Web Robin

Sarah: Future Robot Chef

Sarah got into Kristine's new pots and pans, and decided she wanted Android figurines for dinner. Robot goodness! High in iron and copper!

More fun with Matthew and Sarah in photos here and here.

Cookies for Missionaries

Since I send to three Missionaries, including Andy, plus Ken, it takes a lot of cookies. This recipe makes a BIG batch. Along with other goodies it should fill four boxes. I enjoy baking, but since I'm not supposed to eat them - this is a good way for me to continue baking. (I only eat a few!)

The Amazing Vitamin P

My dad's 1992 article on Vitamin P, an obscure compound found in such foods as peanuts, potato chips, pies, popcorn and pizza, has been a family favorite for nearly two decades now. But it hasn't gained the world-wide acclaim it has been due. So, after visiting him this weekend, I asked if he would make his article available so I could share it, via my blog, to the world. He obliged, and now, as of this morning, the piece is available both on the site and in PDF. If you are not too familiar with Vitamin P, and how it can help you, I recommend you read it.

Tech Geek Nutrition: Introducing The Amazing Vitamin P (PDF)

The storms of life

this is from stephen not kathleen:

For those on the blog that have access to the LDS adult lesson manual for 2008.  Look at the 19th lesson; the one that would be for the second weekend in Oct.  Interesting that this lesson on "the storms of life" would have been selected for this time over a year ago.  It is a good lesson right now as we go through what may be the greatest challenge of our lives.

When I was a kid I had a scripture I liked and memorized it;  trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all they ways acknowledge Him and he will direct thy path.

He is there; take courage, have faith.  All things work for the good if we will but learn the lesson intended.

Be well,

stephen

Do you eat fish?

Since becoming "empty nesters," Richard and I have begun eating fish more often. We're trying to have at least one fish meal a week. (always grilled --I still can't stand to have the fish smell in the house)

Most often, I pick up salmon, though sometimes we get an ahi steak, shrimp, or occasionally halibut or something else.

I also try to buy "wild" instead of "farmed" to avoid the additives that farmed fish have (hormones, coloring).

Do you do the same? or do you have a different strategy?

Bacon is Good and Good for You

See: My Wife Plans My Death By Bacon

Test your Turkey-Day IQ

Hey folks, check out this cool thing from Weightwatchers.com. This is also available to non-members. It's an interactive thanksgiving dinner plate--just drag on the foods you plan to have for dinner and calculate how many points. For non-WW members, someone my size/weight with my goals (2 lbs/week) gets 22 points per day. For reference a slice of while wheat bread is 2 points. An apple 1 point or 2 points. Green beans are free. A Grande Nonfat Latte is about 4 I think (without flavoring). General rules are low cal/low fat and high fiber foods are the lowest points. Here's the link if you want to test your Thanksgiving IQ.

Lazy cook? or different tastes?

Tonight one of the ladies from church who I visit each month surprised me with a platter of what she called  "Filipino chow mein." It had vegetables, shrimp, and that crab substitute that I see in the stores (but never buy.)

It's the second time in recent memory that I've been served shrimp that were cooked in their shells.

Is this normal? Is it typical of Asian cooking? Does anyone eat them like that?

I stood over the sink and shelled and de-veined the shrimp, then put them back in the mix and ate the dinner. Everything tasted fine, but I was surprised that the shrimp weren't prepared as I'm accustomed to having them.

What is your experience with cooked shrimp?

Snacks for Spring

Since I know I am not the only one watching my waistline, I was wondering what fun, tasty, low-cal snacks people were enjoying.

I like the new rice cakes from Quaker, the same ones that I used to make fun of my Mom for eating when I was in Jr. High. They now have a multi-grain, Cinnamon toast kind that is quite good for 50 Calories a cake. I also like the Smart-Pop 100 Calorie packs of Kettle corn. So yes, I like crunchy starches. Apples and Soy Butter are good too, but I have to watch how much of the Soy butter (same thing as peanut butter, with out the allergic reaction) I put on, as it has quite a bit of fat.

Does anyone else have a favourite treat that they would like to "share"?

Milk as an ingredient in cereal

Don't know if you all read food labels when shopping, but as someone who is allergic to dairy products, I definitely do. One trend that is very frustrating is the use of milk or whey or milk-derived proteins in cereals. It seems that the more interesting cereals have milk in them and only the plainest (shredded wheat, rice krispies, etc.) don't.

So, I contacted Kelloggs, General Mills, and Post via their online sites and asked them why milk was so often used. Here's the first response, from Kelloggs:

"Whey is used for a variety of reasons including water control, increase in viscosity, opacity, and as a fat replacement.  It is also used as a source of protein, solids and flavor."

Now we know. Guess I'm stuck with the simple stuff.