Germs

It's been a crazy busy week, but also a fabulous first week of teaching in my new Family Nutrition Program Assistant position. I've visited six different elementary schools in Dickinson County, started two different nutrition curricula, and washed my hands pretend and for-real many times. The beginning of our Kids a Cookin & Movin as well as our Book in a Bag curriculum start with a lesson on germs and hand-washing. The kids absolutely loved using our GlitterBug, which is a giant purple apparatus that looks bug like. The students use magic lotion that shows all the germs on their hands under a black light and then put to the test their hand-washing skills. It's amazing how some students hands' look the same before and after washing. Scary!

Today I read a most fabulous book called Germs! Germs! Germs! and talked about hand-washing with kindergarten and first graders. We made these really cute looking giant germs out of crackers, peanut butter, pretzels and raisins. Several of the teachers were camera happy, and I wish I had some of the pictures now. It is so rewarding to read books with children and make snacks. My heart melted this morning as a class begged me to stay in the classroom. I am loved! Although who wouldn't love somebody that comes into the classroom, reads a story and gives you food?

My body has definitely been close with so many new children this week and I'm feeling good! Still relying on a healthy diet and regular exercise to help me keep away all those germs that cling to children.

Copain

I decided on a name for the artisan bread bakery that I have in my imagination. I found it in a comment list on a blog that I read frequently. A nice person from France had commented on the situation that made her think of the French word copain. Copain means friend, buddy, or pal in French and taken apart the two root words indicate breaking bread with friends.  Co (with) and pain (bread). That's it! Copain is the name of the bakery I have where quality artisan crusty bread is produced, similar to what would be found in France. This bread would be enjoyed with many copains (friends) in an atmosphere of comfort, sharing life with one another.

Check out this media link for a correct pronunciation.

Magical Turnip Soup

• Turnip - I used about 8 medium to small
• Onion - 1 medium
• Carrot - 1 large
• Sweet potato - 1 small
• Delicata squash - 1/2 cup smashed- this can be left out, I used up some that I had thawed in the fridge
• Chicken stock - roughly 4 cups
• White apple wine - 1/2 cup- once again, apple wine not necessary, just what I found in the fridge
• Curry powder - 1 heaping teaspoon
• Mustard seed - generous sprinkle
• Black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt - to taste

I chopped the turnip, onion, carrot, and sweet potato and sauteed for about 5 minutes. Then I added the spices for another couple of minutes. Added the squash mash that I had hanging out in the fridge along with the wine and stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes or so covered. Here you can either eat it chunky style or go ahead and blend for a pureed soup. I prefer the pureed version so all the flavors are mingled. This also allowed me to feed it to my father without him freaking out too much about eating turnips and sweet potatoes. I added a dollop of plain yogurt while serving for a delightful magical soup!

This soup is magical because not only is it virtually fat free and full of healthful vegetables, but it contains curry. Curry, according to this not-so-scientific article, helps as an anti-aging agent, fights Alzheimer's, cancer protection, and arthritis treatment. Sounds pretty magical to me! 

White

In honor of the white snow that is presently falling outside on this 27th day of March, I will address the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables of the color white. Wait, is white a color or is white an absence of color? I have definitely forgotten that science lesson.

White fruits and veggies include: cauliflower, onions, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and bananas. This white contains anthoxanthins which may help to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and heart disease risk. Bananas and potatoes are also especially good sources of potassium. Potassium is the third most abundant mineral in the human body and essential for many processes. It is vital in keeping heart, brain, kidney, muscle, and other major organs properly functioning.

Speaking of turnips I have a bag full of them that I need to cook. I definitely found some nice sized turnips out there in my garden that I overwintered. Due to the freezing and thawing we've been having recently they were all about half out of the ground and demanded my pulling. Although I don't really use turnips very often I went ahead and planted a bunch more because I have the seed hanging out. Stay tuned for my turnip creation, I'm thinking turnip stew?

Blue & Purple

Purple is definitely my other favorite color. The other half of my closet that is not green is purple. You could probably explain some of this with my alma mater of Kansas State University, but I really do like the color purple. Red and blue put together makes purple. I learned that a couple of weeks ago when I read a book to some elementary students at Rural Center.

On to the foods containing blue and purple pigments that come from anthocyanins. These are powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage. Many studies link blueberries with memory function and healthy aging. A reduced risk of high blood pressure and lower cancer risk are also linked to these blue and purple fruits & veggies. Try blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, plums, prunes, purple grapes, raisins, purple cabbage, and purple potatoes. These make your plate so pretty and jump with color. Berries, fresh or frozen, are easy to add to breakfast, in oatmeal or cereal, or into the blender for a smoothie. Try purple cabbage in slaw or salad. I know that I ordered purple potatoes to put in my garden this year for something extra special. I can't wait for my purple potato salad.