January 2010
Nienie's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
I love to cook and have been the primary meal-prep person in my home for the past seven years. I enjoy trying new recipes, and am not too easily intimidated. But. For some reason, I have consistently balked at the idea of making my own pizza dough, despite the fact tha pizza is one of my husband's favorite foods.
Over the break, I confronted my pizza making fears, inspired by one of my favorite blogs ( nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/ ). The recipe sounded simple, and looking at the picture, I remembered the adage about bad pizza. Paraphrased, it suggests that pizza, simililar to other sensual delights, is good even when it's bad.
Jitterbug!
If you have too much it makes you shake, sometimes become paranoid and too little (If you are used to it daily) can give you withdrawal headaches.
Sounds like a drug? Technically it is (a stimulant), but VERY legal and in what we all like to say gets us through the day...coffee (Or if you are like Myself and Rachael, chocolate)
Yes, it is CAFFEINE!
I took and interest in this because one of my fellow food educators Amanda said that for the New Year she wanted to cut out caffeine in her diet. While, for an average daily coffee drinker this is a miraculous feat she has been doing very well, some of us may want to learn how to simply limit it so that it doesn't decide how our day will turn out.
Healthy Aging
I love getting older. I find that I know myself better and appreciate myself more, and enjoy my relationships with friends and family in a way I did not when I was in my early and mid-twenties.
Part of this appreciation for myself and those I love includes wanting to be as healthy as possible. A recent article form the New York Times, " Healthy Aging with Nary a Supplement" provides some great, common sense advice for aging in a healthy way:
www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/health/12brod.html
Size DOES Matter
So we all know that America's growing waistline has much to do with the growing sizes of portions, whether it be because we buy in bulk or at restaurants and fast food places giving you the "most for your money"
First let's define the difference between servings and portions:
A serving is a designated size that is defined my common measurements such as teaspoons, ounces or cups.
A portion is the amount of a food that actually goes on your plate.
There is an awesome slide show with this and more info from the Mayo Clinic
NEW READING!!! Food Rules: An Eater's Manual
So even if I think that he has some slightly sexist undertones in his writings, I like (maybe love) the things that Michael Pollan has to say about food.
While watching one of my favorite shows, "The Daily Show with John Stewart" I heard the words "Food Rules" and although I didn't know he had a new book out, I knew it had to do something with good ole MP.
So the person that I am, I paused the DVR got something to eat (turkey chili and foccacia from the fresh market bag to be exact) and watched it while taking as many notes as I could muster in the short 5-7 minute interview.
It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life...
And I'm feeling fiiine!
Man, I love Nina Simone and this is exactly how I feel about the New Year.
As we all know change is inevitable and this is the time of year where we prepare ourselves embrace that change. Because I am a nice person and decided that I like you for reading our blog, I will give you some help on smoothly transitioning into the changes that are to come for 2010.
As an avid magazine reader, I often come across articles that are great applications to daily life. This would be one of them.
20 Foods That Love You Back
One of the many small luxuries ths holiday break provided was the opportunity to relax and indulge in some magazine reading. O magazine's first issue of the New Year had lots of great articles geared toward setting healthy intentions for 2010, and the recipes did not dissapoint.
The article "20 Foods That Love You Back" provided the following list of foods that everyone should add to their diets, plus corresponding recipes. Some of the foods may suprise you:
1. Avocados- Contain healthy fat; help your body to block absorption of bad fats
2. Beets- Good source of folate, which can help prevent birth defects, colon cancer, and osteoporosis.
3. Horseradish- Good source of vitamin C, calcium, and potassium.
4. Sweet Potatoes- Contain phytonutrients which promote heart and eye health; boost immunity
Kenyon College recognizes local foods leader, Howard Sacks
Howard Sacks was honored for his leadership in the promotion of the local foods system. Knox County has over 1,300 farms, spanning over 206,000 acres. Our nation spends over $130,000 million in food purchases and intiatives such as this keep some of those dollars right here in Ohio. There are many benefits of stregthening your local food system, regardless of where you live. Multi-faceted finacial benefits are often overlooked. Read more about his award.
Click here for more information on the Kenyon program Food for Thought.
.jpg)
