TWO APPLES A DAY KEEP THE DOCTOR AWAY

 

From Linda Lee Greene Author/Artist

 

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Raw, stewed or sauced apples are rich in soluble fiber and act as a prebiotic, which feeds and multiplies the beneficial bacteria in the gut, thereby reducing inflammation. Inflammation is the main culprit in gut ailments such as IBS, IBD, bloating, pain and constipation. Apple consumption also increases the absorption of minerals like calcium, increases immune system tolerance, helps control appetite and balances blood sugar and cholesterol.

 

Apples contain polyphenols (micronutrients) found in plants, fruit, vegetables, tea, coffee and wine. It’s a good idea to eat the skins and core (remove seeds and their hard casings) of raw and cooked apples, because the skins and core contain more polyphenols, dietary fiber and minerals than the fleshy part of the fruit. One apple typically has about 100 million bacteria cells, and if you don't eat the core, you only get about 10 million bacteria cells. One study showed that organic apples had better bacteria than conventional apples, and eating two apples a day instead of only one is better at keeping the doctor away.

 

Anyone educated about the harm that man-refined sugar reaps on the human body recognizes the truth behind William Dufty’s assertion that it is a “‘human pesticide,’ ‘white poison,’…and is more lethal than opium and more dangerous than atomic fallout.”[1]  My applesauce recipe contains no sugar or sweetener of any kind, and the finished product is delightfully sweet all on its own.

HOMEMADE SUGAR-FREE APPLESAUCE

APPLES IN CROCK POT

Ingredients

• 16 unpeeled, whole and baked apples (preferably organic), chilled in fridge or thawed from freezer
• 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (more or less to taste); and 3 drops of a lemon essential oil
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• A few dashes each of ground cinnamon and ginger
• 3/4 cup water (preferably filtered)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons salted butter (it gives a yummy, creamy consistency to the applesauce)
• 4 ounces natural cranberry juice

                                                                

HOMEMADE SUGAR-FREE APPLESAUCE

Method

1. Cut whole unpeeled baked apples with cores intact into quarters. Remove the seeds and seed casings. Place in Crock Pot or equivalent appliance with water, lemon juice or vinegar and lemon essential oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, butter, cranberry juice and salt. The acid in the lemon juice or vinegar and lemon essential oil brightens the flavor and balances the natural sweetness of the apples.
2. Cook on high until mixture is mushy (about an hour).
3. Puree the cooked apples with a potato masher or hand mixer or standing blender. (If using a standing blender, do only half the batch at a time, and do not fill the blender bowl more than halfway).

If the finished applesauce is not sweet enough, add stevia sugar substitute to taste. If too sweet, add more lemon juice or vinegar or lemon essential oil. However, if this recipe is followed faithfully, the level of sweetness should be just right.

4. This applesauce is delicious either warm or chilled. It pairs well with pork or other savory dishes. It’s wonderful with cottage cheese, vanilla ice cream or yogurt, and scrambled eggs or omelets.

This is a good recipe for canning. It freezes well and will last at least a year in a freezer. If freezing, make sure to allow enough headroom (at least an inch) in the container for expansion. It will keep well in the fridge for one to two weeks.

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Multi-award-winning author, Linda Lee Greene’s GARDEN OF THE SPIRITS OF THE POTS: A Spiritual Odyssey is a novella in which a mysterious encounter with an eccentric Aboriginal potter and a kangaroo in Australia’s outback sets the stage for ex-pat American Nicholas Plato’s journey into parts unknown both within himself and his adopted home.  https://www.amazon.com/GARDEN-SPIRITS-POTS-SPIRITUAL-ODYSSEY-ebook/dp/B09JM7YL6F/

 

#apples, #applesauce, #sugar-free, #recipes, #polyphenols, #micronutrients, #CrockPot, #Slow-Cookers, #WilliamDufty, #SugarBlues, GardenOfTheSpiritsOfThePots, #LindaLeeGreene

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[1] SUGAR BLUES, William Dufty, 1975, p, 22 & 25 

“BAM!” AND EMERIL LAGASSE SAVED THE SOUP!

 

From Linda Lee Greene Author/Artist

 

The weather was biting; your brain was fried; your body was toast. But it was a college football Saturday, so you turned on the TV. It was only pre-game talk. You turned the TV off, and then what did you do? You made soup!  

You washed and then cut half a bunch of celery into bite-size pieces, put them in your Crock Pot on high, and keeping in mind the 2 . 1 . 1 rule (2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part green bell pepper) of Louisiana’s Creole Trinity base for a plethora of dishes, you diced the right amount of onions and scraped them into the pot. You opened the frig to get two green bell peppers, but darn…there weren’t any there. Your frig was close to bare. There was that little jar of minced garlic on the shelf of the frig door. A tablespoon of it was just what your soup called for.

What about the bell peppers? No way would you brave the weather and drive to the store. What to do? What to do? You scrounged around in your cupboards for something more. That carton of low-sodium veggie broth would boost the soup. But it was gone too! Oh well poo! Well, just enough water to cover the veggies would have to do. That bottle of Worcestershire sauce would give the soup a boost, and you dropped in a couple tablespoons, added half a teaspoon of black pepper, and gave the concoction a stir and a taste. It was blah! It was beyond bland! “Oh Julia Child, please give this woman a hand!” An envelope of that onion soup and dip mix would fix the brew. You tore open the envelope and sprinkled it in. You then covered the pot and let the soup stew.

An hour later the soup was hot, BUT TASTY IT WAS NOT! Chef Jonathan Banno livens his dishes, including soup, with balsamic vinegar and parsley. A couple dashes of vinegar and a handful of chopped parsley looked right to you. Your team will kick off at noon. You covered the pot and headed to your living room.

At one on the dot, the celery smell filled the air. You hurried to the pot, pulled the cover off, and like Pavlov’s dog, your mouth pooled. A fork test said the celery was tender and the onions were too. You opened a can of sliced carrots and stirred it in. A sip from a spoon said your soup needed some salt. “No! No, the doctor says you must stay salt-free!” A can of low-sodium V8 juice it would have to be. A half stick of butter would smooth out the soup. A quarter cup each of almond and garbanzo bean flour as a thickener went in next in place of grain-based roux, which is no good for anyone, especially you. The cover secured, you went back to your living room.

A  Crock Pot on high cooks any soup fast. A few minutes later, it was ready… AT LAST! Another sip and darn it, the soup was still flat. What in the world to do about that? That sodium-laced bouillon stash you avoid like its fatal: “A tablespoon of tomato bouillon can’t hurt all that much.” Like a guilty Eve biting that apple, you swiftly scooped the bouillon in, but just a touch. Another taste and wallah! The soup was almost right. It was missing that tang, though, that particular bite.

Emeril Lagasse from a bottle said, “Hey Dummy! My Original Essence will do the trick. A couple shakes will give it that kick.” BAM! And it did just what the chef said it’d do—you swear it on Lagasse’s big-old, magnificent head!

The last step in my soup-making foray was to place the soup in my blender and puree it (low and slow) to a creamy consistency. Because of a chronic gastro-intestinal condition, my body doesn’t digest celery well, even when as bite-sized pieces it is cooked thoroughly. And besides, I love creamy soups. Gobble it down with a helping of homemade almond and garbanzo bean flour bread, or a chunky bread of your choice. I guarantee that this soup-and-bread-meal will hit the spot, whether or not your team comes out on top.©

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Multi-award-winning author, Linda Lee Greene’s GARDEN OF THE SPIRITS OF THE POTS: A Spiritual Odyssey, is a novella in which ex-pat American Nicholas Plato relocates to Sydney, Australia to escape the mental torture of devastating losses back home. Strange encounters in Australia’s outback with an Indigenous potter reveal to Nicholas unexpected blessings and a new way of living. The novella is available in eBook and/or paperback. Just click the following link and it will take you straight to the page on Amazon on which you can purchase the book. https://www.amazon.com/GARDEN-SPIRITS-POTS-SPIRITUAL-ODYSSEY-ebook/dp/B09JM7YL6F/

 

           

                 

CAULIFLOWER: The Bottom Line of a Super Food

Cauliflower provides some powerful health benefits.

Cauliflower is a great source of nutrients, including a few of which many people need more.

Cauliflower contains unique antioxidants that may reduce inflammation and protect against several diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.

Cauliflower is easy to add to your diet. It's tasty, easy to prepare, and can replace high-carb foods.

Cauliflower assists in weight loss.

To get the full lowdown on this fabulous vegetable, including some recipes, click onto the following link: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-cauliflower#section9.

Linda’s Cauliflower Soup:



In a crock pot, slow cooker, or soup pot, place florets of a head of cauliflower, 1 large, unpeeled tomato cut into wedges, 1 cup of frozen onion and 3 pepper mix (I keep bags of this mixture in my freezer—it eliminates the need to dice onions and peppers). Add ½ cup bacon bits, 1 packet of dry onion soup mix, ½ cup of water and ½ cup of almond milk. (If you dice fresh onion and peppers, add more liquid). Cook on high in crock pot or slow-cooker until the cauliflower is soft—on the stovetop, cook on medium-high heat until cauliflower is soft. For those able to eat chunky soup, your work is done other than eating and enjoying this flavor-rich, scrumptious soup. I go one step further because digesting whole cauliflower can be a problem for me. I pulse it in my blender until it is creamy and thick. YUM! – Linda Lee Greene, Author & Artist