Mom! We are out of syrup!

I had originally planned on this being a food blog dedicated to healthy eating. I had also planned on not violating any blogging rules. I knew several weeks ago that I had violated one of the top blogging rules of "blog on a regular basis" to keep your readers. Now here I am only on my third posting and I am going to post something not healthy. Thereby going against another well thought out idea.

Now it could be said that I am following Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) for diabetes guidelines. There is no such thing as "good" or "bad" food. Food is either "healthy" or "unhealthy." Also, many "healthy" foods become "unhealthy" based on the frequency and serving size consumed. That sounds good but let's get back to reality because we are going to talk about waffle and pancake syrup.

The syrup we typically eat is not really "maple syrup." Here is the link to my favorite pancake syrup http://www.hungryjack.com/products/ProductDetail.aspx?groupID=74&prodID=591. Look at the first 2 ingredients...corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. Small molecule carbohydrate and small molecule carbohydrate. No sign of MAPLE there...just colored sugar. Needless to say, if I can get it for less than $2.50 a bottle, I will overlook the ingredients.

REAL MAPLE SYRUP actually has health benefits. Maple syrup contains manganese and zinc. Here is a link to detail the benefits of real maple syrup http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=115. I like this link because there are excellent references at the bottom. I also like that it reviews what manganese and zinc actually does in the body. It doesn't hurt that Michigan has been rated the #7 producer of maple syrup in the USA and has the potential of becoming #1 in the nation http://www.awesomemitten.com/food-2/michigan-maple-syrup-month/ and http://www.mi-maplesyrup.com/index.htm# But I am digressing. Keep in mind that maple syrup is still a carbohydrate and still has a calorie level attached to it. (1g carbohydrate = 4 kilocalories). In addition, real maple syrup is very expensive.

 

 

I know, I know! Enough dietitian and science stuff! What do you do when you are out of maple syrup with NO plans of going to the store to get some because the pancakes are cooking and almost ready?

 

 



 

Step 1. Get out a pan.

Step 2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter (not margarine but real butter) and melt on low.

Step 3. Add  1/2 cup of water (may use a little less).

Step 4. Add less than a pinch of salt (optional).

Step 5. Add 1 cup of brown sugar.

 

Bring to a boil. Be careful because it will come to a boil fast! Once the sugar is dissolved it is ready to serve.

 

It makes several servings. Store unused portion in a jar with lid in the refrigerator. I will get back to you on how long it will last!

 

Your no syrup problem is now solved. I think I will look for a pretty label I can use on my jar now.

 

 

 

 

I am interested in your ideas on what you do when you run out of something!



 

Foodgeek Stampede Style Chicken Noodle Soup

I know it is not soup season. We are heading into summer here in the Carolinas and that means it is going to be REALLY HOT. However, one of my cousins requested my recipe for the Chicken Noodle Soup that is in the photo. So here it is Cherie!

Foodgeek Stampede Style Chicken Noodle Soup - Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon (a pinch) white pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 1/4 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
1/2 to 1 tablespoon dried parsley

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté carrot, celery and onion in olive oil until tender. Add broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil and then turn down to medium. In a liquid measuring cup mix 1/4 cup of all purpose flour and 1/4 cup of water to make a "slurry." Add slurry to the mixture a little at a time, stirring all the while, until you get a desired thickened consistency. You don't want the consistency to be as thick as gravy but just a tad thinner than a hearty cream soup. Stir in the diced cooked chicken. Bring to a boil again but immediately reduce heat to medium. Add noodles; cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir in parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition information:
Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 158
Total Fat: 4g
Sat. Fat: 1g
Mono Fat: 2g
Total Carb: 13g
Protein: 13g


Tip: For the soup in the photo I had decided to add about a cup of frozen mixed vegetables. It was a good move as the soup was still just as tasty as before and we were able to get in extra vegetable servings for that day without changing the calorie content of the soup much at all.

 
What recipes would you like me to try and post?

Have a great weekend!
Sarah

THE Food Experts

Hey everybody! My name is Sarah. I am the creator of Foodgeek Stampede. I decided to create a blog after years of encouragement from several of my colleagues. My blog will be dedicated to geek stuff about food, healthy eating (food), recipes (food), nutrition (food), gardening (food), and food (obviously)!

If you came upon my blog via a search and you are still reading, you may be thinking why am I qualified to talk about food all of the time. Well, I am a registered dietitian (RD) with 20 years of experience (not sure if I should have revealed that ;). I am also a certified diabetes educator (CDE) AND a licensed dietitian/nutritionist (LDN) by the State of North Carolina.

I believe it is important for everyone to know what my credentials really mean. In many states, anyone can refer to themselves as a "nutritionist." But, not everyone can be referred to as a registered dietitian. Here is the fancy definition from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (www.eatright.org)

Registered Dietitians (RD) are individuals who have

• completed the minimum of a Baccalaureate degree granted by a U.S. regionally accredited college or university, or foreign equivalent;
• met current minimum academic requirements (Didactic Program in Dietetics) as approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics;
• completed a supervised practice program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics;
• successfully completed the Registration Examination for Dietitians;
• complied with the Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) recertification requirements

To summarize this definition in relationship to myself:

• I have a BS degree in Nutrition and Dietetics.
• I took a lot of science classes including chemistry and biochemistry.
• I completed a 900 hour internship supervised by experienced dietitians and physicians.  
• I took the Registration Examination for Dietitians in 2003 and passed.
• I complete 75 hours of continuing education every 5 years to keep my RD credential.

I will skip to the LDN. This is a credential that allows me to practice dietetics in the State of North Carolina. My RD is a credential that works in every state in the USA. My RD and LDN work in North Carolina.

The CDE credential is a specialty credential that I hold. To obtain it I had to work for two years specializing in diabetes education and training. Then I had to take an exam and pass it. Now I complete 75 hours of continuing education (about diabetes only) every 5 years to keep my CDE credential.

Now you know why I am a food geek & why I can say I am a food expert. Please let me know what food geek stuff would you like to see in upcoming posts!

Until next time...
Sarah

If you are looking for some more Foodgeek Stampede stuff immediately, please visit www.pinterest.com and type in Foodgeek Stampede and view my Foodgeek board!