kathlucky

2400 mgm of sodium daily is the recommended daily amount. The average about consumed daily is more than 4000 mgm. Sodium is a preservative and sometimes I think that is way chains add it to their bases. I have seen frozen dinners at 1800 mgm of sodium each serving. (No soy sauce there). I can not eat more than 2400mgm of sodium a day and therefore I can not eat out except places that cook fresh food only. Try to stay on that travelling or just every day life for two weeks. I believe that some government restrictions on sodium exists in Europe. Our health stats read like a third world country. This is one of the major reasons. Of course if you are white middle class and have the resoures to deal with this by just letting people know about the sodium content, you are in good shape. If you disagree with me, keep tract of your sodium for two weeks and just see. Keep in mind that meat can have soduim added to it (beef at Target) (Turkey raw 37 mgm per serving and some brands 380 mgm of sodium.) Not very one has the freedom of choice. I am for freedom to add our own salt. Please regulate our food industry.

The book does not work for me. I am not in the food business and I only test my own recipes. I do know I think in terms of ratios and most cooks do. I know that there are no perfect cookbooks out there, but I can look at the recipes ratio and know when it is not going to work. ( I have ruined too many cakes before I learned how.) I also know the ratio of flour and sugar I like in a cake. I purchased the book for two reasons. Learn how to change recipes and have a quick reference to making basic items. I found the lack of color on the charts inside and the type of print difficult to use as a quick reference. The print on cheap paper (and I paid $27 plus shipping), awkward sentences, and constant font changes make this small volume difficult for me to read. Yes, old eyes. This is only my opinion. But since I am a a big consumer in terms of buying new books, this book has taught me to wait and think more than twice before purchasing more cookbooks.

Rubber bands. save those thick ones from veggies in the store, but any size works. Cheap, easy to carry. Just wrap it around and turn.

Men love this. Used frequently to get men to help with disagreeable tasks. Very effective in getting a moving crew together. My Grandmother called this "Pot Roast", My sister and I call it Wine Roast. Some of my friends call it Sauerbraten. Can be cook in pressure cooker, on top of stove, covered in oven or my favorite the Crock pot. Beef roast ( Best when Browned.) (Grandma used rump roast.) (I use chuck) One cup of apple cider Vinegar (Use the best.) One cup of red wine (cheap is best, I tell people to use Carlo Rossi Paisano. Different wines different flavor.) 1/4 cup of sugar (dissolve in wine and vinegar) 1 to 2 bay leaves 10 to 15 peppercorns Cook one hour high and then 8 hours low or till tender. Makes tons of gravy , thicken with flour and if needed browning agent. (Sometimes I add one can of evaporated milk and ginger snaps.) Roast best cooled before slicing. Freezes well. Serve with tons of mashed potatoes. For oven or stove top and two cups of water.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Rosemary Wash and throughly dry tomatoes. place in roasting pan large enough for tomatoes to have space between them about 2 inches more or less. add olive oil to coat tomatoes and pan. Top with chopped rosemary to taste (I like alot). Salt and pepper if desired. (I am on salt restriction and due not miss miss the salt in this recipe.) Roast in oven at 350 F for one hour or till they start to carmelize. Serve warm as a side dish, great for sandwich topping, blender for a sauce My favorite is hot with French bread to sop up the juices, oil and carmalization. I freeze this for sandwiches. I use this recipe in the winter for my weekly tomatoe fix, grape tomatoes work best. In the summer they are in the oven whenever I have it on and I cook them at any temperature and just till they start to carmelize.

The only thing to be careful about is to first try with a one loaf recipe. Otherwise the mess it makes is awful. Good luck and enjoy.

Oh that is a challenge. I am on a very restricted sodium diet. Always look at all labels. Fresh herbs are really a help. For potatoes I get little red ones cut them in uniform pieces marinate them in olive oil and fresh rosemary and grill them. No salt added. Chicken and sherry is good way to avoid salt. The sweet and sour flavoring also works on everything. I use apple cider vinegar and sugar. I flavor with a combination of fresh herbs a good bit. Tarragon, basil and mint together is good. I remember shopping for turkey to roast and found that the cheapest (store brand) had less sodium. All the fancy stuff was loaded. Remember salt is a also a preservative and it is not always tasted. Going out to eat is rough, baked potatoe and unseasoned steak is all that is safe. I fry apples with a splash of apple brandy instead of gravy. For poultry or grilled figs or such. Think about your taste buds and add sparks to food to season them. A rub that has bite, heat, fire a little sweet will work. Cheese has tons of salt, shop around. Great aged parm from the center is less salted. Brands vary a great deal. Low fat cheese tend to have less salt. Homemade salad dressings are the only way to go. (Think about those taste buds again.) Put the salt shaker on the table for the rest of the family and did not add any salt or soy sauce to the food. Low sodium doesn't always mean much. No canned anything. Unsalted butter or olive oil. Grilling is great. Best of luck.

There are many recent cross county trips under my belt. I always bring prepared food and I eat well and do not waste time looking for a resturant and I always look forward to my evening dinner meal. Since I am on a special diet, it is helpful to arrive feeling like you took good care of yourself. I always carry a small electric water kettle, single plastic cone with filters for a great cup of coffee. I also carry olive oil and vinegar or homemade salad dressing, honey and frozen bottles of water. A sharp knife, paper towels, cups and soup bowls with spoon and fork. Soy butter, wholegrain bread, and my favorite coffee. Breaksfast is oatmeal bars, or single serving oatmeal stuff. (Favorite is a bananna with soy butter.) Fresh fruit in season. I freeze a great soup and/or cooked French lentils (cold chicken breasts if no time). I carry one great cheese with bread to have with my wine and fruit (night at motel). Otherwise, I eat in the car if time matters or state rest area. Sometimes I do stop in grocery stores or places like whole foods for wholesome breads, sandwiches, cooked chicken, to go salad or stuff but rarely. Snack food is always blue corn chips with low fat bean dip. Yogurt with fruit or honey for desert. When travelling with a dog it is important to let them walk during traveling breaks and so should you. At night with two people one can go get take out while the other settles in with the dog. If you have to have resturant food sushi to go is a winner. Even the most fancy places can do take-out. Thoughts for a safe trip are being sent your way. Bringing a loved pet is so important.

In my very tiny kitchen, the stove is the largest counter space. The other 2 counters are 19 inches deep and 13 inches wide each. When the oven door is open, it barely clears the frig and the sink, and then half the kitchen space is gone. I use those old fashion round electric covers on each burner. They supply a bit of work room but are really great for keeping the burners clean (drip pans stay spotless). I usually work on a cutting board for my stove working area. I usually restrict myself to two burners at a time. When I need more I extend out to the dining room. I do not cook for more than 6 except on occaison. It all takes alot of planning and stopping to clean everything between projects.

Trying to beat the heat in Penn and today in Alabama. Refreshing Lentil Salad Cook French lentils overnight in crock-pot (slow cooker). Cool. Add lots of halved grape/cherry tomatoes, a ton of mint leaves torn, bit of sweet onion to taste. Dress with olive oil and favorite vinegar. Serve cold on bed of lettuce, with some whole wheat pieta bread. Best eaten when freshly made. Since I do not like lentils, I have been trying to invent recipes so I can take advantage of ease of cooking, and low cholesterol, high fiber, high protein, cost effective qualities of the lentil. Also working on a recipe for barbeque lentils in crock-pot. If you have no slow cooker, try soaking lentils for an hour or so in cold water then it will cook up faster (less heat in the house).

A couple of weeks ago, Dave, the fish man at Springfield Penn farmers market told me that butterfish and white tuna are the same. My sister simply cooked it on her George Foreman grill and wow- It was great. He also desrcibed it as like monkfish but cheaper. Says it sells out whenever he can get it.