Broccoli Casserole

We've been getting a lot of broccoli lately and I wanted to try something new. So I found this recipe on about.com and tried it out. We loved it!

Broccoli Casserole
Serves 6

10 to 12 ounces frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained (I think the fresh bunch of broccoli I used was closer to 16 ounces)
2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. finely minced onion
2 Tb. all-purpose flour
Dash pepper
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. half-and-half or light cream (I didn't have either, so I used milk and it worked just fine)
1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar (6 ounces) (I used a little more regular cheddar)
3 large eggs, beaten

Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 9 x 12 dish. Arrange the cooked and drained broccoli in the casserole.

Heat the butter in a large skillet; add onion and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes, until onion is tender. Stir in flour until well blended and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the pepper, nutmeg, salt, and half-and-half (or milk). Continue cooking over low heat until thickened. Stir in cheese and cook just until cheese is melted. Add beaten eggs, blend well. Pour over broccoli. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the broccoli casserole comes out clean.

Budget Saver Tip #22: Reusing Bags

This is another of those no-brainers to me, but it's also a green tip. And not everyone is in this mindset, so I thought I'd share.

I am very frugal about the sandwich and snack bags I buy, and mostly use the flip-top variety (usually with twist ties) because they're quite a bit cheaper; you can get a lot more per box than the zip-lock kind. But regardless of what kind of plastic bags they are, I'm constantly reusing them. They generally wash out very well, and dry just fine when you prop them open. Very rarely do I throw one away after it has only been used once.

Bread bags (or gallon size bags, depending on what I have) I reuse and reuse until they get holes in them. And the white grocery bags we get we use as a liner in our small trash can--the other colors we recycle. (Yes, I could eliminate that altogether by using my own reusable bags at the store, but we do need some plastic bags for other purposes.)

I also use lidded containers for almost everything in packed lunches, so that cuts down on the number of bags, too--and my husband always brings his bags home in his lunch bag so we can reuse them.

I've never done the calculations for how much money we save by doing this, but I know it makes a difference, not to mention it puts less of a negative impact on the environment. In this way I only have to buy a new box of bags--of whatever size--a couple times a year.

Compost What?!

Recently I gave my daughter a long-asked-for haircut. Her hair was quite long, but she was ready for a change and wanted it short like one of her friends, so I chopped off several inches (that was a bit scary, I admit). Instead of donating all that hair to Locks of Love, as so many seem to do these days, since I had read this and knew that might not actually be the best way to put it to use, I decided to compost it.

Yes, you can compost hair. It's actually excellent for composting because it's high in nitrogen. And since the birds like our compost pile, I expect some of that hair will end up as nests for a few baby birds this spring, as well. I would rather have it be used to improve something than to be thrown away!

Want to know what other things can be composted? Check out this list of 163 things you can compost. Some of the items may surprise you...

Blondies

Because I successfully tweaked my brownie recipe a while back to make it healthier--and haven't gone back--I decided to do the same with blondies. (The original recipe is from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, p. 211.) All of my family liked them, even though I accidentally used half the amount of sweetener the recipe called for.

Blondies

1/2 c. honey
1 c. raw sugar (or 1/2 c. for less sweet--but still yummy--dessert)
2/3 c. butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. whole wheat flour (don't put it all in at once, though, because you may not need quite this much)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Grease 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. In medium saucepan heat butter, honey, and raw sugar over medium heat until butter melts and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. (Note: Always be careful when heating up honey this way, because it can splatter and burn you if it gets too hot.)

Cool slightly. Stir in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

Spread batter in prepared baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly; cut into bars while still warm.

Evening Primrose Oil

The last few weeks of my last pregnancy, my Certified Nurse Midwife suggested I add Evening Primrose Oil to my daily regimen of Red Raspberry Leaf. She explained to me how it can help soften and ripen the cervix and prepare it for labor. Being an herb person anyway, and knowing from my first labor experience how much help my cervix needs, I was game. And I believe that it, along with the Red Raspberry Leaf, are part of the reason my second labor was so much more effective and productive and went so much better and faster. Going from 22 hours to 4 hours felt miraculous, as you can imagine. And instead of my cervix never even getting to a 10 (like the first time), the second time I was at a 9 before I realized it.

I can't find where I wrote down anywhere my CNMs suggested dosage (and I now have an OB since, sadly, there aren't any CNMs in my town), so I've been doing the research again to figure out how much I should take. I remember waiting until 36 weeks to begin taking Evening Primrose Oil last time, and the information I've found online confirms that. So last week I started to take it orally, two or three capsules a day. I will increase it weekly thereafter, and at about 38 weeks I will also begin inserting a capsule(s) vaginally at bedtime (which is actually the most effective method).

For others who are interested in learning more about this natural way of helping to prepare your body for labor (which, by the way, studies indicate it will only do if your body is ready to be helped), and what Evening Primrose actually is and contains, check out the following sites:

Pregnant Health
Families.com
Passionate Homemaking (which also discusses its other, non-pregnancy uses)

Vinegar

I keep learning how much flavor even a little vinegar adds to certain dishes. I was curious about the nutritional value of vinegar and what it is, exactly, so I looked it up. The Vinegar Institute was one of the sites I found and it has all the basic information about this popular condiment. For example, I learned that:

"Vinegar is made by two distinct biological processes, both the result of the action of harmless microorganisms (yeast and “Acetobacter”) that turn sugars (carbohydrates) into acetic acid. Many of our favorite foods involve some type of bacteria in their production – from cheese and yogurt to wine, pickles and chocolate. The first process is called alcoholic fermentation and occurs when yeasts change natural sugars to alcohol under controlled conditions. In the second process, a group of bacteria (called “Acetobacter”) converts the alcohol portion to acid. This is the acetic, or acid fermentation, that forms vinegar. Proper bacteria cultures are important; timing is important; and fermentation should be carefully controlled."

And as for its nutritional value: "Vinegar contains many vitamins and other compounds not found in acetic acid such as riboflavin, Vitamin B-1 and mineral salts from the starting material that impart vinegar with its distinct flavor."

I have only used apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, and red wine vinegar in my cooking so far, but the above site lists all sorts of other vinegars you can buy and what they're made of.

I have known for years about the health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, but wondered if this extended to other types of vinegars. Knowing that vinegar goes through quite a fermentation process to become vinegar (explained above), and that foods fermented to this state are good for digestive health, I was interested to find this site, which explains how vinegar is good for us. For one thing, it increases calcium absorption, which is pretty important, particularly for women in general and for people with lactose intolerance. It can also help control blood sugar levels. In fact, "A study cited in 2004 in the American Diabetes Association's publication Diabetes Care indicates that vinegar holds real promise for helping people with diabetes."

And since vinegar has an almost indefinite shelf life (no surprise, since it is used to preserve such things as pickles), it is a great thing to have in your food storage! Oh, and of course it also has other household uses.

Goal-Reaching

As I mentioned before, my husband's job has an employee wellness program. Over the past year he has participated in a few different programs, keeping track of his progress and reporting regularly. All of this will add up to us being able to continue paying less for our health benefits, so it would be worth participating in even if the goals weren't helpful, which they have been (all except the weight loss one).

The one I wanted to talk about, though, ended last month and its purpose was to help employees eat more fruits and vegetables per day. We generally have quite a variety of fruits and vegetables at home, particularly when I can regularly get a Bountiful Basket each week (which lately hasn't been happening, thanks to the ridiculously high demand in my town and the ridiculously low availability). But my husband had to consciously make an effort each day--even each meal--to get in the recommended number of cups of fruits and vegetables for his body size. The produce he needed was available, which made things easier for him than I'm sure it was for a lot of the employees, but he had to consciously choose them as snacks, or choose them over other foods at mealtimes. It was interesting for me to watch this process and I was proud of him for his effort and success.

As I've thought about it, I've realized that this process my husband went through is what we all have to do when we make goals for ourselves, whether health-related or not. Making the goal is the easy part, and writing it down isn't difficult either, but then we have to make the conscious decision--often daily--to reach for our goal in a specific, concrete way. As my three-year-old would sing, "Keep trying, don't give up" (from Yo Gabba Gabba). When the goal at last becomes habit, then things become easier for us. And when the change becomes normal to us (though, granted, there may always be some effort--some self-control--involved), then we can truly say we have made a lifestyle change. And that's what we all need to really progress, change, and improve, isn't it?

More About Red Raspberry Leaf

Now that I've reached the last four weeks of my pregnancy, it's time to again increase my intake of Red Raspberry Leaf. So I've been doing some more research on it, and once again I am amazed. This is truly an incredible herb.

I've posted twice before about RRL (here and here), but I recently found some more information about it at this blog that is even more extensive than what BirthSource.com lists. And let me reiterate that while it is especially beneficial for pregnant women--for many different reasons--it is not only for pregnancy, nor is it exclusively for women. (For example, one cool thing about it is it can lower blood sugar levels in diabetics.)

This time around I loved learning (or relearning) that RRL has:

-Rich concentrations of vitamin C
-Vitamin E
-Easily assimilated calcium and iron
-Manganese and magnesium
-Vitamin A
-Vitamin B complex
-Many minerals including phosphorous and potassium

Also, I learned that "Studies show that women taking RRL have a reduced incidence of artificial rupture of membranes, forceps delivery, or cesarean." Awesome!

In addition, the author of the above blog lists ideas of where to buy RRL (whether you prefer loose leaf tea, tea bags, or capsules). Like me, the author believes that tea is the most easily assimilated and immediate method of ingesting RRL, and she also gives directions on the proper way to make the tea, if you've never done it before, as well as a general guide of how much to drink. (Oh, and she even wrote a followup of the dramatic difference she experienced between the labor experience of her first child and that of her second, due in large part to RRL.)

So, whatever your stage in life, whether you are male or female, if you don't know the specs about Red Raspberry Leaf, educate yourself today! Hopefully I'm not the only one who thinks this stuff is fascinating...

Chicken Asparagus Pasta

We seem to get asparagus a lot, which most of us really like, but I've lately gotten tired of cooking it the same way. So I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, made very little changes to it, and it was yummy. It's pretty simple but has a lot of flavor.

Chicken Asparagus Pasta

1 package dried penne (or other) whole grain or whole wheat pasta
5 Tb. olive oil, divided
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 bunch slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. (real, shredded) Parmesan cheese

-Cook pasta, set aside.

-Warm 3 Tb. olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken is cooked through and browned. Remove chicken.

-Pour chicken broth into skillet. Stir in asparagus, garlic, and a pinch more garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover and steam until asparagus is just tender, about 5-10 minutes. Drizzle with 2 Tb. olive oil. Stir again, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Carbs: Hero or Villian?

It drives me nuts (pun intended) how carb-crazed our country has become. The ironic thing is that everyone thinks carbohydrates are the enemy, yet the snack food industry certainly isn't suffering. Nor are the white bread companies. And I have heard many diabetics talk about how they have to limit or eliminate bread from their diets altogether. (No, white bread and whole wheat bread are not created equal, nor do they create the same reaction in the body. I wouldn't recommend anyone eat white bread, let alone diabetics!) So few people seem to understand the importance of good carbohydrates in our diets--and what makes a good carb.

This is why I was particularly interested in reading last week's article on Word of Wisdom Living. As the author points out, "Carbs provide over 60% of energy calories around the world, almost 55% in the U.S." But, "Carbs have to be humble." However, "Factories thrive on cheap raw materials. The first industrialized products were sugar, polished rice, and refined flours. In each case vital nutrients were removed to provide white, sweet-tasting carbs with a long shelf life. Tasty but unnatural. These refined carbs introduced a new problem—blood glucose peaks."

"Real food stabilizes blood glucose and reduces the insulin level, which allows cellular fat to be burned for energy so we can have lean, healthy bodies."

The author goes on to talk about the truth about the Atkins' diet. But, he adds, "For most people, replacing factory carbs with farm carbs is the first step towards better health (and should also help with any excess weight)." Then what follows is a list of ways to return to whole, farm carbs, which are suggestions I repeatedly offer on this blog.

So if you, too, are unsure what constitutes a good carbohydrate, or how to incorporate these "hero carbs" into your diet (while leaving the "villian carbs" in your past), check out the website and read more...

Prenatal Exercises

Exercising regularly during pregnancy is a tough thing for many women, including me, but I know how important--and how helpful in the long run--it is. My problem is that for the first trimester I'm so sick and so exhausted that the thought of exerting any more energy with exercise is more than I can handle contemplating. So I do the best I can and by the second trimester, when I'm feeling better and have more energy, I do pretty well. But then I enter the third trimester and my energy wanes again, and my motivation along with it.

In a few different posts I have shared with you my exercise program, which includes exercise videos/DVDs. Since I can't use those right now, I have been trying to regularly exercise with these two prenatal exercise DVDs.

I have read enough about the importance of exercise and stretching during pregnancy to feel very guilty when I don't. And, not wanting to be a hypocrite, I have been trying to focus on doing better in this area recently. And what I have discovered in the process has been quite enlightening. You know how all the pregnancy literature says that, as incongruous as it sounds, you'll actually have more energy when you exercise? Well, I never feel that happen much in the first trimester, but now in my third trimester I am! And my energy (and motivation) level has been so low the last few weeks, especially, that getting some of that back has made a big difference in my life.

The first DVD (above), with Denise Austin, is one I started using during my last pregnancy, and what I especially like about it is that, not only does it have different workouts for the different trimesters, but it also has a general cardio workout and a prenatal one as well. I don't feel like the third trimester workout is as careful or appropriate, though, as the one in the second DVD (below), Prenatal Pilates. The trainer in this DVD has, I think, a better understanding of what happens in the body during the different stages of pregnancy, what things to watch out for, how to prevent injury, and how to prepare for a good labor experience, and her workouts reflect that. Pilates, as I discovered years ago, like yoga, can do wonders for an aching back or sore muscles (of which I always have plenty at this point in my pregnancies). And so this was the DVD I was using the most. But it turns out that what I've been needing even more is the cardio workout, even though I haven't felt I had the energy to do it. But after discovering that doing so does, indeed, increase my energy--for the whole day--and that it loosens up aching muscles and reduces ankle swelling, I find myself again wanting to exercise each morning! I have gone from needing a short nap every afternoon just to survive until bedtime, to not taking a nap but sleeping better at night, which makes me feel a lot better when I wake up in the morning.

Another facet of a regular exercise routine that is of great benefit is how it helps the mind. When I give myself that time in the morning to let my mind wander while my body moves, I find that I can more easily figure out problems, organize and prioritize my day, and see things more clearly, which gives me a better sense of calm and patience. And I definitely need that!

Homemade Granola

I love granola but I hate buying it, because it's so expensive. It's also typically full of sugar (and other unnecessary ingredients). But why buy it when it's so easy to make your own? I have tried a couple of different recipes over the years, but this one from my friend, Jennalee (which she got from Beverly Nye's recipe book, "A Family Raised on Sunshine") is my favorite. It doesn't have a lot of ingredients and it doesn't take hours (or even one) to bake. Of course, the best thing about making your own granola (and everything else)--besides the improved health factor--is that you can put in it whatever you and your family like most. For example, the original recipe calls for peanuts, but I'm not a fan of peanuts in my granola, so I have used either a different kind of nut, or eliminated it altogether (which is how my children prefer it).

Homemade Granola

Spread 4 c. rolled oats on ungreased sheet cake pan and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Stir in:
1 c. flaked coconut
1 c. peanuts, coarsely chopped (see my above comment)
3/4 c. wheat germ

Then add:
1/2 c. honey
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix until dry ingredients are coated. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. After baking, stir in 1 pkg. dried fruit or 1 cup raisins (I prefer to use 1 c. dried cranberries, if possible, or a mix of cranberries and raisins).

See how easy? The only sugar in this granola is the small amount in the sweetened coconut (or you can use unsweetened) and dried cranberries, if you use them. And it's so tasty and sweet, there's simply no reason for refined sugar.

Why We Won't Be Cutting Our Baby Boy

Growing up with circumcised younger brothers I never thought much about the circumcision issue; that was just a normal part of what happened at the hospital after a baby boy's birth. Once I got married I realized circumcision was an issue my husband and I would eventually have to discuss and make a decision on, if we ever had a son. But we had two girls first, so I happily put off thinking about it too much. This pregnancy, when I found out we are having a boy, I knew it was time to dig into the facts versus myths of circumcision and figure out what I felt and believed would be best for our son. And to talk about it with my husband. It wasn't an issue he was keen on exploring, but he recognized that it was important. So he tolerated my discussions and began learning the facts for himself. This site was one of the most helpful for both of us, as it has an extensive collection of doctors, nurses, and others who quote facts and explain their positions against circumcision. This site also includes many videos, some of which my husband and I watched, which hit me harder than anything (as I will mention later).

If we still lived in Ohio, I wouldn't feel so much like I need to defend my husband's and my decision not to circumcise our son. But in Utah, circumcision rates are still pretty high, even though it has nothing to do with religion. The general attitude I got from friends and physicians early on was an offhand, "If you have a baby boy he'll be more expensive because of the circumcision." It bothers me that it's still such a cultural thing here, and for no good reason--because when something is this much a part of the culture, many people simply accept it and do it without knowing why or even thinking about it.

Fortunately, the rates of U.S. circumcision are going down--and recently they went down quite a lot, as I learned at this site. From 2006 to 2009 U.S. routine circumcision rates went down from 56.2% to 32.5%. Amazing! I'm sure this is due, in part, to Medicaid in many states no longer covering circumcisions, but hopefully it also is due to more parents taking an active role in the decision (or deciding to be inactive about it).

Here is one parent's list of 50 reasons why not to circumcise (including facts vs myths), which goes along with many of my reasons. But I'll also list my own 3 main reasons here:

• We never considered our infant girls to be imperfect and in need of surgery, why should we feel anything should be done to "fix" a normal infant boy? Most of us look upon countries that circumcise girls as barbaric, so why is it okay to routinely do it to boys? God created boys that way for a reason (and more than one, actually).
  

• Babies can't be anesthetized properly, and the excruciating pain they feel with circumcision is very real. I couldn't even watch the whole video clip on this site it disturbed me so much. I wanted to bawl my eyes out. I have never in my life heard a newborn cry like this and it broke my heart. I don't want that done to my precious baby!
  

• Such a personal decision about something that affects the most intimate aspects of a person's life should be that person's decision. Not his mother's, not his father's, but his alone.

Finally, I must add this, as a sort of disclaimer:

My youngest brother, who was adopted from foster care, was not circumcised at birth and after he came to our family he developed infection after infection in that area. These were painful infections that antibiotics didn't do a good enough job taking care of, and finally more than one doctor told my mom that the only way to stop the infections for good was to have my brother circumcised. So, at the age of four, the poor kid had to have surgery. While that was quite painful for him and he was miserable for a few days, he was old enough to be anesthetized properly before and after, and my parents only did it because it was medically advised and they felt it was necessary (yes, they've changed their views somewhat on the matter from when their biological sons were babies). He also didn't have to have it constantly rubbing on a diaper. So while I understand that in a very few rare cases circumcision is medically necessary, that is far from the case for most boys. And, at least if your son fits into this rare category, you know it has to be done, you're not guessing and taking a risk.