Hashed Breakfast Cauliflower, My Tweak

This is what I made this morning for breakfast--

Ingredients:
2 small heads cauliflower, cored and diced
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
Salt, to taste
White Pepper, freshly grated, to taste
6 Pieces of Bacon
1 Tablespoon Fresh, grated Garlic
1 Tablespoon Butter
Two good handfuls of Cheddar (I used Mexi-Melt from Costco)

Method:

Cook bacon in large non-stick skillet till almost crisp.
Remove to a paper towel covered plate and drain.

Reserve two tablespoons of Bacon grease, and fry the cauliflower in it, till beginning to brown. Add the rest of the ingredients, except cheese.
Dice the bacon into fifths, and add to the cauliflower.
Continue cooking till browned and a bit crisp, but not burnt. Add cheese, let sit, then fold everything over on itself-- serve.

Nice with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese over the top.

I served this with scrambled eggs, sausage, and Faux French Toast.

Best Breakfast I've had in a while.

RAVEN'S CHEESY BAKED CREAMED CABBAGE WITH HAM, ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOMS

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

1 very large head of Cabbage, chopped into medium sized chunks and separated (about 6 cups raw)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped medium
1 cup sliced Criminey Mushrooms
1 cup ham, chopped
4 Italian (link) sausages, microwaved until done, chopped medium
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons granular Splenda
1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
½ teaspoon allspice, ground
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
4 heaping tablespoons sour cream
4 heaping teaspoons cream cheese
1-1/2 cups shredded Mexi-Melt cheese
2 tablespoons butter, divided.
2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese (Kraft in the carton)

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large (preferably non-stick) dutch oven, saute onions in 1 tablespoon butter until browning; add ham and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until mushrooms and ham are browning.

Add the cabbage, and carefully cook on medium hi heat, till tender. Add chopped sausage.

Continue cooking to marry the flavors; add spices, 1 tablespoon butter and Splenda.

When cabbage is very tender, turn out into a colander and drain well.

Turn drained cabbage mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Add 4 tablespoons sour cream and 4 tablespoons cream cheese. Stir till everything is blended well and taste. This is where you tweak your seasonings.

Turn into well greased 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with the Mexi-Melt cheese, until covered.

Bake at 350 for half an hour, turn oven up to 475 and continue cooking till cheese is bubbly.

Remove from oven and sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese.

Carb Counts: (Per Linda Sue--THANKS!!)

Per Whole Recipe: 3352 Calories; 264g Fat; 154g Protein; 104g Carbohydrate; 33g Dietary Fiber; 71g Net Carbs

Per 1/8 Recipe: 419 Calories; 33g Fat; 19g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 9g Net Carbs

Per 1/12 Recipe: 279 Calories; 22g Fat; 13g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 6g Net Carbs

10 Things the Food Industry Doesn't Want You to Know

The Food Industry is NOT on your side!

Marion Nestle is the author of "Food Politics" and the Blog, "What To Eat".
This is possibly one of the more important sites for those watching their diets (or just trying not to poison themselves) that I've seen in a while.

I wholeheartedly recommend that you visit her site.

BUNS!!! Almost 0 carb!

Hey y'all!

This is what I'm having for lunch today.

Raven's Mushroom/Asiago burger with"Bun".

Fixin's:

I sauteed 1/2 inch of onion (thin rings) with about a 1/4 cup sliced mushroom in butter, with granulated garlic. Then I set it aside.

Then, I took about three or four handfuls of pork rinds and crushed them in my hands (till I had a little more than half a cup) and added 1 egg, and two small handfuls of Mexi-melt cheese, and mixed them well. (It's a dry mix, don't be put off by this.

I added a little granulated garlic and basil to the mix for seasoning.

I poured about a tablespoon and a half of peanut oil into a crepe pan, and made two patties out of the mixture. (It tends to be prone to falling apart-- however, I'm stubborn-- I got two hand sized buns out of this, with a small "bonus bun" leftover. That one became a snack.

Then I fried them (on low medium heat) till they were golden brown on one side-- flipped them, and cooked them till they were golden brown on the other side.

Then I took some organic ground beef-- seasoned it with Trader Ho's beef grill seasoning, and made it into a patty to fit the "buns" I'd just made. I cooked it till just a little over medium rare.

I put the Onion/Mushroom mixture on top of the burger and covered that with two thin slices of Asiago cheese. I covered the whole thing with a lid that fit the pan, cooked for about 4 minutes or so-- until the cheese was well melted. I let it cool for about 2 minutes.

Then I placed the burger on one slice of the "bun" and slathered mustard over the other one, and topped the burger.

The completed burger held up all day-- I tend to eat one quarter of a burger at a time, with about 2 hours between each mini-meal. The bun did not get too soggy.

Oh. My. Heavens!!!YUMMMY.

A Low Carbing Black Woman Revisits Turnips...

Turnips are a great Low Carb food.

However they elicit a response from me-- that is almost visceral.

Why?

When I was a very little girl, I knew this very old Lady-- her mother had actually been a slave-- she was about six years old when she was freed. Some of the slaves were not freed at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation-- because they could not read, and *some* of the slave owners did not enlighten their slaves about the situation.... regardless... I got a great recipe out of this.. and the fact that this is a recipe from my past-- from someone I knew-- who went through the experiences she did...makes it even more meaningful. My grandmother let This wonderful Older Lady live on our property in Mounds, Illinois, until she died.

Anyway-- this lady was nearly a hundred years old when I knew her-- and I was about five or six, myself. She made the best Turnips I've ever had in my life. Lots of butter. Pepper, and salt and garlic and onion. And that was it. She stewed them ...forever and a day... but they were GOOD.

And she lived a long, long time. That should tell you something. Think about what she lived through. This should tell you something. Low Carb is GOOD for you.

One of the things I remember that she did was to put fatback in the pan and get it browned before adding the turnips and the water. And I think she might of soaked the turnips in salt water for about an hour before she cooked them. Maybe half an hour.

**; also Mr. Rabbitt, who drove me on the bus to the little schoolhouse in Mounds where my Grandma taught..to Mr and Mrs. Schurlock who lived down the hill, and my very first friends--Maria and Jan.

I miss you all, very much.
__________________

How To Cut Your Meat Budget

It's expensive to be on a Low Carb Diet.. here's an article on how to cut those prices...

Survival As A Low Carber During Times Of Emergency

So-- with all the brouhaha around this election, and hubbub around Hurricane Ike, and possibility of riots (I live in Seattle-- home of the WTO riots)-- I thought it might be a good idea to think about how to prepare for emergencies or disasters.

Let's face it-- Low Carbers have very specific needs-- and if the only foods available are granola bars—or high sugar foods handed out by rescue workers.. well, we're in trouble.

I grew up in Southern Illinois and Southern Indiana and I got used to being snowed in-- two weeks out of the year.

And, just my opinion, but losing your job also qualifies for the designation of disaster. In these crazy economic times I think it's very important to be prepared. So here we go.

Oh, and if you're reading this and have suggestions, please feel free to comment!

So on to my list and suggestions.

I've got some large quantities listed here, but you don't have to buy all of this at once! Check sales at drugstores and Costco and buy in quantity when the items listed are on sale. I'd store this food in a couple of foot lockers or a few of boxes in the basement or a closet. If you're lucky enough to have a pantry, you may want to section off a part of it as “Emergency Only”.

Because there may not be power-- the foods listed here are foods which do not require refrigeration that will be safe to use during an emergency situation:

First the obvious:

(And this is for dire emergencies-- like flood, fire, getting trapped in your car)

Atkins Shakes, canned, two or three dozen (for the car 1 dozen)

Atkins Bars, 3 boxes (for the car, 1 box)

Lots of bottled water (for the car 1 dozen)

Vitamin packs (1 dozen for the car)

Emergen'cy packs sugar-free ( 1 container)

MEATS

Canned meats: Tuna, Salmon, Chicken, Corned Beef, Ham, fish(sardines, kippers, herring) 6- 1 dozen each

Spam , 1 dozen

Deviled Meat , 1 dozen

Canned cocktail sausages , 1 dozen

Beef Jerky 6- dozen packages

Pork Rinds 2 or 3 dozen large bags

VEGETABLES:

Canned Vegetables, Spinach, Mushrooms, Olives, Artichoke Hearts,Asparagus, tomatoes

get at least 6 cans of each

OTHER CANNED GOODS

Canned Salsa (lowest carb brand you can find)

Chicken Broth, 6-12 each

Beef Broth, 6-12 each

Cream of Mushroom Soup , 6 each

Canned Macadamia Nuts 1-2 dozen cans

Canned Salsa, 6 each

Bottled Water, 2 cases per person

Diet Soda, 2-3 dozen cans or 6 per person

LEGUMES:

Canned Black Soy Beans, 1 dozen

DRY GOODS

(For these items I heartily recommend investing in a Vacuum Sealer-- the better to protect your food from water or contamination. )

TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) Sealed

Powdered Eggs

Soy Protein Powder (unflavored)

Dreamfields Pasta, All Types, 1 or 2 dozen

Crystal Light To Go , 4 o 5 cartons containing 10 packs each

Splenda Packets (individual)

Stevia

Shiritaki Mushrooms

The Prosecution of George W. Bush For Murder

It's a joke, right?

Some sort of Left-Wing propagandist fantasy?

Ah--no.

The author of the book "The Prosecution of George W. Bush For Murder" happens to be Vincent Bugliosi, a very famous prosecutor-- in fact he's the prosecutor who put Charlie Manson away.

He's got a very long and distinguished record as a lawyer and prosecutor; Bugliosi successfully prosecuted 105 out of 106 felony jury trials, including 21 murder convictions without a single loss.

He also happens to be the author of the classic best-selling true crime book “Helter Skelter” .

He wrote best-sellers on the Kennedy Assassination, and the O.J. Simspon Trial.

So why is this renowned writer's work suddenly blacklisted from the media? He has the Cred. He has the contacts, and a track record. But he's made the mistake of laying out a case in which George W. Bush can indeed, be prosecuted for murder. How?

Check out this article to find out for yourself.

How I'm feelin' today

Axis: Bold as Love..

Change is gonna come....

Change.....

Preventing Voter Fraud:

Current conditions in the U.S. election system have shattered the basis for confidence in results:

• Millions of voters are illegally denied the right to vote.
• Votes are counted by computers that can produce any result, regardless of the voters' real votes.
• Exit polls, used worldwide to detect suspicious election results, are altered to match official totals.

Here's where to go to take action:

My Asian-Style Shrimp and Scallop Stir-Fry

Miracle Noodles? Otherwise known as Shirataki Noodles?

Hmmmmmn. A lot of folks think they're weird. But, as a low carber-- I acknowledge that we often eat weird food. But this stuff is awesome.

Shirataki Noodles can be found at your local Asian Grocery, or online at Konjac Foods.

Here's an explanation of what they are, where they come from:

"

What are Konjac Foods?

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a water-soluble dietary fiber derived from the root of the Konjac plant. Konjac foods, also called Shirataki Nooldes In Japan, made from Konjac Glucomannan, are traditional Chinese foods with a history spanning over two thousand years. Referred to as Moyu or Juruo in China, and Konnyaku or Shirataki Noodles in Japan, Konjac foods are a popular health food in the Asian markets.

Konjac foods - Shirataki noodles ....

• are naturally water soluble fiber with no fat, sugar, starch, or protein.
• contain zero net carbohydrates and zero calories.
• are wheat and gluten free.
• pure Vegetable
• can be stored in the room temperature for about one year. Don't need refrigeration
• JAS (Japan Agricultural Standard) Cetified Organic
• are translucent and gelatinous, with no flavor of their own - they easily absorb the dominant flavors of any soup or dish.
• are instant and come in a variety of styles and shapes - you can simply toss salsa with Konjac instant pasta for a quick meal."

MY WAY OF USING THEM:
Shrimp Scallop Stir-Fry

With the Plain Konjac variety, I put two bags into a colander and rinse them really, really well. Then I fry the heck out of them in about a teaspoon or so (a dollop) of bacon grease. When they have reduced a bit and are a bit more opaque, they are ready for the rest of the "recipe".

Most of the time, I simply add a mix of soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, rice wine . sesame oil and celery, shredded Napa cabbage, chopped green onion mushrooms, water chestnuts, chopped broccoli and onion-- a little granulated garlic, and red hot chili oil as well.

I also add about 1/2 teaspoon of Splenda.

Then, I add lots of large frozen shrimp and scallops. I cook this until it's heated through. If the sauce seems too thin, I'll remove the food mixture from the pot, reserving the liquid.

Then I thicken it up with about 1/8-- 1/2 teaspoon of Xanathan gum. Then I just pour it over the dish, and mix well.

In another pan, I may toast sesame seeds, peanuts, or cashews. (About a handful) and use it as a garnish.

I've also used this method with Black Bean Sauce and Tofu or Cubed Chicken.

I don't ever use Western sauces , such as Spagetti sauce with these noodles. It just doesn't work. These were originally used in things like Sukiyaki. So, I use them for Asian-Style dishes only.

*Note* They are better the next day-- as the noodles seem to absorb a bit more of the sauce. And they also make a very good cold Asian salad. Try serving with a side of Korean Beef Ribs or Bulgogie Beef:

Korean Beef Short Ribs ( I don't know where I found the original recipe, and I low-carbed it from the original)


Bulgogie Beef

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings (More like 2 servings for a low carber)

Ingredients:

2-1/2 pounds beef chuck flanken-style short ribs, cut 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick*
¼ cup water
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon Splenda or Xylitol or ½ teaspoon of each
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions

1. Place ribs in large resealable food storage bag. Combine water, soy sauce, green onions, splenda, seasame oil, ginger, garlic and pepper in small bowl; pour over ribs. Seal bag tightly, turning to coat. Marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

2. I fry these in hot peanut oil ( not much, just a dollop) in the skillet.

3. Brush tops lightly with reserved marinade; turn and brush again. Discard remaining marinade. Continue to cook, covered, 5 to 6 minutes for medium or until desired doneness is reached. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

YUM.

Raven's Low Carb Asian Meatballs

Makes about 30 or so meatballs, at a trace carb each.

Ingredients

2 lbs Ground Turkey or Pork or one pound of each
1 ½ cup crushed spicy pork rinds
1 tablespoon Chinese Five Spice Powder
2 tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Fish Sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons Sesame oil
½ teaspoon Splenda
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 or 3 stalks green onion, finely minced
½ cup Shitake mushrooms, stems removed-- soaked, dried, minced finely.

Mix all ingredients well, place into baggie and refrigerate overnite.
Form into small 1 inch diameter balls.

When ready to cook, you have three options:

Fry them in a skillet with a little peanut oil, till done.

Drop them into hot Asian-style flavored soup, cook and serve with the soup.

Bake them at 350 degrees in oven for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

These are WAY YUMMMY. Good snack food, works as a main dish. You could also serve these with Shirataki noodles and a low carb peanut sauce.

9-11, Seven Years Later...

Let's all take a moment today to remember those who died in the horrific events of September 11th.

PAX.

Comfort Food: My Extremely Simple Low Carb Egg Drop Soup

In the words of Barack Obama, ENOUGH!

Even I get sick of politics.... and banging my head on the keyboard is getting me nowhere!

Comfort Food is required!

My Extremely Simple Low Carb Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

Chicken Broth, 4 cups
2 Leeks or 4 Green onions, cleaned and sliced thin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1teaspoon dried lemon grass
4-5 eggs.

Instructions:

In a large sauce pan saute leeks and dried lemon grass in sesame oil on low heat until tender.
Pour in Chicken Broth and other ingredients and bring to a boil.
In a small mixing bowl, break and mix eggs. Strain eggs through fork tines a little at a time, and stir well for a few minutes till egg ribbons are cooked through. Serve hot.

This makes a very satisfying soup-- it's quick, it's easy. Serve with Asian Meatballs , Cauli-Fried Rice, and Low Carb Egg Foo Yung.

Lose your house, lose your vote

Michigan Republicans plan to foreclose African American voters

' "We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren't voting from those addresses," party chairman James Carabelli told Michigan Messenger in a telephone interview earlier this week. He said the local party wanted to make sure that proper electoral procedures were followed.'

Uhmmm.. Isn't this illegal? It sure as HELL is unethical! Click the above link to read the whole article. Grrr.

The Republicans are stealing the Election...AGAIN!

If you think I'm joking, read this.

Voter Registration by Students Raises Cloud of Consequences

Is America Intellectually Constipated?

I think so.

We have a lot of people in this country who are fighting so hard against any sort of progress. We, as Americans, have become extremely adept at doing a collective impression of the three monkeys-- we don't want to see, we don't want to hear, we don't want to speak about it; we don't want to HAVE to think.

Some of our people just don't want to have to adjust their brainspace-- we just don't want to make room for a new paradigm.

This mentality, reminds me of the child who is afraid to --well... proceed with the needful clearing out of the waste brought on by the sheer unwillingness to pay attention to some of the basic things in life that are crucial to survival, for fear that the .. ahem... process will be painful.

Is it possible that we might learn to embrace change as a positive thing?

Maybe it's time to relax and move to the future?

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION 2008!

DNC Low Carb Party Food

Okay, y'all know I'm a Political Junkie.

So, seeing Barrack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention is for me, what the Superbowl or The Olympics for some of my guy friends.

So it should be no surprise that I decided to hold a small informal gathering at my house.

This calls for serious snacks.

Part of the problem--

I have 12 roommates-- 3 of us (one is a thirteen-year old-girl) are actively low carbing it, we have 5 omnivores, though one does not eat beef or green Bell peppers, 1 low protein- low-fat -mostly-vegetarian with a heavy emphasis on whole grains and Pasta, 1 person with Chrohn's disease (no Gas producing foods), one Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian, (actively dislikes most veggies, except for Broccoli and Eggplant) and 1 Two-year old girl.

We may even have a couple of Vegans showing up.

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

You want to talk about a cooking challenge? How do I feed people with such disparate tastes and food restrictions?

Here's how.

I will be making the following;

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Pizza hut-ish Pizza (cut in snack size pieces (two versions , veggie and meat-lovers)
Portabella Pizzas (vegetarian)
Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Stuffed, Marinated Chicken Skins

Here are the recipes:

BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP

Ingredients:

1 pound frozen Trader Joe's Colossal Shrimp, thawed, cleaned, about 24
12 slices of nitrate free bacon, cooked but not crisp
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Dijon Mustard
½ teaspoon Splenda
Butter, melted

Mix the Dijon Mustard and ½ teaspoon Splenda in a small bowl.

Slather the mixture on the shrimp. Let it sit for a while, at least an hour in the fridge.

Cut each bacon slice in two (horizontally). Wrap each shrimp in the bacon and secure with toothpicks. Place on broiler pan, lined with heavy duty non-stick foil. Broil on HI on middle rack of oven. Baste at least twice with the melted butter.

When shrimp is browning a little and the bacon is crisp, it's done.

RAVEN'S STUFFED , MARINATED CHICKEN SKIN BUNDLES

Ingredients:

Raw Skin leftover from Chicken thighs.

Marinating Mixture: (see below)
1 cup Cream Cheese
1 half a Bag pre-washed baby spinach

In a Baggie, marinate Chicken skins in a mixture of Chinese Five Spice powder, granulated garlic , onion powder, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and ½ teaspoon Splenda.

Leave overnight and turn a few times.

The next morning:

Take a skin and spread it out on a cutting board skin side down. Take a dollop of stuffing mixture (in this case, spinach and cream cheese and place in the center. Now here' s where the idea gets tricky.

Roll up like an egg roll, using some of the stringy parts of the skin to wrap around the roll, creating a self-contained bundle. Place on Broiler pan. Repeat until you've used up all the skins and cream cheese mixture. Season with desired spices-- I used Trader Joe's Poultry grill mix.

Broil on Hi for about 15 minutes on your middle rack.

More Stuffing ideas:

Canned Crab/ cream cheese
Shredded Napa Cabbage, egg and minced green onion with just a little grated carrot (for color)
Cream Cheese and minced shrimp/or baby shrimp from the can
Cream cheese, Bacon (bits) and Baby Spinach
Goat cheese or Feta, Black olives, minced cucumber, and ground lamb or sausage.

**

MEXICAN PIZZA

(Raven's Take on Nancy Elle's Classic)
This Pizza is awesome! Good cold, too!


Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

For the Crust:

In a large bowl combine:

4 cups shredded mozzarella
2 Cup Cheese, cheddar , 1 cup, shredded
5 LARGE eggs
1 tablespoon Kraft's Parmesan Cheese (in the box)
½ tsp Granulated garlic
½ tsp Oregano
½ tsp onion powder
½ Basil

Use baker's parchment to line a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan, then pat mixture into a thin even layer. Spread mixture to the edges-- pat down with fingers, to ensure an even thickness. Trim excess parchment paper from pan with scissors.

Bake at 450 for 20 to 30 minutes on your middle rack.

When crust is browned and crisp at the edges, remove from oven and let cool.

For the Toppings:

Crumble 1 lb Chorizo in pan, cook at low-med heat until done, drain, and crumble some more into smaller pieces.

Caramelize Onions on low heat in olive oil. Remove when browned. Add chopped broccoli, chopped mushrooms, and zucchini to pan. Cover with lid, until broccoli is a bright green and zucchini is tender-crisp. Remove from heat.

Spread pizza crust with the salsa, and place toppings on pizza. Smother with Mozzarella cheese.

Place under broiler on Lo, until cheese is just beginning to brown.

The recipe above is only one variation on a theme-- one can make a white Pizza, using Low Carb Alfredo sauce, or Pizza Carbonara using a good Marinara-- I've also made a heck of a Pesto, Spinach, Mushroom and Roasted Chicken Pizza using the same crust. Varying your spice can make a big difference.

OVEN ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Brussels sprouts
olive oil
salt and pepper
Nutritional Yeast
Granulated garlic, to taste

Mix spices and Nutritional Yeast in a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Slice the sprouts in half lengthwise, removing any loose, outer leaves and trimming the bottom stems.

Toss sprouts in a little bit of olive oil and add seasoning mix, to taste. Spread cut side up in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until browned and crispy.

Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for lunch the next day.

From The Nation:

I thought this article was very enlightening; being that it shows what happens when one decides to vote on ISSUES, rather than partisan political dogma. I have always said that actual classic Conservatives had to be cringing at the perversion of their ideals by the Neo-Cons who have taken over their party. This article give a bit of insight into why there may be more and more Republicans for Obama!

Welcome, one and all!

FROM THE NATION

A Republican For Obama

posted by John Nichols on 08/26/2008 @ 01:09am

DENVER – On a night when the wife of the presumptive Democratic nominee for president would take the stage of the Democratic National Convention following an address by the most revered elder-statesman of the party, it would be hard to imagine how a former congressman from eastern Iowa would even get notice – let alone high marks as one of the most important speeches of the night.

Unless, of course, the former congressman was a Republican.

So there was Jim Leach, former diplomat, friend of the Bush family and long-time Republican congressman from Iowa City, enjoying the enthusiastic response of thousands of Democrats on the same night that Michelle Obama and Ted Kennedy headlined the convention that on Thursday will nominate Barack Obama for president.

And he was saying things that made Democrats swoon.

"As a Republican, I stand before you with deep respect for the history and traditions of my political party. But it is clear to all Americans that something is out of kilter in our great republic. In less than a decade America's political and economic standing in the world has been diminished. Our nation's extraordinary leadership in so many areas is simply not reflected in the partisan bickering and ideological politics of Washington. Seldom has the case for an inspiring new political ethic been more compelling. And seldom has an emerging leader so matched the needs of the moment," began the man who will head the Democratic nominee's aggressive "Republicans for Obama" campaign in the fall.

"The platform of this transformative figure is a call for change," Leach continued. "The change Barack Obama is advocating is far more than a break with today's politics. It is a clarion call for renewal rooted in time-tested American values that tap Republican, as well as Democratic traditions."

While Ted Kennedy compared Obama with John Kennedy, Leach referenced Republican icons such as Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower.

Though Leach's address was historical in nature, even scholarly, it the note for delegates who understand the difficult challenges that lie ahead in the 2008 presidential race.

"I thought Leach, in a tough spot, did remarkably well," said Tom Loftus, the veteran Democratic pol who served as U.S. ambassador to Norway during the Clinton years. "The history, the historical references, I think that really resonates with people. A credible voice of the Republican Party saying, ‘Look, the Republican party has lost touch with Republican values."

Perhaps even more meaningful was the suggestion that the choice in November will be between partisanship and patriotism.

"This is not a time for politics as usual or for run-of-the-mill politicians. Little is riskier to the national interest than more of the same. America needs new ideas, new energy and a new generation of leadership," explained Leach, in remarks that may have been addressed to wavering Republicans and independents but that warmed the hearts of Democrats. "Hence, I stand before you proud of my party's contributions to American history but, as a citizen, proud as well of the good judgment of good people in this good party, in nominating a transcending candidate, an individual whom I am convinced will recapture the American dream and be a truly great president: the senator from Abraham Lincoln's state-Barack Obama."

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini Fritters (my version)

6 cups shredded zucchini
1/4 cup shredded onion
1/4 cup protein powder
1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Soy Flour
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
2 eggs (beaten)
salt and pepper
Granulated Garlic, 1 teaspoon

Shred Zucchini using a grater. Place grated zucchini in a large mixing bowl with the other ingredients, mixing well. I recommend mixing your dry ingredients in one bowl and mixing them separately, then adding them to the Zucchini /egg mix.

Mix all together well.

Heat about 1/2 inch Peanut Oil oil in a frying pan to where water sizzles if you flick a little into the pan.

Using a large Tablespoon, drop Zucchini /egg mix into hot oil, in small ( about 2 or 3 inch diameter) mounds. When the bottom is browning, flip over, continue cooking till done and crisp.
It helps to use your spoon to press them down a bit in the oil, flatten them a bit.

Work in small batches, until all the batter is used up. You should be able to get at least ten fritters, 15-20 depending on how thin you make them.

Drain on a rack covered with paper towels, set over the sink.

Hint: Place old newspaper in the sink to catch any excess oil. When you're done with your cooking and draining, you can just throw the newspaper away and wipe out the sink with a good cleaner. This makes for easier and quicker clean up time.

Politics Today

Good Source for News

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(Raven's Tweak)

Ingredients:
Brussels sprouts
olive oil
salt and pepper
Hungarian Paprika
granulated garlic
nutritional yeast and/or Parmesan Cheese (Kraft Type in the box)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the sprouts in half lengthwise, removing any loose, outer leaves and trim the bottom stems.

Toss sprouts in a little bit of olive oil and and add spices. Make sure the sprouts are well coated. Spread cut side up in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. (use nonstick foil.)

Bake 400F for 30-40 minutes, or until browned and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Sprinkle with a bit more Parmesan Cheese and serve. Sometimes I also sprinkle these with Mitmita which is Ethiopian Pepper -spice.

Serve these immediately- - these are best hot. (my roommate and I had these as a sub for taters, along with cauliflower popcorn when watching a movie the other night!) This was great the next day for lunch. This is also great finger food for parties, served with a nice dip, like a Tzzikki sauce.

Can this idiot embarrass this country any more? No? Oh, well wait 'till you read this...

Just when you thought W. couldn't make the United States look any worse on the world stage, he goes and does this.

From the Seattle P.I.

Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter

Sigh.

Ralph, Ralph...

On seeing this article in which Ralph Nader comments that Barack Obama “tries to talk White”, and that the reason for his success is because of White guilt... well, I not only had to comment, but I sent a letter to Mr. Nader, as well.

Obama using 'white guilt,' Nader says:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/25/nader.obama/index.html?section=cnn_latest

My Letter:

Mr. Nader;

You were one of my mother's great heroes, as you were mine as I was growing up.

But your statements regarding Senator Obama -- Well, I find them simply repugnant. I'm writing you as a Black woman who *is* articulate (and has often been accused by both Whites and Blacks as 'trying to talk White' because of that) and who also has 10 White roommates who are also voting for Obama (and, by the way-- not out of White guilt).

Please apologize-- not only to Obama, but also to the millions of Black People you have just insulted--including all of the Black educators past and present, who have have worked tirelessly to get our people to speak English properly, so that we too, through hard work and effort, and education, have a chance to realize the American Dream.

Being Black is *NOT* about being inarticulate.

Raven's Frighteningly Good Roasted Cauliflower

This is another of my takes on a classic.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 (or 6 cups) large head cauliflower, cut and separated into florets
Olive Oil ¼ cup or enough to coat cauliflower
Dried Basil , 1 teaspoon
Dried Parsley 1, teaspoon
Sweet Hungarian Paprika, 1-1/2 teaspoons
White Pepper 1 teaspoon
Nutriional Yeast, 2 tablespoons

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Put cauliflower into a large mixing bowl, and coat well with Olive oil.

Season with Sweet Hungarian Paprika, Granulated Garlic, dried Basil, dried Parsley and heaping tablespoon of nutritional yeast.

Turn out into a large baking pan, and arrange in a single layer.

Bake for one hour.

Enjoy!!!

Carb Counts for ingredients:

Cauliflower: 6 cups raw, approximately 15 grams carb.
Nutritional Yeast: 2 heaping tablespoons: Total Carbs 5 g
Dried Parsley: Trace carbs
Dried Basil: trace carbs
Hungarian Paprika: 1 gram carbs
Olive oil: 0 carbs
White Pepper, 1 gram carb.

Total Carbs per recipe:
22 grams carbohydrate

Per serving:
5.5 grams carb.

Raven's Mexican Pizza or A Variation on a Theme

(Raven's Take on Nancy Elle's Classic)

This Pizza is awesome! Good cold, too!

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

For the Crust:

In a large bowl combine:

4 cups shredded mozzarella
2 Cup Cheese, cheddar , 1 cup, shredded
5 LARGE eggs
1 tablespoon Kraft's Parmesan Cheese (in the box)
½ tsp Granulated garlic
½ tsp Oregano
½ tsp onion powder
½ Basil

Use baker's parchment to line a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan, then pat mixture into a thin even layer. Spread mixture to the edges-- pat down with fingers, to ensure an even thickness. Trim excess parchment paper from pan with scissors.

Bake at 450 for 20 to 30 minutes on your middle rack.

When crust is browned and crisp at the edges, remove from oven and let cool.

For the Toppings:

Crumble 1 lb Chorizo in pan, cook at low-med heat until done, drain, and crumble some more into smaller pieces.

Caramelize Onions on low heat in olive oil. Remove when browned. Add chopped broccoli, chopped mushrooms, and zucchini to pan. Cover with lid, until broccoli is a bright green and zucchini is tender-crisp. Remove from heat.

Spread pizza crust with the salsa, and place toppings on pizza. Smother with Mozzarella cheese.

Place under broiler on Lo, until cheese is just beginning to brown.

The recipe above is only one variation on a theme-- one can make a white Pizza, using Low Carb Alfredo sauce, or Pizza Carbonara using a good Marinara-- I've also made a heck of a Pesto, Spinach, Mushroom and Roasted Chicken Pizza using the same crust. Varying your spice can make a big difference.


TTL Grams Per Entire Pizza Crust: 19.7 grams carbs
1.31 grams carb per slice
2.62 grams carb for 2 slices
Toppings: 12.97 ttl grams

35.67 grams carb per entire recipe
2.3 per piece
4.756 grams for two pieces
6.9 per Three pieces

RAVEN'S PIZZA HUT (ish) PIZZA CRUST

(Raven's Take on Nancy Elle's Classic)

Ingredients:
5 jumbo eggs
3 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup mexi-melt cheese
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon fennel seeds (crushed)
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
Low Carb Marinara sauce ¼ cup/ Or Red Salsa ¼ cup
Or a mix of both, to create ¼ cup total.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a large rectangular baking pan with parchment paper. Using a spatula , spread egg/cheese mixture evenly.

Place pan in oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes to half an hour, or until cheese/egg mix is browned and firm.

When done, set out to cool. Loosen the crust on the parchment paper.

Spread with a low carb pizza sauce or for even fewer carbs, use salsa, or a salsa/marinara sauce mix.

Place toppings of your choice on the pizza--

Pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, shrimp, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, onions, Canadian bacon, etc, . Use your imagination!

Top with mozzarella cheese, and place under broiler on HI (middle rack) and broil 'till cheese is just starting to brown.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

My Housemates were apparently quite wowed by this recipe.

*notes:

This Pizza heats up well, and travels well for a work lunch. You can pick this pizza up and hold it in your hands, eat it like a regular pizza. It's also very filling.

Pasta Fixes

Cheesesteak Manicotti (my tweak)

Ingredients

8 Steak-ums/minute steaks

Ricotta Cheese (15 oz Container)

1 egg

2 cups of Shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup of Parmesan grated cheese

1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley flakes

small pinch of Salt and pepper

1 Cup of Low carb Tomato Sauce

**Preheat oven to 350* Fry up the 8 minute steaks and let them drain on paper Towels.

1. In a medium bowl, combine: Ricotta Cheese, egg, Mozzarella Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Parsley flakes and salt and pepper.

2. Lay one Steak-um flat. Place about 3 heaping tablespoons of the Filling mixture on one side of the Steak-um. Roll it up. Place it in a 8X8X2 Glass baking dish.

3. Repeat until all 8 Steak-Ums are filled and in the baking dish (you will have leftover filling).

4. Pour 1 Cup of Tomato Sauce on top of the Casserole.

5. Cover with Aluminum Foil and bake for about 25 Minutes.

6. Remove from Oven and let Sit for a few minutes (for the filling to set)

It's now ready to serve.

Chicken-Zucchini Version

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (pounded thin between sheets of waxed paper)

8 thin cut sirloin tip steaks (Also pounded thin)

Ricotta Cheese (15 oz Container, drained)

1 egg

2 cups of 6 cheese blend.

1/3 cup of Parmesan grated cheese

1 med. zucchini (shredded and squeezed dry)

small pinch of Salt and pepper

1 Jar of 4 cheese spaghetti sauce

I put the filling together subbing zucchini for parsley.

Then, sauté the steaks and thighs.

Spoon (carefully) filling into the steaks.

Put the the rest of the filling between chicken thighs and cover with the rest of the sauce.

Baked one hour. Cover with foil.

Michael Moore Endorses Obama

Monday, April 21st, 2008
My Vote's for Obama (if I could vote) ...by Michael Moore

Friends,

I don't get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan. The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn't get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted.

So, if you live in Pennsylvania, can you do me a favor? Will you please cast my vote -- and yours -- on Tuesday for Senator Barack Obama?

I haven't spoken publicly 'til now as to who I would vote for, primarily for two reasons: 1) Who cares?; and 2) I (and most people I know) don't give a rat's ass whose name is on the ballot in November, as long as there's a picture of JFK and FDR riding a donkey at the top of the ballot, and the word "Democratic" next to the candidate's name.

**
To see rest of article, go here.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=225

Raven's Dirty “Cauli-Rice”

Ingredients:

2 large heads cauliflower

1 pound cooked ground turkey, lamb, beef, or ground pork or a combination of the ground meats + plus a couple of cooked chicken livers and/or chicken giblets, cooked and chopped fine

2 or 3 links nitrate free, sugar free Andouille sausage, chopped
2 stalks green onion
1 med stalk celery, chopped med
6-10 med crimini mushrooms, chopped fine
2 tablespoons butter
1 ½ teaspoons cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Splenda
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
olive oil


Here's what I did:

I grated the cauliflower in a cheese grater, then sauteed it in the olive oil and half the butter 'till tender. Then I added the other seasonings and ingredients and sauteed till everything was done. (Tender, tasty!)Add the second half of the butter last. Creamy and luscious.


By the way-- this is great with a handful of fresh crab, shrimp, crawdaddy, pine nuts or all of the above. For a real neat twist, add a handful of crushed pork cracklin's. Not Pork rinds-- *Cracklin's*. There's a difference. I like to bake up some chicken, drain the grease, and smother the chicken with the dirty "rice"-- and then bake it for about 30 minutes at 350. Serve hot.

“Elegant Chicken” , Raven's Version

This is my version of a recipe from Sharron Long's “Extreme Low Carb Cuisine”.

I used:

5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons Hungarian Paprika
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
a couple of pinches salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound bacon cut into 2 inch pieces
1 pound sliced Colby Jack cheese
one medium Walla Walla onion, chopped fine
6-10 Crimini mushrooms coarsely chopped


Rinse chicken, and place into large baking dish (I used a roast pan) sprinkle with all seasonings, then lay bacon slices over all of the chicken. Take half the Colby Jack slices, cut in halves and layer over the bacon.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

In a med saucepan, heat butter until clarified, not frothy, and add chopped mushrooms and /or garlic and onions. When onions are starting to caramelize add ½ cup half and half or heavy cream. Bring to a very low boil, turn down heat and add the rest of the Colby jack cheese, slowly. Stir slowly over low heat till you have a sauce. Cover and simmer on very low heat, stirring occasionally.

Take chicken out of oven and drain grease out of pan. Ladle the sauce over the chicken, and return to the oven. Bake for another ½ hour. Serve hot.

YUM!

Recipe Review: Elegant Chicken

Book: Extreme Low-Carb Cuisine
(250 Fabulous Recipes With Virtually No Carbohydrates!)

Author: Sharron Long

Recipe: Elegant Chicken , page 202.
Serves 8, Carbohydrates 2 grams, Effective Carb Count 1 gram, Protein 23 grams, Fat 28 grams, calories 356

This is basically chicken topped with bacon slices, cheese and served with a mushroom /cheese sauce poured over it.

I made this recipe last night with a few differences: I used boneless/skinless chicken, and Colby Jack cheese instead of Swiss.

It's pretty easy to make, and the recipe can easily be doubled.

This was flipping YUMMY! My house-mates were wowed, and I don't think I'll have leftovers very long.

The one thing I'd say to watch out for is too much grease. I drained the chicken/bacon and then carefully ladled the cheese sauce over it. There was plenty of sauce, and the chicken was very rich. I served it with Cauliflower "Dirty Rice".

Really nice dinner. I'm taking some for lunch today!

Raven's Amazing Sausage Mushroom Gravy

I made this gravy to go over Chicken-Fried Steak-- yummmmy!!!!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons grease and drippings from fried meat (ex.,fried chicken, or Chicken Fried Steak.)

¼ pound ground sausage, made into 4 patties

4 mushrooms, sliced thin

½ cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup grated (Kraft's in canister) Parmesan Cheese

Method:

Saute sausage patties till brown on one side, add mushrooms.

Finish sautéing till sausage is done, and mushrooms are browning.

Chop sausage into small bits with spatula.

Drain the grease from the pan, lower heat.

Pour in heavy whipping cream slowly, then add Parmesan cheese.

Stir till smooth, thick and brown. Add more cream if sauce is too thick.

Pour over meat. (See above)

Nutritional Information

Sausage- 0 grams
Mushrooms 0.5675 grams
Cream - 1.66
Parmesan Cheese 2.03

TTL Recipe 4.0 (Rounded off. )

WHAT TO DO FOR LUNCH???!!!

A common question is what to have for bagged lunches. When you eat a “normal” diet, you get used to the convenience of processed foods, sandwiches, or just going out and getting junk food.

On a low carb diet, that gets to be a bit of a hassle, and it's expensive and unsatisfying. And I like knowing what's in my food, too. So-- over the years, I've come up with some bagged lunch choices that work-- without having to have as fridge or a microwave.

Here are some of those lunches choices...

Scotch Eggs are AWESOME!!! They travel well, and are good cold.

I boil up some eggs-- I like them medium, and cool them and peel them.

Then I completely cover them in Jimmy Dean sausage, and roll them in either pork rinds (crushed), or protein powder (keeps them from sticking). ( So basically, they are eggs encased in sausage balls)

I place them in a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Slice in half and eat. Take some to work!

**
These are lunches I've had in the last few weeks...

*The above mentioned Scotch Eggs

*turkey/swiss cheese rolls

*small meat balls

*mushrooms stuffed with sausage

*parmesan cheese and pork rinds (crushed)

*Oven fried chicken strips (coated w grated parmesan)

*Catfish nuggets,done same way

*no bread quesadilla (two pieces of turkey ham with cheese, fried up the way you'd do a quesadilla,sliced into quarters...


*Celery stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese or blue cheese

*Cream Cheese and Lox spread with pork rinds

*Bacon-wrapped shrimp and or Catfish

*No sugar,nitrate free chicken sausages,cut in quarters

*Country style Pork Ribs cut in Bite size pieces

*Homemade Quiche

*Egg/cheese/ sausage mini quiche-muffins

*Shiritaki Noodle stir-fry using Leftovers...

* Just plain old Leftovers!!! !

If I'm caught without a lunch to take to work-- I generally go to QFC (my nearest grocer) and get 1/2 pound "Boars Head Oven Roast Turkey Breast"(0 carbs, all natural) sliced medium, and 1/2 pound of some sort of aged, hard cheese, sliced. I make roll ups from these, dipping them in deli mustard.

My lunches are designed to be eaten with minimal mess (finger food, mostly) and without needing either microwave or fridge.

I also like to keep "Liptons Green Tea to Go" packs to add to bottled water.
I try not to go over 2 per day.

Happy Eating!

Starting over...Urgh!!!

Well, I blew it this fall.

It took a band trip, depression and then the holidays... weight came creeping back on. Too much of the wrong foods, and waaaay too much booze. Wannabe Rockstar lifestyle; not good for waistline.

Here's a tip for those folks who find themselves craving alcohol; eat! Alcohol will often have the same effect on your blood sugar as carb-laden foods. One way to stop that craving is by feeding your body with good protein and fat. Yes, fat. Good fats-- like olive oil, or coconut oil, omega-threes, etc, ..

So, here I am, starting again-- and actually, I feel much more committed to this way of eating than before. It may be because I am remembering in a rather visceral sort of way, just how good I felt, last summer and fall. Because I broke my tail bone about a month ago-- I've not been getting as much exercise as I'd like. But I'm walking more again.

So, tonight-- I'm having a wonderful dinner, Fried Catfish (my favorite) and bacon wrapped shrimp. Half an avocado, stuffed with ham, mayo and parmesan. On this diet, it's important to spoil yourself occasionally with legal food.

One of the problems I've always had was remembering to eat enough! And this is one of those things that's hard to re-learn about dieting. That, on this diet-- you really shouldn't go lower than 1200 calories a day, and that most of those calories should come from fat and protein, the rest from non-starchy veggies. When all your life you've been told that to lose weight you must starve yourself-- what a mind-bender, eh?