The $25 Food Project: Day 5

I’m attempting to feed my 6-foot, 205-pound fiancé for one week for $25. This is our story.

I suddenly understand why Ma fed me PB&J sandwiches from kindergarten clear through junior high. Because Day 5, my friends? Was brought to you by peanut butter.

We cleared the 2600 minimum by more than 200 calories, thanks to six tablespoons of Jif Extra Crunchy spread among various dishes. (Er, plus an enormous brunch - picture to the right.) The Husband-Elect loves him some peanut butter, especially on banana bread, so he didn’t mind one bit.

He does mind the lack of grazing. “I feel good,” he says, “but I miss the simple pleasures of snacks and random eating.” When we started this, I didn’t realize how often we take food when we want it, as opposed to when we’re allowed. Now, I have a lot more sympathy for people who don’t have that option.

There are two more days to go, but this is already an eye-opening experience. Looking forward to sharing with yis all on Wednesday.

In the meantime, have a lovely night, and here are Sunday’s numbers.

DAY 5 TOTALS: 2824 calories, 123.3 g fat, 26.8 g fiber, $3.27
GRAND PRICE TOTAL (SO FAR): $17.73

BRUNCH
2 jumbo eggs: 191 calories, 12.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.41
2 tablespoons peanut butter: 190 calories, 16 g fat, 2 g fiber, $0.13
1 piece Light Banana Bread: 197 calories, 3.3 g fat, ~1.7 g fiber, $0.20
1-1/3 potato’s worth homefries: 209 calories, 0.3 g fat, 4.9 g fiber, $0.15
2 ounces Tasty Kitchen Puerto Rican Pork: 153 calories, 5.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.30
1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil: 192 calories, 21.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.14 (1/2 for eggs, 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 for pork)
1 apple: 77 calories, 0.3 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, $0.17
TOTALS: 1209 calories, 60.2 g fat, 12.2 g fiber, $1.50
PREP TIME: 30 minutes, mostly to roast the homefries

SNACK
1 serving Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream: 216 calories, 8.4 g fat, 4.5 g fiber, $0.30
1/2 tablespoon mini chocolate chips: 35 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.07
1 Snickerdoodle: 150 calories, 6.8 g fat, 0.5 g fiber, $0.10
TOTALS: 401 calories, 17.2 g fat, 5 g fiber, $0.47
PREP TIME: 5 minutes

DINNER
2 ounces Tasty Kitchen Puerto Rican Pork: 153 calories, 5.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.30
1/2 tablespoon peanut oil: 60 calories, 7 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.06
6 oz pasta: 631 calories, 2.6 g fat, 5.4 g fiber, $0.25
1/4 serving Vegan Peace peanut butter sauce: 305 calories, 24 g fat, 3.2 g fiber, $0.42
2/3 cup Earthbound Farms mixed baby greens: 5 calories, 0 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.20
1/2 tablespoon olive oil: 60 calories, 6.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.06
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar: 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.01
TOTALS: 1214 calories, 46.1 g fat, 9.6 g fiber, $1.30
PREP TIME: 20 minutes, mostly waiting for the pasta to cook

NOTES

• Try the Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream. It's just bananas and peanut butter, and it’ll knock your face off.
• Will you LOOK at that brunch tally? Who knew that eggs and meat fried in oil could have so many calories?
• The uncontrollable apartment heater fused my mini chocolate chips into one big chunk. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere.

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Posted in: Cooking,Frugality

CHG Best of February 2010

Another month, another fabulous round of posts and comments from readers. February is the greatest, and not just because of the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, the Olympics, and Pa’s birthday. It’s the greatest because y’all make it that way. I’m mentally sending warm fuzzies as a thank you gift.

FEBURARY RECIPES
Baked Loaded Potato Skins
Cremini Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers, and Feta on Ciabatta Bread
Gingersnap Oatmeal
Kasha with Root Vegetables and Dill
Ketchup
Oatmeal with Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, and Scallions
Sardine Avocado Open-Face Sandwiches
Seitan Carolina Barbecue Bites
Southwestern Chicken

FEBRUARY ARTICLES

This month, we tackled CHG’s core mission with Food Money Matters: Why Healthy Eating Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive.

Then we spread the love with Eat Cheap and Healthy – How to Help Others?

Leigh taught us the ins and outs of our favorite cooking liquid with Olive Oil - Buying, Storing, and Using it, Demystified. Gotta love that lady.

Super Bowl Recipes: 50 Cheap and Healthy Party Foods guided us to the light.

We’re right in the middle of The $25 Food Project: One Man, Seven Days, 21 Meals. It should finish up Tuesday, with a full report on Wednesday. In the meantime, here’re the wrap-ups from first four days, :

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4

This month’s Ask the Internet was all over the place. In a good way, of course. We addressed:

• Healthy Valentine’s Dinners
• How to Tip a Waiter
• Pink Foods and Recipes
• Three Food Choices – a Hypothetical Question

FOR MORE CHEAP HEALTHY GOODNESS...

1) Have your say!
We love reading comments and participating in thought-provoking discussions. There’s even a fabulous new Ask the Internet column, where readers can write in with various inquiries and/or offer helpful suggestions. Sweet.

2) Spread the word!
Like us? Link to us! Refer us to a bookmarking site! (We have StumbleUpon and Digg buttons now!) Or just talk us up to your mom. That’s nice, too.

3) Behold our social networking!
Subscribe to our feed, join our Facebook page, or check out our Twitter … thing. They’re super fun ways to kill time, and no one will ask you to join Farm Town or Mafia Wars or whatever.

4) Buy from our Amazon Store!
If you click on the Amazon widget (lower left hand corner) and buy anything from Amazon (not just what we’re advertising on CHG), we get a small commission. Maybe shilealagh for St. Patrick’s Day? That'd be nice.

5) Go see Shutter Island!
But don’t bring the kids. Some guy in our showing had his three-year-old in tow. I like to think that CPS was waiting for him outside the theater.

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Posted in: Links

The $25 Food Project: Day 4

I’m attempting to feed my 6-foot, 205-pound fiancé for one week for $25. This is our story.

We’re more than halfway through our experiment, and things are mostly pretty swell. Admittedly, I’m developing a little agita. The planning and math are fairly intense, and I’m kicking myself for not including protein in my calculations. Maybe I’ll remember next year, when I try to feed the Chicago Bears for eight weeks on 80% of a May 2007 Euro.

On the bright side, this is only due to the blog element. I think the non-obsessive layperson would have a much easier time, as you wouldn’t be calculating the price of 3/4 of a pineapple ring.

But enough whining! On to today.

We don’t really eat lunch on weekends, preferring instead to do a big brunch. Husband-Elect also had two cups of coffee, creating another caloric obstacle. As a result, we missed the 2600 minimum and failed miserably on the produce front.

After much therapy, I am okay with this. He’s far from hungry, and our fridge is filled with leftovers. It’s entrancing, really. Like a lava lamp made of pork.

And with that, the numbahs!

DAY 4 TOTALS: 2454 calories, 95 g fat, 28.1 g fiber, $3.58
GRAND PRICE TOTAL (SO FAR): $14.47

BRUNCH
5 homemade pancakes (Betty Crocker recipe): 550 calories, 21.5 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.50
1 banana: 121 calories, 0.4 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, $0.23
1/2 tablespoon butter: 51 calories, 5.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.03
1/3 cup Aunt Jemima butter lite syrup: 131 calories, 0 g fat, 1.3 g fiber, $0.25
1 cup coffee: 2 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.22
TOTALS: 855 calories, 27.7 g fat, 5.8 g fiber, $1.23
PREP TIME: 15 to 20 minutes

SNACKS
1 cup coffee: 2 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.22
1 tablespoon Coffee mate: 25 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.05
2 Snickerdoodles: 300, 13.6 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.20
TOTALS: 337 calories, 13.6 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.47
PREP TIME: 2 minutes

DINNER
3 ounces Tasty Kitchen Puerto Rican Pork: 229 calories, 17.3 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.46
2 corn tortillas: 100 calories, 1 g fat, 2 g fiber, $0.09
1/4 teaspoon Adobo sauce: 2 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.01
1 pineapple ring: 30 calories, 0 g fat, 0.6 g fiber, $0.18
1 cup brown rice: 219 calories, 1.5 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, $0.15
1 serving refried black beans: 220 calories, 7.9 g fat, 10.5 g fiber, $0.39
2/3 cup organic mixed baby greens: 5 calories, 0 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.20
1/2 tablespoon olive oil: 60 calories, 6.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.06
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar: 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.01
TOTALS: 875 calories, 34.4 g fat, 17.6 g fiber, $1.55
PREP TIME: about 15 minutes for everything but the rice, which took another 15 or 20 minutes of waiting

DESSERT
2 tablespoons peanut butter: 190 calories, 16 g fat, 2 g fiber, $0.13
1 piece Light Banana Bread: 197 calories, 3.3 g fat, ~1.7 g fiber, $0.20
TOTALS: 387 calories, 19.3 g fat, 3.7 g fiber, $0.33
PREP TIME: 2 minutes

NOTES

• I scored a 5-ounce clamshell of Earthbound Farms mixed baby greens for $0.99 this week. It was in the markdown bin, presumably because it hit its inspiration date. The greens were perfectly fine, though. So, YAY! Organic greens for less than a buck!
• Our favorite Mexican place makes a dish called Tacos al Pastor, which is basically spicy pork with pineapple. I tried to mimic it with leftover pork and pineapple juice mixed with a little adobo sauce. All considering, it worked well. It’ll never be confused for the real thing, but I’d eat it again and twice on Sunday.
• The refried beans are basically: beans, olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat em, mash ‘em, and *poof*, there you go. Easy and delicious.

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Posted in: Cooking,Frugality

The $25 Food Project: Day 3

I’m attempting to feed my 6-foot, 205-pound fiancé for one week for $25. This is our story.

Day 3 is almost over, and Snowmageddon 2010 proved to be excellent for slow cooking a pork shoulder. It ultimately yielded about 26 ounces of meat, meaning we have more than enough leftovers to get us through the week. This is excellent, as is the garlicky fragrance wafting through the apartment. Honestly, I think most people buy crockpots for the free deodorizing.

Husband-Elect is feeling “a little peckish, but not weary or whatever.” I see his point. While the $25 project is working well so far, it doesn’t leave a lot of room for grazing. When this is all over, I’m going to sit him in front of the fridge with the door open and let him pick to his heart’s content.

Also, there will be beer. MARK MY WORDS, SWEET MAN.

But first, today’s numbers!

DAY 3 TOTALS: 2613 calories, 78.2 g fat, 37.7 g fiber, $3.43
GRAND PRICE TOTAL (SO FAR): $10.89

BREAKFAST
1-1/2 servings Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal: 526 calories, 16.9 g fat, 11.2 g fiber, $0.60
1 apple: 77 calories, 0.3 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, $0.17
TOTALS: 603 calories, 17.2 g fat, 14.8 g fiber, $0.77
PREP TIME: 8 minutes

LUNCH & SNACK
4 oz pasta: 421 calories, 1.7 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, $0.17
3 tablespoons Ragu: 30 calories, 1 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.09
1/4 bag carrots: 44 calories, 0.2 g fat, 3 g fiber, $0.22
1/4 cup Ellie Krieger’s White Bean Dip: 115 calories, 4.5 g fat, 4 g fiber, $0.28
2 Snickerdoodles: 300, 13.6 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.20
TOTALS: 910 calories, 21 g fat, 12.6 g fiber, $1.07
PREP TIME: during breakfast, plus 3 or 4 minutes

DINNER
5 ounces Tasty Kitchen Puerto Rican Pork: 381 calories, 28.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.77
4 ounces No Yolk egg noodles: 420 calories, 1 g fat, 6 g fiber, $0.17
1 tablespoon horseradish: 7 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.5 g fiber, $0.13
2/3 cup string beans: 30 calories, 0 g fat, 2 g fiber, $0.21
1 clove garlic: 5 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, $0.05
1/2 tablespoon olive oil: 60 calories, 6.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.06
TOTALS: 903 calories, 36.7 g fat, 8.6 g fiber, $1.39
PREP TIME: 10 minutes the night before, about 20 the day of

DESSERT
1/10th loaf Light Banana Bread: 197 calories, 3.3 g fat, ~1.7 g fiber, $0.20

NOTES

• It was a starchy day, punctuated by an unexpected request by the Husband-Elect for egg noodles. I was all set to go with a chickpea salad, but the stomach wants what it wants. (Or was that the heart? I forget.)
• Speaking of egg noodles, they were a fantastic bargain this week. Bags were on sale for $1 each, with a coupon for $1 off two. So, $0.50/bag. Noice.
• I made up Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal. It’s mostly, uh, bananas, peanut butter, and oatmeal. Go literal or go home, yo!
• Tomorrow: BACON.

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Posted in: Cooking,Frugality

On learning to worry

By R. Scott Benson, M.D.



Mardi Gras is a big celebration in my town and after the parades and the parties everyone picks up the idea of Lent and sacrifice. The best one I heard was a friend who decided to give up worrying for Lent. A good choice.



Psychiatrists have long recognized the toxic effects of excessive worry but too often pick up the mantra – “don’t worry”. Good advice, but usually it’s not enough. Research in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for obsessive compulsive disorder sent me in a different direction. Engage your worries! Give them the attention they demand! With a little discipline.







I instruct my patients –



1. Make a list of your worries. Watch for duplicates. Worries are like that. They change a little to try and sneak back into your thinking.



2. Set aside time twice a day to get out your “worry list” and read through it. Try for once in the morning, and again in the late afternoon. Think English tea time. Give each worry the time it deserves. Pay special attention to any that you can do something about today.



3. If a new worry comes up you can add it to the list. This is especially useful for those late night worries that make it hard to fall asleep.



4. If worries try to get on your mind outside of your “worry time” gently remind that worry that you already have worried about it, and it will have to wait until the next worry time.



Worriers believe that they worry about everything, all of the time. Putting order to their worries helps them reframe the problem and put it in a correct perspective.

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Posted in: anxiety,OCD,R Scott Benson MD,worry

Top 10 Links of the Week: 2/19/10 – 2/25/10

Brooklyn is in the smack middle of Snowpocalypse ’10, and I sound like Kathleen Turner if she swallowed Stevie Nicks. (If someone knows a good sinus extraction method, call me at 1-800-BAD-FACE.) But neither sleet, nor snow, nor the infection of a thousand cranial cavities can stop us from bringing you … the links!

1) Serious Eats: Do Drinks and Food Taste Better When They’re More Expensive?
Good question! If you pay more for a meal, do you like it better because you need to feel you’re getting your money’s worth? Most SE commenters say no, but a recent wine experiment proves otherwise.

2) Huffington Post: The Week of Eating In
In conjunction with Cathy Erway (of Not Eating Out in New York fame), HuffPo is sponsoring a weeklong challenge to eat at home for every single meal. There are a bunch of related articles, including this excellent piece by Erway herself. It’s already halfway over, but it’s never too late to join!

3) Consumerist: Is it Okay to Switch Out Eggs at the Supermarket?
I never knew swapping bad eggs was a controversy. Folks, is this poor form? I freely admit I’ve done it, and no one ever shot me with a supermarket taser. Well, for switching eggs, anyway.

4) New York Times: Another Cable Helping for Food Lovers
Ladies and gentlemen, coming to your cable boxes on May 31st, 2010, it’s THE COOKING CHANNEL! Think of this Food Network spinoff like ESPN 2 or VH1 Soul: it’s more of the same, except with occasional appearances by Sade.

5) The Kitchn: How to Learn Basic Knife Skills – the Video
Proper knife technique is the most important kitchen skill you can possess. Cooking becomes about a billion times easier when you can dice an onion in 30 seconds instead of five minutes. Not to mention, there’s less bloodshed, too. Watching this video is a good first step.

6) Bon Appetit: 7 Habits of Highly Effective Grocery Shoppers
Some out-of-the-box supermarket strategies here, including “Buy fragile items last” and “Make a list of what you already have.” The latter seems time consuming, but I understand the benefit.

7) Serious Eats: Anthony Bourdain as Dr. Tony on Yo Gabba Gabba!
My friends’ little boy is a huge fan of YGG, which rivals Twin Peaks in its unadulterated trippiness. It comforts me he’ll know who Tony Bourdain is, much like Vincent the Vegetable Vampire on Electric Company introduced me to the wide world of Morgan Freeman.

8) Slashfood: Fast Food Breakfast Declines as Unemployment Rises
As both an unemployed person and a veteran of the McDonald’s morning shift, this alarms me more than it should, probably. In my experience, senior citizens keep fast food breakfasts going. But there’re only so many discount coffees a place can sell before it sinks into the red. Save the McMuffin!

9) Lifehacker: How to Cook Something in the Dishwasher
Fuh real? Fuh real. Mmm … Palmolive Chicken.

10) Yelp: Where in NYC Can You Get Full for $2?
New Yorkers, take heed! Maybe not today, though. You’re better off with that Eat at Home thing.

AND ALSO

Stephen Colbert at the Olympic International Houses
Serious Eats posted this yesterday, but it needs to be shared. Colbert’s round of Fondue Pong at the Swiss House is classic. “You think I’m afraid of your boiling cheese? In America, we use that to fry OTHER CHEESE.”

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Olympic International Houses
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Skate Expectations

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

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Posted in: Links

The $25 Food Project: Day 2

I’m attempting to feed my 6-foot, 205-pound fiancé for one week for $25. This is our story.

Okay. That’s more like it, baby. There’s a loaf of Banana Bread in the oven, and by the time Husband-Elect is done with it, we’ll end the day with some excellent numbers.

Despite a sinus issue that’s threatening to take over my soul, Day #2 was a bit easier than Day #1. I think I got it into my head that I’m not cooking for myself, which helps. Also helping: pasta. It's cheap, it's tasty, and if I could, I'd live in a house made of penne. You know how we roll here.

With his customary eloquence and panache, Husband-Elect notes, “I feel great. I’m [expletive deleted] excited about it.” I will now bestow on him a noogie of love.

But first, today’s info!

DAY 2 TOTAL: 2594 calories, 59.2 g fat, 38.2 g fiber, $3.50
GRAND PRICE TOTAL (SO FAR): $7.46

BREAKFAST
2 servings Maple Morning Polenta: 516 calories, 9.2 g fat, 8.2 g fiber, $0.63
1 banana: 121 calories, 0.4 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, $0.23
TOTALS: 637 calories, 9.6 g fat, 11.7 g fiber, $0.86
PREP TIME: 10 minutes

LUNCH & SNACK
1 apple: 77 calories, 0.3 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, $0.17
1 serving Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili: 243 calories, 6.6 g fat, 9.1 g fiber, $0.70
1 medium baked potato (5.7 oz): 157 calories, 0.2 g fat, 3.7 g fiber, $0.11
2 Snickerdoodles: 300, 13.6 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.20
TOTALS: 777 calories, 20.7 g fat, 17.4 g fiber, $1.18
PREP TIME: 0 minutes (did it while prepping breakfast)

DINNER
6 oz pasta: 631 calories, 2.6 g fat, 5.4 g fiber, $0.25
2 jumbo eggs: 191 calories, 12.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.41
1/2 cup peas and carrots: 38 calories, 0 g fat, 2 g fiber, $0.22
1 teaspoon vegetable oil: 44 calories, 5 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.03
Salt & pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.02
1/2 ounce grated parmesan: 79 calories, 5.2 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.33
TOTALS: 983 calories, 25.6 g fat, 7.4 g fiber, $1.26
PREP TIME: 20 minutes (mostly waiting for the pasta to boil). I got dishes done in the meantime, which was exciting to a disturbing degree.

DESSERT
1/10th loaf Light Banana Bread: 197 calories, 3.3 g fat, ~1.7 g fiber, $0.20

NOTES

• We’ve been buying humanely raised eggs ever since watching Food, Inc., and I got a fantastic deal on ‘em this week. $2.50 for a dozen Jumbos! They will be used wisely. Except for the one I broke on the counter. I salute its sacrifice. Godspeed, Bob the Egg.
• Thanks to my sinus monster, dinner was a bit simple tonight. Pasta and veggies topped with two fried eggs and parmesan. (It makes its own sauce!) Tomorrow, though: slow cooker pulled pork. Color me excited.
• A little clarification on nutrition and price calculations: if I make a recipe already posted on CHG, I’m using those numbers. That is, unless I: A) find a much cheaper ingredient, or B) change the dish significantly. For example, I left the milk out of this morning’s polenta, which lowered the price and calories quite a bit.

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Posted in: Cooking,Frugality

Veggie Might: Olive Oil - Buying, Storing, and Using it, Demystified

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

As with wine buying, olive oil shopping can be overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

Until about a year ago, I would buy overpriced olive oil because I thought that’s what real cooks did. I would agonize at the market for hours, staring at the beautiful labels, reading about “cold pressed” and “first cold pressed” and “extra virgin” and “unrefined” and “estate bottled” oils until I didn’t know I still had eyes.

Then I started reading cookbooks. Turns out, even the best chefs buy mid-priced oil for everyday cooking, saving the expensive, boutique oils for special occasions. So what do they look for? How can you shop like Lidia and stay in budget? And once you’ve plunked down your hard-earned green for the green-gold, how do you keep it fresh? Read on, my darlings, read on.

TIME FOR A BREAKDOWN

The International Olive Oil Council has strict guidelines as to how olive oil is produced, packaged, and sold. Essentially, the lower the acidity and less refined the oil, the higher the quality.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is obtained by pressing olives at room temperature to extract the oil without the use of heat, chemicals, or solvents. This process is called cold pressing.

Extra virgin olive oil is the most expensive and, generally, most flavorful of the olive oils, ranging from gold to deep green in color. Taste a few and find out what you like. Sometimes you’ll see unfiltered extra virgin olive oil, which Lidia Bastianich calls olio novello, with a cloudy, green, opaque appearance. She raves about its flavor and freshness. Extra virgin olive oils are best used raw, which allows their striking, individual flavors to shine.

How to Read the Label: first cold pressing, less than 1% oleic acid
Uses: dressing, dipping, some cooking

Virgin Olive Oil is also achieved by pressing but may involve the addition of heat or chemicals in the process. Virgin olive oil commonly has a milder flavor than extra virgin and is less expensive, which makes it great for cooking.

How to Read the Label: first cold pressing with 1% to 3.3% oleic acid
Uses: cooking

“Pure” Olive Oil/Olive Oil is chemically refined using solvents that evaporate away during the heating process. It is then blended with virgin olive oil to boost the color and flavor. Because of the processing, these oils are more economical and ideal for everyday cooking, like sautéing and stir-frying.

How to Read the Label: oleic acid content higher than 3.3%
Uses: cooking

Pomace Olive Oil is made from heating and extracting the remaining oil from the paste of crushed olives used to make extra virgin and virgin olive oil. It is then blended with virgin oil, resulting in bland, mostly flavorless oil. The Joy of Cooking warns it’s “of no culinary interest.”

Uses: avoid

“Light” Olive Oil is American marketing speak for chemically refined olive oil. “Light” olive oil has very little flavor and is only light in color, not in calorie or fat content. Again, The Joy of Cooking, says light olive oil is “a culinary waste of time and money.” It may or may not be cheaper than it’s “pure” or undesignated counterparts, but it is likely not worth any savings.

Uses: avoid

WHERE TO STICK IT

Cool Dark Place: Light, heat, and oxygen are the enemies of olive oil. Keep your oil in a cool, preferably dark place, and as your supply dwindles, decant your oil in smaller bottles to avoid exposure air. It will stay fresher longer.

Cooler Darker Place: The refrigerator is a great place to store oil of any kind. If your oil gets cloudy and congealed, just leave it out for a bit to warm up before use.

Oil Gone Bad
The worst place to store oil is the most convenient for cooking: on top of the stove. (I learned that the hard way.) You will have a bottle of stinky, rancid oil before you can say Bastianich five times fast.

Rancid oil smells like petroleum. If you’ve had a bottle of olive (or any kind of oil) for more than a year, give it a sniff. If it smells like you could pour it in your car or grease your bike chain with it, it’s time you parted ways.

WHAT IT'S GOOD FOR (LOTS!)

Smokin’
Olive oil is low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat, which makes it a healthy choice for people watching their cholesterol. It’s also versatile for cooking because of its high smoke point.

The smoke point of oil is the temperature at which the oil breaks down, causing the flavor and nutritional aspects of the oil to disintegrate—and turn to smoke.

Olive oil’s smoke point, between 405°F and 460°F, is above the recommend temperature for deep frying (350°F –375°F), making it is great for high-heat cooking, like sautéing and frying.

Choose Wisely
Olive oil has a distinctive, fruity flavor that carries through to the dishes it’s used in. That may sound obvious, but for a long time, I used olive oil in everything because I thought that’s what those real cooks did. Turns out there are times when I want a different flavor, or neutral oil, like canola, that doesn’t inform the flavor of my dish.

DO AS JULIA (AND LIDIA AND JACQUES) DOES
“I save my most beautiful oils for salads or special effects. For other uses, like sautéing, I use a modestly priced olive oil, of whatever official grade (extra virgin, virgin, or pure), so long as it’s fresh.”—Julia Child from Julia and Jacques: Cooking and Home

The master has spoken. Go (eat bread dipped in olive oil) in peace.

~~~
If you like this article, you may like

• Overcoming Your Cooking Obstacles
• 60 Cheap, Healthy Marinades
• When to Splurge on Organic

~~~

BIBLIOGRAPHY
How to Read a French Fry, Russ Parsons, © 2001 Houghton Mifflin, New York
Lidia’s Italian Table, Lidia Bastianich, © 1998 William Morrow and Company, New York
The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker, © 1997 Simon and Schuster, Inc., The Joy of Cooking Trust, and The MRB Revocable Trust, New York
Julia and Jacque: Cooking at Home, Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, © 1999 Alfred A. Knopf, New York

(Photo credits: flickr members lynette henderson and Luigi FDV.)

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Posted in: Buying Food,Veggie Might

Mung Bean Sprouts

How to make Mung Bean Sprouts!    

• Choose organic, dried mung beans and rinse them well before soaking.


• Keep in mind that mung beans will at least double in size during sprouting, so only prepare as many sprouts as you can eat in about 4 weeks.


• Place your mung beans in a bowl full of drinking water.   Soak overnight for about 8 to 12 hours and then rinse and drain them. Return the beans to the bowl or if you have space leave them in the colander and cover with a cloth. Leave in a cool place while the beans sprout.


• Rinse and drain the beans well every 8 hours.  Watch your sprouts grow over the next few days. You can stop sprouting after 2 days when the tails are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, or keep them growing up to 4 days for large, plump sprouts.


• Finish sprouting by giving your beans a final rinse and then placing them in a container in the refrigerator. Sprouts should last about 2 to 6 weeks; however, it will depend on the length of sprouting and amount of moisture on the beans when you placed them in the refrigerator. Make sure that you smell the sprouts for spoilage after 2 weeks and toss them if you are in doubt.

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Posted in: Mung beans

The $25 Food Project: Day 1

It’s Day 1 of the $25 Food Project! I’m excited! Husband-Elect’s excited! This is gonna be a good time! However…

Already I’m about $0.40 off. Yikes. This isn’t insurmountable, but I don’t like starting behind the curve. Fun fact: if I was feeding myself (with a 2020 calorie requirement) instead of Husband-Elect, I’d be right on target.

So here’s what happened. I made a few major tactical errors right off the bat. Well, it was actually just one mistake made several times, like so:

• Instead of buying a bag or two of dried beans, I figured I could use canned beans from my stash. (Er ... pantry.) They’re not expensive in the grand scheme of things, but for this experiment, compared to bagged beans, they may as well be caviar.
• Same thing went for cheese; I got really great deals on Cracker Barrel a few weeks ago, but it’s still pricey compared to generic cheddar.
• Oatmeal … same. I could have had the store brand but … moving on.

Essentially, I got cocky. It wasn’t catastrophic, though, especially since Husband-Elect "feels that I have been sated." (He's a peach, that one.) I think I can make up the slack through the rest of the week, too. (Woot!)

That said, here’s the breakdown from today:

DAILY TOTAL: 2739 calories, 67.6 g fat, 57.1 g fiber, $3.96

BREAKFAST
2 servings Gingersnap Oatmeal: 526 calories, 6.4 g fat, 9 g fiber, $0.84
1 apple: 77 calories, 0.3 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, $0.17
TOTAL: 604 calories, 6.7 g fat, 12.6 g fiber, $1.01
PREP TIME: 9 minutes

LUNCH & SNACK
PB&J on whole grain bread: 510 calories, 19 g fat, 8 g fiber, $0.46
10 Triscuit Thins: 103 calories, 3 g fat, 2 g fiber, $0.20
4 ounces carrots: 44 calories, 0.2 g fat, 3 g fiber, $0.22
1 apple: 77 calories, 0.3 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, $0.17
1/2 cup White Bean Dip: 230 calories, 9 g fat, 8.1 g fiber, $0.56
TOTAL: 964 calories, 30.5 g fat, 24.7 g fiber, $1.61
PREP TIME: 0 minutes (made it while breakfast cooked)

DINNER
1 serving Easy Bean Chili: 243 calories, 6.6 g fat, 9.1 g fiber, $0.70
2 med. baked potatoes (14.1 oz): 388 calories, 0.4 g fat, 9.2 g fiber, $0.22
1/2 grated cheddar: 45 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.12
TOTAL: 721 calories, 10 g fat, 18.3 g fiber, $1.04
PREP TIME: 30 minutes active prep, 20 minutes waiting for it to cook

DESSERT
3 Snickerdoodles: 450 calories, 20.4 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, $0.30

NOTES

• Oven Stuffer Roasters and pork shoulder were on sale this week, both for $0.79/lb. I went with the pork, because I did chicken once before and wanted to challenge myself.
• I started prepping last night for today. I made an adapted version of Ellie Krieger’s White Bean Dip and skinned and chopped a pound of carrots. All told, this took me 13 minutes, with another 5 added for dishes. BAM, yo.
• For a treat, I made the cheapest cookies I could think of: Snickerdoodles. It took probably 30 minutes prep time (mixing & rolling), plus another 15 minutes for baking and storage. They're really good! The recipe (from Recipe Zaar) is highly suggested

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Posted in: Cooking,Frugality

The $25 Food Project: One Man, Seven Days, 21 Meals

This is the Husband-Elect.

(With Han Solo’s head.)

Over the next week, every single meal he consumes will come from our kitchen. If all goes well, it will cost under $25, total.

He is six-feet-tall, 205 pounds, and in his mid-30s. According to WebMD and a few other sites, he requires around 2600 calories each day. According to the USDA, it’s a little over 3000. I’m going to shoot for somewhere in the middle.

I’m doing this for two reasons:

1. I’m used to feeding myself, and it ain’t no thang. But being a stunning, brilliant, muscular dude, Husband-Elect’s needs are very different. Once we have a better idea of what he requires in a given week, it’ll help us eat for the rest of our lives.
2. Writing this blog, I tend to go on all like, “Why don’t people just EAT HEALTHIER? It’s so much CHEAPER and EASIER than they think and blah blah blah presumptivecakes.” With this experiment, I’m (hopefully) putting my money where my keypad is.

As part of the experiment, I’ll post at the end of every day. Husband-Elect will chime in occasionally, as he is erudite and good at words and stuff. Beyond our comments, these entries will include:

• The content of each meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks).
• The cost of each meal.
• The time it took to prepare each meal. (And maybe for the dishes? I haven’t decided yet.)
• The nutritional aspects of each meal. This will definitely include calories, fat, and fiber, which is what we usually list after recipes at CHG. Other than that, I’m not sure.
• Miscellaneous shopping and prep notes.

Next Wednesday, we’ll do a final tally of cost, time, and nutrition, as well as recipes, a shopping list, and a breakdown of what we learned. It’s gonna be a good time.

Of course, like everyone, we have benefits and drawbacks related to our income, location, space, transportation, etc. The biggest ones are as follows:

ADVANTAGES

• He’s not a picky eater, except for bottled raspberry dressing. Boy, he hates that.
• He was a vegetarian for six years in his early-to-mid twenties, and has no problems with beans, produce, or weird soy products. (We’re still going to incorporate meat, though.)
• We’re both water and occasional coffee drinkers, meaning I don’t have to buy soda or juice.
• There are two decent supermarkets within a half-mile of my place, and they’re both running pretty sweet sales this week. ($1.49 for 5 lbs potatoes, $0.66 for pasta, etc.)
• I’m using my pantry, which is well stocked with herbs, spices, vinegars, and oils.

DISADVANTAGES

• We share a small Brooklyn apartment with another couple and their barky little dog. Storage and prep space are extremely minimal.
• Husband-Elect likes beer. I have no idea how to include this, and it made him tear up a little.
• I walk to my grocery stores, so I only buy what I can carry. That makes bulk purchases fairly difficult, unless I'm feeling cavalier about my vertebrae.
• It’s February, which means most fresh produce is out of the picture. I’ll be leaning pretty heavily on frozen veggies.
• We do not have a dishwasher. Tragic.
• In the midst of all this, I hafta come up with two new recipes for CHG and Serious Eats. Yoinks.

So far, I can tell you this: it’s Day 1, and I’m already in trouble. I figure we have about $3.55 per day to work with, and I’m going to end up around $4, with nowhere near as many calories as he needs. But more on that later this evening.

Readers, any tips? Have you ever tried anything like this? I’ve done my shopping, but need all the help I can get.

~~~

If you like this article, you might also dig:

• 1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo
• The Eat Your Veggies Experiment, Part 2: Results
• Eating on $25 a Week: the Experiment

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Posted in: Buying Food,Cooking,Frugality,Organization

Sesame Crackers

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup Whole wheat flour
2 Tbls applesauce
2 Tbls Sesame seeds (be creative add what you like!)
1/8 tsp Salt
Dash of your favourite seasonings
1/2 cup Cottage cheese

Mix all ingredients except cottage cheese until the mixture resembles coarse meal.   
Put cottage cheese into a blender, blend until smooth.
Add Cottage Cheese and mix till a ball forms.
Roll out dough thinly.
Prick dough all over with a fork.
Cut into squares.

Bake at 325 for 20 minutes.

Yummy!

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Posted in: Crackers

Banana Crackers

Today I was  I was lucky enough to spend the day with a great 2 yr old!  What better fun than playing with real dough than cooking it up into a tasty snack!
 
Banana Crackers
      2 cup  Whole Wheat flour
    1/4 tsp Salt
    1/8 tsp Baking soda
      6 tbls Apple sauce
   2/3 cup  Mashed banana (1 large)
      2 tbls Honey
      2 tbls Warm water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
 
Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; stir in the apple sauce until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the banana and blend well.

In a separate bowl, dissolve the honey in the warm water.

Slowly add the honey/water to the flour/banana mixture and blend to form a dough that will hold together in a ball.
 
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and roll the dough thinly.

Cut out squares or shapes using a cookie cutter.

Arrange crackers on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Or use your silicone mat.
 
Prick each cracker in 2 or 3 places with the tines of a fork.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning over once during baking. These crackers should be medium brown.  Cool on a rack.

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Posted in: Crackers

Organic

Yesterday I visited Oak Manor Farms http://www.oakmanorfarms.com/default.php .  I bought organic flour and organic beans at very reasonable prices.  Prices are cheaper if you visit the farm than ordering online.  I think this just may be one of my favourite places to shop for my organic grains!

 If you want to read why organic is the better way to go I have put a link to a recent Natural News Article.
http://www.naturalnews.com/028007_food_shortage_costs.html

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Posted in: Blog

Ask the Internet: Three Food Choices - a Hypothetical Question

This week, it’s a hypothetical question that came up during a lovely, bacon-soaked Valentine’s brunch.

Q: You can only eat three dishes for the rest of your life. They’re dishes, not single foods; this means you can choose bananas, but you can also opt for Spaghetti Bolognese. You must consider proper nutrition. Side dishes are not allowed. Which three do you choose?

A: This took both of us (me and Husband-Elect) a surprisingly long time to answer. If we were just choosing our favorite foods, it would have been easy, but the nutritional aspect is such a killer. After much discussion, we finally came up with:

Husband-Elect: vegetarian burrito, bean chili, and fruit salad.
Me: vegetable stir-fry over rice, chicken fajitas, and Sausage, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffing.

Leaving out macaroni & cheese was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, and that includes that time I burnt all my fingers at Wendy’s and kept working the register.

Readers, how ‘bout you? Three dishes from here TO ETERNITY.

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

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Posted in: Ask the Internet

Southwestern Chicken: a Foil Dinner Recipe

Today on Serious Eats: Banana Nut Oatmeal and French Toast Oatmeal. Both easy, both tasty, both make we want to eat right now.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I camped. A lot. I was a Girl Scout, see. And when I wasn’t pushing Thin Mints on the unsuspecting elderly, I was deep in the woods, playing Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board and doing everything I could to avoid roaming packs of Daddy Longlegs.

I was also eating, as freakishly tall 13-year-olds are wont to do. Back then, my troop’s campsite meals were limited to sandwiches and granola bars, along with the occasional S’more-a-thon.

However, as we got older, we also got smarter, and began booking a large cabin with a fully functioning kitchen. (Note: I grew up on Long Island. This still counted as roughing it.) Spaghetti dinners became much more common than burgers and dogs. As approximately 400% of Long Islanders are at least part Italian, this was greatly appreciated.

Honestly (and I’m positive my leader will know for sure), I don’t remember ever cooking anything in a tin foil pouch, over a campfire or otherwise. I wish we had, though, because this Southwestern Chicken from About.com would have been great. With only four major ingredients, it’s stupefying in its simplicity, but rewarding in its … uh … tasteicity.

Baked in the oven at a high temperature, the salsa steams the chicken, keeping it pleasingly moist without overcooking. It flavors the dish, too, meaning the higher the salsa quality, the better the meal. While you could definitely serve Southwestern Chicken with rice or a salad, the corn and beans make it a fairly complete dinner. I give it a foil-packed thumbs up.

Readers, do you have any favorite foily meals? I have Reynolds wrap, and I’m not afraid to use it. There’s a nation of eager Girl Scouts out there waiting for your suggestions. (And for you to shoo the spiders away. *shudder*)

~~~
If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
• Stuffed Peppers With Black Beans and Corn
• Vegetarian Bean Chili

~~~

Southwestern Chicken
Serves 2
Adapted from About.com.

2 12x18-inch rectangles aluminum foil
2 5-ounce pieces boneless skinless chicken breast (or, 1 10-ounce breast cut in half)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 cup chunky salsa, medium heat

1) Preheat oven to 450°F.

2) Generously salt and pepper both sides of each chicken breast. Place each smack in the middle of its own sheet of tin foil. Top each with 1/4 cup beans, 1/4 cup corn, and 1/4 cup salsa.

3) Seal the packets. Bring the long ends together and double fold them. Then double fold sides. Don’t make them too snug – make sure you leave some space in there for steaming.

4) Bake 35 minutes. Remove from oven and give the foil a minute or two to cool. Release your chicken and serve over rice.

NOTE: Thinner cuts of meat will cook for less time. Mine was about 1-inch at its thickest part.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
269 calories, 2.4 g fat, 6 g fiber, $0.98

Calculations
2 5-ounce pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts: 312 calories, 3.4 g fat, 0 g fiber, $1.06
Kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber per serving, $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber per serving, $0.01
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed: 114 calories, 0.4 g fat, 7.5 g fiber, $0.19
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed: 76 calories, 0.6 g fat, 2.3 g fiber, $0.20
1/2 cup chunky salsa, medium heat: 35 calories, 0.3 g fat, 2.1 g fiber, $0.50
TOTALS: 537 calories, 4.7 g fat, 11.9 g fiber, $1.97
PER SERVING (TOTALS/2): 269 calories, 2.4 g fat, 6 g fiber, $0.98

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Posted in: Mains,Meat and Fish

A Happy Heart may be a Healthier Heart

By Felicia K. Wong, M.D.



Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The month of February, “American Heart Month”, is dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease and increasing knowledge about prevention. In this post, I will discuss the connection between mental health and heart disease.





Depression is a risk factor for heart disease



Many studies have shown that negative emotions such as depression, anger and stress are risk factors for heart disease. The February 2006 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter notes that, “the recurrence of cardiovascular events is more closely linked to depression than to high cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure or diabetes”. Antidepressant treatment may benefit depressed heart patients and possibly reduce their risk for future heart problems. Cardiac rehabilitation programs that provide patients with stress reduction and wellness strategies may also help reduce the impact that depression has on heart disease.



Happiness may protect against heart disease



People with a tendency to experience positive emotions, such happiness, enthusiasm and contentment, are less likely to develop heart disease than those who tend not to experience it, suggests a new study published in the February 17 advance online issue of the European Heart Journal, led by Karina Davidson, Ph.D. of Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Davidson’s research team followed 1739 healthy adults living in Nova Scotia for 10 years and examined the impact of positive personality traits on heart disease risk. They found that the people in the study with the most negative emotions had the highest risk for heart disease, whereas those who scored highest for happiness had the lowest risk for heart disease.



The researchers’ speculations about how positive emotions might confer long-term protection against heart disease include:



Happy people may have a healthier lifestyle that decreases cardiac risk - eating and sleeping better, exercising more, and smoking less.



Happiness may promote a host of positive physical and chemical changes - such a reduction in stress hormones -- that are good for the heart.



There may be a genetic component - people who are predisposed to happiness might also be predisposed to have fewer heart attacks.



Davidson’s findings suggest that preventive strategies may be enhanced not only by reducing depressive symptoms but also by increasing positive affect. However, she states that the findings should be confirmed via clinical trials before making any clinical recommendations.



In the meantime, those interested in these preliminary findings can begin to take some simple steps to increase their positive affect. Dr. Davidson recommends, "If you enjoy reading novels, but never get around to it, commit to getting 15 minutes or so of [daily] reading in. If walking or listening to music improves your mood, get those activities in your schedule. Essentially, spending some few minutes each day truly relaxed and enjoying yourself is certainly good for your mental health, and may improve your physical health as well."



For more on the study, including theories on how happiness may protect the heart, as well as tips on how naturally negative people can become happy, please see the following article.

Read more »

Posted in: depression,Felicia Wong MD,happiness,heart health

Kanker Leher Rahim

Hampir semua kanker leher rahim disebabkan oleh infeksi human papiloma virus ( HPV ).Infeksi human papiloma virus adalah sesuatu yang sangat mudah terjadi.Diperkirakan tiga per empat dari jumlah orang yang pernah melakukan hubungan seks,laki - laki maupun perempuan,mengalaminya.

Tidak jauh berbeda dengan flu,kebanyakan infeksi HPV dapat sembuh sendiri,sehingga penderita tidak pernah menyadarinya.Hanya sebagian kecil infeksi HPV yang menjadi infeksi menahun,kemudian berkembang menjadi kanker.

Bintil - bintil di kulit yang bentuknya menggelembung seperti bunga kol merupakan salah satu jejak serangan human papiloma virus.Virus human papiloma jenisnya lebih dari 100 macam.Yang masing - masing diberi nomor untuk membedakan jenis satu dengan jenis lainnya.60 jenis di antaranya menyebabkan kutil - kutil kulit yang tidak berbahaya.

Sisanya merupakan HPV tipe mukosal,yaitu hanya menyerang selaput - selaput lendir seperti yang terdapat pada mulut,kerongkongan,ujung penis,vagina,leher rahim,dan dubur.Tipe mukosal disebut juga HPV genital,karena yang paling sering diserang adalah area kelamin.

kanker serviks

Ada yang menimbulkan kutil di vagina atau penis,yang lazim disebut dengan penyakit jengger ayam ( HPV tipe 6 dan 11,tetapi ini tidak akan menjadi kanker ).

Yang dapat menyebabkan kanker adalah HPV genital tipe 16,18,31,35,39,45,51,52,dan 58.Lebih dari 70 persen kanker leher rahim disebabkan oleh HPV tipe 16 dan 18.Selain menyebabkan kanker leher rahim ( serviks ),HPV juga dapat menyebabkan kanker anus,vagina vulva,penis bahkan kanker kerongkongan.

Virus ini menular terutama melalui hubungan seksual termasuk anal seks,oral seks dan hand sex.Sebagian besar diantaranya terinfeksi pada usia 15 hingga 30 tahun,yakni dalam kurun waktu empat tahun setelah melakukan hubungan seks yang pertama.

Orang yang terinfeksi HPV genital biasanya tidak tahu bahwa ia terinfeksi,karena infeksi ini tidak menimbulkan gejala sama sekali ( kecuali yang menimbulkan jengger ayam atau sudah tahapan lanjut ) dan sistem kekebalan tubuh segera menyerang supaya virus ini mati atau lemah sehingga tidak aktif lagi.

Sampai sekarang infeksi human papiloma virus belum dapat diobati tetapi sistem pertahanan tubuh yang baik dapat menyembuhkan 90 percen diantaranya dalam waktu dua tahun.Sisanya tetap aktif atau ada tetapi tidak aktif.Virus yang tidak aktif ini masih dapat menular ke orang lain,sewaktu - waktu aktif lagi ( kalau daya tahan tubuh menurun ) atau mengubah sel leher rahim menjadi sel pra kanker,yang bertahun - tahun kemudian dapat menjadi kanker.

kanker serviks pembunuh wanita

GEJALA

*) Keputihan dari yang ringan sampai berat ( keputihan berwarna kekuning - kuningan,bau tidak sedap disertai gatal )

*) Sering terjadi kram pada perut bagian bawah

*) Sering merasakan nyeri tulang panggul dan sekitar pinggang

*) Saat menstruasi sering merasakan sakit luar biasa dan dengan siklus yang agak lama dan volume darah lebih banyak

*) Sakit saat berhubungan seksual

*) Mengeluarkan bercak darah sehabis bersenggama

*) Menstruasi di luar siklus bulanan

*) Perubahan bentuk dan tekstur pada tampilan vagina bagian luar

*) Pendarahan sesudah menopause

kanker serviks mengerikan

PENCEGAHAN


Meski kanker serviks menakutkan, namun kita semua bisa mencegahnya. Kita dapat melakukan banyak tindakan pencegahan sebelum terinfeksi HPV dan akhirnya menderita kanker serviks. Beberapa cara praktis yang dapat kita lakukan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari antara lain :

• Miliki pola makan sehat, yang kaya dengan sayuran, buah dan sereal untuk merangsang sistem kekebalan tubuh. Misalnya mengkonsumsi berbagai karotena, vitamin A, C, dan E, dan asam folat dapat mengurangi risiko terkena kanker leher rahim.

• Hindari merokok. Banyak bukti menunjukkan penggunaan tembakau dapat meningkatkan risiko terkena kanker serviks.

• Hindari seks sebelum menikah atau di usia sangat muda atau belasan tahun.

• Hindari berhubungan seks selama masa haid terbukti efektif untuk mencegah dan menghambat terbentuknya dan berkembangnya kanker serviks.

• Hindari berhubungan seks dengan banyak partner.

• Secara rutin menjalani tes Pap smear secara teratur. Saat ini tes Pap smear bahkan sudah bisa dilakukan di tingkat Puskesmas dengan harga terjangkau.

• Alternatif tes Pap smear yaitu tes IVA dengan biaya yang lebih murah dari Pap smear. Tujuannya untuk deteksi dini terhadap infeksi HPV.

• Pemberian vaksin atau vaksinasi HPV untuk mencegah terinfeksi HPV.

• Melakukan pembersihan organ intim atau dikenal dengan istilah vagina toilet. Ini dapat dilakukan sendiri atau dapat juga dengan bantuan dokter ahli. Tujuannya untuk membersihkan organ intim wanita dari kotoran dan penyakit.


Vaksin HPV akan diberikan pada perempuan usia 10 hingga 55 tahun melalui suntikan sebanyak tiga kali,yaitu pada bulan ke nol,satu dan enam.Dari penelitian yang dilakukan terbukti bahwa respon imun bekerja dua kali lebih tinggi pada remaja putri berusia 10 hingga 14 dibanding berusi 15 - 25 tahun.


Source : berbagai sumber

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Posted in: Disease,Female Reproduction,Kanker,Reproductions,Reproduksi,Sex dan wanita

Homemade Bread

So this morning I asked Kaitie if I could make a special treat for her and her friends for a party she is going to today. And she asks if I can make a loaf of bread for her to take!!! Not brownies, cookies, or cinnamon buns...BREAD! I guess I shouldn't complain :)  So I made her bread!  I used a cookie cutter for the heart shape for fun!  I hope they enjoy it!

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Posted in: bread,Yeast

Naan Bread

I just love naan!  Naan can be used in so many ways, beside your curry, pizza crust, for you favourite dips, and what ever you can think of!  The store bought ones come in so many flavours now!  So I have been busy in the kitchen to find the kind I like.  This recipe is so easy and you might just have all the ingredients already!  It makes 4 but I am sure you can double it if needed.  Enjoy!.

 Ingredients

• 1 tsp dried active yeast


• 1 tsp sugar


• 1 cup plain flour


• ¼ tsp salt


• ½ tsp baking powder


• 1 tbsp vegetable oil


• 2 tbsp natural yogurt


• 2 tbsp milk 


• A dash of your favourite seasoning  

Mix 1 teaspoon of dried yeast with 1 tablespoon of warm water in a small bowl.

Stir a teaspoon of sugar into the yeast mixture. Put the bowl in a warm place, and leave it for 5 minutes, until the yeast is covered with froth.

While the yeast begins to froth, start to mix the dough. In a large mixing bowl, put

      1 cup of plain flour,

      1/4 teaspoon of salt, and

      1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.
       and a dash of you favourite seasoning

Mix well.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of natural yogurt, 2 tablespoons of milk and the yeast mixture, which should be frothy by now. Mix a little, with a spoon.

Kneading until you have a soft pliable dough. It should take about 5-6 minutes.

Dampen a tea towel or small cloth, and use it to cover the mixing bowl. Leave it in a warm place to rise for 10 to 15 minutes.

 Preheat the oven to 275.

When the dough is ready.  Lightly sprinkle flour over a clean work surface. Divide the dough into 4 balls. With a rolling pin, roll each into a long oval shape, about half a centimetre. Don't roll them out too thinly.

Place the ovals of dough onto a oiled baking sheet, or as I use, a silicone mat with no oil.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or under bake them a little to freeze or to reheat later. 

To bake later or from frozen(thawed) sprinkle with a little water and bake for just a few minutes till heated through out.

Serve warm and enjoy!

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Posted in: bread,Yeast