The Bear's Personal List of...Foods to start eating NOW

 am going to compile a list of everyday foods (nothin’ fancy here) that I like to eat as much as possible, and I think everyone should include in their diet. I’m not a doctor or a nurse so please take everything with a grain of salt. Which reminds me, I have been eating SO much less salt and hardly adding any to my foods, and it feels good.


Okay here it goes:

1. Spinach. I have loved this since I was little and I always ate it like my Dad, sautéed with some vinegar on it, which led him to showing me what happens when you put baking soda and malt vinegar together. You can sneak sautéed spinach into any meal for example; sauces, toping, as a side, in soups, salads, Kraft Mac and cheese, chicken dishes, shrimp stir fries…literally anything. When it is sautéed it melts down to such a small amount when the water is cooked out of it. I think I ate spinach sautéed with fresh garlic and oil everyday my sophomore year. Spinach has high amounts of iron, more than your Daily Value of Vitamin K, and A. Vitamin K works on protein inside your bones, and helps build you a stronger skeleton. It is high in antioxidants and anti cancer agents. And it tastes GREAT.

2. Protein Shakes. Hmm, so I just got into these. Whey Protein to be exact and the occasional Casein Protein at night time. A lot of my friends and co-workers make fun of me as I shake my blender bottle  in public. I get even more shit when friends come over and they see the collection of protein Mr. and I have collected. Hey you never know when you’re in the mood for a chocolate shake or something that tastes like an Orange Julius. Strawberry Protein smoothies? No problem. I am not a body builder, I do lift weights and drink protein, but there is no way I am going to bulk up. It’s a common myth,my friends. A girl my size and height should be having about 115 grams of protein a day. Don’t get me wrong, I love chicken but I would have to be eating it all day to get that much protein in, so therefore I drink the shakes. End of Story.

3. Eggs. I love eating scrambled eggs with 1 whole egg and 2 or 3 egg whites. The whites are the healthiest part – low in calories (17) high in protein (7). They are also the part of the egg with low cholesterol because I know a lot of people have a stigma about the high cholesterol in eggs. Eggs are also good in many things, even fried on top of a burger!

4. Bananas. I eat them everyday. I love the way they taste and when they’re usually 50 cents a pound, it’s a deal I can’t pass up. They’re a little bit higher in calories than I usually go for in a fruit snack, but bananas are also great with peanut butter, chocolate chips, frozen, or just plain.

5. Greek Yogurt. Amazing. I started eating Fage yogurts my sophomore year of High School until about 2004, they disappeared off the shelves. I could only buy them at Trader Joe’s (I think in High School all I ate were Luna Bars and Greek Yogurt, both ONLY found at Trader Joe’s at this point in time). I went in with one of my dear friends and fellow TJ’s lover, to find that they were GONE! Apparently, Fage had lost their license to sell this yogurt in the United States and all stores were told to destroy any remaining product. Other than that the whole thing was a mystery, and it suddenly appeared on the shelves a couple long months later. When I taught English in Greece we ate Greek yogurt with fresh honey every morning and it was like being in heaven. Greek yogurt is double strained through cheese cloth so its texture is VERY thick and creamy. Its low in calories (if you get the 2% or non fat) and very high in protein. I am now obsessed with this brand called Chobani. Mr. and I ALWAYS have them in the fridge all flavors, plain, big, small. Try it. (Look how thick and delicious it looks in that picture!)

 

Hmm that’s all I can come up with right now that isn’t all the generic stuff about fish and Omega 3s, berries having antioxidants, and lentils and beans being high in protein. You already know that probably so I hope you enjoy my personal list and enjoy eating them all. Please let me know if you actually dislike something on this list (GASP)

57 Varities

Fast food and I do not mix well unless I am traveling or hung over, and even then they do not mix well. I have not yet ventured out into the world of meat eating at fast food joints, I am used to begging to go to Burger King on road trips to get their MorningStar Farms veggie burger or a pack of mozzarella sticks. If no BK is around, I literally order a deluxe burger without the burger. I want the cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles, just no ground beef. My friends all laugh at me, and I do laugh at myself when I order this, but I just can’t help it. This all started at the Wendy’s that was located a town over from my town growing up, and it was open until 1am and I wasn’t going to let myself be punished from the late night munchies after a night of partying just because I was a vegetarian. In High School, ordering this through the drive thru window fascinated my peers more than the laws of a free falling apple fascinated Newton. And still, around a decade later, as a chicken and turkey eater, I STILL find myself ordering this…Now I know you’re not supposed to judge a fast food joint, but I do. When eating on the premises the first thing I must inquire about is whether the establishment has ketchup packets or pump ketchup. Like most folks, I like a good amount of ketchup on my fries, so the ketchup packets create a problem. I usually have to rip open 10 of these little guys to satisfy my disgusting fast food meal. Until Now….

Heinz just revealed their new ketchup packet design which allows the consumer to CHOOSE between a drizzle or a dip, and it also holds 3 times the amount of a regular ketchup packet. These awesome new
containers to hold our corn syrup sugary “tomato” pastes will be
released to the public at select fast food restaurants this fall.

Bird Burgers

My parents are coming up this weekend, which is great news. I lived at home for a year after I graduated from college and made the transition with my relationship with my parents from very parental to friends. It has been a nice transition and we enjoy each other’s company very much (well, I do at least, not 100% sure if it’s reciprocated both ways-maybe they want some alone time after twenty three years of nurturing). Well Mom and Dad (if you ever stumble upon this) thanks for everything!
I’ve decided to post a recipe that wasn’t created by my parents, but one that both my parents love. They have been making these for a while – when I was still a vegetarian. I remember they told me I should just try it anyways because it is so good and it sjust turkey. Let me tell you, I wish I had tried them when I did because Dad would fry up the grill and cook these burgers as they should be cooked (as opposed to my oven baked or skillet fried burgers). These Turkey Burgers are absolutely delicious. They were passed along from one of their friends who found out about them on (gasp!) Oprah! Oprah brought out the recipe and it is from one of Donald Trump’s private clubs in Palm Beach.
Well my friends, here is the recipe:
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
½ cup finely chopped celery
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and sliced (I personally did not peel them).
1/8 cup canola oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast (as always, leaner the better!)
2 TBS salt
1 TBS black pepper
2 tsp Tabasco Chiptole Pepper Sauce (I only had Frank’s Red Hot around, and used that).
1 lemon, juiced and grated zest
½ bunch of parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup Major Ghrey’s Chutney

Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Here is a picture of mine. I made my burgers kind of small (so I could get more joy from eating more of them. I put a little bit of light mayo and some spinach on  the Light Wheat Burger Buns.