of pin curls and trains

So, I’m thinking sleeping on pin curls would make a very effective torture device. As your head hits the pillow you have to adjust it just right so as to find the least uncomfortable position. Before the night is ended you have found three such positions and have entirely over used them all. Each time you roll over you must completely lift your head and gingerly replace it on the pillow. With bobby pins sticking in your head every which way, you wake up after an eternal night with a slight headache and stiff neck. Well, maybe that was from the ill fitting backpack from the day before…. All the same the question is:
Was it worth it?
We carefully take down each curl to reveal …no, not sultry waves, but tangled, kinky, corky, curlish things. Beautiful!!!! “In a really weird way.” Sorry, no pictures.

But after some much required help from Sage and Tera we (Alicia and I) look presentable enough to continue our day with a train ride on the historic Georgetown Loop Railroad.

You can’t help but smile on an autumn day in the mountains such as this one. The sky is a glorious sea of blue, the golden aspens quivering in the cool, crisp breezes….
Hope you enjoy these pictures that have captured our day and will forever bring back memories of pin curls and trains.

































~Anna

Kick'n Up Tuna

Tuna, a universally loved fish, but with many fish, I can't eat it plain. Well, I can, but that is just so boring. Grilled or seared tuna is always wonderful, and sometimes a squeeze of lemon can conjure Sicily, but mostly I need something more.
One combination I sometimes add to tuna is mashed potatoes. This may sound counter intuitive, but it is one direction to go to make a hearty meal. But two plain ingredients really need help. Many like the sound of wasabi potatoes, and that is a fun accompaniment to seared tuna.
Someday, I will share with you a recipe for wasabi potatoes and an herb sauce, but today I have something different in mind. Instead of kick'n up the potatoes, I propose a soy-mustard sauce with some zing and the potatoes to balance that fire. In the time you cook your potatoes, you can mix up your sauce and sear your tuna for a quick, tasty and interesting meal.  Serves 2.

Ingredients:
2 potatoes
1 tbsp ground mustard
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tuna steaks
salt/pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp butter
¼ cup milk

Directions:
Peel and quarter potatoes, place in pot and add enough salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix mustard and hot water together. Whisk in vinegar and soy sauce. Set aside.
With a few minutes left in the potato cooking time, heat butter in a small sauce pan (or microwave in a bowl) until melted. Add milk and heat until warm. When potatoes are fork tender, drain. Put potatoes through a ricer, add warmed milk and butter and stir briefly. Riced potatoes will mash quickly. Add additional milk if needed until potatoes are especially smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm.
Season tuna steaks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until smoking. Add tuna, sear about 3 minutes. Turn tuna and sear the other side an additional few minutes. Outside should be seared golden while inside remains rare. Plate mashed potatoes with tuna on top, and drizzle soy-mustard sauce on top and around plate. Serve.

 

Wednesday's Hodge Podge

I just LOVE the American Dietetic Association’s quote of the week:

"Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness." - Edward Stanley

Could this be any less true? Along the same lines is financially supporting health and disease – putting in a bit more each trip to the grocery store can same hundreds of thousands in medical expenses down the road. That’s all I’ll say, I don’t have time to step on my soap box today!

My morning started off with a delicious smoothie to go, containing whey protein powder and flaxseed oil. As for fruit, I threw in raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, banana, kiwi, grapes, peach, and pineapple. Did I miss a color in there? Definitely started the morning off with a rainbow of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals - yum! A friend at work was asking for my smoothie recipe, so I hooked her up with a mini smoothie, too! P.S. The cup wasn't as big as it looks...I got a serious close up!

Today was taste test day at work. Some of the employees requested comfort food, so I chose a mac'n cheese recipe...made in the crock pot (but of course!). It was my first time trying this recipe and I will SURELY be making it again...it was amazing! Almost TOO cheesy, I may use 3 cups of cheese next time. It served a bunch of people, though...and all good reviews! 

 

Crockpot Mac ‘n Cheese


1 c. skim milk

1 can evaporated milk

1 can cheddar cheese soup

4 c. 2% cheddar cheese, shredded

16 oz. box elbow macaroni

¾ c. egg substitute (i.e. Egg Beaters)

½ c. Smart Balance butter

½ Tbsp paprika (optional)



Directions:

Start crock pot. Melt butter in crock pot and pour into separate dish after melted. In a pot, boil macaroni until almost done. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk, evaporated milk, soup, and 3 cups of cheese. Pour macaroni into bowl, pour over butter and then wet mixture. Mix slightly.



Allow to cook on low for 3 hours. Pour remaining cup of cheese on top and sprinkle with paprika.



Makes 30 servings (1/2 c. per serving)

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 143 calories, 6 g. fat, 15 g. carbohydrate, 8 g. protein

My email was PACKED with some really interesting articles out today and of course, I would like to share them with you.

Mega doses of antioxidants such as vitamin C and E may do more harm than good in type-2 diabetics

While exercise increases insulin sensitivity, exercise also produces oxidative stress. What we know of antioxidants such as vitamins C and E is that they help reduce free radicals in the body produced by oxidative stress. According to recent research, antioxidant supplements may block the oxidative stress…but also interfere with the beneficial effects of exercise on insulin sensitivity. While exercise is a proven means for increasing insulin sensitivity in the body and reduces the risk of developing diabetes, antioxidant intake may be best advisable through whole foods and not supplements [1].

Case in point: move more and never neglect the diet; supplements are not a cure-all and not always advisable.

The changing dinner party -- cooking together in the Chicago Tribune.

This article hit close to home as the subject lives in Forest Park, Illinois, one suburb west from my home town of Oak Park. Sheridan, an interior designer and avid home cook, has switched gears for entertaining -- she asks her guests to bring ingredients with them and she and her dinner guests cook together as a team. This way, the preparation, cooking, and cost are distributed among both host and guests. A Chicago-based research firm, Technomic, states that 33% of polled consumers reported entertaining in the home more often than a year ago. With economic hardships, American’s are finding new ways to get together without stretching the budget. Sheridan states, “There’s something so earthy about cooking with other people in your home. I think people are going to do more of this [2].”

What do you think of this means of entertaining and hosting a dinner party?

I have to admit, I think it’s a WONDERFUL idea! I think there’s lots of positives that come from participating in such an event, such as:

- Trying new foods

- Learning the preparations of new foods

- Locating new foods in the grocery store – wouldn’t want to bring the wrong item!

- Increasing the frequency of get-togethers with friends

- Saving money

- Eating less (restaurant portions are huge!)

- Togetherness (the home seems much more intimate than a restaurant to me, anyways)

On a completely unrelated note…

Study links kids’ unhealthy exercise and eating habits to moms who work.

British researchers found that children of mothers who worked part-time of full-time were more likely to have bad diet and exercise habits than those whose mothers stayed home. The results were recently published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. The children of working moms were more likely to drink sugary beverages between meals, watch TV or use the computer at least two hours a day, and be driven to school rather than walking or biking. Dr. Jennifer Shu, a pediatrician in private practice in Atlanta and co-author of a book on parenting says she worries that “parents will feel guilty about working, when most do so out of necessity…Parents shouldn’t feel guilty about leaving kids in other people’s care [3].”

Of the 12,576 5-year old children assessed in the study, 37% snacked on potato chips or sweets, 41% drank sugary beverages between meals, and 61% watched television or used the computer at least 2 hours a day. It should be noted, “In initial analyses, children whose mothers worked actually had healthier habits. But after adjusting for possible confounding factors, such as income and education, those relationships reversed.” Why was this? Likely due to the fact that most of the working women were “relatively advantaged” and had higher levels of education and incomes, according to the researchers who concluded in saying, “Health behaviors in childhood are going to be influenced by a range of factors, and this might be one [3].”

Interesting. Do you feel the children of stay-at-home-moms are at deceased risk of developing poor diet and exercise habits?

Hopefully I can catch up with DVR and watch the Biggest Loser, but it may get pushed back another night, we'll see! Catch ya tomorrow...Day #1 as a diabetic!

[1]. Neff, Barbara C. Vitamins, Exercise & Diabetes. Naperville.

[2]. Levin, Amelia. The Dinner Party Has Changed: Sharing the Cooking – and Costs – of Dinner Parties at Home. Chicago Tribune. September 30, 2009.

[3]. Fiore, Kristina. Kids May Be Less Healthy if Mom Works. MedPage Today; ABC News. September 30, 2009.

Lambs' Liver, Bacon and Onion Casserole with Roasted Potato Slices

Liver and onions is a popular combination but they are most often cooked together in a frying-pan. This recipe is a little bit different in that although the cooking process begins with the frying-pan, it is mostly undertaken in the form of oven casseroling.

Ingredients (Serves Four)

4 slices of lambs' liver
1 large onion (sliced)
4 rashers of bacon
1 pint of fresh chicken stock
2 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp sunflower oil
4 large roasting or baking potatoes
Salt and pepper

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4. Pour one tablespoon of sunflower oil in to a frying-pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Add the onions and bacon and fry for a couple of minutes before removing to the casserole dish.

Put the flour on a plate and season well before drawing each slice of liver through it to evenly coat both sides. Fry the liver for about a minute each side to seal and add it to the casserole dish. Pour the warm chicken stock over the meat and cover the dish before putting it in to the oven for forty-five minutes.

I prefer not to peel the potatoes but this is a matter of personal preference. Peeled or unpeeled, therefore, cut them in to quarter-inch thick slices. Add the remaining two tablespoons of sunflower oil to a large basin or bowl and season well with salt. Put the potato slices in to the bowl and stir very carefully but thoroughly to coat each of them in oil. Place the slices on a warmed baking sheet and in to the oven for the final thirty minutes of the casserole's cooking time. Turn them after fifteen minutes.

Arrange the cooked potato slices in a circle around the edge of a large plate. Add some of the bacon and onions to the centre of the plate and serve the slice of liver on top.

Looking for more delicious lamb's liver recipes? Check out the link below!

Lamb's Liver Recipes

Some Things Never Change...

Like being a mom. I don't care how old my kids get, that "mom" instinct will never go away. When one of my kids is unhappy, so am I. And, like all the rest of you moms out there, I want to make it all better - which of course, I cannot. Especially since the kid in question is twenty-five years old.

That would be my youngest son. I'm sure he would be horrified if he knew I was writing about him but odds are in my favor that he never reads this blog. It's kind of like the Facebook thing. I'm amazed at the number of moms I know who have "friended" their kids, mostly so they can keep tabs on them. Problem is, your kids have to "friend" you back, which mine would never do. I actually don't blame them. I mean, how would I feel if my mother attempted to friend me? Three words: NO WAY, Mom!

So in that spirit, it's a pretty good guess that he'll never read this. He is in his third year of a PhD program at a well-known university. He's extremely bright (clearly he got Henry's brains, not mine) and extremely driven. As in he never stops. He may have gotten his father's brains, but he obviously inherited my inability to say "no." (and he did NOT inherit Henry's lack of hair!)

He's involved in everything from organizing programs to teaching to studying for comps. He is a serious runner, too. He seldom gives himself any time off and sometimes it gets to him. I could hear it in his voice on the phone the other day (a rarity, since communication with him is sometimes an email, but more often a text, which is why I had to learn how or I would never have any contact with him!) He sounded really, really stressed.

What's a mom to do? I would happily jump in my car and drive the 6+ hours to his apartment but a) he would probably kill me and b) he has to solve his own problems. Logically, I know that - but it still kills me.

My solution? A big box of whole wheat biscuits (his favorite), baked last night and FedExed to him today. He likes them because he thinks they're healthy, so we're not going to tell him about the shortening, white flour and sugar they contain. Or the butter at the end. They're actually pretty good though (okay, maybe not as good as biscuits made with lard and White Lily flour) and they hold up well for shipping.

Here's the recipe:

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits (adapted from Cooks.com)

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups unbleached flour

4 T. granulated sugar

4 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

6 T. shortening (chilled or frozen), diced

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450-degrees. Whisk whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Add shortening and use your fingers to incorporate into flour mixture until it becomes crumbly, like a streusel topping. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the butermilk and blend until a soft dough forms.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead briefly so mixture is well-blended. Use a rolling pin to roll out dough about 1-inch thick. Cut into rounds, using a 3-inch round cutter. Do not twist or turn cutter as you cut biscuits out.

Place biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing about 1-inch apart. Brush tops with melted butter and bake 15-20 minutes until golden.

Yield: about 14 3-inch biscuits

These are not as tender as traditional biscuits made with white flour, so they are best served warm (to reheat, wrap in aluminum foil and place in a 350-degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until just warmed through).

And when you box them up to send to your stressed-out kid, remember to bake up some chocolate chip cookies and pack them into the box also. I have never known my son to pass up homemade chocolate chip cookies (without nuts, of course), even if he won't admit it!

What the Other Three Did

Okay, so as Sarah and Anna headed off on their hike, which we "older" gals thought would be too tiring for us, Alicia, Tera and I headed over to "the other side" to do some outlet mall shopping.

We took Loveland Pass over, and stopped at the top for a few minutes. What an awesome gift our Creator gave us when He made the world so beautifully!

We had a lovely lunch in Frisco at the Butterhorn and then did all the shopping we could stand before heading back through the Eisenhower Tunnel. Stopped off in the quaint and rustic town of Silver Plume at the Sopp and Truscott Bakery for a couple of loaves of bread...we've been enjoying the Sopp and Truscott for 22 years...back when our friend Francis ran the store. Be sure to stop by if you're ever in the area!!! We recommend the Cottage Cheese Dill and the Fruit and Nut breads. Yummy!!!

Funny how Sarah and Anna didn't seem nearly as exhausted after their day of hiking as we did after our few hours at the mall. Maybe we should have gone with them! 

Another Inside Glimpse....we are challenging ourselves and each other to do something out of our comfort zone every day.  We're doing great with this so far....

Tera bought a necklace that was a bit different than what she would normally wear....and it looked GREAT when Alicia wore it the next day!!! :D

Alicia decided she'd try to go a day without putting her hair up in her usual style. Those of you who know Alicia will know what a big deal that was. She did it!!! For about an hour! :D

Maybe I'll share some other "out of our comfort zone" stories another time....

And...the quote of the day:

"I was looking beyond what you were talking about trying to see what you were seeing." ~ Tera....when I was trying to point out something for her to take a picture of. Obviously, she missed it. But, wow, what a lot to think about with that line!

Food Tip of the Day - Wednesday, September 30th, 2009: Tips for Making Pizza Healthy

Pizza is very often classed as a junk food, along with such as burgers and french fries. I think this is a great shame as pizza can in reality be an extremely healthy food to consume.

This article therefore considers some tips for making pizza healthy and blows the myth out of the water that pizza is just like any other, high in saturated fat, junk food.

Tips for making pizza healthy

Review of the Flat Belly Diet

I'm surprised I don't hear MORE about fad diets, but after a patient told me about the "Flat Belly Diet" and her consumption of "Sassy Water" I just had to delve deeper.

WebMD performed a thorough amount of research on the current diet trend, commonly referred to as the "Flat Belly Diet". The cover of the book instructs a flat tummy being thanks to food and attitude...not crunches. Oh, and for the record, exercise is encouraged...but not necessary.

The Flat Belly Diet includes four 400-calorie meals spaced 4 hours apart. Prior to starting on this plan (to be followed for 28 days), however, Flat Belly dieters are to go through a four-day "anti-bloat jump-start", knocking their calories down to 1,200-1,400 calories a day. During this time, it is instructed that dieters consume 2 liters of "Sassy Water" -- water chilled over night with cucumber, lemon, ginger, and mint leaves. Volunteers explains that the Sassy Water "reduced bloating, constipation" and helped them rid of the "sluggish feeling" [1]. Interesting thought...sounds delicious!

After the four-day jump start, Flat Belly dieters consume their four 400-calorie meals that are consistent with a Mediterranean-style diet with a strong emphasis on monounsaturated fat, which are consumed at every meal from sources such as olives, avocado, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, soybean, flax, and olive and sunflower oils. Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD and nutrition director at Prevention, states that research has linked monounsaturated fatty acids to belly fat reduction [1].

Belly Fat dieters do not count calories. Rather, they choose from a list of 28 interchangeable mix-and-match breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snack packs. Eight recipes are also included with a nutrition analysis including calories, protein, carbohydrates, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber [1].

Depending on the combination dieters choose, it is possible to intake 40% of calories in the form of fat on the Flat Belly Diet -- this exceeds the National Institutes of Health's recommended 20-35% of calories from fat. Individuals can, however, go online to configure a diet providing a total calorie intake between 1,200 and 2,000 [1].

The diet "works" based off the premise of calorie restriction (1,600 calories a day), consuming a monounsaturated fat at each meal, eating every 4 hours, and getting regular exercise (though it is listed as "optional") in order to produce belly weight loss of 15 pounds in 32 days [1]!

What does Mayo Clinic say?

Dr. Michael Jensen, Mayo Clinic obesity researcher and endocrinologist specialist, states that while excess belly fat is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, it is premature to associate belly fat loss with a specific food (MUFAs) or diet plan, such as the Flat Belly Diet. Christine Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, encourages consumers to remember the acronym "SED" which stands for "strength", "exercise", and "diet" when wishing to address belly fat. Those seeking belly weight loss should STRENGTH train to build and preserve muscle mass, EXERCISE aerobically on a regular basis to burn calories, and focus on DIET to include a healthy, calorie-controlled intake which includes healthy fats, such as monounsaturated fats, over the unhealthy trans and saturated fats [1].

While the Flat Belly Diet can certainly produce weight loss, always consider the feasibility of a diet long-term. Weight loss and maintenance goes beyond one's ability to follow a meal plan for 32 days, so I encourage everyone to find a sustainable, healthy approach suitable for themselves, whatever that may be.

[1]. Zelman, Kathleen M. The Flat Belly Diet. WebMD: Expert Review.