Recipes, Food Tips, Healthy Eating & More

@imallears It is definitely a "crap shoot". Oddly, my husband will not eat avocados but on the rare occasion that I get him into the supermarket he picks out the best ones! He is of Italian heritage and I swear that Italians have more of an appreciation and feel for produce. If I have a good one I will put lime juice on it and wrap it in saran wrap and it is good the next day as long as I just slice off the very top.
Speaking of avocados, I read not long ago that the best way to keep guacamole is to cover it with water! Then just pour the water off, and the little that remains on the surface can either be blotted off or stirred in. I haven't tried it yet, the only time there is guac in the house is when my kids are visiting. It would be a waste to make for just me.
JK

@contentandwell HI I have throughout the past used many different statins but the only one I will use that helps reduce my cholesterol is rovustatin or Crestor its the only one that works and has brought my cholesterol with normal limits

@lioness The immunosuppressants limit which statin I can use. The doctor who prescribed this seemed to be reasonably knowledgeable about the limitations. So, we will see.
JK

@contentandwell
I love Italians! They have amazing food knowledge...just look at all the Italian restaurants and cooks on the Food Network. My mother shopped locally and I was sent to buy produce and fish locally so I learned a lot that way and also how to cook a lot of Irish/English food.
I worked at a farm stand during the summers on Long Island and tossed 50 lb bags of potatoes around like a long shoreman .
Learned a lot about organic veggies.
I use lime juice on an avacado half also...sometimes not. I can tell if it going to survive a day in the fridge. There’s never any leftover guac when my daughter makes it...we usually wipe the bowl clean.

Yum...FL Mary (you can get up now Leonard)

@imallears As I said, my husband is of Italian heritage, born here. His mother was born here too and his father came to this country when he was 16. He was an Italian pastry chef. We have visited the town in Sicily that he came from. The people there were incredible. A lovely young woman in the town hall actually managed to find his birth certificate and where he had lived!
We love Sicily. It's sort of odd that not many Americans go there. We love the Amalfi coast too, and pretty much all of Italy. We will probably make one more trip there in the next year or so before we are too old to travel. I keep thinking we should go to Ireland since that is my heritage but Ireland sounds sort of boring.
JK

@contentandwell
My son and his family have been to Italy and Spain but not Sicily. My mom’s from Ireland and it’s not boring if you go on the Pub Tour lol. Go and kiss the Blarney stone will ya!

My daughter and SIL and kids are planning a trip to Ireland for their 25th anniversary next year. . I’ve been to England and France but that’s about it and I was a lot younger. I dated an Italian after my divorce...the best and funniest years I ever had until he passed away....rip Augustino.

FL Mary

@imallears a pub tour would not be much fun since being post-liver transplant I am not supposed to drink alcohol. I know many people who love Ireland for its beauty but here in New England we have pastoral beauty too!

It sounds as if Augustino was a real Italian, my husband and his mother have both always identified as being Americans. My grandparents were born here so my parents also identified as being Americans, not Irish. I think that was the way that generation was, they embraced their new country.
JK

@contentandwell
Hi,

New England, especially along the coast is one of my favorite places. I’m from NY and we drove often for several days on our way to Canada to visit relatives. Long Island ,where I lived reminded me of New England ,I lived on the south fork) and I even have a lighthouse picture on my bank card. Augustino had several middle names that I don’t remember but the entire moniker was a mouthful. He identified himself as an Italian...was a tall, large man with gold chains and bracelets, looked kind of threatening but was a social worker and photographer by trade. When people asked what he used to do, he would always said..with his finger to his nose.....You don’t wanna know....such a kind very very funny educated man., a decent cook and lover of good food.
If people ask me my nationality, I say Irish English...I’m first generation....it’s something I’ve always said.
So Pub Tours are out....go where you really want to go...sounds like the Amalfi coast. I would pick Italy and then Amsterdam as my travel choices....after the Grand Canyon area which I have only flew over.

FL Mary

@imallears
I had a Focal Impaired seizure and nearly walked into the Grand Canyon.
I have a recipe for French onion soup and an optional ingredient is Brandy. I've never tasted it so am clueless. What do you think?
Jake

@jakeduck1

Hi,
Everyone has their own version of french onion soup. I’ve used both white and red wine and sherry(not cooking sherry...the real thing). You need the wine. What the brandy does is add a touch of sweetness. Don’t buy it if you don’t have it . What I would do is make the soup without the brandy. Before you add the gruyere cheese, laden a small potion out and add a few drops of apple cider vinegar or even apple juice. Mix and see how you like that. You might get an idea of the taste. The brandy is for deglazing really and you won’t taste it and can use the apple cider vinegar instead. It adds a certain zing.
Some people prefer red wine since you are using beef broth and it is a deeper taste. I always used what wine I had available..either a dry red or dry white but always had sherry on hand for cooking.

Or just go ahead and use apple cider vinegar in lieu of brandy for deglazing right off the bat...just don’t forget to add the wine. I don’t remember using brandy but I’ve ordered and eaten this soup and some were ok and some were great. My feeling is a really good restaurant probably uses brandy hence the different outcomes...dunno.

FL Mary
Hmmm..cool weather here and that soup is sounding great especially when you broil the cheese on top