You might first like to know that I am no longer inundated with squash. The squash heydays have come and gone, but, it may be that I just ate three squash chocolate chip cookies out of the freezer. Yes, yes, of course, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies sound so much better, but the difference in taste is minimal and when one is inundated with squash it makes an excellent use of the squash.

I used different types of winter squash for my cookies and once cooked and pureed and added to recipes that would use pumpkin, I couldn’t tell the difference (of course, pumpkin is a winter squash as well). I had so many different types, so I ended up cooking all of the acorn, butternut, delicata, fairytale, and others together and pur√©eing them. Just make sure to add enough unrefined cane sugar or honey… ok, you could also use maple syrup, sorghum, stevia, or xylitol, but let’s stop there.

What I like so much about winter squash is that it is very high in vitamins and minerals. It has oodles of vitamin A as well as nice amounts of vitamin C, B1, B3, B5, B6 and minerals like potassium, manganese, folate, and copper. It also has the amino acid tryptophan, you know, like in turkey. And omega-3′s! And fiber to keep you regular! Now we are just getting out of hand… or, squash is getting out of hand. Before you leave thinking that it is too good to be true, just ask yourself, “How else could the pilgrims have survived if the Indians hadn’t shown them the secrets of winter squash and squash pies??”

I’m gonna go grab a couple more squash chocolate chip cookies… good thing that winter squash is still serving me in the winter.

One of the things that is nice about kale is that it is not really bitter at all. It blends in a smoothie just fine and you hardly notice the tiny green chopped up flecks, especially among the blueberries, bananas, strawberries, and cocoa. But, but but!, what I like even better about kale is its power-packed nutritional profile. I mean, can I even list all of the good stuff in kale? It is like, in the hall of fame of nutrition density.

Kale is versatile! You can use it in salads, smoothies, soups, sandwiches, soap, salted chips, and something else that starts with S. Actually, I don’t know about the soap, but why not? Because kale is not bitter, it is much easier to work into your diet, at least that is my opinion, and I think it will be your opinion too, if you let it. Then we will be of the same opinion and our opinions will sway other people’s opinions. Yes, we are still talking about kale.

If you have any kale recipes that are to die for, please shamelessly promote them here. I mean, it’s kale!

Vitamins: A, C, K, B1, B2, B3, B6, Folate
Minerals: calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, sodium, zinc
Amino Acids: cystine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine
Omega-3 fatty acids: Yessss.

But, but, but!, I am still going to try dandelions in my smoothie. Lose the butt.

Thankfully, I grew up eating dandelions every now and then. My grandpa would pick them (from areas that had not been sprayed with pesticides or who knows what), and we would have them in salads or soups or sauteed. They definitely take some getting to know. You may not be the biggest fan right from the start. You may have to acquire a taste for them. You may have to work at including them in dishes and disguising their pungent bitterness. BUT, all your hard work will be rewarded. First, your work at liking dandelions will be rewarded with you becoming a fan of dandelions. Second, your body will be rewarded with numerous health benefits.

Dandelions contain:
-Vitamins – A, C, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B6, Choline. Of those it has, most notably, loads of Vitamin K and tons of Vitamin A. Is a load more than a ton? Well, for this article it is.
-Minerals – calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, copper, managanese. Of those, most notably, calcium and iron.

Aside from the nutritional goodness, what I find fascinating about dandelions is their long history of use in the body to promote healing and healthy functioning. It has commonly been used to heal and effectively treat liver disorders (jaundice, hepatitis) and promote liver health and detoxification. It is a diuretic and disinfectant, that is, it cleans you out and helps prevent harmful microbial growth in the urinary system.

Also, interestingly enough, the scientific name for dandelion is: Taraxacum officinale, which basically means The Official Remedy for Disorders or Pharmacy Remedy for Disorders. Because it can cause changes in the liver and flow of bile, it is good to start introducing dandelions slowly into your diet, especially if A) you are not used to eating them, and B) you have liver, stomach, bowel problems. So try some in a mixed salad or added to a soup. I wonder what they would be like in a smoothie? Hmmm. Bitter smoothie? Hmmm. I may have to try that.

I would highly recommend checking them out and doing some reading about them if you are interested in restoring vitality to your body. Yes, I said vitality. Good word, good word.

I am kind of surprised that I have never talked about grapefruit on this blog. When I like something so much and I do not even mention it, it seems steeerange to me. Although, some things need time to come to a fullness within us. Other things grow on us over time. Also, to me, some things seem so good that I don’t want to share them with anyone else, yeah, selfish of me, I know.

My favorite way to enjoy grapefruit is to ensure that I get whole pieces, so that, with each bite, the juicy bits of pulp burst in your mouth. That’s how I like it. It takes mucho mucho time to peel back the skin in order to keep the pieces as whole as possible, but it’s worth it. Using a grapefruit knife and spoon is another enjoyable method. I typically only slice and gnaw when I am in a rush. That is the first time I have ever said ‘gnaw’ on a blog. I think I only said it because Kate said it in the comments on the last post and now it is in my head… still… echoing.

Grapefruit is really a powerhouse of excellent goodness… nutritionally speaking. It is high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and also contains vitamin A, vitamin B5, folate, and potassium. If you are enjoying pink or red grapefruit, the color is due to lycopene. Yes, that is the same phtyonutrient/antioxidant found in tomatoes and watermelon. There are so many interesting things in grapefruit (like limonoids and naringenin), that there tis not the time to tell thee of them. Tetall.

Well, hopefully I didn’t bore you to death. I didn’t bore myself, since I wanted to take a picture of fruit with my new phone. Hellooo grapefruit. Goodbye blog world.

There are certain times in our household when we have an abundance of fruit available. These are good times. Pears, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, apples, blueberries, and mangoes remind me how blessed I am.

So without further ado. I present the champagne mango:

Did you know that Ataulfo mangoes, which is the variety from which champagne mangoes come, have almost 5 times as much vitamin C as other popular mango varieties? All mangoes are packed with good stuff like vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, Magnesium, Potassium, and more! And more! It is nice that a food that looks so good, and tastes so good, can have so many good things in it for you.

I must give my brother credit for introducing me to the champagne mango, just like I must give him credit for taking the above photo with his iphone before we both ate that mango. The champagne mango is smaller, more oblong, typically sweeter, smoother, and turns a nice golden yellow when ripe. I have had other mangoes that are just as sweet, but, what I think sets the champagne mango apart is the smoothness over other mangoes as it has less fibrous strings… less stringiness.

Mango salsa sounds good. Any of you ladies make a mean mango salsa?

What is good for you in cucumbers? Hmmm. I don’t know.

I was just asked that recently, so I thought I would learn. Sure, I know that they are used in salons and day spa’s… something about being good for your skin.

Well, well, what do you know, cucumbers are good for your skin due to the silica content, vitamin C, and high water content. Cucumbers also contain caffeic acid which helps to soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Now it all makes sense.

Cucumbers are not really chocked full of vitamins and minerals. Sure, they are good for you, and have vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, manganese, folate, molybdenum, and tryptophan (really, like in turkey), but they are not as nutrient dense as many other fruits and vegetables. Also, the skin is what is rich in fiber and most of the minerals, therefore it is best to get non-treated or waxed cucumbers and eat the skin. Personally, sometimes I like the skin and sometimes I don’t want it.

One of the main benefits I see about cucumbers is that they have lots of water in them, and are hydrating, cool, and refreshing. I like cucumbers with salt, in salad (tomato and cucumber salad, yum!), in tsatziki, and my favorite way: lacto-fermented, of that I am sure.

Are you sure?

I have always been somewhat indifferent towards mushrooms. Everything about them just seemed vague, and some of their characteristics still do. I have never had a particular liking or disliking of mushrooms, and so, perhaps for that very reason, it has been easier for me to cultivate a liking of them.

Oddly enough, one of the experiences that got me on the path to liking mushrooms, was pizza. When I think of bad tasting mushrooms, I think of mushrooms on pizza. They always have a weird taste and texture. I don’t know, it is just a bad picture in my mind. However, I just happen to eat a wild mushroom pizza at Dewey’s Pizza, and I was like “yeah, these are good mushrooms”.

So, I recently bought some organic shiitake mushrooms at Whole Foods, and thus the reason for this post:

Since that time I have read, and heard, some pretty amazing things about mushrooms. Things like: 6 ways mushrooms can save the world, or all of the nutritional information and health benefits. I have also had, and made, some excellent grilled portobella mushrooms (they make an excellent sandwich with roasted red peppers, lettuce, cheese, and, well, whatever you want to add to the sandwich: ).

While there are numerous benefits to eating mushrooms, I want to highlight a couple. Crimini mushrooms (portabella’s are large crimini’s) not only contain B vitamins but are excellent natural sources of selenium. Selenium is a necessary cofactor for the body to produce its own antioxidant glutathione. In the Baltimore Study on Aging, it showed men with lowest blood levels of selenium to have a 4-5 fold increased risk of prostate cancer. In addition, properties of mushrooms like beta-glucans and the antioxidant L-ergothioneine provide excellent immune support and have shown anti-cancer effects. Shiitakes contain lentinan, a substance that can heal chromosome damage caused by anti-cancer treatments. In general, mushrooms are low in carbohydrates and calories and high in B vitamins, fiber, iron, niacin, potassium, protein, riboflavin, selenium and zinc.

Even though they are not vegetables, I think the best way to prepare mushrooms is like vegetables: grilled, saut√©ed, or broiled with a good fat (coconut oil, butter, olive oil, avocado oil) and sea salt. And, it is nice to know that the antioxidant L-ergothioneine is not destroyed when mushrooms are cooked. Having said that, hopefully, that stirs your desire to experiment a bit more with mushrooms, and then, you can post your experimentations, accompanied by mouth watering photos and let me know. Then I can come to your blog and drool. Except I don’t drool.

Having changed the way I eat years ago, viewing how foods are processed and manufactured has become more of a matter of common sense (yes, your common sense can increase:). With regard to fats and oils, everything is processed to some degree. Knowing what is good, healthy, and beneficial is made easier by having the record of history and seeing what has nourished people for thousands of years. Of course, if you do not want to look at history you can study the processing and science of today and see how rancid industrial oils become, how much oxidation they undergo, what nutrients they are stripped of, or how they are bleached, deodorized, and refined.

So I suggest asking some questions when choosing your fats and oils:

1) How stable is the oil? Does it go rancid easily (how sensitive to light, air, and heat is it)? For this question, most likely you will have to know if it is saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated. Saturated fats are much more stable and better for cooking (Butter, tallow, coconut oil, palm oil), but several monounsaturated fats are good for moderate heat as well (olive oil, avocado oil).

2) What is the smoke point? The smoke point is just like it sounds… the point at which the fats begins to burn and smoke and breakdown. Many times producers will list the smoke point on the oil, but you can definitely tell when you are using them at home. In order to raise smoke points, producers have to heavily refine oils (which then make it an unhealthy product), so look for oils that are able to tolerate high heat naturally (avocado, ghee, or tallow).

3) How processed is the oil? Is it cold pressed, heated, or were chemical solvents used? For example, with olive oil, the best quality oils are first cold pressed or “extra virgin”. The terms “cold pressed” can sometimes be loosely used, so it is good to look up the producer.

4) What and where does it come from? For example, Canola is the name given to a breed (cultivar) from the rapeseed plant, which had too much erucic acid and thus a hybrid was needed in order for the oil to be deemed fit for human consumption, and so here comes Canola oil (Canadian Oil Low Acid).

Most people I know do not get enough saturated fats in their diet. Changing the fats and oils you cook with greatly affects the health of your food (fat soluble vitamins) but also the health and processes of your body. Saturated fats make the use of essential fatty acids (like omega-3) more efficient in the body and thereby you need less. Most people receive far too much omega-6 in their diet and too little omega-3. Also, because saturated fats are short chain or medium chain fatty acids, they are used for energy and burned much quicker in the body, where as longer chain fatty acids are more likely to contribute to the buildup of body fat.

Typically for baking I will use butter or coconut oil. For saut√©ing I will use olive oil, butter, or coconut oil. I like avocado oil, but I haven’t really used it that much. I would definitely like to experiment more with tallow, palm, and avocado oil. I realize for many people it is hard to find high quality sources, like raw butter or organic butter, but usually you can find it at health food stores or through a local farmer or coop.

On the other hand, I avoid pretty much all vegetable oils. When out and about it is almost impossible to avoid them since they are in chips that I am going to dip into my guacamole (unless I make my own chips) and maybe, perhaps I just want a slice of whole foods pizza and I am thinking “why O why would you not just use olive oil in your crust instead of canola oil?”. Money. … So I cheat too.

Good luck with your fat : )

Another random thought I have been thinking is how we get used to buying or eating certain things and do not even question them anymore. Do you do that? For example, do you always go into the grocery or market and have your ‘go to’ things that you just pick up and go without even thinking. I do that. Naturally, things we are less familiar with, we take more time to get acquainted with. Every now and then the thought runs through my head “But what if they changed the ingredients since you last looked and now they process it with or add something you don’t want to eat”… so I better read. For some reason this attention has caused me to enjoy my food more. Strange, I know. I think it is partly because when I have a better idea of what things truly are, I appreciate them more.

Sometimes I just want to keep eating a certain food or spice over and over in order to gain all of the sense of what it is and what it tastes like, so that I can really know it. Sometimes I want to do that with people too. There are certain people that I never get tired of hanging out with and they make you just want to keep experiencing them over and over again. But how would you know that about the food or the person unless you have a really good sense of what it is (or they are).?.? Hmmm?

What was this post about? I don’t know, I was just thinking out loud to you… and to me.. obviously… you see.

Oxidation in fruit is just like rust on metal. Basically, there is an enzyme (polyphenol oxidase) present in the fruit that reacts with oxygen and browns the surface of the fruit. While oxidation can be unpleasant to eat (who wants to eat brown guacamole), and there may be some loss in nutrients, most nutritional value is not lost.

Several years ago I started to wonder about the dried fruits I was eating, I could taste something I didn’t like in them. I noticed that there were packages, both of bright orange apricots, and brown ones too. The difference: sulfur dioxide.

Many dried fruits have sulfur dioxide, potassium sorbate, or sodium benzoate added to prevent oxidation and help preserve the color and nutritional value. While there are many opinions, and “science”, some saying the preservatives are good and fine and others saying they cause long term side effects, for me, it just came down to taste. It was really that simple. I would rather deal with the oxidation than with the sulfur dioxide.

If you have ever had a dehydrator you learn ways to help preserve color and nutrients without the use of preservatives. For example, soaking fruits in a lemon or lime juice solution, blanching (which destroys the enzymes though), or limiting the exposure to oxygen. Certain fruits are excellent for drying as the nature of the fruit allows it to be protected by the skin and allow the nutritional value to stay intact… like grapes, plums or berries.

For guacamole, I like to wait till the end of preparing it and then seal the top with a thin layer of lime juice (instead of mixing in right away). Not only is the lime key in the taste, it also helps to prevent oxidation by reducing the ph on the surface of the fruit and inactivating the enzyme, and by sealing the top so it prevents air from touching the guacamole… it’s a double whammy. Usually I will then mix the guac right before it gets served.

Just like anything, I try to do my best to look at what I am buying. Especially since so many crops are sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. Also, like in this post, many dried products had additives like artificial sweeteners added. Why? Why do that? It is fruit. Of course, that was in Taiwan, but nonetheless, it is good to be aware of where your food is coming from and the practices used in growing it and preserving it. (I definitely do not always know).

So, while oxidation is inevitable and fine in many respects, such as in dried fruit, there are also times when you should be wary. I am soon going to wonder aloud, or maybe in print, about oxidation in fats and oils.

On a side note, saying dried plums sounds so much better than saying prunes, don’t you think? When you say prunes, it makes one think of nursing homes and bowel movements, but when you say dried plums it makes you think of Christmastime… or something like that. I like dried plums.