Thank you, Mrs. Hallow for introducing me to plain yogurt and so many other foods. My favorite afterschool snack was original Fritos with plain yogurt then I tried flaming hot Cheetos with plain yogurt..... I am still eating and making yogurt about the only dairy I do eat.  The dips in the attached file are the ones I do most often. If you haven't noticed I am a firm believer in easy, no recipes and all from a base that is always in my refrigerator or pantry. Spending time shopping for ingredients for recipes is something I really don't do much of anymore (we won't discuss my walls of cookbooks...inspiration). When I make a recipe it is because more than 90% of the ingredients are in my kitchen. I have cooked my whole life and now I am letting the restaurateurs make me the ethnic foods I don't have all the ingredients handy such as Ethiopian, Chinese, Japanese and more. We have reinstituted our weekly eating out adventure and this week it is to Sunnyvale to The Falafel Stop, it is the made-on-site pita bread that pulls me so far north plus we have to go to a Doctor's appointment.

As I sat down to write this the reference below popped into my email about the decrease in hip fractures, the study points to a decrease in "smoking and drinking"  which supports the education about foods that support a healthy skeletal system and increased walking in some groups and improved lifestyle.  Studies have also shown that in some overweight individuals there is increased bone mass, not a good reason to be overweight or obese as with time other bone ailments appear in the knees and hips and cause havoc with adulthood and aging. 

Swayambunathan J, Dasgupta A, Rosenberg PS, Hannan MT, Kiel DP, Bhattacharyya T. Incidence of Hip Fracture Over 4 Decades in the Framingham Heart Study. JAMA Intern Med. Published online July 27, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.2975
​
​or click this link
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2768887

Last thought! Skip all the flavored yogurts.... pick a great preserve; add overripe mashed fresh fruit, and more! I make a bagel spread inspired from a local bakery, chopped candied ginger, chopped dates and chopped walnuts or pecans. To one cup of yogurt cheese, you only need 1-2 dates, half teaspoon of ginger and nuts. Best of made the day before but even minutes before it is great.  If adding honey or nut spreads warm slightly to blend in then cool again not much is needed. 

Welcome to my ramblings about central coast summers: foggy mornings, sunny lunches and windy afternoons followed by more fog.  Sometimes we can see the moon and the stars and those nights I bundle up and sit outside to take it in. We also drink hot chocolate in the winter as we tend to have fog then too and rain. If you love the four seasons, this area is not for you we have spring or fall (without the stunning leaves) all year round. Below the recipe variations and history are included. Buen Provecho!
 
 
Mexican Hot Chocolate
  
1 wafer of Mexican chocolate (Abuela, Carlos VI, etc.)
1 cinnamon stick*
1 11 oz. can of evaporated milk**
2 cans of water (about 4 cups)
 
(If you can’t find Mexican chocolate, boil together 3 Tbsp cocoa powder, 6 Tbsp sugar and half the water as a first step making sure it boils and then simmers for 5 minutes to produce a syrup from the sugar chocolate mixture.)
 
In a double boiler or in a saucepan while stirring constantly, heat water with the chocolate and cinnamon until the chocolate melts.  Add the milk and heat to serving temperature.
 
*Can be rinsed and reused. The price of cinnamon has increased and the smoothness this adds cannot be replaced by powdered variety.
 
**To use milk alternatives, omit the water and use only the soy, almond, etc. It will be thinner and not as creamy. Not all non-milk creamers will work, I would add them later, so make it more chocolatey so you can add creamers. A lactose enzyme works too just before drinking it.
 
By melting the chocolate in water the chance of scorching is much less because it doesn’t take long to heat the milk.  This makes a rich chocolate drink.  I sometimes add a little more chocolate. This recipe is a Ramirez Family favorite. It is much richer than the hot chocolate served in Northern California and less rich than many served in Mexico and Spain.  I developed the coco powder version for Girl Scout Camping trips the Mexican Chocolate bars can get pricey for large groups. I was a leader and trainer during college and economy was necessary. Also, I am not tempted to eat the bars as chocolate. Especially Carols VI!
 
Category: International, Childrens Favorites & Young Adult Favorites
Las Abuelitas Recipe Collection

This recipe was requested by one of my former interns at La Cocina Bakery.....Here you are and success in baking more memories. The other favorite at the bakery were the oatmeal, cranberry and pecan cookies. This month the Pritkin Newletter recommended  eight foods to beat stress and Oats were on it. Probably not all as cookies but definitely for the once a day sweet these should hit the spot. 

Super Chocolate Chippers
 
HOMEMADE COOKIES ARE BEST .... BUILDING CHILDHOOD MEMORIES AND RELEIVE ADULT STRESS!
 
This recipe is an adaptation from the Urban Legend on the internet about the Nieman Marcus Cookie and a core staple at La Cocina Rusa. What makes it different and so rich are the 3 types of chocolate included:  3 regular Hersey bars or buy milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips. I use mini and regular semi-sweet chips, and then alternate between milk chocolate chips or the candy bar, it depends on what I have on hand. It makes for a Wow chocolate flavor.  The nuts can be left out or varied. I use pecans and folks in California take notice as walnuts are more common here.
 
Makes 3 dozen
 
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 ½ cups blended oatmeal*
12 oz. chocolate chips (1 cup each of mini and regular chips)
½ tsp salt
4 oz. grated or chopped Hershey Bar (approximately 3 regular bars)
1 ½ cups chopped nuts (pecans drive folk’s nuts)
1 tsp vanilla extract (I use a TB)
1 cup butter
 
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (Try 350?)
 
In a blender pulse the oatmeal 1 ¼ cups at a time to make a coarse flour.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars, until creamy; then add eggs one at a time and vanilla.  In another bowl sift together flour, baking soda and salt; then add oatmeal*, nuts and chocolate; and add to the butter mixture, stirring to combine.
 
Form cookies using a commercial portioning scoop, red #24 or a rounded tablespoon. Slightly flatten the balls. Different type pans use different preparation: commercial baking sheet with baking paper or a stone baking sheet. (All of these recommend different treatments for greasing the pan). Bake cookies for 10 -14 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and cool on the pan until they can be moved to a wire rack.
 
Completely cooled cookies can be frozen or kept for one week in a tightly sealed container.  

Sorry no pictures! We gobbled it up to fast...or the women embroidery group loved it although it had had a tough trip, I had to take the pan with raw dough to the office for a couple of hours, so I put it in a cooler with ice blocks. It rose anyway, then finding an oven at the meeting was fun. I finally served it with Desserts, I did let it rest 10 minutes but it really needs a 20-30 minute rest. The texture was much better on the piece I saved for Jerry. Don't be tempted to add more pepperoni, I do add about 1 TBS of cheese finely shredded but more again is a problem, the loaf sinks in the middle. This is made with white flour and I have added white chia seeds approximately 1 TBS-- it worked. If using white whole wheat, I would do 1:1 and add the whole wheat in the second half of the flour addition. 

It does take 3 hours from start to finish, remember that 2.75 of those hours are rising, cooking and waiting times not actual hands on prep. Baking bread is a great job for students, sewers, quilters, knitters, musicians or like me folks that must get up and walk around at least once an hour or more often.  I make big batches of lentil soup and freeze it in pt and qt containers and fresh bread and soup make delicious fast food. 
Pizza Bread 
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 pack dry yeast
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp garlic salt (or crushed fresh garlic)
1 ¼ cup water
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ cup pepperoni, finely chopped
optional: ¼ or slightly more shredded cheeses

Directions:
In an electric mixer bowl, mix half the flour with the yeast, oregano and garlic salt.  In a saucepan, heat the water, butter, sugar and salt slowly until warm (about 115ºF) and the butter is melted. (100-115 but not higher)
 
Add the liquid to the flour mixture and beat for half a minute on Slow in the mixer, scraping the bowl continuously.  Then beat on High for 3 minutes.  Mix in the pepperoni and the rest of the flour by hand.
 
Cover the batter and let it double (45-60 minutes).  Stir the batter down.  Put it in a well-greased pan and let it double again (30 minutes).
 
Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 375ºF oven.  Take the bread out of the pan.
 
Source unknown, most likely a magazine part of family file and adapted by Dr.Ramirez-Brisson, RDN, Food FUNdamentals

​