Randomness: A list about blogging, vacation, my books, and bunnies

• I missed blogging last week. My good intentions to schedule a post went out the window in my rush to wrap things up at work and home in preparation for a week away.
• Is it really vacation when you're chasing around two children under two? Our week visiting with my sister and her family was a toddler-inspired adventure. I can't say that it was restful, but we did have a lot of fun, and we even managed to catch up on some sister time by staying up late talking after our kids (and later our hubbies) were in bed.
• My fun project this month is to finish the updated edition of my family cookbook. I love the art of layout and editing the eclectic collection into a whole. (Just smile and nod.) I try to give a copy to family members every other Christmas, which makes this edition only a bit over a year overdue. So far it's 48 pages, but I have a stack of recipes yet to add and quite a bit of tweaking to do. Okay, so I confess that I always have more tweaking to do, but there is a difference between "quite a bit" and putting on the final polish.
• Speaking of cooking.... I am really enjoying the use of my Kindle Fire as a cookbook, in conjunction with the Belkin Kitchen Stand and Wand for Tablets that my brother so wisely gifted me for Christmas. Add the M-Edge Leisure Kindle Jacket and my Fire is well protected from cooking splatters and toddler explorations.
• I haven't quite finished re-writes on another chapter of Dormant. See the first and second bullet points. In that vein, if I can stay up late talking to my sister, I can certainly stay up late writing.
• I confess that I still haven't caught up on the housework since the holidays. Our house isn't a total wreck, but it could certainly use a bit of TLC to rescue it from the toys and dust. On second thought, maybe I should leave the toys out to hide the dust bunnies. They've reached a nice status quo.
• Speaking of bunnies.... Did I mention that my last post was my 100th blog? In honor of the occasion, I'm giving away a copy of Pink Snowbunnies in Hell: A Flash-Fiction Anthology to one lucky reader. Just post your own random thought in the comments section below.

Add tea to your Thanksgiving: Green tea prevents flu in children

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm posting this first thing in the morning so that you can make a slight modification to your Thanksgiving menu. Consider adding green tea alongside your eggnog. If you don't like drinking green tea, there are plenty of recipes, like Green Tea Lime Pie or Green Tea Cake. It might seem a bit much to make a new recipe this late in your feast preparations, but think of all the available family sous chefs you could put to work.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, green tea can help fight the flu. I just came across information on another study: Green Tea Consumption Is Inversely Associated with the Incidence of Influenza Infection among Schoolchildren in a Tea Plantation Area of Japan. How's that for a catchy title?

This study explored whether school-age children (6-13 years old) who regularly drank green tea would have fewer cases of influenza. For four months, during flu season, 2,050 children participated in the study. Those who drank green tea approximately five times per week had significantly fewer cases of flu compared to those who drank almost no green tea. Those who drank the most green tea (about one cup per day) also had significantly fewer sick days.

Less time being sick is certainly a good thing, particularly around the holidays. I think I'll see if my son would like to join me in a cup of the decaf mango green tea that I have at home.

Winner Announced: Pink Snowbunnies contest and giveaway

Chocolate Nutella Cookies

The winner is.... No one! That's right, I didn't have any official entries for my Pink Snowbunnies Contest, even though I know that a few people intended to submit a recipe.

That's okay, I forgive you. This isn't really a recipe blog, though I do love to cook. I may have to console myself by making one of the recipes posted by my fellow Pink Snowbunnies authors. A Chocolate Nutella Cookies recipe popped up a few times during the anthology creation process. I could make those again, or I may just poll my family on what they would like to help me eat.

Update 9/13/11
I did have an official recipe submission! Becky contacted me via email to let me know that, apparently, her comment did not go through. She will try to re-post. If anyone else experienced the same difficulty, please try again by commenting below or sending me an email. If I don't hear from anyone else by tomorrow, I get to make Mini French Silk Tarts.

Can you learn about Korea through its cuisine?

I am on a quest to learn more about Korea. In a few short days, my parents will fly out to begin a new four-year mission: working in South Korea. Popular wisdom says that you can learn about a culture through its cuisine. I love trying new foods, with a few reservations, so I'm intrigued to try.

"The Kimchi Chronicles" recently caught my eye. Hosted by Marja Vongerichten, the PBS show revolves around her rediscovery of her Korean roots. Can someone married to a professional chef make food that is accessible to the average American, particularly Korean food that I can cook? Having been immersed in a confusing, new world on a few trips to Asian markets, I can imagine the challenge that my parents face.

Has anyone seen the show or read its companion book, The Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking for an American Kitchen? I downloaded a sample of the Kindle version, but I would welcome personal feedback. I want to watch the show, but it airs at at 8am here, and I don't have any way to record for later viewing.

You can expect me to be scarce around here as I soak in some quality time with my parents before their departure. I will be back to blogging on my usual schedule by the beginning of September. Meanwhile, please comment to share interesting facts or links related to Korea.

Should you drink your fruits and veggies?

This summer, my immersion blender is getting a workout making green smoothies as a breakfast option. My favorite blend includes yogurt, mango, spinach, orange juice, and milk. Ignoring the generous serving of homemade yogurt and splash of milk, would it be just as healthy to pop open a container of a fruit and vegetable drink, like V-Fusion? Should you drink your fruits and vegetables? I went searching for answers.

Pure fruit or vegetable juice (no sugar added) in moderation is a good thing. Real juice is full of vitamins, minerals, and health-protecting phytochemicals, and it's often fortified with calcium and vitamin D, and occasionally eye-, brain-, and heart-healthy DHA. But you do have to watch that you really are getting the twofer that you expect. For an example, I'll keep picking on V-Fushion—mostly because I have V-Fushion Light in my fridge right now. The manufacturer claims that an 8-ounce serving “gives you a full serving of vegetables plus a full serving of fruit.” The label states that an 8-oz serving contains ½ cup of vegetables and ½ cup of fruit, which is the equivalent to one serving each, per USDA. (The Light version contains only one combined serving of vegetables and fruit, not two.)

V-Fushion is made of 100 percent fruit and vegetables juices, but there is a difference between reconstituted juices (juice concentrate) and freshly squeezed. The vitamins C and E do allow the manufacturer to put an “antioxidant” label on the packaging. However, peach juice is not a peach and carrot juice is not a carrot. Even high-pulp juices can't make up for all the fiber and nutrients that get discarded with the skin and pulp during juicing. These are the components that help keep your appetite, blood sugar, LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure down.

That said, vegetable-infused juices are better than no vegetables. At least it's a sweet beverage with fewer calories and more nutrients than soda or fruit punch. Drinking fruity, sweet drinks will not help turn my son into the veggie lover of my dreams, but neither will my beloved smoothies. That said, my immersion blender won't get a rest in the near future. We aren't going to turn into Popeye, but at least I know that we are getting good fiber and nutrition in our morning smoothies.

Green tea can help fight the flu

A list of ways to avoid the flu: get the flu shot, wash your hands, cover your cough, eat healthy, drink green tea.... What?

Yes, drinking green tea can help fight strains of influenza that vaccines miss. Green tea accounts for only 20 percent of world tea consumption, but it has many health benefits. Green tea is produced by pan-frying or steaming the leaves of Camellia sinensis, to inactivate an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase. This process preserves the molecules epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), and epicatechin (EC), which are collectively called catechins and are powerful antioxidants. A typical cup of green tea contains approximately 200 to 300 mg of catechins. Black tea, which accounts for 78 percent of world tea consumption, is produced from leaves of the same plant; however, its different preparation process causes oxidation and polymerization of the catechins.

A study on the effects of green tea catechins plus theanine—another tea component—on healthcare workers exposed to the influenza virus, was performed by Dr. Keiji Matsumoto and colleagues at the University of Shizuoka, Japan. From November 2009 to April 2010, 98 workers were assigned to the catechin/theanine group and 99 were assigned to the placebo group. All worked with elderly patients, and 92.9 percent were vaccinated against influenza. The catechins and theanine were supplied in capsules that provided a 378 mg catechins and 210 mg theanine per day.

The catechin/theanine group had significantly fewer cases of flu than the placebo group—four cases in the catechin/theanine group and 16 cases in the placebo group. Flu was diagnosed as fever plus any two of the following symptoms: cough, sore throat, headache, muscle aches.

Even as an ardent tea fan, I tend to drink green tea only about once a week. I plan to add it into my rotation more frequently, though it sounds like a daily dose would be ideal. This is the perfect excuse to try making Tea Jelly with green tea or baking the even more decadent Green Tea Cake.

How much protein do you really need?

Protein sources

Protein can be a hot topic, particularly when people learn that I grew up vegetarian. "Do you mean you've never had meat?" they ask with widened eyes. "But how do you get enough protein?" The attitude is: that can't be healthy. Actually, just the opposite, which is why I am passing the lifestyle on to my son.

Far from trying to start a heated debate, I am blogging to share my own research into the science of protein nutrition. You are certainly welcome to differ with me, and I won't be offended if you eat meat in my presence. My husband and a couple of other family members are not vegetarian, so I cook meat on occasion. I have even tasted meat, though I find the texture off-putting. I prefer vegetarian cooking, particularly lacto-ovo vegetarian. It works for me, and my husband doesn't complain. Smart man.

A burger and shake McMeal contains two to three times as much protein as people need per day. According to the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the average American eats about double the amount of protein that their body requires.

Our bodies use protein to repair damaged cells and build new ones. Figures vary, but the amount of protein needed by the average adult is just 10-35 percent of the day's calories, which means 46 grams of protein for women and 56 grams of protein for men. Protein servings of meat, poultry, or fish, should be the size and thickness of the palm of your hand, which is about a 3-ounce portion. Meat eaters should eat no more than two palm-sized servings of meat a day to get enough—but not too much—protein.

What are the best protein sources? Lean animal sources include red meat with less marbling, poultry without skin, nonfat or low-fat dairy products, and fish. Soy foods include tofu, edamame (green soybeans), roasted soy nuts, and meat substitutes like veggie burgers or crumbles.

A few of the many lacto-ovo
vegetarian protein sources

Most people benefit from eating less processed protein (e.g., bacon, hot dogs, and lunch meats) and are better off eating beans and fish a few times a week. Beans and whole grains are some of the healthiest foods on the planet and they're cheap, filling, and easy to make. From black beans and garbanzos to lentils and split peas, plant proteins can be used in soups, chili, spreads, and Mexican dishes. As for whole grains, three protein-rich grains are quinoa, spelt, and amaranth.

Unlike animal protein, most plant-based proteins are "incomplete," meaning they lack some amino acid building blocks. By combining plant proteins, such as rice and beans or hummus on pita bread, they become "complete" with all the essential amino acids found in animal protein. Soy protein is the only plant source that's complete. This means that rice and beans are not only a delicious meal, they are also a complete protein. Recommendations used to be that you needed to combine plant proteins at a given meal, but more recent information reveals that it is not necessary to combine specific protein foods at one sitting to make complete protein. Your body will do the protein combination for you.

Whew! That went on a bit longer than I intended. To think that I didn't like nutrition class when I was in college!

Do I always make the right food choices? Certainly not, but I'm trying. I want my son to continue to be healthy and active, and part of that means modeling good eating behaviors. It can even be fun. My son's very favorite food is yogurt. He goes through so much of it that I've resurrected my yogurt-making skills. Tonight was mommy-son time, so I filled two small bowls with homemade yogurt flavored with honey and fruit puree. As we enjoyed our treat, his enthusiasm made it (almost) as good as ice cream.

For someone who grew up eating meat, vegetarian cooking is an adjustment. It takes a different kind of mindset. If you are interested in at least trying Meatless Monday, I recommend that you start with a book like The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour.