Feed the Hungry This Christmas

I decided that a plug for our church’s food pantry drive fits nicely into the purpose of this blog.  And the holidays are always a time where those less fortunate than ourselves (at least monetarily) are in even greater need for our generosity.

Something I’ve tried to incorporate into our lives is a continual thought process of service.  Instead of serving once a year at a shelter or other mission organization, I want to make it a lifestyle.  And one way to do that is to purchase nonperishable food for our church’s food pantry EVERY time I do a major grocery shopping trip (i.e. twice a month).  This makes thinking about those in need a regular occurrence in my life, rather than just doing it once and “getting it out of the way”.  It’s important for me to have a lifelong, continual perspective of trying to cancel out poverty since it is such a major issue.

Jake and I helped serve at Mission For All Nations this summer, our area’s largest food pantry.  (I believe they said it was the largest in Nebraska, but don’t quote me on that.)  It was an eye-opening experience.  And they have a great process.  I’d definitely recommend that ministry to anyone wanting to serve our area’s poor.  http://www.missionfan.com/

In any case, our church’s is just one of the food pantries available in our area, but we do serve an increasing population of families in need.  Since my husband is over this particular ministry area in our church, he keeps me well-informed about the status of the food pantry and how much it’s being used.  And it’s definitely being used!!  We keep running out of food a lot faster than ever before.

That said, here is a plug for the holiday food drive (taken directly from the website):

Our food pantry serves church members and members of our community when they are experiencing financial hardship. Since January, we have served more than 500 people - an average of 4 families each week! Thank you for sharing in this ministry through your generosity!

This Christmas we want to do something special for the people who use our food pantry. Along with your donation of food, we are asking people to bring $10 gift cards to a store that sells perishable food. Throughout December we'll give this extra gift to everyone who uses the food pantry.

Needed items can be found below. Please bring donations to StoneBridge anytime during office hours or on Sundays.

Items Currently Needed:
Meals:
Boxed Meals (Hamburger / Tuna / Chicken Helper / etc)
• Cans of Chicken and Tuna
Boxed Rice Meals (Rice-a-Roni / etc)
Macaroni & Cheese / Easy Mac
Spaghetti Sauce / Pasta
Canned Meals (Spaghetti O?s / Ravioli / Beef Stew / etc)
Canned Soup / Soup-to-Go

Breakfast Items:
Boxed Cereal / Oatmeal
Pancake Mix / Syrup

Other Items:
Peanut Butter / Jelly
Canned Vegetables / Canned Fruit
Condiments (Ketchup / Mustard / etc)
Snack Pack Items (Pudding / Cheese & Crackers / etc)

http://www.stonebridgeonline.net/members/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=124&Itemid=137

I'm happy to say that our small group is participating in this food drive.  You should too!

Panera’s New Mac & Cheese

A few days ago, I heard an ad on the radio for Panera Bread’s new Macaroni & Cheese dish.  The chef said his kids helped him create this dish of shell pasta covered in two kinds of white cheddar cheese.  Sounded yummy!  So I looked it up online as a possible lunch option for a friend & I to have the following day.  They offer a large and a small portion or you can select it in their Pick 2 menu options with a half sandwich, a cup of soup or a half salad.  I also made the mistake of looking at the nutritional information, as I’m making a concerted effort to eat healthier, though this doesn’t mean I won’t allow myself a treat or two now and then.  Everything in moderation, right?  Anyway, I was astounded at the saturated fat content.  Just floored.  The calorie count is pretty high, too, but frankly, I was expecting that.  Anyway, the small portion is obviously the better bet in that area. 

So I talked my friend into going to Panera for lunch.  She’d already had their mac & cheese and said it was delicious.  I was glad to hear that, but still a little leery.  I’ve had “fancy” mac & cheese and been disappointed before.  So I was still withholding judgment.  To keep costs down, I simply ordered the small portion, which came with a side item choice of an apple, chips or baguette.  I went with the apple and a water to drink, since I knew the mac & cheese would blow my calorie / fat / carb counts for the day anyway.  And I thought the mac & cheese would be filling, and the apple is supposed to be high in fiber & filling too.  This was a decent $5 lunch deal, I thought.  Now onto the taste factor.

It was creamy, salty deliciousness.  The noodles were soft.  The cheese sauce was creamy and full of taste.  Some of my past criticisms of macaroni and cheese is that it is too bland.  This one does not have that issue.  And the small portion, along with the apple, was just enough to satisfy.  (Though the apple was a bit too hard, I have to say.  Not something I’ve often experienced with apples. Under-ripe.)  I highly recommend this macaroni & cheese to anyone looking for a classic comfort food this cold season.  And I don’t think you need the extra sandwich, soup or salad to accompany it, unless you have quite an appetite to quench.  I would definitely skip the large portion of this dish, however.  You don’t want to cut your lifespan in half just for a bowl of mac & cheese.  (Yes, that’s how high the saturated fat content is!) 

I did have one small suggestion that I thought would improve this dish:  some toasted panko breadcrumbs or cornflakes on top would provide a satisfying crunch to the palette, offsetting the rich, creamy, soft texture of the rest of the dish.  But maybe that’s just me.  No matter what, I’m going back for more.  Who's coming with?

A New Favorite: Man v. Food

My husband and I enjoy a wide variety of TV shows from Glee to Modern Family to Vampire Diaries (guilty pleasure) to Dexter to Mad Men to Fringe.  And we’re pretty interested in “real” reality shows, like documentaries and stuff on the History Channel, etc.  Along with American Idol, which probably doesn’t fall into the “real” reality show category since it’s overproduced so much, though I think it’s still better that way than say The Bachelor!

All that to say that we’ve started in on a possible new favorite “real” reality show:  “Man v. Food” on the Travel Channel.  The first couple of seasons showed up on Netflix Instant, so we added them to our queue awhile back.  We occasionally like to just see what stuff is like on a whim and this show fit the bill a couple nights ago.  I think we are hooked.

The premise is that the “man” travels to different locale and takes on extreme eating challenges, like a 72 oz. steak dinner in  under and hour or 6 of the hottest wings known to man.  That kind of thing.  Along with the challenges, he usually visits a couple local favorites in that particular city beforehand and experiences the recommended fare.  So far we’ve been extremely disappointed that while we lived in Cincinnati for 5 years, we were completely unaware of an amazing German homemade sausage house in Columbus, a mere 2 hours away, that promotes an “autobahn” homemade sausage buffet and a selection of ½ lb. homemade cream puffs for dessert (the sausage tempted Jake, but the cream puffs brought me on board).  And we really want to visit Pittsburgh someday now, but can’t really come up with any good excuses to do so other than just to eat.  That doesn’t seem like a good enough reason yet, I guess. 

Did I mention we’ve only watched 5 episodes so far?!  We could definitely do without the weird interview stuff at the very end of each episode.  But the rest is definitely fun.  He's a bit over-the-top at times, but I'm sure that makes for more interesting TV, too.

Mixed Messages

Anyone ever been confused by all the mixed messages out there on eating healthy?  One person says to count calories, another carbs, another fat, another says the exact right combo of those things is what you need.  One says to just eat small meals throughout the day to jumpstart your metabolism, another says portion control.  One says you have to exercise to lose weight, another says that’s not that important.  Someone says to drink some caffeine to kickstart your workout, while several discount this method.  One says to close up the kitchen after 7:00pm and another says that doesn’t matter. 

Ack!  I think if you put all those together you come out somewhere right.  Of course, our grandparents ate eggs cooked in bacon grease every day for 70+ years and lived to tell the tale.  And are the smallest people I know (and not just from osteoporosis).  Though they didn’t have the high fructose corn syrup-laden processed food we do either, so maybe that’s the key.  I’m not quite ready to go the whole organic food only route, though.  It’s so much work & so much expense.  And I love Double Stuf Oreos a bit too much still, which are pretty much just made of chemicals.  Delicious, delicious chemicals.

Part of the problem is that different things work for different people, but there’s a plan for that too.  You have to identify your body type and customize from there.  Is this all part of the brilliant human experience God created us uniquely for?  Cause it feels frustrating.  I suppose that’s part of the process.

One of my favorite, slightly healthy, super cheap & easy meals is jambalaya.  I get the Zatarain’s box mix (usually family size so we have leftovers), add a ring of light or turkey smoked sausage, sliced up, and follow the directions on the box.  Sometimes I add the oil, sometimes not.  (It’s obviously lighter in fat if you don’t, but according to some diet plans Canola oil is good, some say olive oil and it definitely tastes better & has a better texture if you do add it. And again, some diet plans say a little bit of the right fats is essential to good digestion & vitamin/mineral absorption.)  Sometimes I just cut the amount of oil too.   

I cook it all in my microwave Rice Cooker Plus from Pampered Chef and it takes about 20+ minutes to cook up nice.  Add a veggie & you’re good to go.  You can also use chicken, shrimp or a combo of all the above.  I know some people make this from scratch, but this is seriously easy & cheap, so I go that route instead.  Everyone needs a few easy, cheap, somewhat healthy go-to dinner ideas for the nights you get home from work & have about a minute to cook & eat before the next scheduled event.  This is one of mine!

Off Topic, But On My Mind: Christmas Cards & Shutterfly

So, it’s that time of year again where we all begin to consider our holiday plans.  Amongst those plans might be attending parties & concerts, baking up special treats, decorating the homestead, shopping for the perfect re-gifting gifts.  And sending holiday cards to everyone you’ve ever met or might have met once upon a time because you don’t want to leave anyone out just in case you might offend them by doing so.  Ah.  The holidays. 

This year, Shutterfly is making my (and possibly your) life easier & better!  They are offering 50 free Christmas cards to bloggers who post about this deal in their blog-o-sphere.  I have gladly agreed to take part in this truly jolly venture. 

One of my blog readers mentioned that I could suggest to you all to take pictures of your favorite holiday foods for your Christmas card Shutterfly pics.  And I think that would be a fabulous idea!!  (And ties in to the purpose of this blog.  Wink, wink.)

There have been years when I’ve made my own Christmas cards with tools and gadgets from Stamping Up.  And there have been years when I’ve gotten good deals at Borders on fun, sparkly pre-packaged Christmas cards.  (I’ve even purchased the same Christmas cards there twice, though several years apart – did anyone notice?!)  There have even been a couple years that we skipped the Christmas card tradition altogether.  But I think Shutterfly is making it easier & better to keep up with the Christmas card routine.  So why wouldn’t I (and you) take part?!  After looking at some of the options, I’m wise to all of you that have already been using Shutterfly.  I thought you were so creative all on your own, but now I realize I was just in the dark about this cool tool.

Here are a couple links to check out Shutterfly’s variety of Christmas & holiday card options:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

Maybe you’re one of the many that have jumped on board the “after Christmas” card craze.  (And why not?  I love that I can hear from some of you at a time other than Christmas – spreads out the fun!)  Here’s a link for Shutterfly’s other greeting card options:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery

If you’re a blogger and want to get in on this special offer:

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… learn more: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Self-Talk Concerning Food

I get daily devotional emails from Proverbs 31 Ministries and last week they sent one that addressed our inner self-talk when it comes to food and healthy eating (among other things).  The author basically described a change she desired to make in her inner “self-talk”.  She wanted to change from a “I’ll start over on Monday so I can indulge today/this weekend” to a “I was made for more than this” mode.  The idea that God has made us for more than just being slaves to our taste buds is one I find appealing.  And the whole idea of negative self-talk holding us back is something I completely agree with.  I think it applies to a vast number of different life situations, including relationships.  But a large majority of people have struggled with healthy eating at some point in their lives and I think the self-talk issue has definitely affected most of us in that arena.  Another devotional email came this week that can be applied to this issue as well.  The concept was just “Do the work.”  If you’re struggling to repair a relationship, “Do the work.”  If you’re trying to lose weight, “Do the work.”  I think changing our self-talk is one of the hardest things we are challenged to do in our lives, but probably one of the most rewarding as well.  If I can change my inner self-talk from a negative one concerning healthy eating to one of these better options, I think I might have more success on the whole & enjoy it more in the process. 

What’s your inner self-talk telling you, especially in regard to your relationship with food?

Coconut: My Old Friend

I know that some people have a dislike of coconut.  I am not one of those people.  I have the exact opposite reaction to it – I really, really love it.  I guess the chewiness factor gets to some people, but it’s never bothered me.  And I love the sweet, tropical taste.  Coconut truly makes many things better:  candy, cake, cookies, drinks (hello, pina colada!), pies, granola, ice cream and even fruit salad.  One of my favorite fruit salads growing up was the ambrosia one with pineapple, coconut & mandarin oranges.  Delish!  A couple years ago I discovered a Kashi granola cereal that was chocolate with almonds & shaved coconut.  This coconut was in natural large thin strips rather than the sweetened flakes I’m used to.  But it was still delightful.  This granola was perfect for parfaits, but unfortunately I don’t find it anymore.  One of my favorite coconut discoveries was a tad more recent.  My sister-in-law, Christine, introduced me to some frozen fruit sorbets from Costco that came packed in their own fruit shells.  So the orange mango sorbet was in a half shell of an orange.  The pineapple sorbet was in a tiny half pineapple skin.  The lemon in a lemon shell, etc.  The best was the coconut sorbet in the half coconut shell.  Runner up was the pina colada sorbet, since that’s a mix of the coconut and the pineapple.  It was in a half pineapple shell as well.  (I remember looking at the nutritional information for each sorbet & the coconut was definitely the worst one from that perspective, with the pina colada being a close second.  I question coconut really being a “fruit” with the “fruit sorbets”, too, but I still loved it!)  Sadly, this is but one more area in which my husband and I differ in tastes.  I feel like this could be closer to the avocado adventure than some others, though – he used to dislike avocados, but due to sushi, he’s come to actually love them.  I tease him that I’ll get him to like cheese someday, but he’s pretty adamant that won’t happen.  Perhaps coconut, though…