Country Cousin

Resolutions...

Hi Folks!

Christmas has come and gone. When 2012 arrived, it brought some cold wintery weather along, and it’s probably pretty much here to stay.

Super Bowl Sunday is coming up, but other than that, we’re heading in into the Winter Doldrums. Not much to look forward to now until Spring, except for those fortunate enough to go south for a winter vacation. On the other hand, this is a grand time of year for those who love shoveling snow, skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling and winter ATV rides. Personal preference is more for cozy evenings with a good book by the fireplace, and that’s not bad either.

RESOLUTIONS

Lots of folks got new video games and new computers for Christmas. Some of them have problems. One dad, hooked on computer games and the Information Highway in general, came up with a set of resolutions he hopes will solve some problems for his family:

1. I will talk to my wife instead of sending text messages and e-mails. Ditto for the kids. On the other hand, the kids do read them...

2. I will work with neglected children - my own.

3. I will answer my snail mail with the same enthusiasm as my e-mail.

4. I will back up my hard drive daily...or at least weekly...or maybe monthly...

5. I will spend less than one hour a day online, and less than an hour a day trying to solve the newest game.

6. When the wife asks, “Where do you want to go today?” I will not reply, “MS Tech Support.”

7. I will read the manual.

8. I will stop checking my e-mail at 3 a.m.

MORE ON THE TECH EFFECT

Grandma had been teaching the 3-year-old to say the Lord’s Prayer. For several evenings, at bedtime, she would repeat lines from the prayer.

Finally, she decided to go solo. Grandma listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer:

“Lead us not into temptation,” she prayed, “but deliver us from e-mail. Amen.”

LEARNING CURVE

Incidentally, the kids are back in school now after Christmas vacation, and some of the younger ones managed to learn a lot during the holidays. Parents who listen real close might learn a lot too.

A kindergarten teacher was observing her students while they drew a picture of their choice. One little girl said she was drawing God. The teacher paused and said, “But no one knows what God looks like.”

Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the youngster replied, “They will in a minute.”

What confidence!

QUIET TIME

A Sunday School teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, “And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?”

One bright little girl replied, “Because people are sleeping.”

And there’s another reason for being quiet. Six-year-old Angie and her four-year-old brother, Joel, were sitting together in church. Joel giggled, sang and talked out loud.

Finally, his big sister had had enough. “You’re not supposed to talk out loud in church.”

“Why? Who’s going to stop me?” Joel asked.

Angie pointed to the back of the church and said, “See those two men standing by the door? They’re hushers.”

In another church, the enthusiastic preacher was wired for sound with a lapel mic. As he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mic cord as he went. He moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripped on it. He jerked on the cord. He moved to the other side, and got tangled again. Again he jerked the cord.

After several circles and jerks, a little girl in a front pew leaned toward her mother and whispered timidly, “If he gets loose, will he hurt us?”

DOOMSDAY

Much has been written by the ancient Mayans, Old Empire Chinese astronomers, and the famed prognosticator, Nostra-damus, predicting some cataclysmic change, or possibly the end of the world, in 2012.

Checked on the Internet to find out just when in 2012 things were supposed to start happening, and learned we’ve got a whole year to wait. Based on certain interpretations of the Mayan Calendar, some believe the world as we know it will end on Dec. 21, 2012. This date, some scientists say, marks the end of the “long year” on the ancient Mayan calendar, and will usher in the start of a whole new era.

Astronomers say the Sun will align precisely with the galactic equator at the 2012 winter solstice, which occurs on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2012, which made it a very special date to the Mayans.

Some scholars believe the classical Maya anticipated this conjunction as the harbinger of a profound spiritual transition for mankind, the start of a whole new world order.

Other interpretations have been that the fated date will bring a cataclysmic event ending the world as we know it.

We may know the answers by this time next year, or we may not. But meanwhile, I’d pay the light bill, keep up the insurance policies, hold on to my job and keep sending the kids to school, just in case.

ON THE SOAP BOX

For many years, folks who believe natural is better have been campaigning to have sale of raw milk products legalized in Wisconsin and elsewhere. They cite many benefits in consumption of raw milk, including enzymes destroyed by pasteurization.

On the other side are those who believe Big Brother knows best, and consumers like concerned parents are not qualified to determine what is best for themselves and their families. They firmly oppose sale of raw milk directly from the farmer, claiming the consumer may get sick.

Currently only dairy producers, family, employees or incidental consumers can buy raw milk in Wisconsin. Legislation to change that is reportedly in the works, but it hasn’t happened yet. When both houses of the Wisconsin legislature passed enabling laws in 2010 Gov. James Doyle vetoed it.

Prohibitions against large-scale sales of raw dairy products exist because pathogens in unpasteurized milk are unsafe, according to Steve Ingham, administrator of the food safety division of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCAP) said in 2010 after Gov. Doyle’s veto. In July of 2010, after that veto, Ingham stepped down, and in February of 2011 he was reappointed by incoming DATCAP Secretary Ben Brancel.

Some farms were getting around the raw milk prohibition by selling memberships or shares in their farm operations, claiming that made their customers part owners of the farm, which allowed them to legally consume unpasteurized milk from their own cows. On Sept. 23, 2011, a Dane County judge ruled in favor of a DATCAP action prohibiting Kay and Wayne Craig, owners of Grassway Farm in Calumet County, from selling raw milk through a membership program.

The couple had sued the agency after it shut down the membership program established so customers would become part-owners of the farm. The Craigs maintained their membership program complied with a state law that a farm’s owners could legally drink unpasteurized milk from their own cows. The judge disagreed. That law remains in effect.

OPINION

When we were kids, grandma churned the raw milk from their cows into butter and buttermilk. We drank the milk and buttermilk and ate the butter, and none of us got sick. We also enjoyed homemade ice cream from the raw milk, and ate the wonderful “clobbered milk” spread on fresh bread and sprinkled with sugar. Clobbered milk was similar to today’s sour cream, but ever so much better.

On the other hand, our dear aunt, who lived in another home on the farm, started pasteurizing the milk her family drank. It was a simple matter of heating it to 155 degrees while stirring to kill any bacteria it might contain.

You can use a double boiler to heat raw milk to 145 degrees and keep it at that temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning and to maintain an even temperature. Or heat the milk to 165 degrees for at least 15 seconds, stirring constantly. The lower temperature presumably would preserve more of the beneficial enzymes in raw milk.

Those seeking to legalize raw milk say heating the milk denatures it as a living food, makes it indigestible and destroys all the benefits it has to offer. Raw milk contains the enzyme lactase, which in fact aids in the digestion of dairy products. Pasteurizing kills the enzyme.

Proponents of raw milk say pasteurized milk has been linked to lactose intolerance, asthma, gastrointestinal disorders, autoimmune disease, ear infections, allergies, ADHD, the list goes on and on. They argue that substitutes such as almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk, are appearing on the market because more and more people are becoming unable to tolerate pasteurized milk.

The prohibition of raw milk sales isn’t a case of stopping the spread of communicable disease, which would make it a government issue, it’s a matter of personal preference, of weighing one set of risk factors against another, and our right as residents in a free society to decide whether or not the risks of raw milk outweigh the benefits.

Dairy farm families have been drinking raw milk products for years with very few ill effects.

Aren’t we smart enough to choose for ourselves?

DIET TIME AGAIN

Felt it was time to trot out the good old Cabbage Soup Diet again, since so many New Year’s Resolutions have to do with losing weight. This diet really does work, and with all the hype these days about avoiding fats and heaping on the vegetables, you’d think the mainstream health care providers would be jumping on the band wagon wholesale, but no.

Here’s a soup that can be made very low sodium, contains no fats unless you add them, and is chock full of a variety of vegetables. But somehow, they manage to claim it’s unhealthy. Can’t help but wonder how so, except that the diet doesn’t include grains, which never were a natural food for humans in the first place.

Personally do not follow the diet, just eat the soup and add meats, fish and cheese, and other very green vegetables.

SEVEN DAY MEAL PLAN

Day One: Eat a bowl of the soup for each meal and whenever hungry, and add unlimited amounts of all sorts of fruit except bananas. Drink unsweetened teas, cranberry juice and water.

Day Two: Eat unlimited fresh, raw or cooked vegetables of your choice, as much as you can, but no corn, peas or dry beans. Fruit is forbidden. For dinner, eat a big baked potato with butter. All day, eat the diet soup, as much as you want, even as much as you can handle.

Day Three: Eat the soup often, plus unlimited fruits and vegetables, except again, no potatoes, corn, peas or dried beans.

Day Four: Cabbage soup at least three times, plus as many as eight bananas and as much skim milk as you want to drink.

Day Five: Eat the cabbage soup at least once, plus 10 to 20 ounces of lean beef, skinless chicken or lean pork, and up to six fresh tomatoes. Drink at least six glasses of water especially on this day to wash the uric acid from your body. Eight is better.

Day Six: Unlimited cabbage soup and unlimited beef, skinless chicken or lean pork, plus vegetables except no potatoes, corn, peas or dried beans. (Substitute broiled fish for the beef on one of the beef days if you like, but not both.)

Day Seven: Unlimited brown rice, stuff yourself! Unlimited unsweetened fruit juices, unlimited vegetables, (stuff yourself), and unlimited cabbage soup (eat at least once).

Follow the diet religiously for no more than seven days at a time and with at least two weeks off between sessions if you plan to continue. No substitutions allowed except for those mentioned, and no cheating. Eat plenty of the cabbage soup so you will not be starving, which can trigger cheating later. Try different herbs and spices to liven up the soup and add variety. Drink at least four glasses of water every day, preferably eight. To be safe, take a vitamin/mineral supplement, but you’ll probably be eating healthier than you usually do anyway.

CABBAGE SOUP DIET BENEFITS

The Cabbage Soup Diet is based on the benefits of healthy high fiber dining, it’s inexpensive, and is a good way to jump start yourself for a long go with a regular diet. And the soup itself is very, very nutritious, delicious and satisfying, whether the family is dieting ot not. Add some ground beef to part of the batch and it’s a soup non-dieting families will thoroughly enjoy.’

CABBAGE SOUP RECIPE

6 large green onions, sliced

10 ounces or so of mushrooms, sliced

1 or 2 cans of tomatoes, diced, whole, or stewed

1 48-ounce can V-8 or tomato juice

2 large green peppers, diced

1 bunch celery, sliced

1 head cabbage, diced

1 package dry onion soup mix

8 cups water, or more

Additional herbs and seasonings of your choice, if needed

Spray a soup kettle with cooking spray and add the mushrooms and green onions. Brown very gently. Do not allow them to burn. Add the tomatoes and juice. Cut green pepper in half and remove seeds, stem and membrane. Then cut the green pepper, cabbage and celery into bite size pieces and add them to the pot. Use about 12 cups of water (or 8 cups and the V8 juice), cover and put on a low heat and cook for about 2 hours. Taste and correct seasonings to taste. Add beef or chicken bouillon cubes, any herbs you wish, and salt and pepper if needed. If you like a spicy soup, add Tabasco, curry or cayenne pepper to taste. Cool quickly and refrigerate. Heat only as much at a time as you need. Keeps for at least a week in the fridge, and freezes well.

COOKIN’ TIME

Time for healthy meals and a break for everyone from holiday excesses, whether they need to take off pounds or not.

BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN

This recipe is adapted from one put out recently by Kraft Kitchens.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can (14-1/2 ounce) diced or stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 package (6 ounce) Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1/2 cup water

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into

bite-size pieces

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put olive oil into a 3-quart casserole or 13x9-inch baking dish. Brush it up the sides and let the remainder just puddle in the bottom. Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened. In layers, put chicken, basil and cheese into the dish. Top with stuffing mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is done. To make ahead for quick serving next day, prepare and bake the casserole as directed and let it cool. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. To reheat, spoon each serving onto microwaveable plate. Microwave on HIGH 2 to 3 min. or until heated through. Excellent served with steamed Italian-style vegetables and a tossed salad.

EASY CHICKEN STIR FRY

1 tablespoon olive or salad oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red pepper, cut into strips

1 cup snow peas

1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/3 cup KRAFT Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional

2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice, or rice noodles

Chow mein noodles, optional

Soy Sauce, optional

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir for four minutes or until chicken is evenly browned. Add pepper strips and snow peas; cook two to three minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender and chicken is done. Add water chestnuts, dressing and crushed pepper; cook two minutes or until heated through. Serve over rice or rice noodles. Garnish with sliced green onions just before serving. Pass the Soy Sauce and Chow Mein noodles. For more heat, use 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper.

Thought For the Week: “When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, ‘We’ll do it tomorrow.’ And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a friendship die? Ever called to just say ‘Hi? When you worry and hurry through your day, it’s like an unopened gift.... Thrown away..... Life is not a race...Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.” - author unknown, but greatly appreciated!

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