I think it was the other week that I heard on the television that people who consume a diet which largely consists of highly processed foods do not live as long as people who don't.  This makes sense in many ways.  When I was a child we only ever rarely ate processed food, unless you counted processed cheese slices.  I went many years considering cheese slices to be, well . . . "Cheese!"  Once a year my mother would buy a brick of Cracker Barrel cheese, for Christmas . . . as a treat.  Other than that our diet consisted basically of simple food, cooked simply, and from scratch.  Anything which might have been processed such as a frozen pot pie was a rarity and considered to be a treat. 

Food was pretty basic and seasonal for the most part. We had fresh carrots and turnips, potatoes, cabbage and tinned peas and beans  . . . and once in a blue moon tinned corn.  In the summer months we would have corn on the cob during corn season and we would fill up on that, and there was always plenty of sliced fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. 

Meat was also pretty simple. Once a year our parents would purchase a hind of beef and that was our red meat.  Chicken was a very occasional treat, and maybe pork chops every now and then. At Thanksgiving and Christmas we would have a turkey. New Years and Easter brought a ham.  Sundays we always had a roast of some kind . . .  pork, or beef for the most part.  The pork was always cooked the day before and served cold, sliced into very thin slices and there would be mustard on the table to have with it. Sometimes we had pork sausages, which we enjoyed with dollops of mayonnaise, something which I still enjoy to this day.  Occasionally we would have fish, but it was not battered fish, or fish fingers  . . . my mother would buy a block of Captain Highliners Frozen Fish and it would be cut into portions to feed the family.  In the summer we sometimes had tinned salmon served cold on a plate with perhaps some potato salad and coleslaw. Always homemade.  Mushrooms came in cans, and my mother made her own soups.

Dessert was a rare treat, served for special occasions, like birthdays or holidays meals.  On Fridays we always had hot dogs for supper, I know processed . . .  but they would be followed by a dish of ice cream and sometimes we were allowed to spoon jam over top of the ice cream.  

We were not allowed to fill up on things like cookies or cakes . . .  occasionally my mom would bake an apple pie or a lemon meringue or coconut cream.  Sometimes she would buy cake donuts which she would reheat in a paper bag in a low oven.  They were delicious, but again a rare treat. 

Everything was pretty basic. My father didn't like strange food, or exotic flavours.  He liked his food seasoned simply, with salt and with pepper.  The only time we ate out in restaurants was when we were moving house. 

 

We picked wild blueberries in the summer and strawberries, which my mother froze to make into pies and such in the winter or strawberry jam.  We hardly ever had store bought jam. We had bananas and apples to eat, but otherwise we had mostly tinned fruit.  Potato chips were a Saturday night treat, something to eat while Hockey Night in Canada was on.  We each got a tiny fruit nappy sized bowl with some chips in it.  At Christmas there would be treats like my mother's homemade War Cake and Date Squares, maybe some gumdrop cake, some homemade fudge, a bit of hard candy and barley sugar toys.  At Easter we got spoiled with chocolate rabbits and marshmallow eggs.  We didn't have soda pop or even cool-aid to drink really, except as an occasional rare treat. We had water and were allowed a glass of milk with our meals and a glass of juice with our breakfast and milk on our cereal. None of us were overweight, and I don't think we ever really felt deprived.   At least I didn't.

 

We in the Western world are really spoilt for choice when it comes to food.  I don't think many of us are what you would call starving and very few of us know what it is like to go well and truly hungry. If we want strawberries in December, we can get them.  We have access to some of the most exotic produce from around the world 365 days a year.  Eating seasonally is almost a thing of the past, and we are fatter than ever.  A lot of families rely on processed foods or takeaways.  With both parents working, time is of the essence and nobody really wants to spend hours in the kitchen cooking a meal after working hard all day. Most people just want to relax and quite rightly so.  But it's killing us. 

Some families rely on box meal plans like Hello Fresh or Gusto where all the pre-packed/planned recipes/ingredients are delivered to your home ready for you to cook up healthy meals quickly and tastily.  They are not a bad thing and for the most part pretty healthy, but they come at a premium price.  

I will be honest.  I don't know how family's manage these days.  Good, healthy food, is expensive and becoming more so all the time. It should really be the other way around.  Junk food should be expensive and healthy food should be affordable.

 

I've been really thinking a lot about how we can eat healthier in this house lately.  I am a diabetic and I need to watch my carb count and my sugars.  Sugar just doesn't come as something white and powdered that you sprinkle on your cereal and bake into your cakes.  It is hidden in just about everything, truth be told, and especially in processed foods.   They are high in salt, fats and sugars.  Low fat goodies are also not so good for you.  When they take the fat out of things, they put the flavour back in somehow . . .  and it usually comes in the form of sugars. 

I baked some really nice little muffins the other morning.  They were delicious and had no fat, refined sugars or even flour in them.  They were the exception to the rule.  I also baked a cake this weekend.  I got the recipe from Sugar Free Londoner for a low carb, sugar free, gluten free almond cake.  It looked really good, and as you can see from the photograph, even the one I baked looked really good . . . 

  

It cut like a cake . . .  as you can see . . .  but that is where any resemblance to a real cake ended.  It was blah.  Blah. Blah.  Seriously BLAH!  Even Todd, who is my biggest fan ever and thinks I walk on water when it comes to cooking, even he said it was blah.  I can't even begin to describe it.  The consistency was like a thick almond omelet. 

 

I tried dusting it with some sugar free icing sugar, and serving it with some sliced pears and  a dollop of yogurt . . .  there is no redeeming it in my opinion.  This was totally disappointing.  I was expecting cake. I did not get it.  I guess the lesson here is clear.  Cake is cake.  This is not cake, no matter how much you try to dress it up as a cake.    More's the pity.  And it used a crap load of ground almonds, which aren't cheap and 5 large eggs.  (No wonder it tasted like a stodgy almond omelet.) 

I think from now on if I want to eat a cake, I will bake and eat a proper cake.   No more monkeying around. No more playing around with impostors.  I am not ready to give up cake altogether. I like cake.  A cup of tea and a slice of cake is one of life's little pleasures. 

 Now I am wondering about bread.  I had clipped some recipes on keto type of breads and even went so far as to buy almond and coconut flours  . . .  but after this cake experience . . .  I am thinking that I am only going to get more of the same eggy omelet things, but in a different shape, something masquerading as bread, but not really bread at all. 

 

Oh, and further in my quest towards healthy eating I recently purchased some turkey sausages the other day.  HUGE disappointment.  They were pasty  and flavourless . . . we did not like them at all.  And they were in beef casings.  What's up with that?  Read the fine print people.  You are not always getting what you think you are getting.  So for now at least . . .  its back to the drawing board.  

Perhaps if we just eat plain and simple, REAL food with the occasional treat we would be a lot better off and healthier.  People who were living on rationing during WW2 and afterwards were some of the healthiest people ever, despite school dinners.  Just my two cents worth.  What do you think??  I really want to know.

 

 

One of our favourite roast dinners has to be that of Roast Chicken.  We never tire of it.  You have the lovely roasted chicken and vegetables on the day, and then leftovers to use in a variety of ways afterwards.  Chicken salad, sandwiches, fried rice, casseroles. 

 Not only that, but you also have the carcass to make a delicious soup with if you are really keen and a thrifty person.  A roasting chicken is really good value.

  

Today I spatchcocked a lovely free range chicken prior to roasting it.  

Spatchcocking is a technique which gives you a succulent chicken, which is roasted in a fraction of the time it takes to roast it whole, and its not really hard to do.

 

1.  Using a sharp pair of kitchen scissors cut down along both sides of the back bone and neck and discard.

2.  Using the heel of your hand press down very firmly on the top of the chicken breast, cracking the bone and flattening it.

3. Tuck the legs in towards the breast and along with the wings, and place the bird flesh side down in your roasting tin.

 

 

It might also be referred to as butterflying. Whatever term you choose to use, what it does is give you a whole flattened bird which is easy to roast or grill.

It also cooks in a fraction of the time as a whole one.  Its really not hard to do. 

 

Today I chose to roast it on top of a bed of vegetables which acted as sort of a trivet and also absorbed some of those lovely chicken flavours . . .

 

Potatoes with the skin left on and cut into wedges  . . .  chunks of swede . . . (turnip or rutabaga)

 

Carrots, peeled and cut into chunks  . . .  onion, peeled and sliced . . .  

  

Peeled cloves of garlic, halved and scattered amongst the veg  . . .  and some sliced lemon.

 

The garlic and the lemon help to flavour the vegetables as well . . .  I also added some thyme, salt and black pepper . . .

 

I like to season the chicken the chicken on both the inside and outside with some salt and black pepper, and thyme.  

I also push some butter and garlic underneath the skin of the breast, which helps to keep it moist and flavourful.

 

Because it cooks a bit faster, you can have your dinner on the table that much sooner . . .

 

And your vegetables are done at the same time as the chicken. 

 

You roast it at a high temperature for about half an hour, add some chicken stock and roast for a further hour or so . . . 

 

It really is delicious . . .  tender, moist and flavourful . . .  succulent with a lovely crisp skin  . . .

 

Today I stuck a sweet potato into the oven to roast while the chicken was roasting . . .  we like roasted sweet potatoes.  

It was a pretty large one . . .  I also cooked some green beans to serve along side.  We like green beans and it really lifted the colours of the finished dish.

  

This is a really fabulous dish.  Tender roasted chicken with perfectly cooked vegetables and some moreish lemony/garlicky juices to spoon over top. What more could you ask for?

 

A roast chicken dinner . . .  its simple really.  

  

Spiced Pear Pinch Muffins.  Prepare yourself to fall in love with these beautiful pear muffins.  Perfectly sized to create only a tiny, yet hugely delicious indulgence.

I've been really thinking lately about reducing the amount of refined sugars and fat that we consume.  I heard on the television the other day that people who eat a diet which contains a lot of highly processed foods don't live as long as other people.  Food for thought there. 

 

I don't think this knowledge is going to make much of an impact on most people. So long as the food industry continues to offer highly processed food at a lower price than good and wholesome foods, I can't see that changing.  

The facts are staring you right in the face when you go into the shops.  It doesn't take a genius to figure it out.

 

If I had a house full of children, was living on a limited income, and I had the choice between a plastic bag holding a handful of green beans or a paper sack holding half a dozen large sausage rolls for about half the price . . .  the choice is easy.

 

It would take several bags of the green beans to feed your children and keep them filled.  Or, you could buy a couple bags of the sausage rolls and keep them full and happy at half the cost.  

Good food is expensive.  End of  . . .

 

Sad but true.  Someone needs to get on board with that fact and make processed foods more expensive and good food cheaper.  

Anyways, I digress . . . I will get off my soap box now.

 

In my efforts to make a lower sugar muffin, I created these Spiced Pear Pinch Muffins.  

No flour, just oats, making them gluten free.

No refined sugars . . .  just a bit of Maple Syrup . . .

 

No fat, just a medium banana and 2 tinned pear halves, which also add some fiber and sweetness . . .

 

There is one egg in the lot, as well as some cinnamon and cardamom  . . .  both ground, along with a bit of salt, baking powder, and baking soda. 

You blitz it all in a blender until smooth and then spoon into mini muffin tins you have sprayed with  some low fat cooking spray.

 

Eight to ten minutes in the oven is all it takes.  At the end of that time . . .  presto chango!  

Just look at how high they rose!  Lovely! 

  

And they have a beautiful texture.  I felt good eating one of these  . . .  like a real earth mother.   Healthy, low fat, filled with fibre and no refined sugars. You can't go wrong!

 

They really are good. If you are not fond of cardamom just use 2 tsp of ground cinnamon.  

I think any mother would feel good about feeding these to her children, don't you??

 

Can you imagine opening the door of your little cottage in the morning and seeing that someone had dropped amazingly huge muffins into your front garden during the night?  I know!  Talk about manna from Heaven! 

 

 

One thing I always have in my refrigerator is a tin of refrigerated Croissant Roll Dough. Over here the leading brand is Easy Roll and I know in North America it is Pillsbury.  A bit of a cheat, but when you have a tin of those in the fridge a fresh and delicious bread to serve on the side with your meals is never far away! 

 

They are very convenient and easy to use, taste great, and you can do so much with them!   I just love trying out new ways to use them.  This is my latest experiment. 

 

Caesar Croissant Rolls.  Delicious and quick and easy!

 

The tin makes six rolls here in the UK, and I know it is more in North America.  Is it 8?  I can't remember.  It's been about 19 years since I have lived there!

 

I think the ones we have over here are a little bit more like real croissants, but no worries, they will be delicious no matter which ones you use! 

 

You only need a few ingredients, the main one being Caesar Salad Dressing.  I used Pizza Kitchen Caesar Salad Dressing because that is what I had to hand.  I do not recommend using a low fat dressing . . .

 

The regular dressing will give you a much better result and flavour.  I find that when they take the fat out of things, they put sugar in, so go for the full fat version.  I think sugar is much more worse for you than fat. 

 

It also used Garlic Italian Herb Seasoning . . . . 

 

This is the one I always buy and no . . .  I haven't been given any or paid to tell you so.  Its just what I like and what I use, and I use it a lot.  Sometimes I like to brush crackers with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle some of this on and bake.  Very moreish!

 

So anyways, you unroll the croissants and you brush them all over with some Caesar salad dressing and give them a sprinkle of the herb seasoning . . .  you don't need a lot.

 

The other thing you will need is Parmesan cheese.    

 

This is the one I buy.  I use it for cooking and things like this, but for everything else I like to grate my cheese fresh.   This works beautifully in things like these rolls however.

 

 

So you sprinkle that over the unrolled croissants also and then roll them up, from the wide end to the narrow tip.   I like to tuck in the ends a bit so nothing leaks out.  (Yes that is boxed macaroni and cheese  . . .  with tomatoes in it.)

 

Sometimes you just crave what you crave . . . and that is one of my favourite things.  Boxed mac and cheese with a tin of chopped tomatoes mixed into it.

  

Once you get them rolled up, just place them onto a baking paper lined baking sheet, brush with a bit more salad dressing, sprinkle on some of that garlic seasoning, and a bit of cheese and bake.  Bazinga!  Delicious hot rolls with hardly any work and served up pronto! Yum!

 

You can see how flaky the rolls over here are.  Really yummy.  So . . .  tell me, what naughty nasty thing do you crave when it comes to eating?  Do you secretly munch on Velveeta cheese?  Do you tuck into a tin of Beefaroni every now and then?  Do you binge on iced Pop Tarts (with or without sprinkles)? Do tell! I really want to know!