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The Ten Most Recent Posts By huney_bumper

From Talk

need healthy high calorie recipes

ok I am in serious need of high calorie recipes, I know this sounds strange but I can only eat a small amount at any given time and I need to pack in as many calories as possible while still eating relatively healthy. I am lactose intolerant and have a hard time with meat. Help!

From Talk

wine soaked strawberries for kids

thought I would pass this along for those with kids or anyone who can't have alcohol. I love to soak my strawberries in red wine to bring out all the wonderful flavors, but since I can't have alcohol at this time I asked my Dr. about the alcohol free wines available at most grocery stores. I was concerned because they do have a little alcohol. To make a long story short, the amount of alcohol is no more than you would find absorbed with mouthwash. So while I dont actually drink that stuff by preference, if you like wine in your food and have been holding back because of children in the house, feel free. Although, I wouldnt recomend using it for anything that is cooked, the flavor isnt bad but I personally wouldnt want it concentrated.

From Talk

what kitchen smells effect you the most

They say that memory and scent are strongest linked. What smells trigger memories for you the most strongly. For me it's the smell of olive oil and sauteeing onions and garlic.

From Talk

warning for anyone with dogs.

From previous threads I know quite a few of you have dogs, and I wanted to pass on this warning from personal experience, we all know the dangers of onions and chocolate to our dogs, but there is another that I unthinkingly, used to give is a treat. Please do not feed your dog(s) anything that contains pork! I always thought this was a safe treat as even pet stores sell pork or ham bones specifically for dogs. It is dangerous folks. According to both an emergency pet clinic and my regular vet, pork in any form can cause something called pancreatitis in dogs, not just some dogs, but all dogs. I had my doubts but, was informed that a dog can eat pork for years and never have a problem, (which mine did) and then for some reason it attacks. the symptoms include, vomiting, lethargy, distended upper abdomen and intense pain. If not treated it can lead to death. I know I'm a bit over protective of my animals, and not everyone will be as concerned. But I felt the need to pass on this warning, because I've had people tell me they knew about this and never said anything, I never knew. So if you read this please pass this warning on to anyone you know that has a dog. If the moderators feel this should be deleted, I understand and appologize for taking up space.

From Talk

"competitive eating"

Sorry if this offends anyone, but the whole idea of of this makes me nauseaus! They even have the nerve to quailfy this as a sport! The health industry keeps telling us obesity is rampant in the US and yet we have people that feel this is something to cheer on! Is it just me, or does anyone else think this is truly warped?

The Ten Most Recent Comments By huney_bumper

From Talk

Mothers' Day eats

Anna make that 19 ppl, I'll be there with bells on! I think sunday I'll do some chicken stock and maybe a small pot of chicken stew. If I feel really ambitious I may make either some biscuits or maybe even some "real" bread. My moms been gone more than 20 yrs and MIL is too so not a big holiday for me.

From Talk

Does Where You Live Affect What You Like To Eat?

omg! Autocrat coffee syrup and milk! I think you have to grow up with it to appreciate it ;) they even sell it mail order by boxes of 6 I still have 5 bottles unopened that I bought 3 yrs ago :S guess you really can't go back ;)

From Talk

need healthy high calorie recipes

all these idea's sound really good, unfortunately, oils and nuts are just to hard to digest, i had my stomach and part of my intestines removed due to cancer, so I'm sorry to dump on these great ideas. However I will be passing them on to others I know that need and can use them ;)

From Talk

Tuna. In a Can. Love it or Hate it?

is there really a difference between water packed and oil packed? I grew up eating the water packed and thats what I always buy when I try to like tuna again. Maybe I'll have to give it a try yet again.

From Talk

Grill Pan!

I've got a lodge cast iron grill pan and it lives on my stove. Wonderful for doing veggies! there is nothing like purged and grilled eggplant steaks! If you get one, make sure its big enough for your needs, and I guarantee you wont regret it!

From Talk

Does Where You Live Affect What You Like To Eat?

Say What I feel your pain! but make my chowder Rhode Island style(clear) ;)

From Talk

Food Priorities--how do you prioritize these factors?

I think for me taste has to be the first factor followed closely by nutrition and price. to be honest lifestyle and culture have very little to do with my food choices. Ethically speaking, I will choose humanely raised over not and local organic first and foremost, but that isnt to say my entire decision is based on those things. I think what makes this such a difficult question to answer is that even though this is a balancing act, it is becoming a balancing act of a different kind because of the rising cost of food as well as more awareness of our environment.

From Talk

Mission - Mac 'n Cheese

ok its official I'm jealous! maybe its time to try the soy cheese again :(

From Required Eating

Photo of the Day: Canine Prewash Cycle

I love it! and just think you're doing the environmentaly responsible thing too, cutting down on how long a cycle you have to run to get the dishes clean;) Thank you for making the day brighter!

From Talk

Mission - Mac 'n Cheese

You are a brave soul! I'm lactose intolerant and even though I could live on mac and cheese, homemade only thank you, I wont touch the stuff. Please let us know how it turns out, and have a serving for me!

Responses to Comments by huney_bumper

From Talk

Food Priorities--how do you prioritize these factors?

Karen,

Hope I didn't offend. Certainly not my intention. He was the first Libra I'd knowingly had much interaction with and I looked up his sign because he seemed so different. Balance seemed like a great thing to me but I had a different idea of it which I'd say is often how we have so many misunderstandings with people... though this guy seems to be special but not so much in a nice way and I'd say it has little to do with what time of year he was born (nor do I think he gives much thought to balance). The good thing (and I always try to find it) is I've change where I go and what I do (restaurants and stores also because he took those too) and I've found great new things I wouldn't have otherwise in my previous comfort zone.

I do know about vegangelicals too. I've encountered them myself and they are unpleasant (as is any extremism). However, I've also been attacked by non-vegetarians just for not eating meat. Accosted with the excuse being the vegangelicals; that they exist means all vegetarians should be harassed (to some people). In comparision the meat-eaters have been more vicious, tenacious and numerous but they aren't marginalized so people not only don't seem to notice when they are being mean, they join in. So, I usually tell the extreme veggies to back off and that they are doing more harm than good but I feel a little forgiving because they do feel intensely about their cause, just unable to understand how polarizing they are. But, it is exasperating to be attacked and be put under a microscope for my every action and lifestyle choice (what I feed my pets and what shoes I wear get examined for instance) because any "unpure" action by me is an ah-ha moment that releases them to not just continue what they were anyway (only now with permission vicariously via me) but also to attack me for the way I live and the choices I make even though it seems to be their own insecurity and issues and because they were nosey and poking around my plate. Sounds personal but it happens to a lot of vegetarians/vegans. It was something I had noticed before switching myself and while never joining in never paid much attention let alone stood up to it. However, it's fresh on my mind this week between the Slate article (found thanks to SE) and some related classes I took this weekend. While there are a lot of issues beyond animal treatment what I'm most intrigued in is how and why people do what they do. Motivations.

It also surprises me how much we do when we don't know the whole story (or sometimes even more than a fraction). I used to look on in admiration to those who said we don't regret what we do as much as what we don't do. But, I think what I regret most is what I've done without knowing why.

I'd rather spend time with Gordon Ramsey than most people as despite being a bit confrontational he's quite together -- just wouldn't let him cook for me. :)

As far as different... I do understand. I felt that way too when I considered going veggie even though I was unhappy not being one. I'm finally discovering Indian food in all it's glory. It's so amazing but felt so strange for so long. I realize now it's because I so dislike cilantro but now I know I don't have to put it in when I prepare it. My regret is not doing this sooner. Another tradition busted. :)

Thanks, I've enjoyed the conversation and exploration.

From Eating Out

Throwdown: Chick-fil-A vs. McDonald's Southern Style Chicken

vox8light: I wanted to ditto what you say. We live in Atlanta too, there is just no comparison between Mc Copy and Chick Fil A. Ill take Chick Fil A. Their biscuits rock too. When ever I have to go down to Macon, I stop at Chick fil a for breakfast. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

From Required Eating

Photo of the Day: Canine Prewash Cycle

That beagle looks pretty hefty, Ed. Now we know why....thanks for a great laugh though!

From Talk

food for a looooooong bus trip

Thanks for the great suggestions, everyone, including general advice about what to expect on a Greyhound bus adventure. I've done >24-hour bus marathons through the Midwest; this next one is through the Deep South—to New Orleans, as a matter of fact, where I've never been and where I will definitely spend on food the money I saved on airfare. Anyway, I expect I'll pick up plenty of fodder for my never-to-be-written novel as I observe my fellow passengers and snack on salad-filled wraps. I also love the idea of Nutella, which I can eat with a spoon but won't. The trickiest, most important thing will probably be to stay hydrated while avoiding the bus bathroom. Oy.

From Talk

food for a looooooong bus trip

Great, grainy salad I found in the Everyday Food magazine.
(WARNING: It's dangerously addictive...pace yourself...you'll eat more than you realize, and then it feels like it keeps expanding in your tummy! haha...)

Bulgur Salad with Grapes and Feta Cheese
Serves 2
½ cup fine-grained bulgur wheat
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¾ cup boiling water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons minced scallion
¾ cup halved seedless grapes
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1. In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup fine-grain bulgur wheat, ½ teaspoon coarse salt, and ¾ cup boiling water. Cover; let stand until bulgur is tender, 30 minutes (Make sure all water is absorbed, otherwise, your salad is too "wet" instead of nice and fluffy.)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Add 2 tablespoons minced scallion, ¾ cup halved seedless grapes, ½ cup each toasted chopped walnuts and crumbled feta. Add bulgur; toss.

From Talk

Food Priorities--how do you prioritize these factors?

That's okay, Sieseye. Sometimes there's just a lot to say. :)

I'm actually a Libra. And yes - we do have our mood swings. But then again, each astrological sign has their particular focal points that are positive or negative.
Probably you just don't like this particular guy. Shame he has to ruin the good mood of the Farmer's Market by hanging around it.

Your notes about balance being missing so much today, particularly in food, are so true. But I do think that if one searches back through history, the same lack of balance exists in some way, in some factors, with our food in an overall sense. Whether it was the historic factor of the better food going to the wealthy as it has for so much of time (still does, but we have a larger middle ground) or whether it be the issue of contaminants or ways to extend the amount of food there has always been something going on. So in that way I have to give a nod of the head to some sort of "progress".

Actually, this entire topic would seem to be something entirely astonishing and unbelievable to most people through times past - for pretty much the only thing that ran through their heads about food was: How do we get enough of it?! And of course: How can we make something delicious out of what is right in front of us? So in that sense, simply to be able to ask ourselves these questions posed by HeartofGlass is a very real gift. :)

Gordon Ramsay in real life has promoted women cooks to higher positions, so in that way one can be sure he's not a sexist pig. Ha, ha! Also the persona on TV is pushed to the limits for entertainment value.
In my own experience I've seen both men and women be equally helpful, not helpful, able to perform or not able to perform in the kitchen. There is no one style that makes it work - but if the chef is able to work with people rather than doing the towering over them with a whip sort of thing it can definitely make the work more pleasant, just as in any sort of workplace with any boss or leader.

As far as people being turned off by the idea of vegetarianism there's two things. First, it's "different". People often do not respond positively to "different" just because it is different. No good reason, really. Just people being people. Secondly there's the self-righteousness that some vegetarians or vegans carry as their swords in life - pushing the idea forward like a merit badge that nobody really wants to see. That creates a feeling of not wanting to be interested or supportive among those not really all that interested in the idea in the first place.:)

The great thing is that as we do have the gift to be able to prioritize our food choices there's much more within food to discover in lots of ways - both in reality and in how and what we think of it conceptually.

And it is easier than people to figure out, thank goodness. There's a great quote by someone (too early in the morning to figure out who) that says "What I like about cooking is that if you put a chop in the pan, it will cook ."

So at least something in life is under control. Ha, ha!

From Talk

Food-of-the-month gifts, I'd like_____

fresh fruit
chocolate
cheese
WINE

From Talk

Food Priorities--how do you prioritize these factors?


This is a great discussion. Yes, thank you HeartofGlass. :)

So much touched on here.

My stalker is Libra which I thought when I read about them (out of curiousity not to guide my life) means balance but more that they achieve balance by wild swings rather than hanging in the middle. :(

Balance. That's what is missing from so much but especially food these days. We've taken food apart from the very beginning, with monster farms growing only one thing supported by chemicals which meant putting the animals elsewhere in huge building supported by chemicals which meant putting their waste in huge pools... no integrations, instead attempting to solve each new problem with more tech which only creates new problems.

Interesting the gender thing. I've been watching Gordon Ramsey because I loved the idea of the remaking a restaurant to work better (I have a secret desire to have my own cozy food emporium with inexpensive but yummy comfort food of the best quality). His no nonsense approach appealed to me because it's more about little tolerance for idiocy and manipulation rather than being mean. I found out later how little respect he gives to those who shun meat which is still hard to reconcile (he's a famous one who has taken pleasure in sneaking meat in veggie meals). However I happened on his new chef competition show where there's a woman's team and a men's team. The girls were all working together and talking while the guys wouldn't even acknowledge each other and undercut, tricked, schemed... but in the end when it came to knocking one out at the end the girls did turn catty (hate that word but that was what happened) and it turned the next show unpleasant because of the resentment factor. However, one of the guys was so fed up by the way the guys are he asked to be allowed on the woman's team. That's next week. I'm so intrigued to find out how it goes. So it's especially interesting the point about food science and molecular food.

In another round of coincidences, I had just come back yesterday from a seminar on the Myths of Vegetarian Eating where the question was asked about why so many are resistant. The speaker talked about how mothers (mom's day being the next day) have their identity so wrapped up in the food they present, as well as the nurture factor, they take their child going veggie as a rejection of them rather than the meat, cruelty, political, or whatever. Then along with the societal pressures and the industry that has pressed our ideas of nutrition, it feels as if we (as mothers) are being told we've never understood how to keep our children healthy... that we aren't very smart after all. Lots get twisted into our meals. It's not just food by any means.

I know my daughter has been taken aback by how accepting I've been of her going veggie (even becoming one myself -- I just needed a reason) then going vegan. In some ways I've unintentionally undermined her rebellion but in a good and loving way. I even started sending her to cooking classes which she despised in the beginning (natural extension of the resistance) but now pretends to tolerate while having gained huge confidence in the kitchen and become valuable amongst her friends for her food talent.

My sis-in-law tried for years to sneak mushrooms (and later cilantro) into foods she served me. I guess she figured if I just "tried" them I would finally realize how good they are and my life would be so much better and she'd be the hero or something. Why couldn't she understand I *had* tried them (long before she came into my world) and that's how I knew I don't like them? Why couldn't I have my own preferences? I did always find them, and pick them out (or not eat at all) which amazed her but she never learned. All it did was make it unpleasant, so I didn't trust her, and lost respect for her as well. Stopped visiting (maybe that was her point?). However, when my daughter went veggie she was very accommodating and kind. On the other hand we spent little time there by then so she didn't have much chance to sabotage.

Speaking of which, I spent years trying to convince the ex™ I wasn't his enemy which he would say he knew only to find out he felt I was trying to sabotage him (like if I was late, for getting held up; he thought I did it on purpose to ruin his life) so felt he needed to not just get back at me but punish me. Not even to get me to not do something again because he never admitted till the end he was doing any of it on purpose and in fact he was still taking revenge for minor "trespasses" upon him a decade before. The thing is, it wasn't really about me. He'd have done the same to someone else. He was trying to give me his own pain somehow. Of course that doesn't work for anyone involved.

Now, I celebrate the food itself. I figure if a new person in my life doesn't like what I make they either don't (and won't) like me or they can get what they need themselves (and hopefully let me know too so I can get to know them as well). But I won't give up myself anymore. If people don't like me for who I am, why would they like me for who I'm not? Further, why should I waste time with those who aren't going to like me when I could be free to find one that will?

Course I feel the same respect for the other person in that I won't waste their time sticking around if I'm not digging them. Only to get someone who's taken it so personally he's become increasingly unpleasant in forcing himself upon my world (because dumb*ss is just so irresistibly attractive and sexy... /sarcasm). No kidding, he's taken to hanging at the Farmers Markets for me to show up then following me through a few feet away the entire time.

Sorry for the essay! :)

From Talk

Food-of-the-month gifts, I'd like_____

For a minute, I thought JEP was back! I am with wookie. I am also proud to be a food whore!!!!!!! Send me everything, every month.

From Required Eating

Photo of the Day: Canine Prewash Cycle

"Man's best friend helping out in the kitchen.........Priceless"