McMakeover - Healthier Chicken McNuggest

Ingredients in Chicken McNuggets

White boneless chicken, water, food starch-modified, salt, seasoning (autolyzed yeast extract, salt, wheat starch, natural flavoring (botanical source), safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid, rosemary), sodium phosphates, seasoning (canola oil, mono- and diglycerides, extractives of rosemary). Battered and breaded with: water, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, food starch-modified, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, whey, corn starch. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent.

MMMM - dimethylpolysiloxane, used in making Silly Putty, it's also a critical ingredient in Rain-X.  It's also found in Wendy's fries.  Or at least their old "unimproved" fries, the new ones seemingly made out of shards of salt licks.

And what's TBHQ? That's tertiary butylhydroquinone, a butane based preservative, which among many other things, is used in the stabilization process of explosive compounds. One to four grams of TBHQ can cause some serious symptoms that will make the flu look like winning the lottery.  Five grams of TBHQ can kill you.

Many of the store bought nuggets don't have those two particular ingredients, but they are still full of things like sodium phosphates, caramel color, methylcellulose, and " spice extractive", even if they come in little dinosaur shapes.

No thanks, I'll eat at home.  Happy Meal toy notwithstanding, if my grandchildren want "McNuggets" my chicken will come with a beak, not a beaker. Ad in some homemade brad with a thin slice of cheese and a little salad and they will say "McDonald's WHO?

Ingredients in a Johnson household McNugget.

Fresh grain-fed chicken breast, grated fresh ginger, a squeeze of lemon juice, butter, flour, cayenne pepper, extra virgin olive oil, a cast iron skillet.

Chop one extra large chicken breast into large nugget sized pieces.  If you have the patience to cut them into little dinosaur shapes like the frozen grocery store nuggets have at it.  Mine are shaped like pieces of chicken.  I'm creative that way.

Dip each piece in a mixture of a few tablespoons of melted salted butter to which you've added about half a thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, grated and a splash of lemon juice.  Dredge in a small cereal bowl of flour to which you've added a few pinches of cayenne pepper.

Cook in a medium/hot cast iron pan with just a little EVOO until lightly brown on both sides (turning with tongs), reduce heat, cover and cook until done.  Remember, you are just lightly browning, not frying in a lot of oil.  Just a few minutes is all it takes and it turns out buttery, savory and oh so juicy.  Serves two for a light meal or snack.

Frangipani - Natural Skin Care that Works

I've reviewed a few bath and body lines here but there is one product line that is a personal favorite.  Like any review, I will not accept free product or payment and I don't promote something that I don't personally have in my house and use.  I share because this is what I would share with my family, which now, includes you folks.  I also, would rather promote the "I DID build this" small business owner, especially an Indiana one.

Indianapolis based  Frangipani Body Products  specializes in all-natural skin care and body products and has one many skin care world awards including a 3rd Annual Beauty with a Conscience Award.

When I first saw the products in a local magazine when I was living in Indiana, I didn't know it was an Indy-based company. When I checked out all the positive feedback on Facebook from others with similar ages and skin types, I HAD to order some. The owner and creator of the products, Tracy Land, originally had been making them to heal her own skin, as she battled the skin condition rosacea (which I have as well) then sold it to a few friends while she worked in the Quality Assurance end of IT.

Tracy continued to develop the concept and when her position was eliminated, instead of just picking up an unemployment check, she started refining the products, producing the products and selling to the public, using word of mouth, farmer's markets, trade shows, etc.  I can only imagine how much telephoning, strategy, business planning and legwork that was. The product was a hit and is now carried in a number of stores, including Whole Foods, in addition to being available online.

My skin has done so much better with natural products in the long term.  My skin is very fair and cantankerous on a good day and the rosacea has made my cheeks irritated and red since grade school. Put it this way - kids used to call me "Beet Face" and even as an adult, people were always asking how I got sunburned.  Not anymore!  I love the Frangipani products for what they've done for my rosacea.  They may cost a  bit more than what you can get at the drug store, but conventional products use a LOT of water and fillers to keep production costs down, meaning you use more product for the same effect. Frangipani products are also seriously less in price than most department store lines (you have to pay those 20-year-old supermodels you know), which frankly, did nothing to help my rosacea despite many claims otherwise.

Frangipani products contain only plant-based ingredients, and almost NO water. Only a small amount is needed so the product is quite long lasting which makes it a value.  Compared to what I spent at the Lancome and Clinique and Estee Lauder counters over the years for things that only made my skin redder and more irritated. . . a bargain!

Sure, I could go out and get buffed and abraded and bo-toxed, quick, fake fixes. I prefer a product that heals the skin in the long term, helping it glow from the inside out.

I have no desire to be 20 again, (which is like 2 in dog years). Aging gracefully is wonderful.

The Frangipani products.  So many - cleanser, creams, serums, Shea butter creams that would be perfect for gals OR guys to make work-worn hands feel like velvet, lip balm, all kinds of things.  The skin care selections range from blemish prone skin of a teen to OMG, I remember 8 track tapes! My favorites are the cleanser and the facial serum. I love gel cleansers but they dry my skin.  Cream cleansers remind me of Grandma's Ponds Cold Cream and make me break out if I use every day. The Frangipani cleanser is smooth and very creamy but it lathers just enough to clean and rinses completely, without rubbing,  leaving my face soft without having to irritate it with a washcloth. To exfoliate, there is an exfoliating product that's plant oil based with little jojoba beads that gently get rid of dry skin, as they gently dissolve. I use that in the shower every morning in place of the cleanser.

I'm thinking the facial cleanser might work well for guys for shaving.  The faint coconut and olive oil based scent is very pleasant but NOT girly. Tracy does not use fragrance oils in her Frangipani line, but only essential oils, much gentler on the skin while still smelling wonderful.  

What Rosacea?

The blemish serum is also great.  Even with super dry skin I still was getting acne like breakouts and clogged pores from various sunscreens I am pretty faithful in using. The Blemish Serum is very moisturizing but it doesn't result clog pores at all and it has some essential oils with healing antiseptic properties that are very beneficial to acne-prone skin.  I had found that with many serums I'd get blocked oil glands that left bumps on my face that took forever to go away.  In the morning, the Blemish serum, under the Shea Butter Cream or the wonderfully smelling Regenerating Flower Cream (which I use in the Winter), leaves my skin soft but super smooth and helped clear up those bumps, even if I wear sunscreen or foundation over the top of it. I alternate that with the Protective or Regenerating Serums at night for extra help with dry skin and the rosacea.

I also love the body oil, (you have to try that one) it's rice bran oil based so it soaks right in after bathing avoiding that whole, "Honey I just got out of the shower and moisturized and would love a hug", wherein he complies and you go shooting out of his arms like a watermelon seed and bounce off the walls, ruining the mood). And both the grapefruit and the lavender blends smell incredible but not overpowering

Check the website out (just click on the Frangipani name in purple at the start of the post).  Everything can be shipped promptly and the beautiful amber recyclable glass bottles are carefully packaged so there is no breakage (and trust me on the body oil thing.)

Portabello Mushrooms and Onion

Although I have added extra lean protein (wild fish, and organic lean meat) to replace simple carbs such as white flour and sugar, I'm keeping my diet high in complex carbs like fruits and veggies.

But just steaming some veggies, or worse, getting lazy and opening a can of green beans, gets old.

They're not "low fat" but sauteeing fresh garden veggies in a little seasoned olive oil makes a delicious side dish.   If you don't like garlic, using olive oil seasoned with a teaspoon of aged balsamic vinegar is also good.

I usually serve this with a piece of protein I've marinated in lemon or lime juice or balsamic vinegar then slow cooked.  Why?  All foods -- but especially ones derived from animals -- contain varying levels of compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These compounds are known to cause inflammation and may open the door to faster aging. Cooking -- especially high-heat methods -- increases the formation of AGEs. But now new research suggests that marinating foods in an acidic, low-pH liquid -- like lemon juice or vinegar -- may help slow that formation down significantly. AGEs in beef were cut in half after marinating for an hour -- but shorter amounts of time may help, too.  Marinating your food is one way to minimize AGEs. Another option: Cook over low, moist heat. Boiling, poaching, steaming, and stewing are all great choices.

Sauteed Portabello Mushrooms and Onion (can substitute shallot)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons garlic flavored olive oil

1/4 red onion, cut into chunks

2 portobello mushroom caps, sliced

salt and black pepper to taste

freshly grated Parmesan freshly grated Asiago cheese  (basil garnish optional)

Warm 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic flavored olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions and mushrooms; reduce heat to low, and cook until the mushrooms are soft and blackened and the onions are black around the edges. (Add additional olive oil as needed.) Turn the heat off, drizzle with remaining tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan and Asiago cheeses.

Ever Thought About One of those "Heatlhy" Meal Delivery Programs?

Picking how you wish to eat can be complex and then you have to actually plan, shop for, and prepare your meals. I love to cook, but when my husband is on the road, and I am going to use my evenings to write th latest book, I really don't want to prepare a meal just for myself.

So when I heard about a company that would take some of this work away for me. I was happy to try it on a week my husband was on the road for work.

Kettlebell Kitchen, the customizable meal delivery service that does all the prepping (and thinking!) for you, I had to try it. I liked that you could just buy a few meals, no commitment. But they also have a process where they will help you with your selections and meal plans. For Kettlebell Kitchen, the process starts with a simple and develops a meal plan totally customed for YOU.  I ordered from the a la carte menu though, just to see if I liked the food well enough to do a full meal plan.

They have an easy to use ordering system, and you can leave instructions for the delivery person.

I ordered two meal-sized salads  - both chicken bacon Waldorf, a medium dinner entree of turkey and mashed parsnip with Brussels sprouts, a kale side salad and a breakfast entree of Paleo nut muffins and sliced apple.

They state the food is never frozen, but is super chilled and then delivered to remain cold, shipping twice a week so you get the freshest food possible. It arrived packed well with three very large ice packs to keep the food cold. Two of the salads were directly next to the ice pack, with the meat and roast veggie item on the outside, probably not the best idea

Despite the claim that the food is not frozen, one of the entree salads and the single side salad were indeed frozen on arrival.  That could be from the shipping in direct contact with 3 large ice packs combined with being in a box in a delivery truck in Chiberia when wind chills were down in the 20's. I brought it in immediately on delivery.

Here is the Kale side salad from the website. I was going to add some veggie protein to this for a lunch with a friend.

Here's mine after it thawed out.

The Kale Side Salad, unfortunately once thawed, was a limp mess.  It went into the composter.  It did have a nice selection of cabbage, carrots, and kale but it was just soggy.

Here is a photo of the Chicken Waldorf salad entree from their website. I ordered this for my best friend, who loves chicken Waldorf. 

Here is a photo of the non-frozen one upon opening.

It only filled half the container, and there was a LOT less protein than in the website picture. 

I pulled the chicken out of the frozen salad and threw the rest in the trash as it was so soggy after thawing out so I could show you the protein content of the salad.  The photo from the website has 25+ pieces of chicken in the entree (and six grapes.) 

Here is the chicken from her salad, on a small salad plate.

That's right 8 small pieces of chicken, not 25+.    I couldn't find any bacon and there was only one grape. Unlike the dinner entrees, there is no "medium" and "large" serving of this entree, so this is the chicken amount for the full priced portion.

That was really disappointing.  We ended up going out for Thai.

I had better hopes for the Mega Muffins. 

Here is a photo from the website.

Here are mine as they arrived.

They were indeed "mega" sized though one was broken in pieces from shipping. They recommend heating.  Heated up it was quite good and very generous with the walnuts.  Cold, it was pretty crumbly and a bit dry. So I'll probably stick with my "grab and go" gluten free muffins I make at home.The sliced apple was also starting to brown and dry out on arrival. It went to the squirrels that live in our Spruce trees

On the plus size, the Turkey Entree with Parsnip Mash was VERY, VERY good, with some high-quality turkey, some mashed root vegetables and some roasted Brussels sprouts with a little side of cranberry sauce.

Here's a picture from the website.

Here's a photo before I popped it in the microwave.

Here it is plated on a regular sized dinner plate.  This was the "medium" serving for $11.95.

They do post clear nutrition on their website but unfortunately do NOT list sodium content, something I'm always wary of in pre-packed food.  But carbs and fat and calories are easy to read and the meat and veggie dinner options have good amounts of protein.

Cost with shipping for my 4 entrees and a side was a little over $60, with the average entree price being around $12. That's too pricey to do on a daily basis for 2 people.  I spend $360 a month on groceries for two doing my own baking and batch cooking with bulk purchases of baking and frozen veggies, buying my organic meats at a locally owned store and not Whole Foods, which is a bit of a drive for me to shop at weekly.

I think it's just time to make my own food.

Zoodles!

Are you going to eat ALL of that meatloaf Mom?.

I've been lucky, I didn't gain any weight over the winter, but I'm still up 5 pounds from last Spring.

One thing I've had to cut back on was the amount of  simplecarbs I eat.    I tried the Paleo Diet for a few days.  No pancakes, no waffles?  And no processed meat or cheeses but simply low sodium healthy stuff like caveman ate.

 I don't think cavemen ate bacon waffles.

I only lasted a few days with nothing but meat, eggs, berries, and veggies.   I got a call from my dear friend Lynne out in Maryland who is also trying to lose a few pounds.  This is how that call went.

Me:  I tried to do the no bread/no processed food Paleo thing - it didn't go so well.

Lynne.  - What happened?

Me:  I made it almost a week.

Lynne: And?

Me:  I just ate an entire box of vegetarian corn dogs. . . . .  With a beer chaser.

Lynne (laughing)  I love you.

The problem is I tried and do it cold turkey and that just doesn't work.  

But cutting back on cheese, sugar, processed food and supersized portions IS a healthy way to cut back, but it's easier if you start by just replacing a few meals as you gradually adjust to healthier eating habits as you eliminate that white bread with every meal habit which for many of us is a hard one to break. I'm going to cut back on processed grains and have at least two meals a day that are high in protein and "clean" (no junk).  This was my lunch today with some olive oil and apple cider vinegar salad dressing.

I love the stainless steel Lunchbots Box (from my favorite shopping place - Amazon).   It's a tad bigger than most Bento Boxes and I like having an assortment of stuff to nibble on especially on those days I don't have time for a formal sit down "lunch".

For dinner - something totally new.

ZOODLES.  That's right, noodles made out of zucchini.  I bought the little julienne tool at Amazon and figured - worst case scenario we could eat the sauce.

Simply wash the zucchini's, cut off the ends and make a thin slice on the top and  bottom. so it stays in place on the cutting board and you have a level surface to julienne,  Then, simply  run the slicer over it to make long strands of zuchinni.

This was about 2 pretty good sized zucchinis, enough for two people.. This is what it looked light before cooking.  I did slightly peel the squash with the julienne tool so the noodles weren't too dark green.

Some onions were cooked up with garlic to add to some leftover pasta sauce.

Cover the zoodles and nuke for two minutes when the sauce is heating.  (If you're doing a big batch you might want to  cook a bit longer). 

Top with sauce (this sauce was loaded with tomatoes and carrots.  (Note:  Drain the zoodles after nuking - they had a bit more liquid than she expected after cooking so I had a bit of liquid on the plate.)  They were surprisingly good as a base for the sauce and had a bite and texture just like spaghetti.

It's great to know I can use my zoodle and have a healthy low-carb dinner.

Gluten Free Tea Bread

I have a close friend with Celiac so when we get together for coffee or tea I make sure I have some gluten-free paleo-friendly bread on hand bot both of us to enjoy with some butter and jam.  But so many of them taste really grainy or are very dry. So today I tried a couple of new recipes.  This was my favorite of what I tried.  The original recipe called for 1 cup almond flour plus 1/4 cup coconut flour, but I was out of almond.  This combination of substituting slightly less than half cup coconut flour, slightly more than half cup tapioca flour for the cup of almond flour worked REALLY well.

The texture is VERY good, soft and moist, not grainy.  It tastes like real bread with a nice crust. It's a quick bread, so no yeast so it doesn't rise really high but it would make a great breakfast or snack bread.  It also makes great toast! My "I hate gluten-free anything" husband had a piece after he saw it being sliced and gave me a thumbs up.

Gluten Free Tea Bread

Use a piece of parchment paper to line a bread pan with the sides going over the edges so you can easily lift the bread out after cooking. Next time I will use my slightly smaller bread pan so the bread is "taller".  This pan, which husband got in the UK is pretty big.  Preheat oven to 350 F.

3/4 cup coconut flour minus 1 Tablespoon
1/2 cup tapioca flour + 1 Tablespoon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Xanath gum
1 Tablespoon sugar or equivalent herbal sweetener
1/3 cup butter melted (let it cool slightly as you get things organized)
1 and 1/2 cups egg whites.  I used organic liquid eggs whites from Phils

If you have a bunch of yolks left make homemade

• lemon curd

In a food processor pulse the dry ingredients a few times.

Pulse in the melted butter, scraping the sides of the bowl, it should look like wet crumbs

Whip eggs until soft peaks form with a hand or stand mixer (you can add a pinch of cream of tartar if it's taking too long).  Make sure you use a large clean and totally dry bowl.

Pulse half the eggs into the crumb mixture just a few times, scraping the sides of the bowl at least once (do NOT overmix)

Scrape contents of food processor into remaining egg whites and gently fold in.

Spread batter in prepared pan.  Bake 30 minutes, lightly drape with foil and cook an addition 10-12 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.