You’re Not a Baby, Carrot Sunday, Jan 24 2016 

Cooking and Everyday Life and Family and Gardening and Health , , , , , , Mary K. Doyle 3:09 pm

Crunchy, sweet, tasty – baby carrots make a great little snack whether we dip them or not. I love the way they snap when you bite into them and the idea that they contribute toward a healthy diet. But did you know that these little carrots didn’t grow that way?

The January 15, 2016 Wall Street Journal featured the most fascinating article by Roberto A. Ferdmanon on these little babies. He said the path to popularity began when California carrot farmer Mike Yorosek peeled and sculpted bite-sized carrots from deformed regular sized ones. It was an effort to prevent the produce from being delegated to the trash. He sent a bag to a local grocery chain along with his full-sized carrots. The stores asked for only the baby ones from that point on.

This ingenious idea boomed into big business. Carrot consumption snowballed every year. More than 70% of all carrot sales now are from these little jewels which sell at a premium.

Carrots are packed with antioxidants. They may have an anti-cancer effect and help regulate blood-sugar. They are an excellent source of vitamin A and also contribute toward our needs for vitamins C and K, calcium, iron, potassium, folate, manganese, phosphorous, magnesium, and zinc as well as fiber.

©2016, Mary K. Doyle

 

Breakfast or an All-Day Snack Sunday, May 17 2015 

Baking and Everyday Life and Family , , , , , , Mary K. Doyle 12:19 pm

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I have a recipe for you that you’ll want to munch on all day long. I’ve been perfecting my granola recipe for more than six months and have it right where I want it. I think you’ll like it too.

Oatmeal is a super food that should be in all of our diets. I don’t mind cooked oatmeal, but can only eat it a couple of times a month at best. Toasted oatmeal is another matter. A sweet, salty, crunchy granola has definitely turned this non-cereal lover into one. The coconut oil and pecans in this recipe makes it healthier yet!

Oatmeal contains two types of fiber: soluble which absorbs water and is fermented by bacteria and insoluble which does not absorb water or ferment. Both have health benefits.

The fiber in oatmeal helps to decrease LDL cholesterol, (the bad cholesterol), as well as high blood pressure and the risk of mortality from cardiovascular diseases. It helps control blood sugar by slowing down digestion time. Fiber also makes us feel fuller longer, reducing overeating and the bulk cleans us out reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Why don’t you give this very quick and easy recipe a try and let me know what you think.

 

Mary Doyle’s Granola

2 cups regular oatmeal – rolled outs*

¼ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup coconut oil, softened

¼ cup butter, softened

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ teaspoon salt

Mix the oatmeal, brown sugar, pecans and salt in a bowl. Blend coconut oil, butter, and vanilla. Combine the dry and soft mixtures together. You may want to toss with your hands.

Spread the mixture across a cookie sheet. Bake 350 for about 15 minutes. Turn once or twice during baking. Watch carefully. The granola quickly goes from brown to burnt.

*Do not use instant oats—which is too soft—or steel cut—which is too gritty.

©2015, Mary K. Doyle

 

 

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