Softer Sweaters & Diet Site

by Ann Landi — October 2, 2006

Monday October 2nd
Softer Sweaters

Over time, hand or machine washing can rob your knitted things of their original softness. Jean Feigenbaum of Branchville, NJ, recommends adding a capful of the same cream rinse you use on your hair to the final rinse water for sweaters and the like: “Soften up all your scratchy wools and blends and welcome them into the comfy category of your wardrobe,” she writes.

Tuesday October 3rd
Mighty Meat Mallet

You may already know that pounding chicken breasts, veal cutlets, and the like inside a sturdy plastic bag not only recycles the bag but makes for less mess. But have you tried using a large rubber mallet from the hardware store? It does the job better than the metal numbers sold for that purpose in cookware shops, and it’s great for breaking up chunks of ice or frozen vegetables too.

Wednesday October 4th
Smoothie of the Week

Our smoothie of the week—a chocolate-soy concoction packed with protein—comes from Heather Strang in Hillsboro, OR, and serves two:

6 frozen or fresh strawberries
½ cup frozen blueberries
2 cups light chocolate soymilk
3 tablespoons protein powder
½ teaspoon flaxseeds
Raw honey to taste

Place the first five ingredients in a blender and process on “ice crush” for one minute. Switch speed to high and add honey.

Thursday October 5th
Dieter’s Dream Site

Counting your calories, fats, or carbs? One of the best places on the web to get the straight dope is www.nutritiondata.com. You can find out the exact number of calories, for instance, in brand-name foods, fast foods, produce, meat, and just about anything else that goes down the hatch. The site also has a wealth of information on fat-burning foods; a conversion table for figuring out measurements, such as teaspoons to ounces; tips for dieters; and advice on analyzing and improving recipes. The basic data comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but it’s much more user-friendly than government sites.

Friday October 6th
Ranch Dressing

Bottled dressings are full of preservatives and often have a yucky taste. Whenever possible at the WiredBerries kitchens, we like to make our own, such as this smooth but tangy ranch dressing adapted from Everyday Food.

½ cup low-fat buttermilk
½ cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 small garlic clove, very finely chopped or pressed
1 tablespoon minced scallion
Salt and ground pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Store in the fridge. Makes about ¾ cup and is delicious over wedges of iceberg lettuce or as a dip for crudités.

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