Vitamin Plus

 Should it just be kids who take viamins. If your answer is yes, think again.Adults need them much more than kids and taking them is a good habit to get into.

I got into takin multivitamins thanks to the results of a blood tesr, My doctors recommended them after my panels showed I had a slightly lower white blood cell count. This is alarming because a low amount ,means a tougher time of fighting off infections. I went with Walgreen's multivitamin gummies, due mostly to their addition of  folate and B-12. This brings up the white blood cell or wbc count.Two a day does it and they are fun to eat, The flavors are pretty good, peach, orange and a combo of the berries.

Can you get this many vitamins with a healthy diet. Yes, but that means eating a lot of veggies and fruots. This is a good habit but sometimes you don't have the time or even the money to get fresh produce and meats. Let's face it too, a healthy diet can be a boring one too. Sometimes you want empty calories and junk food. 

Take those vitamins. Pick out what works for you. Gel cap, pill or gummy. You'll feel better and be better with a daily dose.

Slightly Ajar

 This blog is back - sort of  .I'll be writing shortened versions of it every day. 

Yesterday the New York Times put out their one hundred greatest Manhattan and borough restaurants guide. There are some good ones listed, ones that I'd like to visit and write about.It just bings to mind how important restaurants are , especially when you can't cook. i;ve relied on them in the last couple of weeks. 

Don't get me wrong. I miss cooking. I miss my spices and olive oil. I love tweaking a recipe I've just discovered. However even chain eateries like Blaze and Taco Bell have come in mighty handy lately. Celebrate your local places and if you can;t cook, then eat out. There's something fun about ordering your faves or eating the leftovers a day later.

Until The End Of Asparagus Season

 Foodie pantry will be taking a short break - probably until the end ofasparagus season - or maybe this week.

I am having , yet and yet again - surgery this time  yet again on my arm. COoking will be hard for now. Baking is out of the question. This is my last night to really cook so it's asparagus again  -yum - and plant based fish sticks from Good Catch.

I plan on writing about Good Catch as soon as I can. This is an intriguing company and I'm looking forward to try their products.

See you soon. Iwill be returning with some new recipes and products to try.

A Picnic Of Leftovers

 With Easter comes leftovers. Everyone right now is inundated with ham and hardboiled eggs , not to mention Spring potatoes and soem kind fo veggie side. What to do? Use them on an Easter week picnic. Everything cna be repurposed in a tasty outdoors dish.

Of course there is ham and with it comes all sort of leftover ideas. The best for a picnic is slices on a good sourdough or baguette. You can layer it with slices of Gruyere along with either mustard or mayo.A ham salad is also a smart repurpose. This is a mix of cubed ham, mayo and chopped celery. Some add a  tablespoon of chopped dill o sweet pickle for tang and bite. That's up to you as is the addition of mustard. The best seasoning for this is simply  freshly ground pepper (skip the salt because th e ham has it). You could add celery seed which gives it a fresh green undertaste.Devilled ham is another picnic food you can easily make wth the leftover meat.Blend chopped ham with any oil or mayo. You could add celery for color or carraway seeds for a more robust flavor. Some add Worcester sauce to get that unique  Underwood Devlled ham flavor.Again it's up to you tastewise. Devilled ham is great on Hawaiian rolls but would also be good on thin slices of Italian bread too.

All those Easter eggs can  be repurposed too. A plain one with some salt is a nice simple appetizer in any picnic basket. You could also turn them into devilled eggs by peeling them and then cutting thm in half. Mash the yolk with some mayo and ketchup (or mustard ) and then refill the whites . Add a dash of paprika for some color. How to transport? You can use a silicon muffin tray or even an ice cube tray . Make sure they're at the top fo the cooler or have some kind of solid lid so they're not squashed. What's a picnic without egg salad sandwiches? This is a simple make with just the hard boiled eggs and mayo. As with ham salad you can add other ingredients like chopped green onions or mustard if you want. You can make the sandwiches at home or bring a container and rolls and wait until you hit the park or the beach. Those left ove veggies can also be turned into yummy salads too.Add a vinaigrette to those green beans or broccoli florets , mix and pop into a carry all container Slice leftover Spring or new potatoes, add some mayo and chopped celery and you have another tasty picnic dish.

It's the week for sunny picnic and good food. REpurpose those Easter leftovers into a tasty out door lunch. It's a fun way to njoy that ham and Easter eggs a second time.

Holy Saturday Traditions Breaking

 Usually Holy Saturday is the day I frost my lamb cakes. This year I am taking a break.

I have a lot coming up and that includes cooking tomorrow's Easter dinner. I relied on the excellent bakers at my local Acme to provide ne with a Easter dessert  - mixed chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with gobs of brightly colored icing on top along with plastic symbols and toys ( a rabbit ring!) on top.

Have a blessed and joyous Easter full fo treats , and sweets. Count your blessings for family and a good life.

Good Friday Traditions

 This Good Friday ,remember  the traditions that make this day holy and somber .Many give up meat ,.A few even forgo dairy and eggs. It's up to you on how you want to observe.

I relied on a family recipes noodles with eggs,  from my Swabian German American grandfather's family.It was always made on Good Friday and was a filling dinner after visiting the church.I made it vegan by using Just Egg and then took a traditional route by subbing in spaetzle. It's served with peaches , as many German dishes are served with fruit instead of vegetables.

Today is a day full of somberness and prayer. Pray for those around the world that they can have an Eastrr weekend full of traditional foods and rites wherever they are.

Australia's Easter Treat

 Hot cross buns have alwasy been a Lenten treat. In Australia they're more than that. They're a passion and a harbinger of not only the Easter season but autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. These flavorful rolls are the perfect introduction to cooler days ahead.

Australian writer and Melbourne native Doosie Morris wrote about this Down Under passion in yesterday's New York Times Food section.In most countries hot crossed buns usually appear around Ash Wednesday. Not so with the Australian version, popping up as early as December 26th - Boxing Day.aussies have always had a soft spot for them however the pandemic supercharged the need for them. People want the comfort scent and flavor of citrus and spice. Then there's popping them in th e oven to warm up and slathered with butter and sprinkled with salt which makes them comfort food according t bakery owner Kate Reid.It also aligns with the changing weather. unlike Christmas where turkeys are roasted in mid summer, This British inheritance sort of lines up. with the changing season and the chill that comes with it.They're perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea  and work as a breakfast or a snack, Melbourne's Falco's bakery had sold a whopping five thousand buns within an hour four days before the holiday.

How did they become so popular and part of the Australian diet? They came over with the British, first being commercially baked at Australia's oldest operating bakery, Maldon Bakery  ninety miles outside Melbourne.Their  first hot cross buns came out 170 years ago when Queen Victoria ruled the British Empire. The recipe hasn't changed according to owner  Rebecca Barnett, and if it had  she and her team would be "drawn and quartered " by the locals for doing such. It hasn't changed since the 1850's with the same  mixed spices, vine fruits and citrus peel. There are some bakers who do experiment with the recipe. Kate Reid of th famed Lune Croissantrie in Melbourne has creaed the  hot cross cruffin, a croissant muffin hybrid. it has the same flavor yet a different shape and mouth feel. There are even cereals and ice cream with the distinctive flavor along with even protein powder. The Aussies are so crazy for them that they have have hot cross bun scented candles, body butter, beard oils and even puppy probiotic!!!

Hot cross buns are a lovely way to celebrate Lent. Down Under they're so much more. They're a much beloved comfort food that not only welcones the Easter season but also fall.