A Six-Book Summer

Seeing as this is the first day of Fall (in addition to the fact that the school quarter begins this Thursday), I reckon it is appropriate to take a glance backward at this summer's reading list! Thanks mostly to the Playaways that my library have, I consumed 6 books , totaling up to almost 100 hours of literature! The books I read were:

Anne Of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Vern

Ever by Gail Carson Levine

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Bleak House by Charles Dickens (This baby was 39.5 hours to listen to and it took me approx. 6 weeks!)

Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington.

As you can see, a wide range of genres were represented here. When I read, I want to discover something; it may be from the actual information written in the text, it may be from the writers' style. One thing that I have discovered is that the older I get the more I appreciate books. I guess there is one good thing about getting old, and that is there are more opportunities to read!

My newly acquired maxim...always be reading something!

Juice Em Up!

Last week I worked hard for two hours doing yard work for some friends who have a rather spacious, hilly yard with horse poperty. These friends also happen to have an abundance of oranges that will simply rot if left any longer. When finished with my work I filled 1/3 of a 5 gallon bucket with oranges. So under the spreading orange tree I crawled, hazarding orange thorns and dead twigs left on their branches with the soul propose of impaling my arms and face! I filled 1/3 of a 5 gallon bucket with these very squishy, golden globes! At home I washed, cut and sqeeeeezzzzzed. It was the easiest juice I have ever made! It was pretty too; the blood oranges casting a light, pink lemonade hue.

Just strain and pour...

..and sip! Delish!

Food Fact Fridays--The Goodness of Grains

While I have not yet completely my training as a Registered Dietitian (truthfully I have hardly begun it), I must admit that I have already developed “food Peeves." These peeves are actually related to the misconceptions about certain foods. One such peeve is the low carb diet that mentally stamps the word “BAD” over so many foods that can offer us an important ingredients to good health—whole grains.

In brief some of the benefits of whole grains:

· Fiber (you sooo knew that was comming didn't ya?)There are two kinds; soluble and insoluble. The first actually binds with the bile in our intestines and carries it out with our waste. This means that the cholesterol your body produced to digest the fats you ate will not be reabsorbed from your small intestines. The second kind of fiber, insoluble, simply adds bulk to your stool, giving you the necessary workout that is so vital to colon health.
· Phytochemicals. A bit of a buzz word that simply refers to the disease fighting chemicals inherent in the plant’s chemistry (ie. the red in a tomato’s skin) that pass on their benefit to us.
· Vitamins like E and the B set
· Minerals like copper and iron

How Much Do You Need?
The exact amount of whole grains per days depends on you r daily caloric needs; however, a good estimate is about 3 per day.

So what sorts of changes can you make?
Just changing a few of you purchasing habits can make a huge difference. Ellie Krieger, the Food Network’s official RD stated that experiencing the goodness of grains “is easier than it sounds...[ s]imply switching to 100 percent whole-wheat bread and starting your day with a whole-grain cereal will easily put you in the recommended range of three daily servings. To take it a step further, serve brown rice at dinner, make whole-wheat pasta, try whole-wheat couscous, and explore exotic grains like bulgur and quinoa. Choose corn tortillas and snack on baked corn chips or low-fat popcorn — all are whole grain.”

This is the perfect place to insert a little “buyer-beware” note. There is a difference in “whole wheat bread” and “Multi-Grain bread.” Lorna Sass in her book Whole Grains, Everyday, Every Way (see this post for my review) advices shoppers that although a product like bread may have incorporated more than one kind of flour (multi-grain) , it does not mean it contains either the bran or endosperm, the two primary nutrient powerhouses of wheat (whole grain). An easy way to pick out this difference is by looking for the whole grain stamp, special stamp that many companies use to identify their products that are truly whole grain. The Whole Grain Council developed this stamp and lots of insightful information on their website here.

Also …a special note to those with some sort of gluten intolerance… you can still have whole grains….check this resource out!

In Conclusion
I honestly thought I did ok in the area of whole grains until I did a nutritional analysis on myself earlier this year and found that I consumed 2x as much protein as was recommended and less than half of the desired amount of whole grains. It felt weird at first, but I gradually began to incorporate more whole grains in when I could. This was was a little tricky because my family a very much the meat-eater types, with proteins dominating every meal. So I changed up my breakfast a snack routine to incorporate what I could. Contrary to what the low-carb dieters might think, I did not gain a ton of weight. (In actuality, I have lost 4 pounds partly because of this dietary change and partly because of my new exercise routine.)

So do me a favor and just try to add the goodness of grains into your everyday.

I Am Off...

...to visit my married sister who I like to refer to as Country Sis. Although I have some posts scheduled during my absence, I probably won't be online much while I 'a there, sop the pictures will have to wait until I get back!
I can't tell you what a big girl I feel like--flying by all myself!



My flight gear ( notice the easy-to-remove shoes)



The bags (let's pray that it isn't over 5o lbs!)

Cheerio!

A New Release...The Jesus Story Bible Deluxe Edition

Exciting news in the world of both Believers and books! Coming this October, is the New Jesus Story Bible Deluxe Edition published by Zondervan Press. Many of you may already be familiar with the original edition, but for those of you who aren't let me say that this is a children's Bible unlike any you have read to your little ones or opened when you were a child. Sally Loyd Jones, the author, brilliantly (and by this I mean both ingeniously and vividly) weaves the entire purpose of the Bible into selected stories-- the glory of God in the coming of Christ. I would say that this is a hermeneutical principle that that many Adult Christians don't have much of a grasp on!

The language of the Jesus Story Bible is beautifully simple in a way that is strikingly unlike it's contemporaries. (perhaps it is because Ms. Lloyd Jones speaks and thus writes in the delightful British phraseology)!

For any parent, grandparent, or friend who is looking for a good gift for a 4+ year old, the Jesus Story Bible is a worthwhile investment. Now, with the Deluxe Edition, the book is accompanied with CD's so that kids (and their parents) can listen as well as read! Listen to one of the free audio samples here.

Perhaps I sound like I am being a pushy salesman (or woman!), but I can honestly say that I personally have been blessed by this book. Yes I have read through parts of it and even cried at the clarity of the gospel. God’s Word is beautiful! What better way to pass that on than The Jesus Story Bible?!

Verse(s) of the Month

Here is the verse I am memorizing this month. Just a few more lines to go.....

Psalm One

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That bears fruit in its season,
Whose leaf does not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

But the wicked are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the lord know the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

Food Fact and Fitness Fridays--Book Review

Book: “Whole Grains Every day, Every Way”
Author: Lorna Sass

Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way is an informative “how to” for the purchasing, storing, and cooking of over 14 different grains. This book isn’t for the hoity-toity food connoisseur, neither is it exclusively for those who wish to become one. Instead this book was written for the everyday Cook who realizes the importance of whole grains and has the urge for fresh idea and recipes! It is written simply and logically, beginning with a “profile” for each grain that notes it’s origin, method of processing, availability, and nutritional benefits.

The “At A Glance” charts are perhaps the most useful to the Cooker-Reader intending to apply the information. This easy- use format enables the reader to distinguish the particular form of grain they wish to cook (flour, kernel, red, black, hulled etc) and its accompanying traits: description and processing, availability and additional comments. Following this are more than 150 recipes ranging from salads and casseroles, to breakfasts and desserts. (Look out for future posts featuring some!)

The important and tip-bits that Ms. Sass provides are not overwhelming to the reader who is a serious cook or simply curious. She provides her audience with the basics while offering additional resources for more information. I highly suggest seeing if your library has it—that is what I did!

Also check out her website here where you can look at her other books and even order directly from her.

Happy Reading!

Quote of Week

“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles he has overcome while trying to succeed.”

*~ Booker T. Washington from Up From Slavery