What Is the Function of the FDA?

 You all know that I am frustrated with the state of the food here in the USA. I wish I'd been more aware years ago. I have health issues now that force me to be more aware. Recently, I posted a query on Google Search: "foods and beverages made differently for the us market". That's it. This is what came back:

Why? I did another query "why does the fda allow foods in US that are banned on other places"

Let's keep going. "Why doesn't the usfda protect us more"

I realized I could have used better wording, like, "Why doesn't the usfda do more to protect us"

The query worded differently got an answer worded differently. But it all comes down to the same thing, doesn't it? Now I have a different query: "Does the better food regulation in the eu make a health difference":

Since politicians have stopped hearing us once they get into power, we have to do the best we can to protect ourselves.

Recently, I had to visit a larger city for a doctor's appointment. While there, my SIL and I took the opportunity to visit some of the European groceries. We have decided that it's worth making the 2-hour one-way drive there and back to do some occasional shopping. 

Long ago, I began buying different items - flour, spices, oils - to cook and bake with. I pay attention to ingredients and sourcing. I don't count on a legacy brand my mom used to be as good today. I want to know who owns or produces the products. 

In the past couple of months, I have put several things on my no-buy list:

• Almost all bacon and pork prodcuts. I will only buy from a local butcher that doesn't deliver so I have just been forgoing bacon and other pork products.
• Seasonings from Mama's standbys - Accent, Old Bay, Mrs. Dash and anything McCormick. McCormick owns most of the seasoning market! I have found others I will use.
• Watkins Vanilla. This was Mom's go-to. I have found a couple of other brands instead.
• Baking powder from Clabber Girl and Calumet. Mama would be crying at this point. Yes, I have found others.
• Coffee from Nescafe and Lavazza for two.
• Cornstarch - yes, cornstarch! My Clabber Girl is gone I have found others. Not many, but...
• Hunt's and most of the other common canned tomato products.
• Butter - even one that I would pay more for because of the brand...
• The Pompeiian olive oils I always used. Gone! I have found one I feel good about, thankfully.
• Hellman's and Kraft Mayos. I don't eat may often so I can make my own.
• Any salmon that just says "wild caught" without being more specific about the variety because of scams... Look into it.
• I stopped buying any butter that sounds simple but uses the generic "natural flavors" in the ingredients list. I need to know where those come from. Why? "should I trust the "natural flavors" in butter"

So many loopholes... why?

It's not just what I eat and drink - that's most important since I ingest it - but there are problems with almost every consumer product. In the past several months, I have changed lotions and shampoo and hair and skin oils. The awful thing is, since the FDA is not strict enough about ingredients and additives etc., I have to make sure to be. 

For those of you who feel the same way, there are a lot of resources. Search out the internet for guides to lists of things to avoid. Start reading labels and paying attention. Look for video channels and sites that help consumers. EWG is an example. I have a page with other resources.

Peace

--Free

This Cosori Turbo Blaze is Amazing

As I previously posted, I had to replace my Foodi & I am still over the moon in love with this Turbo Blaze air fryer. I have used it every day for my meals since a couple days after I got it. It was easy to get the hang of.

I do use the pressure cooker - but mainly to prep things for the fryer. Some of the things I've fixed:

• Chicken - baked in the Turbo once and after that pressure cooked with seasoning, then crisped in the Turbo. Both are good, but I love the 2nd method because I get better seasoning without using a lot of sodium. If I want a coating I do an egg-water wash, then a Panka (or generic!) coating before I spray with oil and fry.
• Garlic - I love to air fry whole heads so that I can smooth the garlic onto bread veggies like butter. One day when I was feeling not so well but had to eat to take meds, I had nothing except some air-toasted seed bread slathered with garlic and dipped in EVOO. Honestly, that can be an everyday thing!
• Onion - I have made homemade onion rings, baked whole onions and baked onions stuffed with garlic.  I love eating the baked onions with veggies as a sort of side dish,
• Veggies - I love broccoli and Mediterranean blends. I will either broil or air fry them. Sometimes I just steam them.
• Fish - this is so much easier to air fry than cook any other way. I like to toss some of the air fried onions and/or garlic on top and eat with the toasted garlic bread. No worries for me about vampire type intruders!
• Tortilla chips - I buy the raw corn tortillas spray with some EVOO and air fry them, add cheese to melt, then eat with salsa and sour cream. This is great also if I have some refried beans to add to the topping. Not to mention I can cut the tortillas to air fry and eat for an easy snack.

I really like being able to use nothing but some EVOO to get crispy (air) fried chicken. BTW, I do recommend getting one of the good oil sprayers. Mine has been essential to saving on oil and actually getting my food coated well. The one I got was from Amazon by Trend Plain or Plain Trend (there are other sellers) for around $7.99. It sprays a mist or stream or can be poured.

The next thing I am going to try is baking bread and cake in the Turbo. I have already done cookies. I used a little brownie box mix and nuts to make 6 cookies one day. They came out so good. It's good to know I can make a few brownies at a time to last a couple of days rather than having a large quantity tempting me.

Yummy air fried wings and steamed broccoli

I'm really going to go all machine in when I do bread. I plan to make the dough for 2 loaves of walnut bread in my bread machine before I bake one loaf in the Turbo and do the other loaf in my cast iron Dutch oven. I want to see how they each differ. And I really do need to use my bread machine more than I do. I tend to like making dough by hand, but it's been so hot here lately. I will let the machines do the sweating.

I think what I love the most about the Turbo is how fast and easy it is to clean. All I have to do is let it cool down, then lightly scrub the inside of the pan with a sponge and some soap - sometimes I can just rinse it clean with no scrubbing needed. Every couple of days, I will run a damp towel over the heating element.

Salmon

I have learned a few trick. For instance, to keep my insanely sensitive smoke alarm from scaring the crap out of me, I will put a few tablespoons of water in the bottom of the pan. If oil from spraying my food or just from drippings the water keeps the debris from smoking. I use the little accessories that came with my reusable liners. One of them is a fine mesh that will keep things from flying around the pan - for example, the tortillas.

Honestly, I wish I'd had this air fryer all along. It's lighter weight than my Foodi was and does more. When I think back, I realize I couldn't actually get enough food into the 8-quart Foodi at one time to cook evenly. The Foodi was deeper that this 6-quart Turbo but not as wide and the width counts when you want heat to circulate well. Also, the Foodi did more crisping finished foods rather than fully air frying them to doneness. 

My neighbor popped in one day and noticed the Turbo. She knows I loved the Foodi. I was telling her that I liked the Turbo so much more, but that I did have to replace it with the Turbo and a cooker. She summed it up for me, noting that the Foodi was trying to do too many things. She's absolutely right. The Turbo does less but does them all better. Since I paid less for the Turbo and cooker combined than with a Foodi costs... Well, I guess I win.

If the Turbo only lasts for 3 years or so, it will be a much better bargain than the Foodi that lasted 5 years. And I do a lot of cooking with the Turbo.

Peace

--Free

DISCLAIMERS: 

• I am not posting this as an "influencer". 
• I have not/will not be compensated in any way for any item mentioned in this post. 
• Nothing here is sponsored or incentivized in any way other than blog views. 
• The items I post about was either paid for by me with my own money or gifted to me by friends or family using their own money. 
• Experiences with the products are my own - not to influence anyone - and just to share my viewpoint.
• If I ever do post about/review something that I for which I received any compensation, I will post that clearly.

I Replaced My Foodi, and...

 ...I'm not sad anymore!

I found the air fryer I never knew I needed so much

                                                                The Turbo Blaze

It might be on sale at time of this posting

And I got the pressure cooker from the same brand. 

                                                                           The "Cooker"

It is definitely on sale at time of this posting

As I said in my other post, I scored a great deal on them as a bundle. Even at the time of this posting, you can get both for close to the $170 price I did.

I received the Turbo Blaze first and it made me stop weeping for my Ninja. For one thing, I realized that the Ninja (while great at what it did) could not compete with the Cosori in most things. The Cosori is better at everything it does - especially air frying and baking. 

cannot wait to try the Proof function!

Using the Turbo (for the things it does) is much easier also. It's easier for me to handle and it's extremely easy to clean. Even without using liners, it's quick and easy to remove, clean, and replace. I did go ahead and get some silicone liners that, funnily enough, are made to fit a Ninja!  Since I got the Cosori, I truly have not missed the Ninja. It almost pains me to say that, but it's true. The basket is super-roomy. It's not as deep as some other models, but it's perfect for me. I really will be able to fit a small (4-5 1/2 pound) chicken or 2 game hens inside.

The cooker is a good one. I haven't fallen in love with it yet. I don't use it as much as I do the fryer. When I made some chicken wings, I used the pressure cooker to cook them with the seasonings. Afterward, I sprayed them with some lightly seasoned EVOO and air fried them crispy. I meant to get pics but... They were yummy!

Today, I am doing spaghetti. I will boil the noodles and make my sauce in the cooker and then bake my seasoned meatballs in the Turbo. I do like that a lot of my smaller Ninja baskets and accessories fit in the Corsori cooker.

Another thing I like about both these appliances is how small and tidy they are. My Ninja was only one unit, but it dictated how I used all my counterspace. Now I keep the Turbo on one counter (shared with my coffee maker and some small kitchen accessories) while the cooker sits on another counter - leaving plenty of room for a cutting board and my kettle. My whole (tiny) kitchen looks neater and is easier to work in.

So, yeah, I am not still mourning the Ninja. It was a blast while it lasted and I will cherish the fact that my best friend gifted it to me. It's gone now. Long live (please!) the Cosori.

Peace

--Free