Fall Family Favorite: Pork and Apple Stew

Faith and Family is sponsoring a giveaway contest where you can win a prize for sharing a tasty fall recipe. Fall is one of my favorite times to cook and and two of my family's favorite foods during this cool season are pork and apples. Here is a tasty dish that you can cook in the crock pot so it's ready to go when you are. As Julia Child always said, "Bon Appétit!

1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder (butt) roast, cut into 2-inch cubes, trimmed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 chopped onions
2 carrots, pared, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork cubes and brown on all sides, turning as needed, about 5 minutes. Transfer pork to plate, season with salt and pepper.
2. Add onions, carrots and apples to skillet and cook, stirring often, until onions begin to brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker and top with pork cubes.
3. Add apple cider, thyme, allspice and sage to skillet. Bring to a simmer, scraping up brown bits on bottom of skillet; add to the slow cooker.
4. Cover and slow-cook until pork is tender, 6 to 7 hours on low.
5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a serving bowl, cover to keep warm.
6. Skim off fat from surface of cooking liquid. In food processor or blender, puree cooking liquid and solids until smooth.
7. Pour sauce over meat, stir gently and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Soda increases the risk of heart attack

Does sugar harm your heart? Well.........................................

"You sit at a fast food restaurant with your cheeseburger, fries and cola, knowing full well that the fatty, cheesy meat and oily fries aren't good for your ticker.

When researchers recently examined 88,000 women participants in the decades-long Nurse's Health Study and controlled for a fatty diet (along with smoking, obesity and other known cardiovascular risks), they discovered that sweetened soda pop causes trouble all by itself. Drinking even one 12-ounce can of regular soda daily boosts your risk of a heart attack by 24%; with two or more servings, the danger is further increased, by 35%, says lead author Teresa Fung, ScD, associate professor of nutrition at Simmons College , in Boston .

Fung was surprised at how quickly problems developed among the study participants. "We think of heart disease forming over a long period of time, but sugary beverage consumption increased the relative risk after just a few years," she said."

~ Via MORE Magazine July/Aug 2009, page 139.

H/T: Beth LeDune, RN – cardiac unit

Eat These Great Cancer - Fighting Grains for Good Health

Here’s a list of foreign-sounding words that may help reduce your risk of cancer: kasha, quinoa, millet, and spelt.

Yep, a recent study revealed that whole grains -- and those are all fine examples -- may have yet another health benefit. They may help reduce your risk of cancer of the small intestine.

Gutsy Grains
Not too worried about getting cancer down there? Although it’s less common to get cancer there, your small intestine actually isn’t very small -- or insignificant. It makes up about 75 percent of your digestive tract! And in a large-scale study of adults, those who reported eating the most whole grains at the start of the study were 41 percent less likely to have developed cancer of the small intestine 7 years later. Researchers believe that certain nutrients found in abundance in whole grains -- like B vitamins, fiber, minerals, and phenols -- may be responsible for the protective effect. Find out why whole-grain foods can also make your skin glow this summer.

Recipe Corner
Ready to venture beyond your wheat bread and Cheerios? Give a few new grains a try with these delicious and easy recipes from EatingWell:

• Become friends with buckwheat (also known as kasha). This healthful cafe-style treat will make introductions easy: Buckwheat Crepes with Apple Compote.
• Meet millet. Serve these hearty little pancakes alongside breakfast, lunch, or dinner: Savory Millet Cakes.
• Get cozy with quinoa. Settle a serious appetite with this substantial salad: Toasted Quinoa Salad with Scallops and Snow Peas.
  

Learn more about staying healthy here.

The Future of Food: Watch What You Eat!

There is a revolution going on in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America, a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.

To view the entire film log onto www.thefutureoffood.com .

H/T: Patrick Madrid