you are what you eat

My friend Stephanie sent me this email. I think it's pretty cool.

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.


Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .. It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemica l cons tituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries

Grapefruits, Oranges , and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes

the best key lime bars

[photo source]: cooksillustrated.com

Last night we made The Best Key Lime Bars from the July/August 2006 issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine. They were FABULOUS. Seriously. They use animal crackers instead of graham crackers for the crust. The toasted coconut topping is optional, but I think it is a must. I'm not a lime or key lime kind of gal, but these were so great. I think it really makes a difference to use fresh lime juice as opposed to the bitter bottled stuff. Oh, and if you use salted butter instead of unsalted, do not add salt to your crust.

Cook's Illustrated is probably my favorite cooking magazine. These are the cooks from America's Test Kitchen. The tv show and the cookbook. You know, the guy with the bow tie? They review the best kitchen products and appliances, and they make/test so many variations of one recipe until they find "the best". I think it's a very useful and educational magazine.

grandma's mayonnaise cake

You know you're getting old, when you start to like Grandma G.G.'s nasty Mayonnaise Date Nut Bread. Seriously, I've always despised when my parents would put nuts in cookies, and fruit in things that shouldn't have fruit. In recent months, my taste buds are starting to truly enjoy nuts and fruit where they don't belong!! One of the "perks" of getting married, is that you now receive Grandma's bread at Christmas. I've always graciously accepted this bread and then thrown it away or given it away. I sound like a brat, but I just hated this bread. Well, this year, when we got our bread by delivery, I tried a slice of it because I was starving, and we didn't have any other food in the house. I LOVED it. I pretty much ate the entire loaf. Dates? Who cares. Walnuts? Not a problem. I am now happy to have this Date Nut Bread recipe and get it each year from Grandma G.G. It's another one of those special recipes that has been passed from mother to daughter since who knows when. Early 1900s? 1800s? And I will hold on to it and pass it along as well. And my kids like it too. I love how food can also be a link to our family's past. Oh, and did you know that supposedly December 22 is National Date Nut Bread Day? Well now you know.

Grandma's Mayonnaise Date Nut Bread

mix together:
1 c. chopped dates
1 c. chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
1 tsp. soda
¾ c. water

Let sit 10 minutes at least. Longer is better

mix together in large bowl:
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 c. mayo
1 tsp. vanilla

Blend in date nut mixture. Add 2 c. flour

Pour into (2) greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350° 45-55 minutes. Stick in toothpick or a knife until comes out clean.