Foods Long Life

Dry garden parsley before it freezes and enjoy all winter! Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest. Storing Herbs If you go to the store to buy parsley, basil, or some other herb for a recipe, you usually use a tablespoon and, quite often, the rest goes to waste. Well, in two minutes you can turn parsley into parsley flakes and save them for later use.  And if you are growing herbs in your garden, they will soon freeze so it's time to start drying those too. Parsley I use a lot of dried parsley when I cook. It's a nutrient powerhouse. One tablespoon provides 8% of your daily requirement of both iron and manganese. It is also is a very good source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, riboflavin, calcium magnesium, and potassium and a good source of vitamins E and B6, niacin, folate, phosphorus, zinc, copper and selenium.  Parsley grows easily in the garden. Microwave There are several ways to dry herbs. You can use a dehydrator, let them dry in the sun, place...

Delicata squash are easy to prepare since you can eat the skin. Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest. Delicata Squash I wasn't very familiar with this winter squash until my friend Pam told me it was one of her favorites. So when I saw it in the nursery this summer, I decided to plant some.  I'm glad I did because, after tasting it, I decided that it's one of my favorites too! One of the reasons I immediately fell in love with this squash is because it has a delicate rind, hence the name  delicata. This not only means that it's easier to cut, but it doesn't need to be peeled, much like a  kombocha squash. Anyone who has wrestled with trying to cut pumpkins, butternut and spaghetti squash knows what I'm talking about. Like other winter squash, delicata is a great source of carotenoids such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. It's high in vitamin A and C as well as B vitamins (except for B12) and minerals such as mangane...

Poblano rajas is a great topping for scrambles, tacos and more. Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest. Poblano Peppers This year, I went a little crazy growing so many different peppers in my garden - peppers that I had never before prepared. Poblano peppers, for example. They grew easily and plentifully. I know they are used to make chile rellenos but since I don't eat cheese, I didn't know what else to do with them. Poblano peppers originated in the state of Puebla, Mexico. They are very mild but once in a while you may get one that has a bit of heat. If you let them ripen, they will turn dark red and become quite spicy and flavorful. Dried, they become "chile ancho" and you can grind them up and use them to flavor dishes.  I looked around for recipe ideas for my poblano peppers but just about every single one of them required removing their skin as you would do for roasted red peppers. But that's a bit tedious considering how many peppers my pla...

With today's programs, journaling is easier than ever! Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest. Journaling In 1971, when I was pregnant with my son, I started a food journal. In retrospect I should have patented and marketed it! I wrote down every morsel that went into my mouth. I was only 22 years old and was obsessed with staying slim. Besides, I stood out enough being the only woman in my electrical engineering classes. Nine months later I gave birth to a healthy, 6 1/2 pound baby boy. I brought my pre-pregnancy jeans with me to the hospital and wore them home. Since that time, I always turn to journaling my food and exercise when I need to lose weight. Or if I'm on a cruise or vacation and I want to make sure I don't gain weight. Now is one of those times. I had foot surgery in February which actually made my neuroma pain worse so my usual exercise regimen has gone down the drain. Unfortunately I've been enjoying life at the same pre-surgery rate so I...

Growing corn is fun. Eating it all winter is fabulous! Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest . Growing Corn This year we made our first serious attempt at growing corn. It was fascinating - you could almost stand there and watch them get taller. As you can see in the picture above, they grew about 12 feet tall.  I love corn and I especially love knowing exactly what I am eating. I know that our corn is organic and non-GMO so we have no worries there.  I would like to say our first corn crop was a complete success but we could have done things a bit better. Here's what we learned in case you want to give it a try next year. Lessons Learned #1 - As you can see from the above picture, I definitely placed them too close together. I planted about 35 plants in a 4' x 8' raised bed. I think half as many would have been better. They still would have been close enough to wind pollinate but not be so close to block out the sun and create a cozy nest for pests. Tassel...