Bad Kitty! Noooo biting the Church Village under the tree! #feralcats #cats @meowmix

Feline Fright Under Our 

Christmas Tree!

This should be a commercial for Meow Mix® Irresistibles!

Merry Christmas!

Record high warm temps today in our NJ December Garden #gardenchat

Hanging Baskets with Petunias continue to bloom here in Jersey!

Today in Our Gardens
December 14, 2015

Just planted some cosmos seed along our veggie garden fence. No wonder some of us are getting garden fever - according to the NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, MOUNT HOLLY NJ 4:39 PM EST MON., DEC 14, 2015 we had RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE TIED AT MOUNT POCONO, PA TODAY... THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 58 DEGREES AT MOUNT POCONO, PENNSYLVANIA TODAY, WHICH TIES THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR DECEMBER 14th. THE DAILY RECORD FOR THE DATE WAS SET PREVIOUSLY IN 1901. 

It was 70 degrees here at home in South Jersey today. Mom and I went out Christmas shopping without coats. And, at church yesterday, children of parishioners were in shorts and short sleeves! 

Happy Holidays!

Is Junk Food to Blame for Obesity? hell yeah #getreal

Is Junk Food to Blame for Obesity?

Hell, yeah - get real. And so are excess portion sizes. As an outpatient dietitian working with patient after patient across the lifespan struggling with obesity, it is no surprise that when it comes to being truthful in verbal diet recalls or written food diarys, individuals simply do not report all that is consumed when first asked. It takes many visits before an individual or family shares their real eating patterns. When I read studies published by PhD's stating that intake of fast foods, soft drinks and candy is unrelated to body mass index of 95% of American adults, it reminds me of headlines in the past (1988-1990 in particular) that touted the anticholesterol benefits of oat bran.

Professionals need to use common sense and discretion before making confusing claims to the public based on data reported to the CDC's National Health and Examination Survey. Do you think that those interviewed by strangers were truthful with regards to frequency of eating fast foods, soft drinks or candy? 

Furthermore, studies that suggest that clinicians and practitioners examine overall eating patterns of their clients are preaching to the choir. Any RDN involved who counsels obese patients would be following professional protocol and evaluating food intake, including snacking, as well as physical activity.

Those in healthcare and academia should strive not to confuse people, but rather to help prevent and treat diseases such as obesity by encouraging eating less junk food and limiting excess portions.

Happy Holidays! And, best wishes as you strive for a healthy diet and lifestyle in the New Year. You can do it. Exercise as medically able and eat a balanced diet of lean protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and calcium rich foods and beverages.
Blog post Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Zucchini Noodles Alfredo #GardenCuizine #Zoodles

Zoodles Alfredo

This new family favorite Zoodle side dish was inspired from BariatricEating.com. I just made a few adjustments to their recipe including adding more olive oil and less salt and saturated fat. It's creamy goodness will give all ages across the lifespan a good reason to eat their veggies! Besides being tasty and quick to prepare, it is low in cost making it another Cooking Healthy on a Budget recipe.

Yields 3 regular servings: or 6 bariatric smaller servings

Ingredients
2 medium Zucchini
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 teaspoon minced Garlic
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
pinch hot peppers, minced

Putting it all together
1) Spiralize the zucchini into Zoodles onto a plate. Use culinary sheers and snip the pile in 3rds to shorten the zucchini strands.
2) Heat the oil in a skillet. Add hot peppers and garlic. Add zucchini 'Zoodles' and stir to combine.
3) Stir in cheeses. Add fresh ground black pepper and a pinch sea salt. Turn off heat and cover until ready to serve. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Enjoy as a healthy veggie side dish

Buon Appetito!

GardenCuizine Zoodles Alfredo Nutrition Data:  
Good Source: Protein, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate and Potassium
Excellent Source: Vitamin C and Calcium

1/3 recipe regular serving: Calories: 193; Total Fat: 15g; Saturated Fat: 5g (24% DV); Monounsaturated Fat 8.2g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g; Sodium: 192mg; Total Carbohydrate: 7g; Dietary Fiber 1.4g (6% DV); Protein 9g; Vitamin A 456IU (9% DV); Vitamin C: 22mg (37% DV); Riboflavin: 0.3mg (18% DV); Vitamin B6: 0.3mg (15% DV); Folate: 44 mcg (11% DV); Calcium: 224mg (22% DV); Potassium 404mg (12% DV)
 
Blog post and photo collage Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Herald the Holidays with fresh Hawaiian, Maui Protea #Gardenchat #SeasonofAloha

Hawaiian Holiday Wreath
made with fresh Protea from Maui

Besides the alluring, fragrant smell, my excitement over a recent arrival of a Christmas table centerpiece lured Mom into the kitchen to take a peak. Being so petite (less than 5-feet tall), she needed to grab a stepping stool to raise her up to better see this creative wreath from Maui, Hawaii. 

 

I fell in love with Protea (Protea cynaroides) at first sight this year. A fellow church member took some in to our Flower Guild for a special farewell dinner arrangement we were making for our retiring Rector and his wife. One of our very special friends remembered that I loooooved it and sent us a Protea wreath for the holidays. The blooms look quite unusual and will make an exquisite holiday centerpiece.

The Maui florist grows 25 different varieties. Some must be fragrant, because the wreath has a very pleasant aroma. 

I'm learning the names of some of the varieties. King Protea's look large and urchin-like (shown above). Ours measures 6-inches. 

Pink Mink (shown) is another unusual Protea bloom. Pink Mink feels soft and has feathery black tips; we've never seen anything like it. 

Proteas grow native in South Africa and must grow pretty well in Hawaii too, which is where ours were grown. Our beautiful wreath was handmade by AnuheaFlowers.com - the second largest Protea farm in Maui. The arrangement included flower buds, eucalyptus and textured greens picked from their farm in Olinda on the slopes of Haleakala.

Blog post and photos Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved. Thank you Audrey, Helen and Rachel!