Griff's Brother's American Mac and Tomatoes

We all know that kids love mac & cheese. When we were kids, there was a dish my brother Jay loved even more than mac and cheese. He called it "Macaroni and Tomatoes" and it was one of the first dished he learned to cook. This is easy to make and it makes a great lunch. It also makes a great side dish to accompany beef, pork, fish or poultry.

Ingredients:

1 qt. water
2 cups elbow macaroni
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

Instructions:

In a small pan melt the butter over low to medium heat. Add onions and sauté until tender. In a medium size pan, bring water to a boil over medium to high heat. Add the macaroni and reduce heat a bit, stirring frequently until macaroni is at desired firmness. Drain off the water in strainer and put the macaroni back in the pan. Add the onions and the tomato sauce and heat a couple of minutes over low heat, stirring frequently. This tastes great topped with grated dried Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper! Serves 4.

Discover 110 Amazing Fat Fighting Foods!

In my August 25 post I noted that I was counting calories to lose weight. I'm also on a sensible exercise program. I'm happy to say that I've lost 21 pounds so far. And I've still been eating some great meals--check out the Cajun surf 'n turf we recently ate (on a recent post). But counting calories hasn't been the key to my success. I've been learning about foods that are scientifically proven to burn fat. I'm dieting smarter now!

Medical researcher Shola Oslo has written an ebook which gives all the details of extensive research on foods which fight fats--resulting in fast, yet safe and healthy weight loss. Shola tells us "...there are some scientifically proven foods that are known to aid weight loss? These are foods doctors, scientists, medical researchers and nutritionists know help weight loss." Here is an example she cites:

"In a recent California study, doctors discovered that eating half a grapefruit before meals helped patients reduce their insulin levels for 2 hours after eating. The patients who ate the grapefruit before meals lost 1.6kg on average, compared to 0.3kg lost by the patients who were not given the grapefruit, making grapefruit 433% more effective at burning fat compared with dieting alone."

Whole-wheat protein is another example of a food which was proven in a study to aid in weight loss. Shola writes:

"Scientists gave one groups of overweight women a whole-wheat protein to eat, and compared results with another group following a standard low calorie diet. The group who ate the wheat protein lost an average of 5.5kg during the experiment, while the group who ate the standard low calorie diet lost only 2.8kg, making whole-wheat proteins 96% more effective for weight loss."

What you will learn in Shola's ebook will astound you: A comprehensive guide to fat fighting fruits, fat fighting, vegetables, fat fighting proteins, fat fighting herbs and spices--even fat fighting fats! Plus, a simple easy to follow plan. Fat Fighting Foods contains a very simple and easy to follow way of eating, with just a few rules to follow. She has even summarized them on one page so you can put it up on your refrigerator, take it shopping or keep with you for easy reference. For more information:
Click Here!

Thank You, Veterans!

As tomorrow will be Veteran's Day, I wanted to thank all of you who have been, or are currently, in our nation's military. There is not a day that goes by that I do not reflect, with gratitude, on the freedom we enjoy in our great nation, the United States of America. That freedom has been secured only through the sacrifice of those in our military forces throughout the generations, including those serving at the present time.

While the media in this nation relentlessly puts a negative spin on our nation's mission in Iraq and our military, our troops continue, with high morale, to risk their lives daily and remain focused on their task. They are highly skilled professionals and they are doing an incredible job. I often pray that God will protect those who are in harm's way as they protect our lives, our freedom, and our very way of life. They are achieving success and Americans should not be willing to settle for anything less than success.

Veteran's Day Recipe Special: "S.O.S"

I thought that as we recognize our Veterans with gratitude, it would be kind of fun to look at an actual recipe from our military's past. Those in our nation's armed forces have, for many years, commonly (and affectionately) referred to creamed chipped beef as "S.O.S"--that is, "sh** on a shingle." According to SeaBeeCook.com, the following recipe comes from the 1910 Manual for Army Cooks Recipe no. 251...

Chipped Beef

Yield: 60 men
Portion: not given

Ingredients:

15 lb chipped beef
1 lb Fat, butter preferred
1&1/4 lb flour, browned in fat
2 (12 oz.) cans evaporated milk
1 bunch parsley
1/4 oz. pepper
6 qt. beef stock

Method:

Melt the fat in the pan, and add the flour; when it has been cooked a few minutes, add the milk, dissolved in the beef stock, or water. Stir the batter in slowly to prevent lumping, and then add the beef. Cook a few minutes, add the parsley, and serve on toast.

Notes:

If the beef is very salty, it should be scalded before cooking.

[My note: if you're cooking for a family of 6, just divide this recipe by 10!]

Operation Happy Note

How would you like to be a blessing to some of those who are laying their lives on the line to protect us? Check out my post about Operation Happy Note on my music blog at:
http://flatpickpost.blogspot.com/2007/11/ohn2.html