Farmarazzi Slideshow : Slow Food USA

Sharing a wonderful series of farm pictures to support our small farms...enjoy!


Farmarazzi Slideshow : Slow Food USA

Sharing White Wheat Information

Just found out more information about the white wheat products sold in the marketplace. While doing research into wheat products on the Wheat Foods Council site, it appears that there are numerous types and colors of whole wheat I didn't know about. Interesting....

Red and white are two different color varieties of wheat, distant cousins, if you will. Hard white wheat came into the American marketplace in 1990. White wheat comes in two types- soft or hard. Of the two, soft white wheat has the lower protein content. Compared to red wheat, white wheat has a milder and sweeter taste. White wheat is lighter weight than its counterpart. The taste is sweeter and the grain lighter than red wheat. Both red and white wheat contain the same fiber and nutritional content.

For more information on wheat, visit the website at www.wheatfoods.org. There's a lot of good stuff there. :) Enjoy!!

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Making A Healthy Stuffed Burger

Have a taste for a juicy, cheese-stuffed burger but think it's off-limits due to being too fatty or unhealthy? Think again. Here's a quick and easy way to enjoy this tasty delight...This recipe makes two burgers.

Stuffed Burgers
8 ounces, 93% or 97% lean ground sirloin
2 T red onion, thinly chopped
1 t fresh basil, finely chopped or ½ t dried
½ t mustard
½ ounce low-fat mozzarella

Place first four ingredients into mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix with wooden spoon or hands. Divide the mixture into half.

Divide the cheese into two portions.

Shape each meat portion into a thin patty. Place cheese into the center. Roll up the meat mixture and form a thick patty.

Depending on what you desire, either place the burgers onto a heated grill or place them underneath an oven broiler. Cook until done to your liking and cheese has melted.

Serve on whole grain buns with fresh salsa or tomato, lettuce and sliced avocado.

If cheese is not to your liking, substitute avocado for a tasty alternative.

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Don't Like Oatmeal? Try This...

Want to eat heart-healthy oatmeal but don't like its taste or texture? Here's an alternative....oat bran.

Oat bran comes from the center portion of the oat grain. The taste is much sweeter than oatmeal itself. The texture is, for lack of a better word, less gummy. I, personally, find it much more enjoyable than oatmeal. When you look at oat bran, it looks like a very course flour. Here's how to enjoy a bowl for your morning breakfast...

Fruity Oat Bran
1 cup water
½ cup oat bran
2 T raisins, or adjust to taste
1-2 apple slices, peeled and diced
cinnamon
brown sugar
soy or dairy milk

Place water into small saucepan over medium meat. Bring to the bubbling point and add oat bran and fruit. Stir thoroughly to prevent stirring. Cook until done, about one or two minutes. Remove from heat.

Place oat mixture into serving bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Top with brown sugar, if desired. Pour milk over top. Serve immediately.

Makes one serving.

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"Whole Grain" White Bread?!

While recently at the grocery store perusing the bread section, I came upon something that just blows me away. Bread is actually being sold as "whole grain" when there's no way that it could be such.

I'm talking about white bread. There's no whole grains in it at all. It's the same consistency, ingredients and look of any other white bread. Oh wait, the first ingredient listed is whole wheat flour, not "enriched" flour. Spare me.

Another issue: The "whole grain" bread is white, so there had to be bleach involved. Whole grains are not white, by any means. How nutritious is that? Another mode of deception used by food manufacturing conglomerates.

How stupid do the food manufacturers think we are? I knew something bizarre was happening when I saw Disney cereals overtaking the boxed cereal shelves at the local marketplace. Disney...in the food industry? Spare me...

It's bad enough that food conglomerates have gotten a hold of traditional sugar-laden breakfast cereals (such as Cap'n Crunch) and have been attempting to sell the notion about the foods containing "whole grain" quality...but to try and sell us white bread as whole grain bread? Come on...

It's already happened with the yogurt section. What originally started out as a nutritious food has been turned into a commercially-prepared yogurt candy marketplace. How rare is it to find 'plain' yogurt that isn't laden with tons of sugar...all in the name of "good nutrition". Spare me. (Luckily, Greek yogurt is becoming popular, including plain variety..)

Hoping someone, or something, would stop this preposterous overtaking of our food industry.

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Food Portions

Wanted to share something that I find very curious and interesting...

When I started measuring my food portions during the mid-1980's, a portion of protein was 3 ounces, according to the American Dietetic Association. Now, if people start measuring their food intake, information states that a portion size is 4 ounces. Hmm....

Wonder why?

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Do you like peanut butter cookies? Here's a recipe that, surprisingly, does not contain any flour. The original recipe calls for creamy peanut butter, but I prefer a little more crunch. So, I substituted crunchy peanut butter with same tasty results. You can choose which you prefer...

1 cup peanut butter, all-natural variety with no-added sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
1 egg

Substitute two egg whites for a whole egg for a more heart-healthy version...if cholesterol level is a concern to you.

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all ingredients together.
Shape dough into 1" diameter balls.
Place balls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Gently "smash" down with a fork.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Remove cookies onto cooling surface.

Approximate nutritional info Per cookie: 12g carb, 54mg sodium, 6g fat, 3g protein, 110 calories