Author: Granny Shanny

this kind of waste in the face of the present economic times just leaves me speechless.

H&M and Wal-Mart destroy and trash unsold goods

The original of this recipe calls for cornbread stuffing mix as the topping. It works perfectly well and every bit as tasty using almond meal mixed with grated parmesan (my new favorite breading).

(this recipe has converted some of the most intractable spinach-haters . . . one that I know personally now requests it for every holiday meal! 😀 😀 :D)

Low-carb Spinach Soufflé

1 16-oz bag frozen spinach
1 3-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. butter, softened
1/4 – 1/2 cup almond meal (with or without parmesan added)

Thaw spinach and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

Blend together cream cheese & butter; add to spinach & mix well.

Spoon into 1-quart casserole dish & sprinkle almond meal evenly over all.

Bake about 30 minutes at 350°, until topping browns nicely.

Eight servings

Per serving:
calories: 103
calories from fat: 77
total fat: 9g
saturated fat: 4g
trans fat: 0g
cholesterol: 20mg
sodium: 119mg
total carbs: 4g
dietary fiber: 2g
sugars: 1g
protein: 4g

Surely our Aussie friends know this great entertainer . . . I was just introduced through my email this morning:

James Galea

Our eldest grandson spent Christmas Eve in the hospital. But don’t gasp – here’s the tale:

He works at a fitness center in OKC, and had an early client yesterday, so he left very early in the morning to get to work on time, despite the blizzard conditions enveloping Oklahoma. (As do so many young Okie males, he drives an enormous pickup truck . . . as in "what snow drifts?" ;))

After the day’s work the staff found they couldn’t get their vehicles out of the parking lot, so young-and-strong grandson cheerfully pushed everyone out until all were headed home & he found himself alone in the parking lot. Not only alone, but unable to get his OWN vehicle moving.

He called his dad to come get him . . . that’s impossible. Dad can’t even get to their mailbox 1/4 mile down the driveway, let alone all the way into the city. But dad called the fitness center manager (who had made it home thanks to grandson’s assistance!) to let him know he had one employee still stranded in the parking lot.

Fitness center manager thinks fast & calls the hospital across the road from the fitness center. Hospital says they’d be more than happy to find accomodations for a young strong good samaritan who saved so many others’ Christmas Eve plans at the risk of his own.

We still don’t know if he’s been able to get home yet . . . at bedtime last night snow was still falling & 50mph winds were still packing it into deep drifts. We’re just hoping he got a good night’s sleep . . . 😀

Ah the joys of winter life on the Great Plains . . . 😮

We used channel cat tonight, but your favorite fish fillet works just as well. (this is my breading of choice now – forget the crushed pork rinds! 😀 😀 :D)

1 egg
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp. table salt
thawed fish fillets or nuggets

Beat egg until frothy. Combine almond meal, parmesan & salt and mix well.

Dredge fish pieces in egg, followed by breading.

Fry in hot (375°) oil until nicely browned & it flakes with a fork.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve with tartar sauce if desired.

per serving (1 fillet):
calories 220
calories from fat 135
total fat: 15g
saturated fat: 3g
trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 65g
sodium: 435mg
Total carbs: 3.5g
dietary fiber: 1.5g
sugars: .5g
protein: 18g
vitamin A: 4%
vitamin C: 2%
calcium: 22%
iron: 12%

This is where you still get your windshield washed when you gas up, and the grocery store baggers carry your groceries to the car for you.

Yesterday I splurged at the market, because they had standing rib roasts on sale for 5.99/lb, so I had the butcher cut me a small one for our Christmas dinner. But when I got home I realized I’d been charged 6.99/lb. Yikes! Might not seems like much, but on our budget – a LOT! So I called this morning to see what went wrong. The butcher knows us & remembers the exact transaction – realizes he entered the wrong code, and immediately declares that our refund will be waiting next time we get to the store. O happy day! 😀 😀 😀

(just hadda share that little burst of joy! hee hee)

This a long but sort of interesting article from the New Yorker . . . written by a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, who is also an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, an associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health, and the associate director of BWH Center for Surgery and Public Health.

"The health-care bill has no master plan for curbing costs. Is that a bad thing?" How the Senate bill would contain the cost of health care : The New Yorker

Arlington National Cemetery

Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.
Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held..
Peace, peace, and farewell…

Readers may be interested to know that these wreaths — some 5,000 — are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine.
The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He’s done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.

1 can hearts of palm, drained & sliced about 1/2" thick
dash of garlic salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 small drip of catsup

Arrange palm slices on a microwavable plate & sprinkle very lightly with garlic salt.

Combine mayo & catsup . . . spread over slices.

Heat to serving temperature. 4 servings

per serving:
calories: 113
calories from fat: 104
total fat: 12g
saturated fat: 2g
trans fat: 0
cholesterol: 0
sodium: 222mg
total carbs: 2g
dietary fiber: 1g
sugars: 0g
protein: 1g

vitamin c: 5%
calcium: 2%
iron: 6%

(next time instead of mayo, I’m gonna drizzle ’em with garlic butter & top with a few low-carb crumbs . . . that oughta work too, y’think?)

Call it a log, ball, dip . . . whatevah! It’s stunningly delicious & low carb! 😀 😀 😀

1 lb can pink salmon (drain, remove skin and bones, flake)
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp Tabasco
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix first six ingredients. Shape, inside Saran wrap, using hands to mold into a log (or a ball).

Chill for a few hours. Roll in chopped nuts. (Can be frozen.)

This recipe came from an amazing cook in Virginia and I’ve never been able to find her again after she got lost in an iVillage format change many years ago. 🙁 🙁 🙁 If anyone knows "Ell", please tell her cl-sneezy is still looking for her . . .

And we folks with diabetes think we’re confronting a huge beast? 😀 😀 😀

Squeak! Squeak!

Has this been proven to help? I was surfing through last month’s Ode magazine & one of the articles mentioned drinking green tea for this purpose. I drink green tea all the time, just because I LIKE it, but it would be nice to know that it is protecting me from my lovastatin!