Good morning! How are you? I'll give a call soon.
The thing about vegetarian/vegan cooking is this: there are so many yummy and fattening ways to prepare food...the forum website I have been using makes absolutely no effort to list fat/calorie content. The recipes are good and animal-cruelty free, but the fat content can sometimes be high.
Here's a link to a recipe and website that provides recipe ideas that are vegan and fat-free!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Shaped by Memories
Stephanie Rodriguez of McKinney: Issues, not candidates
Look beyond labels to find the real question
10:00 AM CDT on Friday, November 2, 2007
"To see ourselves as others see us is a most salutary gift. Hardly less important is the capacity to see others as they see themselves."
Aldous Huxley
Election day, 1976. Mom had picked me up from school, and that was significant because I usually walked. She'd been invited to a baby shower, so there I was, sitting loosely in the front seat of our tan Dodge Duster, my little sister rolling around in the back.
We were off base and headed out into the country, so there was time to talk. Not like in the city, where I was always getting shushed because someone had to concentrate on traffic.
"How was your trip?" I asked my mother.
She smiled with some confusion.
"What trip?"
"Your trip to Washington. To vote."
Mom laughed and tapped her cigarette into the ashtray.
"A person can vote anywhere, honey. You don't have to go to the capital."
Oh.
"Well, then," I continued as nonchalantly as possible. "Whom did you vote for?"
It was a loaded question. I was 6 years old. I didn't care about the election. But I was a nervous child and our household had this tenseness to it and, prone to eavesdropping as I was, I had somehow ascertained that my parents disagreed on who was the better candidate. In my young mind it was all a great mystery that could be solved with one simple question.
"Young lady," she said to me. "Who I voted for is my business and my business alone. It is my right."
And that was the end of that. I don't think it was an intentional lesson, because I know my mother and she very rarely does things intentionally, but it was nonetheless a potent one. In that moment my mother taught me to not first reach the conclusion and then work backward, but to assess the information before arriving at my own conclusions.
(It wasn't until I inadvertently outed myself on the Collin County Opinions page of The Dallas Morning News that I learned that there's a name for people like me: liberal. At least that's what my e-mails keep telling me, so it must be true.)
Kids today have it so much better. They don't have to deal with the moral ambiguity of weighing all sides. Nope. These days it's all laid out, red or blue, at a very early age with the help of children's picture books such as Why Mommy Is A Democrat and Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed!
I learned about those titles from an Aug. 25 column by Catherine Rampell that appeared on the Viewpoints page of The Dallas Morning News.
Ironically, on page 16A of that very same edition an article was run with the headline: "First Mickey, now Simba – Disneylike lion is hero in Hamas cartoon; rats represent Fatah."
The article went on to describe – well, really it doesn't matter what the article described. The important thing is that children believe whatever they are told, so when cartoon characters instruct them as to who is right, who is wrong and who should die as a result of it, well, ladies and gentlemen, that's the gospel truth and the chess board has, in effect, been set for the next generation.
It's no different for the innocent children of the Middle East than it is for some American Air Force brat trying to piece together the puzzle of her identity.
To this day, when I ask my mother whom she voted for, she tells me of her constitutional right to not share that information.* When we talk, it is of issues and of the human condition; it is certainly not about the humans themselves. Our conversations never revolve around politics.
It is who we are and I think it is honest and admirable. Too often we define ourselves by how others define us; character, however, comes in defining ourselves and allowing others the freedom of reaching their own conclusions.
*Note: This last election changed all of that when my mother and I decided, along with an unprecedented number of Americans, to let our voices ring loud and clear. God bless America.
Stephanie Rodriguez of McKinney writes children's novels under the name S. Kimzey Daniels and is a former Voices of Collin County volunteer columnist. Her e-mail address is stephrodriguez70@aol.com.
Look beyond labels to find the real question
10:00 AM CDT on Friday, November 2, 2007
"To see ourselves as others see us is a most salutary gift. Hardly less important is the capacity to see others as they see themselves."
Aldous Huxley
Election day, 1976. Mom had picked me up from school, and that was significant because I usually walked. She'd been invited to a baby shower, so there I was, sitting loosely in the front seat of our tan Dodge Duster, my little sister rolling around in the back.
We were off base and headed out into the country, so there was time to talk. Not like in the city, where I was always getting shushed because someone had to concentrate on traffic.
"How was your trip?" I asked my mother.
She smiled with some confusion.
"What trip?"
"Your trip to Washington. To vote."
Mom laughed and tapped her cigarette into the ashtray.
"A person can vote anywhere, honey. You don't have to go to the capital."
Oh.
"Well, then," I continued as nonchalantly as possible. "Whom did you vote for?"
It was a loaded question. I was 6 years old. I didn't care about the election. But I was a nervous child and our household had this tenseness to it and, prone to eavesdropping as I was, I had somehow ascertained that my parents disagreed on who was the better candidate. In my young mind it was all a great mystery that could be solved with one simple question.
"Young lady," she said to me. "Who I voted for is my business and my business alone. It is my right."
And that was the end of that. I don't think it was an intentional lesson, because I know my mother and she very rarely does things intentionally, but it was nonetheless a potent one. In that moment my mother taught me to not first reach the conclusion and then work backward, but to assess the information before arriving at my own conclusions.
(It wasn't until I inadvertently outed myself on the Collin County Opinions page of The Dallas Morning News that I learned that there's a name for people like me: liberal. At least that's what my e-mails keep telling me, so it must be true.)
Kids today have it so much better. They don't have to deal with the moral ambiguity of weighing all sides. Nope. These days it's all laid out, red or blue, at a very early age with the help of children's picture books such as Why Mommy Is A Democrat and Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed!
I learned about those titles from an Aug. 25 column by Catherine Rampell that appeared on the Viewpoints page of The Dallas Morning News.
Ironically, on page 16A of that very same edition an article was run with the headline: "First Mickey, now Simba – Disneylike lion is hero in Hamas cartoon; rats represent Fatah."
The article went on to describe – well, really it doesn't matter what the article described. The important thing is that children believe whatever they are told, so when cartoon characters instruct them as to who is right, who is wrong and who should die as a result of it, well, ladies and gentlemen, that's the gospel truth and the chess board has, in effect, been set for the next generation.
It's no different for the innocent children of the Middle East than it is for some American Air Force brat trying to piece together the puzzle of her identity.
To this day, when I ask my mother whom she voted for, she tells me of her constitutional right to not share that information.* When we talk, it is of issues and of the human condition; it is certainly not about the humans themselves. Our conversations never revolve around politics.
It is who we are and I think it is honest and admirable. Too often we define ourselves by how others define us; character, however, comes in defining ourselves and allowing others the freedom of reaching their own conclusions.
*Note: This last election changed all of that when my mother and I decided, along with an unprecedented number of Americans, to let our voices ring loud and clear. God bless America.
Stephanie Rodriguez of McKinney writes children's novels under the name S. Kimzey Daniels and is a former Voices of Collin County volunteer columnist. Her e-mail address is stephrodriguez70@aol.com.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Healthiest Diet in the World
At the library, I discovered what is probably the most perfect cookbook ever. The Healthiest Diet in the World absolutely brims with helpful information of every shape, color and texture. I want this book. I will buy this book. This book should be on my shelf.
A sample:
Carbohydrates and Appetite (p. 276-7)
We noted earlier that although other cells in he body can get the energy they need from fats and to some degree proteins, the brain and central nervous system must be fueled by carbohydrates. Our early hunter-gatherer ancestors had to rely on the most easily available source of carbohydrate, which they found in fruit. This primal diet, rich in sugars, provided a readily available energy supply that encouraged the development of a large central nervous system. The corollary to this i that as the human brain and central nervous system grew, more carbohydrate was required to nourish it. Many researchers believe that this initial dependence on sugars has genetically programmed a fundamental taste for sweets into our food preferences.
The human appetite is extremely complicated. It still isn't clear how food intake is regulated by the body--in other words, how we know when to start eating and when to stop. There are apparently one or more receptors in the brain that receive signals telling us when we are satiated and when we are hungry. Some of these receptors, along with additional receptors in the liver, respond to insulin. Experiments demonstrate that even small declines in blood sugar can prompt people to request food. It follows that if the body's glucose-insulin response is at all impaired, the ability to regulate food intake may suffer.
Research supports the notion that all carbohydrates--both sugars and starches--quickly suppress hunger and boost satiety for a given period. Under ideal conditions this is true: The body responds to matching insulin levels to the glucose that is released from carbohydrate breakdown and our appetite diminishes. But sometimes this works against us, as when rapidly absorbed carbohydrates (sugars and certain starches) cause insulin to be released very early and more sharply. Depending on how your body handles this situation, two things can occur:
A sample:
Carbohydrates and Appetite (p. 276-7)
We noted earlier that although other cells in he body can get the energy they need from fats and to some degree proteins, the brain and central nervous system must be fueled by carbohydrates. Our early hunter-gatherer ancestors had to rely on the most easily available source of carbohydrate, which they found in fruit. This primal diet, rich in sugars, provided a readily available energy supply that encouraged the development of a large central nervous system. The corollary to this i that as the human brain and central nervous system grew, more carbohydrate was required to nourish it. Many researchers believe that this initial dependence on sugars has genetically programmed a fundamental taste for sweets into our food preferences.
The human appetite is extremely complicated. It still isn't clear how food intake is regulated by the body--in other words, how we know when to start eating and when to stop. There are apparently one or more receptors in the brain that receive signals telling us when we are satiated and when we are hungry. Some of these receptors, along with additional receptors in the liver, respond to insulin. Experiments demonstrate that even small declines in blood sugar can prompt people to request food. It follows that if the body's glucose-insulin response is at all impaired, the ability to regulate food intake may suffer.
Research supports the notion that all carbohydrates--both sugars and starches--quickly suppress hunger and boost satiety for a given period. Under ideal conditions this is true: The body responds to matching insulin levels to the glucose that is released from carbohydrate breakdown and our appetite diminishes. But sometimes this works against us, as when rapidly absorbed carbohydrates (sugars and certain starches) cause insulin to be released very early and more sharply. Depending on how your body handles this situation, two things can occur:
- This quick insulin reaction will cause satisfaction to be short-lived and hunger will soon return. The natural response is to eat more.
- Repeated spurts of elevated blood sugar encourage cells to become insulin resistant, setting the stage for the body to increase and reserve its fat reserves.
Did you get all that? Lots of information in there! Good information!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Papayas!
Papaya's main claim to fame is that it is the only source of papain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins and improves digestion. The enzyme is also and effective anti-inflammatory, proven to ease stings, burns, wounds, and postoperative pain. "Papain increases the production of immune cells call cytokines to speed healing. It also slows the blood-clotting mechanism, which improves circulation and boosts the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the inflamed area," explains Eric Beaverman, MD, author of Younger (Thinner) You Diet. In fact, papain injections have been used to relieve the distress caused by slipped discs in the back.
How to Buy & Store:
How to Buy & Store:
- When shopping, steer clear of papayas that are bruised, shriveled or have soft spots. (What a darling little well intentioned however offensive statement!)
- Papayas are picked green and will ripen at room temperature; they're ready to eat when the skin is reddish-yellow and yields slightly to the touch (like a pear).
- Once ripe, store papayas in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to one week.
Stomach-Soothing Papaya Smoothie
Frozen strawberries help thicken this morning beverage without the addition of ice.
1 cup cubed ripe papaya
6 frozen strawberries
1/2 cup plain soymilk
1 Tbs. lime juice
1 tsp. light agave nectar or honey
1/4 tsp. fresh grated ginger
Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
One serving, 166 calories, 5 g protein, 2 g total fat (<1>
Source: Vegetarian Times April 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
People Watching
Think of female jealousy as feminine curiosity,as an impulsive desire to learn as many things as possible. Think of other women as a source of inspiration is surprisingly satisfying--and practical to boot. To draw from the communal reservoir of knowledge women share between them, all you need to do is get out of the house. Sit at a busy coffee-shop counter and order a bowl of soup, wait in line at the post office, or stroll through a playground among the moms and the nannies. There you will find them, in all their protean femininity! Each woman a paragon, each one exemplary in her own inimitable way.
People watching, a popular pastime everywhere, is more than simply entertainment. By reinforcing a sense of community, it brings out the performer in all of us. In cafes, restaurants, market places, parks, or stadiums, men and women alike exhibit their favorite personae in front of an audience of keen observers whose approval--or disapproval--we all seek.
Taken from: The Art of Being a Woman by Veranique Vienne
People watching, a popular pastime everywhere, is more than simply entertainment. By reinforcing a sense of community, it brings out the performer in all of us. In cafes, restaurants, market places, parks, or stadiums, men and women alike exhibit their favorite personae in front of an audience of keen observers whose approval--or disapproval--we all seek.
Taken from: The Art of Being a Woman by Veranique Vienne
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
