Neddy's Palaver

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God’s great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and Krispy Creme Donuts. And Satan said, “You want chocolate with that?”

And Man said, “Yes!” and Woman said,”and as long as you’re at it, add some sprinkles.” And they gained ten pounds. And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.

So God said, “Try my fresh green salad.” And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, “I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them.” And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, and named it “Angel Food Cake,” and said, “It is good.” Satan then created chocolate cake and named it “Devil’s Food.” God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds.

And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald’s and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, “You want fries with that?” And Man replied, “Yes! And super size them!” And Satan said, “It is good.”

And Man went into cardiac arrest. God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery. Then Satan created HMO’s.

(Received from the Internet Without Attribution)

The image, Supersize Me!, was originally uploaded to the Internet by barneykin. It was posted here by Neddy of .

These recipes are from Carolyn of “Angel Grace Notes.”

CHRISTMAS BROCCOLI (0- pts.) Steam 1 cup of broccoli and cauliflower until barely tender. Marinate in Walden Farms 0-pt. Italian dressing. Toss with thinly sliced red bell pepper. BEAUTIFUL AND DELICIOUS!!!

ITALIAN TORTELLINI SOUP — (A beautiful and delicious supper that refrigerates and makes GREAT LEFTOVERS for busy December days)
Makes eight 1 1/2 cup servings at 3 pts. each

1 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
2 cups chopped tomatoes (or 1 large can stewed low-sodium)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup sliced zucchini
2 cups frozen cheese filled tortellini
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1 medium green pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces.

Saute onion and garlic until tender in olive oil. Add beef broth, water, tomatoes, carrots, seasonings and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in tortellini, zucchini and green pepper. Simmer an additional 30 minutes.

CHICKEN AND RICE SKILLET DINNER — 4 SERVINGS @ 6 POINTS each

One 1-oz. envelope onion soup mix, divided
4 4-oz skinless, boneles chicken breast halves
PAM
1 1/2 cups water
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can reduced-fat, reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice.

1. Sprinkle half of onion soup mix over both sides of chicken breast halves; coat chicken lightly with cooking spray.  Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until chicken is browned. Remove chicken and set aside.

2. Add remaining onion soup mix, water, mushroom soup and pepper to pan; bring to a boil.  Stir in rice. Top with chicken.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 8 minutes, or until chicken is done. ~~Serve with a big salad or lots of steamed veggies!

~*~MORE THANKSGIVING RECIPES~*~

PARMESAN DINNER ROLLS - 3 points each.  THESE ARE SHOW STOPPERS FOR COMPANY IF YOU LET THEM RISE LONG ENOUGH!!!!
Use 1 bag of frozen roll dough. Spray muffin tin with PAM.  Place 2 roll balls in each cup (I like to cut them in half so I have 4 pieces for a cloverleaf roll) Spray tops lightly with Pam and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese (sesame seeds are fun too.) Let rise — I allow at least 2 1/2 - 3 hours and let them get very large) Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

ONION TOASTED GREEN BEANS About 6 servings @ 2 points each
Mix 1 can Cream of Mushroom (98% fat free) with 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 tsp. soy sauce, dash pepper and 4 cups cooked green beans. Top with 1 cup crushed onion melba toast crackers.

Recipes from Carolyn Allen of Angel Grace Notes.
And don’t forget the “Smoked Beer Can Turkey!”

Watch closely and learn to make the amazing “fluffernutter” that has the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts in one big kerfuffle. There are but three ingredients: bread, peanut butter and fluffer butter. Apparently, some in that great state are concerned that kids do not get enough nutrition from the fluffernutter and are calling for Spaghettios instead. Hmmm - which would have more nutritional value, a fluffernutter made with whole wheat raisin bread and banana slices or Chef Boyardee’s canned noodles? The Fluffernutter

This is a very old and “expensive” recipe. The “fluff” part of the recipe was originally sold by its inventor for $500, a lot of money in the days of The Great Depression. He had been selling “fluff” door to door in Massachusetts … and people were buying it. The formula for fluff is amazingly simple; a well-beaten mixture of only four ingredients: corn syrup, sugar, dried egg white, and vanillin.

Fluffernutter

• Marshmallow Fluff
• Peanut butter (smooth or creamy)
• 2 slices bread

Spread peanut butter onto one slice of bread. Cover with Marshmallow Fluff. Top with second slice of bread and enjoy! A favorite with kids of all ages.

On this page is video: Fluffernutter How-to

Nutritional Value Per Serving (Two Sandwiches): calories 412, fat 22.2g, 45% calories from fat, cholesterol 3mg, protein 12.4g, carbohydrates 49.8g, fiber 2.2g, sugar 28.0g, sodium 386mg.

The image, fluffernutter excellence, was originally uploaded by 2inches. It is posted here from Neddy’s favorites.

A Martha Stewart Easter Tradition

Martha Stewart / March 25, 2006

For many years, I have designed new versions of the old-fashioned dyed Easter eggs that I grew up coloring with my brothers and sisters under the supervision of our mother as she prepared the Easter feast. I have dyed them with onion skins, marbleized them, embellished them with gold and silver leaf, beaded them and dipped them in glass glitter.

After a trip to Brussels, Belgium, where I had my first sampling of chocolate-filled eggshells, I came home enthusiastic about trying to devise a system for doing a similar thing at home.

What resulted was the how-to technique that you will find below. (The chocolate needs to be tempered, or heated and cooled to precise temperatures. If you don’t take these steps when melting chocolate, it may become grainy or develop grayish patches, called bloom, once it hardens.)

Made with dark chocolate, the resulting eggs are wonderful decorations, beautiful gifts and lovely fillers for Easter baskets. And they really are quite easy. Here’s how to make them: Martha Stewart’s Wonderful way to make chocolate-filled eggshells

If you do not have the time to drill two tiny holes into each egg shell, puncture each yolk with a pin, blow out the eggy insides with an ear syringe, boil and dry the eggshells, melt gourmet chocolate ever so carefully as to avoid any lumping, and then drip the melted concoction into the tiny holes in the egg shells, all without breaking any of them, here is a much easier task to consider: Make your own Easter egg dye. By the way, what does one do with the chocolate-filled eggshells? How can one eat them?

The image, painted eggs, was originally uploaded by nuanc. It is posted here from

Salted In Their Shells
Someone I know very well loves to eat peanuts in the shell, but they must be “salted in the shell” peanuts. Since I know they don’t grow in the peanut patch that way, I was wondering how do they salt peanuts while still in the shell? Here’s the answer!

Gingerbread Waffles (4 servings @ 190 calories)

1 1/4 c unbleached flour
2 T brown sugar, packed
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 T molasses
3 T fat-free sour cream
3/4 c Fat-Free Buttermilk, * see note
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c raisins

Heat a standard waffle iron and spray with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice. In another mixing bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, molasses, sour cream, and raisins. Add dry ingredients with wet ingredients just until moistened. Pour enough batter onto hot waffle iron, or filling two-thirds of the waffle iron. Bake for four minutes, or as directed from your waffle iron instructions.

From Free Weight Loss Support Newsletter

From the February issue of “Consumer Reports” comes advice on buying organic: “Organic products, when buying organic pays (and doesn’t) 2/06″

Buy these items organic whenever possible:

• Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries.
• Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy.
• Baby Food

Buy These Foods Organic When You Can Afford Them:

• Asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples, and sweet peas.
• Breads, oils, potato chips, pasta, cereals, and other packaged foods, such as canned or dried fruit and vegetables.

Don’t Waste Your Money:

• Cosmetics
• Seafood.

Whether caught in the wild or farmed, fish can be labeled organic, despite the presence of contaminants such as mercury and PCBs. Some wild fish such as bluefish are very high in PCBs, and tuna and swordfish are laced with mercury. The USDA has not yet developed organic certification standards for seafood. In the meantime, producers are allowed to make their own organic claims as long as they don’t use “USDA” or “certified organic” logos. California, however, recently passed a law that prohibits the use of any organic labeling on fish and other seafood until either state or federal certification standards are established.

I hope this helps and I hope that “Consumer Reports” knows what they are talking about, as I am always totally confused about such things.

This is an amazing video showing the manufacture of chocolate, from its very beginnings in history. It was made by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association and is hosted at the Manufacturers Blog under their “Cool Stuff Being Made”. This is great for all - adults and children - who love chocolate. The Video

The World of Chocolate

Linked at Basil’s “Sunday Bruch” and The Political Teen.

YES! They’ve found the cure, and it is “oh, so easy“! Kimchee - as in “you are in deep kimchee“. According to “Sauerkraut.com”

SUPERFOOD STRIKES AGAIN:
Scientists Find Kimchi Sauerkraut May Cure Avian Flu - A cure in a meal: U.S. Sauerkraut sales expected to skyrocket

Fremont, OH—October 18, 2005—In yet another indication that Sauerkraut is the super food of the 21st century, scientists at Seoul National University have successfully used Kimchi Sauerkraut to treat chickens infected with avian flu. Kimchi is a seasoned variety of sauerkraut that shares Lactobacillus bacteria with traditional Sauerkraut, which may be the critical element in preventing Avian Flu. Both Kimchi and traditional Sauerkraut are made by fermenting sliced cabbage, producing a high level of lactic acid.

According to an October 2005 BBC report, Kimchi was fed to 13 infected chickens and 11 of them started recovering within a week. South Korean Kimchi consumption is up as a result of this report and U.S. sales of Sauerkraut are also expected to spike up.

Well, here’s hoping that whatever miracle cure is contained in kimchee, is also contained in German-style sauerkraut, as the German dish is a simpler and more palatable food than the Korean kimchee. In fact, if kimchee is the cure for bird flu - most people would prefer to take their chances with the disease. I wonder about the birds too - would they really eat kimchee?

The results of a recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concluded that sauerkraut is a cancer inhibitor. The study discovered that the fermentation of cabbage (how sauerkraut is made) produced a substance called isothiocynates, which prevents cancer growth, particularly in the breast, colon, lung and liver. Packed with vitamins, iron, and fiber, sauerkraut is also rich in cruciferous phytochemicals, which have long been proven to have disease fighting powers. (Sauerkraut.com)

If kimchee does work, it is most probably a preventative, rather than a cure, as one serving of the garlicy kimchee will keep everyone, even including chickens, far, far away.

Ruffles & Flourishes to Sahmwhere Ntranzishn.