GROWING LOW CARB VEGETABLES

Burpee, The Bucks County, PA, home gardening company reports a record number of gardeners requesting the carb content of key vegetables before ordering for the 2004 season.
So the company has compiled a list of vegetables high and low in carbohydrates for home gardeners who want to curb their carb intake this 2004 growing season. A complete listing of vegetables and their carbohydrate content is available at www.burpee.com..

For example: avoid lima beans at 40 g per cup and succotash, a whopping 47 g per cup! There can be huge differences within the same category, 1 cup of zucchini squash contains only 8 grams compared to 30 grams of carbs in a cup of acorn squash. From this list, home gardeners will be able to plant a varied garden while enjoying the benefits of a low carb diet. Here are some of the counts.

Vegetables with Low Carb Count

Lettuce (1 cup) 1gram
Cucumber (1/2 cup, raw) 1 gram
Cabbage (1/2 cup, cooked) 3 grams
Asparagus (6 raw spears) 3 grams
Broccoli (1 cup, raw) 3 grams
Cauliflower (1/2 cup, cooked)3 grams
Celery (1 cup, raw) 4 grams
Leeks (1/2 cup, cooked) 4 grams
Eggplant (1 cup, cooked) 7 grams
Scallions (1 cup) 7 grams
Tomatoes (cup, raw) 8 grams
Carrots (1/2 cup, cooked) 8 grams
Beets (1/2 cup, cooked) 8 grams

Vegetables High in Carbohydrates

Onions (1 cup, raw) 14 grams
Parsnips (1/2 cup, cooked) 15 grams
Peas, Green (1 cup, cooked) 25 grams
Acorn Squash (1 cup, cooked) 30 grams
Lima Beans (1 cup) 40 grams
Succotash (1 cup, cooked) 47 grams

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2. NEW PRODUCTS

STEAZ

Despite the growing statistics citing the efficacy of fighting obesity and campaigns to eat healthy, there are still plenty of pounds to be shed. With that goal, the Healthy Beverage Company has introduced a product under the name STEAZ. It's a carbonated, flavored drink voted one of the top 10 products of 2002 which may now be found on some supermarket and specialty food store shelves.

Steaz is organic, healthy and nutritious…not characteristics of any of the popular carbonated soft drinks on the market today. The lightly carbonated beverage is micro-brewed from Ceylon tea. There are no refined sugars, chemical preservatives, artificial colors or other unhealthy additives. It is sweetened with organic cane juice, colored with vegetable juice, and retains the antioxidant found in green tea. The flavors are cola, root beer, orange, raspberry, lemon dew, and key lime. It's the first beverage of its type to have earned the USDA Certified Organic seal. It is kosher. They are all very tasty though I found the carbonation a trifle heavy. Drink them cold or put them in the microwave for a hot flavored tea drink. Steaz comes in 12 and 24 oz. size glass bottles and lists for $1.59 a bottle. www.healthybeverage.com

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3. RECIPES IN SEASON

ST. PAT'S DAY CAKE

Quick, easy beginning with a cake mix.

(1) package chocolate fudge cake mix
1/4-cup crème de menthe or 1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2-cup chopped green maraschino cherries
1 1/2-cups heavy cream
3-tbsp crème de menthe or 1/2 tsp peppermint extract and 2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4-cup whole green maraschino cherries
Chocolate curls

Prepare cake mix following package directions, except substitute 1/4 cup crème de menthe for 1/4 cup water. Stir in chopped cherries. Pour into 2 greased 9-inch layer cake pans; bake as directed. Cool. Whip cream with tablespoons crème de menthe. Spread 1/3 of whipped cream between cake layers. Heap remaining whipped cream on top. Arrange whole cherries and chocolate curls over whipped cream.

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IRISH SODA BREAD

You don't have to be Irish to make and enjoy this bread. It's easy enough for youngsters to mix up, too.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.
Measure and stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and stir in buttermilk. Dough should form a ball. On a floured board or cloth, knead and shape dough into a round loaf, about 8 inches across. Place dough in the center of the cookie sheet. Score bread dough with a sharp knife; make an X about ½-inch deep. (The X is supposed to ward off the devil). Bake for about 40 minutes, until brown. Serve hot. Yield: 1 loaf *If you don't have buttermilk , substitute 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar and enough milk to equal 1 ½ cups.

RED SNAPPER, VEGETABLE AND PESTO PACKETS

The following recipe from the Atkins Kitchen incorporates seasonal vegetables. Foil packets can be made ahead and refrigerated up to one day before baking. Plan on 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to bake.

1/2 cup pesto
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 red snapper fillets (6 ounces each)
12 asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 small yellow squash, thinly sliced on diagonal
4 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons pine nuts

Heat oven to 425 F. Combine pesto, lemon juice, olive oil and salt in a large bowl. Gently spread half the mixture on fish and toss vegetables with remaining mixture to coat.
Cut four 12-inch by 12-inch squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil; fold each square in half and then open again. Distribute vegetables evenly over one side of each square, leaving a 1-inch border. Lay one fillet on top of each. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Seal and crimp edges to make packets.
Transfer packets to a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Open packets directly on dinner plates. Makes 4 servings

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4. TRAVEL TIDBITS – KOREA SENDS ITS MUSICIANS

In a bid to attract tourism to North Korea, the country , in cooperation with the American Chamber in Commerce in Korea has sponsored a unique event. They have sent over 70 musicians of the Seoul Pops Orchestra to tour America with s series of concerts. If you live in Boston, New York, or Washington, DC you can still catch the show which spells a delightful evening of light music, song, and entertainment. Singers and an awesome electric guitar player enchanted the audience along with the charm of the Music Director & Conductor, Sung-Ho Ha, of the Seoul Pops Orchestra.

I saw the show in San Diego. If you can catch it in Washing, DC., March 18, Boston, March 21, or New York, March 22. you're in for a memorable evening. Check www.tour2korea.com or send an email to ny@kntoAmerica or call 800-868-7567.

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5. OLLA PODRIDA

This is a Spanish term for a pot of stew. Literally, olla is a round earthenware pot and podrida is a dish composed of different meats and vegetables.

NEW NICKELS WORTH SAVING

For the first time in 66 years, the US Mint has redesigned the nickels and has begun distributing them. So watch your change and see if any have any of the Westward Journey Nickel Series. The nicked features a rendition of the Jefferson Peace Medal on the trails side. John Reisch designed the original Jefferson Peace Medal in 1801, and Lewis and Clark gave them to Native American Indians they met along the trail.

The Peace Meal will help you dig into your early American history and remember the nations events of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition when they look at these nickels. The tails side also bears the inscription "Louisiana Purchase" and "1803". The heads side retains the current likened of Thomas Jefferson that appears on the nickel.

The US Mint will produce another newly designed nickel in the Westard Journey Nicke Series later in the summer/early fall. It will feature the keelboard boat that transported Lewis and Clark up the Missouri River. Better save some of the nickels for your grandchildren The Western Journey Nickel Series will end in 2002 with a return to a depiction of Monticello on the tails side.

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6. BOOKS by Dona Z. Meilach for Yourself - For Gifts

Dona's Kitchen Kapers is an associate of Amazon Books. Using the link provided to one book, will take you to others when you request it by title or author. You will be returned to this page after checking their listings (I hope). There's a 20% to 30% saving per book. For the following books or those mentioned in the book reviews. Books bought thru AMAZON earn a small referral fee..all such fees will be donated to the American Cancer Association. :Log in with the URL below for all your AMAZON book purchases.

www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1558672095/donaskitchenkapeA/

NEW*** THE BEST 50 BAR DRINKS*** $5.95

THE BEST 50 MARGARITAS 5.95

THE BEST 50 MARINADES AND DIPS 5.95

THE BEST 50 BRUSCHETTA $4.95

WRAPS AND ROLL-UPS $8.95

GOURMET GIFTS $8.95

THE BEST BAGELS ARE MADE AT HOME $8.95

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NEWEST---WOOD ART TODAY 255 pages, 502 photos, $59.95

ART JEWELRY TODAY 255 pages, 550 photos, $49.95

ARCHITECTURAL IRONWORK*** $49.95

The CONTEMPORARY BLACKSMITH 255 pages, 550 photos, $49.95

DECORATIVE & SCULPTURAL IRONWORK 2^nd edition. 300 pages, over 700 photos. $34.95

DIRECT METAL SCULPTURE – Revised Edition. Over 350 pages, 425 photos. $39.95

CONTEMPORARY STONE SCULPTURE 2^nd Edition.. 224 page, over 350 photos. $24.95

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7. Subscribe-Unsubscribe

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