December Food of the Month

by Beth Lind, R.D.,L.D.

Cranberries are the fruit of a native plant of North America.  These red berries are used in foods and in herbal products.

Recently, cranberry products have been used in the hope of preventing or treating urinary tract infections of Helicobacter pylori infections that can lead to stomach ulcers, or to prevent dental plaque.  Cranberry has also been reported to have antioxidant and anticancer activity.

The berries are used to produce beverages and many other food products, as well as dietary supplements in the form of extracts, teas, and capsules or tablets. 

Research shows that components found in cranberry may prevent bacteria, such as E. coli, from clinging to the calls along the walls of the urinary tract and causing infection.

The National Kidney Foundation® suggests drinking a 10 oz glass of cranberry juice cocktail a day may help prevent urinary tract infections. 

Here’s an easy recipe to help get in your 10 ounces of cranberry juice a day.

BEEF ONION STRUDEL

by Jim Gehler

1-1/2 cups of sliced sweet onions
¼ cup butter (no substitutes)
½ pound of ground beef
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup beef broth
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, sauté onions in butter until browned and caramelized; remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. In the same skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the flour, brown sugar, cumin, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually add the broth; cook for 8 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Unroll dough and separate into four rectangles. Separate each rectangle at perforation into two triangles. Pinch two 6-in. sides together to form a triangle. Repeat with remaining triangles.

Place point of one triangle near the end of a greased baking sheet. Place point of second triangle in center of first triangle. Repeat with remaining triangles.

Spoon beef mixtures in a 1-1/2 wide strip down the center; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Starting at one end, fold alternating points across filling. Pinch ends to seal. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. 8-10 servings.

Make Some Changes

by Dr. Gendelman

December is the time to make changes and to give thanks for what has occurred over the past year.  It may be time to think about your overall health.  Exercise, smoking, getting your Pap smear, getting a mammogram, checking your cholesterol, checking your blood pressure and getting a colonoscopy and prostate exam if you are nearing the Big 50.

I hope you did notice I didn't say anything about alcohol. Have some fun, just don't overdo!

Don’t live with your financial mistakes.  Move on!

By David Eppers

The Monty Python movie “The Holy Grail” has a scene where a man pulling a cart around the medieval town is banging a bell and shouting, “Bring out your dead, clang, Bring out your dead, clang…”.  Another man appears with a supposedly dead person and attempts to put him in the cart.  The hilarity begins as the supposedly dead man announces that he is not quite dead.  Then they begin to debate.  He says he’s fine and even adds that he’d like to go for a walk.  The man who wants to put him in the cart tells him to quit complaining, etc.

Sometimes the financial decisions of our past can be similar to this scene.  No matter how much we want them to be “dead” issues, they keep hanging around.  Moving on, although it may appear to be appropriate, can be hard to do.  For example, You may have purchased a used care that is requiring too many repairs.  You have clothing that never fit.  Possibly you signed a long-term cell phone agreement and the phone doesn’t meet your needs. 

First step; go back to the source of your purchase.  If the item you purchased or the contract you signed doesn’t meet your needs explain your situation to the seller.  There may be an opportunity for an exchange or possibly a refund.  If your issue is with a contract, there may be some changes that you can make or you may have acted early enough that you could void the contract. 

Next step; determine if you can afford to rid yourself of the problem.  I once paid for transmission work on a vehicle that required a series of other repairs shortly thereafter.  I wish I had cut my losses earlier.  Selling it is one option.  If it is something that someone else can use, give it away.  There are many second hand stores that will take used clothing.  That way you reduce the clutter and get a tax deduction.  Getting out of a cell phone contract may result in a substantial fee.  If you can’t rework the contract it, compare the cancellation fee to the future cost.  It may be worth it.

Remember your mistakes and make better purchase decisions in the future.  Remembering them doesn’t mean you have to live with them.

Pay It Forward

by Debbie Berling

Some of you may have seen the movie "Pay it Forward”.  It was about a child that wanted to make a difference and in his small way he decided to do a nice gesture for someone and in turn he asked for that person not to repay him but for them to pay it forward with a good gesture to someone else.  He had no idea that his small idea had spread across the states by persons who kept "Paying it Forward ".

For every person that you touch by doing something nice for them, I believe they will at some point do something nice for someone else.  Think about it!  That one nice little gesture will most likely cause them to be nice to the next person and so on.  Therefore that day alone you made a difference for several persons, you just will never know how many.

My suggestion is this: Treat every encounter you have as the beginning of a chain of kindness.   If someone does something nice for you, Pay it Forward.  Make a difference.