The Prophecy of Jim Croce

Let me be the first one to say it...... You know, Christmas will be here before you know it. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.... oh, sorry. Ahem. But seriously, you know what I'm talking about. Every passing year seems to fly by faster than the one before it. They say time flies when you're having fun but apparently it's pretty speedy even when you're in the midst of a high-unemployment economic freefall as well. I cannot believe how quickly the days keep zooming by. Which is why I cannot figure out the thought processes behind those folks who either treat their aging parents like naughty and/or incompetent children or ignore them altogether. I don't think those are the best life choices to make when loving, respecting and valuing them is A) One of God's Big Ten, B) Setting a good example for your own children to follow and C) Plain old good karma. And Karma? She can really be such a Bee-yotch. Srsly. Especially when you're going to wake up what will seem like tomorrow and Whoops! Look who needs a little help with their ADLs now Sparky! Time really do fly... use it wisely.

Why is it So Dad-Gum Difficult to Find Low Salt Alternatives?

I have to wonder why some stores make it more difficult to find low and no sodium alternatives than others. Is it their customer base that they're stocking for? Let's take canned tomatoes for an example. At Publix I can find canned crushed tomatoes and tomato paste with very low sodium. I can also find chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce in a box with almost no sodium. At WalMart the pickings are a bit slimmer but I can still find low-sodium crushed tomatoes and they even have a low sodium version of their store brand chopped tomatoes. Not to mention that the prices are way lower, yay. So yesterday I went to Winn Dixie because they have this new Fuel Perks program where you get $$ off of your gas fill-up - the more groceries you buy, the lower your gas cost. BUT - I couldn't find a lot of the things I need to cook Mama's low sodium meals. There was not even one choice in the canned tomato selection, not one. Boo. And since dil and I are back on the weight loss challenge I was looking for other things I couldn't find such as 100 calorie whole grain english muffins. They're working real hard to re-image themselves but I still get the feeling that they're still reaching out to the bologna, moon pie and kool aid demographic. The big draw special they had was if you buy 2 frozen pizzas of a certain brand you get a box of fried cheese sticks, a box of garlic bread, ice cream and soda for free. Geez Louise. For those of us trying to eat healthy it was kind of a frustrating trip. Which is sad b/c I could really use the lower gas prices.

New Low Sodium Recipes

Here's the latest batch of low sodium recipes from Dick Logue. I think I'll try the cranberry orange relish first but I'll use stevia or splenda instead of sugar.

Spice Up Your Life in 2010

Here's a great article on how spicing up your menu can lead to a longer, healthier life. Check the last slide for a spice blend you can make yourself that will add some zing and good health to lots of your own recipes.

Great Gift Idea #2

Do something nice for someone you know who spends all or part of their day caring for someone else. Caregiving can be a rewarding experience but it can also be lonely, frustrating and exhausting as well. Give a caregiver the gift of your time for respite, your shoulder to lean on and your compassion for encouragement. They'll be the most appreciated gifts you give this year I promise. A massage and/or a mani-pedi always works too...

A Great Gift Idea

One of the most thoughtful and generous gifts you can give is the gift of your time to the older adults in your life. 'Tis the Season for gift giving and rather than spending time and money shopping for material things why not make it a priority to have a nice long visit with someone who would appreciate your company far more than anything you could buy for them. If you can't visit in person you might call or write them a heartfelt note letting them know how they have been a blessing in your life. If you don't have an older person in your circle of friends and family to visit locally you can check with the chaplain or social worker in your community's nursing home to find someone who truly needs the gift of your time and attention. You may just find that it's the most meaningful gift you receive this year as well.

Not quite a winner just yet

Well, my cornbread casserole turned out well enough but I wasn't happy enough with it to publish a recipe just yet. I'll fiddle with it a bit and get back to you. My temporary full-time job has ended but I may be called back sooner than I thought so we'll see what happens there. In the mean time regular blogging will commence again now that I have a little more time on my hands. 1.5 jobs plus a house full 'o people had me coming, going, and meeting myself again in the middle there for a while. Check back again soon for some blogilicious tidbits about caregiving and low-sodium cooking!