I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

crazy4carrots

Hmmm, DH and I were talking about zucchini blossoms the other night and wondering what they taste like deep-fried.  I said I thought that just about anything deep-fried tastes about the same.  But...I could be wrong, cuz deep-fried "anything" gives me indigestion!

I always thought cucumbers were sort of a throw-away veggie with very little nutritional value.  I was wrong, and I'll try to find the document to prove it. 

kira1234

It's a shame fried stuff is so bad for us because it sure tastes good.

ritaz

MMMMMMM - Deep fried pickles...Too bad I'm gluten free! LOL  They ARE delish!

Mary - LOL We DO sound like we're in rehab confessing our "sins"...

Time to eat a salad for me too...

thenewme

Lindasa, you just gave me flashbacks of living in Italy - my Italian friend used to make "fiori fritti" (fried flowers) that are just that - deep fried zucchini blossoms!!  Oh yummmmm!

Fried pickles and Twinkies, though???  Really?

YramAL

ritaz-maybe you could use rice flour? That's gluten free, isn't it?

Mary 

Bren-2007

The twinkies sound pretty good.

My favorite guilty fried pleasure are McDonald's french fries!  Yikes .. I feel like a just confessed a grave sin!

Bren

EDIT:  Welcome Ritaz!

BarbaraA

Bren, I loved them until they took the transfat out.

kira1234

Oh yes McDonalds by far are the best fries. Kentucy fried chicken!!!

Bren-2007

I think they put some kind of special salt on them to make them taste so wonderful!

1Athena1

Yum to everything. Due to medication I am on, I tend to gravitate towards salty things. ETA: While retaining my sweet tooth, I'm afraid!

kira1234

And we can eat fries on our gluten free diets right.

AnnNYC

(((((Libby))))) -- so happy to hear about your PCP!!!!

This thread moves so fast, and I've been so swamped at work, I feel so far behind!  Want to say "welcome" to all the new posters here -- although I probably look like a new poster, since so many pages have gone by!!!!

thenewme, I was in Rome last summer at the end of June -- "fiori di zucca" season!  I had an appetizer of zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese and deep-fried!  Yikes for the diet, but delicious!  More delicate, probably healthier, and even more delicious were slices of thin-crust (Roman style) pizza with cheese, no tomato sauce, and zucchini flowers laid on top!  I think those blossoms were just baked, not fried -- maybe slightly "sauteed" in the cheese and probably a little olive oil on top of the pizza. (Is it lunchtime yet?)

otter

STOP!!!  Y'all are giving me indigestion!

Seriously... even though dh and I stop at fast-food joints when we're on the road (what else to do?), we do try to down-size the portions and we mostly skip the fries-with-that.  You can get an amazing amount of food -- just right, for the average-sized adult -- by ordering from the "value" menu.  My fav at present is an Arby's junior roast beef sandwich ($1.00) and (ahem...) a "value" Jamocha shake ($1.00).  That is, unless we're at DQ or somewhere else that sells hot fudge shakes (small); or if there's a Culver's nearby, in which case I order fried cheese curds (and share 'em with dh) plus a small strawberry-mango smoothie.  Gotta get that calcium!

I do not look at the calorie charts when we're eating fast-food; I just order small portions and non-combo meals.  The pre-made salads at those places are usually trash -- who knows who handled them and when they were made?  I'm particular about my salad ingredients.  They have to be fresh. No E. coli supplements added, please.  Raw green peas would be nice, plus some sliced black olives and all the usual stuff.  I do like Ranch dressing, but not fat-free.  (Fat-free salad dressing is an oxymoron.  No, I'm not calling anyone a "moron".)  Ranch-"lite" is just fine.

Is it time for lunch yet?

otter

[ETA:  Yes, Ann, it's lunchtime!  And I forgot to say "Yay!" to HappyLibby, for finally getting a doc to take things seriously.  Not much worse than a complacent oncologist, I'd say.] [ETA 2nd time: I've deleted reference to a post on another thread because the intent of the post was clarified by its poster.]

Anonymous

linda

A good friend living near me, sautes squash blossoms AFTER she fills them with different kinds of cheese.  Only the "male" blossoms, so she still get s squash....truly delicious, so glad I don't have a gallbladder when I go to eat dinner at her house...

Alpal

Mary - are you trying to tell me that Mac N Cheese isn't a veggie? Oh my.

AnnNYC

Otter -- I so agree about fast-food salads!  The chicken in the McDonald's salad tastes (and "feels") extremely weird, like it's been coated with plastic or something...

Stealing a friend's vacation pic she just posted on FaceBook -- she's in Italy at the moment, and it really is "fiori di zucca" season!

otter

It's rubber.  Rubber chicken.  You've been wondering what happens to all those goofy rubber chickens when they wear out, yes?  Now you know. 

otter

RetiredLibby

Oh Otter, we also eat off the "Dollar Menu" at McDonald's -- plenty of good-sized portions there!  I like the fruit & yogurt parfait and the apple dippers.  DH calls me a fruit fly!

Today lunch was hummus and whole wheat pita, red grapes, apple slices and a Yoplait Greek yogurt.

L

kira1234

I have never tried the salads at McDonalds. I'm glad I haven't. We usually go to Subway if we are going to eat out. We will share a sub, and have some soup as our side.

Anonymous

Otter, Dr. David Kessler, who used to be head of the FDA, wrote an amazing book in 2009, The End of Overeating.  He explains, in gory detail, just what IS in the food that is preprocessed, before it is sent to the various franchises of the restaurants.  Really is amazing.  I learned a lot, including the word: hyperpalitability. 

Don't know how to underline - so please consdider The End of Overeating ( underlined ;-)

otter

Hey, all --

FWIW, and in case you haven't noticed, the BCO "Community Rules" were changed.  Have a look:  http://community.breastcancer.org/help/rules

CS, I am pretty sure I don't "over-eat".  My actual caloric intake is well below the average, or usual, or whatever.  What I'm lacking is at the other end of the equation:  I don't burn enough calories.  So, I guess I do over-eat for my activity level; but, heck, a couple of celery sticks and a pretzel just won't do it for a daily meal plan.

Yes -- hyperpalatability.  I suppose that means the food is chewed up mechanically and re-formed to look like the original version, with secret stuff added to make it taste better. 

I hesitate to ask, but I really wonder how far the definition of "processed", as in "processed food", should go.  Stuff that's pre-digested, like hot dogs?  Anything that's sold in ready-to-eat form, like TV dinners?  Is ice cream a "processed" food?  What about honest-to-goodness cheese (not Velveeta or the shrink-wrapped kind)?  Cheese goes through a lot of "processing" just to be manufactured from its original ingredients.  Canned veggies?

I'm not gonna think about pre-processed foods.  I know Arby's roast beef is on that list, 'cause I've heard about how they chop the meat into tiny pieces and glue it back together.  They do that with steaks now, too, right, to make a larger piece from several smaller ones?  (Did we talk about that here, eons ago?)

I don't know...  Seems like some people think we should revert back to what our great-grandparents did, a hundred years ago.  Heck, I can't even grow a tomato plant because of all the deer and turkeys and tomato hornworms that want to eat it. 

(Who's delivering lunch, anyway?  You're LATE.)

otter

[Edited to make link active.]

Bren-2007

Oops .. I don't know how to get rid of the dots.  I copied rule #2 below. You agree to introduce yourself, greet newcomers and make them feel welcome, and to remain respectful in all interactions. You agree that if you find yourself at odds with another registered user, you will (i) use the "ignore" button, (ii) not respond to an offending communication or (iii) report the communication to a moderator via e-mail or the "Report This Post" feature (but will use this feature only to report communications that are truly offensive, not those which simply reflect a view different from your own).

EDITED:

I guess it's left to each member to do determine what is 'truly offensive.'

crazy4carrots

About cukes (from the LiveStrong website):

Cucumber Nutritional InformationPOST A COMMENT  |  PRINTCucumber Nutritional InformationOverviewCucumbers really are cool: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), their internal temperature is usually about 20 degrees cooler than the temperature outside. In addition to being naturally cool, cucumbers can be a good addition to a healthy diet. Though they're often consideredvegetables, cucumbers, like all foods that carry their own seeds, are actually a fruit.FactsA medium-sized cucumber has around 39 calories. A medium-sized cucumber has almost no fat and sodium content and no cholesterol. It has 2.4 grams of dietary fiber, which contributes 10 percent of your daily recommended fiber intake. A medium-sized cucumber also provides 13 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A, 27 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C and 4 percent of your daily recommended intake of calcium.Fast Weight Loss Lose up to 10 Lbs in 1 Week with Nutrition in Motion www.nimdiet.comSponsored LinksSignificanceSince they are low in calories and fat, cucumbers are a good diet choice for people who are counting calories and fat as part of a weight loss or weight maintenance program. Because they have high water content, cucumbers are also a good way to ensure that you're meeting your body's hydration needs. Cucumbers are a good source of vitamin C, which helps keep your immune system healthy.TypesThere are three types of cucumbers. Pickling cucumbers are typically used, as their name suggests, for making pickles. Persian cucumbers have thin skins that are usually sealed with a waxy coating. Persian cucumbers are sometimes called "regular cucumbers." English cucumbers, also known as gourmet cucumbers, have very small, edible seeds and usually do not have their peels waxed.Expert InsightYou'll get the maximum nutritional benefit from cucumbers by choosing them wisely. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend choosing cucumbers with uniform green color and firm flesh. Avoid cucumbers that have streaky skins or soft spots. To seed cucumbers, the CDC suggests cutting them in half lengthwise and using a spoon to scrape out the seeds.ConsiderationsThe nutrition information given here is based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. If your regular calorie intake is more or less than that, you'll need to adjust the information accordingly to know the exact benefits you'll get from including cucumbers in your diet.Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/47670-cucumber-nutritional-information/#ixzz1S0WtxcPy 

IronJawedBCAngel

I almost never do fast food, except Subway.  Just too much of it when the kids were little, and through the years of horse shows.  My grandson gets quite disgusted with me.

At the spring festival here, they were selling deep fried butter, and deep fried Kool-aid.  Have no idea how you deep fry butter, but the one of the newscasters said it was tasty.  Sounds like a recipe for digestive disaster to me!

Libby, I believe that the crappy onc is the biggest boob of all, and like all bad boobs, needs to be excised from your life!  I believe he was separated at birth with the onc I had a consult with here where I live, five years ago.  My gyn thought he would be a wonderful option to driving almost 3 hours to the onc I love. (even though we bicker about some things.)  The pompous ass actually patted me on the head, and said "Honey, don't know what you are worried about, you only had DCIS.  See you in a year!"I restrained myself from screaming as I ran!  The drive to my guy is nothing!  Hope you find an onc that fits.  I adore your primary care doctor!

thenewme

Oh AnnNYC, stop!!! You're torturing me!!!   I was there for almost 5 years and I miss it SO much!  I haven't found a single place here with anything like *real* Italian pizza :-(

HappyLibby - your internist sounds fabulous!  My PCP and my onc are both some of the most caring and compassionate people I've ever met, aside from my chemo nurses, who are some of the angels among us. 

Mmmm... cucumbers.....does the BCOB&G deliver to Colorado?  

Bren-2007

I wish the BCO Bar and Grill delivered to southwest VA.  I'm getting hungry!  And a burger sounds good right now.

And maybe someone could make some 'healthy' fries with that burger!

Bren

Anonymous

Otter,

I was NOT NOT NOT ( times a zillion) implying that YOU over eat.  Now, I DO over eat   The premise of the book, by Kessler, is that most of us do east stuff we don't REALLY want to eat, because of that demon: hyperpalability.  And the food industry, GMA ( grocery Manufacturers of America) all collude ( how do yo spell that word, and how do you look up a word in a dictionary that you can't spell???) to get us to over eat.

It really is an AMAZING book.  Kessler, according to an article in the Washington Post went DUMPSTER diving around DC, buz restaurants wouldn't tell him what was in their food.  The preprocessed packaged containers gave interesting information.

Just an amazing book!  The End of Overeating ( oops, no underline)

kira1234

Caerus-Sunflowers,

What you're saying actually makes sense. I know often I'll eat more than I want to or really should when at our school cafeteria, and we all know how good that food is for us. What is even worse about an hour later I'm hungry again.

thenewme

As Otter asked, who's delivering lunch?  I'm hungry!

I'll have the fricken chicken ala Rosemary, with a side of cucumbers and fiori di zucca, and a grande vino bianco!   Grazie!

leggo

It's always blown my mind that schools in the US have cafeterias. That is such a wierd concept to me. What kind of food do they serve? I only know what I see on tv.

ETA: What does a school meal cost?