L.Y. Levand's Blog, page 47
August 22, 2012
August 22nd, 2012
Are you a picky eater? I am. If you're a picky eater, what does that do for your health?
It means that I don't eat tomatoes or onions raw, Brussels sprouts make me feel ill, and the smell of cooking mushrooms can make me sick. But it also means I don't get the health benefits of eating those things.
What do you do with things you don't like to eat? Do you hide them in dishes where they're disguised, force yourself to choke it down, or just not eat it at all?
If you have a recipe that makes a food you dislike something you'll eat, share it. Maybe you'll help somebody (like me) discover a new favorite food with ingredients they wouldn't touch before!
It means that I don't eat tomatoes or onions raw, Brussels sprouts make me feel ill, and the smell of cooking mushrooms can make me sick. But it also means I don't get the health benefits of eating those things.
What do you do with things you don't like to eat? Do you hide them in dishes where they're disguised, force yourself to choke it down, or just not eat it at all?
If you have a recipe that makes a food you dislike something you'll eat, share it. Maybe you'll help somebody (like me) discover a new favorite food with ingredients they wouldn't touch before!
August 21, 2012
August 21st, 2012
Most people water their plants. In fact, I do, too. But I also water something else.
We had a bucket outside, you see, and over the winter it filled with water. Some enterprising girl-frog laid her eggs in the bucket, and we discovered all her little babies a while later. But in the summer, the water evaporates. And we love frogs. So we keep adding water, waiting for them to grow legs and hop away. They're taking their sweet time, too. We've been watching them for several months, dropping lettuce in the bucket and everything, but there's not a single leg among them. Yet. We're trying to keep them alive long enough for them to survive on land.
So when we water the strawberries, there's always the reminder to 'water the tadpoles, too!'
We had a bucket outside, you see, and over the winter it filled with water. Some enterprising girl-frog laid her eggs in the bucket, and we discovered all her little babies a while later. But in the summer, the water evaporates. And we love frogs. So we keep adding water, waiting for them to grow legs and hop away. They're taking their sweet time, too. We've been watching them for several months, dropping lettuce in the bucket and everything, but there's not a single leg among them. Yet. We're trying to keep them alive long enough for them to survive on land.
So when we water the strawberries, there's always the reminder to 'water the tadpoles, too!'
August 20, 2012
August 20th, 2012
I was spending some time at my cousin's house when she introduced me to a delicious way to eat cucumbers. She'd taken one home from our grandparents' garden, and sliced it up to eat while we watched Stranger Than Fiction.
Typically, I eat raw cucumbers dipped in caloric and bad-for-you ranch (Hidden Valley Homestyle is a weakness of mine). But all she did was sprinkle them with salt.
I could have eaten the entire cucumber myself. Just a little sprinkling of ordinary table salt on a slice of ccumber is delicious. Try it; another yummy way to get some veggies in your diet!
Typically, I eat raw cucumbers dipped in caloric and bad-for-you ranch (Hidden Valley Homestyle is a weakness of mine). But all she did was sprinkle them with salt.
I could have eaten the entire cucumber myself. Just a little sprinkling of ordinary table salt on a slice of ccumber is delicious. Try it; another yummy way to get some veggies in your diet!
August 19, 2012
August 19th, 2012
Who remembers the story of Jesus walking on water?
Do you remember how Peter wanted to go to Him, but became afraid of the storm and began to sink?
We all do the same thing. We say we believe in God, but when things get hard, most of us start to sink, afraid of the storm. We forget that God has power even over the storms, and that our God is bigger and stronger than any storm. Just because we can't see what's holding us up doesn't mean we're going to fall.
Take heart, and remember what Jesus told Peter: O ye of little faith! Why did you doubt?
Do you remember how Peter wanted to go to Him, but became afraid of the storm and began to sink?
We all do the same thing. We say we believe in God, but when things get hard, most of us start to sink, afraid of the storm. We forget that God has power even over the storms, and that our God is bigger and stronger than any storm. Just because we can't see what's holding us up doesn't mean we're going to fall.
Take heart, and remember what Jesus told Peter: O ye of little faith! Why did you doubt?
August 18, 2012
August 18th, 2012
Beenie pulled the moss and leaf quilt up to her chin, and snuggled down into the bed. She closed her eyes, and the next thing she knew, the sun was shining outside.
"Beenie, wake up!" Troy yelled, bouncing up and down in the doorway. "It's time for breakfast!"
Beenie sat up and climbed out of the bed, rubbing her eyes. "Coming," she said cheerfully.
Troy's mother was frying pancakes when Beenie and Troy sat down at the table.
"Good morning," Troy's mother said.
"Good morning," Beenie and Troy said together. Beenie sniffed. "That smells good," she said.
"Of course it smells good," Troy said. "It's acorn pancakes!"
Beenie giggled.
"With blackberries," Troy's mother said, turning around with a plate in each hand. She set the plates down on the table in front of Beenie and Troy, and went back to her pan. Beenie took a huge bite of her acorn pancake, and chewed.
"Yum," she said, her mouth full.
"You're supposed to put berries on it, Beenie," Troy complained.
"She can eat it how she wants," Troy's mother said. "You do. I've never seen anyone shove a whole one in their mouth at once."
Beenie snorted, and had to cover her mouth to keep the pancake inside.
"Hurry up, you two. If we're going to the market we should go before it gets really hot."
Troy stuffed the entire plate of pancakes and berries into his mouth at once, and scurried over to his mother, cheeks bulging.
"Go now?" he mumbled, crumbs and berry juice falling from his mouth.
"Sit down and chew," his mother said, pointing at the table. "You'll choke."
Beenie laughed at the crestfallen look on his face as he sat back down.
It wasn't long before the plates were clean - and Troy had chewed and swallowed his mouthful.
"All right, then!" Troy's mother said, a bag over her arm. "Are we ready to go?"
"Beenie, wake up!" Troy yelled, bouncing up and down in the doorway. "It's time for breakfast!"
Beenie sat up and climbed out of the bed, rubbing her eyes. "Coming," she said cheerfully.
Troy's mother was frying pancakes when Beenie and Troy sat down at the table.
"Good morning," Troy's mother said.
"Good morning," Beenie and Troy said together. Beenie sniffed. "That smells good," she said.
"Of course it smells good," Troy said. "It's acorn pancakes!"
Beenie giggled.
"With blackberries," Troy's mother said, turning around with a plate in each hand. She set the plates down on the table in front of Beenie and Troy, and went back to her pan. Beenie took a huge bite of her acorn pancake, and chewed.
"Yum," she said, her mouth full.
"You're supposed to put berries on it, Beenie," Troy complained.
"She can eat it how she wants," Troy's mother said. "You do. I've never seen anyone shove a whole one in their mouth at once."
Beenie snorted, and had to cover her mouth to keep the pancake inside.
"Hurry up, you two. If we're going to the market we should go before it gets really hot."
Troy stuffed the entire plate of pancakes and berries into his mouth at once, and scurried over to his mother, cheeks bulging.
"Go now?" he mumbled, crumbs and berry juice falling from his mouth.
"Sit down and chew," his mother said, pointing at the table. "You'll choke."
Beenie laughed at the crestfallen look on his face as he sat back down.
It wasn't long before the plates were clean - and Troy had chewed and swallowed his mouthful.
"All right, then!" Troy's mother said, a bag over her arm. "Are we ready to go?"
August 17, 2012
August 17th, 2012
I went job-hunting with my best friend and cousin yesterday. Oh, it was fun. We walked from her house to almost every store or restaurant within walking distance, and picked up/dropped off applications. Crossing streets was fun.
My cousin, you see, is very short. She's only six months younger than me, but she's almost a full foot shorter. And I hate being in the middle of streets, so I usually run. But when I run, she complains that she can't keep up.
My mother thinks she compensates for her height with her hair. It's very long. It goes all the way down to her rear end. If she were to gel it straight up, she would be about six feet tall. (When I said that, my mother started laughing.)
My cousin, you see, is very short. She's only six months younger than me, but she's almost a full foot shorter. And I hate being in the middle of streets, so I usually run. But when I run, she complains that she can't keep up.
My mother thinks she compensates for her height with her hair. It's very long. It goes all the way down to her rear end. If she were to gel it straight up, she would be about six feet tall. (When I said that, my mother started laughing.)
August 16, 2012
August 16th, 2012
Kym and I went to a friend's birthday party recently. This friend is a very random and energetic person. She is a lot of fun to be around.
At this party, however, we discovered - to our amazement - that she is quite calm compared to some of her friends.
We watched a boy swipe someone's breadstick right out of another friend's hand - and eat it. We saw someone dump someone else's root beer into their own cup, and drink it. We saw two hyper people get into a debate over what gender Yoshi is, and then, another argument about what gender Buckbeak is. We also saw them lock each other out of the house, and imitate the cruciatus curse by tickling each other into submission.
And that's not all! At this Harry Potter marathon, we only managed to squeeze in two movies - and it wasn't even one and two, because the birthday girl wanted to start at three. And then, they put in - of all things - Dennis the Menace.
Even Kym was exhausted after that.
At this party, however, we discovered - to our amazement - that she is quite calm compared to some of her friends.
We watched a boy swipe someone's breadstick right out of another friend's hand - and eat it. We saw someone dump someone else's root beer into their own cup, and drink it. We saw two hyper people get into a debate over what gender Yoshi is, and then, another argument about what gender Buckbeak is. We also saw them lock each other out of the house, and imitate the cruciatus curse by tickling each other into submission.
And that's not all! At this Harry Potter marathon, we only managed to squeeze in two movies - and it wasn't even one and two, because the birthday girl wanted to start at three. And then, they put in - of all things - Dennis the Menace.
Even Kym was exhausted after that.
August 15, 2012
August 15th, 2012
All right! It's time to combat portion distortion!
It's a dangerous and unhealthy habit that's sweeping through the nation - and our families. And active.com isn't the only place talking about it. Diabetes.org has comparison charts of what serving sizes used to be, and what they are now. In fact, here's a picture, posted by myonlinenutritioncoach.com. The differences are enormous - and scary. Is it any wonder Americans are gaining weight?
So, what should our portions look like? A 'serving size' usually involves things like ounces...and if you're like me, you couldn't figure out an ounce if you carried a machine to do it for you. I found this chart, posted by dummies.com (perfect for me!) to give us all a little help. Then there's this one, a little bigger, from nestleprofessional.com.
We don't really need all that extra food, do we? For most of us, we'd like to be slender and healthy. Let's make that happen by fighting portion distortion!
It's a dangerous and unhealthy habit that's sweeping through the nation - and our families. And active.com isn't the only place talking about it. Diabetes.org has comparison charts of what serving sizes used to be, and what they are now. In fact, here's a picture, posted by myonlinenutritioncoach.com. The differences are enormous - and scary. Is it any wonder Americans are gaining weight?
So, what should our portions look like? A 'serving size' usually involves things like ounces...and if you're like me, you couldn't figure out an ounce if you carried a machine to do it for you. I found this chart, posted by dummies.com (perfect for me!) to give us all a little help. Then there's this one, a little bigger, from nestleprofessional.com.
We don't really need all that extra food, do we? For most of us, we'd like to be slender and healthy. Let's make that happen by fighting portion distortion!
August 14, 2012
August 14th, 2012
So, I'd been waiting for my first zucchini to be ripe enough to pick for weeks. So when I went out and found it was longer than my hand and half as big around as my fist, I couldn't wait any longer. So I picked it, wrestling with prickly vines and leaves, and brought it inside.
The next day, I cleaned out an enormous pickle jar. I sliced up my zucchini, two onions from the garden along with their greens and a handful of fresh parsley, and dumped them into the pickle jar. I then doused the contents of my jar with water and apple cider vinegar, and put it in the fridge.
I'd been waiting to make zucchini fridge pickles for months, and couldn't wait to have my best friend try them. So when I visited her house, I brought a sampling. I handed her the bag, and warned her that they were strong.
"They don't smell strong," she said, openng the bag and sniffing. She picked one out, and took a bite. "Wow!" she squeaked. "That IS strong!"
I'll go easier on the vinegar next time.
The next day, I cleaned out an enormous pickle jar. I sliced up my zucchini, two onions from the garden along with their greens and a handful of fresh parsley, and dumped them into the pickle jar. I then doused the contents of my jar with water and apple cider vinegar, and put it in the fridge.
I'd been waiting to make zucchini fridge pickles for months, and couldn't wait to have my best friend try them. So when I visited her house, I brought a sampling. I handed her the bag, and warned her that they were strong.
"They don't smell strong," she said, openng the bag and sniffing. She picked one out, and took a bite. "Wow!" she squeaked. "That IS strong!"
I'll go easier on the vinegar next time.
August 13, 2012
August 13th, 2012
Say you're a person who hates all forms of exercise. If you hated all forms of exercise, how would you lose weight?
With a diet?
Well, now, everyone has a diet. And a lot of the diets out there designed to help you shed weight aren't very practical. Meaning, either you can't stick with it in the long run, or it would be unsafe to do so. So, what do you do?
You make small changes to your diet, of course! One smart move would be eliminating fast food meals, or finding healthier versions of the ones you like. In fact, one of my favorite books on the subject is Eat This! Not That! Take a peek, and let me know what you think!
With a diet?
Well, now, everyone has a diet. And a lot of the diets out there designed to help you shed weight aren't very practical. Meaning, either you can't stick with it in the long run, or it would be unsafe to do so. So, what do you do?
You make small changes to your diet, of course! One smart move would be eliminating fast food meals, or finding healthier versions of the ones you like. In fact, one of my favorite books on the subject is Eat This! Not That! Take a peek, and let me know what you think!
