Ice-cold Topo Chico with Lime

Nothing like a refreshing beverage on a sweltering summer day.

Agave Nectar & the FDA

I came across this article regarding agave nectar. The article did not provide directly researched sources, so I'm not entirely sure of its accuracy. Thoughts?

Agave Nectar Does Not Comply With FDA Labeling Laws

Agave nectar is an alternative sweetener used in health food bars and sold as a replacement for sugar, honey and maple syrup. Alternative health writer Ramiel Nagel has announced today that agave nectar does not contain a correct label as required by FDA labeling laws. "Agave nectar contains 70%-75% highly chemically refined fructose-more than is present in high fructose corn syrup-and most consumers don't know this," explained Mr. Nagel.
Once eaten, refined fructose appears as triglycerides in the bloodstream, or is stored as body fat. Elevated triglyceride levels, caused by consumption of refined fructose, is one of the factors responsible for the hardening of human arteries.
Further, metabolic studies have proven the relationship between refined fructose consumption and obesity. Fructose in agave nectar is a man-made synthetic sugar produced through a complex process of enzyme hydrolysis which converts non-sweet starches and sugars into a highly refined sweetener, fructose.

Russ Bianchi, Managing Director and CEO of Adept Solutions, Inc., a globally recognized food and beverage development firm, explains, "By eating high fructose syrups, you are clogging the arteries, creating inflammation, and increasing body fat, while stressing your heart. This is in part because refined fructose is foreign to the body, and is not recognized by it."

A confidential letter from the FDA explains that agave nectar is supposed to be labeled as "hydrolyzed inulin syrup," to reveal its true nature. Yet as of today, no agave manufacturers comply with the FDA's labeling requirement. These manufacturers are not adhering to the law, and as a result, consumers are unaware of the high fructose content of agave nectar.

Nagel's research reveals that due to its high fructose content agave nectar may not be safe for pregnant women, and that when used frequently it may cause body chemistry imbalances that can promote poor health, in the same why high fructose corn syrup would.

Please contact us to learn more.
Source Ramiel Nagel

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156397.php

Today's post-workout snack

Cheese cubes and dried cranberries. (And some peanut butter celery)

If you plate it, you're less likely to mindlessly gorge yourself.

Gotta tell ya, I'm feeling pretty good!

Nutty butterscotch cookies

Nutty Butterscotch Cookies

1/4 c. shortening
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 T. applesauce
1/2 t. vanilla
1/3 c. millet flour
1/3 c. brown rice flour
1/3 c. potato starch
2 T. sweet rice flour
1/4 t. xanthan gum
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. chopped almonds
1/2 c. butterscotch chips

Cream the shortening and sugar until it's well-incorporated. It won't be as creamy as normal cookies. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and applesauce. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and stir the mixture into the wet mixture. Stir in the nuts and butterscotch, and bake on a greased cookie sheet at 375 until they're done.

This recipe makes soft, cakey cookies with a yummy butterscotch flavor. You can also get crispier cookies by baking them a little longer.

4th of July picnic

Perfect for a light picnic & fireworks in the park:

apple slices (with orange wedges squeezed in there to keep them from turning brown)

strawberries

cheese cubes

celery sticks with peanut butter in a baggie (just cut the tip of the bag and squeeze the peanut butter onto the celery for a no-mess method)

Mi-Del ginger snaps (sooo good!)

Fireworks + a picnic + some nice breezes + free live music from the awesome Houston Symphony = a pretty darn good Independence Day celebration.

When the moon hits your eye...

My sister took my camera to Warped Tour today and is still holding it hostage. The camera on my phone doesn't do this pizza justice. It was freaking delicious.

I don't know if my taste buds are becoming acclimated to gluten free foods, but this crust had an awesome texture and a great flavor. The sauce was so badass. It came from a container in my freezer labeled "pizza," and it had tons of flavor as well. I wish I could tell you what was in it but I have no idea.

I can, however, tell you what was in the crust. I think it's modified from a recipe I found in some cookbook, but it's gotten to the point where it's scrawled on a piece of paper. It makes a small pizza- just enough for little ole me, with lunch leftovers that are yummy reheated with the broiler.

Pizza Crust

1/4 c. (heaping) brown rice flour
1/4 c. millet flour
1/4 c. potato starch
3/4 t. baking powder
3/4 t. xanthan gum
1/4 t. salt
1 t. italian seasonings

1/2 t. sugar
scant 1/2 c. warm water
1/2 T. yeast

2 T. egg beaters, room temp
1/2 T. olive oil

Proof the yeast in the sugar and water while you mix up the dry ingredients in a bowl. Dump the wet stuff in all at once and stir it into a wet dough. Plop the dough on a greased pan and spread it out with a spoon to form a crust with raised edges. Let it rise for a few minutes- it won't take long.

Spread on your pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, green bell peppers, pepperoni (Hormel is GF), or whatever you want onto the pie.

Bake it at 425 for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the crust is lightly browned. Let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting and chowing down.

Central Market (HEB) Blueberry Buckwheat Waffles & a short guide to grocery stores in Houston

As grocery stores go, some of the HEB stores around here offer a pretty decent selection of gluten free fare. The only store I've had horrible luck with is Randall's- at least the one at Shepherd and Westheimer. Even Walmart carries rice noodles, but the last time I was there, that store had zilch. Shame on them.

Anyway, some of the HEB stores carry their store brand frozen waffles... which are gluten free! A store brand making a gluten free option? Radical dude.

I can usually find them right next to the Van's frozen waffles, and I think they're better. They're less dry than Van's, and they are cheaper too! I think I picked up this box for $1.89, while Van's run me anywhere from $2-4. Not that Van's are bad. I mean, a frozen waffle is pretty much a frozen waffle.

But, not all of the stores carry them. I've found these at an HEB in Katy, somewhere around Mason and Westpark Tollway. I've also found them at the HEB at Hwy 6 and Austin Parkway. The last time I was at the HEB in Alief, they didn't carry them.

While I'm at it, let's talk about Kroger. That store has always carried a fairly decent number of products. The one in Rice Village is mediocre- it has a GF section but it's not very big.
The Kroger at Hwy 6 and W. Airport is pretty good. I shop there a lot, and they put their stuff on sale.
The Kroger in First Colony on Sweetwater near 59S is the absolute best. They have an enormous section, and they even have a designated gluten free frozen section. You can find a lot of items there that you can't find at any other store, except for maybe Whole Foods. And even then, I've found things at that Kroger that I haven't seen at Whole Foods.

Target carries mostly mainstream gluten free products- like Chex and a few Amy's meals in their health food section. To their credit, that was the first place I found the Chex when it became gluten free.

Walmart is the same way, but I'm randomly seeing special GF products, like noodles, on their shelves.

Fiesta is awesome. The one in Rice Village has a great GF section, and their ethnic aisles carry a lot of GF options. That's where I initially found the Thai noodle bowls, and they also have CHEAP tapioca and sweet rice flour. I go there to stock up every once in a while. You can always find something neat there.

There's an asian store I went to on Bellaire near the Beltway, and I found huge 1-pound bags of Fiber-J brown rice noodles for 99 cents. 99 cents! I'll have to ask Jen about that one.

Of course, I wrote about Ranch Creek Natural Foods earlier.

I think I've covered it, but I might have missed something. Hopefully this will help someone!