food

It’s well known that Rachael Ray is an absolute whiz in the kitchen, but did you know that she has quite a few recipes for dogs as well as people? In fact, the celebrity chef is coming out with a brand of dog food called Nutrish for Pets, which is based on recipes she came up with for her pet pit bull, Isaboo.

Proceeds from sales of Nutrish will benefit Rachael’s charity, Rachael’s Rescue, which she created to help shelter animals. She knows that many of the animals brought to shelters don’t find homes, especially if they’re older or have behavioral problems. Pit bulls, the breed to which she’s partial, are often overlooked because they have such a bad reputation, and she hopes that, by bringing more money and attention to the cause, more people will learn about shelter animals and do what they can to help out. She has a link to Bad Rap, an organization devoted to teaching people pit bull responsibility.

In addition to the link to Bad Rap, Rachael also has a link to the North Shore Animal League and a Pet Lovers blog that serves up loads of great posts, such as “Are you ready for a dog?” and “Can aspirin be toxic to dogs?” If you’re a pet lover, it’s a cool place to hang out. And, if you’re interested in whipping up some tasty treats for your furry friend, you can find recipes there as well!

Photo courtesy of rachaelray.com

Colin Firth has long been a humanitarian — he’s been a Make Trade Fair campaigner since 2002, and he’s now helping out Oxfam with their latest food drive for the people of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. The people in these areas are having a hard time feeding themselves due to the rising food prices along with drought, conflict, and poverty.

“A dangerous storm of factors … have stacked on top of each other and are pushing people over the edge. Malnutrition rates have spiked and children grow ever hungrier each day,” said Colin, who added, “Oxfam desperately needs the support of the British public to help avert catastrophe and keep people alive.”

This latest food drive comes on the heels of a disappointing G8 Summit in Japan, in which, according to Oxfam International Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs, “Several governments championed steps to tackle the crucial issues sitting on the G8 agenda, but in the end this summit did not deliver the breakthroughs that are so urgently needed.”

Colin is joined by other celebrities, including John Hanna and Daniela Nardina. Together with Oxfam, they hope to encourage Britons to answer the call to help. You can help, too, by visiting Oxfam’s website.

John Hannah, and Daniela Nardini a

Photo courtesy of celebritywonder.com

Long before eating locally was “cool,” John (at the time, Cougar) Mellencamp was singing about how he lived in a small town, and how he could breathe in a small down. Now, with Farm Aid, he’s encouraging everyone to see how “small” their town can be by eating foods produced locally.

For the first time, Farm Aid will take place in New England –at Boston’s Copely Square Farmer’s Market on September 20, to be exact. Mellencamp, along with Willie Nelson and Neil Young first established Farm Aid in 1985 to raise awareness of family farms and help raise funds for farmers in need. They have raised over $30 million for their cause.

Dave Matthews first performed at Farm Aid in 1994 and, in 2001, was invited to join the board of directors and, along with the original three, takes part in the yearly concert. What’s cool about these concerts is that, while they might have corporate sponsors (this year it’s Whole Foods and Horizon Organics), the concession stands will serve 100% locally grown organic goodies from family farms.

Willie Nelson said it best, saying, “The only way to solve this is to do it locally. Let your neighbors grow your food so you don’t have to import it. That addresses not only the big expense, but the environmental problem. And at the same time you’re getting better food.” Right on, Willie — it’s a win-win!

If you’re interested in attending Farm Aid, tickets will be available at ticketmaster.com starting July 28.

Photo courtesy of starpulse.com

Jake Gyllenhaals’s looks aren’t the only thing delicious about him. The 27-year-old dreamy-eyed actor is preparing to open a an organic restaurant in Los Angeles.

Apparently, Jake has long held a passion for the culinary arts. As a matter of fact, he has made numerous appearances on celebrity chef Mario Batali’s show, Molto Mario, and the A-lister actually made a promise to himself some time ago that, if his acting career took off, he would open a high-end restaurant before his 30th birthday.

As of right now, he is looking at real estate with longtime friend and chef Chris Fischer. The duo intends to create a high-class atmosphere where diners can experience the wonders of Tuscan food in a completely natural way. Additionally, this summer, Jake plans to take a summer cycling tour of Tuscany with his girlfriend, Reese Witherspoon, to see what kind of inspiration he can come away with.

Many celebrities have found success in the restaurant business, and it certainly sounds like Jake plans to be truly involved in this venture. We wish him all the luck in the world, and look forward to tasting a delicious Gyllenhaal dish!

Photo courtesy of criticsrant.com

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is getting ready to begin a new TV series in which he brings home cooking back where it belongs — in the home. And, he’s starting in Rotherham, which is where he “faced serious opposition to his school dinners campaign from mothers who passed junk food to their children through the school railings.” Were you aware of this controversy? I wasn’t, so let me fill you in:

Oliver has campaigned for more nutritious school dinners for some time now, using his fame (and a TV show) to influence the British government into making changes. He was met with some serious opposition, partly in the form of Julie Critchlow, who has a child in high school, and who says, “No matter how healthy it is, if kids don’t like it they’re not going to eat it.” She and another mother actually went to the school and sold junky fast food options to the kids through the fence so they wouldn’t be forced to eat anything that was actually good for them. Keep in mind, students at this school are also allowed to brown bag or go home for lunch. She was also angry that Oliver was teaching her kids to be more picky about their food.

Anyway, now that Oliver has won the healthy school lunch battle in Britain, he intends to send his message home, teaching people how “to cook simple but delicious food, from scratch.” He’s hoping that folks will realize it can be “quick, cheap, and easy — as well as rewarding,” and families will be ready to toss their take-out in the trash. Oliver realizes that folks are busy and they’re on tight budgets, but part of the problem is that not everyone has really learned to cook. He hopes that by showing people how to go back to basics, they’ll appreciate what they’re putting on the table and begin to live healthier lives.

Thanks, Jamie, for encouraging people all over the world to live healthier lives.

Photo courtesy of starpulse.com

Top chef Mario Batali has brought together a number of famous food enthusiasts to create The Celebrity Italian Table Cookbook to benefit homeless charities. Several celebrities, like Marisa Tomei and Natalie Portman took part in the project, offering up recipes for some tasty Italian treats.

Fans can visit the website (www.celebrityitaliantable.com) and download recipes they find interesting. One dollar from each purchase will go toward homeless charities.

In case you’re concerned that, even though you loved Debra Messing in Will & Grace, you might not like her cooking, fear not — the celebrities gave their favorite pasta dishes to Batali, and then he recreated them and developed a special menu to accompany the dish. Party planner extraordinaire David Tutera then masterminded a fabulous table settings to compliment the meal, and let me just tell you — the pictures alone are worth the purchase, whether you actually cook the meal or not.

Curious (and hungry) yet? Click here to preview the book. And remember, by purchasing a recipe to feed your family, you help a person in need.

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

Confession: I resent kids menus.

I think they demean our children, reducing them to tasteless creatures with no desire for adventure or variety. (The only exceptions to this are the kids menus that are truly exciting. The picture on the right is from one of our local restaurants. Kids have a choice of about five menu items, and they arrive in a retro metal lunch box with a choice of two sides. LOVE this.)

Now, before you get all worked up in defense of standard kids menus, let me clarify. My kids both love chicken nuggets, and we certainly serve mac and cheese at our house. BUT, these are not the only foods they eat. And, if we are at a restaurant, shouldn’t they get something different and exciting just like we do?

My best tip for getting out of the kids menu rut is to order from the appetizer section of the menu. For example, my daughter loves ordering Buffalo Wings (mild). She eats nearly an entire order at one sitting, happily dipping her celery sticks into the bleu cheese dressing. Max’s favorite non-kids’ menu item is chili. Many family-friendly restaurants have chili on their appetizer menu. He likes eating it with tortilla chips as scoops instead of a spoon.

The appetizer tip also works at ethnic restaurants. Empanadas, edamame and chicken satay are all kid-friendly and will all help to expand your child’s repertoire.

What do your kids eat when you take them out to restaurants?

There are a lot of elements to being a great cook. Technique is certainly one of them, and luckily, that can be learned. By reading great blogs, buying key books, or even attending local classes, you can learn knife skills, grilling techniques, and the difference between a saute and a braise. Another element to being a great cook is the ability to improvise. This comes with time and practice. And, you will certainly need the ability to get over the disasters you will create along the way.

The final element to being a great cook (in my opinion) is using top-of-the-line ingredients. Over the next few months, I’ll do my best to highlight some of these. Today, though, to kick this off, I’d like to share my very favorite: smoked paprika.

If you have never tasted smoked paprika, you are in for a real treat. It is not overly smoky, but just enough to let the sweet and sultry flavor of the paprika shine through. I use this ingredient in lots of recipes, but my favorite way to use it is on chicken. In a small bowl, combine about 1 Tb. kosher salt, 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, 1 Tb. garlic powder and at least 1 tsp. smoked paprika. Mix this together and rub it all over some chicken breasts (skin on, bone in). Cook these on the grill or pop them in a 375 degree oven until they reach 165 degrees. Pure heaven.

Image courtesy of Zingermans.

I feel kind of silly writing this post. I have a concern that someone is going to show up at my house one morning and discover that I am a fake. I have wonderful ideas for inventive and healthy school lunches, but the sad fact is that my daughter could care less. What does she want every day? Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, goldfish crackers, a Sigg bottle of filtered water and dessert (preferably chocolate).

I am not sure where she got inherited this desire to eat the same (boring) thing everyday, but it certainly wasn’t from me. I crave variety! I hate cold sandwiches! Bring on the gourmet salads, the luscious and creamy soups, and the crispy falafel. One day, I am sure, my kid will wise up and welcome my creative lunch overtures. Until then, I must be content to write about these fabulous resources and live vicariously through you, my readers. (It also helps to remember that if your kids don’t want variety, that is OK. The important thing is that they are eating something nutritious. No one ever died from eating PB&J every single day. Well, I might, but that would be an anomaly.)

Vegan Lunch Box: This phenomenon started as a blog, but has now become a book, chock-full of delicious, healthy recipes, all intended to be packed up in re-usable bento box-style containers for an environmentally friendly lunch option.

ParentHacks School Lunch Post: Do you read this site? No? Boy, are you missing out. This is the be-all-end-all site for everything you ever needed to know about raising a child. The school lunch post is nearly 18 months old, but the tips in the comment section are still good.

AskMoxie: This is another fabulous online parenting resource, and her post on school lunches generated some terrific suggestions within the comments.

Laptop Lunches: Want to pack your kids’ lunches in a cool container? This is the place to go for your supplies. Warning: These lunchboxes do not feature licensed characters, so if your kid insists on Disney princess decorations, be prepared to do it yourself with stickers and Sharpie markers.

Lock & Lock: Due to my child’s unique lunch demands and her desire for a PowerPuff Girls lunch box, the laptop lunchbox isn’t the best choice for our household, but we do like avoiding plastic wrap and other non-environmentally friendly lunch wrappers. We are big fans of the Lock & Lock containers, which can be found online via the link provided, or at your local Target. Note: The picture above is of one of our Lock&Lock containers. It shows one of the more creative lunches I sent to school with my daughter. (She didn’t eat it.)

This new question has surpassed “paper or plastic” as the most stressful question at the supermarket (THAT answer, for the record, should be “this tote I brought from home, thanks.”).

Everyone needs to make their own decisions about what food to buy, but I’m going to share my opinion here. One of the most important things to realize is that getting certified organic is a very expensive proposition. What this means is that there are many small farmers who grow everything organically, but they just can’t afford to be certified. How do you find these guys? Go to your local farmers market. Talk to shop and restaurant owners who source from local farms. Who are their favorites? Get to know the local players. If you know the people growing your food, you can talk to them about their growing practices.

If I have a choice of local, non-certified organic food and organic food flown into Chicago from California by a large conglomerate, I’m going to choose local nearly every time. This is made easier for me because I also attempt to eat seasonally. What does this mean? We only have strawberries in our house for a couple of months in the summer. And tomatoes? I never buy them off-season. It’s easy to find local, sustainably-grown strawberries in Chicago in June.

I also keep in mind a 2003 study by the Environmental Working Group (that I read about in the August, 2006 issue of Gourmet Magazine). In that study, they found 192 different pesticides on 46 fresh fruits and vegetables and determined that consumers can lower their risk of pesticide exposure by as much as 90 percent by buying organic varieties of the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables. These are:

Fruits
apples
cherries
imported grapes
nectarines
peaches
pears
red raspberries
strawberries

Vegetables
bell peppers
celery
potatoes
spinach

It’s that time of year again. Seems like everyone I know is home with a sick kid (or sick themselves). That is certainly the case in my household. Little Max was throwing up all night Sunday, and now he has a runny nose and a fever. This is the sickness that just keeps on giving!

When I was little, sick days meant Matzoh Ball Soup from Wolfie’s Deli just down the block from my house. My mom would bring home a giant container of it, and it always seemed to do the trick.

When my husband and I moved to the midwest, I discovered that Jews didn’t have a monopoly on healing soups. In Toledo, my sick day soup was the Chicken Soup and Dumplings from Tony Packo’s.

It is also possible to make your own sick day solution (but preferably just as a balm to others - if you are sick yourself, hand off these recipes to a loved one while you rest in bed).

Taking a clue from Queenie, here is a recipe for Vietnamese Pho.

Don’t have a Jewish deli down the block? Make your own Matzoh Ball soup.

Finally, one of my favorite sick day soups is based on one that I found in Real Simple a few years ago. It is ideal for a number of reasons. First, it comes together in just minutes. Second, it has a little bit of spice (which is great for clogged sinuses). Finally, it lends itself to fun garnishes, and that’s always a bonus when you are cooking for kids.

Easy Sick Day Tortilla Soup

1 jar green salsa (use whichever level heat you like - we use medium)
3 cups cooked turkey breast or chicken
3-4 cups chicken broth
1 can white hominy, drained*
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 scallions, chopped
plain yogurt or sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

Heat salsa in a soup pot. Add poultry, broth, hominy and cumin. The soup is done when it is heated through. Serve garnished with scallions, yogurt, cheese and crushed chips.

Serves: 4

* I use hominy because we love it, and I always have it on hand, but a can of white beans can be used as well.

Whether you are a SAHM, a WAHM or a WOHM (or even a dad), you probably have stress about dinner time. Take solace in the fact that you are not alone in this struggle. A client of mine once told me about some research they conducted. I don’t remember the exact statistics, but the gist of it was that as late as 4:30pm, most people still have no clue what they are making for dinner. Sound familiar?

One of the best ways to eliminate dinnertime stress is to start meal planning. This can be as simple as writing dinner ideas on a scrap of paper, or as complicated as paying for a service that helps you create meal plans online. Choose the system that works best for you. I find that I do best when I create a meal plan and then post it online to share with the world. (I work well under pressure!)

Stefania of the ever-popular City Mama blog tries to post her meal plan every week as well. Reading her plans always inspires me, especially because she also has two young children at home. For even more meal planning bloggy goodness, you’ll want to check out the blogs of those participating in Menu Planning Monday.

If you are willing to pay for your inspiration, you might want to subscribe to one of the many meal planning services. For a list and comprehensive reviews, check out this Real Simple article. It clearly lays out the pros and cons of each service, and includes links and screenshots.

Finally, if you want to really branch out, check out this thread on eGullet (my favorite food-related message board). Every time I read it, I am blown away by the amazing meals that people put together for an ordinary weeknight. I don’t often have time to do the same, but what’s life without a little aspiration?

Happy meal planning!

(Oh, and feel free to tell us what you’re cooking this week in the comments, or just post a link to your blog if you’ve already posted it elsewhere.)

A single cupcake will probably do you no harm, but eating foods with Low GI Ratings have now been linked to clearer, healthier skin.

Before we continue let’s review . . . GI stands for Glycemic Index. You have heard about good carbs and bad carbs as they relate to weight loss, diabetes and heart disease, now eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and less pasta, rice and cereal can contribute to the health of your skin as well.

Specifically, a new study suggests there may be a link between a low-glycemic diet and an improvement in blemished skin. The study, “Low-Glycemic-Load Diet May Improve Acne in Young Men,” published in the July 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined whether male acne patients aged 15 to 25 who followed a low-glycemic diet (25 percent of energy from protein and 45 percent from low-glycemic-index carbohydrates) had a reduction in acne lesions vs. a control group that consumed a diet rich in carbohydrates.

The study found that at 12 weeks, acne lesions had decreased more in the young men in the low-glycemic group than their counterparts in the control group whose diet had no consideration for the glycemic index. This suggests that there could be a relationship between limiting carbohydrate-rich foods and an improvement in acne.

If you would like to compare a meal you might have during the day with one that has a “low GI rating,” click here.

So, let me get this straight, healthy weight, healthy heart and healthy skin . . . sounds like a win, win, win!

As is probably evident by now, I love spending time in the kitchen. That said, when I’ve been at work all day, spent 30 minutes driving home through city traffic, and am standing in my kitchen with two kids screaming, Spongebob blasting and a dog banging her dish for dinner, I’m in no mood to create a gourmet, three-course meal. At times like those, I need something quick, nutritious and easy, and I don’t want to spend hours cleaning it up when we’re done.

In my quest to find more meals like this, I’ve made the investment in some cookbooks that address easy weeknight meals, and when I find successful recipes, I hope to share them with you here. Last night was one such success, and it comes from my latest cookbook, Nigella Express. You can see the original recipie here; however, I can never leave well enough alone, plus I made some substitutions based on the ingredients I had available. Here is my version:

Read the rest of this entry »

Happy New Years! It’s that time of year when all of us are thinking about our New Year’s Resolutions. While losing a couple of pounds and vowing to eat healthier may be at the top of your list, there is another reason to eat well, simply put . . . healthy skin.

The old adage “you are what you eat” not only applies to our overall health and nutrition, but how our skin looks and feels as well. As the largest organ in the body, our skin can benefit from the same nutrition we get from foods that have a positive effect on our heart and other major organs. In fact, research suggests that eating foods rich in protein and certain vitamins and minerals might provide valuable anti-aging effects.

While there’s no mistaking how our diet affects our overall health, it can also impact our skin’s health.

Healthy Food . . . Healthy Skin

Perhaps the simplest way to maintain a healthy, balanced diet and ensure the skin is getting optimal nutrition from the foods we eat is to follow the recommendations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Daily Food Guide, commonly referred to as the food pyramid.

These include:

• Choosing and eating at least three ounces of whole grain breads, cereals, rice, crackers or pasta.
• Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including more dark green and orange vegetables.
• Consuming calcium-rich foods, such as fat-free or low-fat milk and other dairy products.
• Opting for a variety of low-fat or lean meats, poultry and fish.

Research has shown that the antioxidants in vitamins C and E can protect the skin from sun damage and help reduce damage in skin cells caused by harmful free radicals, which contribute to aging skin.

Similarly, we have long known that the B vitamin biotin is responsible for forming the basis of skin, hair and nail cells, and vitamin A - found in many fruits and vegetables - maintains and repairs skin tissue. Without an adequate supply of these vitamins, you may notice it in the appearance of your skin, hair and nails.

While the direct link between food consumption and skin damage has not been widely studied, one study comparing the correlation between food and nutrient intake with skin wrinkling found a positive relationship. The study, “Skin Wrinkling: Can Food Make a Difference?,” published in the February 2001 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, determined that Swedish subjects aged 70 and older had the least skin wrinkling in a sun-exposed site among the four ethnic groups studied. This cross-sectional study, which analyzed the pooled data using the major food groups, suggests “that subjects with a higher intake of vegetables, olive oil, and monounsaturated fat and legumes, but a lower intake of milk/dairy products, butter, margarine and sugar products had less skin wrinkling in a sun-exposed site.”

Eating a variety of healthy foods and drinking plenty of water so the skin stays hydrated will help most people improve the appearance of their skin.

Happiness is eating well for beautiful skin . . .

Many people choose health-related resolutions for the New Year…and I suspect that diet and exercise rank at the very top of the behaviors many of us would like to improve.

Year after year, I drop more resolutions in the first week of January than I would like to admit. Some years I even refuse to make resolutions, telling myself that if I had more discipline I wouldn’t need them. Probably true.

This year is going to be different. I always liked the idea of a New Year’s Resolution because of the feel of a fresh start. Here are a few tips for creating successful resolutions:

• Write it down. Keep your written resolution in a prominent place, like on the refrigerator or the steering wheel of your car.
• Keep it focused. Instead of “I am going to eat healthier,” try something specific like “I will eat three fruits a day.”
• Allow yourself some wiggle room. If you resolve to “exercise for an hour every day,” you will feel like a failure the first time you miss a day. Give yourself a range, like exercising three times a week.
• Keep it practical. Lofty goals are harder to attain and will be abandoned sooner. Even if you need to lose 20 lbs., resolve to lose 5 or 10 pounds as an initial goal, so that you can actually succeed. You will be more motivated to keep going.
• Reward the effort, not just the result. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started, so if you splurge on your reward (just had to have those earrings) on your way to your goal, remember to add another teaser for the next level. Just be careful not to sabotage your efforts. (Ice cream is not an appropriate reward for following your diet!)
• Share your ideas for healthy resolutions. Consider a weekly “salad day” at work and have each co-worker bring an ingredient for a big chef’s salad to share for lunch. Your friends will love it!

Remember that routines take time to change, so keep a positive outlook. When you lapse, plan to restart tomorrow or next week, just don’t wait until next year!

Send me your ideas for healthy resolutions and in a few weeks, lets see how we’ve done! Leave a comment, or e-mail me at chatterbox@noodleandboo.com. Questions on any other health issues? . . . Just ask!

Here’s to a Happy and Healthy New Year!

I’m writing this post on Christmas Eve, but by the time you all read it, Christmas will be over. I’m actually Jewish, but my husband is Lutheran, so we celebrate both Hanukkah AND Christmas. This is a boon for the kids in terms of gifts, but what I love most about it is the fact that I’ve gotten to adopt a whole new set of traditions into my life.

Christmas at the Wiley’s is a blast. We generally spend it in Toledo (my husband’s hometown), and that’s where we are this year as well. Christmas Eve is very low key. We hang out in the family room, watching A Christmas Story over and over, drinking fun cocktails, and playing games. We also get the kielbasa started. The kielbasa has to be fresh (not smoked) and in our family, it has to be from Stanley’s. Stanley’s is an old-fashioned Polish grocery store with the most amazing kielbasa you’ll ever taste. This stuff is beyond garlicky. Even double-bagged, it will make your entire refrigerator reek of garlic. But, oh man, it is so good. We cut it up into 2 inch chunks and put it in a slow cooker with beer. And we cook it on low overnight. In the morning, we have a feast of kielbasa, rye toast, pierogies and my husband’s special scrambled eggs (with lots of veggies mixed in). The kielbasa is best served with super spicy horseradish.

What do you guys eat for your holiday meals?

Sting and wife Trudie Styler have put together wicker baskets filled with organic goodies to give this holiday season. And not just any old organic goodies — goodies from Sting’s farm! Who knew? Well, maybe you did, but I’m new to the party and terribly impressed.

The baskets contain cake, a variety of jams, beetroot chutney, as well as champagne, cassis, and candles. And all for about $300! Honestly, I think it’s a steal. However, in order to actually get one of these baskets (only 100 were made), I probably would have to steal one from somebody. A number of celebrities got in line way before I did to snatch one up, and I don’t really think I want to get into it with Sharon Osborne.

Sting hoped that the baskets would bring attention to the importance of buying locally grown foods. If you’re not sure why this is so important, I urge you to click here for more information. You know Sting would want you to …

Photo www.biggeststars.com

I work on the 63rd floor of a high rise building in downtown Chicago. The elevator rides are long and tedious, but I pass the time by watching TV. Sadly, it’s not anything too compelling. The elevator network is called Captivate, and they broadcast weather, stock information and news snippets all day long. Earlier this week, on my way down to the lobby, I caught a news blurb about holiday parties and kids. Apparently “event planners” (not sure which ones) have decided that the making and decorating of holiday cookies is destroying today’s youth. Their suggestion? Instead of sugar cookies, have your kids create cutouts of whole wheat bread. They can then “frost” the bread with fat-free cream cheese and decorate these delicacies with colorful veggies. Say what?

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am all for wholesome eating. But this is ridiculous. The making of cookies is a holiday tradition that children will remember for their entire lives. And we are supposed to get rid of it?

I realize that childhood obesity is a growing problem, but this isn’t the solution. Let’s get soda out of our schools, and substitute fresh fruit for junky after-school snacks. I’m all for that! But the once a year traditions? The family memories? Those are sacred.

I wonder what the food police would have had me make in lieu of the pretty Hanukkah cake that my daughter and I created last week.