What's Good or Bad?

Many times in my quest to feed my family just a little healthier all the time, I find myself learning that my perception of how good for us something is can be wrong. My hot cocoa powder, for example, is gluten-free. I've been using the same stuff for years and didn't know that.

Since I was a child, I've known a fun "game" to play, that I recently shared with my husband. He was jokingly arguing with me that bacon is healthy because it makes him happy. After a "mom" look, I grabbed him by the hand and led him to the kitchen for something that would get childish delight and "do it again!" demands.

You need a partner for this. Hold your right arm straight out in front of you, palm up. Have a partner put a small amount of something in your hand. Something that you know is good for you, like a small piece of fruit or vegetable. Hold it closed in your hand and, trying to hold your arm up, have your partner try to push your forearm down lightly. You probably won't have too hard of a time keeping your arm up.

Next, remove the healthy item and put something in your hand that's not healthy - like white sugar or coffee grounds. Do the same. I'll bet that you have a much harder time keeping your arm up!

In my husband's case, I was accused of voodoo and paraded around the kitchen to keep pushing on his arm with every little thing. Things he thought were good for him, his body knew better. I've seen someone particularly weak to a food they were allergic to, even though it's healthy for others (strawberry).

So when in doubt, give this a try. If nothing else, it's a learning experience about the things you keep in your home, and you might find a product isn't what you thought it was.

Quick Meal

I had my appendix out, so my husband's been doing most of the cooking while I heal. When I can cook, I have to find ways to make something that doesn't take too much effort. Simply making stir fry has been too much. I also haven't been able to go grocery shopping. My husband, bless his heart, has many strengths. He's a fantastic caretaker, the best father for our child, and a strong loyal rock for me. He's got the best advice of anyone I've ever met, and he will (and has) run out at 3am to get me Tylenol and Sprite when I'm sick. There's nothing this man won't at least try to do. That includes grocery shopping. He can't find anything and ends up spending twice as much as I would have. I asked for cornish hens once, he brought me back a huge hen. It was a tough dinner. If I ask for veggies, I'll get bruised and small ones. So if I don't HAVE to send him, I don't.

We're almost out of food though. So the other night, I had my husband pick up some chicken drumsticks (that, he can do). I had a few veggies worth scrounging (aside from toddler's mixed veggies), and I still had a couple "ends" of boxes of angel hair.

I put the chicken in a skillet, seasoned it with oregano, cumin, coriander, and a bit of regular old dried Italian Seasoning. I added the carrots and cauliflower on top, as well as a small clove of garlic I minced up, poured about half a cup of water in the spaces, and covered the whole bit with tin foil. In the oven it went, and back to resting I went. 20 minutes later, I asked my husband to start a pot of water boiling. Once that was rolling, I boiled the pasta with some California Extra Virgin, uncovered the pan so the skin of the chicken would crisp up, set the table, and drained the noodles.

This noodle dish is a favorite among those who dine with us, though it is much more "bachelor food" than most anything I make. I add about 1 tbsp of butter per 2 cups uncooked pasta. Then I sprinkle in Italian Seasoning, a pretty hefty amount of garlic powder, some pepper, and a pinch of tarragon. Done! Taste it to confirm it's a flavor you like, and adjust as necessary.

With minimal effort, I made a dish that seemed like I "went all out". I'm convinced now that every cook should have a list of easy recipes for when we can't quite manage as well.

I hope you all enjoy.