What price for great skin?

This from a NYTimes article about expensive night creams:

"But dermatologists say that many night creams do not offer much value, especially given the substantial investment required for so many of them. Is glopping something onto your face really any better than allowing your skin to breathe while you rest?"

Here is a link to the full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/fashion/21skin.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

I have been using the eye cream from KS by Borghese (Costco private brand) and really like it. Plus, it is $19.99 for 2 jars! I may invest in the rest of the line and tell you what I think. I used to work in the cosmetic industry for years, so I do know a little about this kind of product.

Here is the link to the Costco page online:
http://tinyurl.com/fvm38

Item of the week - Ling Ling Potstickers

YUM! We love these. 5 potstickers have 260 calories, 7 grams of fat, no trans fats, 2 grams of fiber and 12 grams of protein. Use less oil than they recommend, we just use about 1 Tbsp. to coat the pan.

We often serve this for dinner with the sesame noodles below. I don't keep sesame seeds on hand, so I omit those, use chunky peanut butter and only half the amount of hot sauce as that is plenty hot with just one tablespoon! I don't use bean sprouts either and add some minced ginger as that is what she did on that episode. I chop scallions and freeze them so I always have some on hand.

Hot and Cold Sesame Noodles
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Recipe Summary

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

User Rating: 4 stars

1/2 pound spaghetti

1/4 cup Tamari dark soy

1/4 rounded cup smooth peanut butter, softened in microwave 15 seconds on high

2 tablespoons cider or rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, eyeball it

2 tablespoons hot sauce

2 cups shredded cabbage and carrot mix, available in produce department

1 cup bean sprouts or pea shoots, any variety, available in produce department

3 scallions, chopped on an angle

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Cook pasta to al dente, with a bite to it, then cold shock it to stop the cooking process by running it under cold water in colander. Drain the pasta very well.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together soy, peanut butter, vinegar, oil, sesame oil, and hot sauce. Add noodles and veggies and toss to combine the noodles and coat them evenly with sauce. Sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds throughout the salad and serve.

Episode#: TM1F29Copyright © 2006 Television

Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

As always, items in red are bought at Costco.

Post from Katie

My friend Katie tried to post this under comments, but it wouldn't work. So here it is. They did make them for us and they were good!

Laurie-nothing about a crock pot but it is about
chicken! Something that is super yummy and easy to
cook and super cheap- is chicken quarters. My parents
cook it once a week or so. It takes about 45 min. but
on the grill. You just have to keep turning them so
they don't burn. Sometimes the store doesn't have
them on display but you can ask for them. I think
that I have made these for you guys before? Keep them
in mind though. They have white and dark meat for
people with different preferences."
Talk to you later!

Food pantry etiquette

I volunteer at a food pantry in my city. If you don't support your food pantry, seriously consider it. They are there to serve the underprivileged, but to also support families who have been laid off and need temporary help.

Here are some pointers from my experience:

1. Get to know the clients in your area - our food pantry serves a client base that is 75% Hispanic, so items that are in demand are tortillas, bagged pinto beans, canned corn, etc. Pumpkin, cranberry sauce and stuffing are not really wanted. A simple way to check is to call the pantry to get a list or see what they need at any given time. We have refrigerators at our facility, so we can take eggs and meat, check with your local one.

2. Think of things other than canned goods - for instance, small bags of flour, sugar, cooking oil, toilet paper & diapers are all HOT items. We can never seem to keep them in stock.

3. I know that many of us shop in bulk, hence the name of my blog! However, for food pantry needs, smaller is better. Meaning, don't donate a 10 lb. bag of sugar, buy 10 1lb. bags. First, that gives more clients the opportunity to have a certain item. Second, each client gets a certain amount in pounds, so a huge bag of sugar means that they get less food that week. Buy items that can be easily broken into individual items (such as a 12 pack of chicken noodle soup or 12 pack of tuna).

4. Don't donate junk - I can't tell you how many cans we get that are expired or other gross things. Donations should not be a way for you to clean out your pantry and get rid of stuff that you don't want. While this is a minority of the food we receive, it is frustrating for a volunteer to have to monitor. Why would I want to give a mother expired food to give to her children?

On the same note, I have volunteered during Katrina relief and at the Angel Tree project and have seen clothes, etc. donated that are filthy and not able to be worn. Why would anyone donate items such as that? We simply threw them into the trash. Do everyone a favor and throw away your own garbage, only donate gently used items or new items.

Dinner last night

Note to self - don't put vegetables in until the end. It was really good, but all my veggies fell apart. Let me play with the recipe some more before posting. I think the chicken and seasonings need to be cooked first.

Cooking Light e-mail newsletter

If you are looking for good low-fat recipes, take the time to subscribe to the Cooking Light newsletter. I have bought a couple of their cookbooks, and was annoyed that I could never log into their website to see recipes, as it only seemed to be a perk if you bought the annual cookbooks.

However, I have noticed recently that their e-mails link to lots of recipes. That is a change for the better. It used to be that you were sent to a "subscribe now" page before they would let you look online.

http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/web/newsletter/subscribe.html

I love my crockpot! - Greek Crock Chicken

Yes, that appliance of old has really come in handy. When I first quit working, I was cooking pretty big meals every day (& then cleaning all the dishes associated with cooking big meals)! What a pain. So now, about once a week, I pull out the crockpot and experiment. Today I am making chicken thighs (they don't dry out with long cooking) and vegetables, seasoned with herbes de provence and white wine. I will post tonight after it is done if it is a winner.

Here is another great crockpot recipe. Go visit her site, www.savingdinner.com as she has really good ideas and you can try sample menus to see which one is best for you.

Everything marked in red can be bought at Costco!

Greek Crock Chicken

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 6)
6 skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons flour
8 ounces baby carrots
2 medium onions, cut into 6 thin wedges
1/2 cup dry red wine (or substitute red grape juice with
a splash of vinegar)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: In a large zip-lock plastic bag, combine chicken and flour; toss to coat evenly. Place chicken in slow cooker, then place carrots and onions on top. Combine tomato paste, wine (or juice), water, lemon juice, cumin and cinnamon; mix until well blended pour over chicken and veggies. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 6 to 7 hours, or until chicken is tender.

Add honey and blend well. Sprinkle each serving with a small amount of feta cheese.

NUTRITION per serving: 184 Calories; 5g Fat; 17g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 64mg Cholesterol; 395mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Whole wheat couscous and sautéed zucchini, yellow squash and cherry tomatoes sprinkled with a little garlic powder and Greek seasoning.

Crock Cooker Menu-Mailer Sample Issue - Spring Menu ISSN: 1548-5471 © Leanne Ely, All rights reserved.

SEND YOUR FRIENDS TO HTTP://WWW.SAVINGDINNER.COM FOR THEIR OWN FREE SAMPLE MENU!

Couscous with Provençal Vegetables

My all time favorite recipe for couscous using roasted red peppers. I bought a huge 14" deep skillet from Costco and use that to make a lot so that we have plenty of leftovers.

Couscous with Provençal Vegetables (adaptation)

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 - 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 lb green beans (cut in 1 1/2" lengths)
1 red bell pepper, diced (I use roasted red peppers) ______________________________________________________

1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup couscous
____________________________________________________

10 kalamata olives
2 Tbsp pine nuts*
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil **(or 1-2 cubes of frozen basil & olive oil)

1. Heat oil and sauté garlic and red pepper flakes on medium for 1minute. Stir in tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil. Mix in green beans and peppers and cover the pan. Cook until green beans are tender 10-15 minutes.

2. Make couscous, set aside.

3. After green beans are tender, add olives, pine nuts and basil. Then mix in couscous and serve.

I make this all the time, and always double the amounts of the green beans and peppers. Most the time, I don't even measure how much of the vegetables I put in. This way, my husband can eat to his heart's content, and I know it is healthy.

*We buy a huge bag of pine nuts and keep in the fridge as they go rancid quickly. Same thing with olives, we buy a 2 lb container and it lasts forever.

**Basil/olive oil mix. If you can get a lot of basil, put the leaves into the food processor and add enough oil to make a consistency between a liquid and paste (you have to be able to pour it). Then pour the basil mix into an ice cube tray and freeze. Pop out the cubes, put into a freezer bag and you have freeze basil year round for pesto, adding to soups and other recipes.

I have adapted this recipe for myself from a cookbook called Main Course Vegetarian Pleasures. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060950226?v=glance

How to Roast Peppers

1. Cut of the ends of the pepper (I then cut out the green part, trim that and trim around the stem on the bottom. Dice and freeze to use for recipes.

2. Slice pepper vertically, open and scoop out membranes and seeds. Lay as flat as possible on baking sheet.

3. Roast under broiler until skin is charred pretty well. That makes it easier to peel the skin.

4. After roasting, put in a container or a plastic bag, allow the peppers to steam and cool.

5. When they are cool enough to handle (check after about 20 minutes), peel the skin off. Even though it is a little messy, resist the urge to do this under running water. There are natural juices that occur when roasting, and peeling under water removes the juice.

I then separate them into bags and freeze. This time I had 6 peppers, so I put 3 in each bag to freeze.

Why a blog?

OK - after talking nonstop about Costco, I decided to put online all of my goodies. The next best thing would be me shopping with you, but since that isn't possible, this is the next best thing. Most of what I look for is relatively healthy, with a few exceptions as man does not live by low-fat alone.

Check in for reviews of products weekly, plus my favorite recipes, etc.

Here is my pantry:




Filled with Kirkland Olive Oil, Tabasco, Balsamic Vinegar, Seattle Mountain French Roast & Kirkland Vanilla. Pretty much all of the second shelf is diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken noodle soap, mushrooms, tuna, wild salmon, corn, chicken broth, dijon mustard, etc.

The bottom of my fridge is has Kirkland water, pecans, raw almonds and pine nuts. Always put your nuts in the fridge as it keeps them from turning rancid. Especially pine nuts as the bag is so large and they have a shorter shelf life.

My new favorite item! Tassos Double Stuffed Jalapeno/Garlic Olives.

Now some other olives have vinegar in them (esp. the refrigerated ones), but I don't like the flavor. I will use the refrigerated kalamata olives, but I drain before using. I may replace the brine with my own (like I do with the feta, but I am still messing around with the right amounts of brine as I think my first attempt was too salty).

Back to the olives! Garlic is so good for you, and because they are in brine, they don't taste like garlic, but they have a wonderful crunch. The jalapeno gives it just a tiny bite. Wonderful in martinis, on their own or in salads.