Guinness Stout Beer is Rich in Iron - Good for Pregnancy

Guinness is known to have high levels of Iron, which can become depleted whilst pregnant.

I was told my by sister-in-law and her hubby that apparently, this type of Beer is what she used to drink when she was pregnant of Alfie! I then asked, but alcohol is bad for developing babies but why? They said that it has been prescribed by most doctors here in the UK, as it has reported to have been a good source of iron and vitamin B pregnant women should have.

"Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause physical and mental birth defects. Each year, up to 40,000 babies are born with some degree of alcohol-related damage. Although many women are aware that heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects, many do not realize that moderate—or even light—drinking also may harm the fetus".

I didn't believe it until my mother-in-law and one of their friends told me as well plus, I googled the same thing and have in yahoo answers re: Is guinness good for pregnant ladies?.

In fact, hollywood celebrity Gwyneth Paltrow was 5 months pregnant with her second child while she enjoyed a Guinness beer while out with her husband Chris Martin at a sushi bar one time.

What about the old wives tale about nursing mothers drinking Guinness?

Current medical research suggests that pregnant women and nursing mothers should totally abstain from any form of alcoholic beverage. In pregnancy, it can lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, characterized by slow development. Alcohol does pass in the mother's milk, so nursing mother's should avoid Guinness and any other form of alcohol. I have received numerous comments from readers that I am being overly cautious and that Guinness is still given to nursing mothers in Ireland and brown ale to mothers in Belgium.

But why drinking alcohol content instead of eating foods rich in Iron?

Iron Rich Food The list below shows the calorie, fat and iron content of some iron-rich foods. Men and women over the age of 50 years should have 8.7mg iron daily; teenage girls and women under 50 years should have 14.8mg a day. Food Calories Fat (g) Iron (mg) Animal sources of iron Portion of fried lamb’s liver 237 12.9 10.9 125g can sardines in tomato sauce 221 14.5 5.8 8oz (raw weight) grilled rump steak 289 9.6 4.1 40g liver pate 126 11.6 2.8 2 thick slices lean roast beef 158 4.6 2.3 3 slices lean roast lamb 189 8.6 2.1 1 boiled egg 90 6.6 1.1 100g raw extra-lean minced beef 174 9.6 1.4 2 thick slices lean roast pork 164 5 1 2 grilled low-fat pork sausages 183 5.5 1 1 steamed salmon steak 197 13 0.8 Vegetable sources of iron 30g bowl branflakes 95 0.6 6 200g can baked beans in tomato sauce 168 1.2 2.8 30g bowl cornflakes 108 0.2 2 2 slices wholemeal bread 155 1.8 1.9 3tbsp garden peas 62 0.8 1.4 Average serving of spinach 17 0.7 1.4 2 slices white bread 156 0.9 1 2 spears of broccoli 22 0.7 0.9 10 Brussels sprouts 35 1.3 0.6 NB: these figures are based on a mixture of brands. Nutritional information may vary slightly from brand to brand.

Good for me that I eat almost of all the foods mentioned above, so I just concentrate on these foods rather than drinking any alcohol contest drink right?

I Was Craving For Spaghetti Bolognese

Hubby asked me this early evening what we were gonna have for tea or dinner, 'I said donnu but I knew I wanted to eat something different'. We had to go to Tesco then to buy all the bits and pieces we forgot to buy last night (on our way home from mum and dad's place), so we decided to wait until we get there, maybe we could see anything appetizing - which we did!

You know they always have this pre-packed meals or microwave meals, so we went passed through those various types, only this SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE tickled my CRAVINGS, and didn't take us long to decide that this is what I wanted to eat, and asked hubby if he fancied as well... So, instead of buying the ready meal, we both decided to prepare ourselves and bought all the ingredients we needed!

...and HERE IT IS.....hubby loved it, though it was my first time but it tasted perfect! yummmy....

Ingredients:

• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 350g Beef mince
• 2 tbsp Tomato puree (we used Bolognese paste in a jar instead)
  
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Gravy granules or flour (I used gravy granules)
  
• 200g Dried spaghetti (for two persons)
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Mixed herbs
• 2 tbsp Chicken stock powder to add taste
  

Method:

1. Lightly fry the onion and garlic until the onion has softened.
2. Add the beef to the pan, fry until the beef is browned.
3. Add the tomato puree or paste, worcestershire sauce, all seasonings to the beef mix, and allow to simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. While the beef mixture is simmering, cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the pack.
5. Add the gravy granules to get a bit more flavor, but if you are watching your salt intake the flour would be better, to thicken if necessary.
   
6. Serve the spaghetti smothered in the meat sauce, preferably with freshly grated cheddar cheese.

Enjoy cooking and experimenting.....

I Cooked Pork Afritada For The First Time

When I visited Dhangz Dhemz this morning, I saw her version of Beef Afritada looks yummy though, thought I give it a try. Since we didn't have beef in our freezer, I decided to use pork instead! I made it, yes! Tasted so yummy, we just finished our dinner now and hubby loved it so much. For the very first time to have cooked and tried this food. Thanks for the thought sistah, and for my cravings for this the moment I saw it.

Ingredients :
· 1 lb. pork, cut into serving pieces
· 1 tsp. salt (I've added tablespoon of chicken stock powder to taste)
· 1/8 tsp. pepper
· minced garlic, sliced onions
· 3 pieces of sliced carrots
· 1 tbsp. fish sauce and worcester sauce to taste
· 4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
· 1 cup water and 1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used tomato catshup instead)
· 1/2 cup green peas
· 1 red, orange, yellow, green bell peppers, sliced (we didn't have green, so I used yellow, orange & red)
· vegetable oil or olive oil


Cooking Procedures :

1. Put pork in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let stand 10 to 20 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir-fry pork pieces until no longer pink in color and turn lightly brown.

3. Add and sauté garlic until fragrant. Stir in onion until soft and translucent. Season with patis and then add potatoes, stir-fry for a few minutes.

4. Pour in water and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer covered for about 25 to 30 minutes or until pork is cooked and potatoes are tender.

5. Add in bell peppers and stir to blend. Correct seasonings. Thicken sauce with breadcrumbs (or flour, or cornstarch, if using). Stir and blend and let simmer for another few more minutes.

6. Remove from heat. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.