Making Healthy Appetizing

Anything healthy for you can be daunting - and off putting. Even a healthy, chock full of goodness whole grain bread may not be as appealing as its' white cousin. How to change that? By creating a loaf similar to much loved white sliced bread. Can it be done? yes. Can it be loved? Yes.

Regular contributor Amelia Nierenberg wrote about this problem and its' solution in yesterday's New York Times Food section.It seems that whole grain breads, despite all that they offer are just not as popular as the standard preservative laced ones made by national brands.Even some of brown breads have chemical preservatives or additives plus sugars to make them more appealing. Companies like the famed King Arthur Flour of Norwich Vermont sells a loaf that's whole grained and sliced. It's popular selling 350 loaves a week.Another artisan bread company , The Bread Lab,a research center associated with Washington State University offers a version that is more or less your standard sandwich bread. People love it because it's easy to handle and a way to sneak wholesome ingredients into kids' diets. It's crusty and sliced, exactly what's great for making sandwiches. It's not going to be those bricks of whole wheat whatever that hippies baked back in the Sixties and early seventies according to the director who runs the Bread Lab, Stephen Jones.

How did we wind up being a nation heavily reliant on white bread? It started in the late 19th Century when a new process came over from Europe. The process changed how American flour was milled. It started with roller mills which separate the bran - the "whole" part of the whole wheat from the kernel.Without the bran's oils and proteins the chalky all purpose flour we know today is inert and easy to preserve. Even though it does last longer, white flour is less nutritious as the bran hold's most of the kernel's fiber. Certain chemicals and preservatives are also added to stave off mold and staleness. Luckily the approachable bread movement is changing all that.  Bread eaters and bread lovers can have the best of both worlds. The Bread Lab has set strict parameters for its' loaves. The flour used has to be sixty per cent or more whole wheat. There cannot be any  chemical additives and must contain seven or less ingredients. It also has to cost under six dollars a loaf and not be sold at an exorbitant price as some other artisan bread companies do. Still it can be expensive for families on a budget looking for a loaf as cheap as Wonder Bread which sells for about $1.80 a loaf at some stores.

America is a country that does love natural foods. Yet trying to sell it on the idea of whole grain bread is a hard one.Thanks to the approachable bread movement and the people who make it happen, like Dr Jones , Americans may be switching over to a slice of brown goodness soon.

It's Apple Season

With fall comes apples along with the myriad of recipes. What is great about them is that they can be a snack , a side or a dessert. They're perfect for any meal from breakfast to lunch to dinner.Be creative and brave with autumn's gems!

What you pick decides what you make,If you bring home baskets of Golden Delicious apples, then realize that they're best for apple sauce while Honey Crisps are better for eating fresh and to put into salads.Most of the varieties are good for snacking. Think about pairing slices with peanut butter or even better pair it with slices or cubes of sharp Vermont cheddar. A fun snack or dessert is the tart Granny Smith slices with a caramel dip. You can buy it or make your own using brown sugar and sweet cream. Some recipes call for cream cheese for extra creaminess along with a dash of brown cinnamon for extra bite.You could also just microwave caramels such as Kraft' s with a spritz of water added in for smoothness.Fresh apple slices are also perfect added to any breakfast. Slip them in to hot oatmeal or cold rice puffs for more flavor and fiber.A fun weekend breakfast or brunch dish is a Dutch baby. This is a giant (think skillet size) pancake baked in the oven and then sprinkled with a dusting of powdered sugar. Apples can even be added to French toast as a topping or baked inside a French toast casserole.

Of course apples can also liven up a lunch too. A few crisp slices in any salad makes it special. Use two different types such as the sweet Golden Delicious and the crunchy Roma, Try one that just has apples and cherry tomatoes. Spike it up with chilis and peppery mesclun greens.  Think of adding slices to a chicken salad, whether it's made with greens and last night's leftover roaster or one with mayo and raisins. Apples can be used as a side dish for a dinner as they are in Germany. Many German pork dishes comes with a side of sauteed apples. The apples' sugars break down the complex proteins of the meat, making it easier to digest. It also is a great foil for the pork's distinct flavor. You can easily make an applesauce in your crock pot or pressure cooker and use it for roasted pork or pork chops. An easier spin is sauteed apples. This is just simply sauteing the slices with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Add cornstarch to thicken it. Sauteed apples are even good reheated with the pork as the meat's savory juices mix with the apples. Of course , anything with apples is the perfect dessert. Think an untraditional one with a cheddar crust. This is a bit more flavorful than the average crust. Or go sweet with a caramel walnut loaded apple pie. Baked apples are another great dessert. Go elegant with ones poached in a sweet red wine or fun with ones stuffed with caramel, butter and chopped nuts.

This is apple season. Use them in any recipe or as a sweet , fiber filled snack. They 're delicious any way you serve them.

Scream For Healthy Ice Cream

With summer comes ice cream, and this summer will be no different. Yet too much of the creamy cold stuff is no good.Yet what to do? Switch to ices? Give up the good stuff and sub in fruit? The best option is look for ice creams that are not so sinful. Whether kitchen made or store bought, they 're still delicious.

The best way to have healthy ice cream is to make it yourself. It's easy to pick up an ice cream maker and get the right ingredients. The basic recipe is a custard however you can still make a rich one using unflavored gelatin and nonfat sweetened condensed milk.Another plus about making your own is adding healthy ingredients too.Liven it up with blueberries and strawberries, flavored honeys and dark chocolate shards. Just remember that homemade ice cream can get very hard after prolonged periods in the freezer. A twenty minute stay down below in the fridge part can remedy that. Many dieters swear by banana "ice cream". It's just first slicing a ripe banana into thin slices or coins, freezing them in an airtight container such as a freezer bag or freezer safe glass bowl. When ready ,pulse the slices in a food processor or blender.It takes a while for the fruit to transform into a creamy soft serve looking treat.it is worth it though. Many add cocoa powder to give it that chocolate dipped banana taste. Get daring with it too. Add spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg. Top it with semi-sweet  chocolate chips or chopped almonds or serve it with fresh sliced strawberries or crushed blueberries.

What about if you don't have time even to whip up the banana ice cream? Supermarkets such as Stop & Shop and Acme have extensive ice cream aisles so the choice is wide and varied. Yet which ones are the best for your diet? Surprisingly Ben and Jerry's. It's actually their frozen yogurt but it's still cold, sweet and creamy at 100 calories for the strawberries and cream flavor. Ice cream lovers should try Edy's slow churned kind. I love their  small cups in different flavors.The chocolate chip mint (always a favorite ) is only 190 calories while the vanilla is only 160 calories. You can also buy the larger gallon containers in many more flavors like Mississippi Mud Pie, Maine Blueberries and Cream along with Vermont Maple Syrup and the mousse like French Silk. A lot of people have Breyers in their fridge during these hot , steamy months, and now they have both low fat and no sugar variations of their classic chocolate, vanilla and cookies and cream. The sugar free has a little more variety, with their flavors that include mint chip swirl,butter pecan and salted caramel swirl along with a take on Neopolitan and vanilla. What about the king of ice creams, Haagen Daz? Stick with their frozen yogurts that have 100 calories less than their ice creams. They have the same rich flavor without  all the richness and fat.

Don't deny yourself a bowl of ice cream during these hotter than an oven days. Make or buy a low calorie one that's full of flavor but half the calories. You'll enjoy the treat without the guilt.

Foodie Fall Trips

Autumn is here and that means road trips usually to see the glory of changing leaves. Yet  it could also be a time to enjoy some of the yummy foods associated with that area. Try some homemade apple cider or a wedge of sharp cheddar during a pit stop. Pick up some apples or even pumpkins for decorating or cooking.

Most folks from the New York metro area and Boston head to New England. Vermont and New Hampshire may have some glorious displays but they also have endless farms and regional specialties. Of course Vermont is known for it's maple syrup and it pays to stop and pick some up, There are also creameries that turn out wheels of fine cheddar as well namely, the Cabot creamery which has branches all over New England. Apple pie is the state pie so stop and either treat yourself to a slice or buy one to bring home. Some bakeries will sell a bread particular to that region, a sweet loaf called anadama. This originated in the fishing villages of Massachusetts and wove its way to other New England states. It's a sweet loaf, thanks to molasses and a mix of cornmeal, wheat and rye flour.It can also be found in Massachusetts too, namely in smaller bakeries throughout the region If you're visiting New Hampshire for leaf looking  then try the  Canadian born tortiere , a meat pie filled with cubed game meat and potatoes.

Of course New Jersey and New York along with Connecticut and Pennsylvania offer some amazing foliage as well. The Garden State has pick your own farms nestled in between the golds and reds. Go to these to pick your own pears and apples along with pumpkins. In between New York State's majestic oaks and maples are there not only farms but wineries too. This is the season that they offer tours and tastings so definitely book one if you're in the area.. Best of all some are only a skip away from Manhattan with vineyards out on Long Island's Suffolk County and right over the Jersey  border in Orange ,Rockland and Sullivan Counties. Connecticut and Pennsylvania have some lovely farms too. Like NJ and NY farms , these have everything from cider  and freshly baked cinnamon doughnuts along with candy apples , honey and different pies. Some even offer homemade fudge and sticky buns too.

Take a ride to enjoy the fall foliage but also to sample the delicious harvests and treats country farms have to offer. It's a fun way to enjoy the area even more. Celebrate the tree's glory with a cup of cider and a fresh baked cinnamon doughnut or slice of real Vermont cheddar.