The Wisdom of the Gaucho

Bisphenol A (BPA) has gotten a lot of press over the last few years, from infant formula to Sigg bottles , it's everywhere. But did you know that it's also in your canned foods, especially canned tomato products, pasta sauces, and vegetables? BPA is a compound used to manufacture plastics and has been in mainstream use for over 50 years. But for all of its benefits, BPA has some significant drawbacks. It can leach from plastics and plastic linings into the product that it holds, especially with acidic foods like tomatoes. From the food products it then is absorbed into the human body, where it causes damage to the cardiovascular and reproductive systems, and can contribute to increased incidences of cancer, diabetes, asthma and obesity. Knowing its effects on the human body, consumers have tried to eliminate their exposure to it by getting rid of lined aluminum water bottles, plastic tupperware, plastic baby bottles, and nuerous other plastic products. But BPA lurks in...

I've always been of the opinion that granola should be eaten sparingly, a half a cup in the morning with yogurt and some fruit, or maybe for a small mid-morning snack. Consequently, my favorite granola recipes have been those that aren't necessarily "healthy", but are darn tasty and are best consumed in moderation. This is my favorite granola recipe, but it's by no means health food, it has butter and sugar in it, and it's the kind of granola that makes no excuses for itself. This recipe is another family heirloom from my Mother In Law. She does have a real name, but we usually refer to her by her nickname, Mama Bear. Given her upper Midwest farmhouse upbringing, Mama Bear is a heck of a cook, and this recipe is hers, so this is her appropriate acknowledgment. Here's the recipe for (Mama Bears') Gluten Free Golden Crispy Granola: 3/4 Cup Organic Butter 1 Cup Brown Sugar 1/3 Cup Water 2 Tablespoons Vanilla 4 Cups Gluten Free Oats (We...

The motivation for people to become vegetarian can range from ethical/moral (believing it is cruel to subject animals to butchering) to nutritional (simply believing that a vegetarian diet is healthier) to environmental (the higher ecological costs of raising livestock versus grains/vegetables). My spouse has been a vegetarian for fifteen years and got started on a dare, bet by a friend that she couldn't eat meat free for a week. Most individuals, and especially most Americans, consume far too much meat in their diets. The United States government RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for meat consumption is six ounces in one day. Three ounces is approximately the size of a pack of playing cards. So the next time you sit down for that half pound burger or eight ounce steak, realize that you are, in that one meal, consuming more meat in one sitting than the US government recommends you consume in an entire day. Non-vegetarians will often argue that it is impossible to have...