Thursday, August 7, 2014

Alzheimer’s Drug, Breakfasts of Yore.

alzheimerI just read an article about Alzheimer’s and the possibility of reversing it. They are still only at the stage of testing on mice but have some encouraging results. Quite frankly I think they should be testing it on humans anyway if there is the slightest hope of reversing this devastating disease. It is something which has scared me for years as at least a couple of people in my family have ended up with dementia or something similar, certainly a loss of cognition. There is absolutely nothing (in my opinion) more depressing and upsetting than a close relative who is basically fit in every way but is unable to remember things and eventually not even able to remember their loved ones. For the loved ones it is also very difficult to cope.

belly of porkThe other morning Matt commented because I was having cheese (on toast) for breakfast. It made me start thinking about when I lived at home with my parents. We used to have wonderful breakfasts mainly because of my father because he certainly didn’t want cereal every day, nor Smoked haddy & egganything else constantly. With the result we might have salt belly of pork then herrings rolled in oatmeal and fried. Could be salt brisket or smoked ham. Smoked haddock with a poached egg on top or kippers. Devilled lamb’s kidneys or fried lamb’s kidneys with bacon and egg. So many Devilled kidneysdifferent things – of course we had porridge (oatmeal) sometimes too. My father ate his with salt, not sugar. I tried it once, no thank you. There was also kedgeree I remember.  Of course we had sausages, eggs, bacon, mushrooms and fried bread in various combinations with other items. I used to like fried crumpets too. One thing we never had, and in my day never heard of for breakfast, was Heinz Baked Beans. Thinking of these things makes me feel very nostalgic for such breakfasts bearing in mind that I mostly eat cereal these days. I’ve just had supper and now I’m hungry.

I find green beans can get boring so I was particularly interested in this recipe from Kraft.

Bacon and Balsamic Green Beans  


There's only one thing that could make this fresh green bean and pepper Bacon & Balsamic Green Beans recipesalad with balsamic dressing better. That's right: bacon!

8 servings, 3/4 cup each

Ingredients
1lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup  water
1/2 cup  halved yellow pepper strips
2 Tbsp.  KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
10 slices  OSCAR MAYER Fully Cooked Bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup  chopped red onions

Make It
COOK beans and water in large skillet on medium-high heat 4 min. or until beans are crisp-tender and water is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
ADD peppers and dressing; cook and stir 2 min.
STIR in bacon and onions; cook 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Kraft Kitchens Tips
Variation
Prepare as directed, using frozen green beans and covering the skillet while cooking the beans just until heated through. Drain beans if necessary, then return to skillet and continue as directed.
Variation
Prepare using red or orange pepper strips, and/or KRAFT House Italian Dressing.

Have a great day
Jo_thumb[2]

18 comments:

  1. Yeah at some point they need to test on humans. They've already lost their memories - how much worse could it get?

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    1. Precisely Alex. Just what I am thinking.

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  2. I certainly hope they can reverse Alzheimer's soon. Our souvenirs make us unique and it must be horrible to not remember our precious moments and people.

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  3. I agree about the testing but ... can you imagine all the lawsuits if the drug was found to have nasty side effects? We've become a blame culture society I'm afraid

    I like the sound of the bean recipe but intrigued that you'd cook the vinaigrette dressing and not just add it afterwards? Sounds yummy though.

    I love slow cooked belly pork. It used to be a cheap meat but since it became 'fashionable' a couple of years back (TV chefs have a lot to answer for) the price has soared

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    1. You're right Sue. Such a pity as there are people who need help right now not in some distant future.

      Makes it different though, right?

      What a pity. Not that I have eaten it in years.

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  4. Hi Jo. Its great to be out and about again and visiting other blogs. My wife works with people with Alzheimers and I agree if there are drugs in the test stage to expand and expedite the process. Many people desperate for help will volunteer to be part of a study. It takes so freakin' long to bring any drug to market it seems to be almost criminal.

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    1. I so wish they would expedite it. I guess they have to be careful, but as Alex said, they've already lost their memories so how much worse can it get.

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  5. Many in my family have come down with Alzheimer's. IT is sad because many of them live into their late 90s but the mind is gone.

    Now for some reason I want to go make a BLT.

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    1. Age is not the cause. I know two or three people well into their nineties and they are as sharp as a tack. I know younger people who are losing their mental faculties.

      A BLT?

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  6. Alzheimers and dementia are cruel indeed. :(

    You sure are an adventurous foodie! I am sure I would have turned my nose up at those breakfasts if my dad made them for me. But my dad was a roll & butter for breakfast kinda guy. I had cereal or the occasional egg. Mom just had coffee.

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    1. Cruel is the right word.

      Wasn't my dad who cooked, but my mother although he could do so if he felt like it. I grew up with this stuff and I loved it. I occasionally buy lamb's kidneys here (not easy go get) and beef kidney to make steak and kidney pie/pudding. You should read the breakfasts people used to have in the Georgian or Victorian eras and I guess my father was born in the Edwardian era and his parents would have been from the Victorian era. Thus the breakfast influences.

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  7. My brother's father-in-law had Alzheimer's, and it got so bad that they had to institutionalize him. I think eventually everyone with it ends up in an institution, because few people have the ability to deal with it, physically, mentally, or emotionally. There's a picture of what it does to the brain on Wikipedia. Terrifying stuff... If they have the drugs, even if they're experimental, I see no point in denying them to people with the disease, who have that to look forward to without them.

    John Holton
    The Sound Of One Hand Typing

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    1. We had one friend/acquaintance who kept his dad at home right to the bitter end - he hardly slept for years because the old man would get up during the night and turn on the stove, pull down the curtains and all kinds of weird stuff. He said he couldn't put his dad in an institution because he had promised to look after him and we all said his dad wouldn't know anyway. The whole family was kept on tenterhooks for years.

      If it were me I would certainly want them to try the drug on me.

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  8. I've witnessed the effects of dementia. It's heartbreaking for everyone involved.

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  9. That bean recipe looks good. Thanks for sharing it.

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