Posts from — January 2010

I’m the first to admit I’m a bit of a techno-dolt.  I do, however, have enough common sense to surround myself with technologically gifted individuals (namely my own children) to help me in a bind.  New advancements are thrilling, no doubt, but there can certainly be down sides, especially if our health (physical and emotional) is at stake.

Take a look at this piece on Healthday.com.  Amanda Gardner hones in on how tools that can bless us with needed information also have the potential to fuel self-harming behaviors in some, specifically eating disorders.

A new year and a fresh look at the budget.

We all love the bulk buy and, if you’re like me, it just about KILLS you if some of that abundant purchase spoils before you have a chance to use it.  So, here are some tips for freezing some of that extra bounty so you can stretch your food budget – and eat well too!

1. Blanch your fresh veggies and THEN store in plastic bags in the freezer.  The blanching process helps the produce maintain its color, taste and mouth feel.

2. Nuts can go bad after a while in the pantry but can stay fresh and yummy for up to 6 months when frozen in freezer bags – great protein and unsaturated fats for another day.

3. If you’ve got fruit that’s about to go bad (think brown bananas in the bowl on the counter) puree it and freeze it in ice cube trays.  As you’ve heard me say time and time again they make great additions to smoothies, hot breakfast cereal AND baked goods (think Indigo Rabbit!)

4.  Tofu is even great frozen.  You can either drain, slice, wrap in plastic and freeze or simply toss the whole container in the freezer.  The resulting tofu will be great in stir-fries!

5. Eggs work great after being frozen as well.  Just store whites and yolks separately.

Oh, and remember to label everything.  You wouldn’t want to add thawed egg yolk to your morning yogurt thinking it’s a beautiful mango puree!

Okay I have a confession to make.

Vendors are often sending us samples of their products for us to evaluate for our business needs (http://indigorabbit.com).  Recently a company sent some fabulous dried vegetables in powder form.  While we enjoy working with them in the test kitchen, I made sure to set aside some of my favorites for personal use here at home.

Last night is when I achieved my first sneaky success.  It was pasta night at our house and my kids are huge parmesan cheese eaters.  I grabbed a hold of the powdered sweet potatoes I’d stowed in the pantry as they were the same color as our parmesan and had a mild enough taste for my plan to work.  I simply poured the powdered veggies into the 1/2 full cheese shaker, mixed it all up, and onto the table it went.

Wouln’t you know it?  I had everyone fooled!  Even my husband!!!

Kudos to me.  A sneaky success!

If you’re a parent you can certainly appreciate how challenging it can be to consistently promote healthy-er eating for your children. 

There are days when we stand on the top of that mountain, red cape whipping in the wind behind us, when less than a boat-load of sugar and/or additives have made their way past our kids’ lips.

Of course there are less heroic times when we let down our guard and just praise the fact that we’ve managed to “arrange for” something edible to be within kid-range a few times throughout the day – wholesome or not.

Bottom line – we live in a world where less-than-optimal choices for nourishment abound and we need all the help we can get when it comes to solidifying our efforts to raise healthy kids.  It seems that food marketing so often works against us. 

According to a recent piece in the Arizona Daily Star, while many food manufacturers have made strides toward marketing healthier food options to children, more than 70% of the food advertising aimed at youths is for the least nutrious foods.

I need a bigger cape.

So has a particular male loved one indulged in the ale this holiday season?

Check out this recent article in USA Today that reports that beer may have properties that can protect men from prostrate cancer.  Go figure.