What to do with leftover Soda Bread?????

I know it's blasphemy, but I am not a fan of Irish soda bread.... I always have some left over, as a result.  I found this great recipe c/o Hoosier Homemade, and while I might take out the raisins, it looks delicious!  It may even redeem Soda Bread for me.....  Maybe.  

Irish Soda Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding with Irish Soda Bread Recipe:

• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups milk
• 6 cups cubed Irish Soda Bread

Raisin Jam Recipe:

• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Make the jam first so it has time to cook and cool. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The raisins should be plumped and soft, with a little liquid. Add a little more liquid to the mixture if you need to. Carefully pour raisins into a food processor and puree until thick but spreadable. Spoon into bowl and let cool.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add milk and whisk until sugar is dissolved and all ingredients are combined. Cut the bread into cubes and place in a large bowl. Add the egg mixture, push bread down slightly making sure the liquid is covering the bread. Set aside and let the bread soak up the liquid, about 30 – 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Spread half of the bread cubes into the baking dish. Spread raisin jam over the bread, leaving about 1/4 inch border around the sides. Top with remaining bread cubes. If there is any liquid left, pour it over the pudding and let it soak for about 10 minutes.

Bake for about 50 – 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prize-Winning Recipe 2010! Whip up a batch of cookies with chunks of chocolate and a touch of minty freshness.

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PREP TIME

25 Min

TOTAL TIME

40 Min

SERVINGS

36

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	About Concordance™

INGREDIENTS

1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2	cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4	to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
6	to 8 drops green food color
1	egg
1	cup creme de menthe baking chips
1	cup semisweet chocolate chunks

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1. 1Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks.
2. 2Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. 3Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

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What You Should Know About Your Food and Contamination....

This article, c/o Calorie Count gives some explanations of the variations of contamination, and what you can do to counteract the effects of environmental toxins....  Scary, but worth reading....

About Radiation, Nutrients and Food

By Mary_RD on Mar 16, 2011 10:00 AM in Tips & Updates

By Mary Hartley, RD, MPH

The nuclear blasts in Japan have everyone concerned about radiation poisoning, althoughWorld Health Organization officials say “health risk is small” for those of us not living near the power plants.  Still, we wonder how we may be affected and if there’s something we can to protect ourselves.
In Extreme Contamination

People living within 12 miles of the Fukushima nuclear power plant are at extreme risk of contamination by inhaled or swallowed or radioactive iodine particles.  The Japanese government has evacuated 180,000 people from the area.  Everyone wears a surgical mask and stays in unventilated rooms.  Since radioactive iodine particles are absorbed by the thyroid, thyroid cancer often develops over time.   Potassium iodide pills are given to block radiation uptake by the thyroid gland. Potassium iodide is a pharmacological product.  The potassium and iodine in our food do not have the same effect.
In Mild Contamination

Further away from the source, radiation exposure depends distance from the plant and on weather conditions, especially wind and rain at the time of the explosion.  BloombergBusinessweek reports, “Radioactive iodine is heavier than air and won’t spread far in mild wind...(but it) has a half-life of eight days, meaning it takes eight days of decay to decrease by half.”

Indirect exposure is a problem too as Dr. David J. Brenner from the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University told the New York Times in a Time.com article. "The way radioactive iodine gets into human beings is an indirect route," he said. "It falls to the ground, cows eat it and make milk with radioactive iodine, and you get it from drinking the milk." Dr. Brenner then said that the epidemic of thyroid cancer around Chernobyl could have been prevented if the government had immediately stopped people from drinking milk.  Officials in South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines will be checking food imported from Japan. 
The Radiation Spectrum

Radiation is simply described as an outpouring of energy.  High-frequency radiation (“ionizing radiation”) comes from the sun, x-rays, nuclear medicine devices, radon gas, and the rays from old nuclear weapon tests.  High frequency radiation has enough energy to damage DNA in the cells which often leads to thyroid cancer. The extent of damage is directly related to the dose of radiation.

On the other hand, the American Cancer Society notes that low-frequency radiation has not been shown to cause cancer. Low-frequency radiation comes from power lines, radio waves, microwaves, cell phones, TV and computer screens, and other sources.  The topic remains under study.
Antioxidants to the Rescue
To compensate for environmental toxins, including the low levels of radiation we encounter every day, it's vital to eat an abundance of antioxidant nutrients found in plant foods.  Antioxidants protect the cells from damage by keeping toxic byproducts in check. Those byproducts, when not destroyed, lead to aging, cancer and other chronic diseases. 
The vitamins A, C and E are antioxidants, as is the mineral selenium, and the many phytochemicals, such as beta-carotene in dark green and orange plants, lycopene in red plants, lutein in dark green leafy vegetables, resveratrol in grapes, myricetin in walnuts, and too many more to name.  The point is that every vegetable, fruit, legume, kernel, nut, and seed contains antioxidants, and they are helping us in ways we cannot know.


Your thoughts....
Do you load up on antioxidant foods?