Popcorn

Did you know that popcorn is actually a really good snack idea?  We eat tons of it around here.  Here is some info on the health benefits of popcorn:

     A new study carried out at the University of Scranton showed that popcorn has some surprising health benefits. Popcorn is high in antioxidants, most notably, polyphenols – a group of natural plant chemicals that have a variety of health benefits. Polyphenols are the same group of compounds that give red wine, tea, olive oil, and chocolate their beneficial properties. Not only do they scavenge free radicals and protect against cell damage, they’re being investigated for their anti-cancer properties and heart protective properties. In fact, the researchers found that the polyphenol content of good, old-fashioned popcorn rivals that of many fruits and vegetables.
     Another health benefit of popcorn? It’s a whole grain in the same league as oatmeal, barley, brown rice, and millet – grains that are known for their health benefits. All of these grains retain the bran and germ of the plant which is the source of most of the vitamins and minerals - in contrast to refined grains where these vitamin-rich components have been stripped away. Three cups of popcorn is equivalent to a single serving of a whole grain food. Popcorn is also a good source of fiber which helps to increase satiety and give a sense of fullness and satisfaction that lasts for hours. This can be helpful for weight control since popcorn without butter is low in calories.

Though popcorn is my snack of choice, I am really really REALLY against microwave popcorn.  Ok, so maybe I overstated that a bit but I just can't bring myself to buy it.  It's sooo overpriced, it's REALLY awful for you, and it makes your house smell like fake "popcorn scent" for days.   I know, my horse has gotten so high I just might hurt myself.  Really though,  here is some interesting info I found on another site about microwave popcorn:

      A report from the FDA indicates that a chemical coating used in microwave popcorn bags breaks down when heated into a substance called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA). The Environmental Protection Agency has identified PFOA as a “likely carcinogen.” Another study has found an acid that can be extracted from the chemical causes cancer in animals and is “likely to cause cancer in humans.”
       A second potential danger in microwave popcorn is diacetyl, an FDA-approved chemical found in the fake butter flavoring. There’s even a debilitating respiratory disease called “popcorn workers lung,” (the medical name of the condition is bronchiolitis obliterans) suffered by microwave popcorn factory workers caused by extended inhalation of the chemical’s fumes. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH) concluded that diacetyl needs further study so that workers in the flavorings and snack industry are no longer at risk

  And now that I've gotten you good and scared about eating it anymore let me tell you some other options.  First off, you can cook it in a little oil on your stovetop.  There's some instruction for that here.

Or did you know that you can make your own microwaveable popcorn with a cheap paper bag?  Click here to read more about that.

Or you can use my method of choice - the air popper.

We own a simple air popper that we got at the grocery store and we are totally happy with it.  Even though it's loud, here's what I like aboutit - I can make a serious amount of popcorn instead of the small amount I'd get in a bag.  I've got four boys so that is important to me.   Second, I can pour the popcorn in and walk away.  I don't have to worry about anything burning or scorching or being undercooked.  The popped kernels fly out and the old maids that take a little longer stay in until they're ready.  And lastly, it's a clean slate - I can add or not add oil, salt, or other flavorings.

Our favorite way to eat popcorn is to drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle some nutritional yeast flakes on and add a little salt.  Nutritional yeast is a heavy hitter when it comes to nutrition and it gives the popcorn a really good savory flavor that my kids go nuts for.   And for a sweet treat just like Kettle Corn but much healthier try drizzling on some maple syrup and a dash of salt.

How to Cook Brown Rice

I am always amazed at all the Minute Rice I see at the store. I am thinking that people must not know how easy brown rice really is. It is one of those things that is kinda like beans--it seems hard until you actually try it. It is very easy.

White rice isn't good for you, Minute Rice is worse. Rice is so cheap, there is no good reason to compromise your nutrition and eat the white stuff. If you have white rice, it is great for food storage because it lasts so long. But feed your family the good stuff. Brown rice is relatively cheap and tastes great when it is cooked right and kids love it. Brown rice has a lower glycemic index than white rice because it has four times the fiber. It also has more nutrients.

Here is a good explanation of the differences between white and brown rice:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128

I cook it a few times per week. We make a lot, and what doesn't get eaten for dinner is breakfast the next morning with some cinnamon, agave nectar and milk. You can use almond milk if you don't do dairy. My kids love it and it is just as easy as Fruit Loops.

Here is the super easy way:

2 cups water for every cup of rice, plug it in and turn it on. Perfect fluffy rice in about 40 minutes. No pots to watch, nothing getting burned (very good thing in my house!).

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-SR-TMB10-Cooker-Warmer-Silver/dp/B000EIASGE/ref=pd_sim_k_1

Panasonic is a great brand to get. I've had my National (Panasonic used to be sold as National Brand) Rice Cooker for 8 years and it is still going strong. Aside from my blender, it gets the most use of any of my kitchen appliances.



Here are the stovetop instructions:

Put brown rice and water together in a pot with a lid. Use the ratio of 1.5-2.0 cups water to 1 cup rice, just depends on how fluffy vs. chewy you like it. I generally use closer to 2.0 cups.

Set the heat to maximum, and bring the rice/water to a boil uncovered. Then put the lid on the pot, and reduce the heat to low/simmer. If your lid has a steam valve, keep it closed. Let the rice simmer for 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the covered pot for another 10 minutes. It’s okay if you let the rice sit longer than 10 minutes (20 or 30 minutes is fine too), but don’t let it go any less.

I love my Blendtec Blender!

So, I am in love with my blender. I was trying out a new recipe yesterday for a whole wheat pizza crust. I want to find a good one, and let's face it, a lot of whole wheat pizza crusts taste horrible.

So, I found a recipe that uses soft white wheat and hard white wheat. I have both of those! In my food storage, and they are in giant 45 lb buckets that have never been opened. So I actually opened one up, put a couple of cups in my BLENDER and made flour! It was so cool. I was so excited. Then, my recipe called for cornmeal. But I don't have cornmeal I thought to myself. Then I remembered that I do have a huge thing of popcorn. So I put the popcorn kernals in the blender, and voila! Cornmeal.

I own a Blendtec. I have absolutely loved it. My mom bought a Vitamix and a Blendtec at Costco after Simone was born as a "baby gift." She likes to give me "baby gifts" that will encourage healthy eating. We'd burned through about five of the Costco Oster blenders in the last two years with all of our smoothies. But I could never bring myself to spend $400 on a blender. So she bought it for me. I have absolutely loved it. I tried the Vitamix first, but didn't love how the lid was hard to put on. My mom preferred it over the Blendtec, and I preferred the Blendtec. I loved how it fit under the counter.

I can make nutmilks--no grit at all. Soups, sauces, smoothies, grinds grains, etc. I put whole flaxseeds in my smoothies instead of the ground flax meal, and it grinds it up really nicely. I rarely use flour in my cooking, so it is hard for me to buy whole wheat flour. It just gets old and rancid too quickly. So this is a great little solution.

I didn't know what I was missing before.

The pizza dough turned out pretty good, not incredible. I love chewy crusts--so I've yet to figure that one out. Any suggestions?