Comforting Goulash & 4 Offenders
life is hard, food doesn't have to be [vol1, 12.2]
This week I made this recipe in Instagram Stories and a few wanted to know the recipe. It’s a comfort food at its best, a crowd pleaser + easy & fast.
Ingredients:
2lbs ground beef
2t sea salt
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1T Italian seasonings (pre-mixed or a simple mix of basil & oregano)
1T smoked paprika
~30 oz of tomatoes (2 small cans or one large) diced, pureed, sauce, etc
4 cups homemade broth (more salt if not already salted)
2 cups macaroni*
1 block cream cheese
Optional: shredded cheddar for garnish
Instructions:
Saute beef with veggies and seasonings. Once beef is no longer pink, add tomatoes and broth. Bring to simmer and taste. You probably will need to add more salt, especially if using homemade broth. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni and simmer another 10 minutes.
Turn off heat and add block of cream cheese. Stir until it is melted and incorporated. Optional add shredded cheddar as garnish.
If you wanna be fancy, find something green in your fridge to garnish the top. Ideas: green onion, diced bell pepper, any herb or even fresh spinach.
*I’m clueless about gluten free pastas, but I’m sure you could use them with adaptations. When buying pasta, I like to buy from Trader Joe’s because they source from Italy where chemicals are banned, in particular GMOs and gut-damaging glyphosate. Pasta is dirt cheap so splurge and pay more for organic if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s.
4 Common Offenders
It’s impossible to remember all the offending chemicals surrounding us. When reading labels for beauty products and household cleaning products, remember these four:
Parabens (methyl-, isobutyl-, propyl-, and others)
Phthalates
Sodium lauryl sulfate SLS, also sodium laureth sulfate SLES
Fragrance
Last week I shared about fragrance. This week I’ll dive into parabens.
Parabens are a class of preservatives used to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. Parabens are dangerous because they’re endocrine (or hormone) disruptors. Endocrine disruptors have effects on male and female reproduction, breast development and cancer, prostate cancer, neuroendocrinology, thyroid, metabolism and obesity, and cardiovascular endocrinology. Are those problems in our society? Yes. If breast cancer is in your family tree, be radical about removing parabens in your life.
Where are parabens most likely found?
Shampoo, face cleanser, body wash, lotions, most cosmetics. Parabens can also be found in foods like baked goods, beverages, syrups, jellies, jams and preserves, in the packaging that keeps food fresh, and in drugs, according to the CDC's National Biomonitoring Program. (Source - it’s a short informative article.) This is one reason to limit packaged food and to store food in glass.
The European Union has limitations to the concentration of parabens used in products. As of yet, the United States does not -- so this leaves the responsibility on the American consumer to read labels.
One of the reasons I love Beautycounter is because they have a Never List, which is 1,800 harmful or questionable ingredients never used in their products. Parabens are on the Never List.
Remember, do what you can. Make baby steps toward wellness. Find one thing this week to focus on. Reply to this email if you want me to brainstorm with you.
Julie