Thursday, February 3, 2011

Feeling Chilly?

I made this recipe yesterday and it is delish! Only 7 weight watchers points!

Ingredients
1 spray(s) cooking spray
2/3 pound(s) raw lean ground beef
2 medium onion(s), chopped
29 oz canned stewed tomatoes, Mexican-style (undrained)
2 1/2 cup(s) canned tomato juice
4 oz canned green chili peppers, diced, drained
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 cup(s) uncooked macaroni, elbow-size
31 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion until meat is browned, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 10 minutes; drain off fat.

Stir in undrained tomatoes and their juice, tomato juice, chili peppers and chili powder; bring mixture to a boil.

Stir in macaroni and beans; return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 15 minutes. Spoon chili into bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Yields about 1 cup chili and 1 tablespoon cheese per serving.

From Weight Watchers

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Produce Propaganda?

This morning I woke up early and headed out into the freezing cold to take a tour of Schoenmann Produce Company with my commercial food production class. This is what I starred at the entire 20 minute drive...
Once safely inside, I realized we were taking a tour of the
refrigerated distribution center. Even though it was 10 degrees warmer than outside, it was still too cold for my taste. The tour ended up being really interesting and our tour guide, Beth, had tons of great tips about produce that I wanted to share with you.

(1) An onion has two ends-- the flowering side and the root side. If you cut the onion from flower end to root end, you won't cry as much. The stuff that makes your eyes water is mostly concentrated at the root end of the onion.

(2) Potatoes should never be wrapped in foil and baked. Using foil will result in a mushy, gross potato. The foil should only be used to keep them warm after baking. The best way to bake a potato is to stab it with a fork a few times and cover it in a small amount of olive oil and sea salt.

(3) Green potatoes are poisonous. NEVER eat a green-tinted potato or french fry. Potatoes turn green when they are exposed to too much light. Keep potatoes in a dry, dark place.

(4) One way to fight allergies is to buy local produce. Beth suggested a teaspoon of locally produced honey a day will keep all your allergies away.

(5) Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes) can cause inflammation, such as arthritis, to get worse. Avoid these when you are experiencing pain or swelling.

(6) Strawberries can naturally whiten teeth! I found these directions on the internet: Cut off the top part of the strawberry, and rub the pink and white on your teeth for about a minute. After you have done that, you brush your teeth with your regular toothpaste. It would whiten a little bit faster if you have baking soda in your toothpaste.

I promptly called Justin on my way home from the tour to share all these great tips and tricks. He was not nearly as impressed as I was and informed me I had been the victim of produce propaganda. I still believe Beth, but you can make your own decision. I just wanted to share her tips with you!