Welcome to my eclectic journey of my life and delights. This year my theme is surrendering my writing pen to the true author, Jesus Christ, while looking forward to the future, reflecting on the past and dancing through my journey.




Monday, March 12, 2012

I Am Going Nuts!

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WE ARE ABLE TO EAT NUTS AGAIN.  MY ETHEL AND I DISCUSSED ALL THE CHANGES IN FOOD TRENDS...WHAT IS NOW HEALTH WAS A "NO, NO" WHEN WE WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL.  NUTS WERE ON THE "NO, NO" LIST.  AVOCADOS WERE TOO HIGH IN FAT, BELIEVED TO BE BAD FAT AT THAT TIME, SO YOU COULD ONLY HAVE THEM MAYBE ONCE A YEAR.  EGGS...WELL THEY WERE THE ENEMY AND IF YOU WERE GOING TO BE HEALTHY YOU SHOULD STAY CLEAR OF THOSE CHOLESTEROL INDUCING GIFT OF NATURE.


Oh my!!  Just like at one time many believed the world was flat, modern science can still get it wrong.  Ethel and I both laughed at all the new updated information that is now 180 degrees from our teen days.  Learning to ignore and change the voices in our heads on what is good and bad for us is really a mind game. I know when my family got detoured on our road to good eating habits....the years of multiple kids in sports and music lessons, while they were entering their teen junk food phase.  As much as I tried, with drivers licence and personal money, came unhealthy eating habits.  Returning to the healthy highways hasn't been as big of chore as I imagined, and new recipes have encouraged my "stick-to-it" resolve.


Bottom line - stay as close to how God made it and you can't go wrong. 

My email delivered the announcement of World Pistachio Day heralding the health benefits of these wonderful nuts.  I like almost all nuts and Pistachios are one of my favorites.

Since they are green, do you think they fit into my more GREEN this year?  Now I would enjoy getting more GREEN backs also this year.


GREEN Health Tip of the week....eat more nuts!

Add Heart-Healthy Pistachios to Your Diet

Posted by Whole Living Daily
It's World Pistachio Day: Have you incorporated this sweet, buttery nut into your daily diet? If not, now's a good time to start. Pistachios are a good source of phytosterols, which help lower cholesterol and may help protect against breast and prostate cancer. They're great on their own as a snack -- a handful of about 50 kernels is only 160 calories -- or added to veggie dishes and frittatas.











 A recipe that combines two forms of nuts...so good and  found on Pinterest.from the blog Blue Eyed Bakers  
This is wonderful!! It is delicious without the lemon cream also. I am making it again today for my recovering daughter-in-law and helpful, care-taker son.

Pistachio Almond Loaf with Lemon Cream
Serves 8-10
Adapted from Epicurious
For the Cake:
1 1/3 cups shelled pistachio nuts (we used salted)
1 1/3 cups whole almonds
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 lemons
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
For the Lemon Cream:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 4-by-8-inch loaf pan. Line with parchment paper (the parchment will stick to the butter keeping it in place).
In a food processor, combine the pistachios and almonds and pulse until finely ground. Set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Grate the zest from the lemons directly into the bowl. And beat until combined. Mix in the vanilla extract just until incorporated. On low speed, gradually add the ground nuts and mix just until incorporated. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stir in the flour and salt and mix just until incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a light crumb, about 60-75 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, tapping the pan, invert the loaf onto the wire rack peeling the parchment off.
To make the lemon cream, using an electric mixer, whisk the cream until thickened and about the consistency of Greek yogurt. Stir in the lemon juice and sugar. 
Serve each slice of loaf with a dollop of cream and scatter with pistachios.


Have a very nutty week!!
I have no clue why the first paragraph is red...or why the different fonts sizes...oh my, something has taken over my post!  Sorry!




23 Joining in with more words:

Vee said...

Yes, I remember the days when a diet low in nuts was considered healthful. No eggs, no coffee, no tea, no alcohol, no, no, no. I agree with your comment...keep it as close to how God created it and you'll do well. John sprinkles a TBS of walnuts on yogurt every day. I can't handle yogurt every day so I forget to have a nut serving. I should reach for that instead of the chips next time I'm tempted to munch.

Farm Girl said...

That happens to me too. I always wonder how things change like that. I love nuts too and it is hard to make myself eat them too. Avocados as well. I never stopped eating eggs though. I am glad they changed that.
I think you are so right on, just eat the way God made it. I stopped my other blog because I was trying to do a Bible Study on contentment. I kept getting all of these verses about body size and I realized I had a huge thing that kept me being content, and that was measuring myself all of the time.
That morning you said you were not going to weigh, It really spoke to me. So I decided I needed to do the same thing. :)
So here I am trying to eat food the way God made it. :) Not worry about how I look.
I sure have more energy.

Debbie said...

Good morning! Oh yes, I remember those days of NO! to those things too. How glad I am that it has changed as I do LOVE almost all nuts. Having gone "gluten free" (for now anyway) has really helped me get back to basic food. Just as God made it, your right. Hope your dil is recovering nicely. Have a good week Janette! HUGS

Cindy said...

Looks yummy! The nuts I can have but not the cake for now. I'm trying to avoid as many carbs and sweets as possible. My blood sugar stays in a good range that way and I've been able to lose some pounds. Not fun, but feeling better is worth it.

Thoughts for the day said...

I love most all nuts, especially if they are roasted and salted like almonds, and if you have a Costco store near you they have great prices on all of them especially the green ones :o)

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I buy all our nuts at Trader Joe's at reasonable prices and they have a lot of raw nuts, too.

YUM.

Fondly,
Glenda

Marsha Young said...

Wooo -hooo for the comeback of nuts.

For me, it is all about cashews! :)

Christine said...

OK...I just have to say it.
Ah, nuts!
There, I feel better.

The only nut I don't like is the Walnut.

Maryann said...

I never totoally gave up on nuts..they have always been my go to food for snacking and I love them in salads. It is kind of funny how things change over the years...I have to agree with eating stuff how God made it, I think if you do that you can't go wrong

Debbie Petras said...

I love you my nutty friend! The recipe looks good too but I've no time to bake right now. Tomorrow the carpet gets laid and on Thursday the furniture is delivered. Busy, busy, busy ...I'll need a vacation after my spring break. LOL

Blessings and love,
Debbie

Lisa said...

That recipe sounds yummy! I made banana bread last week for the first time in like FOREVER! I did use whole wheat flour and canola oil instead of butter and it was wonderful. Even the hubster commented on it being so good. It is a chore keeping up with all the new health news and trend. It seems the older we get the more there is to keep up with.LOL!

Petra said...

I've been nuts for quite a while now, but must be very careful eating them. And you're right, those experts do change their minds a bit too much to be trusted. :-) I think commonsense is a very good resource to use while entering the healthy highway. Blessings, my friend!

Sally said...

I LOVE all kinds of nuts and have started incorporating them into our diet. Some are a bit expensive, even the pecan, so common in these parts.

Canadagirl said...

Do you have Nourishing Traditions cook book? You learn all kinds of things that we were told were no no's and actually opposite is true. Sounds like you are on the right track! You GO girl!

Blessings and ((HUGS))
-Mary

Finding Joy said...

I ave been on a 12 month diet and lost a lots of weight, the one thing I didn't cut out was nuts. When I make my homemade granola I always add almonds and cashews as I love the crunch and taste.

That cake looks so good, must make it ths weekend.

no spring chicken said...

I had to laugh with you. We make things so complicated. When I came to that same conclusion (eat things as close to how God made 'em as possible) I realized how complicated we make everything. "God don't make no junk!" And that's the truth.

Blessings, Debbie

Catherine said...

Dear Janette,
It is amazing that so many don'ts are now do's!!
The pistachio nut cake with the lemon cream looks so good!!
Thank you for your birthday visit and for your good wishes and prayers. I do appreciate it.
Blessings my friend, Catherine xo

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

Pistachios are my favorite! Whole Foods has one that has cajun seasoning on it (probably packed with sodium). Never was fond of avocados.

Leslie @ Farm Fresh Fun said...

As you well know, my life is full of nuts! ;-P I'm with you on how confusing all the "newest studies" are! We love pistachios and almonds and, of course EGGS. Good fat, bad fat, chocolate & coffee is bad /no good ~ it's all too much some days but I'm glad I'm not alone!
xo
Leslie
PS - I'm hosting a giveaway for a fun chicken book you might like! ;-)

Debbie said...

I feel as if I don't know if I'm coming or going these days. I didn't even know this post was here, and I'm NUTS about it.

Couldn't resist.

Really, I couldn't because I love something that you said. You said we are safe when we stick as closely as possible to how God made it. (Or something to that effect.) I couldn't agree more. The health gurus seem to be constantly changing their facts, which make me think that their facts are steeped in their own opinions. God's way never changes.

And the recipe looks so delicious, too. I'm praying for a great recovery for your DIL. And I'm expecting to be lifting my hands in praise verrrrry soon.

Vickie said...

I wonder what they'll change next??? I love nuts and especially pistachios. I never quit eating eggs either. I'm about to get me some chickens and start having my own healthier eggs. I think probably it's everything in moderation...

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

I don't pay attention to much of what scientists or researchers say. I eat nuts every single day. And when I eat an avocado, I eat the whole thing -- not half. All the craze now about not eating the "white" stuff, yet the Asians only eat white rice and they live long, healthy lives. Why? Because everything they eat with the rice is fresh. It's all the packaged, sugary, processed, fried, fast food that is causing the obesity in the States. Not the "white" stuff. Hope your weekend is great. Tammy

Sarah Jane said...

This bread is soooo good!! Thanks for sharing! The recipe doesn't look to intimidating... can't wait to try! =)

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