Down Home Kitchen

It’s hard to imagine a sandwich or burger without good old-fashioned mayonnaise. However,  there’s the appeal of mustard, especially since a tablespoon of mayo will set you back at least 110 calories.  This condiment is full of fat and calories and even the light mayo has 50 calories a tablespoon. Mustard, brings along just as much flavor with a fraction of the calories. One tablespoon of yellow mustard contains 11 calories, and it comes in several varieties, including brown, yellow and honey Dijon.

Well, as you can tell ………there was plenty of food…..  ….front and center was my dressing……..right next to it on the right sliced turkey and then just to the right of the turkey, Mom’s sliced ham……..above the dressing…….is green onions…..the creamed potatoes and to the right of them is the sweet potatoes, topped with melted, marshmallows……….over on the left is some dishes that my sister left covered that she brought, they kept getting cold for some reason………..Above the potatoes were her deviled eggs and banana pudding, which you can’t see, because they are covered…….too………. she was supposed to bring a fruit salad, which she forgot……..

Oh I kept my giblet gravy on the stove……..since there wasn’t enough room for it on the table and was able to re-heat it ever so often and keep it warm…… 

Hope all of you had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving…….

16 oz. fresh cranberries, rinsed

2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. orange jusice

1 T. chopped ginger

grated zest of 1 orange

Combine all ingredients in saucepan.  Cook over med. heat till berries pop open, about 10 min.  Remove from heat skim over surface foam and discrd.  Cool and serve, can be kept in refrigerator  up to 3 mon.

I found this article on Glycemic levels, and thought it was a good idea to note it for my readers.  I believe that many are obese, because they eat the wrong carbs and done watch their intake.
Keep an eye on G.I. levels. Glycemic Index were the buzzwords of the last year. The Glycemic Index chart ranks carbohydrates based on their effect on blood sugar levels. Carbs that break down fast and lead to blood sugar spikes are given a high value while carbs that move through the body slow are assigned a low value. The more low G.I. foods you consume the better for your blood sugar. For example, a doughnut has a G.I. of 76. Yogurt, on the other hand, has a G.I. value of 14.

There are two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are usually sweet and can include cakes, candies and other sugary foods. Some foods such as peaches, melons and apples are simple carbs. Complex carbs include whole grain pasta, brown rice, oats, vegetables and whole grain cereals. For the most part, try to stick with complex carbs which take longer to digest and are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Make your food complex. as in carbohydrates. White bread, cookies, pasta and other highly-processed foods give carbs a bad name.

Have you ever got to feeling good enough to fix a dish from “scratch?” Well, it’s actually fun, if you know what your doing. It’s fun if you get things all set up ahead of time. Going looking for something, when your in the middle of mixing doesn’t make for a good outcome. I’ve been in a hurry many times, grab for things, mix them together, and what a mess. You’ve been there, I’m sure. It’s just not going to work, if the eggs aren’t beaten, or the butter and sugar haven’t been creamed. Imagine that! They all go in the same bowl, mixed together, so why can’t they work right, just this time?

It’s very nice to have a food dish, turn out right. Especially, when you work so hard to make it from “scratch”. You hope that it tastes as good, complementing your efforts. But those biscuits, can get really hard, can’t they?  I swear, I could knock someone out with mine. Just can’t seem to get it right.

I have had times that I threw something together, and it came out wonderful.  I keep thinking back wondering just how I did it? Maybe if I could remember I could do it again. Ha, ha………the jokes’ on me, it will never happen again.

So, it’s back to the conventional way and reading the recipe the right way.

I’m sure your asking me what I’m doing writing this type of post. Just imagine, how much more fun your baby can have eating the food your eating.

If you can eat it, your baby can. At least the babies, that are already eating “baby food” will be able to. Rather than pay all those expensive prices for baby food, just pop some of the meat or veggies in the blender, with a couple of teaspoons milk and puree. They can enjoy the same food your eating and develop a better sense of taste.

Sure you can have the jar baby food to take with you when you aren’t at home, but use that as a substitute. Cooking at home for the family, gives the special pleasures of smelling the aroma’s. If your baby associates the smells with eating, then it will be all too ready, when the food is offered.

Pureeing the food, gives it the smooth texture of regular baby food. So, why not let your baby enjoy a meal right along with the rest of the family? It’s a good way to interact and give your baby the same pleasures, you get from sitting down to a good meal.