Archive for February, 2010

left over chicken

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

We have a great price on frozen chicken breast this week. 2.99 for a 2.5lb bag with a $10 purchase. Here is a great recipe. I never have been a big fan of chicken pot pie, mainly because I can’t stand the taste of peas, but this was great. I just pick out the peas on my portion.

Let me know if you try this
Dennis

Ingredients1 package (10 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Shells
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (about 15 ounces) Veg-All® or other mixed vegetables
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free) DirectionsPrepare the pastry shells according to the package directions.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.

Stir the vegetables and soup in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Spoon the chicken mixture into the pastry shells and top with the pastry tops.

PACZKI’S

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Poland

Singular Noun is Paczek (pohn-check)
Plural Noun is Paczki (punch-key)

Paczki (punch-key) Day is the feast of plenty before the Lenten fast begins. It is the last day of gaiety in Karnawal time, the period between Christmas and Lent. This is the time for sleigh parties called Kulig. To mark the last moments of excess before the austerity of Lenten sacrifice, Polish Roman Catholics celebrate Paczki Day.

On this day the traditional deep fried pastries (something like jelly doughnuts) are enjoyed throughout the world’s Polonias. This joyous activity precedes the Gorzkie Zale (lamentation services) of Lent in Polonian churches. In Poland, Paczki Day takes place the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, called Tlusty Czwartek (Fat Tuesday). Long lines form in front of the bakeries in Polonia, and millions of Paczki are sold.

In United States Polonia, Paczki Day takes place the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, traditionally called Fat Tuesday in Carnival. Polish American bakeries also supply Paczki in the hundreds of thousands that day. Often in American Polonia, Paczki Day is celebrated with polka dances. In Roman Catholic grammar schools throughout American Polonia, children enjoy Paczki at school on that day.”

18 paczki

Ingredients
12 egg yolks (or six whole eggs, see note)
1 teaspoon salt

2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup room temperature butter
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup rum or brandy
1 cup scalded whipping cream
1 1/2 cups preserves or cooked prunes or cooked apples or poppy seed filling
oil (for deep frying, The old-timers used lard, but vegetable oil will work(I use peanut oil.)

Directions
1 Beat egg yolks with the salt in the small bowl of an electric mixer at high speed until the mixture is thick and piles softly, about 7 minutes.
2 Soften yeast in warm water.
3 Cream butter, add sugar to it gradually, beating until fluffy.
4 Slowly beat in the softened yeast.
5 Stir one fourth of the flour into the yeast mix.
6 Add rum/brandy and half of the cream.
7 Beat in another fourth of the flour.
8 Stir in remaining cream.
9 Beat in half of the remaining flour and then the egg yolk mixture.
10 Beat for 2 minutes.
11 Gradually beat in the remaining flour until the dough blisters.
12 Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
13 Set in a warm place to rise.
14 When it has doubled in bulk, punch it down.
15 Cover and let rise again until doubled.
16 Punch it down again.
17 Roll dough on a floured surface to about 3/4 inch thickness.
18 Cut out 3 inch rounds using a cookie cutter or glass.
19 Put 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of half the circles.
20 Brush the edges with water.
21 Top with the remaining rounds.
22 Seal the edges very well.
23 Cover the paczki on a floured surface.
24 Let rise about 20 minutes.
25 Deep fry in the hot fat until they are golden brown on both sides.
26 Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with honey.

February is Heart Month

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Heart Disease is the Number One Cause of Death
About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which often appears as a heart attack. In 2009, an estimated 785,000 Americans had a new coronary attack, and about 470,000 will have a recurrent attack. About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one.1

The chance of developing coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control factors that put people at greater risk. Additionally, knowing the signs and symptoms of heart attack are crucial to the most positive outcomes after having a heart attack. People who have survived a heart attack can also work to reduce their risk of another heart attack or a stroke in the future. For more information on heart disease and stroke, visit CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.

Diseases and Conditions That Put Your Heart at Risk
Other conditions that affect your heart or increase your risk of death or disability include arrhythmia, heart failure, and peripheral artery disease (PAD). High cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, and secondhand smoke are also risk factors associated with heart disease. For a full list of diseases and conditions along with risk factors and other health information associated with heart disease, visit the American Heart Association.

Know Your Signs and Symptoms
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense; however, most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.

Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.

Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.

Other signs. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.
The American Heart Association, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the American Red Cross, and the National Council on Aging have launched a new “Act in Time” campaign to increase people’s awareness of heart attack and the importance of calling 9-1-1 immediately at the onset of heart attack symptoms. Find the links here.

Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects
A new report by The Institute of Medicine finds even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can trigger a heart attack. Tobacco smoke can cause health problems not only for smokers, but also for people around them. Breathing secondhand smoke increases a person’s risk for a heart attack and other heart conditions.2

Visit the CDC Office on Smoking and Health Web site for more detailed information about the IOM Report on Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects including:

Analysis of the report findings.
Animation of how secondhand smoke affects the cardiovascular system.
CDC statement on report findings.
Healthy Lifestyle: Diet and Nutrition, Exercise and Fitness
A healthy diet and lifestyle are the best weapons you have to fight heart disease. Many people make it harder than it is. It is important to remember that it is the overall pattern of the choices you make that counts. As you make daily food choices, base your eating pattern on these recommendations:

Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.
Select fat-free, 1% fat, and low-fat dairy products.
Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet.
Cut back on foods high in dietary cholesterol. Aim to eat less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day.
Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.
Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. Aim to eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. All persons who have hypertension, all middle-aged and older adults, and all blacks should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day.
If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. That means no more than one drink per day if you’re a woman and two drinks per day if you’re a man.
Keep an eye on your portion sizes.
See CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Web site for more tips on nutrition.

Physical activity in your daily life is an important step to preventing heart disease. You can take a few simple steps at home, at work, and at play to increase the amount of physical activity in your life. See CDC’s physical activity Web site for tips and more information.

Women and Heart Disease: Quick Facts
Although heart disease is sometimes thought of as a “man’s disease,” it is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States, and women account for nearly 50% of heart disease deaths.

In 2006, heart disease was the cause of death in nearly 316,000 females.3

Heart disease is often perceived as an “older woman’s disease,” and it is the leading cause of death among women aged 65 years and older. However, heart disease is the third leading cause of death among women aged 25-44 years and the second leading cause of death among women aged 45-64 years. Remember that many cases of heart disease can be prevented! 4

For more information and facts on women and heart disease, see the Women and Heart Disease Fact Sheet.

CDC’s WISEWOMAN Program
The mission of CDC’s WISEWOMAN program is to provide low-income, under- or uninsured 40- to 64-year-old women with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to improve diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle behaviors to prevent or delay cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

WISEWOMAN provides these additional services:

Screening for chronic disease risk factors.
Dietary, physical activity, and smoking cessation interventions.
Referral and follow-up as appropriate.
For more information on how you can take advantage of these services, visit WISEWOMAN and click on program locations.

Women and Heart Disease Campaigns
Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s nationwide movement that celebrates the energy, passion, and power women have to band together and wipe out heart disease. Thanks to the participation of millions of people across the country, the color red and the red dress have become linked with the ability all women have to improve their heart health and live stronger, longer lives.

The Heart Truth Campaign is a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease. The campaign created and introduced the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 to deliver an urgent wakeup call to American women. The Red Dress alerts women of The Heart Truth message: “Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What You Wear–It is the #1 Killer of Women.”

National Wear Red Day is a day when Americans nationwide will wear red to show their support for women’s heart disease awareness. This observance promotes the Red Dress symbol and provides an opportunity for everyone to unite in this life-saving awareness movement by showing off a favorite red dress, shirt, or tie, or Red Dress Pin.

Participate in National Wear Red Day—Everyone (men too) can support the fight against heart disease in women by wearing red on February 5, 2010. See CDC’s Office of Women’s Health, Wear It Well: Women and Heart Disease Prevention.

Men and Heart Disease: Quick Facts
In 2006, heart disease was the cause of death in 315,706 American men.3
The average age for a first heart attack for men is 66 years.
Almost half of men who have a heart attack under age 65 die within 8 years.
Between 70% and 89% of sudden cardiac events occur in men.
For more information and facts about men and heart disease, visit the Men and Heart Disease Fact Sheet.

Interactive Tools to Help Guide Your Everyday Choices
Know your heart numbers. Find out what you can do to improve and maintain these numbers—and live a longer, stronger life.
Learn and Live Quiz. Take our quiz to learn your risk for heart disease. Register after the quiz and we’ll send you a free cookbook.
Interactive Menu Planner

More Information
CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
Heart Disease
High Blood Pressure
Cholesterol
WISEWOMAN: Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation
Genomics and Heart
Office of Smoking and Health Quit Smoking Program
American Heart Association
American Stroke Association
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Send a Heart Healthy e-Card
Become an advocate for health by posting a button or badge to your Web site, blog, or social networking profile.
References
Lloyd-Jones D, Adams R, Carnethon M, et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2009 Update. A Report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation. 2009;119:e21-e181.
Institute of Medicine. Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Making Sense of the Evidence. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press;2009.
Heron MP, Hoyert DL, Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Kochanek KD, Tejada-Vera B. Deaths: Final data for 2006. ( 2.3MB, 135 pages) National Vital Statistics Reports. 2009;57(14). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
CDC. National Center for Health Statistics. Leading Causes of Death by Age Group, All Females – United States, 2004. Hyattsville, MD: Department of Health and Human Services.