Beyond Words

Getting Fried

Over the weekend I took a cooking class and, among many things, I learned something surprising.  Chef Katy Parker (Austin-based and fabulous!) was sautéing chicken for our homemade pizzas and revealed that her go-to fry and sauté oil is Grape Seed Oil.  Now understand, I like to cook but I don’t love to cook so this was news to me.  I soon learned though, that as with many cooking ingredients, choosing the right oil can make all the difference in the world and in your dish.

Most of you, myself included, might automatically reach for the so-called “healthy oil,” Olive Oil, but as Katy instructed us, when frying or sautéing, it’s not your best bet.  It comes down to what’s called “smoke point,” the temperature at which oil burns.  Olive Oil has a very low smoke point, meaning it burns quickly.  This not only essentially ruins the oil, it will also leave a yucky residue in your pan that can prove nearly impossible to remove.

Grape Seed Oil, on the other hand, has a higher smoke point and a mild flavor.  It is more expensive then Olive Oil, but since it’s advised to buy oils in small bottles to prevent them from aging, you can shop around and find some at an affordable price.  Canola Oil is also a great choice and it’s packed with plant-based omega-3s.

In addition, research is showing that Olive Oil is not as nutrient-rich as once thought and that the oil’s health-promoting antioxidants diminish significantly after processing, storage, exposure to light and air, and high heat.   Olive Oil is best used for antipasti dishes and for drizzling over salads and pasta dishes, specifically extra virgin oil, which comes from the first pressings of olives.  Many consider Olive Oil from the Tuscany region of Italy the world’s finest and it boasts a full-bodied, intense flavor with a hint of pepper.

Whatever oil you prefer, be sure to use the refined version whenever possible, as refining removes impurities and raises smoke points.

There are many oils on the market today and they all come with different smoke points, flavors, and uses.  Here is just a quick snapshot to get you started:

           OIL                                                                          SMOKE  POINT

Extra Virgin Olive Oil                                                              320F

Vegetable Oil                                                                          325F

Grape Seed Oil                                                                       420F

Corn Oil                                                                                  450F

Peanut Oil                                                                               450F

Safflower Oil                                                                          450F

Sunflower Oil                                                                         450F

Canola Oil                                                                               470F

Avocado Oil                                                                            520F

Olive Oil

There are different varieties of Olive Oil: extra virgin, virgin, extra light, and refined. Extra virgin olive oil is the most common. There are many uses for all varieties, such as stir-frying and in salads. It is considered by many to be one of the most healthy of all the oils as it is high in mono unsaturated fat, which may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable Oil is probably the most commonly used of all the oils. It is actually a blend of several oils, such as corn, soybean, palm, and sunflower and health-wise, it’s one of the most discouraged.

Grape Seed Oil

An aromatic oil and light medium-yellow oil that is actually a by-product of wine making.  Ideal for sautéing and frying.

Corn Oil

Corn Oil is relatively low in both saturated and mono unsaturated fats. It is popular in baking but should only be used when frying on medium temperatures.

Peanut Oil                                                                                                                                                     

Peanut Oil is a great oil to use when frying in high temperatures. You may be familiar with it particular during Thanksgiving as many people use it in their turkey fryers.

Safflower Oil

A clear, almost flavorless oil made from the seeds of safflowers. Safflower Oil is a favorite for salads because it doesn’t solidify when chilled.  Safflower Oil is pale yellow and has a bland flavor. It is a good all-purpose oil low in saturated fat and high in polyunsaturated fat.

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower Oil is low in saturated fat and high in Vitamin E and can be used in the home to fry, cook, and for use in salad dressings. Many food manufacturers are recognizing the health benefits of Sunflower Oil and are using it as the preferred oil in snack foods like potato chips.

Canola Oil

Canola Oil is considered one of the most healthy of the cooking oils because of its low saturated fat content and high mono unsaturated fat. It is commonly used in frying, but only at medium frying temperatures.

As we wind down from the Halloween hullabaloo and head into the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I thought it’d be a good time to think about pumpkins in a whole different way.  I’ve always liked this little passage I received years ago from my sister Patti:

“Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin.  God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you.  He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff, including seeds of doubt, hate, and greed.  He then carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.”

Last week in my class we said the following “Pumpkin Prayer” as we carved a pumpkin.  Maybe next year as your carving your Jack-o-Lanterns, you can do the same:

Dear God:

Open my mind so I can learn about you

Take away all my of sins and forgive me for the wrongs I do

Open my eyes so I can see your love

Forgive me for turning my nose up at all the blessings you have given me

Open my ears so I can hear your word

Open my mouth so I can tell others about you

May your light shine in all I say and do.

Amen.

Just in case you want to be a Martha Stewart and get rid of some of that candy from last night, here are some recipes courtesy “The Austin American Statesman:

Pumpkin Butterfinger Cookies

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

1½ tsp. vanilla

½ 15 oz. can pureed pumpkin

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 regular or 8 fun-size Butterfinger candy bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In the large bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed. Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

In a medium bowl sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture in two additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing until just combined. Stir in chopped Butterfingers.

Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to cooling rack and rest for 10 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Adapted from a “White Lights on Wednesday” recipe by Melissa Martinez

Oatmeal Milky Way Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 regular or 8 fun-size Milky Ways, chopped then frozen

In the large bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in two additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing until just combined. Manually stir in oats until the dough comes together. Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Stick 2-3 small pieces of frozen Milky Ways into the tops of the cookies. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly brown on the edges, and cool 3 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and rest for 5 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies.

Adapted from a “Sally’s Baking Addiction” recipe by Melissa Martinez

Peanut Butter Milk Dud Cookies

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 regular or 6 fun-size boxes of Milk Duds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the large bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, vanilla and peanut butter, mixing well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in two additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing until just combined. Chill dough for 1 hour.

Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. You can either hide one Milk Dud inside each cookie or roll the dough around the Milk Dud for cookies with a visible chocolate center. Place cookies 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for about 14 minutes, or until cookies are lightly brown on the edges, and cool for 3 minutes on cookie sheet.

Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and rest for 5 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Adapted from a “Taste of Home” recipe by Melissa Martinez

As I have previously blogged, I am not a big Halloween person.  But, I do love to laugh and I love a good joke. 

So, in order to get Trick-or-Treating off to a hilarious start, here are some of my favorite comics. 

Enjoy and enjoy the night!

Live every day as if it were your last. 

Stop and smell all the roses you haven’t been paying attention to and do things that make you happy.

Okay, so I may not totally agree with Ms. Bradshaw, but I do love her thinking…and her closet!

Some of you may already be enjoying nice Fall weather, but I am still anxiously waiting to say “Hello fall and hello sweaters and jackets!” But, just where are those sweaters, jeans, and wraps? Maybe finding your fall and winter clothes amidst all your spring and summer outfits is a daunting task. No worries!

Every year I joyfully anticipate the arrival of fall. I have been wearing spring and summer clothing since at least March and I’m tired of it all. Just last week I went through a “closet cleansing” and it was quite cathartic! I actually look forward to switching out my warm weather clothes and shoes for cooler weather attire. I’m fortunate in that my home office is actually a bedroom, so the closet in it serves as my “out-of-season” closet for many items. I love the process of hauling clothes up and down the stairs and switching short sleeves out for long sleeves, golf skirt s out for pants, and sun dresses out for cozy wraps.

I also use this time to organize my closet and take stock of what I can save and what I should pitch or donate. Here are some of my tried and true tips.

Closet Cleanse
If it’s something you’re hoping to someday fit in but haven’t been able to for at least two seasons (as in spring and summer, not 2011 and 2012!), pitch or donate.

If it was a trend you purchased a year or so ago and the trend has come and gone, chances are the next time the trend comes back you’ll have different taste or be a different age and size so it’s probably safe to pitch it.

I like organizing my closet first by style (pants, short sleeve tops, long sleeve tops, etc.,) then by function (casual, dressy, exercise, etc.) and if feasible then by color.

Closet Organization
Built in shelves and drawers are the way to go in a closet, but they are not always do-able. If you have a very small room but a decent size closet (it doesn’t even have to be a walk-in closet) think about placing a dresser inside the closet. This serves two purposes: it keeps your close in one handy place and it frees up space in your bedroom. Luckily my master bedroom closet has both built in drawers and shelves, but, being the clothes and shoe horse that I am, I also use many other organizing methods and storage items.

I like using boxes and baskets for everything from purses to clothes pins to anti-static spray, and I also like hanging organizers for flat shoes like flip-flops and leggings. My daughter uses one for all her folded jeans.

Shoe-wise, here’s how this Cinderella makes sure all her shoes fit…in her closet!

My every day and “go to” shoes like sneakers, flip-flops, and slippers, I simply stow on the floor. Other often used shoes like ballet flats and driving mocassins are stacked on shelves and not in boxes. All my heels, dress shoes, or any shoes I spent too much money on are in the boxes they came in in, stacked and labeled. (I don’t use any fancy labeling tool, I simply write what shoes are inside with a Sharpie.) I also have some tried and true cardboard shoe organizers that I’ve had for years and I use them to store out-of-season shoes up high and out of reach. Often times two pairs can fit in one cubbie.

Hooks are also very useful in a closet. On them you can hang purses, jewelry, scarves, belts, or whatever else you want. I hang my folded scarves , wraps, and pashminas on pant hangars, which I also use for my husband’s ties. They work perfectly!

Closet Add-ons
Once you have your clothing, shoes, and everything else organized inside your closet, it’s time to think “outside the closet.” By this I mean asking yourself “what else should I have in my closet or at least nearby?” I recommend a full-length mirror, an ironing board and iron, and your hamper.

Those are some of my ideas, but don’t just take my word for it. Consider these additional tips from some real experts in their field.

Celebrity stylist Rachel Wirkus told Stylecaster readers to ask themselves “How long have you owned the item?” “When was the last time you wore the item?” and “Can you find new ways to wear the item?” She suggests that if you’ve had the item for more than six months and haven’t worn it, get rid of it. At the same time, if the item is old and you haven’t worn it in a while and you can only pair it with one other item in your closet, pitch it. She’s quick to remind us though, that a worn out pair of boots, jeans or sweatshirt are sometimes great to keep in your closet if you wear them and they can work in multiple ways.

Fashion Designer and Stylist Rachel Zoe

Elizabeth Kott of “Closet Rich” told the Zoe Report she suggests you conduct a “whatever cleanse.” Go through your closet and pull any items you are “whatever” about then stow them away for a month or so. When you feel like doing so, pull them out and find a new home for any of the items you don’t feel super excited about seeing again. Kott also recommends putting together new ensembles of existing clothes, which will give you a “new outfit” feel and she also suggests keeping a few of your “go to” pieces and outfits in one easily accessible spot. I love this idea! I also love Kott’s idea of keeping all empty hangars in one place, which I have always done.

All of this inspires me and gives me something to work on as I wait for the temperatures to dip. What about you? Do you have any tips or ideas to share?

Let go and let God.

Despite attempts to truly “have it all,” a new study finds that even women who feel they are succeeding at doing so may indeed feel liberated, but ultimately they just feel tired.  Yes, tired.  Burned out.  Fatigued.   Drained.

The new analysis from the Pew Research Center shows that whether at work or at home, mothers in general feel more exhausted than fathers.  Sadly, this is also the case when it comes to leisure time as well.  It seems momma can’t even relax when it’s time to relax.  All this despite the fact that dads today devote more time to caring for children and cleaning the house than they used to.  What gives?

The truth of the matter is that even though dad may help out here and there, he still doesn’t do half as much as mom does.  In fact, moms spend nearly twice as many hours on household tasks then dads even if they also work outside the home, while dads spend more time working for pay, on average, than mothers.  Some things never change.   Still, momma deserves a nap!

Some good news from the study is that even though they are weary from the grind, 62 percent of parents said child care is “very meaningful” while only 36 percent said the same about paid work.

I’ve always supported the belief that being a “stay at home mom” is just as hard, if not harder, then being a working mom in many ways.  Still, it’s good news that dads continue to step it up.   Other than the obvious, (those I know personally), what moms and dads do I admire?  Hmmmm….let’s see.

“Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a daddy.”

Just yesterday I posted a “Friday Funny” blog taken from the Bill Cosby Show.  I always admired Cliff Huxtable.  He was an accomplished doctor but an awesome dad and husband too.  He was no nonsense and most of the time he allowed his kids to learn their own lessons without preaching to them.  Andy Griffith was kinda the same.  I also admire the dad in the movie “Taken,” who would do anything to save his daughter.  He was, B.A. defined.

I also admire all the dads in my preschool who bring their kids to school regularly.  They arrive with their child’s backpack, lunch box, water bottle and sometimes siblings and/or car pool kids.  They remember to sign them in, take items off their clips, and even visit with me.  I especially admire the one who took his daughter to get a manicure on her fourth birthday!

Nationally, I must say I admire Donald Trump.  Don’t “hang up” on me here, listen up.  What I like most about him parent-wise is that his kids could all very easily be last year’s Paris/Britney/Miley, or any other famous scandal or burn out, but they aren’t.  They are educated and successful young adults following in their dad’s footsteps.  Daughter Ivanka also has what I consider a stylish yet affordable shoe line.  You don’t hear about them in press stumbling out of clubs or entering rehab and you don’t see their lewd home movies on YouTube.  That is a testament to parenting, whether you admit it or not.  The same can be said about Bill and Hillary Clinton.  Despite the dysfunction of her parents, Chelsea has turned out to be quite a normal and accomplished young lady.

“A worried mom does better research then the FBI.”

Mom-wise, I admire Blessed Mary (for her obedience and devotion), Princess Diana (who steadfastly held onto her goal of raising her royal sons to be caring and compassionate in the midst of a loveless marriage), Sarah Palin (for getting where she is on her own and not marrying into it, raising a large family that includes a special needs child, boasting the ability to shoot what’s for dinner and then cook it up, and running a state that borders Russia), Martina McBride (for turning down many a publicity or promotional deal to stay close to home and raise her children somewhat normally in Nashville), Angie Harmon (for sticking with her Christian and conservative roots in liberal hotbed Hollywood), and Robin Roberts’ momma for raising one strong, talented, and amazing daughter.  I also respect any and all single moms, all parents of special needs kids, and the wives and mothers of our armed forces.

I know there are many more, but off the top of my head, those are who come to mind.  What about you?  Besides your own, what moms and dads do you admire?

Where’s Cosby when we need him?

Happy Friday everyone!

“Politeness is to human nature what warmth is to wax.” 

Arthur Schopenhauer