Tomato Paste vs. Sun Damage: And the Winner Is...

Tomato Paste!

Yes ladies and ...well maybe just ladies. The study of 20 women, who by the way subjected themselves to having small chunks of their skin removed for analysis, showed that when they ingested tomato paste containing the phytochemical lycopene, they suffered much less skin damage compared to those getting just olive oil. Show some respect for their contribution to science and eat your tomatoes.

Tomatoes have long been a fav of mine, and you can bet after this news I'll be loading my little blondies up with the stuff. Especially the one with hair so light you can see through it.

Here is a quick recipe to protect all you farmers while you are growing your red ripe sun damage fighting fruit:

Aunt Christine's Easy Gluten Free Pizza Sauce

• Spaghetti Sauce - about a 1/2 jar
• Tomato Paste - 1 of those little cute jars :)
• Olive Oil - enough to get your buds in gear, about a tablespoon or more
• Basil - I put in lots ... about a tablespoon or more
• GARLIC - I put it in caps so you'd know to put a lot in. You can press fresh, use powder or granulated, just don't use garlic salt. You'll make the sauce toooooooo salty especially if you put in as much garlic as I do.
• Salt - just a smidge
• Oregano - yeah... You can also add other spices like thyme, hot pepper flakes, or Cayenne pepper.
• Paprika - The WHOLE jar! Well, actually just enough to make it nice and thick. Go to your local club store and get the big container so you can make it more than once.
• A Medium Sized Bowl,
• Some sort of stirring implement - Please don't use your hair dryer, or anything else that plugs in for that matter. 
• and Freezer Bags or Containers - this is to store the extra, there WILL be extra. :)

Place the paste, sauce, oil and all spices, except the paprika, into the bowl. Stir till they are well blended and all the little spices are happy and mingling. Taste it. does it need some more garlic? You know it does. adjust the spices so they are just right.

Next dump some paprika in, be bold! Stir...Do you like the consistency? Stop. Is it too thick? add some of the leftover spaghetti sauce. Is it too thin? Check your fears at the door and dump in a few tablespoons. Go ahead, step out in faith. It'll be OK I promise. :)

Now, when the consistency is perfect, get some containers or those "oh so bad for the environment" zipper bags. Put about 1/2 cup of the sauce in each bag. If you like a lot of sauce on your pizza or you have a family of 17 children (18, 19? how many do the Duggers have now?) you can put more into each container.

And contact the NIH and tell them how very much you appreciate them taking a chunk out of skin cancer by studying lycopene. Those 20 women will thank you.

Is Wheat Free Easy?

 I read a recent post on the wildly popular naturalparentingtips.com newsletter saying that there are many options, so going wheat free isn't hard.

To him or her I say "YEAH RIGHT!!"

For someone who cut their teeth on takeout and fast food (and is currently reaping the health benefits thereof) going wheat free is not easy. I long to buy the chewy bread and bagels, enjoy the hot mac and cheese, and relish the ability to order the fudge brownie delight at my local eatery.

But I don't. Why? Because I like not having seizures. Plain and simple. Oh, I also like being able to drive. :)
While processed food makers are falling all over themselves to fill the huge chasm between whole foods and franken foods, I've learned to cope. I get most of my daily intake from single and two ingredient foods such as peanut butter, puffed corn, fruits, rice cakes and veggies. This assures me I don't violate my food rules.

But I do indulge in multi-nationally derived pseudo food on occasion, like cookies made from rice flour, and bread made with some kinda modified food starch and mold inhibiting cultured corn syrup. This keeps my dopamine pathways, the ones that were carved in childhood, happy. Well, happy enough. :)