Develop better eating habits

The foods we choose have a huge impact on our long-term health and well-being, but with busy schedules eating healthy doesn’t always seem like a convenient option. Plan ahead by making a weekly menu and only buying the ingredients you need for each dish that week. In the beginning it may take extra time that you don’t feel you have to spare, but after a few weeks it will become habitual and you will realize the value of planning ahead by saving time and money. Whipping together a broccoli-carrot Frittata with a side of roasted vegetables and potatoes, along with a side salad of mixed greens makes for a quick and easy dinner. Make it fun by getting the family involved in planning the weekly menu or swap favorite healthy recipes between friends and family members. Check out our recipes for delicious and easy meal ideas.

Broccoli-Carrot Frittata Recipe

Help the environment

Growing concerns and awareness for the environment prompts people to resolve to live a greener lifestyle now more than ever before. Looking for some ideas? Develop a recycling system in your home by having separate bins for plastic, paper and trash. You will want to check with your trash service to see if they offer a recycling service. When you go out shopping, bring your own reusable bag. This preserves resources by cutting down on the large number of paper and plastic bags that are discarded after a trip to the grocery store. Buy reusable water bottles instead of single use ones. This will not only reduce plastic waste, but will save you money as well.

Give to others or volunteer

Clean out your pantry and closets. There are a number of local and national organizations that that accept clothing and food donations. Find a local charity with an initiative that is dear to your heart. Volunteer a couple hours a month or several hours a week. Either way you will feel more inspired and fulfilled.

Exercise more

Try to exercise three times a week. Find what works for you, whether it’s walking for 20 minutes in your neighborhood or signing up for a local group exercise class…just get moving! Exercising and building lean muscles is the absolute centerpiece for being healthy and vital. Most calories are burned within the muscles, so having more muscle means burning more calories. I personally prefer joining group exercise classes. The music is always fun and up beat as well as the people and I enjoy the group setting. It helps me stay motivated in my exercise program, I never get bored and like being able to choose my specific intensity level.

Meyer Lemon Curd

According to Wikipedia, lemon curd is “a dessert spread or topping made with lemon, sugar and egg yolks.”  I would argue that half of that statement is correct.  It is indeed made with lemon, sugar and egg yolks.  But lemon curd is not only a dessert spread or topping.  Sure, it can be used to spread on layered cakes, swirled into cheesecakes, or baked into a pie, but it can also be used for breakfast items as well.

Imagine spreading some of this lemon curd on a hot, flaky biscuit in the morning – or a crumbly blueberry scone.  What about using it on good old fashioned toast?  Lemon curd is not merely for dessert, my friends.

I absolutely love lemon curd – especially Meyer Lemon curd.  Meyer Lemons are a cross between a lemon and an orange.  I remember how hard they were to find a few years ago.  Now I can find them in just about every grocery store in the area, and they’re fairly reasonable in price.

Using Meyer Lemons makes the spread sweeter and more flavorful.  The recipe is really quite simple.  All you’ll need is Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs, sugar, Meyer Lemons, vanilla, butter, and about 20 minutes of your time.

Meyer Lemons are seasonal, though, so make this lemon curd while you can!

Click here for my Meyer Lemon Curd recipe. And once you have made it, check out my web site, Sugar Plum Blog, to see how I used this curd in my Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake recipe.

Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake

It all started with an English drink called “posset”. Without eggs, this beverage featured hot milk curdled with ale or wine, plus sugar and spices. Later, Renaissance mixologists discovered how much richer the drink could taste with the addition of fresh eggs.

And because it was served in little wooden mugs called “noggins,” this treat came to be known as “eggnog,” according to some historians. Others suggest the term “eggnog” came from the word “egg” plus the American colonists’ word for thick beverage, “grog”. So, it was “egg-grog,” evolving into “eggnog”.

Eggnog for everyone

In Britain, eggs were scarce, so holiday eggnog was a drink reserved for aristocrats. In the early American colonies, though—not a problem. Turns out that chickens and supplies of fresh eggs were abundant. So why not celebrate with eggnog?

One of the early American additions to eggnog recipes was rum. It was widely available from our Caribbean neighbors.

Rumor has it that George Washington was a big fan. His version of eggnog was spiked with rum, whiskey, and sherry.

Bourbon is a favorite eggnog addition in the South. Latin American variations add ingredients like grated coconut, coconut milk, and spiced liqueurs.

Safest Choice Classic Eggnog

Why make homemade eggnog?

If you’re particular about flavor and freshness, you’ll notice a difference between pasteurized eggnog in a carton and homemade eggnog. Commercial eggnog, by FDA labeling requirements, can be as little as 1 percent egg yolk solids, and can contain sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, plus color additives and stabilizers.

Your homemade eggnog recipe is going to have a fresher appeal, including the flavor of freshly cracked eggs. You control the additions. And, it’s easy. All you need is a carton of safe (pasteurized) eggs, some milk and/or cream, and sugar. Try this homemade eggnog recipe from Safest Choice™.

Watching calories or carbs? Here’s a favorite light eggnog recipe (only 180 calories per serving), and also a sugar-free eggnog recipe. For a unique seasonal twist, try this recipe for caramel apple pie eggnog.

Safest Choice Eggnog Latte

Eggnog – Is it safe?

Everyone talks about the Salmonella risk in homemade eggnog. It’s a real and present danger. And you can’t count on spirits to eliminate the Salmonella risk. (Reports on effectiveness vary; it’s not a foolproof remedy for Salmonella.)

So why take a chance? And what if you just want that wholesome French-vanilla ice cream taste without the spirits? It’s always safe to make your eggnog with eggs that are already guaranteed Salmonella-free, like Safest Choice™.

Recipes with eggnog

For the ultimate eggnog festivity, have you tried eggnog in your other holiday recipes? Eggnog martinis, eggnog latte, eggnog pound cake, eggnog cheesecake, eggnog waffles, eggnog French toast, eggnog pancakes—variations are endless. For some eggnog fun in the kitchen this year, keep an eye on 12 Days of Eggnog at SafeEggs.com/recipes.

Safest Choice Eggnog Martini

No matter what eggnog recipe you use for your holiday celebrations this year, the eggnog tradition is a toast to your health. So, here’s to your healthy, happy holiday season!

Organic eggs recalled

News broke last week that Minnesota health officials are investigating cases of salmonella poisoning linked to organic eggs. At least six people, both children and adults, became ill between Aug. 12 and Sept. 24, after consuming the organic eggs purchased at grocery stores. Three were hospitalized but have recovered.

The Department of Agriculture said the contaminated eggs were traced to the Larry Schultz Organic Farm of Owatonna, where testing confirmed the presence of salmonella bacteria. The farm has issued a voluntary recall of the eggs and is cooperating with the Minnesota agriculture probe.

This news comes just weeks after research was published stating that about 1 in 5 American’s are at a high risk of foodborne illness. And this summer the CDC released numbers showing an increase in illnesses caused by Salmonella.

It is a good thing that food safety is becoming more important to consumers, but there are some that have the misconception that organic food means safer food. The fact is organically grown or organically produced foods have not been proven to be safer than those items grown by commercial farms. The USDA organic label refers to the fact that organic produce are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.

This isn’t the first time organic eggs have been recalled. In 2009 Kirkland brand organic brown eggs were recalled and recently 92 people were stricken with salmonella linked to chicks bought for backyard farms. Salmonella is now typically found on the inside of the shell of the egg, so that means it originates in the hen. Hens live on farms, and basic microbiology will tell you that there are plenty of ways a farm animal can pick up a pathogen that is harmless to them but can cause illness in humans.

Doug Powell, the writer of BarfBlog puts it best, “Dangerous bugs really don’t care about size or politics: local or global, conventional or organic, big or small, producers and others in the farm-to-fork food safety system either know about dangerous microorganisms and take steps to control them – or they don’t.”

All of the news stories about the recent organic egg recall state that to be safe you should thoroughly cook your eggs. In case you were wondering that means, you must cook your eggs until they are hard or have no liquid left in them, so no runny yolks, or even soft scrambled. However, even if you fully cook your eggs there is still the risk of cross contamination in your kitchen.  Maybe it is time to make the Safest Choice and purchase our pasteurized eggs. Learn more about our gentle water-bath process here.

Which Culinary Styles Destroy Salmonella

New research published in the Journal of Foodborne Pathogens and Disease (Nov. 9, 2011) spells it out loud and clear: 1 in 5.

In developed nations like the U.S. and U.K., about 1 in 5 people is at high risk for foodborne illness. What does that mean? When exposed to viruses or bacteria in food, they’re especially likely to get sick.

Who gets foodborne illness most easily?

Children are at greater risk when exposed to foodborne illness

You may know—or easily guess—some of the list. Food safety experts call them highly susceptible populations: the very young, the very old, pregnant women, and anyone whose immune system is weak. The very young have immature immune systems and lower body weight, not to mention less awareness and control over food safety risks. The elderly also tend to have weaker immune systems. With aging, other factors often come into play, such as poor nutrition, dehydration, or chronic illness.

The new research reminds us of others at risk: someone on dialysis, someone undergoing cancer treatment, someone with diabetes, to name a few. Now, what about people taking prescription medications?

Did you know anyone on antacids (especially proton-pump inhibitor drugs) is more susceptible? That’s because the drugs reduce stomach acid. (Acid plays a role in eliminating some bacteria in the stomach.) Another big category is cortisone drugs—often taken for inflammatory conditions like asthma or immune system diseases.

Salmonella – a special case

Salmonella is of particular concern because it causes the highest number of hospitalizations and deaths, according to the CDC.  With the majority of Salmonella enteritidis illnesses (4 out of 5) tracing back to raw or undercooked eggs, pasteurized eggs provide a strong safeguard.

Salmonella is the only bacterial foodborne illness that is still on the rise, according to FoodNet data.( FoodNet is a surveillance network that tracks trends on foodborne illness.)

Pasteurized eggs: an example of choosing safe foods

The researchers who identified the 1-in-5 risk suggest a simple strategy—Replace high-risk foods with safer ones. So, for foods that use raw or undercooked eggs, such as Caesar salad dressings, homemade raw cookie dough, and homemade eggnog, they suggest pasteurized eggs/egg products as the safe choice.

Eating out? They advise, “Ask if pasteurized eggs were used.”

Speaking of numbers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 1 in 6 Americans gets foodborne illness every year. Many people are at heightened risk, but all of us are at risk every day. Simple steps can go a long way in protecting everyone from foodborne illness related to Salmonella and eggs.

The Skinny on Egg Nutrition

Cholesterol: Cholesterol in eggs is lower than previously thought, reports the USDA—186 mg per egg. More importantly, though, the old-school link between eating eggs and raising blood cholesterol has been broken.

Remember when the American Heart Association used to tell us how many egg yolks to eat per week? They’ve stopped.  And here’s what the Harvard Medical School says: “The only large study to look at the impact of egg consumption on heart disease—not on cholesterol levels or other intermediaries—found no connection between the two.” (See egg cholesterol details at Safe Eggs.com)

Nutrition: Egg nutrition data packs some pleasant surprises. Besides high quality protein, eggs offer iron, vitamin D, choline, folacin, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and antioxidants—like lutein and zeaxanthin. Egg nutrition benefits extend from healthy vision to healthy muscles to healthy pregnancy to healthy aging.

Eggs are a nutrition powerhouse

Weight: Eating eggs for breakfast can help you lose weight. It’s not just about the calories (only 70 calories per egg). It’s about hunger hormones, too. Read more about how eggs can help you eat fewer calories.

Eating eggs helps control insulin levels, blood sugar, and diabetes, too. Read more about eggs and controlling diabetes. Turns out eggs are good nutrition find.

Food Safety and Eggs

Healthy People 2020, a huge, science-based initiative for improving the nation’s health, continues to flag food safety as a wellness priority.

About foodborne illness—the fact that most surprises people is that 4 out of 5 Salmonella illnesses (foodborne illness cases) come from raw or undercooked eggs. There is a solution for this, too, but it’s two good words this time—Safest Choice™. Safest Choice eggs are pasteurized, so they’re Salmonella-free.

Hmmm… aren’t all eggs pasteurized? You’d be surprised. Milk, yes. Juices, yes. But eggs are different, because the process that makes them safe is patented. Unlike milk, eggs in cartons are not legally required to be pasteurized for your safety.

Egg Nutrition and Wellness

For anyone who is attending FNCE 2011, you can stop by the Safest Choice™ booth, number 1435, and ask for details on the new egg nutrition brochure.

Or, talk to your Registered Dietitian, or visit SafeEggs.com for egg recipes and more ideas about how safe eggs can be part of your nutrition and wellness routine. Here’s’ to your health!

Because everyone at Safest Choice eggs really appreciates working with such a wonderful group of people, and  each person has his or her own personality but they all blend well together,  deciding on partners for the tournament had to be done randomly by drawing names.

Then three rounds were  played. Each game was different, the first was bowling poker where if you got a strike or spare you got playing cards.  The team with the best hand at the end won.  The next was best high score and the last was wacky bowling.

For this game each frame had a different “style” to roll the ball down the lane.  One frame you had to bowl with you opposite hand, one with your eyes closed, one you had to sit and push the ball with your feet. The last round kept everyone laughing the whole time!  The whole team seemed to really enjoy the function and appreciated getting to get to know their coworkers outside of the office.

Google offered me an array of matches for “safe Caesar salad dressing,” but either they weren’t safe, or they weren’t good. Here’s what I mean:

Safe Caesar Salad Recipe

The traditional recipe calls for ordinary raw eggs. Let’s just call them the Salmonella squad, because raw or undercooked eggs cause nearly 4 out of 5 Salmonella foodborne illnesses cases.

Some recipes bearing the name “safe” use raw eggs anyway. Others coddle the eggs first, but coddling is not the same as cooking to 160°F (the temperature required for food safety). Some people claim lemon juice in the Caesar salad dressing recipe will wipe out the Salmonella in raw eggs. Are we going to culture this dressing first to make sure? I’m more for a lean, clean kitchen routine.

Good Caesar Salad Recipe

I found a variety of workarounds to the Salmonella risk in fresh eggs—liquid egg products, mayonnaise, or yogurt instead of eggs.  Some recipes just omit the eggs and work with olive oil and vinegar. What kind of Caesar salad is that? Bottom line: None of these recipes inspired me.

Safest Choice eggs SAFE Caesar salad

So, what’s the solution? I tracked down the Safe Caesar Salad recipe from SafeEggs. They also have a Safe Mexicali Chicken Caesar Salad recipe I want to try next. Both use pasteurized eggs (not liquids), which means they’re safe from Salmonella, and they have that fresh flavor that makes Caesar salad fun. Safe plus good. Happy now.

Caesar Salad Recipe Add-ins

By the way, I’ve now tried add-ins like minced anchovies, stone-ground mustard, and capers. All were good, even all together. Homemade, whole-grain croutons with a little garlic, if you have the time, add depth to the flavor. Grilled chicken rounds it out with more protein—or for a vegetarian Caesar salad, white cannellini beans are great.

Wikipedia details stories about the origin of Caesar salad. One is that Caesar Cardini invented the idea tableside when his restaurant ran out of supplies following a holiday rush. Others claim the fame. Who knows? But everyone who loves to cook can appreciate the pride in culinary invention.

What’s your favorite safe Caesar Salad recipe?

Symptoms and complications caused by Salmonella

The onset of the illness is 12 to 72 hours after the initial ingestion of contaminated food. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, and the infection usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Most persons recover without treatment, but in some the diarrhea may be so severe that it may require hospitalization. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

The elderly, infants and young children, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness. Children under the age of five have the highest incidence of salmonella infections compared to other age groups.  Long term effects that may occur after the infection has subsided include pain in the joints, eye irritation and painful urination, known as  Reiter’s Syndrome. It can lead to a form of arthritis that persists for months  of even years, as it can be very difficult to treat.

How to prevent Salmonella poisoning

Salmonella infections increase during the summer months.  Temperature is the most probable culprit: foods being left out for longer periods of time especially when the outdoor temperature is above 90 degrees; a more casual attitude about food preparation and serving; and cross-contamination (i.e. using the same cutting board for slicing cooked meat as one did for seasoning and preparing the raw meat without washing/sanitizing in-between). Please refer to the Safest Choice blog on Picnics and Barbeques which has a fuller discussion on food safety techniques in the kitchen and outdoors.

Modern farming, food processing and delivering have not solved the salmonella problem.  Recent outbreaks this month include a massive ground turkey recall which has caused illness in 77 people over 26 states. The bacteria identified is Salmonella heidelberg, which is considered to be an antibiotic-resistant strain of the bacteria, and thus is more difficult to treat with current antibiotics in use. The Centers for Disease Control has a very good commentary on this outbreak including how the culprit bacteria is identified in both the ground turkey samples and the infected persons.

Look for the red circle 'P' to know eggs are pasteurized by Safest Choice

Just one year ago, a massive recall of eggs took place in the U.S. which sickened over 4,000 people.  How does this happen? It’s not a pretty picture: most types of Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of animals and birds and are transmitted to humans when feces from animals directly or indirectly contaminate foods that humans eat. Such was the case with the recent farmer’s market strawberries contaminated with E. coli. With eggs, salmonella can be on both the outside and inside of the shell. If one desires a poached egg or an undercooked “runny” yolk which have been infected with the bacteria, there is great potential for illness.

The Centers for Disease Control now includes a suggestion for consumers who are searching for ways to be safe with food:  consider purchasing pasteurized eggs. Safest Choice eggs are the best choice for farm-fresh taste, convenience and ultimately safety for you and the people you care about.

Dee runs her own brokerage called, Detail Food Service, which she started over 11 years ago. Detail Food Service is an extremely successful brokerage because of Dee’s 30 years of industry experience, along with her business philosophy. The philosophy is that everyone gets their fair share of Dee and her team’s amazing capabilities. So Detail Food Service limits the number of lines they carry to make sure they are equally represented.

Dee began working with Safest Choice eggs in early 2007 and has helped bring pasteurized eggs to the Las Vegas market ever since. This small 16 square mile geographic area can require a lot of food products, because one casino equals a lot of volume. But this small area is driven by relationships and that is where Dee, and Detail Food Service, helps Safest Choice stand out.

Dee has helped to get Safest Choice eggs into the casinos Mandalay Bay and Luxor. She also secured the very first grocery store to carry pasteurized eggs in Las Vegas, Glazier’s Food Marketplace. Recently, she worked closely with Hash House a Go Go to help them switch all of their gently cooked egg menu items over to Safest Choice eggs.

Jay, Chantel, Chef Tony, Dee Taylor and Elizabeth at Hash House!

“It has been so much fun working on the partnership between Safest Choice eggs and Hash House. It is such a popular restaurant in Las Vegas with multiple locations, so that made the opportunity very exciting.” Dee told me about the work she did. “Now they can serve their poached and over easy eggs safely, and the quality and taste goes along with their menu made up of only fresh ingredients. “

Safest Choice eggs served at Hash House

It is easy to see why everyone with Safest Choice is a huge fan of Dee’s and we can’t wait to see what new opportunity Detail Food Service finds.