cooking

WordPress Cooking Challenge and My Third Liebster Award!

A blogger friend of mine, Healthy in all Hues, recently started a brilliant challenge: to pick 5-7 recipes from various bloggers and make their dish! It’s a great way to showcase our fellow foodies and those who take the time to share their love from the kitchen. (And ensure I get to taste some of the great food I’ve been reading about!) I think it’s such a good idea that I may start making it a monthly feature on my blog! (At least one dish!)

The concept of this challenge is simple: Pick seven dishes (actually limiting it to seven was difficult); Notify them that you are making their dish and challenge them to participate; Share an original link back to their site; Then do a brief write up on their dish including taste, difficulty following instructions, and your experience at large. (Keeping in mind that this is a positive thing, encouraging and appreciating fellow bloggers!)

The dishes I am selecting are (in no particular order, because I am not that organized):

  1. Cottage Cheese Oatmeal Pancake from The Richmond Avenue
  2. Chicken Divan by Lynz Real Cooking
  3. Natascha’s Palace‘s Easy Honey Cake
  4. Quick and Easy Curry from What’s Bec Cooking
  5. Life Bellissima‘s Triple Chocolate Cookies
  6. Chocolate Mousse by Sweetima
  7. Simple Jammy Muffins from Paintbox Mum
  8. Quirky and Wonderful‘s Broccoli Potato Casserole

I had to pick eight because these are all things I’ve wanted to make lately. And I’ve already learned something about myself! (Besides I can’t follow instructions.) For as much as I want to challenge myself (and fully intend to), I gravitate toward meals and food that I think will be not overly difficult,  family friendly, and those which I will most likely have ingredients on hand. (Of course big time producers such as Food Network and Pioneer Woman have been capitalizing on this for a long time. It should come at no surprise that I fit the mold, but I still found it interesting- to myself.) I am giving myself 2 weeks to complete the challenge… I’m so excited to try your food!

wpid-liebsterblogaward

Secondly, I would like to thank Swatti of Light at the End of the Tunnel for my third Liebster nomination! I am so appreciative and grateful for your recognition. Your blog allows me to explore a different culture and customs with still a similar perspective, as a woman who appreciates my mother and my best friend (aka my husband). Thank you!

The “Swatiilicious Questionnaire:”

How reading can enhance?
Growing up I loved that reading could allow you to imagine the way a character or setting should look. I like the way stories allow you to transcend places and time. I have very little time for leisure reading now; most of my reading (aside from the Bible) is instructional… And I prefer pictures! For example, I want to know what my food is supposed to look like.

The importance of writing?
On a basic level I believe writing is important for educational purposes. At this point in my life I use writing as an personal outlet, self expression and all that jazz.

Love has varied definitions. Why?
Without trying to get too deep: I think love has as many meanings as there are people in the world. It is different things to different people based on their own experiences- and still universally relatable; such as a commitment to your spouse, caring for children, helping your neighbor, etc.

How do see yourself as a blogger?
I wish I was really creative and I saw myself more as an artist sharing my unique perspective… But in reality I just very literally share my day to day.

Any blogs you would like to recommend?
I find out about new blogs on a daily basis that I think the world should know about! I just heard about foodbabe.com, a blogger making a difference in the food industry that I think is amazing.

Turmeric: For Body and Mind

Turmeric has a warm bitter taste and enhances the flavor in mustards, butters and cheeses. It’s known for its deep yellow color and is also used in dyes. It comes from the root of the Curcumalonga plant and the main spice in curry. Turmeric is used in many cuisines world wide, most commonly known in Indian food.

Turmeric has been used in Chinese and Indian medicine for centuries as a powerful anti-inflammatory. Also called “Indian saffron,” Turmeric is high in Manganese, Iron, vitamin B6, fiber, copper and potassium. Medicinally it is used for arthritis, colds, headaches, heartburn, stomach pain, intestinal gas, diarrhea, menstrual problems, jaundice, liver problems and gall bladder disorders. Even more impressive is that turmeric is also used for lung infections, fibromyalgia, leprosy, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. It contains curcumin, believed to be more potent in its concentration. The volatile oil fraction, curcumin, is thought to be the primary pharmacological agent in turmeric that has proved in many clinical experiments to be as potent as the drugs hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone as well as the over-the-counter anti-inflammatory Motrin, without the side effects! Unlike drugs linked with major toxic effects (intestinal bleeding, ulcer formation, decreased white blood cell count, etc.), curcumin produces no toxicity.

The curcumin in turmeric has powerful antioxidant properties that are able to neutralize free radicals (chemicals that cause a great amount of damage to healthy cells and membranes as they travel through the body). These free radicals are responsible for joint pain and inflammations that eventually cause damage to the joints. Pure turmeric (containing the highest rate of curcumin) is used to treat bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and cystic fibrosis. And may also block the progression of multiple sclerosis. Combatant against free radicals, it is linked to those with higher frequent use of turmeric having lower rates of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer.

Growing evidence shows that turmeric provides protection against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Studies have shown that in elderly Indian populations where turmeric is consumed commonly and frequently, neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s is very low. A major factor thought to be responsible for neurodegenerative disorders including dementias like Alzheimer’s is free radical injury. It is believed that curcumin plays a role in triggering the protective system that produces bilirubin, which protects the brain from such injuries. With significant studies done, long time use at hand and no side effects it’s all win as far as I can see.

Food for thought (pun intended)… eat your turmeric!

Some suggestions for incorporating tumeric into your diet: Add to egg salad, lentils and salad dressings; Mix brown rice, raisins, cashews, turmeric, cumin and coriander; Grams’ Curry Dip; Curry BLT

And if those aren’t your thing they sell turmeric capsules at health food stores, on-line and at Whole Foods; ranging in price from $14.99 – $49.99. Just make sure you look for pure turmeric, it has the most curcumin.

Sources for this essay include WebMd, whfoods.org, and Whole Foods.