That's Just Me

Emeril on Dr Oz Show

12 Dec 2011 at 10:16

debbie @ That's Just Me

Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse was on the Dr Oz show the other day, and I’m not a regular Dr Oz fan, but I just happened to catch the show. At first I thought that Emeril would be the one getting advice from the doctor concerning his obesity problem, but I was shocked to realize it was Emeril that was giving the audience health advice!

What?

Emeril’s Must Have Items to Revolutionize Your Health – watch the 4 part video of his appearance.

Does anyone else think it’s strange that an obese chef is dishing advice regarding how to live a healthy lifestyle? His three must-have items? Spices, non-stick pan, and gluten free pasta.

Seriously? You have to narrow your list of items that will “revolutionize your health” and those are your three picks?

How about adding more vegetables to your meal to bulk it up? Limit the processed pasta and eat more “whole” grains? Start your day with breakfast? Drink more water?

The worst part? He tucked in a sly promotion of his own non-stick fry pan! He claims you can save calories and fat by using non-stick. No, Emeril, you don’t need 3 Tbsp of oil to saute vegetables in a stainless pan! I sometimes don’t use any oil at all, depending on what the dish is!

And besides, what is so wrong with cooking with fat anyway? I’ll take cooking in my seasoned cast iron fry pan with a tsp of coconut oil over his toxic fuming non-stick pan any day! Ha!

This situation reminds me of when Kirstey Alley was pushing her crazy weight loss products while obese, or when Dr Phil wrote his diet book!

During the Dr Oz interview, Emeril avoids revealing any details about his own personal medical conditions, he does mention that he’s been trying to live healthier for the last two years. I’m wondering if he has diabetes, or a pre-diabetic condition, and that is what triggered his desire to “get help”. But at the same time, how can he expect people to take him seriously when he’s clearly still struggling with his own demons even after 2 years!

I admit I always watch him when he is on HSN, selling his cooking products, but I find his sales tactics to be very questionable – following the typical HSN sales banter: ooh better order now, these are flying out the door. Our inventory won’t last the day!

In fact, it’s ironic that while he’s now claiming to be healthy, just last weekend he was still hocking his “fry right or don’t fry at all” home frier on HSN. Talk about mixed messages!

So, why do I continue to watch him if I don’t really like him? Well, I like watching HSN Cooking shows to learn about new kitchen products. And secondly, I used to really like him years ago. I enjoyed watching his TV shows and thought he was a caring person. I guess I am hoping to perhaps find bits of the old Emeril underneath the sly, pushy salesman. I’m still waiting!

Project Food Budget / My Healthy Budget: December

08 Dec 2011 at 07:59

debbie @ That's Just Me

food

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My healthy budget goal is to eat seasonal, home-cooked meals while sticking to a $400 monthly budget for all food including groceries, dining out, entertaining, vitamins/supplements, and spices/herbs.

There’s two of us eating 3 (mostly) meals per day. Breakfasts are usually light, and we try to eat left-overs for lunch. My husband occasionally eats take-out lunch at work, & that $ comes out of his personal cash stash.

December – Month Two, Week One

I’ve spent $141.57 during the first week of December, so that leaves a balance of $255.08 for the rest of the month.

I’m a little bit nervous about this month, seeing that there’s an extra week plus the holiday, but I’m keeping the confidence up, and trying to plan ahead.

Whole Foods was my first stop @ $58.80 – lots of produce, including local cranberries, organic leeks, bananas, organic apples, organic pears, organic acorn squash, broccoli crowns, organic carrots, fennel, organic lemons, meyer lemons, mushrooms, (local) cocktail tomatoes, and satsuma mandarins, plus Earth Balance mindful mayo, brown cow plain whole yogurt, and olives at the antipasti bar. I also needed some pantry items: white & brown rice, organic ketchup, and bulk whole caraway seeds.

Trader Joe’s totaled $35.09: turkey bacon, raw almonds, peanuts, de-shelled pistachios, frozen organic corn, frozen organic peas, (2) frozen organic raspberries, frozen pesticide-free blueberries, and I was craving Barbara’s Multi-grain Shredded Spoonfuls cereal. I rarely ever buy cereal anymore, but I just love munching on this stuff, and it was a huge box for an excellent price!

I also picked up some King Arthur whole wheat white flour at the local grocery for $2.99 and two dozen local eggs for $5.75.

I had originally wanted to only spend $50-$60 this week, but since I needed to be in same area as Trader Joe’s so I knew it would be frugal-wise to stock up on a few things there, after my visit to Whole Foods. Since I’m fairly stocked now, I am hoping that I won’t need much next week, but some fresh produce. I’m lucky in that the local grocery has a decent offering of organic fruit, so I probably will not need to head to Whole Foods (hopefully!)

Dining Out: $33.45 – much higher this week since DH decided to replace the kitchen floor this week!
Entertaining: $5.49
Groceries: $102.63

Our local meat CSA will be delivered on Saturday December 17th, and I originally thought I should apply the cost as we cook/eat the meat. But that could be a nightmare to keep track of individual meats, so now I’m leaning toward adding the total each month as it’s delivered.

I’m really trying this month, but with Christmas and New Years Eve, I might be forced to go over a little bit. If that happens, I am not going to beat myself up about it. It’ll be okay. I’ll try my best, but things happen. I’ll just deduct the amount from January!

Week of Meals

Thursday: Take out
Friday: Braised beefalo brisket & cabbage with barley
Saturday: Left over beefalo & cabbage with white rice
Sunday: birthday party in the afternoon, so simple cheese sandwich with veggies for dinner
Monday: Spicy leek tomato soup with corn & beans
Tuesday: Take out – DH decided to work on replacing the kitchen floor this week, so it messed up meals a little
Wednesday: Potato pancakes (previously frozen left-overs) with eggs & toast

PS Next week, I won’t be so long-winded!!!!

Want to Join the Project Food Budget?

project food budget

If you’d like to participate in the Project Food Budget, get the details and let Emily know you’re on board!

Here’s who else is participating:

1st Post Project Food Budget – 1st Month Healthy Budget

01 Dec 2011 at 21:30

debbie @ That's Just Me

Books

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Today marks my first official post for the “Project Food Budget” – a group of bloggers like me, that are trying to stick to a specific food budget every week/month – they’re already at week 9!

It also marks the end of the first month for My Own Healthy Budget challenge.

My Budget Details:

My budget goal is to eat healthy, unprocessed, home-cooked meals while sticking to a $400 monthly budget for all food including groceries, dining out, entertaining, vitamins/supplements, and spices/herbs.

There’s two of us eating 3 (mostly) meals per day. Breakfasts are usually on the small side on weekdays, and my husband occasionally eats take-out lunch at work. If needed, that $ comes out of his personal cash.

First $400 Budget Month

So, yay, I survived my first official month, with $ to spare. Soo sooo oooh proud of myself!

My budget was $400 for the month of November, and I spent $396.65

Dining Out: $86.60
Entertaining: $19.68
Groceries: $286.47
Herbs & Spices: $4.99

I need more practice in meal planning, but yesterday I tried to put together a week of dinners. We’ll see how easily it will be to follow. I’ll post next week on how I do.

Today, I used my $40 Groupon coupon for GNC and bought 2 bottles of multi-vitamins, 1 bottle of calcium citrate, and a bottle of organic apple cider vinegar. Not bad for an investment of $19 a couple of months ago!

Tomorrow I’m planning a trip to Whole Foods. I have my list ready on my iPhone, with estimated prices and I think I’ll be able to keep to $50-$60. This should get us through for 7-10 days before needing to go shopping again.

I’m excited for our first CSA (local) meat delivery this month, and I won’t be applying the cost until I actually cook the meat, hoping to stretch what’s delivered for the next 6 months into the summer months.

Want to Join the Project Food Budget?

project food budget

If you’d like to participate in the Project Food Budget, get the details and let Emily know you’re on board!

Here’s who else is participating:

Satsuma Mandarins One Day Sale at Whole Foods

30 Nov 2011 at 13:24

debbie @ That's Just Me

food

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Friday, December 2, Whole Foods Grocery is having a one day sale for 5 lbs Satsuma Mandarin @ $4.99 – that’s $1 per pound.

I’ve never heard of Satsuma, but I really love citrus and oranges in particular. I’m thrilled that the California citrus season is finally upon us!

According to Whole Foods:

Satsumas’ annual harvest begins in November and lasts just 6 to 8 weeks. They are easy-to-peel and great for snacking on the go, or as a substitute for tomatoes in winter salads. The sweetness of Satsuma’s pair nicely with nutty greens like arugula or peppery greens like watercress.

Produce Oasis states that because of the fruit’s high sugar content, they make great choices for preserves. I’ve recently borrowed a bunch of canning/preservation books from the library, and this could be a great time to try making some orange jam! Or hmm, maybe some salted preserved mandarins!

It’s also a good time to experiment with a few savory recipes using citrus. Here are some intriguing recipes from Whole Foods web site:

Healthy Budget – November 2011

27 Nov 2011 at 09:13

debbie @ That's Just Me

Health & Fitness

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So, my first official month on my new “$400 healthy budget”

After spending $12 on pizza tonight, I only have about $30 left for the month. Other than brown rice and some fresh produce, I should be fine until next Thursday, the 1st. We have enough of everything else to last until then.

In the past, I would have gone shopping anyhow, buying more stuff than we really need. It’s a challenge because I really love grocery shopping, and perhaps that could be part of my problem, the need to shop because I love it! :)

I’ll update again next week at month end/beginning.

Jamie Oliver’s Meals in Minutes Cookbook Review

25 Nov 2011 at 21:53

debbie @ That's Just Me

Books, Reviews

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jamie's meals in minutes by jamie oliver

I borrowed the book Jamie Oliver’s Meals in Minutes: A Revolutionary Approach to Cooking Good Food Fast from the local library.

I was looking forward to reading this book. I love Jamie Oliver. His books are so helpful for beginners and I love watching his tv shows and internet videos. I’ve learned so much from him.

But unfortunately this book bored me, which pains me to admit, because I’m such a fan. I did read it all the way through, but it was a quick read. I just flipped pages for a couple of hours, and when I was finished, I promptly put it on the shelf by my front door, waiting to be returned to the library.

So, what’s wrong, exactly? Let’s start with the recipes.

Recipes Too Complicated

The book includes 50 complete meals: each meal includes 3 or more recipes on one page. The concept sounds great in theory, until you actually start to read them.

Like prior Jamie Oliver books, his recipes are written in paragraph style, but with 3+ dishes on one page, it’s very difficult to read & cook and then try to find your place again on the page. You’re switching from one dish to another and back and there’s just too much going on at once.

I realize Jamie wants to get people back in the kitchen, cooking homemade meals. He strives to give the reader as much information as possible to succeed, but cookbook recipes aren’t meant to read like a novel with paragraph after paragraph of detailed text. I wish he wrote the book using simple steps with bullet points.

Not So Easy Ingredients

Besides the complicated format, a lot of the ingredients are not items that the average home cook has in their pantry or even has access to at their local grocery. If you’re gonna include something like halloumi, you need to also include some sort of food product definition so people know what the heck they’re cooking!

Unnecessary Mandatory Kitchen Gear

And it’s not just ingredients that bugged me, he actually has a section in the beginning introduction titled “You Need this Equipment” – naming 2 columns of absolute “must-have” kitchen gear that he priced out at $550 – a hefty chunk of change for someone that is just starting out in the kitchen.

Yes, I have most of the recommended tools, but it’s gear I accumulated over time, not in a few days. It’s disappointing because Jamie Oliver has always been a minimalist (naked) chef, informing us that we don’t need no stinkin’ ice cream scoop or electric kettle. But now he is pushing a page of mandatory tools, but only because they’ll help you stick to the book’s promise that you can cook these meals in 30 minutes or less. That’s a silly reason to buy a garlic press, 4 cutting boards, a 3-level steamer, or an expensive food processor with extra blades and discs.

And to boot, it looks like the speed of the recipes has been greatly exaggerated anyway. It’s been reported that some recipes take upwards of 90 minutes instead of 30, as promised in the book, while others complain that it’s too stressful to try to keep up the 30 minute time crunch. If cooking is hurried and frantic, then it’s not fun; I don’t think that is the message that Jamie is trying to get across to people, is it?

Free Range and Cage Free Are NOT What They Seem

I’m also dismayed that he’s still recommending animal products labeled with out-dated “cage free” and “free range” misnomers. People are so easily confused by all the misleading terminology. I wish for once someone of his fame and influence would get it right!

Videos Are Better

Now, on a more positive note, check out the corresponding “30 Minute Meals” videos online instead. You can find a bunch on YouTube.

I think newbie home cooks would learn so much more with visual instruction, but if a book is needed, I highly recommend one his previous books:

I know a lot of time and effort went into the book and Jamie has made it his lifework to get people cooking at home; maybe this book will work for some people. It just doesn’t work for me.

Thanksgiving 2011

25 Nov 2011 at 10:23

debbie @ That's Just Me

food

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Yesterday was a day of family, food and fun. I ate lots of yummy sugary goodness too! Probably way too much sugary goodness, but it’s okay. Today, I’m back on track, and life is good!

So this year, we didn’t have a local turkey (like last year), but it still was good. I refused to go the ultra cheap route with a .60/lb turkey, but a antibiotic-free bird from the local grocery. I don’t eat much poultry meat anymore, but I know others in my family really enjoy it, so it was a good compromise.

Thankfully I took notes on my Thanksgiving dinner last year and it helped a lot, especially with the crock pot stuffing; I’ve been saving bits and pieces of my homemade whole grain bread in the freezer for stuffing. There was way too much. Note for next year: make less!!!!

I also made homemade gravy, loosely based on a recipe I found on Whole Foods. It was the first time making a gravy from scratch, and it turned out pretty okay; I loved the addition of wine to the gravy and I was happy that there was some turkey drippings to give it the extra oomph!

So, there was also mashed potatoes & sweet potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, and green beans; plus for dessert: pecan pie, pizzelle cookies, magic cookie bars, a variety of cheesecake slices, whipped cream, and cream puffs. A feast of sugar!

All in all a great day!

Cheap Food (Turkey) Is NOT the Answer!

18 Nov 2011 at 15:36

debbie @ That's Just Me

food

2 Comments

The holiday season is upon us, and everyone is scrambling to find the best deal on cheap turkeys, stuffing, potatoes and gravy for their holiday meal(s). Grocery stores are promoting their sales, and home cooks are rejoicing!

But in what kind of world does it make sense that a turkey can be raised and sold for only .40 to .50 per pound??? That is scary when you really, truly think about it.

(Note: Yes, some stores offer low prices as “loss-leaders” to try to gain additional sales from a customer, so one way or another, there is a higher cost to all cheap food.)

Americans are brainwashed to expect cheap products, but we need to reprogram our minds to reject food raised in “factory-farmed” conditions.

Cheap meat (including poultry, eggs and dairy) is a direct result of factory farming, which abuses animals and is destroying our environment.

And it’s not just animal products, cheap produce is causing poor soil quality, which then demands toxic fertilizers and pesticides; this affects the health of farm workers, as well as the health of those consuming the produce.

It’s unfortunate, but we’ve become a nation that is dictated by the thrill of a “bargain.” I’m not saying that we shouldn’t strive to save money when grocery shopping, but we shouldn’t expect unreasonably rock-bottom prices either. There’s a reason that it’s so cheap, and we’re paying the price with our health and our environment.

There can be a middle ground. Consuming less animal products and more plant-based products will allow you to buy better quality food.

Do we not love ourselves enough to give our bodies the best we can when it comes to food? We can change the world when we vote with our forks!

I suppose it’s easy for me to get on a soapbox and spew advice; I don’t have a large family to feed (there’s just two of us) so I consider myself lucky that I am able to make a choice to purchase better quality food.

My little family is not “well-off” – we’re middle-class, actually lower-middle-class. I worry about what will happen when we “retire” in a few years; how will we survive with the money we’ve saved?

Medical costs are exploding sky high; I see that as a direct correlation to the cost of cheap food, so I intend to try to keep our bodies healthy! I’m hoping that spending more on good quality food will pay off in our older years with a fuller active life without obesity, cancer, diabetes, and chronic pain.

Helpful Links:

http://blogs.forward.com/the-jew-and-the-carrot/145869/
google search “high cost of cheap meat and produce“

Homemade Cheese! It’s Simple, Sort of, Once You Heat the Milk!

13 Nov 2011 at 16:44

debbie @ That's Just Me

food, Recipes

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I saw a recipe a couple of weeks ago for simple homemade cheese using milk and vinegar. I purchased a 1/2 gallon of whole milk from Whole Foods and decided today was the day to try.

I’m such a beginner. I don’t remember the last time that I heated milk so that was a bit of a setback for me. It took almost 2 hours to heat the milk and I know that can’t be right! I was using a burner diffuser under the 2 qt pan and I think I should have perhaps used a double boiler instead. I will do that next time.

Anyway I never did get the temperature up to 190° but I did read elsewhere that it was okay to shoot for 165&deg and that’s what I did. I was getting sick of stirring over the stove for so long! Oh and I did remove the diffuser toward the end.

Anyway once I got the milk heated, it was easy and so cool. I feel like a true homesteader cook!

I will definitely make this again and perhaps learn more about other more advanced cheeses using rennet. The thing that scares me a little is the need for sterilization and cleanliness. I’m nervous I’ll do something wrong and the wrong type of bacteria will grow or something. I did find a couple of books at the library. We shall see.

Oh and nothing goes to waste! I used the “whey” as the liquid for my bread this afternoon! Yes!

Grocery IQ Review – Smart Phone App For Grocery Shopping

06 Nov 2011 at 16:50

debbie @ That's Just Me

Kitchen Tools & Equipment, Reviews

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I have been using the Grocery IQ app on my iPhone for years. I started using it way back when I had my iPod Touch; I believe I even paid $1.99 for it back then (and worth every penny), but it’s FREE now! They do add a bit of “advertising” but after awhile, it’s not even noticeable.

This app is indispensable for grocery shopping, keeping me organized and within my food budget!

When I first began using Grocery IQ, I only wanted to keep track of my shopping lists, and it works great if that’s all you want to do. But it offers more features for the serious shopper!

Adding Items to Shopping List

It’s easy to add an item to the shopping list either manually or with the handy built-in bar code scanner; the items are organized by aisles. You can customize your “aisles” – arranging the order & renaming or adding new aisles.

It keeps track of multiple stores, and a separate “favorites” and “history” for each store.

Serious Food Budget

I have always loved and used this app, but recently, I became more serious about sticking to a food budget, so I started adding item prices and quantities/weights.

At a glance, I can see I can see the total cost of food in my virtual shopping cart, as well as the total of how much is left on the list. I know exactly how much I’m spending and it’s a whole heck of a lot easier to use than a calculator!

Below, there is a screenshot of my last shopping trip – There is $77.16 of food in my shopping cart, and there’s $7.07 still left on my list. I decided to leave the rest of the items on the list until the next shopping trip.

Grocery IQ app shopping cart

Once I hit the “check out” button, it empties my cart, and adds the items to that store’s “history.”

Grocery IQ is available for iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Android users, as well as syncing to their web interface too. It’s free, so how can you lose!?

That's Just Me

Emeril on Dr Oz Show