energy what?

I am horrified by an ad I just saw.  Remember the mouthwash strips invented years back?  The ones that you put on your tongue to dissolve that left your breath minty fresh?  Well someone has taken them to the next level and created an energy strip or sheet that works the same way.  Remove from the package, place on your tongue, and poof, instant energy.

It's bad enough that there are hyper-caffeinated beverages on the market, it's really awful that there are mini-shots of energy product, and let's not forget all the other atrocious caffeine products such as caffeinated soap and panty hose.  Now we have this?  I'm truly astounded and upset.

How much caffeine do people think they need?  And if they need that much isn't it time to consider perhaps that they are trying to do too much?  If someone is not awake enough during the day perhaps it's time for them to look at how much sleep they're getting.  Maybe their bedroom is not restful enough, is it a dark, cozy, no-tv, no-computer, no-gaming system space?  Poor sleep, or not enough sleep are key reasons that people feel tired and then reach out for caffeine or sugar as a way to boost their flagging energy.  Getting good quality sleep, and enough of it, can often reduce the extreme fatigue that seems to be plaguing us.

So why am I so against this product?  For adults caffeine is generally considered safe up to 300 mg per day.  This product contains 100 mg of caffeine, plus high doses of B vitamins.  Oh yeah, they also come loaded with artificial flavors, sucralose, polysorbate 80, artificial colors, plus some other chemicals thrown in for good measure.

One of my big worries about this product, aside from the nasty ingredient factor, is the potential for abuse.  The delivery system makes it far too easy for small children to get their hands on it, especially if it is tossed into a purse or a car cup holder along with gums, mints and other similar items.  It's also something that will be very easy for teens to overuse.

I can only hope that this product will be pulled from the shelves as quickly as possible.

raspberry vinegar

raspberry | photo: BraveNewWorld

Raspberries are coming in to season.  Their fragrant luscious aroma greets me every time I walk into the produce section of my local grocery store.  And their plump juicy red fruit temps me.  I love raspberries and truly miss the raspberry bed I had in Connecticut.  It was stocked with four different varieties each bearing at a different time pretty much ensuring a summer full of fresh flavorful berries.

Sadly the drought here in Texas has done a number to my fruit bushes.  The trees seem to be holding their own but the elderberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and goji berries are all shriveled and I'm not sure they're going to make it.

Raspberries are such a wonderful fruit because not only are they so tasty, they're so versatile.  They go great in fruit salads, eaten fresh, baked into scones or crumbles, on top of oatmeal, in a smoothie, the list goes on.  Plus 1/2 C. provides 4 g. of fiber, over 25% of your DV for vitamin C and just over 20% of your DV for manganese.

One of my favorite, extravagant ways to use raspberries is to make a raspberry vinegar.  This way I can enjoy that fragrant summer flavor all year long.

This is my favorite recipe from Fancy Pantry which is one of my best-loved preserving cookbooks.

Red Raspberry Vinegar

8 C. raspberries, cleaned, rinsed and drained
3 C. white wine vinegar

The recipe calls for the raspberries to be used in two portions.  You can freeze 4 C. for later.
Crush 4 C. raspberries and place them in a sterilized, heatproof 2 quart jar
Add vinegar and and cover the jar
set the jar in a deep saucepan and fill with water to come halfway up the jar
set over medium heat and bring the water to a boil
Reduce the heat and keep the water simmering for 20 minutes
Remove the jar and set aside, uncovered to cool the contents
When cool, add a lid to the jar and set it aside
Shake the jar every day for 2 weeks
Strain the jar to remove old raspberries, it is okay to lightly press the berries to extract all the juice
Crush 4 C. raspberries and pour infused vinegar over them
Repeat the scalding as done above
Let the vinegar rest for two weeks, shaking every day
Strain the vinegar discarding the fruit, it is okay to lightly press the berries to extract all the juice
Line a funnel with an unbleached coffee filter and place in a sterilized bottle
Filter the vinegar into the bottle
Cap or cork the bottle and store in a cool dark pantry

Note: the vinegar may develop sediment as it stands, this is okay but the vinegar can be re-filtered if you wish

black bean casserole

black beans | photo: Paul Goyette

Unfortunately this got eaten before a picture was taken so no casserole picture.  [note to self:  learn to take more photographs of food]

Over on my Facebook Fan Page I posted a Meatless Monday menu of black bean casserole, roasted asparagus, spring onions, cauliflower and cauliflower greens.  It was a delicious dinner.  I received a request for the recipe and decided to post it over here at the blog.

I love oven roasting veggies, it's such a simple way to put them together and really makes fabulous leftovers.  And black beans are a great flexitarian choice; they're tasty, easy to prepare, and go well with so many different types of dishes.

Adding beans to your diet, if you don't already eat them, is such a healthy thing to do because not only are you getting protein, you're getting lots of fiber.  One cup of black beans provides 15 g. of fiber and 15 g. of protein.  A pretty good deal in my book.  Even better you're also getting a lot of B vitamins, primarily thiamin and folate, plus iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese.

This black bean casserole is one of my favorites because with the addition of the corn tortillas it makes a complete protein.  The original recipe that I developed calls for a generous sprinkling of shredded cheese on top however due to my new dietary restrictions I am avoiding cheese.  I've discovered that the rice cheeses and other "fake" cheeses are just too unpleasant for my palate, both in taste and texture so I've been feeding what I bought to the dogs (who are thrilled) and just leave out the cheese altogether.  But if you're a cheese fan and can eat it, use about 3/4 C.

Being where we are in the growing season at the moment with tomatoes so very expensive (and my garden burned to a crisp due to drought) I've turned to my favorite Pomi Chopped Tomatoes which come in a box rather than a can so there is no BPA.  When tomatoes are in season and not hideously expensive I definitely prefer them and use about four in this recipe.

Black Bean Casserole

2 T. olive oil
1 large red onion chopped small
2 cloves garlic minced (more if you like lots of garlic)
2 ribs celery chopped small
1/2 of a 26 oz box of chopped tomatoes
2 cups cooked black beans
1 t. cumin
6 medium size corn tortillas cut or ripped in half
2 T. minced cilantro
1 T. lime juice
2 spring onions chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F
Lightly grease a medium round pie dish
In a pan heat olive oil, saute onion until wilted
Add celery and garlic and saute until celery is wilted
Add black beans, tomatoes, and cumin, cook until heated through
Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste

In pie pan layer 4 corn tortilla halves with 1/3 black bean mixture
(the top layer is where the cheese goes if you're using it)
Repeat layers ending with bean mixture
Cover and bake 30 minutes
Remove from oven, sprinkle with spring onions, cilantro and lime juice

Note:  when tomatoes are in season and I use fresh I often top this with some chopped tomato