March is Nutrition Month
I try to provide nutritious meals in my home, as this benefits our family’s well-being. It is not easy to resist the junk food temptation, since speed and simplicity are great selling points.
We all give in occasionally, and there is nothing wrong with that, as long as the majority of a diet is healthy.
The 2000 Nutrition Month Campaign has launched the third Dietitians of Canada cookbook, Great Food Fast published by Robert Rose Inc. The focus is on quick and healthy ideas for busy Canadians.
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Dietitians have a new definition of FAST:
F – Food – Food for healthy eating can also be quick and easy to prepare.
A – Active – Active living leads to more energy and a feeling of well-being.
S – Save – Save time for family and friends by making time to plan, cook and enjoy meals together.
T – Taste – Taste and pleasure of food are paramount.
Great Food Fast cookbook is filled with recipes, timing tips and food facts, variation suggestions, nutrient analyses, food guide servings information and Canadian Diabetes
Association food choice symbols.
Hurry-up, fill-me-up burritos
A fast snack for kids. Makes 10 burritos.
1 cup cooked rice 250 mL
1 14 oz.can kidney 398 mL
beans, rinsed
1 cup kernel corn 250 mL
3Ú4 cup prepared 175 mL
salsa
10 10-in. (25 cm) flour 10
tortillas (warmed)
2 1Ú4 cups shredded 550 mL
cheddar cheese
Combine first four ingredients together in nonstick pan; stir over medium heat until warmed, about four minutes. Divide mixture evenly among tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up tortillas.
These can also be prepared in the microwave. Combine rice, beans, corn and salsa in a medium bowl. Divide mixture among tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Roll up. Microwave on high for 30-40 seconds or until heated through.
Note: Make the filling ahead of time for quick meals on busy days.
Don’t miss this dessert!
After you have eaten a well-balanced meal, treat yourself to dessert. Choose desserts like this low-fat cobbler to add more servings of grains and fruit. To save time, pop it in the oven and let it cook while you eat dinner. Enjoy it warm with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, if desired.
Peach cobbler
Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
Use greased 8-inch (2 L) casserole dish with 2-inch (5 cm) sides
Filling:
1 28-oz can sliced 796 mL
peaches (in juice),
drained reserve 1Ú2 cup
(125 mL) juice
2 tablespoons 30 mL
granulated sugar
2 teaspoons 10 mL
cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon 5 mL
juice
Topping:
1 cup biscuit 250 mL
baking mix
1Ú8 teaspoon nutmeg 0.5 mL
1Ú3 cup milk 75 mL
Place peaches in baking dish. Combine sugar and cornstarch; whisk into reserved peach juice. Stir in lemon juice; pour over peaches. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine baking mix and nutmeg; stir in milk to form a sticky dough.
Drop dough by the tablespoon on top of the peach mixture (not all of the filling will be covered).
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
No ring around the collar
Do you own perfectly good clothing items with unsightly stains?
The Home and Family Network (www.homefamily.net) provides information on home management and covers fabric care.
- Baby formula – Pretreat or soak stain using a product containing enzymes (check the detergent section); soak in cold water for 30 minutes, or up to several hours for older stains. Launder in hot water.
- Fabric softener – Dampen stain and rub with bar soap. Rinse, then launder. If stain remains, sponge area with rubbing alcohol or dry-cleaning solvent. Rinse thoroughly and rewash in hot water. If you have fabric softener stains, perhaps you are overloading your washer, which causes suds and softener to become trapped in the clothing. If you have excessive suds in the rinse water, spray the suds with rubbing alcohol or add a small piece of Ivory soap bar to cut suds and do not add fabric conditioner.
- Grass – Pretreat with prewash stain remover or soak with an enzyme product. If stain remains and if safe for dye, sponge stain with rubbing alcohol. Dilute alcohol with two parts water for use on acetate. If stain still remains, launder in hottest water safe for fabrics, with bleach that is safe for that fabric.
- Grease and oil – Light stains can be pretreated with a prewash stain remover or liquid laundry detergent. Launder in hottest water safe for fabric. Place heavy stains face down on clean paper towels. Apply cleaning fluid to the back of stain. Let air dry; rinse. Launder in hottest water safe for that fabric.
- Ketchup/tomato sauce – Rinse in cold water, then soak in cool soapy water. Treat with a prewash product; launder with a bleach that is safe for that fabric.
- Ring around the collar – Rub area with a prewash stain removal product and let remain for 30 minutes, or longer for heavy stains. Launder. You may also want to try brushing some hair shampoo on the collar, let sit for 30 minutes to dissolve the body oils and then launder.
- Yellowing of white cottons or linens – Fill washer with hot water. Add twice the detergent as normal. Place items in washer and agitate four minutes on regular cycle.
Stop washer and soak clothes for 15 minutes. Restart washer and
agitate 15 minutes. Complete the wash cycle. Repeat process if needed. (I have also tried putting the clothing item in boiling water to which a lemon slice has been added. Swish around with a wooden spoon, and soak if needed, then launder.)
- You may also want to check out a consumer website by Tide at www.clothesline.com which features the stain detective.
Reader request
We are looking for a recipe that is similar to the extra crispy chicken that Kentucky Fried Chicken used to offer – chicken with crunch and a lot of coating. We would appreciate your help.
Splish splash!
Dear TEAM: I would like to know how to make scented bath salts. I have tried adding aromatherapy oils to the salts and sealing it in a jar, but the oils tend to stick to the salts in clumps and the result is a lumpy mess that isn’t very scented. – L.D., Gilbert Plains, Man.
Dear L.D.: There is nothing quite like a long bath at the end of the day. Aromatherapy makes bathing relaxing and therapeutic.
Janice Cox, author of Natural Beauty at Home (contains 200 easy-to-use recipes for body, bath and hair), published by Henry Holt and Company, shared the following bath mixtures.
Aromatherapy bath salts
2 cups Epsom salt 500 mL
1 cup coarsely 250 mL
ground sea salt or
kosher salt
(available at
health food stores)
1Ú4 teaspoon glycerine 1 mL
essential oils
In a large ceramic or glass bowl, mix together the Epsom salt and sea salt. Stir well to blend.
Add the glycerine and a few drops of the essential oil of your choice. Start with a light touch and add more scent to suit your preference. Stir well to distribute the scent throughout the salts.
Pour the salts into a container with a tight-fitting lid.
Fizzing bath seeds
Try these fizzy bath treats. Kids just love them.
1Ú3 cup baking soda 75mL
1Ú4 cup citric acid 50 mL
crystals (available where
vitamins are sold,
also used in canning)
1 tablespoon cornstarch 15 mL
Add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice.
Mix all of the ingredients together and place in a clean, dry container with a tight-fitting lid. Keep the salts dry as moisture will cause them to fizz in the container. When bathing, simply fill your tub and sprinkle a tablespoon or two (15-30 mL) into the water. Then watch them bubble!
Note: Essential oils are concentrated extracts of plants. They can be added to unscented oils, lotions, shampoos and liquid soaps. When buying oils, look for ones that are clear, pure (with a few exceptions such as rose) and sold in dark glass bottles to protect them from direct sunlight. Prices will vary depending on what oil you desire.
And if you or other readers are looking for some aromatherapy resources here are some great choices:
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Oils in Aromatherapy and Herbalism, Julia Lawless (Element Books).
- The Fragrant Mind, Valerie Ann Worwood (New World Library).
- Mind Body & Soul, The Body Shop (Bulfinch).
- Essential Oil & Essence, by Shirley Whitton, (New Burlington.)
- The Book of Practical Aromatherapy, by William H. Lee and Lynn Lee, (Keats Books.)
