I truly believe that one of our biggest saboteurs of good health, especially after the middle aged years, can be our pet theories of what we should and should not eat. Perhaps we listen too much to hearsay and erroneous fabrications passed on to us by well meaning but inept individuals who have not taken the time to check out the authenticity of certain facts, before passing them on as gospel.

In this country, we are surrounded by an excellent supply of quality food; yet clinical records show that approximately 75 percent of our senior population suffers from malnutrition. Nutritional needs vary, but some basic food rules still hold good for everybody. Calcium, iron and protein head the list of needs … without an abundance of each, the body withers.

Nutritional needs might very well vary between individuals, but that does not mean that your body cannot benefit just as much from a tall glass of milk; whether you are riding a bicycle or manipulating out and about in your wheel chair. In my experience with youngsters, I (early on) learned that some children’s food dislikes were based solely on appearance. If, for instance, they did not like the shapes or appearance of carrots, I simply ground the raw carrots or even mashed the cooked carrots before assembling the soup. This served a dual purpose as it satisfied my desire to instill nourishment, yet camouflaged the appearance of something the children regarded as repulsive.

To this day, I justify my behavior in the knowledge that I was successful in introducing carotene to youthful bodies. Did you know that there is nothing like carrot fiber to protect the body against certain chemical pollutants? They also report there is nothing like carrots to kick the nicotine habit. They have even reported that there are some doctors in the Soviet who recommend carrots in the diets of factory workers exposed to harmful chemicals from time to time. Eating boiled carrots, then drinking the broth thereof is said to be a “seldom fail” remedy for relieving asthma. Lukewarm carrot juice also has a similar effect.

Bunched Carrots

Steam your carrots in their jackets, then cool them. Skin them carefully. Reheat them by placing them over steam or even by sautéing them for 12 minutes in a bit of butter. Serve them in conjunction with your meat platter, by simply covering them with a bit of melted butter, season with a dash of cloves and garnish with parsley.

Baked Carrots

2 cups peeled, shredded carrots
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup or more chopped onion
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup water or stock
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and use this to sauté the onion in for several minutes. Add the shredded carrots, then place these ingredients into your casserole and sprinkle evenly with the sugar and salt. Pour the stock or water over this mixture. Cover and bake your carrots until they are tender and of the desired consistency.

Food Facts: I am told that if you mix equal portions of both pineapple juice and carrot juice, this provides a high energy drink. Especially beneficial for those with hypoglycemia. And … this next statement should create a mad dash to the produce department of your local grocers; for it is believed that a diet supplemented by raw carrots each day is supposed to help lower cholesterol in your body! Carrots have long been applauded for their benefit to our eyesight, and I am pretty well convinced that there is some truth behind this statement. They appear to be the dietary preference of our rabbit populations and I have yet to see any of these four-footed creatures wearing glasses!

Scrumptious Vegetarian Soup

3 tablespoons vegetarian flavored instant powdered beef broth
6 cups distilled water
3/4 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup barley
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons cornstarch
8 tablespoons water

Place water into a large saucepan, bring to a boil. Stir in the barley, garlic, onions, basil, oregano and thyme; then cook for 30 minutes until the barley is done. Stir in the carrots, mushrooms, celery and green pepper; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or more until the veggies test tender. Combine the cornstarch with the water and powdered beef broth; then carefully stir this into the saucepan containing the barley mixture. Continue cooking and stirring this mixture until it becomes slightly thickened.

Food Facts: You should endeavor to purchase your mushrooms before they open. When the stems and caps are attached snugly. This means the mushrooms are truly fresh.

As strange as it may sound, I have read that some people of some parts of Central America and Africa use cut-in-half ripe figs to cleanse the enamel on their teeth.

For the reader who wished to know an example of monounsaturated fats, this would include olives, of course olive oil, and avocados. Also included in this monounsaturated group would be nuts such as peanuts, cashews, pecans, and almonds.

Homemaker’s Hint:  For Eva (one of our readers) who questioned whether I had any (non-related to cooking) hints to share with her. Since I prefer to mend (rather than dispose) of torn fabrics, I many times have kept several needles (threaded in different color). Stuck in a new steel wool pad. It keeps the needles plenty sharp in a tiny area.

*Have you ever noticed, that despite the fact that there are many, many languages in the world, but a smile is capable of speaking all of them.

* For a unique twist on French fried potatoes, here is one you don’t even have to peel!

French Fried Potatoes

10 large white potatoes
One cup Italian dressing

Thoroughly wash and scrub you potatoes, then place them into a large saucepan and allow them to steam for a good 30 minutes, or until they are almost tender. (Avoid overcooking). Let them cool just slightly then cut them into quarters. Place these quartered potatoes onto your cookie sheet and simply brush on some Italian dressing. Broil approximately two to three minutes per side. Keep turning until they are browned to your satisfaction.

Food Facts: It is wise to store your potatoes in a dark area, for exposure to light tends to cause poisonous alkaloids.

*Did you know that there can be absolute “magic” in just a simple word of praise?

*For our local school girl who is fighting a nasty case of acne, avoid those fried foods, pop and chocolate candy! As your mother says, these are probably all contributing factors to your problem.

*In reply to you question, the secret to making a successful smoothie is very simple. Not only must you blend your ingredients together until smooth and creamy, but you must drink it immediately! This is not something that should be made in advance and served later.

*In reply to a reader’s question as to my opinion of the value of fluoride. There was a time when I thought they were placing too much emphasis on its value in maintaining strong bones, but that was before I realized that fluoride is also of value in maintaining strong bones. However, too much fluoride can definitely cause mottling of the teeth (as well as other problems) so never try to diagnose your own needs. Be content to leave this up to the experts whose job it is to know what they are doing!

*Thanks to Anita for this variation recipe using poultry (in place of meat) in whipping up some homemade Sloppy Joes.

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. Ground lean white turkey meat (skinless)
2 Tbls. Sugar
3 Tbls. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
3 Tbls. Apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup of ketchup
1/2 tsp. Prepared mustard
1/2 cup chopped celery

Simply combine all of the above ingredients in your skillet and simmer for one full hour. If preparing in a crock-pot, allow four to five hours over a low heat.

Homemakers Hint:  Sending leaves to the landfill, at this time of the year, are not only a time consuming nuisance but also the waste of a valuable resource. Instead, “chunk mulch” the leaves. Stack them in an inconspicuous corner of your garden, wet them down and trample them. Over the winter, they will settle further, compacting into a tight, solid mass. In the spring, break the mass up into small chunks with a garden fork and spread it among shrubs, flowers and vegetables. It will serve as attractive mulch for at least one season, then decompose to fertilize and condition the soil.

Food Facts:  How ironic that heretofore we have displayed a somewhat biased attitude toward certain foods. For instance I have never known turnips and parsnips to make the popularity list that potatoes and carrots have monopolized for so many years. Throughout a good share of recorded history, turnips have occupied a lowly position on the gastronomic scale, being considered only as a food for peasants and livestock. The same judgment seems to hold true for rutabagas, which tend to be larger, coarser and more emphatically flavored than the dainty white potato. Now, the scale of popularity seems to be swaying in the other direction; for we have learned that rutabagas and turnips seem to have been endowed with the ability to lower the serum cholesterol levels in the body.

Homemakers Hint: Thieves often repaint cars and change the vehicle identification number so that owners can not identify them. Foil them by having the VIN etched onto all the windows. A thief is less likely to steal a car on which all the windows would have to be replaced. You should find the VIN on the left front side of the dashboard.

Carrot/Pineapple Cake

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tbls. melted unsalted butter or canola oil
1 cup honey
3 eggs, 6 egg whites or 3/4 fat free egg substitute
1/2 cup non fat sour cream
2 cups shredded, loosely packed carrots
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground all-spice
1/2 cup currants
1 tbls. Vanilla extract
3/4 unsweetened applesauce
8 ozs. crushed pineapple with the juice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then lightly coat two eight inch by four inch loaf pans with non-stick spray. Using a larger bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, cloves and the allspice. Stir in the currants. In a smaller bowl, mix the butter (or oil) honey, vanilla, eggs, egg whites or egg substitute, applesauce and the sour cream. Pour this into the flour mixture. Add the pineapple (with juice) and the carrots. Mix just enough to incorporate the ingredients. Pour this batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or just until a toothpick (inserted in the middle) comes out moist but yet wet. If you are using muffin cups, the baking time will be slightly less.
Note: Be certain to allow more time if you are using a bundt pan.

Homemaker’s Hint: To revive a wilted houseplant, try plunging its pot into a bucket of tepid (lukewarm) water. Let it soak until bubbles stop rising from the soil. Drain the excess water and set the plant in a humid spot such as a bathroom or a greenhouse. Another method would be to cover the plant with a frame of stakes or a coat hanger wire so that it does not touch the plant. Secure the bag to the pot’s rim with twine or a large rubber band. Keep the plant out of direct sunlight while it recovers.

Food Facts:  Many of us mistakenly perceive our thirst drive as hunger and eat high-fat snacks we are really thirsty, not hungry. A good way to distinguish between the two is to drink a glass of ice cold water when you feel hungry and then wait for a few moments. You may be surprised to find that you are no longer hungry at all. If you are, then go ahead and eat a light snack. The important thing is that you feed your body’s real thirst and hunger and feed them appropriately, drinking water when you’re really thirsty and eating food when you are actually hungry. Drinking generous amounts of water is overwhelmingly the number one way to head off food cravings and reduce appetite. By drinking plenty of water throughout the day, it takes up room in your stomach, helping you feel full and reducing your desire to eat.

*A minute is a little thing, but minutes make the day. So crowd in some kind deeds before it slips away!

This column encourages reader’s recipe contributions and requests, helpful hints and timely trivia. Simply phone them to (269) 683-7266 or mail to 527 Phillip Rd. Thank you!