Voice

When I was a child I used to dream of growing up and being the richest of all my siblings. I'm sure I talked about it a great deal. I was going to be a Doctor, because I was going to prove I was the smartest. I was going to have several kids, a giant house, several cars, and lots of land with a barn and horses. Pretty much I wanted to have everything I grew up with, but even bigger. I remember when I thought my hardest decision would be whether or not I should buy a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Obviously I was just a child. But, greed and selfishness was a big struggle for me yet I was so blind to it. I had a hard time giving away my toys and clothes to kids that needed them because they were mine - it didn't matter that I never planned to play with them or wear them again, they were mine. My parents even took my siblings and I on trips to 3rd world countries to visit missionaries. I saw first hand the poverty, I knew that they deserved to have people donate their toys and clothes - I just didn't want them to be my things. While I truly cared about the people, especially Peruvians since I went their twice, I justified my selfishness by rationalizing that they were happy people, they always had a smile - they didn't need my things. But, the truth of the matter is I didn't need my things. As I have grown up I have grown more aware of my selfish ambitions and am grateful that God has truly changed my heart. I no longer want a big house, cars, and an over abundance of things. I want God to use me to help feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and house the abused, abandoned, and trafficked. This calling came to me even stronger last night as I began to read a new book.

Undaunted by Christine Caine, I only read through half of the first chapter but the power in her writing was immense. Actually it isn't even her writing, but the stories of girls that she shared. She shared some heartbreaking stories of women who were tricked into paying their own fare into sex slavery. While many people choose to ignore the topic because it is just too difficult to swallow or they do not want their children to learn about such evils, it is time that we face the truth - This is real, sex slavery is really happening, it's not a bad movie - in fact those movies do not even show how terrible it really is.

Her first chapter she calls the 'Schindler's List Moment' when Schindler, played by Liam Neeson realizes that if he had just sold his car he could have saved 10 more people, or his gold pen 2 more people. The Holocaust was a terrible time in human history - some people think it was the worst, but they have no idea what is happening right now. What Hitler organized was so terrible, but sadly the war wasn't started to save the victims - No, war was started to keep the Germans from taking over Europe. How sad is it to think that if Hitler only stayed in Germany that the Holocaust may never have ended? How many of you think that you would want to take a stance against such horrifying acts? That you would have been willing to fight or financially support efforts against the Holocaust to save those victims? You have a chance to do that today in 2014. You can make a difference.

How? You can financially support groups who are working to end sex slavery, whether on the large scale or small scale. You can be a voice - share what is going on, encourage those around you to pay attention, to care about people. Pray for those who have an abundance of money that they might be moved to spend it on helping save women and children from their abusers rather than on something affluent they don't really want or need. Like pages on Facebook that are fighting trafficking.



Here are some places that you can consider getting involved with:
Large scale:
 http://www.thea21campaign.org/
http://enditmovement.com/
http://www.notforsalecampaign.org

Smaller scale:
www.abundantlifeforperu.com
https://www.facebook.com/capturedbyadream


Be encouraged to stand up, your small effort combined with everyone's small effort will create a large effort! Christ came to seek and save the lost, go and live your life in the same manner!

This was Captured by a Dream: Voice. Stay tuned for more from Captured by a Dream.

Psalm 151

Yes, I know that Psalm ends with 150, and that there is technically not a chapter 151. Not, that I would equate my psalm with that of David or the other psalmists of the Bible, but here is a prayer of mine that I thought I might share because it might be a prayer of yours too.

Psalm 151

I ache and I grumble on the inside, but on the outside I just go on.

Days begin and end and all I do is press on. 

I feel as though I am just surviving, no where near thriving, I just keep moving on. 

Satan keeps making me distracted, trying to tear me down, but by God's strength I carry on. 

I am lonely, but not alone, for You, O LORD, are never gone. 

But, please I beg, You, I need more of Your strength to continue on. 

I am starting to doubt hope and replacing it with fear of new beginnings and so on. 

If I stay here what happens, if I go there what happens, what if I don't go anywhere - what shall I rely on?

If's are just worries, they have no ground for trust, it is just You, O LORD, that makes me strong. 

Fill my heart with laughter, teach me Your everlasting joy, for it is You I want to base my life upon. 

Comfort my heart all day long through the night and to the dawn. 

Pour Your grace upon me, give me purpose in Your Heavenly Kingdom. 

My Jesus, let me let go of worries and live in each moment so that Your glory can shine on, 

on me and Your people that we may bring Your name fame to those in the dark that need Your light to be turned on, 

on in their hearts, so that they will sing You an everlasting praise song. 

Bring power to Your servant so that my life will point to You and Your Kingdom. 

Jesus, I love you forever and forever and so on.

This was Inspirations: Psalm 151. Please stay tuned for more from Inspirations.

Fitness Challenges: 10,000 sit ups in 25 days

If you're in need of a good challenge join me! Let's do 10,000 sit ups in 25 days! That is 400 a day! I know that sounds like a lot, but you can do it... and you won't regret doing it when you see how nice your core looks and feels!

So, come on what are you waiting for? Let's get started! Start today finish October 31. See you at the finish line :)



Let me know if you plan to join me! We can keep each other accountable!

This was Fitness Challenges: 10,000 sit ups in 25 days. Join in and find out what the next challenge might be!

All About Baking: Mini Maddies

A few weeks ago I bought a mini Madeleine sheet, and I am very excited to tell you that I used it today!

I made chocolate Madeleines rather than your basic lemon, but I am sure it won't be long before I try the traditional type too!

Today I want to first go over how to adjust when you realize that they recipe you chose was not the best recipe.

I made the first round of my mini Maddies thinking that the batter was too think, but because I followed a recipe I stuck with it. Sadly, the first set (while still tasting great) did not form those cute little shells on the front like they should. I attributed this to it's thickness and inability to really cover the sheet properly. What did I do you ask? Well, I added a little bit of milk at a time until I came up with a thin enough consistency to fill the sheet without having to spread the batter myself.

The original recipe is as follows:

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. cocoa

1/2 t. baking powder

2 oz butter (1/4 cup)

1/2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. sugar

1 egg

2 egg yolks

375 degrees

cream sugar, vanilla and butter

add eggs one at a time

mix dry ingredients together

add dry ingredients to batter

So I ended up adding probably about 2 Tablespoons of milk, maybe 3 to a half batter. Which would me to adjust this recipe it would be best to add 1/4 c. milk. OR it would be good to test it and melt the butter originally to see how that affects the consistency.

But, since I didn't foresee the problem I had to adjust accordingly during the recipe. Here's a picture between the two.

To the left are the thicker battered maddies and to the right are the adjusted ones. Excuse the bright flash

But, end result: tasty tasty tasty and fun! So, never be afraid of adjusting while baking. If you ever have a baking question, please ask away and I would be happy to answer you as best I can!

Decorate with powdered sugar!

pretty little shell shape!

This was All About Baking: Mini Maddies. Please stay tuned for more baking tips!

In the Pantry: Tomatillos

I bet you're wondering what is a tomatillo? A tomatillo is a Mexican fruit that I like to think of as a Mexican tomato, but in reality it is a cousin to the gooseberry. I saw these lovely fruits at the farmers market and decided I had to try them out. They come in a green husk that covers their smooth green skin.

Now you might be wondering, okay so I now know what a tomatillo is, but what they heck do you do with one? I'll tell you: make Salsa Verde

Step one:

Boil the tomatillo until soft.

Step two:

Blend the tomatillos in a food processor, add fresh garlic cloves, green chiles, half onion, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt.

Step three: Enjoy 

But, since I do not really like eating chips I added my salsa verde to soups.

The first week I made Caldo con Queso - a cheesey tomato potato Mexican soup. The salsa verde is used to add some extra spice.

Recipe: 

cubed potatoes (about 5 - leave the skins on if red potatoes)

olive oil 

[in large pot heat oil and add potatoes, cook until tender]

1 14 oz can of tomato sauce

[add to potatoes, then add same amount of water]

[simmer]

4 oz salsa verde

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cup Mexican blended cheese

[stir into the soup, serve with sour cream and avocado]

The second week I made up a spicy, yummy soup. Here's what I did:

almost 1/4 cup dried black beans

almost 1/4 cup dried pinto beans

almost 1/4 cup brown rice

~5 cups water

[heat until boiled, then place lid on and simmer]

[once the beans and rice were cooked]

[add] 2 cups salsa verde

4 chicken tenderloins

sea salt

pepper

cayenne 

[all spices to taste]

[once chicken is cooked through, cut into pieces]

serve hot with cheese and sour cream

I tell you what I love creating recipes. If you've never done it you should try it. And, if you have done it you should share what creations you've made! Maybe we can recreate them too! If you ever try making one of my recipes let me know! I would love to hear about how it worked out for you!

This was In the Pantry: Tomatillos. Please stay tuned for more fun with items in your pantry :)

     

Fall 2013: When You Don't Know What To Say

Okay I just finished the potentially the craziest week of the semester so far. I have an objective in this blog. I want to write it to you to prove a point, however, the point might not make sense until the end so bare with me, because it might sound a little complainy - I'm hoping for it to raise your stress level a little bit...

My last week in a nutshell:

Friday: all day work on take home test (literally all day), missed a meeting, helped at karate, my car will NOT move out of park, cooked dinner for my brother, went to go to bed (at my parent's house) realized I didn't have contact stuff so had to drive home (to my condo) at midnight.

Saturday: help at karate (borrow a belt), study for Sports Nutrition, study... study... study, go to a friend's house, late

Sunday: Study ALL day - watched a sermon online from Mars Hill, study some more, tutor for 2 hours, back to my place and study some more

Monday: wake up to study and finish the take home exam, meeting at 11:30, meeting at 1, test at 2 - in between chaos broke lose and a lot of phone tag and trying to figure out what I can do, class, 15 minutes to buy shoes, pick up a girl from swim, babysit, home at 9, make a powerpoint presentation

Tuesday: day shadowing at the hospital 8-1, drive to school (in my dad's truck) realized I couldn't park on campus without the pass - trying to find a parking lot, get to class, present the presentation, get home finish homework that I forgot online in a panic, run to tutor, run to karate... a little late, borrow a belt, stay at my parent's house

Wednesday: study all morning for accounting, class, run to health center - super sore throat - not enough time, test, class again, tutor calculus, home, watch Nashville - stay up way too late

Thursday: Advanced auto parts for car part, my dad fixes my car, run to karate, online lecture, class 4-8



Did that sound ridiculously stressful? I hope that you see that it was completely packed, I may have even forgotten things... Okay now watch this video (it's 15 minutes, but really worth it)

http://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend.html

Okay now that you have listened to the Ted Talk.

Change perspective:

All of the pressure and determination of studying allowed me to pull all A's on all of my tests (98, 96 and still waiting on the last grade, but I'm sure it's an A)

I made it through the entire week and I am so relieved. Without all of the stress and reactions that my body produced in response I may not have been able to power through it. I am exhausted, but I am feeling great and glad to have stress responses the way that I do. I feel empowered to use pressure for my benefit now rather than let myself feel overpowered by anxiety and stress.

Guess what else! Fixing my car (which I had a melt down about not being able to afford to fix) only cost $9! And it took my dad less than 10 minutes to fix!

So now go out and be empowered to overcome your stressful situations! Believe in what your body is telling you! Talk to people, be social :)

When you don't know what to say, just say Jesus. There is power in His name, trust in Jesus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWbYo6H0WiI

***Please note that not all stress is equal... if they types of stress you face is too little sleep that will negatively affect your body no matter what you think of stress, to fix it sleep the proper amount! If your body is stressed from lack of nutrition, eat a proper balance. If you are stressed because you're bored, exercise - create energy and excitement ***

This was Fall 2013: When You Don't Know What To Say. Stay tuned for more of my fall semester!

Andie's Kitchen: Homemade Greek Yogurt Experiment

I had a ton of milk that I needed to use up by tomorrow so I figured why not try making my own greek yogurt???

So, here's what I did. I found a recipe and this is what happened.

Step 1: Scald 4 cups milk on high heat for 5-7 minutes.

Step 2: Let cool for 45 minutes to an hour.

Step 3: Add 2 tablespoons live culture greek yogurt

Notice Live Culture

Step 5: Heat oven to warm for 4-10 minutes. Turn off oven and turn on oven LIGHT. Place mixture in oven for up to 12 hours.

Step 6: When the yogurt is settled like below. Strain for 2-4 hours. (I accidentally strained too long and had to add back some whey)

Notice how it falls off the sides easily.

Strain with a thin cloth.

Mix with honey and store!

Thank you for joining me today for Andie's Kitchen: Homemade Greek Yogurt Experiment. Stay tuned for more kitchen experiments!

Captured by a Dream: Anti-human trafficking

Several years ago if you would have asked me what the term trafficking meant I would have responded, "I'm not sure, the act of making traffic?"

By the time I graduated college in 2010 I had heard of trafficking - diamond minds in Africa, sweat shops in China, and brothels in Thailand. What I didn't know was how much bigger and more worldwide the industry was.

In 2012, I embarked on a journey that would change my life forever. I moved to a remote Amazon city in Peru - Iquitos. I had been there twice before for missions trips and it was the city my sister was adopted from, but I had no idea what the city had become and how great the need I would find there.

During my stay I was exposed to a culture surrounded by drugs. The church had opened a Safe House for ex-drug addicted men. These men lived on the streets and have done every bad thing a sheltered girl like myself could never have imagined. It was incredible to see how God was changing these men - breaking the chains of addiction in Jesus' name. His grace truly is enough.

The news of the salvations and healings spread and the house kept growing. A young woman named Jessica, a prostitute for over 10 years, sought out refuge from the church - but unfortunately they only had a home for men, leaving no where for her to stay. Months later the missionaries found out she was in the hospital dying from AIDS, at age 29. They brought her into their home where she received Jesus and stayed until her last day.

Before her death Jessica expressed her love for her friends by saying that someone needs to save them by sharing Jesus with them. She dreamed of a house for women and children - believing that if she had been give the opportunity a few years earlier then she might not be dying.

Prostitution is not a choice profession. Many of the women were put into it by their families around the age of 8 or 9. They were trafficked. After coming back to the States I learned that Iquitos is the number one hub for child sex trafficking in Peru and the number one child tourism location on the Amazon River.

Upon a return trip to Peru this past January I learned that Iquitos has bars where they sell children with their beverages, they have 1 sol camps set up for 'in & out' business, they keep children locked up during the day in dark rooms - most on drugs, and they are sending them all over Peru and Brazil almost daily.

In an article I read they explained the extreme poverty of Iquitos is because they cannot export goods and tade easily because they do not have roads out of the city, so they have discovered one 'good' that can be reused and reused and reused and even exported.

The demand for children and young women is growing everyday, with Brazil becoming the lead in the sex-trade industry this past year.

Jesus tells us that when we love one another through giving shelter, clothing, food, water, and the gospel we are loving Him.

The women and children victims of this tragic industry need shelter, clothing, food, water and the gospel. Please partner with us on this project. Let awareness become responsibility - I challenge you to stand up for change - stand up for Jesus.

Check out: abundantlifeforperu.com  and check out Captured by a Dream.

Fall 2013: Objective Overload

Do you ever feel like life is going one million miles an hour? That your life is going so fast and you're going to fall behind? This semester has proven to be one of those times in life when I am just not sure I can keep up. Here is a peek into my crazy day and weekend to come. Now it's not a bad schedule, it's just packed as full as it can get!

Today....Thursday...normally my relaxed day.

5 am someone was patting my face... I wake up to see Pebbles really close staring right at me, looking at me with these big cat eyes saying "Please pet me" - I couldn't resist I pet her for a few minutes until she decided that she was content and went into a different room.

8 am I give up the idea of sleeping until 9 and get my day started early. I finished my 1.5 hour online lecture and took notes and was completely bored out of my mind learning about enteral nutrition... which could be interesting except it was like listening to a text book and no personality.

1130 am I head to Karate practice because I need some serious exercise in my life and cannot skip Thursday afternoon fun. Karate was a lot of fun, my shoulders are still a bit sore. We're working on a bonomi form (it's a taekwondoe weapon... aka stick). It's really fun. Maybe I'll take a video and post it sometime.

Immediately from Karate at 1 pm I went to Elevation Blakeney for this weekend's worship run through, because guess what... the choir gets to sing! Not only do we get to sing, but we get to sing my favorite hymn of all time In Christ Alone.

At 2 30 I went back to my place made lunch (bolognese yumm) and finished some last minute homework.

I then left for class which started at 5... I'm in class right now... oops. But, I am listening don't worry.

This weekend:

Friday - 10am haircut. 2pm pick up some cute kids from the bus stop. 3-5 swim practice, maybe some TCBY? Make dinner and watch a movie... I'm thinking I should introduce them to Seven Brides for Seven Brothers :) Kids are asleep by 9, then I get to do homework.

Saturday - Bringing the kids to watch me help teach Karate from 9-930... filling in the time until swim practice again and Blakeney playground. We're going to make a great lunch and bake something tasty, dress up and have a photo shoot. Then I finish at 5 to babysit again at 645.

Sunday - Choir!!! 8am start, finish right before Music Video practice 2-3, 315 I run over to tutor calculus then I head straight back to Elevation at 4. After the last Worship Experience I'm heading straight to my friend's house for the Jessica House Release Party. Wow that's a long but fun day!

The rest of my week is not as exciting... just homework and classes and work. OH wait! I do start my preceptorship with a Dietitian at Levine Children's hospital on Tuesday! Yay!

That was Fall 2013: Objective Overload. Stay tuned for more of my rollercoaster ride!

Andie's Kitchen: Flour Tortillas

Today I decided that buying flour tortillas is too expensive considering they typically only come in packs of 8. To avoid going to the store today I made the bold decision to make homemade flour tortillas. I found a great recipe on allrecipes.com. It was also really simple which is a definite plus!

The fun part of making homemade tortillas is the mixing with the dough your hands. When I have the opportunity to really create and mold food with my hands it is makes me feel like an accomplished cook. When I envision great cooks I think more of heritage and ethnicity in its purest form rather than a culinary school artist chef. So taking the time to really create delicious foods like homemade tortillas really speaks to me and makes me grateful for all of the women in Mexico who have continuously kept tradition and passed the art down. I would recommend to everyone to try a truly from scratch approach to a meal at least once in your life. You will not regret it!

Also, along with my homemade tortillas I made homemade refried beans. I soaked my pinto and black bean mixture (the hard beans in a bag) for around 8 hours, then boiled them for 40 minutes and fried them in butter, onions, cheese, garlic salt, cayenne, and cumin. They were amazing, and a wonderful compliment to the tortilla!

They look like any other tortilla, but taste so much better!

The recipe makes a lot of tortillas!

This was Andie's Kitchen: Flour Tortillas. I hope you enjoyed cooking with me! Stay tuned for more fun creations in the kitchen!

Fall 2013: Losing My Marbles

These past few days have been some of my most off moments in life possibly ever.

It all started a few days ago when I made pancake batter that I added TABLESPOONS of baking powder to instead of TEASPOONS. Fortunately for myself I was able to adjust the batter to make it taste delicious despite my large mistake.

Today though was the worst. First I locked myself, a dog, and a puppy out of the house I was at - locking my phone, keys, their house key, bathing suit (because I could have at least swam while I waited), and purse inside. I desperately searched for another way in, thankful to find a door that was unlocked!

A few hours later I was in the car with Lydia explaining how I like to always check when I get to the car to make sure I have my phone on me because I sometimes forget it in the condo... right after I finished that story (10 minutes away from the condo) I realized that I forgot my phone.

I decided to make chocolate cream puffs for my dad to say thank you for fixing the dishwasher (I think he has a magical electrical touch), and mixed the ingredients in the wrong order causing flat yet still tasty cream puffs. (I have made cream puff dough probably at least 30 times in my life, this was the first time I've messed it up)

Then we went to the store to buy milk and eggs to make the cream... well I forgot my purse and had to go back for it - thankfully I only made it to my condo gates. I followed the recipe this time exactly and decided that the cream was not very sweet, but it's too late to add sugar now :( I guess I'll throw some powdered sugar on top and hope for the best.

But, I must confess that I don't enjoy being a bad baker (I've made real food and it taste great still, so glad). I saw in a movie once a girl who baked all the time burned a souffle, which she never does because the situation was off. I have been off, and it's because I have been having an extremely hard time sleeping. My bed feels so uncomfortable all of the sudden and my dreams are so vivid they feel like I'm really somewhere else. My muscles are sore and I have a blister on my face (possibly a spider bite). I guess you can say I'm falling apart. My solution is scheduled to arrive by Monday, September 9. I ordered a 4 inch memory foam bed topper - let's just hope I can survive another week!

Pray for me and my sanity :) I'll let you know how it goes!

This was Fall 2013: Losing my marbles. Stay tuned for more of my crazy life stories!

Andie's Kitchen: Cookie Experiment with Mom

My mom found a recipe for Chocolate Macarons a few weeks ago after being inspired by her first trip to Amelie's French Bakery in NoDa. This recipe is not your everyday kitchen supply recipe. It required some specialty items.

After ordering a new cooking scale and purchasing almond meal, we picked a day to make the cookies. That day was today.

For those of you who know, my mom and myself are very experienced bakers. Not only am I experienced with practice, but I have learned all the food science about what is going on and how to make things turn out well. The point of telling you that we are experienced is to emphasize that we were not ready for what lied ahead.

Things we discovered today: almond flour does not equal almond meal... both can be used, just I believe almond flour is easier since it is finer - sifters definitely are important for any kitchen - and boiling sugar to a specific temperature is very difficult without a cooking thermometer. (I had to melt the sugar into solution three times before I could get it to stay in solution so I could add it to the egg whites.)

But, since we are PROS despite all difficulty and time consumption on these little cookies they tasted amazing! I am not fully convinced that they are worth that much time, in fact when my mom suggested it would be faster next time I commented that I didn't love them enough for there to be a next time. However, some time has passed (several hours) since I made that comment and I believe that I can master the art of the Chocolate Macaron eventually. Once the cookies were cooled and the ganache was set and it made that little bite of heaven I realized that they were indeed worth my time. Practice will make perfect.

Here's a picture of our first batch Chocolate Macarons. Next time expect even better!

That was Andie's Kitchen: Cookie Experiment with Mom. Stay tuned for more fun adventures in Andie's Kitchen!

Fall 2013: Jammed Plans

Today everything was so nicely planned out.
Leave at 11. Arrive at school by 11:30. Print articles and homework assignments. Go to the gym and read articles. Eat Lunch. Go to class at 2.

Well, I left late... at 11:40. So, I should have arrived at school by 12:10. When I arrived there was not a parking spot in sight. This has never happened before. While I searched I decided to go ahead and get gas, to try again after. I finally found a spot by 12:20. Wow was I behind.

Reschedule: Print articles and homework by 1. Go to the gym and read articles. Eat Lunch. Go to class at 2.

The printer in the library (there is only one mind you at this tiny library) is jammed. Printing one page every 45 seconds to a minute. Well, I may have decided after 15 minutes that it was time to cancel who ever's print job that was. Selfish? I'm not sure, we were all waiting and she was printing blank powerpoint slides. My guess rookie freshman mistake.

Guess who's off to the gym at 1:10? Me! But, even with the jammed plans I still get to finish everything I sought out to accomplish today. Feeling good about it :)

This was Fall 2013 Jammed Plans. Stay tuned for more silly stories.

Fall 2013: Fresh Start

During the Spring 2013 semester my blog site was heavily neglected. The semester was busy and my ideas on what to share were low. But, this Fall 2013 semester I am planning to fall into my blogging and writing style. I hope to share informative details about health and nutrition, experiment with you guys in the kitchen, tell my silly stories of everyday life, keep you updating on my extremely busy schedule, and let you follow me as I shadow several different dietitians! This semester will be an adventure to the fullest! I'm excited to have you along for the ride! One this I ask is for feedback :) Blogging is so much more fun when I feel like everyone is engaged and cares... and will miss me if I don't continue to write!

To start off the Fresh Start of the semester here is a quick flash of my first full week of the semester!

17 credit hours. Afternoon classes. Obesity Seminar. Sports Nutrition. Accounting. Nutrition Education aka 480. Medical Nutrition Therapy and Lab. Many upon many Heroes episodes. Peter Petrelli is my favorite. Sylar is my roommate's... but it's more of a Zachary Quinto/Spock love I am convinced. Massage. Karate. Raised to Life Baptism volunteering. Moussaka. Grapes. Exhaustion. Planning a missions trip to Thailand with 8 other people. MarsHill and Summit Sermons (you should go listen). Getting myself ready for the rest of the semester!

This was the first episode of Fall 2013. Stay tuned for more interesting topics and stories to come!

Souptober: The Soup Game

Hey! So, I know that I have not been showing you my wonderful soups and that they have grossly accumulated! Instead of creating all of them individually I decided to create a fun game for you guys!

Match the Soups! Below are a list of the names and then the pictures are scattered, see if you can guess them all correctly!

See if you can match them all correctly!

a.  Beer-Cheese Cauliflower soup
b. Tomato Basil
c. Chili
d. Squash Corn Chowder
e. Russian Pumpkin Soup
f. Chicken Noodle Soup
g. Jumbalaya
h. Spinach Cannelini


1.











2.











3.













4.













5.













6.











7.

This was the last episode of Souptober. Stay tuned for more new fun Topics coming Fall 2013!

Food Facts: Coconut Oil

How many of you have been told that coconut oil is going to help you lose weight? How many have been told that it is a healthy oil?

Did any of you ask why? Did you read the research? Or Did you just start using it because they're saying its good?

Today I want to help you be a researcher and develop an understanding on how to decide what you believe that is in the media about your diet; your diet is very important, it depicts how our body functions.

When you hear about a new 'diet' tool the best thing to do is to research it. When you are researching you should look for two things: 1 a government website (.gov) or 2 an article that was published by researchers (found in Google scholar, not newspapers)

Here is a mock example for you:

Google search: Coconut oil

Results:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil

www.tropicaltraditions.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm

coconutoil.com/

www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/dining/02Appe.html?...all

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/fat/saturatedfat.html


Which of the above website is going to give the most accurate information? Wikipedia, Websites owned by Coconut Oil companies (therefore going to make claims for coconut oil), NY Times, or CDC.gov?

The CDC.gov is going to provide the most up to date factual information, which means that it has been proven and not speculated. 

What you can find when you research coconut oil is that it is a saturated fat. There are claims that it is a medium chained saturated fat. However, saturated fats are the fats used in our body to create cholesterol which is necessary, but when there is an over abundance can cause your arteries to become clogged with excess saturated fats. Coconut oil has not been found to contain any significant amounts of vitamins or minerals, if any at all. Essentially coconut oil does not provide any significant nutrient source other than saturated fat. 

With that said, your body does need saturated fats. You can choose your saturated fat: butter, lard, coconut oil etc. But, remember that it is encouraged to keep a diet low in saturated fat. Which means that if you cannot give up butter in your baking, choose an oil that is high in polyunsaturated fats like Olive oil to saute your food when you cook. Keep a healthy balance of your fats. Try not to only eat one type.

In conclusion, coconut oil has not proven scientifically to promote weight loss. Coconut oil is a saturated fat. Coconut oil is not bad for you, but remember to eat your fats in moderation. 

*In my dietetic and nutrition courses my professors have discussed their opinion that coconut oil is just a fad and that there is not solid evidence stating that these claims are true. However, once they are aware of evidence they would be happy to support to craze :)

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This was Food Facts: Coconut Oil. Stay tuned for more fun Food Facts!