Summer Fun

Hello...is anyone out there?  I don't blame you if you aren't as it has been far too long since I last posted anything on my blog.

Where have I been?  The more appropriate question is where haven't I been?  :)  Lots of traveling and lots of time with friends and family.

Which leads me to my profound thought of the day.  Friends and family are the best.  Seriously, I feel sorry for people who don't have either.  These past few weeks have been some of the best because of all the great people in my life.

These weeks have been so much fun that I almost forgot to worry about this baby journey stuff.  I have just been laughing and enjoying the company of some quality folks.  (Yes, I just said folks.)  To be honest, I am not sure if I have really felt so lucky.  Not only did I get to see my family and my husband's family, but I also got to see my bestest buddy (friend since 2nd grade!) and then spend an entire girls weekend acting crazy and letting loose. 

This was the best medicine for me.  This baby journey has taken a lot out of me and has been a big focus in my life.  It's been draining to make sure I take my medicine on time and getting up at the crack of dawn for doctor's appointments two times a week.  I was in great need for some fun distractions and boy did I get them!

Bottom line is this: ENJOY your friends and family.  Sounds simple, but I think it's pretty good advice (I am patting myself on the back right now).  Life is hard and you need your friends and family to help you through it all.  Don't let them slip away...they are priceless!!! 

Thank you to all of my friends and family...you are an amazing group of people!!!

The article below was posted on the Chicago Tribune website. 

Should Chicago schools, like those in Los Angeles, reconsider chocolate milk?

By Monica Eng
1:04 PM CDT, June 15, 2011
The Los Angeles Unified School District is considering a proposal supported by Superintendent John Deasy to eliminate flavored milks from L.A. school cafeterias.

Activist chef Jamie Oliver applauded the decision and expressed his delight with the move  during The Stew's terrific interview with the chef.
With some of the highest childhood obesity levels in the nation, should Chicago Public Schools also consider eliminating from its cafeterias milk sweetened with high fructose corn syrup?
Chocolate milk supporters and the dairy industry say kids won't drink milk if it's not sweet. But I am reminded of what a third-grader said while I was visiting CPS cafeterias earlier this year. When asked why he and all his friends were drinking chocolate rather than white milk, he told me, "We only drink white milk at home."

Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune

My Thoughts:

Really?  I mean, really?  Will eliminating flavored milk in our schools make any kind of impact on childhood obesity?  My guess is...not so much.  

I can say this because out of all of the things that schools serve, flavored milk is one of the healthiest things on the menu.  Plus, we're talking about 1 cup here, not 1 gallon. When was the last time you visited a school cafeteria?  Remember that "all-purpose" patty that was served at least twice a week?  What about all of those tater tots and french fries?  How are any of those things good for children?

So, here's my vote.  Keep the flavored milk (at least for now) and instead, let's work on fixing the real problem....the rest of the foods on the school lunch menu.  

Hats off to programs like the Healthy Schools Campaign Chicago who is doing just that!!!  Check them out at   http://www.healthyschoolscampaign.org/  

Calling All Choco-holics!

There's something you should know about me.  I LOVE chocolate.  (yes, I did just type the word "love" in all caps in reference to chocolate.)  It is my weakness.  If someone asks me if I want to split a piece of chocolate cake, I don't hesitate to say yes.  I don't necessarily need a lot of it (thanks to years of discipline and because as a dietitian, I am hyper-aware of what's not so good about it), but just a little will turn a good day into a great day!

Now, just so there's no confusion, chocolate isn't all bad.  Maybe you've heard this already, but chocolate (I'm talking about the dark chocolate stuff here), is loaded with cancer-fighting, immune-enhancing, antioxidants.  So feel good about eating  a piece of dark chocolate, but like all things, enjoy in moderation.  

This leads me to the recipe of the day.  Brownies!  Oh my goodness...who doesn't love a rich, warm, decadant brownie?  (Please, if you don't love them, I don't want to know...that is just too sad to believe.)  Anyway, this is another classic recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Of course I can't leave any recipe alone, so I have made a few adjustments.  First, I cut back on the butter.  I use only 1/4 cup and add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce.  I also cut back on the sugar and use only 3/4 cup.  Lastly, I add about 1/8 teaspoon salt.  I also like to stir in some nuts (using pecans today) and some dark chocolate Ghiradelli chips (oh my!!!!).  

This recipe is so easy...you just need one saucepan and an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan.  The other great thing about these brownies?  The fact that you know exactly what's in them.  No weird preservatives or other crazy ingredients.  Love that.  

Now you have no excuses...get baking you chocolate lovers! 

Fudgy Brownies
Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (I used 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs applesauce instead)
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup sugar (I used 3/4 cup instead)

2 eggs (you could use egg substitute here if you wanted)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (my addition)

Method:

1. In a medium saucepan melt butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; cool.

2. Meanwhile, grease an 8x8x2-inch or 9x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside.  Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture into saucepan. (If you are using the applesauce, you can stir it in now).  Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition just until combind.  Stir in vanilla.

3. In a small bowl stir together the flour and baking soda.  Add flour mixture to chocolate mixtre; stir just until combined.  If desired, stir in nuts.  Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

4. Bake in a 350'F oven for 30 minutes for 8-inch pan or 25 minutes for a 9-inch pan.  Cool on a wire rack.

Because Sometimes You Just Need a Good Laugh

I love to laugh...who doesn't, right?  Below is a gift of laughter from me to you!!!  (I wish I had been clever enough to answer this question this way when I was in school!)  :)

Guess what...life isn't fair

It's a lesson that we all learn throughout our lives isn't it?  I don't think I can even count the number of times I've said "that's not fair."  What's interesting is that we start learning this lesson early on in our lives...when we don't get that toy we want, when we can't leave the table until we finish our brussels sprouts, when we study hard and only get a C+, and on and on. 

As we get older this lesson gets a little bit harder to rationalize.  I thought that with age came reason, but sometimes it just stinks to be reasonable.  During this whole baby journey I have really struggled with this idea of fairness.  Everything about this process seems unfair.  It's not fair that two responsible, loving people can't conceive a child, it's not fair that crack-head moms can pop out what seems like 12 children at a time, it's not fair that EVERYONE around me is pregnant or is a mom!!!

I had just learned that I wasn't pregnant (a trend I am starting to get a little bit annoyed about), and I was all bent out of shape.  Luckily, I have a great support system (you know who you are!) including my amazing husband.  Anyway, we were walking home from work and happened to pass by the following: a woman kindly decling a solicitor at the door by saying, "I can't right now, I have to go and feed MY BABY."  Ok, maybe she didn't emphaize the "my baby" part, but that's what it seemed like (I know, but hey, I am sensitive and fragile!)  Here's the kicker though, after our run (a good way to vent frustration by the way) and trip to Chipotle (nothing heals like guacamole) later that evening we passed the same house.  And what do you know....there's that baby lady with her BABY!  Just standing there in the doorway, all happy and full of baby-ness. You may have had to have been there, but it sure felt like that lady was put there on purpose to remind me that I don't have a baby.  It was what my husband called "a double in-your-face" day.  This made me laugh so hard.  In fact, we laughed about the baby lady the rest of the way home.  

My point is this, life just isn't fair...but maybe that's not an entirely bad thing.  It may be that in these moments we can really gain insight about ourselves.  I know that I have learned that during these times I have to honor my feeling of loss and respect that dull ache in my heart.  That from these dark, unhappy moments I draw strength to move forward. Sure there are bumps in the road (and they are hurtful and unpleasant), but hey, life's not fair, and maybe there's a good reason for that.