Almut's Home-made Ice Cream

1. Sliced Frozen Strawberries (or fruit of choice). Can use fresh, if so, add about 1/2 C extra Sugar.

2. 1 C Sugar

3. 1 C Heavy Whipping Cream

4. 4 C Plain Yogurt

**Blend/Puree until smooth.

**Move to Ice Cream Maker for approx. 20 minutes, or until frozen.

VEEEEERRRRYYYY Yummy!!!

Monday, May 7th

Tonight we spent a lot of time discussing Fruits and Veggies. We had a great diagram of a "plant", showing each different part of it, and we were assigned to think of as many varieties as possible that come from different areas of a plant. Here is some of what we came up with:
Fruits: Peppers, Tomatoes, Apples, Zucchini, Squash, Strawberries, Pumpkins, Cucumbers, Egg Plant, Cherries, Bananas.
Flowers: Artichoke, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Broccaflower
Stems & Shoots: Celery, Asparagus, Rhubarb, Heart of Palm
Tubers: Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Jicama, Turnips, Sun Chokes.
Roots: Carrots, Turnips, Kohlrabi, Radish, Parsnips, Beets.
Bulbs: Onions, Garlic, Leeks
Leaves: Lettuce, Spinach, Cabbage, Collard Greens, Swiss Chard, Herbs, Mustard Greens.
Seeds: Peas, Legumes, Green Beans, Soy Beans, Corn, Okra

These are just a few examples. The challenge was given to us to also categorize by colors of the rainbow, giving us more varieties to work with and ensure we are getting adequate amounts of Fruits and Veggies. Remember, it's no longer "5 a Day", it's "More Matters". Different fruits and veggies offer different nutrients for our bodies. For example, those that grow above the ground are usually high in vitamins, those that grow below, high in minerals, stems and shoots are high in fiber. So, sorting by color can also help sort out our nutrient content.

We also spent time discussing meal planning. We were challenged to think of meals that can provide two meals for our families. For example, dinners that can be used for lunch the following day. In order to help wrap our brains around this chore of planning, here were some helpful hints.
1. Plan a big meal first
2. Look at what you have on hand and plan meals for those items first. This will eliminate stock piling items and waste.
3. Portion out your veggies as you're unloading. Chop and prepare so that when you need them, they are accessible, easy and quick.

Hope you can use these helpful tips and tidbits to get you through the next two weeks!

Dinner Table Conversation Starters

How does your body tell you when you are hungry?
How do you quench that hunger or feeling?
How do you think other people feel when they are teased about how they look?
What can you do to be more accepting of people of all shapes and sizes?

Almut's Power Cookies

Pre-Heat over to 350 degrees Bake 12-15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 C & 2 Tsp. Flour
2 C Quick Oats
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Sunflower Seeds
1/4 C Flax Seed

(**Flax contains a lot of fiber in it's whole form and is high in vitamins, minerals and Omega 3 Fatty acids in it's ground form**)

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 t Cinnamon
1 C dark chocolate chips

**Mix all dry ingredients together**

1 stick butter (softened)

1/4 C Milk
1 Tsp. lemon juice

1 t Vanilla
1 Egg

**Create a "well" in the middle of dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix together until all is moistened.**
**Scoop into 1 T or 2 T balls onto cookie sheets. Lightly flatten w/ a fork. Bake as stated above**
ENJOY...THESE ARE DELICIOUS!

Monday, April 24

We had a good meeting Monday night. Lots of information and even more questions and clarifications. Here is a BRIEF (very brief) overview of what we covered (or at least what I wrote down).

1. What is a dietitian? Has a BA with heavy emphasis in science, is licensed and does internships.

2. What does scripture say about health, our bodies and taking care of ourselves?
a. We are to be healthy so that we are available for God and the service He calls us to.
b. We are to be good stewards of our bodies, not just our time and our finances.
c. We need to be able to enjoy food without baggage of what is in it, what we were taught and know that it is given to us for our nourishment.
d. 20% of cancer cases could be decreased by maintaining 5 servings or more of fruits and vegetables.

3. What does the "Nutrition Facts" label tell us?
a. All packaging is regulated by the FDA & has legislation to regulate what you can and cannot call food (ex. 100% juice)
b. "Good" = 10% of the nutrients, "Excellent" = 20%+ (ex. "Good source of Iron", "Excellent source of calcium")
c. Good rule of thumb when looking at a label and determining if it is "healthy" is to look at the first four ingredients.
d. Enriched ~ adding nutrients that were already in the original product back after they have been stripped.
e. Fortified ~ adding nutrients that are NOT in the original product (ex. Vitamin D milk)
f. The term "Natural" is not regulated
g. Organic can be on the label as long as ingredients are 95% organic.
h. Trans Fat is only in processed food. Trans Fats and Saturated Fats are BAD fats.
i. Natural sugars feed our brains. We can substitute honey for sugar, but you will need to reduce another liquid in your recipe.

We learned that the transition to a healthier lifestyle will be easier when we can...

Stop thinking Healthy vs. Unhealthy and start thinking Natural vs. Processed!