Top 10 Most Nutritious Veggies

If you're going to make the effort and spend the money on vegetables, you might as well choose those with the biggest nutritional bang for your buck right?  www.bellaonline.com has her list of Top Ten and I have to agree!  Of course, I had to put in my two cents in the brackets.

1. [Dark] Green leafy vegetables, such as kale, chard, collard greens, spinach, parsley and dark green and red leaf lettuce are high in carotenoids and best eaten raw in salads, on healthy sandwiches, lightly steamed or in nutritious soups.
2. Broccoli is good steamed, raw (as a snack or in salads) and cooked in soups, stir-fries and other dishes. Both the green flower heads and stalks are nutritious.
3. Brussels sprouts are best quickly steamed to preserve nutritional values and avoid releasing sulfur smells caused by excess cooking.
4. Cauliflower, because of its bland flavor, can be eaten as a raw snack or added inconspicuously to dishes like soups and chili to boost nutritional values.
5. Red and Green Sweet Peppers are great in salads and healthy stir-fries. [And since we eat with our eyes, the deep colors make everything look more appealing.]
6. Garlic and Onions are most nutritious eaten raw in salads or healthy dips. But they also make great flavorings for just about any cooked dish.  [If you're looking to keep flavor without using a lot of fat or salt, this is an easy way to do it.]
7. Sweet Potatoes are delicious when baked and eaten plain (without butter). They can also be used in soups and stir-fries.  [Beats a white baked potato hands-down in so many ways.]
8. Tomatoes (actually fruit) are good in salads and on sandwiches. Cherry tomatoes make great raw snacks. And pasta sauce is a good source of tomato nutrients.
9. Green Peas are best eaten raw (especially snow peas) or lightly steamed. Add fresh peas to salads (including chicken and pasta salad), soups and stir-fries. [Edamame isn't a pea but can serve the same function and is so good for you.]
10. Carrots are sweet, high in carotenoids and super when grated into any kind of salad. Baby carrots also make good raw snacks.

All my best,

Evelyn Turner

www.TheEasyEntree.com

Ziploc Bags are Recyclable!

Great news!  I spoke with Northwest Recycling in Bellingham, Washington this Monday and they confirmed that Ziploc bags are recyclable!  

"Should they be rinsed?"  Yes, it will help keep odors down.  “How do I recycle them?" Put them in your curbside recycling just as you do other plastics.

How easy is that?!  A big thank you to www.DandelionOrganic.com for tipping me off to this opportunity.

Here at The Easy Entree, we also minimize packaging waste by buying in large quantities.  For example, I buy chicken in 40 pound boxes.  Each box means 40 pounds of chicken that don't need styrofoam trays, white absorption pads, or shrink wrap that is considered necessary for consumers when they are buying in smaller quantities at the grocery store.  One large can of ketchup doesn't have the same environmental impact that six plastic ketchup bottles have, and so on.

By being able to recycle Ziploc bags, we have one more opportunity to minimize our impact on the environment.

 

Evelyn Turner

www.TheEasyEntree.com

The Top 8 Food Allergens

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration now requires food manufacturers to list any of the top 8 allergens that are contained in their products. 

• Milk
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)
• Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)
• Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
• Soy
• Wheat

With the apparent rise in food allergies, it's of some comfort to people with those food allergies to have that requirement.  However, the label requirement only applies to ingredients put in the product itself. 

Cross-contamination can happen during the manufacturing process.  For example, a wheat-free product may be produced using the same equipment as a product containing wheat, which means there could be some wheat in the 'wheat-free' product.  Some manufacturers will put the warning on the label that equipment has been shared but, at this point, that is voluntary.

If you have a significant reaction to any of these allergens, it is best to contact the manufacturer directly. Have the product packaging with you during the call.  The bar code is often essential to making sure you and the employee are talking about the same product. 

Listen closely to the person you reach.  Do they really understand the allergy and the importance of a correct answer?  Do they talk the language?  Do they refer to a database of allergen info on their computer or appear to be guessing? "I don't think we use wheat in any of our products." is a big, red flag.

The FDA has issued standards for foods to be labeled 'gluten-free' but that labeling is currently voluntary.   Even if wheat is not listed as an allergen, the product may still contain gluten from barley, rye, or oats unless it is clearly marked 'gluten-free'.

Here at The Easy Entree, we list the major ingredients in each entree.  Go to www.TheEasyEntree.com.  Click on "Entrees" and then the link "Ingredients".  Of course, that's the first step.  Call me and we can continue the discussion.

All my best,

Evelyn

734-5502

www.TheEasyEntree.com

 

Growing Your Business the Obama Way!

GROWING Your Business Using Other People's Money!

(Getting in on the Obama Stimulus for Small Businesses)

FREE BUSINESS MIXER: Wednesday April 8, 5-7pm 

Local folks who have viable businesses needing growth capital to expand your business, buy or build a business, or just improve your operation need apply! You will walk away with a kit and a solid grounding on how to approach your lender and get the money you so richly deserve. Tap into the Stimulus Plan via Small Business Association, Private Investors and Regional Banks who are committed to the spirit of local entrepreneurship.

Regular mixers will be announced. Ideas will be exchanged, investors will be on hand to answer questions. For more information, call Loannetter: 360 647 8822

Non alcoholic beverages offered   

http://biznik.com/members/susan-templeton/events/growing-your-business-using-other-peoples-money-getting-in-on-the-obama-stimulus-for-small-businesses 

 

OK, to find out where this happening is happening you have to join biznik first...what a GREAT idea! CLICK now and and check out the amazing social and I mean social network coming to a town or coffee shop near you!

 

 

 

The Balancing Act

So your work is crazy busy, the kids have homework and afterschool activities, and your parents wonder why they don't hear from you more often. It's been a long winter.

Some tips to help you cope

 

●  Set realistic goals.  You can't do it all so prioritize what is important to you.

●  Get/accept help.  Maybe the kids won't fold the clothes the way you prefer but it's better than having them piled up on top of the dryer.  If you can afford it, hire help. 

●  Take care of yourself.  Lots of fruits and veggies and water, adequate sleep, a walk at lunchtime with a coworker or after dinner with the family - all go a long way towards your health and sanity.

●  Find some time for yourself.  I know, I know.  It's the seemingly impossible task.  Set aside some time to journal, for a regular massage, to read a chapter in your current book or to do something that causes you to take a deep breath or a sign of relief.  Taking care of yourself means you can take better care of your loved ones.

 

Evelyn Turner, owner

The Easy Entrée

 

www.TheEasyEntree.com

How we all contributed to create our Credit Crisis!

Crisis of Credit-Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0zEXdDO5JU

Crisis of Credit-Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhDkZjKBEw&feature=related

These two YouTube videos are very well illustrate how Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan's lowering of the Treasury rate to 1% (to strengthen our economy post the dot.com bust and 911) caused a run on cheap money by the banks, eager to lend for a higher profit margin. Investors who wanted more than the 1% Treasury Rate of return created complex Credit Derivatives. The resulting demand for these high profit instruments led to the creation of easier mortgages, generating higher risk, and voila: our housing bubble was born, which in turn has frozen our financial system. We did this to ourselves, folks.

Within these clever exposes, no answers are offered. While I don't care how the illustration lumps mortgage brokers as the only purveyors of these loans (Countrywide and Washington Mutual invented the most egregious of these loans and sold in their own retail operations) the facts are clear that the instruments were created to meet demand for high profits based on a shell game. These animated charts are easy to understand, if painfully obvious. The end game is stopping the madness and greed. Unfortunately the pain of unwinding these complex games are impacting many small time investors in hedge funds, bank stocks and retirement accounts. We have yet to see the full effects once all these ticking time bombs go off.

What can we do? As entrepreneurs, we are the backbone, the creative first responders who can quickly adapt to meet the needs created by the consequences created on Wall Street. Meeting real needs creatively is a great long term investment in yourself, your business and our region. What are you doing about growing your business to meet new 'needs gaps'?

Does Alcohol Evaporate Completely When Cooking?

I’ve always heard that any alcohol added to a recipe would evaporate once it was cooked.  Makes sense, right?  Wrong.

Alcohol evaporates more quickly than water but there may be some left even after extended cooking according to the USDA.

If the dish is baked or simmered, here is how much alcohol is left.

15 minutes 40%

30 minutes 35%

1 hour 25%

1 1/2 hours 20%

2 hours 10%

2 1/2 hours 5%.

Obviously, you won’t get tipsy from alcohol in a cooked dish but if you want to avoid all alcohol for whatever reason, remember that some alcohol will remain even after cooking for several hours.

Evelyn Turner, owner

The Easy Entrée

www.TheEasyEntree.com