The Chefs Cookbook: A blog for home chefs

This is a sponsored guest post written by Justin Germino on behalf of The Chefs Cookbook. Post powered by Sponzai.

Every once in a while you find a site that really has a lot to offer.  The Chefs Cookbook is one of those sites. With amazing articles, fantastic well written recipes, hints & tips, and relevant articles about food related news and topics it is clear that The Chefs Cookbook has tons to offer. The writer puts a unique spin on all stories and articles. Image seeing the culinary world through the eyes of a young Chef. A couple of things that make this site stand out is the posts about culinary stories of mishaps and blunders, which is named "The Naked Chef" which is meant to reveal and expose how things can and do go wrong, but most patrons don't notice--it's a good thing! The recipes are unique and very easy to understand and read. Included on the site is also an ultimate wine pairing guide which makes it easy to pair wine to food items. Visit the site and find out why this blog is clean, interesting and refreshing!

Cranberry Sauce Charity Lens Gets LOTD

My lens on Squidoo that was done for charity received the honor of "Lens of the Day" last week, it was wonderful because it meant that Squidoo sent $1000 to a charity of my choice. I support a few charities on Squidoo, in this case, the money went to Soldier's Angels.

It was a wonderful thing to be able to do something fun, and at the same time help a great organization...especially meaningful coming just a few days before Veteran's Day, and supports our military overseas and their families.

If you want to see the "lens", visit Cranberry Sauce - From Bog to Table for a healthy recipe, but the fun part was sharing how we acquired the ingredients from two of our favorite vacation spots:-)

Preparing Authentic Asian Meals at Home

My husband and I love Asian food, and having a brother who has married an Asian woman has brought many new and delightful foods to the table when we visit them. Through them we have discovered wonderful Asian restaurants as well.

But to be able to prepare meals at home is so much more economical, and while I've learned a few things, I don't know how authentic my cooking is. Today I as introduced to a site that has a delicious recipe, as well as a line of products by Sunbird that will be a big help to someone like me who does not have the time, or finds it difficult to prepare a good, authentic Asian meal at home.

You can combine all of the right foods together for your dish, but the authenticity is in the seasoning, and this is where Sun-Bird is a great help. They provide the right combination of seasonings for your dishes, prepackaged in the right amount, and are available in many local supermarkets, take a look at the site to see what is available, and the next time you are at your local grocery store, see if you can find the seasonings...in our store they could be in the isle that features international foods, or could be in the isle that has seasonings.

Sunbird offers products for stir fry, fried rice, chow mein, honey sesame chicken, pad thai, thai curry, and much more. You can also find Sun-Bird’s Sauce Mixes, Soup Mixes and 3-step Meal Kits where Asian foods are found in your grocery store. I will be looking myself this week, and will give the stir fry recipe at the site a try.

OH! I almost forgot to mention that Sun-Bird is giving away 15 Blu-RayTM Disc players. You can find forms to enter to win one of these at your grocery store where you find Sun-Bird seasoning. The contest ends October 31, 2009.

15 Facts About Copper and Food Sources

Copper isn't one of the necessary minerals that you hear about the most, but it's a trace mineral that plays important roles in the body, which include:

1. 1. Aiding the body in the production of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying molecule in the blood
2. 2. Works with Vitamin C to aid in formation of collagen...the part of the cell membrane that supports muscles and tissues.
3. 3. It conducts electricity so aids the nervous system
4. 4. Oysters and nuts contain copper
5. 5. It's in drinking water that comes through copper pipes
6. 6. The fact that zinc and copper compete with one another for absorption in the digestive system should be considered
7. 7. Our body stores about 100 mg of copper, mostly in our liver and brain, the muscles contain the rest
8. 8. There are some who are concerned that we are getting too much copper because of certain factors (ie copper piping...I use a counter-top water purifier so am not overly concerned about this), and others who are concerned that we don't get enough.
9. 9. You do not need to supplement a lot of copper, but it is found in mineral supplements like Trace Mineral Maintenance. A supplement like this is particularly helpful if you are taking any type of supplements for oral chelation, such as Mega-Chel.
10. 10. Other natural sources that include copper are whole grains, esp. buckwheat, whole wheat, shellfish ie shrimp, liver and other organ meats, dried peas & beans, dried fruit ie prunes, yeast, and dark green leafy veggies to name a few.
11. 11. Blood tests can determine whether copper is low and supplementation is needed.
12. 12. Copper toxicity can contribute to fatigue, irritability, nervousness, depression, learning problems, and in more severe cases, anxiety states, joint and muscle pain, poor memory, psychological depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy (more than 2 seizure episodes considered epilepsy), autism, hypertension, stuttering, hyperactive children, pre-eclampsia in pregnancy, and a few other conditions. Remember, this list can be caused by many other things too, a health care provide can help you determine whether Copper is the cause.
13. 13. Wilson's Disease affects how the body metabolizes copper, and can lead to high, even fatal levels of copper in the liver and brain, often treated by chelation with agents that bind with copper and carry it out of the body.
14. 14. Iron deficiency is often accompanied by copper deficiency
15. 15. Low copper levels can reduce thyroid function, weaken immunity, contribute to irregular heart rhythms, cause bones to loose minerals, and more...again, you should have blood tests to determine whether your copper level is low, not guess based on symptoms that can be cause by other things as well.

Please contact me at nutritionist[at]happynutritionist.com if you would like fact sheets on any items highlighted in red.

Related posts about Minerals:

Chromium and Glucose Tolerance

Magnesium, 12 Facts and 8 Sources

Breast Milk and Infant Formula Feeding

My 2 children are adults now, but both were nursed at the breast for about 4-5 months...this was back in the early 1980's. At that time, even when nursing, I used infant formula because I wanted my husband to enjoy the pleasure of feeding our babies, which we did at bedtime as it seemed to help them sleep longer.

Everyone who knows me knows I shop sales, store brands, and pinch pennies any way that I can, so it's only natural to use whatever store brand formula was available at that time.

The reality is that breast feeding, especially in early months, is one of the best things you can do for your child as it provides them with so many wonderful nutrients naturally produced by the body, and also helps the immune system get a good start. This is something that medical and scientific communities agree on.

But what about the Mom who can't breast feed for medical reasons, who need to work during our challenging economic times, or for can't nurse for various other reasons...should these woman feel badly about the fact that they cannot provide their babies with breast milk? I don't think so. Nor do I think that they should be concerned about buying formulas that cost a fortune...believe me, a huge store-brand shopper, if you really take the time to compare labels, your going to find that there is little if any difference between your high priced infant formula and the inexpensive brands.

When I was volunteering to help unwed mothers years ago, we were able to offer them formula and other baby products through the WIC program...as of this year, WIC is trending toward having mothers breastfeed more, with less funding for infant formula. Another reason why it may be a good idea to do your homework and choose the best infant formula for your little one. Clicking the "live link" above should lead you to some helpful information.

My best wishes to any of you readers who are expecting or have just had a baby...God bless you and the precious life you are carrying...or holding in your arms. Your loving touch is just as important as the food you feed your little one.