children. I made sure we had no TV so the kids had to either read or find some imaginative game to occupy their time. We cooked, we sewed, we gardened, the kids worked in the shop with their father. We conducted science experiments (my area of expertise), I sent them to classes at the Y, we had musical instrument lessons; I tried to make learning fun.

These kids grew up to be high-achieving, curious, delightful adults. I was thrilled to watch their growth. I felt that my methods worked well.

And then I adopted a tiny little baby with neurological problems. I thought that enough love and work would make her brain healthy. I thought the same methods that I'd used with the big kids would work with her. I was told I was wrong. I learned about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I learned that the experts said that these kids would always need someone to be their "external brain" because the brain damage was permanent and they would never function in a "normal" capacity. I felt emotionally devastated.

But, being an incorrigible optimist, and, as usual, refusing to believe the experts, I've kept training, and working with my youngest child. There are so many times that I've lain in bed crying as waves of helplessness have passed over me, but I refuse to believe that the brain can't rewire itself.

And occasionally I come across information that tells me I'm on the right track. I'm POSITIVE that the brain can create new neural pathways to rewire itself into health. I believe that good nutrition and repetition and techniques I haven't yet learned (or developed) can help my baby grow into an independent, successful adult. So I keep working at it.

One day I'll be able to help other parents with brain-damaged children help their kids grow up healthy. In the meantime, I just keep learning everything I can.

I guess I'm rewiring my own brain.

The power of positive affirmations

Hypnotherapists are fond of saying that it's not what happens that matters, it's your perception of the event that determines how you view the world.

So why not start your day with a positive attitude? Let happy thoughts carry you through the day. I guarantee that it will be a better day than starting off grumpy.

Hypnotist, Jonathan Chase, cheers himself up immediately by saying, "You're in a bad mood; get into a better one." Somehow, it really works to change a bad mood into a good one.

To paraphrase: I've been cheery and I've been grumpy; the whole world's better when I'm cheery.

Homemade Noodles recipe

As I've been working on my next insomnia installment, I reread my last insomnia post about simple vs complex carbohydrates. I was struck (again) by the observation that pasta is a complex carb in spite of being made from simple white flour. So, now is the perfect time to feel good about posting another recipe. It's an easy to do project that makes superb, chewy, substantial, satisfying, utterly delicious homemade noodles.

Homemade Noodles

1 egg, beaten
2 Tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon salt
flour

Combine the egg, milk and salt. Add enough flour to make a stiff dough (about 1 cup). Roll very thin on floured surface; let stand 20 minutes. Roll up loosely; slice ¼ inch wide; unroll, spread out and let dry 2 hours.

Drop into boiling soup or boiling, salted water and cook uncovered about 10 minutes. Makes 3 cups cooked noodles.

Note: I slice up my noodles into tiny 1/8" slivers with my pizza cutter. The pasta expands quite a bit as it cooks so tiny slices turn into fettuccine-size noodles. After they're sliced up, I rarely let the noodles dry for any amount of time. I simply drop the noodle slices into the boiling soup and let them cook 'til al dente. Yum!

Children's activity recipes

I loved raising my children. We did a lot of messy things that made me rather crazy, since I hate messes, but we did them anyway because I thought they were good for the kids. Most of my adult friends back then in the stone age, thought it was insane to encourage messiness. I always thought they were rather uptight and unimaginative, but I digress.

Over the years I've collected "kid recipes". Those are the ones that allow them to create - create fun, create messes, and use their imaginations.

Edible Play Dough
I used this recipe in my very first cooking demonstration as a high school junior. I'm not sure my classmates were impressed but they ate it anyway. It didn't matter if they were grossed out at the idea of edible playdough - I got an A for my outstanding presentation!

¾ cup cream or chunky peanut butter
¾ cup old-fashioned oats
¾ cup dry milk powder
1 to 2 Tablespoons honey

Ina bowl, combine peanut butter; milk powder and oats; mix well. Add enough honey to form a molding consistency. Kids can use dough to form fun shapes and animal, and then eat them. Store dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Yield: 1 1/3 cups.

Play Dough
I made lots of this when my big kids were little. It kept them busy at the kitchen table for hours and allowed me some free time to get something done, even if that something was to lose myself in a book!

2 cups flour
1 cups salt
3 Tablespoons cooking oil
3 Tablespoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon food coloring
2 cups boiling water

Mix flour, salt, oil and coloring in a bowl. Add boiling water. Mix very well until lumps are formed. Cool down. Knead play dough until smooth (~10min).
Store in airtight containers. It will last up to 6 months when stored in a cool place. However, don't freeze!

Slime
This is really fun stuff but DON'T let the kids get in on the carpet or stick it on the walls. It's a horrible mess to get out of carpets and it can stain the wall depending on how much food coloring you use!

1 rounded teaspoon 20 Mule Team Borax
8 oz. white school glue (Elmer's glue, for example)
1-¼ cups water
15 drops of food coloring (optional)... you choose the color

1. In a glass bowl, stir together 1 cup of water, the white glue, and the food coloring.
2. Add borax mixture to glue mix and stir until a slimy lump forms. Stir vigorously for another 30 seconds.
3. Remove the lump of slime and kneed it with your hands (or someone else's hands, if you are squeamish) to dry it and complete the reaction.
4. Dissolve all the borax powder in the remaining 1/4 cup water

In 2 minutes or so, you should be holding a ball of wonderful slime that pulls clean from your hands. The food color may stain fabric, so don't get slime on your clothes -- use small amounts of the food color to reduce this risk.

Pąpier Mâché Paste
½ cup flour
2 cups cold water
3 cups boiling water
3 Tablespoons sugar

• While the 2 cups of water are heating to a boil in the saucepan, mix the flour and cold water in a bowl. Squeeze out any lumps with your fingers. Add the flour mixture to the boiling water and bring it back to a boil. Remove the sucepan from heat and stir in the sugar. Let the mixture cool before you use it.
• Label and store the paste in a jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. If the mixture hardens, add warm water and whisk until it is smooth.
• Cut strips of newspaper and cover them with the paste. Cover the shape you want papered. Let dry.

Air-Dry Clay
Use this recipe for making permanent, air-dried creations, like painted beads or jewelry.
2 cups baking soda
1 cup cornstarch
1 ¼ cups cold water

Mix the baking soda and cornstarch together in the saucepan. Add the water. Cook the mixute over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Spoon the dough onto a plate and cover it with a a damp cloth to cool

After making your creations, use a few drops of water to smooth them out. Let them air-dry until hard, usually two days. Flip them over a few times during drying so both sides dry evenly. Paint finished creations with acrylic paints.

Bake-Dry Clay
Great for ornaments, fridge magnets and stuff like that.

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup cold water

• Mix flour, water ansd salt together in the bowl, then knead them until smooth. Add more flour if the dough seems sticky, or more water if it seems dry. The dough should be workable and not flaky.
• Colored Dough: Add a few drops of food coloring to the water before mixing.
• Bake your dough creations in the oven at 275°F on an ungreased cookie sheet until hardened. This takes up to 1 hour or more, depending on the thickness of the project. (For thick projects, put a ball of foil in the middle, and shape the dough around it.)

Cornstarch Goop (aka Oobleck)
In a bowl, mix about 1/2 box of cornstarch with enough water so that it feels like clay - not too powdery, not too wet. Now pick up this goop and squeeze it - it's crumbly. Hold it loosely - it oozes through your fingers. Knock on the mixture (inside the bowl) and you will find it feels hard. Put your finger slowly into it and...it is liquid. It's solid one minute, liquid the next. Magic!

Here's the explanation for why the stuff acts this way: Uncooked corn starch particles are structured in both crystalline and noncrystalline arrangements. When slowly mixed with water, the non crystalline structures of corn starch absorb most of the water. When you smack or stir it rapidly, you increase the temperature and pressure on the mixture which causes more non crystalline structures to form. These new noncrystalline structures absorb more water and the mixture becomes thicker: hence the appearance of a solid. When you discontinue the pressure, the number of noncrystalline structures decrease and water is released, creating the 'soupy' mixture.

Homemade Silly Putty
2 cups white school glue
1 cup liquid starch

Mix together and set aside until dry. Store in an airtight container.

Egg Dye
½ cup hot water food coloring
2 Tablespoon white vinegar

For each color of dye, dissolve about five drops of food coloring (more for red or blue) into the hot water. Add the vinegar and stir. More dye drops = brighter colors. The longer the eggs sit in the dyes, the deeper the colors.

Corn Starch Finger Paint
Ingredients:
* 3 tbsps. sugar
* 1/2 cup cornstarch
* 2 cups cold water
* Food coloring
* Soap flakes or liquid dishwashing soap

Method:
Mix sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan over low heat. Add cold water and stir until mixture is thick. Remove from heat. Divide into four or five portions (in muffin tins or cups). Add a drop or two of food coloring to each portion and a pinch of soap flakes or soap. Stir and let cool. Store in airtight container.

Poster Paint
Ingredients:
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1 cup water
* 3 tbsps. powdered tempera paint
* 2 tbsps. water
* 1/2 tsp. liquid starch or liquid detergent

Method:
Pour flour into saucepan. Slowly add 1 cup water until mixture is smooth. Heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Cool. Add 1/4 cup flour paste into small jar or plastic container. Add tempera paint and water for each color. For opaque finish add liquid starch. For glossy finish add liquid detergent.

Sparkly Poster Paint
Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup liquid starch
* 1/2 cup soap powder
* 5/8 cup water
* food colouring or powdered tempera paint (variable amount)
* glitter

Method:
Beat together until the consistency of whipped potatoes. Add more water if necessary.

Face Paint
Ingredients:
* 1 tsp. corn starch
* 1/2 tsp. water
* 1/2 tsp. cold cream
* Food coloring

Method:
Stir together starch and cold cream until well-blended. Add water and stir. Add food coloring. Use a small brush to apply on face. Remove with soap and water.

Powdered Milk Paint
Ingredients:
* 1 part powdered nonfat milk
* 1 part cup water
* powdered tempera

Method:
Mix milk and water until milk is dissolved. Seperate mixture into different containers. Add in different coloured powdered tempera and mix.
This paint dries quickly to a glossy opaque finish and does not dust, chip or come off on your hands.

Egg Yolk Paint
Use this paint to decorate baked cookies.
Ingredients:
* 1 egg yolk
* 1/4 tsp. water
* Food coloring

Method:
Mix egg yolk with water and lots of food coloring. Use a paint brush to paint on baked cookies. Return cookies to oven until egg has solidified.

Floam
This recipe is copied from the Beyond Satire website

Ingredients
* 2 tsp. borax (available in laundry aisle at your grocery store)
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/4 cup white glue (we used Elmer's)
* 1/4 cup water
* food coloring (otherwise it will look like cottage cheese)
* an air-tight plastic bag (for mixing and storage)
* 5/3 cups of polystyrene beads (we used 2/3 cups micro-beads and 1 cup bean bag filler)

Floam™ is made with polystyrene (aka Styrofoam™) beads ranging in size from about 1 mm to 1/8 inch in diameter. You can make an approximation of the beads at home by grating polystyrene cups, packing material etc., although we did not try this. We bought two different types of beads:

* Micro-beads (about 1 mm in diameter), which we found at a Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts store. We had to call several stores before finding one that sold them. They can be ordered from Roseann's Dolls.
* 1/8" beads, sometimes called "milk bottle filler" or "bean bag filler", which we bought on eBay but you can also buy through Roseann's Dolls.

Instructions
1. Dissolve 2 tsp. borax completely in 1/2 cup (4 oz.) water. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl mix 1/4 cup (2 oz.) white glue and 1/4 cup (2 oz.) water. Optionally add food coloring.
3. Pour the glue solution into the air-tight bag. Then add 3 tbsp. (9 tsp.) of the borax/water solution to the glue solution. Do not mix them yet. You will have some borax/water solution left for another batch.
4. Add the polystyrene beads.
5. Seal bag and knead by hand until thoroughly mixed. Let stand about 15 minutes, and then knead a few minutes more.

This should produce a hard clay well suited for sculpting; for a more malleable clay, use fewer beads and optionally less of the borax solution.

Notes

* The polystyrene beads will get everywhere.
* We read but did not try this tip: "If you have access to a chemical supply house, try a 4% solution of polyvinyl alcohol instead of glue for a less rubbery polymer. It will be more transparent & show off color better." Simon Quellen Field added: "Polyvinyl alcohol is easy to get: It's used in artificial tears (and of course, white glue). On that web site you will find a hundred or so synonyms -- looking them up will likely get you better prices."
* You can read safety information about borax.
* The main difference we could detect between this and Floam™ is that ours smells like glue, while theirs smells like stinky chemicals.
* Do not eat.

Frog-Eye Salad recipe

Here's another decades old recipe. It has the weirdest name: Frog-Eye Salad. I suppose the tiny, round acini pepe pasta might look like frog's eyes to imaginative kids (or maybe to some of my brothers), but if you get past the silliness, the salad is pretty yummy.

I got the recipe off the back of the package of acini pepe pasta such a long time ago. I haven't looked at the back of the package recently; I'm not sure if the recipe is still there.

The "salad" is pretty unhealthy with its load of instant pudding, sugar, Cool Whip and mini-marshmallows but boy, oh boy does it bring smiles of happiness to my family. Kids really like it and most of my adult friends do to. Even my vegetarian kids get guilty pleasure in eating this stuff. You just have to think of it as dessert rather than anything remotely salad-like.

Frog-Eye Salad

1-1/3 cups (8 oz) Acini Pepe, uncooked
1-¾ cups milk
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained (reserve ¼ cup juice)
¼ cup sugar
1 pkg (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
2 cans (11-oz each) mandarin orange, drained
2 cups frozen Cool Whip, thawed
3 cups miniature marshmallows
½ cup flaked coconut

Cook pasta 11 minutes. Rinse with cold water; drain well. In large bowl, beat reserved pineapple juice, milk, sugar and pudding 2 minutes. Gently stir in pasta and remaining ingredients; cover. Refrigerate at least 5 hours. 12 servings.

Zucchini Relish recipe

Here is another Roberta Hatch legacy recipe. I really like pickle relish and use it in a lot of my "throw it together" dishes. I made this recipe frequently when I had a garden.

One of my dear friends is just beginning to learn to can so this recipe is for him.

Zucchini Relish

10 cups ground zucchini
4 cups ground onions
1 Tablespoon salt

Mix together; let stand overnight. Drain and rinse. Add:

1 green & 1 red pepper, ground
2 ¼ cups vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoon celery seed

Cook for 30 minutes. Fill pint jars. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

Pork Chop Suey recipe

I was going through my old recipes and came across this recipe. I used to make it frequently when the big kids were little. It's a delicious recipe. I used to grow the carrots and beans to put into this dish. I hate store bought green beans because they're so...not fresh. My not having a garden is the only reason I can think of for not making it recently. However, I have a garden now...

Pork Chop Suey

½ lb lean pork
1 sm can mushrooms or 4 dry mushrooms (soaked overnight)
1 medium carrot
¼ lb string beans
1 cup bamboo shoots
1 medium onion
¼ lb broccoli
½ cup green onions, sliced
2 stalks celery
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Thickener
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup water or stock

Marinade
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ginger, cut into fine strips

Cut pork into strips and soak in the marinade. Cut all vegetables into strips. Pan-fry each vegetable separately until tender crisp. Salt & pepper to taste as you fry them. Set aside.

Heat a large saucepan. Add 2 Tablespoons oil and the garlic. Add pork strips and cook until the pork is well done. Add the fried vegetables. Add the thickener and bring to a boil. Serve over rice.

Maraschino Cherries recipe

I used to make these during the twenty-one years I lived in Utah and had access to Royal Anne cherries. It's easy to make; maybe it takes a little planning, but it's easy to do and they are so pretty when they're finished. The real joy is telling folks that you made them yourself!

This recipe was given to me almost 40 years ago by a neighbor (I'm sooo sorry, I can't remember her name.)

Maraschino Cherries

5 lbs Royal Anne cherries (Royal Annes are best, but you can also use other firm, light cherries)
1 Tablespoon alum
4 Tablespoons pickling salt or kosher salt
7 cups sugar
1 oz red food coloring
1 teaspoon almond extract

1. Wash and remove the seeds from the cherries. (A cherry pitter is a handy tool to use for this.) You should have about 10 cups of pitted cherries when you finish.

2. Dissolve the alum and the salt in 2 quarts of cold water. Add the cherries and allow to stand for 6 hours. (If the cherries tend to float, weight them down with a bowl.) Drain the cherries and rinse them with cold water.

3. In a separate large pan, combine the sugar and 2 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook while you stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cherries, bring back to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the red food coloring and almond extract and allow to stand in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring from time to time.

4. The next day, bring to cherries back to a boil and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Pour the boiling hot fruit into the prepared half-pint jars and process them for 5 minutes.

5. Store in a cool place.

YIELD: about 8 half pints

NOTES : Truly, these are not hard to make...and they look beautiful. You'll find them to be a little larger and juicier than the ones you buy in those little bottles at the store. These make a nice gift.

Making Maraschino Cherries is a two-day job, however, so be sure you allow the time you will need.

Minestrone with Cheese Dumplings recipe

Finally, I'm posting a healthy recipe! It's very yummy on top of being very good for you. All of my kids loved this soup, even the vegetable shy one.

Minestrone with Cheese Dumplings

Dumplings
1 cup skim milk
1 ½ Tablespoons margarine or butter
½ cup quick-cooking cream of farina (Cream of Wheat)
2 Tablespoons shredded provolone cheese
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg

Soup
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced leeks (white part only)
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped carrots
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
2 cups vegetable stock
1 ½ cups vegetable-cocktail juice
2 cups water
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup chopped kale
¼ cup orzo

1. To make the dumplings: In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk and margarine just to the boiling point. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the farina. Then whisk in the provolone, parsley and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the egg. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. Form the dumpling dough into ½ “ balls (approximately 24); cover and set aside.

3. To make the soup: In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the leeks, celery, carrots and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are just ender. Add the tomatoes, stock, juice, water and basil; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the kale and orzo; simmer for 10 minutes longer.

4. Return the soup to a full boil; drop the dumplings into the pan. Partially cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the dumplings are firm.

GrapeNuts Cereal recipe

Speaking of GrapeNuts cereal, I used to make my own. The kids and husband liked it, it was cheap to make, and I knew exactly what went into it. What more could I ask for?

GrapeNuts Cereal

3 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix all ingredients, spread on a jellyroll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let cool overnight then break into pieces and grind in a food processor until GrapeNuts consistency (you know, the cereal).

Toast in a 250° oven for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Good on ice cream, as a cereal or just to munch on.

Roberta Hatch’s Sweet Pickles recipe

I had the most remarkable mother-in-law. Roberta Hatch was a true do-it-yourself pioneer-stock woman. I'm not sure there was anything she couldn't do or make herself. She taught me so much about canning, sewing, bread making, preserving, and gardening that became the basis for all of my own do-it-myself philosophy.

She also taught me what it was like to be a wonderful mother-in-law. She could easily have been awful to me - I was from a culture that was totally foreign to her. She had warned her son that if he married me none of our children would look like the rest of the Hatch kids. (She was right - they grew up to be incredibly good-looking people.) After I married her son, she took me in and treated me as her own daughter. I grew to dearly love that woman. She passed away many years ago, but I still miss her.

I'm not sure that any of her own children made this recipe. As far as I know, I was the only one that carried on the tradition. So, here it is, made public. Perhaps some of you will make this a tradition in your own families. I hope you come to love it as much as I do.

Roberta Hatch’s Sweet Pickles

24 cucumbers – dill size
Wash cucumbers and put in salt brine (add enough salt to water to easily float an egg). Cover with a plate. Let stand two weeks; wash thoroughly in cold water. Cut off both ends, discard, and cut in ¾ “ round slices. Soak overnight in cold water to which a rounded tablespoon of alum has been added. The next day, wash the cukes in cold water.

Syrup
1 qt vinegar
2 qt sugar
Spice bag made up of 1 T cloves and 2 sticks cinnamon.
Combine vinegar, sugar and spice bag in a 4-quart pan. Boil vigorously; remove from heat and pour over cucumbers. Allow to sit in a cool place until next day. Pour off liquid, heat to boiling, pour over cucumbers; allow to sit in a cool place until next day. Repeat 3 more mornings. On the final morning pack cucumbers in hot sterilized quart bottles. Pour boiling syrup over cucumbers in jars. Seal jars and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Granola recipe

When the big kids were little I refused to purchase sugar-laden cereals.

The exception was for birthdays. The birthday celebrant got to choose a box of whichever cereal they wanted. This normally entailed huge amounts of effort to find the cereal that held the best "prize" (back then most cereals had some sort of "surprise" gift inside.) The child got to keep the prize but had to share the cereal with the siblings. Sometimes, sharing was a blessing, especially when birthday child discovered that the cereal made a sodden mess in the bowl. Chocolate cereals were soon ruled out by the kids no matter what the prize was because the stuff tasted so horribly nasty. I was amused and gratified to find them learning these lessons all by themselves.

The rest of the year the kids ate Cheerios, Grapenuts, Raisin Bran and this homemade granola.

Granola

10 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 ½ cups water
1 cup wheat germ
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
½ pound shredded coconut
½ cup honey
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
½ cup molasses
1 cup sesame seeds
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 cups chopped nuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 cups dried fruit bits

Preheat oven to 300°.

In a large bowl combine oats, wheat germ, coconut, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and nuts. Blend well.

In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, oil, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Heat until sugar is dissolved, but do not boil.

Pour syrup over dry ingredients and stir until well-coated. Spread into 5 13x9” baking pans, or cookie sheets with sides. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bake 15 minutes longer for crunchier texture. Cool.

Add raisins or other dried fruit, if desired.

Put in airtight containers. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months. Makes about 20 cups.

Happy Birthday, Butterfly!

Today is Butterfly's thirteenth birthday! We are celebrating with the festive meal of her choice and chocolate cake with Seven Minute frosting. Of course there's candles and gifts.

She was a tiny eighteen month old foster child when she first joined our family. I finally got to adopt her when she was three and here we are ten years later. Wow! The time has sped by. I imagine that it will only be a few blinks before she's off to explore the world on her own.

Children growing up. What an amazing event.

I'm so grateful to be blessed with the opportunity to be be their mother.

Brain freeze

As you can tell from all the recipes that I've posted, I'm suffering from writer's block (and maybe brain fog from not enough sleep). Isn't it ironic that I'm too tired to think and write about insomnia because I've stayed up too late again?

It's a little past 2:00 a.m. and I'm a little melancholy because my baby became a teenager today. I've enjoyed raising my children but they aren't young kids anymore. Eldest Child is thirty, Only Son is twenty-seven, and Second Daughter is twenty-four. Butterfly has been the only child at home for quite a while now. I raised the the older kids to be independent, questing, hard-working, always learning people, and by golly, they are. So why do I feel a little adrift?

It seems so strange that my children are growing older while I still feel twenty-six inside. How in the world is that possible? Obviously, the mirror tells me that's not a twenty-six year old in the reflection but I think the mirror is lying.

I'm rambling. Maybe my brain will function again once I've gotten some sleep.

I certainly hope so.

Crispy Potato Wedges recipe

This recipe is also part of Butterfly's thirteenth birthday dinner.
How did so much time go by so quickly that my baby is a teenager now?

Crispy Potato Wedges

¼ c olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp each: basil, thyme, oregano
¼ tsp paprika
4 to 6 potatoes, cut in wedges (quarters)
½ c Parmesan cheese

Mix oil and seasonings together in a Ziploc bag. Shake potato wedges in mixture. Lay flat on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on potatoes. Bake 15 more minutes. Serve hot.

Mochiko Chicken recipe

This recipe comes from my wonderful stepmother. She was only 26 years old when she came into my life. I was a mouthy, know-it-all twelve year old at the time. How she managed to put up with me is a miracle for which I'm still grateful. So, to this terrific woman; Thanks, Mom!

Mochiko Chicken

4 T cornstarch
4 T sugar
4 T mochiko flour
5 T soy sauce
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c green onions
2-3 lbs boned chicken, bite size

Mix all ingredients. Let the chicken soak for at least 30 minutes.
Deep fry in 1” oil until golden brown.

Teriyaki Chicken recipe

I used this recipe (multiplied many times) to feed a huge crowd of hungry family one year when I was in charge of the reunion. It was a great hit. Best of all, it's easy. As much as I love to cook, I REALLY like easy.

Teriyaki Chicken

1 can 7-Up
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 pounds chicken, cut up

Mix everything except chicken. Marinate the chicken overnight in the soy sauce mixture.

Place everything in a 9x13 baking pan. Cover and bake at 350° for an hour.

A (Belated) Biologist's Mother's Day Song

This is such a wonderful song and video. I wish I'd found it for Mother's Day. (Ack, I'm late again.) Here's to all of my mothers. Thank you for everything.

The woman with two brains

As I write this blog I'm faced with a glaring dichotomy; I write about nutrition and healthy living AND most of my old recipes are NOT healthy. I've got chocolate and other goodies recipes, old-fashioned comfort food recipes, and a very few, what others would consider healthy recipes.

I'm not sure what to think of this dilemma. I know that cooking from scratch means that I've cut out all the food additives that have made my youngest daughter, Butterfly, ill in the past. They were probably what made my Only Son ill when he was a little boy. In fact, it was his illness that really started me on the whole "made from scratch" crusade I've been on for the last three decades.

So, as you read this blog, keep in mind that while the posts about nutrition and health are as up to date as possible, the recipes may be many decades old and reflect my Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde struggle with nutrition and tradition.

I hope you enjoy both the articles and the old-fashioned recipes. All are written with love.

Oven-Fried Chicken recipe

Tomorrow is Butterfly's thirteenth birthday. She has requested this recipe as the main course for her celebratory dinner. Smart girl - this is easy for Mom to make and I love it myself. It's SUPPOSED to be healthier for you than regular fried chicken. You wouldn't know that from the taste - it's on the decadent level.

Oven-Fried Chicken

3-pound broiler-fryer chicken, cut into parts
2/3 c flour
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ c (½ stick) butter or margarine

Wash chicken pieces; pat dry; remove skin, if desired.

Combine flour and seasoning in paper bag. Shake 2 to 3 pieces at a time in flour mixture.

Arrange chicken pieces in greased shallow pan in single layer. Pour melted butter or margarine over chicken.

Bake, uncovered, at 350°, for 60 minutes or until chicken is brown and tender.

Makes 4 servings.

Glazed Beef Loaf recipe

This has been one of my family's favorite recipes for the last three decades. It's easy, very tasty and comforting. It's probably not really healthy (I wish I was a chemist and could quantify how healthy something was) but it's been so yummy that I make it anyway.

Glazed Beef Loaf

2 eggs, beaten
2/3 c milk
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 slices bread, cut in small cubes
2/3 c finely chopped onion
2/3 c shredded raw carrot
1 ½ c shredded Cheddar cheese
2 lbs ground beef
¼ c brown sugar
¼ c ketchup
1 T prepared mustard

• Stir together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and bread. Beat until bread is broken up. Add onion, carrot, cheese and beef, mixing well.

• Form into a loaf in center of a 13 x 9 x 2” baking pan. Bake in moderate oven (350°) 1 hour and 15 minutes.

• Combine brown sugar, ketchup and mustard. Spread over beef loaf and continue baking 15 minutes. Makes 10 servings.

"The Risk of Environmentally Induced Cancer Has Been Grossly Underestimated"

The following quote is taken from Organic Bytes, an online newsletter put out by the Organic Consumers Organization. The original article can be found in the online version of The Atlantic.

The Risk of Environmentally Induced Cancer Has Been Grossly Underestimated

Quote of the Week - #224, May 14, 2010

The President's Cancer Panel says that the "risk of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated," that "nearly 80,000 chemicals [are] on the market in the United States, many of which are ... understudied and largely unregulated," and that "the public remains unaware ... that children are far more vulnerable to environmental toxins and radiation than adults."

The panel says "evidence suggests that some environmental agents may initiate or promote cancer by disrupting normal immune and endocrine system functions. The burgeoning number and complexity of known or suspected environmental carcinogens compel us to act to protect public health, even though we may lack irrefutable proof of harm."

Check out these examples selected from the recommendations:

* Parents and child care providers should choose foods, house and garden products, play spaces, toys, medicines, and medical tests that will minimize children's exposure to toxins. Ideally, both mothers and fathers should avoid exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
* It is preferable to use filtered tap water instead of commercially bottled water.
* Exposure to pesticides can be decreased by choosing ... food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers [translation: organics] and washing conventionally grown produce to remove residues.
* Exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones, and toxic run-off from livestock feedlots can be minimized by eating free-range meat [translation: don't eat feedlot meat].

-Marion Nestle, professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, and the author of Food Politics, Safe Food, What to Eat, reporting in the Atlantic, May 12, 2010, on a new report from the President's Cancer Panel.

Falling asleep naturally Part 4: Complex vs Simple Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are basically molecules of sugar chained together in different configurations. Their primary function is to provide energy for the body, especially the brain and the nervous system. An enzyme called amylase helps break down carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar), which is then used for energy by the body.

There are three forms of carbohydrates – simple, complex and dietary fiber. The difference between these three is the number of sugar molecules and how these sugars are combined.

Simple Carbohydrates

When you think of simple carbohydrates think simply SUGAR. Most of these simple carbohydrates are easy to identify since their names end in "ose". Examples of single unit sugars (called a saccharide), are the fruit sugar fructose and milk sugar galactose. Examples of a double sugar, one made with two units of sugar (called a disaccharide), are plain table sugar sucrose, the other milk sugar lactose and malt sugar maltose.

Simple carbohydrates are usually considered "bad" carbs, but that term is really reserved for the carbs that have been processed and broken down before being put back together again in an unnatural way such as to produce a sweet product like chocolate or a soda. These carbs are referred to as "empty calories" since they only provide quick energy in the form of a blood sugar spike (better known as a sugar rush).

Lest you think all simple sugars are bad, this category also includes natural simple carbohydrates like fruits, natural fruit juices, and milk. Along with the quick energy, natural simple carbohydrates also provide health-giving nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

Complex Carbohydrates

The long chains of sugar (polysaccharides) that make up complex carbohydrates form STARCH. These are high-fiber foods that help stabilize blood sugar, keep your energy at an even level, and help you feel satisfied longer after your meal.

Even this category has some problems. Processed complex carbohydrates tend to give you the same empty calories that processed simple carbs give. For example, wheat that is stripped of it's nourishing bran and processed into bleached white flour has little nourishment available for the body to absorb. That flour is then turned into cakes, cookies, bread, and other "foods" that are rapidly digested into glucose, spiking blood sugar and insulin just as the processed simple carbs do.

What determines whether starches are digested rapidly or slowly?

What is done to the starch before we eat it. Particularly when it comes to grains (and especially wheat), we have a tendency to grind it, puff it, flake it, roll it, and generally beat it into submission so we can form it into any number of processed foods. This has the effect of doing some of the work of our digestive systems before the food even goes into our mouths. It’s really no wonder that these foods are turned into sugar so efficiently within minutes of being in our bodies. The starches that are most rapidly digested are those made from flour (including whole grain flour) and most breakfast cereals.

On the other hand, if grains or legumes remain whole, such as beans, brown rice or whole barley, the starch is broken down into sugars much more slowly, and some never is turned into sugar at all, but reaches the large intestine intact – this is called resistant starch.

Starch Structure. Different kinds of starch have different arrangements of molecules, and some are easier for our digestive enzymes to get at than others. One kind of starch, called amylose, is broken down quite slowly. The higher the amount of amylose in a starch, the more slowly it is digested. Different types of rice have differing percentages of amylose. Long grain rices, which tend to stay more separate, are higher in amylose. Shorter grain rices, which tend to produce creamier and stickier rice are low in amylose and are more quickly digested. New potatoes (sometimes described as “waxy”) have a starch that is closer to amylose in structure than more mature potatoes, and are thus more slowly digested.

Most of the starch in beans has a structure which is only slowly broken down into sugars.

Surprises: One processed food that seems to be digested more slowly than would be guessed is pasta. Apparently the starch molecules are so tightly packed that only about half is rapidly digested when the pasta is cooked “al dente” (slightly firm). Cooking time and thickness of the pasta greatly affects how rapidly it's digested.

Additionally, when some cooked starches, such as potatoes and rice, are cooked and cooled, a small percentage of the starch takes longer to digest.

Dietary Fiber

Dietary Fiber (sometimes called roughage) is the indigestible portion of plant foods. Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Meat, milk and eggs do not contain fiber.

Fiber is divided into two categories: soluble and insoluble. Whereas insoluble fiber passes through the digestive tract relatively unchanged, soluble fiber dissolves to form a soft gel.

Fiber acts by changing the nature of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract, and by changing how other nutrients and chemicals are absorbed. Soluble fiber absorbs water to become a gelatinous, viscous substance and is fermented by bacteria in the digestive tract. Insoluble fiber has bulking action, is not fermented, passes through the digestive tract quickly and makes defecation easier.

After soluble fiber dissolves in water, it traps nutrients inside its gummy gel and slows down considerably while moving through the digestive tract. Inside the gel, nutrients are shielded from digestive enzymes and less likely to reach the wall of the intestines. Dietary sugars and starch are among the nutrients trapped inside this gel. Consequently, sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly, moderating the blood glucose spike and insulin response.

Sooooo...
The moral of the story of carbohydrates is to get as much unprocessed, real foods into your daily diet as possible. That includes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and pasta while limiting highly processed foods to occasional treats. Remember, we want to get as much tryptophan into the bloodstream as possible so it can be turned into serotonin and then into melatonin.

Next: Serotonin and Melatonin

The Insomnia Series
Falling asleep naturally Part 1
Falling asleep naturally Part 2: The Interaction of Biochemicals
Falling asleep naturally Part 3: Tryptophan and Insulin

Falling asleep naturally Part 3: Tryptophan and Insulin

So far we've established that we get the essential amino acid, tryptophan from foods, that it is converted by B6 and manganese (and sunlight) to the "feel good" neurotransmitter serotonin, which is converted by more B6 and manganese (and dark) to the sleep-inducing melatonin (I'll talk more about melatonin soon, I promise).

Unfortunately for the serotonin using nerves, tryptophan must share its "transport bus" with 5 other amino acids; tyrosine, phenylalanine, valine, leucine and isoleucine.

Consequently, tryptophan is typically out-numbered about 8:1 (remember, there are 8 essential amino acids) in its competition to secure its transport through the blood brain barrier into the brain.

Tryptophan's effects on carbohydrates and obesity

Eating a high protein diet to provide more tryptophan only worsens the problem by correspondingly increasing the intake of the 5 competing amino acids. Ironically, the only dietary strategy that increases brain tryptophan supply is to eat a high carbohydrate diet.

To understand how tryptophan and carbohydrates work together to relax you, picture the various amino acids from protein foods as passengers on a bus. A busload containing tryptophan and the other amino acids arrives at the brain cells. If more non-tryptophan "passengers" get off the bus and enter the brain cells, neuroactivity will rev up. If more tryptophan amino acids get off the bus, the brain will calm down.

When large amounts of carbohydrates are eaten, blood glucose levels increase rapidly. Once the body detects these elevated blood glucose levels it releases the hormone insulin to lower the resulting high blood sugar. The insulin also clears from the blood most of the 5 amino acids that compete with tryptophan for a ride to the brain. Tryptophan then has the "bus" all to itself, allowing more tryptophan to reach the brain.

As the blood glucose levels peak and then fall off, insulin does the same, however insulin levels peak later than blood glucose. Once blood glucose levels reach normal again, it takes insulin a little bit longer to reach normal itself. It is this lag time in normalization of insulin levels which gives us those sugar cravings after carbohydrate rich meals. This is because blood sugar levels are normal but we still have insulin present in the blood and that insulin needs something to do; so it has the effect of asking the body for more sugar. That's why we get hungry even though we just ate a few hours ago.

This cycle is instinctively known and practiced by many people who eat large amounts of carbohydrates like bread, cakes, pies, ice cream, chips, pizza, candy etc., especially when they are feeling depressed, stressed or anxious.

The increased brain serotonin this produces lowers arousal and anxiety, promoting a (temporary) sense of well being and security. However, this strategy comes at a price, the same insulin which enhances brain serotonin also enhances the conversion of the fats, carbohydrates, and amino acids cleared from the blood into stored body fat!

High insulin levels prevent your body from using this fat as an energy source, so it simply begins to accumulate. Eventually, if insulin levels remain continuously high, your cells will become insulin resistant, meaning that they will stop accepting any more glucose at all. In effect, they shut down, and stop caring about how much sugar is in your blood. What happens next is that the amount of glucose in the blood stream becomes unregulated, and things get bad in terms of blood glucose toxicity and insulin damage, which results in diabetes, heart attacks, blindness, the need for limb amputation and other disasters.

However, this is just focusing on the glucose levels in the system. Having consistently high insulin levels is even worse. Insulin is pro-inflammatory, and is now believed to cause atherosclerosis, the stiffening of artery walls, the rise in blood pressure, the blockage of your circulatory system--and you get the picture.

So what we want is enough protein to provide tryptophan, enough carbohydrates to cause insulin to "bind up" the energizing amino acids but not so much as to cause a rapid spike in blood sugar with its resulting spike in insulin.

What's a person supposed to do?

Next: Complex vs Simple Carbohydrates

The Insomnia Series
Falling asleep naturally Part 1
Falling asleep naturally Part 2: The Interaction of Biochemicals

Tammy's Spicy Pepperoni recipe

I've always been fascinated by making things from scratch; canning, sewing, gardening, dehydrating, preserving, making cheese and soap (not at the same time); I get a self-satisfied feeling of accomplishment. So I was thrilled to find this recipe for homemade pepperoni.

I don't remember what I was researching when I found the Tammy's Recipes site, but her "miscellaneous" section called to me. That's how I ended up with this amazing pepperoni recipe.

It takes some planning ahead to make, but it's totally worth it to have real pepperoni taste minus all the bad stuff that's found in the commercial varieties. I must admit that I substituted kosher salt + some brown sugar for the Morton's Tender Quick curing salt that the recipe calls for. I couldn't find Tender Quick in my local grocery stores and when I looked it up online I found that it contains sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, and propylene glycol, all the stuff I don't want in my homemade foods. The resulting sausage is brown instead of commercial pepperoni red but it tastes the same. The results were fine with my family.

Tammy's Spicy Pepperoni

A spicy dense cured pepperoni recipe. This recipe is very easy to make and has that authentic pepperoni taste.

Yield: 2 pounds of pepperoni

2 pounds lean ground beef (85% lean or leaner)
2 teaspoons liquid smoke flavoring
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 1/2 or 2 teaspoons crushed fennel seed*
1 or 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper**
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 heaping teaspoons Morton's Tender Quick curing salt

1. Combine seasonings and meat and mix thoroughly, using hands. Cover and refrigerate for 48-72 hours.
2. Form meat into two long logs or rolls. Place a rack (or pan/sheet with drainage) on a cookie sheet and put the logs onto rack. Bake at 200 degrees for 8 hours, rotating logs every 2 hours.
3. Logs will be a bright pink when they are finished, and should be fairly dry and firm. Wipe off excess grease and allow meat to cool. Chill and then slice thinly. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer storage.

Additional Notes from Tammy:
*I crushed mine with a rolling pin; it wasn't extremely crushed, but that's okay: it doesn't need to be very fine.
**Use more if you like hotter pepperoni; use less if you want a milder flavor

Falling asleep naturally Part 2: The Interaction of Bio-chemicals

It all starts with tryptophan
Tryptophan is one of 8 essential amino acids. Amino acids are critical to life; they are the building blocks of protein, form parts of co-enzymes, and help the body form other molecules. When these amino acids are labeled "essential" it means that the body can't synthesize them from other compounds so they have to be gotten from food. (Just a note: Five of the non-essential amino acids can't be fully synthesized in young children either because their metabolic pathways don't completely develop until they are older. So it's vitally important to make sure our children are fed healthy nutritious meals to ensure their bodies grow properly.)

Tryptophan is required for the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is important for normal nerve and brain function. It is further important in controlling hyperactivity in children, assists in alleviating stress, helps with weight loss and reducing appetite. It has also been found that people suffering from migraine headaches have abnormal levels of tryptophan.

Tryptophan plays a significant role in the synthesis of one of the B complex group of vitamins called niacin or nicotinic acid. In the human system, an average of about 1 mg of niacin is formed from 60 mg of dietary tryptophan.

This amino acid is also essential for blood clotting and formation of digestive juices. It induces sleep and relaxes the nervous system. It wards off signs of premature ageing, such as cataract of the eyes, baldness, deterioration of sex gland functioning, and malformation of tooth enamel.

A shortage of tryptophan, combined with a shortage of magnesium may be a contributing factor to heart artery spasms.

There's a lot going on in the body for which tryptophan is responsible but let's just look at the sleep-inducing aspect of the amino acid.

Tryptophan --> Serotonin --> Melatonin
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that conveys the positive sensations of satiety, satisfaction and relaxation. It regulates appetite and when converted to melatonin helps us to sleep.

In order to produce serotonin from tryptophan we need plenty of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and magnesium as well as vitamin D (from sunlight). These are essential coenzymes necessary in the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin and without which the body cannot produce serotonin. If it cannot produce serotonin, it cannot produce melatonin (our sleeping hormone), which is also dependent on vitamin B6 and magnesium.

However, if the body has a deficiency of niacin (Vitamin B3), all the available tryptophan in the body may be used up in the conversion of tryptophan into niacin, at the ratio of 60 to 1, which may create a tryptophan deficiency despite adequate amounts in food!

It gets worse: There is an interdependency between vitamin B6 and zinc; when the body is deficient in zinc it cannot utilize vitamin B6 which then can't be used to convert tryptophan to serotonin and then on to melatonin. Therefore, a zinc deficiency may also cause insomnia.

Reasons to have an adequate supply of B6 in your system:
· it could cut the risk of Parkinson’s disease by half
· it prevents the buildup of plaque in the heart
· it decreases sensitivity to monosodium glutamate
· it has a beneficial effect on carpal tunnel syndrome
· it has long been publicized as a cure for premenstrual syndrome
· it can alleviate some of the many symptoms of an alcoholic hangover
· it can alleviate morning sickness from pregnancy
· it decreases the risk of colorectal cancer
· it decreases the formation of kidney stones
· it may increase dream vividness or the ability to recall dreams.
· Vitamin B6 is necessary for converting tryptophan to niacin and into serotonin

Magnesium
People with a magnesium deficiency suffer from "Type II insomnia." They fall asleep easily but only experience a relatively short period of deep, restful sleep, that delicious time when your body is able to rebuild muscles, skin and bones. Most of the night they are trapped in light, useless sleep. They toss and they turn. Then, they wake up exhausted.

Ironically, people with too little magnesium in relation to calcium develop this trouble because they don't have enough energy to sleep restfully. Restful sleep requires a certain amount of energy to reach the stage of rejuvenating rest, which is characterized by rapid eye movement (REM). When you can't maintain REM sleep for a prolonged period, fatigue eventually becomes chronic during your waking hours. (Your energy is zapped because you have too much calcium in relation to magnesium.)

People under stress are prone to this kind of insomnia because stress sops up all the magnesium it can find, creating a shortage.

The following information about magnesium comes from krispin.com

Magnesium is a critical element in 325+ biochemical reactions in the human body.

Recent research, in France and several other European countries, gives a clue concerning the role of magnesium plays in the transmission of hormones (such as insulin, thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, DHEA, etc.), neurotransmitters (such as dopamine, catecholamines, serotonin, GABA, etc.), and minerals and mineral electrolytes.

This research concludes that it is magnesium status that controls cell membrane potential and through this means controls uptake and release of many hormones, nutrients and neurotransmitters. It is magnesium that controls the fate of potassium and calcium in the body. If magnesium is insufficient potassium and calcium will be lost in the urine and calcium will be deposited in the soft tissues (kidneys, arteries, joints, brain, etc.).

Magnesium protects the cell from aluminum, mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium and nickel. Evidence is mounting that low levels of magnesium contribute to the heavy metal deposition in the brain that precedes Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's. It is probable that low total body magnesium contributes to heavy metal toxicity in children and is a participant in the etiology of learning disorders.

Magnesium deficiency (from low dietary intake or excess loss) is clinically associated with:

* ADD/ADHD
* Alzheimer's
* Angina
* Anxiety disorders
* Arrhythmia
* Arthritis- Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis
* Asthma
* Autism
* Auto immune disorders- all types
* Cavities
* Cerebral Palsy- in children from magnesium deficient mothers
* Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
* Congestive Heart Disease
* Constipation
* Crooked teeth- narrow jaw- in children from magnesium deficient mothers
* Depression
* Diabetes- Type I and II
* Eating disorders- Bulimia, Anorexia
* Fibromyalgia
* Gut disorders- including peptic ulcer, Crohn's disease, colitis, food allergy
* Heart Disease- Arteriosclerosis, high cholesterol, high triglycerides
* Heart Disease- in infants born to magnesium deficient mothers
* High Blood Pressure
* Hypoglycemia
* Impaired athletic performance
* Infantile Seizure- in children from magnesium deficient mothers
* Insomnia
* Kidney Stones
* Lou Gehrig's Disease
* Migraines- including cluster type
* Mitral Valve Prolapse
* Multiple Sclerosis
* Muscle cramps
* Muscle weakness, fatigue
* Myopia- in children from magnesium deficient mothers
* Obesity- especially obesity associated with high carbohydrate diets
* Osteoporosis- just adding magnesium reversed bone loss
* Parkinson's Disease
* PMS- including menstrual pain and irregularities
* PPH- Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
* Raynaud's
* SIDS- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
* Stroke
* Syndrome X- insulin resistance
* Thyroid disorders- low, high and auto-immune; low magnesium reduces T4

Calcium
Calcium is directly related to our cycles of sleep. In one study, published in the European Neurology Journal, researchers found that calcium levels in the body are higher during some of the deepest levels of sleep, such as the rapid eye movement (REM) phase. The study concluded that disturbances in sleep, especially the absence of REM deep sleep or disturbed REM sleep, are related to a calcium deficiency. Restoration to the normal course of sleep was achieved following the normalization of the blood calcium level.

William Sears, M.D. writes: "Calcium helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan to manufacture the sleep-inducing substance melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods."

People who don't have enough calcium have two sleep-related problems. First, they have great difficulty falling asleep. In most cases this occurs because low tissue calcium produces irritability. They're just too upset to be able to fall asleep.

Second, people with low calcium levels are plagued with muscle cramps at night. These painful cramps occur even without any real exertion during the day. A calcium to magnesium imbalance causes these muscles to remain in a constant state of contraction.

Vitamin D
We are all animals that depend on a wake-sleep cycle. This is called the circadian rhythm. This rhythm is set up by our exposure to sunlight. There is more insomnia when there is a lack of sunlight or darkness such as near the North pole. We know that sunlight triggers the skin to form calciferol, commonly known as Vitamin D3. The same hormone, yes, Vitamin D is a hormone, is added to milk to insure that children get some hormone to help form long bones and teeth. But Vitamin D3 does so much more. It has not been recognized yet that Calciferol controls the release of melatonin and regulates the pituitary release of growth hormone.

Vitamin D is key in allowing minerals to absorb properly and metabolize in the body. It also regulates normal cell growth function and promotes blood sugar regulation. Additionally, vitamin D assists in the buildup of healthy tissue and the regulation of the immune system.

In addition to insomnia, vitamin D deficiency can factor into the causes of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, rickets, other bone disorders, osteoporosis, and depression.

There are three specific ways to increase the amount of vitamin D an individual gets:

· For light-skinned individuals, get about 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure per day. For darker-skinned individuals, get about 40 minutes. Beyond this time, use an SPF lotion to protect the skin.
· Eat a diet rich in oily fish, spinach, broccoli, fruits and fortified milk, although acquiring the recommended amount through diet alone is unlikely.
· Take a vitamin D supplement of 1000-2000 IU daily.

Zinc
Zinc is involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism. It is required for the catalytic activity of approximately 100 enzymes and it plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and cell division. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence and is required for proper sense of taste and smell. A daily intake of zinc is required to maintain a steady state because the body has no specialized zinc storage system.

COPPER AND INSOMNIA
A hallmark of copper imbalance is insomnia. Copper has a stimulating effect on the brain, causes the mind to race, and it can also excite the emotions. High-copper individuals often stay up late and have difficulty falling or staying asleep. Insomnia before the menstrual period can often be due to elevated copper, as this tends to occur just before the menstrual period in young women.

Improving the copper balance may take a few weeks to a few months or more, especially if other nutritional imbalances are present. For this reason, other remedies may be needed for a while until the copper is brought into a better balance. Remedies that specifically affect copper include taking zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, and perhaps also molybdenum. All of these may help lower a very high copper in some people. However, do not continue these if they are not effective, as they can also unbalance the body chemistry if taken for extended periods of time. To read more about copper, read the article entitled Copper Toxicity Syndrome.

Next: Tryptophan and Insulin

The Insomnia Series
Falling asleep naturally Part 1

Quick and Easy Salsa recipe

If you are a fan of pico de gallo-type salsa, you'll appreciate this very easy, tasty recipe.

Quick and Easy Salsa

1 16-oz bottle Pace Medium (or hot or mild depending on your preference) Picante Sauce
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 large tomato, chopped
1/2 to 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 to 1 bunch green onions, chopped

Mix all ingredients together. Enjoy!

Tomatillo Chicken Enchiladas recipe

Tonight we are having tomatillo chicken enchiladas for dinner. I'm so happy! This is one of my very favorite recipes. I think it's absolutely luscious and relatively healthy. It takes time to create but is soooo worth it.

I have no idea where I got it from. That's the problem with most of my old recipes; I have no clue where they originated. If anyone out there recognizes any of my old recipes and knows who they came from, please let me know and I'll happily add the attribute.

Tomatillo Chicken Enchiladas

Tomatillo Salsa
2 lb tomatillos*
1 cup chopped onions
3 Serrano chile peppers, seeded, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ c lime juice
¼ c chopped fresh cilantro
½ tsp salt

Enchiladas
2 c shredded cooked chicken
8 oz (2 c) shredded hot pepper cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
½ c chopped green onions
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas, warmed

Peel husks from tomatillos; rinse. Place tomatillos in large saucepan; add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until soft. Drain.

Place tomatillos in food processor bowl with metal blade or blender container; process with on/off pulses just until smooth.** In large bowl, combine tomatillos and all remaining tomatillo salsa ingredients; mix well. Spread 1 cup of the salsa over bottom of 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish.

Heat oven to 350°. In large bowl, combine chicken, 1 cup of the cheese, 1 cup of the tomatillo salsa and all remaining enchilada ingredients except tortillas; mix well. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam side down, over salsa in baking dish. Spoon ½ cup of the salsa over filled enchiladas. Cover.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Top with remaining salsa and cheese. Bake an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. 6 servings.

Tips:
*Three 11-oz cans tomatillos, drained, can be substituted for fresh tomatillos.

**After tomatillos are processed in blender, they can be refrigerated up to 1 day or frozen up to 3 months.

Falling asleep naturally Part 1

I've often thought that it would be nice to be able to get by on less sleep so I could accomplish more, but it just doesn't work out that way for me. Some people seem to function well on 4 hours of sleep each night but I NEED at least 7 hours of restful sleep in order to function well the next day.

Craig David says it best: It feels like insomnia, ah, ah.

Almost everyone has at some point experienced the frustrating inability to go to sleep, but sometimes it gets much, much worse and ends up in chronic insomnia. It's not just not sleeping that's the problem; it's the fatigue and brain fog that follows the insomnia.

Did you know that aside from disease, nothing degrades your health faster than lack of sleep? Your body requires that period of rest in order to replenish and rejuvenate.

While you are sleeping, your body uses that time to conduct important preventive maintenance at the cellular level. Deprive the body of this restful period and you increase the potential for severe physical and/or psychological maladies.

What happens when you don’t get enough sleep

With a packed schedule, trying to squeeze as many hours as possible into the day is sorely tempting. However, when you continuously short yourself on sleep, as happens when you CAN'T fall asleep/stay asleep, you begin to pay for it in many ways:

* Impaired mood, memory, and concentration. When you don’t get enough sleep, you’re less productive, not more. Lack of sleep affects your ability to concentrate and remember things. What’s more, it makes you irritable and cranky. As a result, your social and decision-making skills suffer.
* Dampened immune system. Without adequate sleep, the immune system weakens, making you more vulnerable to colds, flu, and other infections and diseases. And when you DO get sick, it takes you longer to recover.
* Increased risk of accidents. Did you know that driving while seriously sleep deprived is similar to driving while drunk? The lack of motor coordination associated with sleep deprivation also makes you more susceptible to falls and injuries.

So, even knowing all of that, why is it so darned hard to get to sleep or stay asleep? Sometimes, even when we DO want the Sandman to do his job, we just lie there staring at the ceiling thinking of not being able to sleep. Sometimes desperation sets in and some of us resort to either over the counter or prescription sleeping aids, but since this blog is about natural remedies, we're going to talk about food and the relationship between tryptophan, B vitamins, vitamin D, serotonin, melatonin, insulin, calcium, and magnesium and how they all help you sleep.

Next: The Interaction of Bio-chemicals

A new substitute teacher

I'm very pleased to announce that I passed my substitute teaching certification final exam. Let me put that differently; I'm overjoyed that I passed my final exam!!!!! I pretty much memorized all the material that was in the pretests and all the material that I knew would be on the exam. Had I not gone to hypnotherapy school I wouldn't have believed that I could memorize that much stuff (While there I learned how to put myself into trance and just be able to recall the info when I needed it.) I NEEDED all that info. I wasn't the first student done but I was a close second. So, yea, it's done.

Now here I am with three weeks left in the school year; not much time to actually get into the trenches and teach. Maybe I'll need the summer to recuperate?

Anyway, I've been a little busy for the past week. That's why I haven't posted lately. Now that I'm done with studying for the final you'll get more regular postings.

I'm done rambling. I'm finally going to bed. Good night all.

Hawaiian Sweet Bread recipe

I've been working at night as a stocker at the Pearl Harbor Commissary for the last few months. Night time is the worst time for me to be working around food because everything looks and smells so good. The last few nights I've felt lured by the Hawaiian Sweet bread on the bread racks near the back room where all the items that need to be stocked are kept. I remembered this wonderful recipe that my calabash cousin gave me a few decades ago. So I pulled it out of my extensive collection of recipes -- and it's now on my to-do list for tomorrow. I hope you'll try it - it really is pretty tasty! It's not exactly like the store-bought loaves, but it's pretty close.

Hawaiian Sweet Bread

½ cup warm water
½ small grated potato
1 Tablespoon yeast
1½ teaspoons sugar
Mix, let stand 1 hour. Add 2-½ c white flour, ¼ c warm milk. Let rise 1 ½ to 2 hours.

3 eggs + 1 yolk
1 cup sugar
1 ¼ Tablespoon vanilla
1½ teaspoons lemon extract
1 stick butter, melted

Add to risen mixture.

1 Tablespoon yeast in ¼ cup warm milk
Add instantly to the rest of the batter; do not wait to rise. Mix well with hands.

Add approximately 2½ cups flour

Knead 30 minutes, keeping dough on soft side. Oil hands; pat dough smooth to cover with oil. Cover; let rise until doubled. Punch down; divide in halves. Knead each half a few times. Make 2 round loaves, place in greased round cake pans, let rise 1 hour to 1-½ hours. Brush top with egg yolk diluted with water. Bake 350° for 40 minutes.