tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90550786851618969342024-03-05T08:51:27.794-08:00SMALL STEPS COOKINGWelcome to our Blog!Maggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055078685161896934.post-25148905246890209502010-03-29T12:42:00.000-07:002010-03-29T17:42:05.557-07:00EAT FOODS THAT REQUIRE THE USE OF SILVERWARE***<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8geHOOkmZ1Z1gZZX9_SKJRUCmNa4Ugtkugd3nSQ5-OGqIa9GlM5fIseYcOIZf5svCpz8Do1hw3-0i21Vx7TFldTVC3xnuGeOFz6Yh5rOyYur0dgeFhuyDSGMORfF35DrINThNLjmBl9Jl/s1600/Silverware_05.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8geHOOkmZ1Z1gZZX9_SKJRUCmNa4Ugtkugd3nSQ5-OGqIa9GlM5fIseYcOIZf5svCpz8Do1hw3-0i21Vx7TFldTVC3xnuGeOFz6Yh5rOyYur0dgeFhuyDSGMORfF35DrINThNLjmBl9Jl/s320/Silverware_05.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454145591775152626" /></a><br /><br /><br />Painting by <a href="http://www.artsantiago.com">Santiago Proaño</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />SIMPLE RULE: EAT FOODS WHERE YOU NEED TO USE A FORK, KNIFE OR SPOON.<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Hamburgers, French fries, hot dogs, pizza, breakfast cereal, doughnuts, candy bars, chicken nuggets, potato chips. <br /><br />Q: What do these foods have in common? <br />A: You can eat them with your hands. <br />Q: What else do these foods have in common? <br />A: For the most part, they are fast foods and processed foods.<br /><br />Jamie Oliver, a chef in England, traveled to the U.S. and has taken on a town in West Virginia, challenging them to eat better. If you’ve seen his TV show about this challenge, <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution">Food Revolution</a>, you know it is going to be an uphill battle. At a local elementary school, Jamie asks the principal and the school lunch staff where the forks, knives and spoons are so that the school kids could eat the healthy meal he had prepared for them (pasta with vegetable sauce and a salad). He was astonished when the staff said that they didn’t give kids any forks, knives and spoons because they were dangerous (I suspect they were referring here to the knives and forks, especially). The other reason why they aren't given silverware is obvious if you've watched the show - everything the kids are fed is processed or fast food. Everything they are fed can be eaten with their hands!<br /><br />Processed and fast foods were created for the sake of convenience. Setting aside the ridiculous government standards about what constitutes “food” in a school lunch program, the kids are fed fast and processed foods because it is easy to heat up (notice, I didn’t say “cook”) and it is easy to dish out to the kids. However, fast foods and processed foods are filled with unhealthy stuff – lots of fat, lots of salt, lots of sugar or other artificial sweeteners (like high fructose corn syrup), lots of artificial chemical ingredients, lots of food coloring and lots of poor quality protein (the discarded parts of animals which is smashed up and revamped with artificial stuff to look like something edible). <br /><br />Take the chicken nugget. You’d think that a chicken nugget could be made with a small piece of chicken (say the chicken tender) and maybe a dusting of whole-wheat flour which is then either fried with a little bit of olive oil or baked, right? Well, Michael Pollen, in <span style="font-style:italic;">Omnivore’s Dilemma</span>, describes the 38 ingredients that make a Chicken McNugget at McDonalds. Here’s what he writes:<br /><br /><blockquote>“The ingredients listed in the flyer suggest a lot of thought goes into a nugget, that and a lot of corn. Of the thirty-eight ingredients it takes to make a McNugget, I counted thirteen that can be derived from corn: the corn-fed chicken itself; modified cornstarch (to bind the pulverized chicken meat); mono-, tri-, and diglycerides (emulsifiers, which keep the fats and water from separating); dextrose; lecithin (another emulsifier); chicken broth (to restore some of the flavor that processing leeches out); yellow corn flour and more modified cornstarch (for the batter); cornstarch (a filler); vegetable shortening; partially hydrogenated corn oil; and citric acid as a preservative. A couple of other plants take part in the nugget: There's some wheat in the batter, and on any given day the hydrogenated oil could come from soybeans, canola, or cotton rather than corn, depending on the market price and availability.<br /><br />According to the handout, McNuggets also contain several completely synthetic ingredients, quasiedible substances that ultimately come not from a corn or soybean field but form a petroleum refinery or chemical plant. These chemicals are what make modern processed food possible, by keeping the organic materials in them from going bad or looking strange after months in the freezer or on the road. Listed first are the "leavening agents": sodium aluminum phosphate, mono-calcium phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and calcium lactate. These are antioxidants added to keep the various animal and vegetable fats involved in a nugget from turning rancid. Then there are "anti-foaming agents" like dimethylpolysiloxene, added to the cooking oil to keep the starches from binding to air molecules, so as to produce foam during the fry. The problem is evidently grave enough to warrant adding a toxic chemical to the food: According to the Handbook of Food Additives, dimethylpolysiloxene is a suspected carcinogen and an established mutagen, tumorigen, and reproductive effector; it's also flammable. But perhaps the most alarming ingredient in a Chicken McNugget is tertiary butylhydroquinone, or TBHQ, an antioxidant derived from petroleum that is either sprayed directly on the nugget or the inside of the box it comes in to "help preserve freshness." According to A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, TBHQ is a form of butane (i.e. lighter fluid) the FDA allows processors to use sparingly in our food: It can comprise no more than 0.02 percent of the oil in a nugget. Which is probably just as well, considering that ingesting a single gram of TBHQ can cause "nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse." Ingesting five grams of TBHQ can kill.”<br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br />All I read is “blah, blah, blah.” I can’t pronounce a lot of the words even! I do see that there is some type of lighter fluid in there. There is more corn in the McNugget than anything else. The word "chicken" only comes up twice – “pulverized chicken meat,” (aka, discarded pieces of the chicken all mashed up) and “chicken broth.” Yippee!<br /><br />My point is not to pick on the McNugget (though there is obviously plenty to pick on). My point is that similar ingredients go into many fast or processed foods – all of which have in common that they don’t require the use of a fork, spoon or knife. To keep fast food and processed foods “fresh,” you have to put in a lot of preservatives, mostly artificial. To make some foods look and taste appealing, companies add artificial flavors and artificial colors. These foods – hotdogs, goldfish crackers, frozen pizzas, breakfast cereals – can all be eaten with your hands.<br /><br />So, let’s start incorporating this simple rule when we eat – pick a meal that requires you to use a fork, a spoon or a knife – baked chicken, sautéed or roasted vegetables, a crispy green salad with nuts and fruit. Chances are with this simple rule, you will have picked a far more nutritious meal for yourself. <br /><br />***NOTE: There are definite exceptions to the rule of choosing foods where you need to use a fork, knife and spoon. Ethiopian food is such an exception. It is cooked with whole food, it is delicious and good for you. But Ethiopians do eat with their hands, using injera, a traditional bread which looks like a spongy tortilla, to pick up the food and sop up the juices. Some South Asian cultures also use their hands to eat delicious, nutritious and whole foods. And don’t forget, nature’s fast food – fresh fruit!Maggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055078685161896934.post-85359521206161097022010-03-18T13:54:00.000-07:002010-03-18T14:23:59.949-07:00A CELEBRATION OF ETHNIC FOODS!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBLiz7DxKm4xg6bk5qin7giHUwSMGiFIO1lT78IQ3zFzoYfMrg1cqDZEYtJmnRshvR2g7JlGTUYWSB8YYlNATElZWj_b5sSq8noasHgvZdt9jekai_7j4XKUb5cYosPVMjp7S4NLETBKK/s1600-h/HUNGRY+PLANET+GUATEMALA"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBLiz7DxKm4xg6bk5qin7giHUwSMGiFIO1lT78IQ3zFzoYfMrg1cqDZEYtJmnRshvR2g7JlGTUYWSB8YYlNATElZWj_b5sSq8noasHgvZdt9jekai_7j4XKUb5cYosPVMjp7S4NLETBKK/s320/HUNGRY+PLANET+GUATEMALA" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450086392703079842" /></a><br />Last night we had a wonderful dinner at a local Oakland restaurant. It was a delicious 4-course meal inspired by none other than Julia Child! Julia’s infamous <a href="http://cooking.knopfdoubleday.com/2009/07/13/julia-childs-boeuf-bourguignon-recipe/">Boeuf Bourguignon</a> was on the menu along with her classic French Onion Soup and many other tasty dishes. For dessert, we all had <a href="http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2008/07/07/chocolate-vanilla-pot-creme-french-dessert/">Pot de Crème</a>. It wasn’t served in a huge bowl as we Americans have grown accustomed to. It was served in an itty-bitty pot and so you didn’t feel like a piggy for licking the whipped cream off your spoon. <br /><br />We here in the U.S. have a lot to learn from the French…and the Italians…and the Cubans…and the Indians…and the Thai…and the Ethiopians…and the… and the… Yes, we have a lot to learn from just about everyone else on this planet about how to cook using whole, seasonal and local ingredients. In France, every city neighborhood, every town and every village seems to have its farmer’s market. In Italy, cooks use ingredients found locally– basil, tomatoes, oregano, olives, fish for those living by the sea, lamb for those living inland. In Cuba, rice, beans, plantains and coconut feature for supper, as those are readily available on the island. Fast food and junk food is an exception, not a rule in most far-away places. In fact, the more removed a culture is from an industrialized place, the healthier they seem to eat. Just take a look at the photos from the book, <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1645016,00.html">Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, Part II</a></span> by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio. Compare the photos of the family in Australia and in Guatemala or the family in the U.S. and in India. Count the number of bottles and boxes (processed food) you see in each photo and compare it to the number of fresh foods you see. Which countries do you think eat healthier? How many soda bottles to the Mendozas of Todos Santos, Guatemala buy every week? How many soda bottles do the Browns of Australia buy weekly? <br /><br />Strange though this sounds, it seems that the poorer a country is, the healthier their food! They may have far less food than we do but the food they do have is more nutritious, by far! A poor family in India may only live on rice, a few vegetables, lentils and hot tea. A poor family in the U.S. might live on canned soup, chips, doughnuts and soft drinks. Which family is eating a healthier meal?<br /><br />We have a lot to learn about eating healthy from those who have far less than we do. Really study the photos from the Hungry Planet. Check out the book at your local library. You will be amazed at the pictures and at the articles you will find written there.<br /><br />In celebration of healthy, ethnic foods, today we are posting recipes for fried plantains and coconut ice cream! You might find this dessert in Cuba, Haiti, Honduras, Brazil and places in Africa even. These are both incredibly easy to make (though you do need an ice cream maker) and delicious beyond words! And, these recipes come from whole foods, have far less sugar than a traditional American dessert and have no artificial preservatives, sweeteners or colors in them. Make them and enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZPAM5KoulXTalza8vGXtCOheOhkjpUE5mo71LuFXDImFjOwNOEi_9_pJ2sNjtoEDzGdWSk6s1ONcKAJr3YUL5l2ByipVgJc4Z7Fm3lGQchtcgupzvZ183GbMn8OgXggYM_jk9W_sKux7/s1600-h/IMG_2086.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZPAM5KoulXTalza8vGXtCOheOhkjpUE5mo71LuFXDImFjOwNOEi_9_pJ2sNjtoEDzGdWSk6s1ONcKAJr3YUL5l2ByipVgJc4Z7Fm3lGQchtcgupzvZ183GbMn8OgXggYM_jk9W_sKux7/s320/IMG_2086.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450086397660157458" /></a><br /><br />FRIED PLANTAINS<br /><br />Ingredients<br />2 tbsp coconut oil<br />1 plantain, peeled and cut in ½ inch thick slices on the diagonal<br />1 tsp cinnamon<br />1 tsp organic sugar<br /><br />DIRECTIONS<br />Melt coconut oil in a large, shallow frying pan. Sprinkle tops of plantain slices with cinnamon and sugar. Place in frying pan and let sautee until they become browned and gooey on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip over and sprinkle with more cinnamon and sugar.<br />Cook another 5 minutes until browned and gooey on other side. Serve warm with coconut ice cream.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVJJf9O6YOhLKB8yKE_e_4Jhu8iVZIANkv5-uxlUNnFCPZ59spJEmGn4wwwZ-EjcqFsKltWZTIPQlBp_51EZahZwwChygSqHEqOytcgNsBWME138ccdVWXUiwWjTJX6p6WlqSibdIvj3d/s1600-h/coconut-icecream.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 207px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVJJf9O6YOhLKB8yKE_e_4Jhu8iVZIANkv5-uxlUNnFCPZ59spJEmGn4wwwZ-EjcqFsKltWZTIPQlBp_51EZahZwwChygSqHEqOytcgNsBWME138ccdVWXUiwWjTJX6p6WlqSibdIvj3d/s320/coconut-icecream.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450086405725596434" /></a><br /><br />COCONUT ICE CREAM<br /><br />Ingredients<br />2 cans whole coconut milk<br />½ cup water<br />¾ cup + 2 Tbsp palm sugar<br />1 pinch of salt<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />1 ice cube<br /><br />DIRECTIONS<br />In small saucepan, add water, sugar and salt. Turn on low heat and stir until sugar melts. Turn off heat and add ice cube to cool down the sugar-water (simple syrup). Open cans of coconut milk and place in a bowl. Whisk until coconut cream and water are thoroughly incorporated and it is smooth and creamy (if you think of it ahead, put the coconut milk in the fridge to chill it). Add vanilla extract to the coconut milk. Add simple syrup to the coconut milk and whisk until smooth. Place mixture in an ice cream maker. Turn ice cream maker on and let it do its thing for ½ hour. Enjoy!! If you have leftovers (LOL), put in the freezer immediately.Maggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055078685161896934.post-36079586574891608882010-03-08T18:42:00.001-08:002010-03-08T18:58:00.455-08:00I Learned a Crazy Thing Just Yesterday . . .<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwbAUx09bV7Q3YoDIIXlOf5m1_MQYPgYrZxQpK23diDqP3RSFno4NuaYeINH3H4kHs2EW-nrDphKkhPytzFoAlZ4XFel04SaKqSsJ3fWMAKA6fTlGmnhhvprbBRVhj7O0ta65rvdgvI93/s1600-h/VEGGIE+LIBEL"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwbAUx09bV7Q3YoDIIXlOf5m1_MQYPgYrZxQpK23diDqP3RSFno4NuaYeINH3H4kHs2EW-nrDphKkhPytzFoAlZ4XFel04SaKqSsJ3fWMAKA6fTlGmnhhvprbBRVhj7O0ta65rvdgvI93/s200/VEGGIE+LIBEL" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446459197628212914" /></a><br />Apparently our constitutional right to free speech is alive and well except when it comes to dissing the food we eat. Don’t disparage your food in Colorado or you just might get sued! Don’t talk trash about industrial farms that use pesticides on your bell peppers (which you firmly believe may cause you to get sick) or just might hear from their lawyers! If you don’t like that the way big agricultural corporations inhumanely treat animals, at the risk of your health and the health of the animals, keep it to yourself. Could this possibly be true? <br /><br />Aren’t we living in the “land of the free?” Didn’t our Founding Fathers give us this sacred First Amendment right to voice our opinions, including when it comes to something as important as our fundamental right to safe and healthy food? Well, apparently not in Colorado and 12 other states (Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas). There, the big agricultural corporations have helped create laws that have scared people into keeping quiet about the connection between food manufacturing practices and food safety.<br /><br />Veggie libel laws, formally known as food libel laws or food disparagement laws, were written by state legislators, with the help of big food corporations, to silence food advocates from saying things about a company’s food or food manufacturing practices which might cause the company to lose profits (what is called in legal terms, "a chilling effect"). These laws began to creep up after 1989, when CBS aired a story on 60 Minutes about a chemical sprayed on apples that was linked to cancer. The chemical company sued CBS arguing to the judge that the news story caused the company to lose $100 million in profits (the apple companies stopped using the chemical on their apples as a result of the story). In 1996, Oprah Winfrey, having just learned on her show about how most beef cattle is farmed in the U.S. (really they are factories, not a farms) said it had “ just stopped [her] cold from eating another burger.” <a href="http://www.madcowboy.com/02_OP_Transcript.000.html">TRANSCRIPT OF OPRAH SHOW</a>. She was sued for that comment. After years of fighting in court, Ophrah was vindicated. Though the judge threw out the case, it was not until Oprah had spent millions of dollars defending her statement. Regardless, the lawsuit scared many people and organizations into keeping silent about what they believed to be health-hazardous practices of big agricultural corporations.<br /><br />And, not too get too technical (yes, I was a lawyer in my previous life), but don’t think that because you might live in California you are safe from these laws. If you speak out against a big agricultural company that is located in Idaho, for example, your living in California (and speaking out against them in California) is of little consequence. You may just find yourself in a courtroom in Idaho (in fact, that is exactly what happened to Oprah – her show is taped in Chicago, IL but she was sued in Texas).<br /><br />It is important as Americans that we speak out when we know that something is harmful to us, to others and to our planet. Big companies cannot intimidate us into keeping silent. Remember to always do your research first. Make sure that you can back up what you say. Speak to experts who have researched the topic extensively. Read as much as you can about the issue. And if you conclude that the issue needs to be brought to the public’s attention, be the voice for those who can’t speak.<br /><br />For more reading check out the <a href="http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=9386">First Amendment Center</a>.Maggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055078685161896934.post-14010642042193748602010-03-04T21:50:00.000-08:002010-03-04T22:24:07.639-08:00How do you stack up?<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">We have way too much sugar in our Standard Americ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">a Diet (SAD).</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">In fact, the consumption of sugar in the U.S. per person has risen exponentially.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> Historically, sweets came in the form of fruit and honey. Sweets, as we know them today, were reserved for the wealthy as sugar was very expensive. </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">In the 1700s, the average American consumed less than 20 pounds of sugar per year.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">By the end of the 1800s, Americans consumed about 63 pounds per year per person (this had everything to do with the new availability of a cheap sugar source as the slave trade in the Caribbean made sugar production possible).</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Today, America</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">ns shockingly consume over 150 pounds of sugar per year per person!</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">That is the weight of an average adult in sugar!!</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Just plain freakish, don’t you think?</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Well, consider this:</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Today, school-day breakfast might be a Pop Tart or sugary cereal.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">In many schools across the nation, vending machines crank out Snickers bars and Coke.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">There was a time when dessert after dinner meant a handful of cherri</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">es in the summer or a sliced apple in the Fall.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Now, a sweet cake or ice cream seems t</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">o be standard dessert after dinner.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">We are bombarded with sugar!</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">And to complicate matters, if you are a label reader (and w</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">e encourage you to read labels and more importantly, to read the list of ingredients), you might not even find the word sugar in the product you buy.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Why?</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Because sugar comes in about 41 different names! </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">For example, these ingredients are all sugar:</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">barley malt, beet sugar, brown sugar, buttered syrup, cane-juice crystals, cane sugar, caramel, carob syrup, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, date sugar, dextran, dextrose, diatase, diastatic malt, ethyl maltol, fructose, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, glucose solids, golden sugar, golden syrup, grape sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, mannitol, molasses, raw sugar, refiner's syrup, sorbitol, sorghum syrup, sucrose, sugar, turbinado sugar, yellow sugar. PHEW!!</span></span></span></span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Finally, even if we do understand that we are ea</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">ting or drinking something with sugar, do we really appreciate the amount of sugar in that food or drink?</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">For example, you might know that Coke has about 40 grams of sugar. </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">But do you kno</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">w what 40 grams of sugar looks like?</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Check it out!</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvn9F9yqzhLjL5LIieCnYesmXmHPpl_1nGlSvlUXie4mBY1jPCVujCQFkH_bzpRkzUdmxqV3vBhwOhMXGjOBJD1DGkZM5RMUZzHWf-dFcvdXlXDEWyw4-aGe4RpIwXGMuh23Gi_ULKYrDH/s200/SUGAR+AND+COKE" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445023968343601218" border="0" /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">And did you know that the amount of sugar in your Pop Tart when stacked up, looks something like this?</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATSAKdnFtiuFE0zkq5J0HaB7WPLAuBkxzKM5LaThi3bG_ZA7cESnh06mqCcku0Q_q4jEmEPIjxhbggBzBozwXrNCKlrxhnNSdtQGnVSwiF3xaEHz5vNBWTut73QG4E5q3wtk5d_QKJ2w8/s200/SUGAR+AND+POP+TARTS" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445023977385314706" border="0" /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Check out </span></span></span><a href="http://www.sugarstacks.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Sugar Stacks</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> to get a sense of the amount of sugar you consume in the foods and drinks you enjoy.</span></span></span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Everyone knows or has at least heard that too much sugar causes an array of health problems like rotten teeth, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">It even causes fatigue because your blood sugar levels rise and crash when you eat too much sugar.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">So how do we kick our sugar habit?</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Sweet treats (food or beverage) should be a treat, not a staple.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Michael Pollan recently spelled out a good rule of thumb in his new book, Food Rules: "No snacks, no seconds, no sweets - except on days that begin with the letter S." </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Replace desserts with a luscious seasonal fruit after dinner.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Replace sodas and fruit drinks with fresh water, tea or coconut water.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Replace sugary breakfasts with hearty, complex carbohydrates, good fats and proteins such as a whole grain tortilla with peanut butter and banana. You will all-around feel better! And, eating whole foods rich in the following nutrients will help stave off your craving for sugar: Chromium, B-complex Vitamins, L-Glutamine, Manganese, Panthothenic Acid, Vitamin C, and Zinc.</span></span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">So, simply put, leave sugary treats for a birthday party or a weekend splurge.</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Don’t make it an everyday habit.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">Resources:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://www.naturalways.com/sugar.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">Overconsumption of Sugar Causes Fatigue</span></a></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://www.usda.gov/factbook/chapter2.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">Profiling Food Consumption in America</span></a></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.shareguide.com/sugar.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">Sugar: Toxic Invader #1</span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.fitsugar.com/Other-Names-Sugar-Appear-Labels-810571"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">Who You Calling Sugar?</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span><p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Maggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055078685161896934.post-90839632172136090412010-02-22T10:38:00.000-08:002010-02-23T11:01:29.275-08:00NO LABEL IS GOODThe week in Washington, D.C. and New York City was fun-filled. The snow in D.C. didn’t detract us from all we were destined to do. CJ spent time outside in the snow with his great friend, Fred, and my friend, Nina, and I cooked and talked, talked and cooked – a perfect way to spend some relaxing days away. We even got a chance to make sushi with a group of 6th grade boys!<br /><br />In NYC, we walked and walked. We went to the top of the Rockefeller Center and looked out at the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. We even got our 15 seconds of fame – our picture on a billboard in Times Square!<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nAVqu4hWLC6-o_qnso3TFvOmnwTZ4OCoAi9VPqmzmO-nrlWbaGZrjof2tlONMjYP7THnpYH-AEzBY8zpS5sXCr8OmotLummebYv1feoil0EHOD6KZXH4A2P-JaB5yg7TtA5RxBVkkdiU/s1600-h/IMG_1955.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nAVqu4hWLC6-o_qnso3TFvOmnwTZ4OCoAi9VPqmzmO-nrlWbaGZrjof2tlONMjYP7THnpYH-AEzBY8zpS5sXCr8OmotLummebYv1feoil0EHOD6KZXH4A2P-JaB5yg7TtA5RxBVkkdiU/s1600-h/IMG_1955.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nAVqu4hWLC6-o_qnso3TFvOmnwTZ4OCoAi9VPqmzmO-nrlWbaGZrjof2tlONMjYP7THnpYH-AEzBY8zpS5sXCr8OmotLummebYv1feoil0EHOD6KZXH4A2P-JaB5yg7TtA5RxBVkkdiU/s200/IMG_1955.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441141967338872578" border="0" /></a></div></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In both cities, I kept my eyes peeled for how the locals eat. Do New Yorkers and people on “the Hill” eat differently from us here in the SF <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nAVqu4hWLC6-o_qnso3TFvOmnwTZ4OCoAi9VPqmzmO-nrlWbaGZrjof2tlONMjYP7THnpYH-AEzBY8zpS5sXCr8OmotLummebYv1feoil0EHOD6KZXH4A2P-JaB5yg7TtA5RxBVkkdiU/s1600-h/IMG_1955.jpg"> </a>Bay? At Nina’s, we ate wonderfully, but then Nina is a wonderful cook. Our first morning there, Nina made delicious and light Danish puffy pancakes and filled them with fresh berries! One evening we ate brown rice with sautéed mushrooms, dark leafy greens, grilled tempeh and topped with a marvelous tahini-parsley sauce. It reminded me of a dish I love so much at Café Gratitude in Berkeley that I made it for dinner last night. For dessert one night while watching the Olympics, we had a wonderful apple crisp made from the apples we bought the day before at the local Farmer’s market (see recipe below).<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0xvIy0frGk-8F8OUZ25kREr2CwsFkXZqAtqGLz-XJXw0ez0S2Z7TIjlwoAYA8jsx-wck75Z5nVtA1FC-hONBjxcjJAsd9qpVH-s6DNwjSlncvCFbF7vPEdF30OODTBZg99qxXYrKJP_-/s1600-h/IMG_1996.jpg"> </a><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wJiL4fhud2NSHQgNW314_MDdAo-29PeKV-DcO4dhK1EcnzNRDrBJBdUsAtQXk9c6JqP3hLZs6Zrv5cJF2-X8NMFVHxLWOeWSBh7b_5RvfQFVURdRadd6zhVhByzwto2iegzzdfvE3wyq/s1600-h/IMG_1995.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wJiL4fhud2NSHQgNW314_MDdAo-29PeKV-DcO4dhK1EcnzNRDrBJBdUsAtQXk9c6JqP3hLZs6Zrv5cJF2-X8NMFVHxLWOeWSBh7b_5RvfQFVURdRadd6zhVhByzwto2iegzzdfvE3wyq/s200/IMG_1995.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441155076667744994" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0xvIy0frGk-8F8OUZ25kREr2CwsFkXZqAtqGLz-XJXw0ez0S2Z7TIjlwoAYA8jsx-wck75Z5nVtA1FC-hONBjxcjJAsd9qpVH-s6DNwjSlncvCFbF7vPEdF30OODTBZg99qxXYrKJP_-/s1600-h/IMG_1996.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0xvIy0frGk-8F8OUZ25kREr2CwsFkXZqAtqGLz-XJXw0ez0S2Z7TIjlwoAYA8jsx-wck75Z5nVtA1FC-hONBjxcjJAsd9qpVH-s6DNwjSlncvCFbF7vPEdF30OODTBZg99qxXYrKJP_-/s200/IMG_1996.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441151261343969778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXKkMnil0nuenF5yJ_e0ADJTocTt0xMmokG3KYGnFTksuxHs74kjzF3lwlZVVop0eCVlTX911aFNZLwgKAT4j5q0fkSVNYF7D0bLNe2nY9Y9KtntynzGi4KeAMBwMtLEw-2f-cnV34UaX/s1600-h/IMG_1994.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXKkMnil0nuenF5yJ_e0ADJTocTt0xMmokG3KYGnFTksuxHs74kjzF3lwlZVVop0eCVlTX911aFNZLwgKAT4j5q0fkSVNYF7D0bLNe2nY9Y9KtntynzGi4KeAMBwMtLEw-2f-cnV34UaX/s200/IMG_1994.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441151242002812754" border="0" /></a></div><br />At the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, I was so pleased to see signs up throughout the museum cafeteria, like these above, outlining the need to be conscious of our health and of the health of our environment - our motto!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6WIGEORVhJCjAhioV5DPP38WoTOS8wXWM6EyIKuKXd5W6hKLho4iyXfV75hx6ZZKTknmLMvXY2pDYG_QFbjAvd0VlV1AXJLDVGBtTrAIka3UH05Wu2VILinUywBNJQAqD0D-gUTwZBJp/s1600-h/IMG_2030.JPG"> </a><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJ1pdSdD0gBS96Tk7xhBqeyipFKfjLIU3OdfCFJy0WHCXa2wU0ziWXNW-Iinoc5hI2F_FIzINsUO4nH10sXY0C117iBisfoPa45urTsjzM81R8POrJWq4IdtcE7fJcdqYlmkvtBvK88cP/s1600-h/IMG_2031.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJ1pdSdD0gBS96Tk7xhBqeyipFKfjLIU3OdfCFJy0WHCXa2wU0ziWXNW-Iinoc5hI2F_FIzINsUO4nH10sXY0C117iBisfoPa45urTsjzM81R8POrJWq4IdtcE7fJcdqYlmkvtBvK88cP/s200/IMG_2031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441222520678374754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9UYqgKgjFRy_QIcDrrfnskHiuJ0dhYUZ23hCIvNv9gUPwcubF8sszO6pMgtyMBz7V9u7sFXHWpjM7wvJFZyxJne2F9H4Jtf1JVBhdjble_X9oxbXfeZMSIwgVaP8XdvWVb5TSfjW-wBA/s1600-h/IMG_2043.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9UYqgKgjFRy_QIcDrrfnskHiuJ0dhYUZ23hCIvNv9gUPwcubF8sszO6pMgtyMBz7V9u7sFXHWpjM7wvJFZyxJne2F9H4Jtf1JVBhdjble_X9oxbXfeZMSIwgVaP8XdvWVb5TSfjW-wBA/s200/IMG_2043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441142017418956242" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6WIGEORVhJCjAhioV5DPP38WoTOS8wXWM6EyIKuKXd5W6hKLho4iyXfV75hx6ZZKTknmLMvXY2pDYG_QFbjAvd0VlV1AXJLDVGBtTrAIka3UH05Wu2VILinUywBNJQAqD0D-gUTwZBJp/s1600-h/IMG_2030.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6WIGEORVhJCjAhioV5DPP38WoTOS8wXWM6EyIKuKXd5W6hKLho4iyXfV75hx6ZZKTknmLMvXY2pDYG_QFbjAvd0VlV1AXJLDVGBtTrAIka3UH05Wu2VILinUywBNJQAqD0D-gUTwZBJp/s200/IMG_2030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441142007261781042" border="0" /></a></div><br />On Thursday, we were off to New York City where we joined my cousin and her two wonderful boys for 36 hours of fun. You can find anything and everything in NYC. I found two very cool things – street-side produce vendors right next to the hotdog venders and Pret A Manger, a chain deli originating in London (UK) that makes all their food fresh, with no preservatives or additives and posts great signs about eating well, such as the one above (click on the photos to read what it says).<br /><br />All in all, it appears that Americans on the West Coast and East Coast are becoming more conscious of what and how they eat. Next, maybe a trip to St. Louis or Detroit. What will we find there?<br /><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RQZqHI_J3fZ5ses9sW_dSoSCTtIm5TgRqW7tUYrbtya5BPuPSUFUVEhka69BzSxsrT5IJpzvayX0cFPl2xn_R_-IWbIDjSJdqdJJ7qEbuSTCBs-vdSHhaKeBthLtuASObwWBwmvtZ5iu/s1600-h/IMG_1967.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RQZqHI_J3fZ5ses9sW_dSoSCTtIm5TgRqW7tUYrbtya5BPuPSUFUVEhka69BzSxsrT5IJpzvayX0cFPl2xn_R_-IWbIDjSJdqdJJ7qEbuSTCBs-vdSHhaKeBthLtuASObwWBwmvtZ5iu/s200/IMG_1967.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441141976410505650" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Farmer's Market Apple Crisp by Nina L.</span></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Ingredients</span><br />2-3 large Farmer’s Market apples, quartered, cored and sliced thin (the vendor suggested we use a variety of the larger apples for a pie or crisp)<br />2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice<br />1 cup rolled oats<br />½ cup whole wheat or spelt flour<br />½ cup turbinado* or brown sugar<br />½ cup chopped walnuts<br />2 tsp cinnamon<br />6 Tbsp butter, melted (3/4 stick)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Directions</span><br />Preheat oven to 350°F.<br />Place sliced apples in a bowl with the lemon juice. With your hands, mix thoroughly. Transfer apples to a shallow, round baking dish and evenly distribute.<br />In a bowl, add all the remaining ingredients. With your hands, mix until everything is evenly incorporated and some clumps form. Spoon mixture evenly onto apples.<br />Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;">*Turbinado sugar is often called “raw sugar.” It is brown in color and has larger crystals than does refined, white sugar. Organic turbinado sugar is made by crushing the freshly-cut sugar cane to squeeze out the juice, rich in, vitamins and minerals. The cane juice is evaporated and spun in a centrifuge, or turbine, to produce the large sparkling golden crystals. <a href="http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/brands/Wholesome_Sweeteners/Organic_Turbinado_Sugar.html">http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/brands/Wholesome_Sweeteners/Organic_Turbinado_Sugar.html</a></span>Maggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055078685161896934.post-8131702896935699212010-02-08T09:42:00.000-08:002010-02-08T14:50:20.629-08:00CHEW ON THIS: DOES EATING HEALTHY COST MORE?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvVToDiQ1oVzFS8QSOEC9lPXbObaQaprCnc2D9hHl2BEXqhFq9ONEG48REGr08J0aZl9SYpjMhsuxNJUv_6_BkNomJTqhiGwo3eGWhdS1AanzEQM_r58Tzj0EbhyphenhyphenovGAasARMtNuNFtK4/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvVToDiQ1oVzFS8QSOEC9lPXbObaQaprCnc2D9hHl2BEXqhFq9ONEG48REGr08J0aZl9SYpjMhsuxNJUv_6_BkNomJTqhiGwo3eGWhdS1AanzEQM_r58Tzj0EbhyphenhyphenovGAasARMtNuNFtK4/s200/002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435977700000779554" border="0" /></a>I know you kids don't need to wonder much about the cost of the meals you eat. But your palates are broadening, you are cooking more and cooking well so you should know how much the meals you want to prepare and eat cost. After all, it will not be long before you venture off on your own and then...believe us, you will be eating on a budget. Here are some things to consider when you want to eat healthy yet have limited resources:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >COMPARING APPLES AND APPLES</span><br /><br />If you were to <span style="font-style: italic;">only</span> compare the cost of an organic apple against the cost of a non-organic apple, you would never eat organic. Organic produce costs more than non-organic produce (more on this below). <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 153, 255);">But when making your choices you have to ask a few more questions and make a few more comparisons.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" ><br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" >COMPARING APPLES AND AVOCADOS</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvWnBGMAO214IymMuJJE3WGRp4umPv50N4J_kcpnwtQHY5kkB9LDMMvf4_ShUECmLfvzsMwgGGQVKGp3ilRvptk2xkYxd0cy0E-d3F4BVtHj6VyR3e7OG1xN5SSKpYu-HH1OJ2EazEFYF/s1600-h/APPLES+AVOCADOS.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 81px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvWnBGMAO214IymMuJJE3WGRp4umPv50N4J_kcpnwtQHY5kkB9LDMMvf4_ShUECmLfvzsMwgGGQVKGp3ilRvptk2xkYxd0cy0E-d3F4BVtHj6VyR3e7OG1xN5SSKpYu-HH1OJ2EazEFYF/s200/APPLES+AVOCADOS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436000715711398514" border="0" /></a><br />When you must make a choice between buying organic produce and buying non-organic produce, you should consider each fruit and vegetable individually. There are two good ways to choose:<br /><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">The thicker the skin of the fruit (and chances are you will peel the skin before eating), the safer the bet that you will not be eating a lot of the chemical pesticides</span>. Take for instance avocado. You take the skin off an avocado before slicing it on your sandwich or making a spicy guacamole with it, right? The same for mango and banana. You can't eat the skin of those fruits. So if, for reasons of cost, you have to buy some fruits or vegetables that are non-organic, go for those. But peaches, nectarines, strawberries and cherries are all eaten with the skin! Bell peppers are eaten with the skin. You may be able to wash off some of the chemicals but the skin is thin enough to allow the pesticides to penetrate into fruit itself, and you can't do anything about that. For those kinds of fruits and veggies, opt for buying organic.</li><li><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Check out the Environmental Working Group's Website.</span> The EWG's <a href="http://www.foodnews.org/">Shopper's Guide to Pesticides</a> provides you with a wonderful, downloadable pocket guide to what fruits and vegetables are "cleanest" and which are the "dirtiest" so that you can shop wisely at the store. </li></ul><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">COMPARING GROCERY STORES WITH FARMER’S MARKETS</span></span><br /><br />If you live near a farmer’s market, it always makes good money sense to shop there. There are many hidden costs when shopping at the grocery store. Included in the cost of peppers is the cost of the electricity needed to run the store, the cost of paying the checkers and baggers, the cost of the bags used when shopping, and even the cost of paving the store parking lot! There are none of those hidden costs when shopping at a farmer’s market. There, you pay for the produce and the farmer’s eggs. In other words, the money you spend at the farmer’s market is money directly related to the cost of growing that pepper – not on the other stuff unrelated to growing the pepper itself. So, buying organic food at the farmer’s market will be a better deal than buying it at the grocery store.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">COMPARING BULK WITH NON-BULK ITEMS</span></span><br /><br />Buying items in bulk, whether it be nuts, grains, pasta, or beans, is always a smarter money choice. You are not paying for packaging, which ends up in recycling, or worse yet, the trash! And for things like beans, if you soaked them and cooked them yourself, it is pennies for a serving instead of...well...way more than pennies.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" ><br />MEASURING THE QUALITY OF FOOD, NOT THE QUANTITY OF FOOD</span><br /><br />In general, Americans eat way too much. We are engaged in <a href="http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/">portion distortio</a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9Hdy18qyZ5n2_XiQ8rQgNHi4vw3poxg145eXCRIymOOKHr9-32WvfH5wZA8CJ-IPU1SxNSAN5QwuWE-uzQTjF7IiFbiTri-6mDs85nLZ1bPBAWklfZhnZ4QgQG6nWYQuKTK7-Y_YrXQ3/s1600-h/PORTION+SIZE"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9Hdy18qyZ5n2_XiQ8rQgNHi4vw3poxg145eXCRIymOOKHr9-32WvfH5wZA8CJ-IPU1SxNSAN5QwuWE-uzQTjF7IiFbiTri-6mDs85nLZ1bPBAWklfZhnZ4QgQG6nWYQuKTK7-Y_YrXQ3/s200/PORTION+SIZE" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436008363182023090" border="0" /></a><a href="http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/">n</a>. Did you ever really look at how big that bag of popcorn is or that soft drink that you are buying at the movie theatre? A family of 4 can easily satisfy themselves with one of those super-sized sodas and yet one person will drink it all during a two-hour movie. Why? Because “for only 25 cents more, you can get the large.” The small is already really huge. The medium is gigantic and the large is actually gargantuan! But what a savings to get the gargantuan one for only 25 cents more! You probably would have saved something like $1.50 if you got the small, which is to say huge, and not been tempted by the sales pitch!<br /><br />Our portions have increased substantially over the last 50 years. A slice of pizza 20 years ago was 500 calories. Today, a slice of pizza is 850 calories! If you went to the movies 20 years ago, you would have gotten 5 cups of popcorn (270 calories). Today, the popcorn an average American gets at the movies is almost 400 calories more (11 cups)!<br /><br />If you buy quality food, such as organic produce, grass-fed beef and sustainable fish, and eat less of it, you will be spending no more money than if you ate huge portions of a low-quality meal. And, if you eat fresh fruit instead of a sugar-laden piece of cake or chocolate for dessert (except on special occasions – Michael Pollen includes Saturdays and Sundays in that mix of special times), you will be saving money.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:130%;" ><br />COMPARING ORGANIC JUNK FOOD WITH JUNK FOOD</span><br /><br />Junk food is junk food whether it is organic or not. As a society, we eat too much junk food. Just because the potatoes in the potato chips you’re begging your mom to buy are organic, doesn’t make them any less potato chips! The same can be said for a lot of other boxed and bagged foods in the middle aisles of the grocery store. If you check out the labels of many of those packaged foods which you think are good for you, you might be surprised! Many of them still contain preservatives, lesser quality oils, trans-fats and too much salt. Next time, buy a whole potato, slice it thin and roast them with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper until they are crispy. That will cost a heck of a lot less than your bag of chips. And your house will smell divine!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">FACTORING IN THE COST TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND TO YOUR HEALTH WHEN CHOOSING BETWEEN ORGANIC-SUSTAINABLE OR NOT</span></span><br /><br />Unsustainable and conventionally grown foods, many of which travel thousands and thousands of miles to get to us are often consumed at a cost to our health and to the environment. Someone has to pay for the damage done to both – and it will surely be each and every one of us in the long run. If we continue to eat foods laden with chemicals, we have a greater chance of getting sick from them. If we continue to pollute our air as a result of conventional farming methods or the transportation of produce from thousands of miles away, we have a greater chance of getting sick and of sickening our Earth. If we continue to catch fish in a way that is bad for the oceans and causes the extinction of fish, we will eventually need to pay more for all fish. This final point goes to the question of whether we want to pay a little more money now or pay a lot more money later. It's a question we must all chew on carefully.<br /><br />We'd love to hear from you about how you make your food choices when shopping. Do you consider the cost of food? Do you consider what goes into the price you pay for food? Would you spare no expense when it comes to food but cut your costs on other luxury items, like music or games?Maggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055078685161896934.post-18723092730559612332010-02-02T16:08:00.000-08:002010-02-02T16:24:26.271-08:00Help! I have Food Neophobia!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3z8HrTYkd3VbUCsj2K3_eeWpWDPPHid8Hp0cVOXdfIzo7r7m9wjtd-aZ2WuN2LuudUnowx_84lxuZA7DHx4o-OKcN9Zu6ezYWqFbNAhk4mXK-zZE6WZD3n3QwvLDRWMtd_b6gSnV-5mm/s1600-h/_44062276_8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3z8HrTYkd3VbUCsj2K3_eeWpWDPPHid8Hp0cVOXdfIzo7r7m9wjtd-aZ2WuN2LuudUnowx_84lxuZA7DHx4o-OKcN9Zu6ezYWqFbNAhk4mXK-zZE6WZD3n3QwvLDRWMtd_b6gSnV-5mm/s200/_44062276_8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433803958661926786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-size:130%;" >FOBBELKNOCKERS!</span> How did you get it? Did you catch it at school? Did you catch it from your little sister who is always crawling around on the kitchen floor? Or maybe your dog passed it on to you - you know how he always eats the food scraps from the dining table?<br /><p class="MsoNormal">Well, there is good news! Food neophobia is not catchy and you can actually do something about it. The word "neophobia" (also known as "caitonophobia") comes from the Greek words <i>"neo"</i> meaning <i>"new"</i> and <i>"phobia"</i> meaning <i>"fear."</i> Yeah, you got it - fear of something new! As it relates to food, it is the fear of trying out new food. Or more simply put - a super-picky eater. Not so scary after all, right?<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>So, we've got to ask, what do you do when you are afraid of trying our something new in ordinary life - say for example - trying out a new summer camp - or joining a new soccer team? Do you just walk away and say, "NOPE, not gonna do it!" Do your parents let you just take a pass and not experience what might be the greatest thing you've ever done?? I doubt it. So why do you do it with food? Well, for starters, we are not born to want food other than sweet food because our mother’s milk was sweet.<span style=""> </span>We must learn to like savory foods.<span style=""> </span>And, scientists think that, for some people, a fear of trying new foods is genetic.<span style=""> </span>Finally, there’s this thing about the texture of food.<span style=""> </span>It might not even be the taste of the food.<span style=""> </span>Some foods are crunchy; other foods are soft or even squishy.<span style=""> </span>How you prepare the food might have a lot to do with whether you might give it a try or not.<span style=""> </span><br /><br />Food neophobia is not uncommon. Tons of kids have it. Many overcome it and become great food adventurers. Others stick to what they know and miss out on a world of fantastic stuff - like roasted cauliflower, salmon burgers or mango salsa. When it boils down to healthy eating, not surprisingly, kids who are afraid of eating new things eat less vegetables, fruits and protein - the stuff that makes your mind and body grow and be strong.<br /></p><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"> <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">SO HOW CAN YOU TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR PICKY PALETTE </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">AND BECOME AN ADVENTUROUS EATER?</span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Scientists have studied this issue and have found that children who are exposed to a food over and over again (up to 50 times) will eventually eat that food. <span style=""> </span>Here are a few ideas:</p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">(1) PICK UP AND TOUCH NEW FOOD:</span><span style=""> </span>Ask your mom or dad to take you to the farmer’s market or grocery story.<span style=""> </span>Let your imagination run wild!<span style=""> </span>Choose your favorite color and go find fruits or vegetables in that color that you have never tried before.<span style=""> </span>Pick them up.<span style=""> </span>Touch them.<span style=""> </span>Find out the name of that fruit or vegetable.<span style=""> </span>Maybe even ask your mom or dad to buy it so you can try it out!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">(2) SMELL NEW FOOD:</span><span style=""> </span>Even if you don’t want to eat a vegetable on your plate, pick it up and smell it.<span style=""> </span>What does it smell like?<span style=""> </span>Would it smell different (better) with mustard or butter or cheese or hot sauce?<span style=""> </span>Maybe ask your mom or dad to find a recipe next time that will incorporate some other ingredient you love, like peanut butter or tomatoes (not both)!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">(3) LICK NEW FOOD:</span> <span style=""> </span>At least give a new food a chance at you eating it!<span style=""> </span>Sometimes smell is deceiving.<span style=""> </span>Broccoli smells DISGUSTING!<span style=""> </span>But it tastes fabulous.<span style=""> </span>Papaya smells super gross too.<span style=""> </span>But have you ever had papaya with lime juice squeezed on it?<span style=""> </span>It is so delicious and it is one of the best fruits around for tummy problems.<span style=""> </span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">(4) HELP COOK NEW FOOD:</span><span style=""> </span>Like picking up and touching new food, cooking new food helps familiarize you with it.<span style=""> </span>When your mom brings celery root home for the family dinner, ask her if you can scrub and peel that knotty-looking veg.<span style=""> </span>Notice how sweet it smells (and how much like celery it smells)?<span style=""> </span>Ask her if you can sauté it or cook it in the stock for your soup.<span style=""> </span>What other vegetables might taste good with it?<span style=""> </span>Perhaps you can ask if you can find a recipe on-line for it that interests you?<span style=""> </span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">(5) TASTE AND EAT NEW FOOD:</span><span style=""> </span>Finally, take a deep breath and give it a go!<span style=""> </span>Everything you do today that is routine was once new to you.<span style=""> </span>That’s the same with food.<span style=""> </span>Food that you will enjoy when you are a teen or an adult will once have been a new food that you might have been afraid to try.<span style=""> </span>So try it out.<span style=""> </span>If you don’t like it this go-around, politely ask your mom or dad if you can “take a pass <i style="">today</i>.”<span style=""> </span>But don’t close the door on tasting it again next time!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So kick your neophobic habit.<span style=""> </span>Like trying to boogie board or meeting a new person, trying a new food can be scary.<span style=""> </span>But if you don’t try it, you might never know how wonderful it is!<span style=""> </span>And you might never benefit from its amazing nutritional benefits. Take the challenge: If you don't eat the following foods already, ask your mom or dad to put them on your next week's grocery list:</p><ul><li>cauliflower</li><li>celery root</li><li>beets</li><li>anchovies</li><li>kiwi</li><li>plantains</li><li>coconut milk or coconut water</li><li>quinoa</li><li>pumpkin seeds</li><li>dates</li></ul>Tell us what you are afraid to eat and what you have done or will do to try and overcome your fear. Maybe we can pass along a tasty recipe for you to try!Maggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055078685161896934.post-57420813209676728932010-01-29T09:56:00.000-08:002010-01-31T16:49:41.219-08:00Does what you eat impact the environment?Today <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdqMl0sEsi85T8DhVcTn9AXpTZRJt7xXD9qDag2mqdr_9AQQzUvuLA6l5u8qaamSCGn9q0OuaU51dCzUWXrJ6R143xdFMKPwRYy3dgTY25yIpg8vEIWWAjUYre58PVN8M4WnPaMzgr0_j/s1600-h/IMG_1848.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdqMl0sEsi85T8DhVcTn9AXpTZRJt7xXD9qDag2mqdr_9AQQzUvuLA6l5u8qaamSCGn9q0OuaU51dCzUWXrJ6R143xdFMKPwRYy3dgTY25yIpg8vEIWWAjUYre58PVN8M4WnPaMzgr0_j/s200/IMG_1848.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432235070518581138" border="0" /></a>is "Zero-Waste" lunch day at one of the schools where we teach cooking. The challenge is to serve up lunch which results in no trash - just compost and recycling. This is a great goal for the kids, their families and the school. The next step is to look at the actual <span style="font-style: italic;">food</span> you eat and see how that food impacts your carbon footprint. Here are a few things to consider:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where does your food come from?</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"> </span>Eating foods that are grown locally reduces the carbon footprint significantly. Food that must travel from far-away places, like Mexico or Chile, has to travel by plane and truck to get to your grocery store. Planes and trucks use up a lot of fuel and emit a lot of carbon dioxide into the air. Buying your fruit and vegetables from the farmers market from farms within a 100 mile radius is far more earth-friendly. Buying foods that are only in season will ensure that you are buying locally. Eating a peach in the winter can only mean that peach was grown on a farm in a warm climate. Because it is summer in South America when it is winter here means you can bet the peach you are buying in February comes from South America or another far-away, warm place. In addition to local food, supporting your local organic farmer means that you are supporting his or her method of not polluting the soil and the plants with hazardous chemicals. Those chemicals are not only bad for you (it is impossible to wash off all the pesticides and herbicides that are sprayed onto plants) but bad for the environment.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Is your food packaged?</span></span> Packaged foods have a number of hidden ecological costs. The packages (boxes, paper, plastic bags) must be made in a factory. The factory uses a a lot of energy, such as electricity. The packaging materials must be shipped to the final users, meaning that fuel is used and carbon dioxide emitted. Some of the packaging cannot be recycled and must be thrown away. Trash ends up in landfills, wasting our precious and every shrinking open land, which could be used for green spaces like parks. Trees absorb carbon dioxide. Buying less packaged and processed food means using less packaging. Also buying your whole food in bulk or buying your produce at the farmer's market means you use less packaging. Take a cloth bag or reuse a paper bag when going to the farmer's market or store to conserve even more!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">How often do you eat red meat?</span></span> People are eating more red meat today than ever before. In the U.S., people eat on average over 200 pounds of it! This may have a lot to do with people eating in fast-food places like McDonalds and Burger King. To raise cows, you must have land. As a result, many forests are being cleared for pastures, robbing the planet of trees, which (again) absorbs carbon dioxide. Cattle and sheep also release a lot of methane (yes, burps and farts)! Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. In a recent recent study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, it was found that the animals' burps, the nitrous oxide gases from their decomposing poop and other factors, including the energy needed to store and transport meat, were responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions! WOW!!! We're not saying don't eat meat. We're saying you can maybe eat less of it.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Do you know the history of the fish you are eating?</span></span> Poor fishing practices in the last 50 years have threatened our oceans and caused near extinction of many fish, like shark, swordfish and cod. In response, fish farms have sprung up but even those can be hazardous to our environment if the right types of fish are not properly chosen for the farms or if the method of farming is not eco-friendly. Learn where your fish comes from that ends up on your plate for dinner. Ask the fish seller what he or she knows about the fish you are buying. Also, log on to the <a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx">Monterey Bay Aquarium</a><a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx"> Sea Food Watch</a> page. There you will find gads of information about sustainable fishing practices and what fish are currently endangered and/or hazardous to eat.<br /><br />Kuddos to those of you already paying attention to the impact your choices make on our environment. Keep up the good work! If you haven't taken the challenge yet, why not start now? Reduce the carbon footprint in your household by just making one of the above-changes. Gradually, you can incorporate more of these changes. If we each take one small step, we will make big changes!!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 255);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Take the challenge: </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span>To see how much of a carbon footprint you are leaving</span>,</span> go to the <a href="http://www.zerofootprintkids.com">Zero Footprint Kids Calculator</a> and fill out the questionnaire. See how you compare to the average child in other countries. Good luck!Maggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055078685161896934.post-56214704445709597312010-01-27T09:33:00.000-08:002010-01-28T00:38:51.128-08:00School mornings are annoying so how could I possibly eat a good breakfast?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8WrgMqOIwI0z1DqXFNes_TihHdDB01wCsskznwfZKeOU5p4bnyMaoyV-vfHeqCno7l6sGGD6QpJ2pU54Uoeiyp480NS8ajD9zNFkWR_N0I6p7smWEWtyllZWVNAAspzKaO7Se1RrWh9H/s1600-h/IMG_1629.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8WrgMqOIwI0z1DqXFNes_TihHdDB01wCsskznwfZKeOU5p4bnyMaoyV-vfHeqCno7l6sGGD6QpJ2pU54Uoeiyp480NS8ajD9zNFkWR_N0I6p7smWEWtyllZWVNAAspzKaO7Se1RrWh9H/s320/IMG_1629.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431521886747939426" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbSK6ZbcmLlXusTgAi4WfRoEY4kGmjY7hGiqNS0OGyhimXZ-DVQxERIHR5_-sVJl0_xblUDNpf1heT5VP00YIX0e7R6_CWWxCxsgxFgHQ-npUyXvGbrUgwPUucDmWiH4DV6qMlUFDMbX1/s1600-h/IMG_1629.jpg"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">School mornings are annoying. You've got to get up at an hour decided by someone who doesn't really, really understand how tired you still are; you've got to put on clean clothes, which might require that you find some clean clothes. You may be one of those unlucky kids who has to make his bed in the morning. Then, you've got to brush your teeth and comb your hair, maybe wash your face if you obey mom's shouting instructions, maybe help out a little brother or sister tie his or her shoes and finally, you've got to pack the back pack that mom asked you to pack last night all the while quietly running around in search of your Social Studies notebook which you find under the couch, thank god. So where's the time for a good breakfast, you ask. Moreover, why should I eat a good breakfast anyway?</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">We can't help you get ready for school in the morning (although we can tell you that some of that stuff can get done the night before, but I bet you've heard that a time or two, right?) but we can explain WHY it is important to eat a good breakfast and we can give you some good suggestions for breakfast on the go (let me guess, sometimes you have to eat breakfast in the car, right)?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">BREAKFAST FOOD SHOULD HELP YOU</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> THINK BETTER </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">AND</span></b></i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></b></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">GIVE YOU SUSTAINED ENERGY</span></b></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">In order to get </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">the most</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> out of a school day, your brain has to function at it's absolute best so that you can understand and absorb your teachers' lessons and your body has to have enough energy to get you through the day, because sitting still and listening to your teacher takes just as much energy as recess! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">So, what foods will help you perform your best and why:</span></div><div><ul><li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Whole grain foods</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">. Whole grain toast, muffins or tortillas, brown rice, sweet potatoes. These types of foods give you </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">sustained energy</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">. What that means is that, unlike sugary pastries or commercial cereal, these foods release sugar into your blood stream slowly, giving you energy throughout the day. Technically said (in case you want to impress your parents), these foods help regulate your blood sugar.</span></li><li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Nuts and Seeds.</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> Nuts and seeds provide your body with good quality protein and fat, both essential for regulating blood sugar and essential for muscle and brain development. You should always try to eat some protein and fat in the morning with your whole grains so that the sugar is evenly and slowly released in your body. Again, that translates to </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">sustained energy</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">. In other words, you won't feel ready to take a nap during 3rd period Science and you won't feel like you will absolutely keel over when you have to run the mile in gym class. Also, sesame seeds are a great source of calcium. Don't want to drink milk? Sprinkle sesame seeds on your toast or on a bowl of brown rice. </span></li><li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Omega-3 fat.</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> You should definately have some of this in the morning. It's brain food, pure and simple. BRAIN FOOD! Yes, they sell Omega-3 gummy bears and that's fine, but you should also get this from your food, because after all, that's where Omega-3 comes from. Eat a handful of walnuts in the morning. They have lots of Omega-3. If you remember that walnuts look like brains, you'll remember they're brain food. You can also add flax seeds or flax seed oil to your smoothie in the morning or even chia seeds! Ask your mom or dad to buy flax oil or flax and chia seeds at a healthier food store like Whole Foods or Berkeley Bowl.</span></li><li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Fresh fruit. </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> Fresh fruit can help satisfy your desire for sweets and it's whole and natural. Fruit contains vitamins and minerals which help prevent you from getting sick, and which help make you think clearly and calmly (aka BRAIN FOOD). Again, eat your fruit with some protein and fat so that you prevent the sugar in the fruit from going into your blood stream too quickly.</span></li><li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Veggies.</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> No one said veggies are off-limits in the morning!! Like fruit, they provide great vitamins and minerals. In many cultures, last night's dinner is this morning's breakfast. Try it out next time you have leftover fried rice or chicken noodle soup. You might be pleasantly surprised.</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">BREAKFAST IDEAS</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Whole wheat tortilla with peanut or almond butter and banana</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Slice of whole grain toast, 1/2 an apple and cheese</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Quesadilla with a side of sliced fruit</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Yogurt and homemade granola (see recipe for granola below)</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Egg and cheese sandwich with whole wheat English muffin</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Hard boiled egg, whole grain crackers and handful of berries</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Protein-rich fruit smoothie with flax or chia seeds</span></li></ul><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHBaNrqbs8YbAfEA6HrBsn9KurCCDw-0hs21rMrtrL0iTC1_gCD1ihGciw7yo4Z-g-iRHOTptlt6qf4wctIXIuwxGnlnmTMFlT6W4RpnPNHh8N0oJ7QLnEuRDvsELBCXxIWnt71Rr14YV/s200/GRANOLA" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431526203904528498" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;"><b>GRANOLA</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;"><i>Ingredients<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;">2 cups rolled oats</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana,serif;">3/4 cup coconut flakes</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana,serif;">1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana,serif;">1/4 cup raw almonds, rough chopped</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana,serif;">2-3 Tbsp honey (depending on your sweet tooth) or maple syrup</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana,serif;">2 Tbsp coconut butter, melted</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana,serif;">Zest of one orange</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana,serif;">1/4 cup pumpkin seeds</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana,serif;">1/2 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana,serif;"> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; font-style: italic;">Directions</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt;">Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a bowl, add all ingredients except for coconut butter and dried fruit.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt;">In a pan, melt coconut butter, making sure not to burn the pan or butter! Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add to bowl with mixture and mix thoroughly with a rubber spatula. If the butter is cool enough, you can mix with your hands, which is alot of fun.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt;">Put granola on a cookie sheet and spread out evenly. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or so. Pull out, add the dried fruit, toss evenly and spread out again. Bake for another 10-15 minutes. Let cook before eating (the cooler it gets, the crunchier the granola).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><b> <!--StartFragment--> </b></p><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:'Book Antiqua',serif;"><br /></span></p></b><p></p></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><strong></strong><br /></span></div></div></div>Maggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055078685161896934.post-41788266445211735612010-01-26T21:57:00.000-08:002010-01-26T22:48:46.138-08:00We're excited to start blogging!Finally, we're going to blog! We started this blog a year and a half ago, as you can see from the one and only entry from 5/08, but it never got off the ground. I should say, I started that blog before Christy and I even partnered up to start Small Steps Cooking. Christy shouldn't have to shoulder any blame for that. But now that we are officially a business, Christy and I want to use this blog as a way to connect with the children and young adults we teach, their parents and the many, many, many family members, friends and fans across the globe who want to vigilantly follow us here. We promise to mention you all when we receive our Academy Award for Best Picture...oh, that was another food blog. I digress.<br /><br />We hope that this blog will supplement our classes because, as much as we'd love to, we cannot cover everything we want to teach in a 1-1/2 hour or 2 hour class. Information about the health benefits of a key ingredient flies about the kitchen while the students are chopping, slicing, roasting and whipping, all the while, we keep an eye on the clock to make sure our dishes are ready on time, just as a chef in a restaurant kitchen would do. We also include a great deal of interesting historical, cultural and nutritional facts about ingredients on our recipes but again, the question becomes when to find the time to digest it (pun intended)! We hope that this blog becomes the go-to place for adults and kids alike who want to go beyond the classroom-kitchen and cook from the many other recipes we offer or who want more information about food, health and what we call food politics (i.e., what are our legislatures doing about food safety, school lunch programs, bio-engineered foods, and many other issues which affect our right to clean, sustainable and nutrient-dense food).<br /><br />We especially invite kids to post comments or questions on our blog related to food and health. The computer is the new generation's pencil and paper. We hope you will engage in our discussions about wholesome cooking and eating. Perhaps there is a food you love but know isn't good for you? Maybe we can offer suggestions as to how to make it better for you by exchanging the unhealthy ingredients for healthier alternatives. Just a thought...<br /><br />In sum, we are excited for this new venue. We hope you will share this experience with us.<br /><br />Marirose and ChristyMaggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055078685161896934.post-78193203545863406882008-05-20T20:29:00.000-07:002010-01-27T13:09:04.664-08:00Eating Whole, Seasonal and Organic Food<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCkxRLDiH6gPZ-713RcMTsd_tWNraBd3m5xf3tMnolqroICCIRfZvKJQBHHKlIB6Jfz1ghQZ0L2stuG81tXawRSGCCqzeNGngXnyB8OpvIPq1-Dy6uBkFhFymq7F0g9o92tTvwUiISoHV/s1600-h/IMG_0112.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281248089260086434" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 240px; height: 320px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCkxRLDiH6gPZ-713RcMTsd_tWNraBd3m5xf3tMnolqroICCIRfZvKJQBHHKlIB6Jfz1ghQZ0L2stuG81tXawRSGCCqzeNGngXnyB8OpvIPq1-Dy6uBkFhFymq7F0g9o92tTvwUiISoHV/s320/IMG_0112.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div>Michael Pollen, in his latest book, <em>In Defense of Food</em>, advises us to "eat food" not "food-like substances." What is a food-like substance? He says it's something your grandmother wouldn't recognize on your plate. In otherwords, would she recognize Stove Top Stuffing? Would she recognize Doritos? If not, it's not food. Pure and simple.<br /><br />Start here. An orange is a whole food. Fish is a whole food. Whole grains are whole foods. Things that come out of the ground or grow in a tree, living critters that graze in green pastures and swim in the oceans are whole foods. I think you get it.<br /><br />Next, eat seasonal foods. If it doesn't grow in a farm near you this time of year, chances are that whole food isn't seasonal. Peaches in October? Don't think so. Pumpkins in Spring. Nah.... And anyhow, have you tried a peach in October? It probably comes from Chile and doesn't have that wonderful perfume of a perfectly ripe, picked off the tree peach, right? And the only pumpkin you will see in the Spring is in a can and would grandma have used pumpkin in a can? Nope. Nope. Nope.<br /><br />And a final thought, with more on this another day, eat organic whole foods when you can. We already breathe in some pretty nasty air. We take in other toxins and pollutants with the chemicals in our house cleaners, for example, why not put in our bodies something free and clear of pesticides and herbicides? Would you take a perfectly clean tomato and spray some bug spray on it and eat it? I don't think so? So why would you let someone else spray your tomato for you to eat? Makes no sense right? There are a host of other reasons why you should eat organic, but for now, let's not keep putting stuff in our bodies that our bodies don't want. Because afterall, our bodies will have to work very hard to get rid of those toxins, those sprays, those chemicals, those pollutants.<br /><br />OK for now.. More on organics another day and some on the environmental reasons you should eat locally produced whole foods.</div></div>Maggie and Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09628138793714253090noreply@blogger.com2