Country Cousin

Celebrate...

Hi Folks!

Winter is now definitely here! Certainly hope it doesn’t stay long. A couple three days of driving in the slush is more than enough, thank you!

SAFE DRIVING

Seems like every year we have to learn all over again how to drive safely on ice and through slush.

First and foremost, drive gently! No sudden stops, no quick take-offs, and no hasty turns.

Next, keep the headlights and tail lights as clear and clean as possible. Wash the headlights whenever you wash the windshield, probably oftener, and brush off the tail lights. You need to see, and you need for others to see you.

The folks at NAPS, a news clipping service, have a few more tips to protect you and your vehicle. As a regular routine, check fuel, tires, fluid levels and wipers in the morning.

Keep your gas tank at least half full, to help reduce moisture problems in the fuel system. The added weight also helps give better traction.

When roads are sloppy, keep an extra jug of windshield washer solution in the vehicle.

Leave a larger than usual space between vehicles. Four wheel drive vehicles can go through more snow, but they really don’t stop much, if any, better on ice. On the other hand, if it slides into a ditch without hitting anything, there’s a better chance it’ll be able to drive out again. No guarantees, though.

SIGN IMPACT

Speaking of safe driving, have you heard about the man who was driving to work when a truck slid through a stop sign, hit his car broadside, and knocked him cold?

Passersby pulled him from the wreck and revived him. Though he didn’t appear to have any severe injury, the man began screaming and struggling violently until he was tranquilized by the medics.

Later, when he was calm, hospital attendants asked him why he had panicked.

“I remember the impact, then nothing,” he said. “I woke up on a concrete slab in front of a huge, flashing ‘Shell’ sign...but somebody was standing in front of the ‘S’! I was trying to get out of there!”

TEA TIME

Read somewhere that soaking in a hot green tea bath is a great skin toner, among other things, so on a recent chilly night decided to try some personal pampering.

Bought cheap green tea bags, one box of plain, one laced with lemon and ginseng. Boiled up about four cups of water and dropped in four tea bags of each variety. Let them steep while the tub filled with nice hot water. Can’t stand the smell of tea, so added in some lavender scented epsom salts. Dumped the tea into the tub and squeezed out the bags. Disrobed and got in, with the water as hot as I could tolerate.

Repeatedly soaked the wash cloth in the hot tea bath and laid it across the face.

Wow!

Don’t know if the old skin got tightened up at all, but some great things really did happen.

Instead getting all drained and sleepy, which generally happens with a hot, hot bath at bed time, realized I was becoming energized, although facial muscles seemed to relax.

Soaked some more. Pushed back the cuticles. Scrubbed at the corns and calluses and found they came off more easily. Definitely smoother feet.

Washed the hair, rinsed as usual with cold water, and when the bath water started to cool off, got out. It was nearly midnight, but it would have been nearly as easy to get dressed to go out for a night on the town as it was to put on PJs and climb into bed. Slept like a baby anyway.

Conclusion?

Will definitely do the Tea Time bath again, probably on a regular twice a week basis. Particularly want to try it before starting the regular morning work routine and when preparing for a special night out to see if the energizing effect lasts. And to see if anyone says, “My dear, you’re looking wonderful tonight!”

LET’S CELEBRATE!

There’s quite a dearth of holidays at this time of year, and since the Packers got bumped from Super Bowl competition, we don’t even have that to look forward to. Valentine’s Day is still almost a month away.

So maybe we can borrow a holiday.

Monday, Jan. 23 was the start of the 2012 Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon. Those who know these things say celebration of the Chinese New Year can last for 15 days, so there’s still time.

According to Oriental legend, this year should be quite auspicious, since dragons are held in very high regard. In fact, mythical legends claim that Chinese people are descended from the dragon.

Unlike the evil fire-breathing Western Dragons, most Eastern Dragons are beautiful, friendly, wise and caring. They are called the angels of the Orient. Instead of being hated, they are loved and worshipped.

Dragons are an important part of many Chinese festivals, including Chinese New Year. In ancient China, dragons did not breathe fire. They guarded the wind, the rain, the rivers, precious metals and gems.

Chinese dragons are divided into Heavenly Dragons, Earthly Dragons and Dragons in water. The most well-known dragons are the Four Sea Dragon Kings governing the east, south, west, north sides of the sea. These Four Sea Dragon Kings are in charge of creating clouds and rains for human world.

Granted, we didn’t think of it in time to celebrate on the proper day, but why not make this a Chinese Dragon weekend?

Feast on Chinese food. Wear red. Light up a Happy Lamp. Shoot off some fireworks. (Actually, it’s safer to do that now than on the Fourth of July. Far less danger of fire.)

And finally, here’s the good part. DO NOT, under any circumstances, clean your house for the next week or two!

You see, the house was supposed to have been thoroughly cleaned before the New Year arrived, because sweeping and dusting gets rid of any back luck that may have accumulated during the year.

However, when the New Year comes, the superstition is that it brings along a whole new batch of good luck, and sweeping, dusting, etc. before it gets safely lodged might drive it all out. So you see, since the house wasn’t cleaned before, whatever it is will have to do for a while. Wouldn’t do at all to be sweeping out all the good luck, or vacuuming it up and throwing it away!

How’s that for an excuse to avoid dusting, sweeping, vacuuming and other less than pleasant chores for a while? Bet some clever housewife dreamed that one up!

ON THE SOAP BOX

SOLUTIONS

One e-mail correspondent figures he has the perfect answer for ailing senior citizens who may be told there is no nursing home space available, and no money to pay for root canals, false teeth, or new eye glasses.

Says he’s offering a new plan that gives anyone 65 years or older a gun and four bullets. They are then allowed to shoot any four Congressmen in the butt.

What this does, of course, is provide a free ride to prison, where the elderly convict will get three meals a day, a roof over their head, central heating, air conditioning and all the health care they need!

Need new teeth? No problem.

Need glasses? That’s great.

Need a new hip, knees, kidney, lungs or heart? They’re all covered. And, as an added bonus, he says, “Your kids can come and visit you as often as they do now.” (Think this person may be a mite sour on life?)

He says money to pay for all of the above will come from the same government that just told you that they cannot afford for you to go into a nursing home or to provide assisted living care in your own home.

LOW CARB COOKING

Have just made a wonderful discovery for those who are diabetic, trying not to become diabetic, or simply trying to lose weight weight on a low carb diet.

The discovery is almond meal or almond flour, which are basically the same thing - ground almonds - only one is ground finer than the other. You can do the grinding in a blender or food processor, but be careful not to get the almonds too fine or you’ll end up with almond butter instead of almond flour. Works best if the almonds are frozen when you start processing. Grind fairly small amounts and keep dumping the ground nuts into another container.

Almond flour is generally made with blanched almonds (no skin), while almond meal can be made with whole or blanched almonds. In either case, the consistency is more like corn meal than wheat flour.

Almond flour is good in “quick-bread” type recipes, like muffins, nut breads, and pancakes, but not for yeast breads, since you can’t knead it. Usually, more eggs are required when baking with almond meal to provide more structure. Almond meal can also be used to bread fish, but care must be taken not to burn it.

Half a cup of ground almonds contains about 10 grams of carbohydrate, 6 of which are fiber, for a net carb count of 4 grams. That half cup also contains 10 grams of protein, 23 grams of fat, and 273 calories.

Two of today’s recipes use almond flour, and we’ll be trying others in weeks to come.

COOKIN’ TIME

We all need new ideas to get our taste buds tingling, and this flavorful roast pork does just that, plus it cooks without attention in the slow cooker, to be ready when you are.

1 can cranberry sauce, whole or jelled, your choice

1/3 cup French dressing

1 onion, sliced

1 boneless pork loin roast, about 3 pounds

In a medium bowl, stir together the cranberry sauce, salad dressing and onion. Place pork in a slow cooker, and cover with the sauce mixture. Cover, and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. Pork is done when the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees.

DRAGON FIRE STIR FRY

(Really, it’s not that hot. Just cut down on the amount of Tabasco, and add only until it’s as spicy as you like it.)

Quick and easy food can involve long, slow cooking as with slow cookers, or be super fast to prepare, as with this flavorful stir fry. Takes a little preparation, but not much. Just be sure to cut the steak very thinly, cross grain, so it’s tender. Cuts easiest if it’s slightly frozen. Actual cooking time? About 10 minutes, except for the rice. For an excellent low carb meal, just forget about the rice. Serve over steamed strips of zucchini, summer squash or French style green beans instead, if you like. Incidentally, this stir fry is tasty, but not as hot as the name implies. Very appropriate this week, since Monday, Jan. 23 was the Chinese New Year, ushering in the Year of the Dragon.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 pound beef flank steak, very thinly sliced

3 large green onions, sliced

1 bunch asparagus, or 1/2 pound green beans, cut into 2 inch

pieces

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 cup julienne carrots

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon TABASCO� brand Green Jalape�o Pepper

Sauce (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups hot cooked rice

Prepare all ingredients in advance, including the rice. Just before time to say grace, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak slices and cook until brown on all sides. With a slotted spoon, remove meat to a plate. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in the same skillet over medium heat; add onions, asparagus, bell pepper, carrots, ginger, and garlic and cook about 3 minutes. Add water, soy sauce, Tabasco� Green Sauce, salt, and steak and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 3 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings.

LO CARB HONEY CAKE

2 cups almond meal or almond flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature

4 eggs

2 tablespoons honey, the darkest you can find

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

pinch ground cloves

3/4 cup sugar equivalent in artificial sweetener

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup coffee, about room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round or square cake pan. If you plan to remove the cake before serving, line the bottom with parchment or wax paper, and grease the top of the paper as well. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add honey, spices, sweetener, cocoa, and salt, and beat until blended. Add eggs and beat until well-blended. Add almond meal, baking powder, and coffee. Stir or beat until blended and pour into prepared pan. Cook about 30 minutes, or until center springs back or toothpick comes out clean. Cool, and cut into 8 pieces for a round pan or 9 for a square pan. Makes 8 servings, each with 7 grams of carbs, 8 grams of protein and 296 calories. Quite a dietary bargain!

LOW CARB ITALIAN KING CAKE

5 eggs, separated

2 cups almond meal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

Zest and juice of one lemon

Artificial sweetener equal to 1 and 1/4 cups sugar

Grease spring form pan or 10” round cake pan. Lining bottom with parchment also helpful. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk egg yolks until light in color. Beat in the rest of the ingredients except egg white, ending with the almond meal. It will be very stiff at this point. Beat egg whites until at a soft peak. Combine one third of the egg whites with the rest of the mixture to loosen it up. Fold in the rest of the egg whites in, and put in greased pan. Bake for about 30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely in pan. Makes eight servings, each with 2.5 grams effective carbohydrate plus 3 grams fiber, 9 grams protein, and 185 calories.

Thought for the Week: Don’t know who Benjamin Whichcote was, but he must have been pretty smart. He observed, “None are so empty as those who are full of themselves.” Martin Buxbaum was pretty smart too. He realized, “Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty. They merely move it from their faces into their hearts.”

COUNTRY COUSIN

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