I've already admitted to you all that I'm the food/cooking novice in the family.  Maybe that's a good thing?  You know, they say that "too many cooks spoil the broth" and I know that for sure, I don't want to have to compete with Chef Roland in the kitchen.  But, I decided that this year, I'm going to put it on my "list" to start trying my hand at various dishes, with the intention of cooking Christmas Dinner for my family (if any are brave enough to come) next year.  I've been reading over some recipes, seeing which ones I'll try first and have found one for my soup and one for my first course that I'm not going to reveal until I know I can succeed.  I'll keep you posted as to my progress!

One of the recipes calls for sultanas and when I come across a food word that is new to me, I like to pass that information on to those of you who are Gourmet Beginners, like me.  The new word is "sultanas" and even if you know what they are, I think you will find the link I'm using to be informational and entertaining.

I did manage to make a couple of different kinds of cookies for the holiday that I am gifting to others (if I can manage not to eat them all up) and think they are a bit different than the usual fare I see others preparing.  I made chocolate shortbread and thumpprint cookies with apricot preserve centers.  They are delicious, if I may say so without bragging.  They're simple enough and I found the recipes in a magazine.

If you would like to share stories or comments about your christmas cookie experiences this season, please submit them via our blog comment box and I'll be happy to post them.  Sometimes the stories are just as good as the cookies, if not better!

Definition of Sultanas:  http://www.ochef.com/676.htm

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year & Bon Appetit!

I just took time, really for the first time, this morning to read over my blog from inception to today.  I was mortified!  I have been so careless with my spelling, punctuation and sentence structure. 

To be honest, it's usually late at night when I find the time to post something.  I surf the web and read through many different articles, on a subject, to find links that I think present examples or provokative information on a variety of subjects.

I also have to admit, I'm not a great speller, grammarian or writer, so, I know I'll have mistakes.  I just saw that there were so many that could have, with a little more attention, been avoided.  So, I just want to appologize and say that I will give it a better effort when posting information that I hope you find informative and entertaining.

God bless you all and I pray that your Christmas is very Merry and Blessed!!

From Chef Roland & Elaine

I couldn't resist putting up another blurp regarding food politics.  Most everyone knows what a 'player' is, especially in the dating world.  Well, there's an old saying about 'odd bedfellows' or one that talks about 'birds of a feather flock together'.  The point I'm trying to make is that when a person hears or reads about a particular subject, especially when it's relative to food issues, you should take a minute to look at the bigger story.  As it's said, "there's two sides to every coin".

Maybe you've seen an article here or there or heard someone talk about drinking raw milk?  I hope that, as subjects like this come up, we make the effort to understand why it's a very important issue and who all has a vested interest in this question and what do they get, depending on the answer of whether or not to make it illegal.  Yes, raw milk can become a 'controlled substance' if we allow this to happen through our apathy.

I encourage you to read a little deeper into the issue and decide for yourself.

I've included a link to introduce you to the controversy and to help get you started into your own research to get the truth on the issue of raw milk:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/15/the-war-over-raw-milk.aspx

Bon Apetit!

What a wonderful time of the year to pick up some new receipes to share with family and friends!  Looking around I found some fun projects that are a little different than the usual fare and bring that French flair to the party!  Some of these would make great gifts, as well.

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/desserts/r/orangette.htm?nl=1

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/desserts/r/cranberrypound.htm


http://frenchfood.about.com/od/cookies/r/cinespresso.htm

http://www.aftouch-cuisine.com/recipe/walnut-cake-295.htm

http://www.traditionalfrenchfood.com/french-desserts.html

Bon Apetit!

Though the Senate Bill 510 has passed the Senate and is now in the house (hopefully it will not pass), I found this more in-depth information that helps to explain what has and is going on with the bill.  Please study Senate Bill 510 and weigh in on what you think.  If you believe that this bill in its present form is potentially oppressive to small and personal food production, please contact your representative to demand that they amend this bill to exclude small-scale production.

Though some of the bill may, in fact, protect the country's food supply, the engine behind the bill is Monsanto and it's desire to monopolyze food production in the country and to force the public to consume hybrid and genetically modified foods that they have invested in heavily but are meeting resistance in the market.

http://www.anh-usa.org/who%E2%80%99s-trying-to-scuttle-the-amendment-that-protected-organic-and-family-farms-big-food-on-the-attack/

Remember, should anyone have as problem with what I post, I, Elaine Parny am solely responsible for what appears in this blog.  Alot of people have said to me, "I don't care for politics".  I'm here to tell you, you better get political TODAY when it comes to the food you eat because your choices are going to be getting fewer and fewer.  Case in point, please look over the links I've posted to see how the seed industry (seeds being where most plant food originates), is being taken over and dictated by Mansanto and the government.  Read and decide for yourself :

http://survivingthemiddleclasscrash.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/the-multiple-ways-monsanto-is-putting-normal-seeds-out-of-reach/

http://earthfirst.com/seed-savers-exchange-saving-and-sharing-non-gmo-heirloom-seeds/


http://www.survivalistseeds.com/Heirloom_VS_Monsanto.html

http://hubpages.com/hub/Heirloom-Seeds

http://www.survivalistseeds.com/Monsanto___Food_Prices.html

http://wethepeoplecolorado.com/blog/?tag=heirloom-seed


http://www.thegardengranny.com/monsantos-monopoly-on-seeds/

Having you ever wondered who buys some of those "different" kinds of vegetables that you see in the market.  You have your standard group: lettuce, onions, tomatoes, potatoes and corn.  What else do you need?  I would like to introduce you to some of the vegetables that you aren't very familiar with and provide you with some of their health benefits.  Let's start with Chard:

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=btnews&dbid=137&utm_source=daily_click&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_email

There always seems to be a particular food product that gets alot of promotion in the market.  It seems like soy is the 'darling' when it comes to getting alot of attention and it's being touted as a 'healthy' food that is a viable alternative to meat-protein.  Yet again, there is more to soy than what is being said and I hope you will take the time to read over the information I've linked to so that you can become informed and make your own decisions as to soy being a 'healthy' food choice.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/04/soy-dangers-summarized.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/08/genetically-engineered-soybeans-may-cause-allergies.aspx

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy.htm

http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/soy.htm

Bon Apetit!

I've told you, I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to food.  That's why I like reading so many different kinds of articles on a variety of food subjects.  This subject caught my attention because I simply thought there are no real good fresh fruit and vegetable choices during the winter because, as far as I knew, fruits and vegetables come in the spring, summer, and fall, not winter.  But, I did find out that there are some fresh things that we can add to benefit a healthy diet during the winter months. 

Bon Apetit!

http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/slideshow/9-best-winter-foods?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-2010_12_02-_-HTML-_-1

http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/content/master-produce-aisle?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-2010_12_02-_-HTML-_-3


http://www.foodfit.com/healthy/healthyWinterFoods.asp

http://www.suite101.com/content/winter-fruits-and-vegetables-a79761

We all need to become more aware and involved in the small, local food production movement.  When you study the issues, and there are many, you will find it's a wonderful experience as well as a way to fulfill self-dependence in an ever increasingly uncertain market.

http://www.urbantilth.org/news/

http://thegardenofoz.org/tilling.asp

http://readynutrition.com/resources/federal-food-police-coming-soon-to-a-farm-near-you_22102009/

http://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/the-resilient-gardener-food-production-and-self-reliance-in-uncertain-times/

Bon Apetit!