Yummy and cheap food for your joints

I also sent this in to Douglas County News, a local weekly that features local politics. The owner, Becky Holm, and I believe that government should respect the privacy and property rights of individuals. We also share a delight in good food that happens to be cheap.

Gumbo is Good for Joint Health by Larisa Sparrowhawk
Hyaluronic Acid lubricates skin, eyes and joints. It costs $35 or more for a ½ ounce bottle, but you can get it inexpensively in your diet. HLA is released by long slow cooking of cartilage and bone. Before you go to bed (so you don’t heat up the house), place some rooster combs and feet that have been scalded and peeled of their skin in a pot. Or if you mysteriously can neither find a source nor stomach these goodies, you can substitute chicken necks and backs, which are almost as good. Add water, onion, celery and garlic and cook at 225 degrees or on low in a crock pot. In the morning strain the broth and discard the bones (and/or toenails!) and mushy vegetables. Add brown rice to the broth and cook until almost done. Add chopped green bell peppers, onions, dried tomatoes (or meaty fresh ones), celery and okra if you desire. Season with cayenne, garlic, rosemary, celery seed and basil, all of which are anti-inflammatory herbs. Salt to taste. The basic recipe will feed a family of four well for two meals for less than $6.00. You can dress this recipe up with a pound of good quality hot sausage, ham or tiny shrimp. Alternatively, you can use the same chicken broth and use it with turmeric and ginger (also anti-inflammatory herbs) as a base for curry.
Larisa Sparrowhawk is owner of Localvore Fresh Oregon Foods