Short Bits 2023

Updated on 2023-07-19

Short Bits is my method of sharing information that would be too short for a separate blog post. Following are my short posts for 2023.

Contents

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• 01 – Discovered Two New Cereals (2023-03-08)
• 02 – Homemade Loose Meat Hamburger…I’m in Heaven (2023-03-23)
• 03 – Spaghetti Casserole – New Recipe Added to My List of Comfort Foods (2023-07-16)

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01 – Discovered Two New Cereals (2023-03-08)

In early February, I went shopping at Whole Foods Market and I decided to check out the cereal aisle to see if there were any new cereal offerings.

I began experiencing symptoms of my third kidney stone in January, so I had decided to start a low oxalate diet. Some of the cereals I had been eating have ingredients that are high in oxalates according to the Oxalate Counts Android app; e.g. amaranth, buckwheat flour, chocolate, cornmeal, peanut butter, and quinoa. Therefore, I desired to replace the cereals containing high oxalate ingredients with cereals that have lower or no oxalate ingredients.

The first cereal I discovered was Vitabella corn flakes. Vitabella corn flakes contain three simple ingredients: corn, sugar, and sea salt. The cereal is also low in sugar; 2 grams (less than a teaspoon) per 1 cup serving. Another benefit of Vitabella corn flakes is that it is organic and gluten free.

A week or two later, I went shopping again at Whole Foods Market and once again I decided to check the cereal aisle to see if I could find more cereal alternatives. I discovered 365 (a Whole Foods Market house brand) Marshmallow Galaxy. 365 Marshmallow Galaxy is organic and gluten free and contains: oat flour, rice flour, marshmallows, cane sugar, sea salt, and rosemary extract (to maintain freshness). 365 Marshmallow Galaxy contains a bit more sugar than I would like (15 grams per 1.25 cup serving, or almost 4 teaspoons), but it’s still a great tasting cereal.

However, there are two things that I don’t like about 365 Marshmallow Galaxy. The marshmallows are hard and the cereal creates a lot of dust.

Comments and questions are welcome; see the Comment box at the bottom of the page. Thank you for visiting.

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02 – Homemade Loose Meat Hamburger…I’m in Heaven (2023-03-23)

In December 2022, I was reminiscing about sloppy joe sandwiches which were provided periodically by the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) of the elementary school I attended as a youngster. For a particular price which I no longer remember, you received one sloppy joe sandwich, carrot and celery sticks, and an ice cream sandwich. You could also purchase extra sloppy joe sandwiches if desired.

I decided to find a sloppy joe recipe. I found one and I added it to my Emacs recipe database. I then wondered if there was a recipe for making Maid-Rite loose meat hamburgers. My father introduced me to Maid-Rite hamburgers when I rode with him in his delivery truck as a youngster one day.

When I no longer lived where I grew up, I could only get Maid-Rite loose meat hamburgers when I went home to visit. Now I’m no longer able to visit home due to my spine issues. I remember my mother saying that the woman who cut many of my family members’ hair said that Maid-Rite loose meat hamburgers were easy to make. Therefore, I searched for homemade Maid-Rite loose meat hamburger recipes and I quickly came upon this one.

In February, I made my first batch of homemade Maid-Rite loose meat hamburger and I was in heaven. I can’t say for certain that the homemade version tastes exactly like the ones I’ve eaten at the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe in Greenville, OH, but if not it’s pretty close in my opinion. Now I can have Maid-Rite loose meat hamburgers whenever I desire right at home.

I normally prefer cheeseburgers over hamburgers, but I prefer the Maid-Rite loose meat hamburger without cheese. I’ve had the Cheese-Rite, as they call it at the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe in Greenville, OH, but I don’t like it near as well as I like the Maid-Rite (loose meat hamburger with mustard and pickles).

Have you ever eaten a Maid-Rite loose meat hamburger? Let me know in the Comment box at the bottom of the page and thank you for visiting.

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03 – Spaghetti Casserole – New Recipe Added to My List of Comfort Foods (2023-07-16)

Last year, I noticed my wife had made meatballs for spaghetti and froze them. She would take some out to add to spaghetti sauce when she made spaghetti. I thought spaghetti with meatballs sounded good, but I don’t like making spaghetti because you can only cook enough for one meal. I like to cook to make enough for at least four meals.

I wondered if there was such a thing as spaghetti casserole, so I did some Internet research for spaghetti casserole recipes and I found two candidates that appealed to me. I made my first batch in May this year and after the first bite it became one of my favorite comfort foods. I chose to use the spaghetti casserole recipe I found on The Chunky Chef site. I initially thought the amount of hamburger called for in the recipe was too much, but I no longer had that thought after making the recipe.

The spaghetti casserole recipe is very flavorful and the taste is reminiscent of lasagna. Another thing I like about the recipe is that it calls for cooking in a crockpot/slow cooker. I love crockpot recipes because you just toss everything into the crockpot and leave it cook for a few hours, thus freeing you up to do other things.

For those following a low oxalate diet, the total oxalate content per serving (6 servings total) is 39mg¹ when using wheat-based spaghetti. The oxalate content for gluten-free spaghetti varieties is currently unavailable as far as I know.

What do you think? Does spaghetti casserole sound like a good recipe to you? Have you ever made spaghetti casserole? Let me know in the Comment box at the bottom of the page. Thank you for visiting.

¹Calculated using the Oxalate Counts app.

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Post header image courtesy of 52Hertz on Pixabay.

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