Blackberries

Around 400 BC Hippocrates suggested we prevent disease by eating nutrient dense foods. He used blackberries in herbal medicines as the leaves, bark and roots all contain large amounts of tannins with astringent properties. The ancient Greeks knew all about blackberry’s medicinal qualities and considered them an excellent anti-inflammatory remedy for gout as did the Cherokee, using an infusion of the Texas dewberry for the same ailment.

Blackberries are a great option to satisfy your sweet tooth if you want to lose weight or you’re on a low-carb eating plan. One cup of raw blackberries has only 62 calories, 1 gram of fat, and only 14 carbs. This makes them easy to add to a healthy eating plan.

Blackberries also have a low Glycemic Index (GI), coming in at 25. GI ranks how carb-containing foods may impact your blood glucose response. A rating of 55 or lower is considered less likely to spike blood sugar levels.

Glycemic Load (GL) takes into account the GI as well as the grams of carbohydrates in a typical serving. GL is considered to be a more accurate assessment of how a food can impact blood sugar. Blackberries’ GL is only 4, which is very low.

Blackberries are high in beneficial vitamins and minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. They’re low in calories, carbs, and fat.

The Benefits of an Outdoor Kitchen

Before moving to Mexico, I would watch House Hunters International and Mexico Life on HGTV. I’d see the houses with the washer and dryer outside, and the houses with the outdoor kitchens and think, “no way, how inconvenient.” 

Now that I actually live in Mexico, I totally understand why the clothes dryer is kept outside. I also understand the huge benefit of having an outdoor kitchen – a gas oven and a clothes dryer in the house makes it unbearably hot.

The house we are currently living in doesn’t have the insanely high ceilings and large open floor plan like the previous rentals. I’m going to guess the ceilings are 10’. The house has a combined kitchen, dining room, living room but it is a small space – maybe 20×20.

Frying and boiling foods inside your kitchen can intensify the temperature in your house, especially during the summer. And you can forget about baking anything unless you want your house to feel like an oven. It’s absolutely uncomfortable sweating while cooking on a gas stove indoors. I really miss the induction range I had in Canada.

This house doesn’t have a proper outdoor kitchen but it doesn’t have a palapa covered bar with a gas BBQ. I’ve started using my crockpot and toaster oven outdoors, any little bit helps to keep the space from heating up.

Electricity is expensive here and we try not to use the air conditioner. I would have to turn it on while cooking to prevent myself from melting while preparing meals, not to mention heating up the house. If you have an outdoor kitchen, you can do your cooking right outside and prevent your air conditioner from going into overdrive and raising your electricity bills.

I’ve decided that an open-air outdoor kitchen and a small, cozy indoor kitchen seems the best answer, one has all the benefits of both worlds. Whether you’re sharing family meals in the sunshine or entertaining guests under the stars, moving your kitchen outside is the perfect way to make the most of the warm weather.

Now when I watch HGTV and I see the couples complain about the outdoor kitchen I think to myself, “wait until you live here, then you will appreciate that cooktop outside.”

Something like this would be ideal

Blast From the Past

As a child McDonald’s was a special treat, my parents didn’t take me there often. As a teenager McDonald’s was the required after movie meal. My how the prices have changed – these are the menu prices in 1974.

Lost in Translation

I am a member of the Facebook group for Todos Santos. The group is a great way to find out news and other information regarding what is happening in and around the town. There isn’t a radio station here so the group is a way to stay connected and informed. People and restaurants post various items for sale, menus, etc.

The expats mostly post in English and the locals post in Spanish, sometimes the posts are written in English and Spanish.

Sometimes things get lost in translation … 🦄 🥛😂

Delish

A little early Thanksgiving humour for my readers south of the border. We celebrated Thanksgiving last month with turkey and all the trimmings. Makes me wonder why I don’t eat turkey more often.

Candy Corn

I agree, the stuff is just nasty.

“The worst thing about Halloween is, of course, candy corn. It’s unbelievable to me. Candy corn is the only candy in the history of America that’s never been advertised. And there’s a reason. All of the candy corn that was ever made was made in 1911. And so, since nobody eats that stuff, every year there’s a ton of it left over.”
-Lewis Black

Fitness

This made me laugh 😀

 

Easy As Pie

I love pizza!

 

Mmm Strawberries

They had one job and the BLUE it.

Pickled Jalapeños

I love peppers and this is a super easy recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 tBsp granulated sugar

1 tsp kosher or sea salt

1 Garlic clove, minced

Jalapeños, sliced in half lengthwise

 

Directions

1. Boil vinegar with water, sugar, salt and garlic in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves.

 

2. Pack jalapeños into a clean 2-cup glass jar. Ladle hot vinegar mixture over the peppers until liquid reaches 1/2 in. below rim of jar. Wipe rim with a clean towel and secure lid on jar. Let stand at room temperature overnight. Use right away or refrigerate up to 1 month.

 

Three variations

Pickled red chilies: Instead of jalapeños  peppers, use 200 g red chili peppers. Add 3 shallots, cut in half, to jar along with chilies. Continue with recipe.

Pickled banana peppers: Instead of jalapeños  peppers, use 225 g banana peppers. Add 1 tBsp pickling spice to boiled vinegar mixture. Continue with recipe.

Pickled scotch bonnets: Instead of jalapeños peppers, use 140 g Scotch bonnets. Add 4 bay leaves to jar along with peppers. Continue with recipe.

Canadians Love Poutine

Poutine – French fries generously slathered in gravy and cheese curds (or shredded mozzarella) — is a classic Canadian treat. Poutine is French slang for “mess.” And it is just that. A delicious mess to satisfy growling stomachs. It has evolved over the years and now comes in gourmet additions such as losbter, pulled pork and foie gras. I can’t understand why this has not taken off south of the border.

Here is a link for a really yummy take on poutine that makes a great appetizer or party food.

http://www.mtlblog.com/2015/02/poutine-poppers-are-the-mini-mouthgasm-you-need-to-eat-now/

Fish and Chips

What a great idea for a children’s party.

 

Smörgåsbord

 

I think we all know that feeling, usually during holidays.

Insanity

I have the same thing for breakfast everyday – coffee. Lunch is always a salad. Dinner has to be different.

 

Just Why?

“Of all the inventions created to eat rice, how did two sticks win?”

I do know how to eat with chop sticks thanks to my Asian friends as a teenager. But a spoon would be so much easier.

Life Hack #243

 

I’ve tried this and it really does work. The wooden spoon breaks the bubbles.

http://www.epicdash.com/the-46-most-brilliant-life-hacks-every-human-being-needs-to-make-life-easier/

 

 

What’s In The Bag

Sugar free pure granulated sugar – wonder how they got the sugar out of the sugar. Marketing has gone too far.

No Matter What You Call It

I found out something I never knew before…. there are two different types of donuts – ones made with a batter similar to cake, and then ones that use yeast. You’ll find the ones with yeast in them tend to be a lot lighter and fluffier – think Krispy Kreme. Whereas donuts without yeast tend to be dense and thicker – Think Tim Hortons (or Dunkin Donuts).

Menus

The burger place also has a veggie burger with bacon called the Hypocrite.

 

 

Unicorn Bacon

My kids would love this kind.