Gluten Free Five Dollar Chili

This is my great big "Throw in the crock Pot O Chili".

The bonus is that I estimate it's cost to be only 5 dollars or less and its GLUTEN FREE!
It serves at least 6 people.

• 2 large cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 large cloves of fresh garlic peeled and diced
• 1 small can of black beans
• 1 small can of red Kidney beans
• 3 tablespoons of chili powder ( if you like it spicy!)
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• one half teaspoon up to 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• one small onion peeled and diced.
• Water -- add 2 cups up to 5 cups according to your desired chili thickness and if you have unexpected company :)

Rinse and drain the cans of beans and add to crock pot. Set the crock pot onto high for up to 3 hours.
Keep adding in all the other ingredients in no special order. The negotiable amounts are the water and the salt and the quantity of chili powder that your palate can handle") You'll know the chili is done when the onions lose their crispness and start looking more translucent. Keep stirring it every 15 minutes.

EXTRAS: if you want to add some extras such as ground beef, just make sure you brown the ground beef thoroughly first and drain off the fat, before you add it to the crock pot. You can also serve it with one dollop of sour cream or plain greek yoghurt....one dollop per bowl of chili, plopped right on top of the hot chili. Serve with toasted gluten free bread or gluten free crusty rolls.

LOWER COST-- if you want to further reduce the cost of this chili, you can avoid buying canned beans by using dried* beans and soaking them overnight in your refrigerator.* dried black beans and dried kidney beans you can buy in prepacked bags at most grocery stores, or in bulk at your fave bulk food store/dept.  You can also use fresh diced tomatoes, garlic and onions if they are cheaper in season in your region or from local farmers. ( right now where I live in Canada we have zero local produce available other than eggs")

Bon Appetit mes amis! Please share this with your budget conscious friends or with those struggling to find gluten free food options.
Peace.


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Alternatives to Traditional Toothpaste

Hi Folks. today I wanted to mention just a few products that you can use on those days that you don't feel like using traditional toothpaste.

For example two options come to mind:

Salt: using plain table salt to clean your teeth is an oldfashioned idea for those who are trying to cleanse their teeth and mouth with a simple and chemical free option. Just dip your clean tooth brush into some water and then dip into a small mound of table salt and brush as usual. Then, to make a simple mouth wash, you can add hot water with 1 teaspoon of table salt and stir until the salt dissolves and the salt solution cools enough to the point that you can use this as a great mouth wash. Swish the salt water between all your teeth and around your whole mouth. Salt water also helps in cleansing any small bumps or lumps you may have on your gums, tongue or lips. Some health practitioners advise using salt water rinses when you are battling a sore throat. ( this should not replace obtaining proper medical care from a licensed medical practitioner.)

Baking Soda-- This is an old but good one too. Just wet your tooth brush and touch the bristles of the tooth brush directly into a small mound of Baking soda, then proceed to use it to clean your teeth the same way you normally would brush your teeth. Sure, it doesn't taste great, but the gentle grittiness of
baking soda is a great teeth scrubber and will bring about a beautiful shine. Just  be sure to rinse your mouth with clean water when you are done brushing to rinse away the taste and any residue.

So, the two above options you can use when you want to simplify your consumerist lifestyle, or when you want to get back to living without the use of harsh chemicals. Some people may use these options when they are trying to save money. Both table salt and baking soda are both cheaper options than buying regular priced tooth pastes. Both Baking Soda as well as table salt are usually available at most discount and dollar stores. Other people use these options just when they find that they have forgotten to pack toothpaste when they go camping or travelling.

Take good care of your teeth, so they can last a lifetime :)
Peace.
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The Folly of Catch and Release

If someone walked up to you, and said "Ma'am, I would like to give to you one million dollars." What would you do? Would you accept it? I hope you would.

That is why it frustrates me when I watch people practice this strange gov't mandated theory of fishing
called "Catch and Release".  What an absurd practice! Why would someone go to all the trouble and expense of buying a boat and bait and fishing gear and go to their favorite fishing spot only to reel in the fish of their dreams and then once they have the fish on the hook, they simply remove the hook and put the fish back into the lake. Then you have a beautiful fish swimming back into the lake with a big hole in its cheek.

Perhaps my dutch roots are showing once again, but permit me to go further. Do you know how many
people there are in your town who will go to bed hungry tonight? If you had the capacity to feed them all, would you? So, it stands to reason, that if God blesses your fishing line with the 'Catch of the day' that you would take that fish home and serve it up to as many friends, family or neighbors as would want it.
Don't you dare return a blessing that God sends your way! If you are not hungry, I am sure there are food banks or friends or soup kitchens that would be grateful for your prize catch.

The only time I understand the concept of "Catch and Release" is if the fish is too small and still hasn't reached a proper adult stage. Sure, send the baby fish back into the lake to enjoy her growth. Also, if you happen to catch a fish that is poisonous for some reason, then by all means, don't bring it home for supper.
But I really don't understand any other reason.

I watched a tv show about an adventurous fisherman in Thailand who caught monstrous fish one after the other. Sometimes the fish were so big that he needed up to three men to pick up that fish. But did he allow any of those workers to take home those beautiful fish to feed their families? No way. He practiced the absurd....pulled the hooks from their cheeks and returned them back to the water. Huh, how rude.
 How insensitive to put fish back into the river when there are hungry men on the river bank watching.    Catch and Release seems to me to be a sadistic ritual for sport fishermen who don't know the concept of feeding people. Perhaps if all sport fishermen were forced to eat, sell or donate all they caught there wouldn't be so many hungry humans.

I'd be delighted to hear your response, if you feel you can or should educate me further in this regard. Please don't send me some lengthy fishing policy. Use your own words. I know you can.

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