Yesterday was a really nice day. There was a little fighting, but it was a very productive day. We looked at some Native American jewelry, artifacts, and house items, and talked about their way of life. The older children seem interested, and that's a good thing.
The weather allowed us to play outdoors, and most of the children got warm enough to take off their coats. We are still seeing short sleeves. Children should wear long sleeves to school in late fall and winter.
We've begun to learn Christmas carols. You will be hearing your child sing along with the car radio or music played at home. We also listened to some Gregorian Chant yesterday, and the kids had a peculiar interest in the soothing music.
We are exploring new things in the preschool class. Yesterday we beaded a necklace, and every child produced a really nice one. We were proud of their efforts. We are beginning to learn to write the first letter of our first name on Mr. Line. Please help your child do this at home. Please do not teach all caps or upper case letters in the full name. It's so hard to undo once it's done.
If your child's name is James, please teach him J a m e s, not JAMES.
Next week we will begin to look at Christmas around the world. The process of Christmas is slow like Advent, and we will slowly take on the wait for Christmas adding new and wonderful things to the school.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Almonds
Comment: Here's the food of the week from World's Healthiest Foods:
Food of the Week . . . Almonds
Did you know that some high fat foods can actually be good for your health? It all depends on the kind of fat they contain. Almonds, and other types of nuts, are high in health-promoting, heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, the same type of fat found in extra virgin olive oil. Five large human epidemiological studies have found nut consumption is linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Data from the Nurses Health Study indicated that substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrates in an average diet resulted in a 30% reduction in heart disease and a 45% reduction when the fat from nuts was substituted for the saturated fats in the diet! Almonds are also a rich source of vitamin E (one quarter cup supplies 41% of the daily value), a powerful antioxidant, which may also help reduce the risk of heart disease. So, the next time you are looking for a healthy, satisfying between-meal snack, think almonds.
Welcome Back
I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was restful and thankful. We had a lovely dinner with Miss Molly and family and our oldest daughter, Katy, and our youngest, Anne. We managed to all squeeze around the table this time. When the whole clan is together, we have to do buffet. I always think about how it was just Terry and me 37 years ago, and how we would leave for the holidays. Those days are surely over.
This week is Native American Week. We will discuss the lives of the Native Americans as they greeted the Pilgrims. It's a fun week.
Today, we will be distributing calendars to parents. Please keep your calendar where you can see it on a daily basis. On the back of the calendar is all the information you will need for the month. The dates, the activities, the school closings are all there for you to read and to have if you forget. Please give us feedback about this. We need to know what else you would like to have to keep in touch with your child's day.
It seems some parents do not have school handbooks because of the questions asked. If you don't have a handbook, please see Miss Judy. The handbook has all the basic information you need about schedules, rules, clothes, tuition, etc.
Mondays are usually very hectic at school trying to get children to calm down and get back into the classroom with some order and some focus. Today will be a rainy day. It always helps to know that children have enough rest. That means getting at least 10 hours of sleep the night before. A good indicator is whether you had to wake your child this morning. If you did; he's tired. Tired children often come down with illness.
From now through Christmas we ask that parents keep sick kids home. Children who become sick at school need to miss the next day. children with fevers of 100 degrees need to remain at home. This is not just slightly ill; this is incubating a whopper. Keeping kids at home the first day means they will not make everyone else sick. If your child vomited Sunday, and you bring him to school on Monday and he vomits again, he will need to be out of school 48 hours.
Children with bathroom issues like loose poop and vomiting need to be AT HOME! Children sent home with bathroom issues will need to remain home at least 48 hours.
It's the time for colds. If your child has thick green mucus, keep him home. He's sick. This is not "allergies." He's sick. If a child comes to school with uncontrollable green pesty slime, he will need to see a doctor before he is allowed back to school. If your child is coughing non stop - please take him to the doctor. Croup has circled, and this is not the kind of thing anyone wants to deal with during the Christmas season. Please help us keep everyone well.
This week is Native American Week. We will discuss the lives of the Native Americans as they greeted the Pilgrims. It's a fun week.
Today, we will be distributing calendars to parents. Please keep your calendar where you can see it on a daily basis. On the back of the calendar is all the information you will need for the month. The dates, the activities, the school closings are all there for you to read and to have if you forget. Please give us feedback about this. We need to know what else you would like to have to keep in touch with your child's day.
It seems some parents do not have school handbooks because of the questions asked. If you don't have a handbook, please see Miss Judy. The handbook has all the basic information you need about schedules, rules, clothes, tuition, etc.
Mondays are usually very hectic at school trying to get children to calm down and get back into the classroom with some order and some focus. Today will be a rainy day. It always helps to know that children have enough rest. That means getting at least 10 hours of sleep the night before. A good indicator is whether you had to wake your child this morning. If you did; he's tired. Tired children often come down with illness.
From now through Christmas we ask that parents keep sick kids home. Children who become sick at school need to miss the next day. children with fevers of 100 degrees need to remain at home. This is not just slightly ill; this is incubating a whopper. Keeping kids at home the first day means they will not make everyone else sick. If your child vomited Sunday, and you bring him to school on Monday and he vomits again, he will need to be out of school 48 hours.
Children with bathroom issues like loose poop and vomiting need to be AT HOME! Children sent home with bathroom issues will need to remain home at least 48 hours.
It's the time for colds. If your child has thick green mucus, keep him home. He's sick. This is not "allergies." He's sick. If a child comes to school with uncontrollable green pesty slime, he will need to see a doctor before he is allowed back to school. If your child is coughing non stop - please take him to the doctor. Croup has circled, and this is not the kind of thing anyone wants to deal with during the Christmas season. Please help us keep everyone well.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Playing
Wahpeton Daily News
Playing is a child’s job: take time to nurture
Niki Jensen of Enderlin and Julie Moderow of Wahpeton marvel at an all feather purse while bidding on items at ‘It’s a Girl Thing’ Monday evening at St. Mary’s School. About 320 people attended the event and bid on 211 items during the silent auction. The money goes to support Someplace Safe in Wilkin County. Daily News photo by Anna Jauhola.
As an Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) teacher, Christopherson uses the toys and straw as sensory material in her classroom.
"Parents don't realize how important play is," she said. "To sit down and actually play with their children is so important, because play is a child's work, and what makes that so valuable is the language they acquire during play."Early Childhood Family Education is a state program that works with families and children between birth to kindergarten. The philosophy behind the program is that parents are the primary teachers and the home provides a child's most important learning environment.
"Home systems aren't what they used to be," Christopherson said, who has been involved with the program for the past 12 years. "There isn't a lot of parent support built into our society as a whole in the U.S. ECFE is here to support parents to help them identify their strengths, because every parent has things they do well."
As one of two teachers at Breckenridge Elementary licensed in Early Childhood and Parent Education, Christopherson is part of a shrinking pool of teachers. The shortage in the field, along with funding being cut by the state of Minnesota and full class sizes, has spurred Christopherson to give talks at colleges to encourage more parent educators in the future.
Kindergarten teachers can easily differentiate between those who were exposed to reading and those that were not, as well as recognize those who have had outside experience like going to a restaurant. In an excerpt from David Perlmutter, M.D.'s book, "Raise A Smarter Child By Kindergarten," he states, "There is a brief window of opportunity in a child's life when parents can help create a brain that is built for optimal performance ... The brain can be shaped and molded well into adulthood and even into old age, but the most important work is done in early childhood."
Another facet of her life involves "Home Visiting," which is part of the Parent Outreach Education Program and has served all of Wilkin County for the past sixteen years. If a family has a child up to 5 years old, Christopherson can be at the home on a structured visit once a week, for a half an hour long. Similar to taking an EFCE class, a few of the program goals revolve around positive play, modeling and positive interaction, but it is adapted for the home environment.
Christopherson doesn't have an agenda; the parents and children can take the lead while she helps them identify the strengths and areas of parenting or childhood development they want to learn. Mostly, it's volunteer work. But she says that the impact made by parents has a greater ability to change a child's life than the 6-8 hours she logs with them a week.
"Trust building and relationship building is the first place to begin when wanting to help children succeed and reach their fullest potential," she said. "It begins with the parents."
Of the multiple projects she's already involved in, another one happens right around Christmas time. It's called "Community Elves," which has teachers and students participate in service learning projects. Duties range from collecting money and buying gift certificates to shopping and wrapping presents for families.
Christopherson coordinates the lists from the families and has the teachers do the shopping.
"It's a very individualized thing, so that parents don't have increased economic stress at Christmas time," she said. "When they already have a hard time just paying the electric bill or paying for the heat, it's just a way to reduce some of their stress."
Christopherson has positive remarks about steps that projects like these and programs like Early Childhood Initiative have taken. The public has been receptive and those holding the "purse strings" are becoming more educated.
"It doesn't take much convincing, because family values here are wonderful," she said. "It just takes time to be able to share the message."
Friday, November 23, 2007
Silly at Best
Sweeping the Clouds Away
Sunny days! The earliest episodes of “Sesame Street” are available on digital video! Break out some Keebler products, fire up the DVD player and prepare for the exquisite pleasure-pain of top-shelf nostalgia.
Just don’t bring the children. According to an earnest warning on Volumes 1 and 2, “Sesame Street: Old School” is adults-only: “These early ‘Sesame Street’ episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.”
Say what? At a recent all-ages home screening, a hush fell over the room. “What did they do to us?” asked one Gen-X mother of two, finally. The show rolled, and the sweet trauma came flooding back. What they did to us was hard-core. Man, was that scene rough. The masonry on the dingy brownstone at 123 Sesame Street, where the closeted Ernie and Bert shared a dismal basement apartment, was deteriorating. Cookie Monster was on a fast track to diabetes. Oscar’s depression was untreated. Prozacky Elmo didn’t exist.
Nothing in the children’s entertainment of today, candy-colored animation hopped up on computer tricks, can prepare young or old for this frightening glimpse of simpler times. Back then — as on the very first episode, which aired on PBS Nov. 10, 1969 — a pretty, lonely girl like Sally might find herself befriended by an older male stranger who held her hand and took her home. Granted, Gordon just wanted Sally to meet his wife and have some milk and cookies, but . . . well, he could have wanted anything. As it was, he fed her milk and cookies. The milk looks dangerously whole.
Live-action cows also charge the 1969 screen — cows eating common grass, not grain improved with hormones. Cows are milked by plain old farmers, who use their unsanitary hands and fill one bucket at a time. Elsewhere, two brothers risk concussion while whaling on each other with allergenic feather pillows. Overweight layabouts, lacking touch-screen iPods and headphones, jockey for airtime with their deafening transistor radios. And one of those radios plays a late-’60s news report — something about a “senior American official” and “two billion in credit over the next five years” — that conjures a bleak economic climate, with war debt and stagflation in the offing.
The old “Sesame Street” is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for softies born since 1998, when the chipper “Elmo’s World” started. Anyone who considers bull markets normal, extracurricular activities sacrosanct and New York a tidy, governable place — well, the original “Sesame Street” might hurt your feelings.
I asked Carol-Lynn Parente, the executive producer of “Sesame Street,” how exactly the first episodes were unsuitable for toddlers in 2007. She told me about Alistair Cookie and the parody “Monsterpiece Theater.” Alistair Cookie, played by Cookie Monster, used to appear with a pipe, which he later gobbled. According to Parente, “That modeled the wrong behavior” — smoking, eating pipes — “so we reshot those scenes without the pipe, and then we dropped the parody altogether.”
Which brought Parente to a feature of “Sesame Street” that had not been reconstructed: the chronically mood-disordered Oscar the Grouch. On the first episode, Oscar seems irredeemably miserable — hypersensitive, sarcastic, misanthropic. (Bert, too, is described as grouchy; none of the characters, in fact, is especially sunshiney except maybe Ernie, who also seems slow.) “We might not be able to create a character like Oscar now,” she said.
Snuffleupagus is visible only to Big Bird; since 1985, all the characters can see him, as Big Bird’s old protestations that he was not hallucinating came to seem a little creepy, not to mention somewhat strained. As for Cookie Monster, he can be seen in the old-school episodes in his former inglorious incarnation: a blue, googly-eyed cookievore with a signature gobble (“om nom nom nom”). Originally designed by Jim Henson for use in commercials for General Foods International and Frito-Lay, Cookie Monster was never a righteous figure. His controversial conversion to a more diverse diet wouldn’t come until 2005, and in the early seasons he comes across a Child’s First Addict.
The biggest surprise of the early episodes is the rural — agrarian, even — sequences. Episode 1 spends a stoned time warp in the company of backlighted cows, while they mill around and chew cud. This pastoral scene rolls to an industrial voiceover explaining dairy farms, and the sleepy chords of Joe Raposo’s aimless masterpiece, “Hey Cow, I See You Now.” Chewing the grass so green/Making the milk/Waiting for milking time/Waiting for giving time/Mmmmm.
Oh, what’s that? Right, the trance of early “Sesame Street” and its country-time sequences. In spite of the show’s devotion to its “target child,” the “4-year-old inner-city black youngster” (as The New York Times explained in 1979), the first episodes join kids cavorting in amber waves of grain — black children, mostly, who must be pressed into service as the face of America’s farms uniquely on “Sesame Street.”
In East Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant in 1978, 95 percent of households with kids ages 2 to 5 watched “Sesame Street.” The figure was even higher in Washington. Nationwide, though, the number wasn’t much lower, and was largely determined by the whims of the PBS affiliates: 80 percent in houses with young children. The so-called inner city became anywhere that “Sesame Street” played, because the Children’s Television Workshop declared the inner city not a grim sociological reality but a full-color fantasy — an eccentric scene, framed by a box and far removed from real farmland and city streets alike.
The concept of the “inner city” — or “slums,” as The Times bluntly put it in its first review of “Sesame Street” — was therefore transformed into a kind of Xanadu on the show: a bright, no-clouds, clear-air place where people bopped around with monsters and didn’t worry too much about money, cleanliness or projecting false cheer. The Upper West Side, hardly a burned-out ghetto, was said to be the model.
People on “Sesame Street” had limited possibilities and fixed identities, and (the best part) you weren’t expected to change much. The harshness of existence was a given, and no one was proposing that numbers and letters would lead you “out” of your inner city to Elysian suburbs. Instead, “Sesame Street” suggested that learning might merely make our days more bearable, more interesting, funnier. It encouraged us, above all, to be nice to our neighbors and to cultivate the safer pleasures that take the edge off — taking baths, eating cookies, reading. Don’t tell the kids.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving
Today is our last day in school before Thanksgiving Break. It's been a nice week. The children were a bit crazy on Monday. Teachers are always surprised by how wired they are on Mondays and how long it takes to settle everyone down.
We had our cast party in the afternoon and celebrated with a train cake. The train form is nine separate cars and we decorated each one with M&Ms. We also had ice cream sundaes. A cast party is an important part of the celebration of doing something well.
On Tuesday, we watched the pay Miss Kelly taped. It was cute. I must remind myself to watch it again before blocking the next play.
We made some adorable bag turkeys yesterday, and the children will take these home today. Bag turkeys sit on edges and have long legs. They are really quite charming. I first made these at St. Benedict's and the children left them on the steps just in front of the altar. They were hilarious. The older people complained that they were not appropriate, but God knows the work of children and the prayers of children are always appropriate.
We didn't finish them; we still need feathers, but we need to put those feathers on in smaller groups. A whole school art project is a huge undertaking, and with something as fly away as feathers, it's best to limit numbers.
Today children will bake cranberry bread as a gift to families. Each child will decide what goes into his gift and we will bake his gift separately. We have a variety of additions to our plain batter.
Yesterday we had a full Thanksgiving meal at school to practice eating. We've experienced sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes with and without gravy. We've had turkey, ham, and cranberry sauce. We've had stuffing, and corn bread muffins. Most of the food the children liked. It's been surprising how much they are willing to try. We hoped this fare would allow kids to eat new things at grandma's this holiday.
Please remember to pick up children today as soon as possible. They all know it's the last day before break and they are all anxious to be home with their families.
We hope each and everyone of you has a wonderful holiday.
Blessings always.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
It's Circus Time!
For those of you who want to take the kids to the Circus, here are some helpful details!
Elephants, Tigers and Bears are coming to Roberts Stadium again for the 74th Annual Hadi Shrine Circus with 9 Big Performances starting on Thanksgiving Day! Also present for our entertainment are acrobats, trapeze artists and of course the Hadi Funsters, plus Spider-man!
Evansville's Hadi Shrine Circus is the premiere Shrine Circus in North America. It has acquired multiple circus acts which are headliners at other circuses and brought them together at Roberts Stadium, giving our audiences the greatest value in family entertainment. The Circus always starts on Thanksgiving Day
Thu November 22nd: 2 PM; & 7 PM
Fri November 23rd: 9:30 AM; 2 PM; & 7 PM
Sat November 24th: 9:30 AM; 2 PM; & 7 PM
Sun November 25th: 3 PM
Order your tickets online with the Hadi Shrine at: www.hadishrinecircus.com or call 1-800-66-CLOWN.
http://www.hadishrinecircus.com
Tickets are on sale at Roberts Stadium and at the Hadi Shrine Box Office now located in Downtown Evansville. Seats are $22.00, $19.00, $17.00 and general admission is available through the Hadi Shriners only. Tickets purchased at the Hadi Shrine Box office are NOT subject to the Ticketmaster fees. The box office is located in Hadi's parking lot across the street from the Shrine at 6 Walnut Street. (where Walnut ends at Riverside).
General Admission Tickets can be purchased at these area locations:
DUBOIS COUNTY (Jasper, IN 47546)
Olinger Diamond Center
Deb Olinger
812-482-4214
Sternberg Furniture
Paul Sternberg
601 Main Street
812-482-1477
Huntingburg, IN 47542
Disinger-Krugers Jewelry
Bill Disinger
403 4th Street
812-683-4376
KNOX COUNTY (Vincennes, IN 47591)
Homes Plumbing
Jack Dale
Vincennes, Indiana
PERRY COUNTY (Tell City, IN 47586)
American General Finance
Carol Waninger
443 Main Street
812-547-3471
PIKE COUNTY (Petersburg, IN 47567)
Main Street Motors, Inc.
Donnie Boger
1801 E. Main
812-354-3432
POSEY COUNTY (Mt. Vernon, IN 47620)
McKims IGA
Larry Williams
1320 N. Main Street
812-838-6521
KENTUCKY
Sturgis, KY 42459
Sturgis Pharmacy
Tom Frazer
523 Adams Street
270-333-4672
K-Mart
Henderson, KY
Any $12.00 General Admission tickets purchased prior to November 22 are worth $14.00 on exchange for any reserve seat tickets. General Admission tickets cannot be purchased at the door.
You can purchase Reserve Seat Tickets at these Ticketmaster** locations:
Evansville Locations:
FYE - Eastland Mall
Famous Barr Eastland Mall
Schnuck's - First Avenue, Washington Avenue, W. Lloyd Expressway
**Note: Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster locations are subject to a service charge of up to $3.55.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Corn
I loved this:
It's from World's Healthiest Foods.
An easy way to make creamed corn in just minutes!
Prep and Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup low-fat milk
1 + 1 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1 TBS honey
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine 1 cup of Milk, 1 cup of corn and 1 TBS honey in blender. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Blend on medium speed for 1 minute.
In a mixing bowl, combine remaining cup of corn kernels with the corn purie.
On stove, heat on medium for 5 minutes.
Garnish with minced parsely or toasted sunflower seeds. Serve with chicken or any type of seafood (such as shrimp, scallops or fish).
Serves 2
For Fun
Some of our birds at the Garden School!
A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The
parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word
out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with
profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by
consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and
anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.
Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The
parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier
and even ruder.
John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird
and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked
and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a
peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot,
John quickly opened the door to the freezer.
The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms
and said, "I believe
I may have offended you with my rude language and actions.
I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I
fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and
unforgivable behavior."
John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.
As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a
dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what
the turkey did?"
The Garden School Tattler
The play on Friday turned out just splendidly. The teachers were delighted, and we hope the parents were too. I didn't get much chance to talk to everyone after the play, but you can guess that my heart was with you all.
Plays are an important part of the early childhood experience because they explore the little parts of the self that says "I can act." Children need to act, to imagine, to learn to put themselves in different roles to begin to understand others.
I've written a column this week for WFIE on the play.
I think the stars of the play were the children able to take their roles seriously enough to learn from it. I congratulate Jackson for his fine work at comedian turkey. It was interesting to watch him begin to understand scripted humor. I congratulate Keiron for his steady voice. Ian had great inflection; Emma did a wonderful job delivering some difficult lines. Javeon died brilliantly. Zoey stole our hearts. Zoe managed to sing out her line with gusto, and we are proud of her cooperation. David was solid, Stoggy was hilarious, Nikolai was serious, as usual, but added a lot of balance to the play. Isaac wasn't sure, but heck, he went for it and did a great job. Nathan froze as did Holli - next spring...
Addie was a brick and always delivered even the day of the play. Kanin was intent on doing it just right, and we're proud of him. Kanyan managed to come on stage... Bill did fine, Sam was on target, Kamden was surprisingly loud. Devin got all but one syllable out clearly, and he was adorable. Brady struggled a little but made his way through his line like a trooper.
Bryce was curiously dramatic. Cole loved the attention of acting. Alexis was sweet and steady, Nicholas was a solid member of the cast who cooperated with the right stuff. Dax delivered his lines better at the play than at practice. Phoebe was shy but did fine, Luke was delightful and spouted his line like a champ. Caitlyn has promise.
And little three year old Jaylen was absolutely delightful. He was a quick study, dramatic, funny and a remarkable little talent. I congratulate him for his wonderful cooperation as well as his desire to please.
Thank you all for a wonderful event.
Plays are an important part of the early childhood experience because they explore the little parts of the self that says "I can act." Children need to act, to imagine, to learn to put themselves in different roles to begin to understand others.
I've written a column this week for WFIE on the play.
I think the stars of the play were the children able to take their roles seriously enough to learn from it. I congratulate Jackson for his fine work at comedian turkey. It was interesting to watch him begin to understand scripted humor. I congratulate Keiron for his steady voice. Ian had great inflection; Emma did a wonderful job delivering some difficult lines. Javeon died brilliantly. Zoey stole our hearts. Zoe managed to sing out her line with gusto, and we are proud of her cooperation. David was solid, Stoggy was hilarious, Nikolai was serious, as usual, but added a lot of balance to the play. Isaac wasn't sure, but heck, he went for it and did a great job. Nathan froze as did Holli - next spring...
Addie was a brick and always delivered even the day of the play. Kanin was intent on doing it just right, and we're proud of him. Kanyan managed to come on stage... Bill did fine, Sam was on target, Kamden was surprisingly loud. Devin got all but one syllable out clearly, and he was adorable. Brady struggled a little but made his way through his line like a trooper.
Bryce was curiously dramatic. Cole loved the attention of acting. Alexis was sweet and steady, Nicholas was a solid member of the cast who cooperated with the right stuff. Dax delivered his lines better at the play than at practice. Phoebe was shy but did fine, Luke was delightful and spouted his line like a champ. Caitlyn has promise.
And little three year old Jaylen was absolutely delightful. He was a quick study, dramatic, funny and a remarkable little talent. I congratulate him for his wonderful cooperation as well as his desire to please.
Thank you all for a wonderful event.
Friday, November 16, 2007
The Garden School Tattler
Thanks Stacy, it means so much to hear from the graduates. This is our most difficult day and always a nerve racker. The kids are so cute, and every year it's a whole different crew and a whole different set of problems.
Putting a play together with 35 very young children is a lot like herding cats, as I've said before. The first consideration is getting the right lines to the right children. Letting some kids stretch, some explore, some discover, and some just ham it up - depends on the child. That means at least seventy lines to memorize; but at the same time, seventy lines to write and coordinate! Then, are we right about this line and that child? Can he do it?
How many kids on stage can the play stand? If there are too many, it's chaos. If there are too few, the kids get lost. How many times will they practice before they just want to play? Will they remember where they stand, what movements they must do?
Costumes are another ordeal. Simplicity counts, but humor and realizm have to mesh so that it all makes sense. And then there's backdrop. We need something that gives the sense of "Play" but also the room to move in our tiny space.
It's a challenge, but we think it's worthwhile - except at night when Miss Kelly and Miss Judy pace the floors and wake up every 30 minutes with "what if..."
Thanks again Stacy for the kudos. It means so much especially today. Faith was a spectacular artist and we enjoyed her as Queenie too.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Turkey
Turkey is good for you. Here's the World's Healthiest Foods food of the week!
Food of the Week . . . Turkey
Turkey is our food of the week. Did you know that a 4-ounce serving of turkey breast contains only 1 gram of fat and is the leanest type of meat you can include in your diet? It is easy to reduce the fat content of turkey because most of it resides in the skin, which can be easily removed. By including a serving of turkey as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating, you will not only be reducing your fat intake, but fulfilling 65% of your daily value for protein! Protein is the building block not only for structural tissues, but also for immune defense cells, and it is involved in just about every other physiological function in your body. Turkey also provides 47% of the daily value for selenium (a powerful antioxidant co-factor that helps protect against the damage to cell structure and DNA caused by free radicals), as well as many of the B vitamins, which are essential for energy production. So, sharing your Thanksgiving meal with family and friends also means sharing a w! ! ealth of health-promoting benefits with those you love!Did you know that, unlike other starchy vegetables, sweet potatoes are classified as an anti-diabetic food? Recent studies have shown that sweet potatoes help stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance, a problem caused by cells not responding to the presence of insulin, which then prevents the transport of sugars from the blood into the cells. Some of sweet potatoes' anti-diabetic properties are believed to come from their high concentration of carotenoids such as beta carotene (the redder varieties also contain lycopene), which, along with their vitamin A and vitamin C, act as powerful antioxidants to help combat free radical activity that would otherwise damage cells and cell membranes. Sweet potatoes also contain unique root storage proteins with potent antioxidant activity. These proteins, along with sweet potatoes high content of carotenoids and vitamin C, may also make them helpful! ! in reducing inflammation, such as that involved in conditions like asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
A Little Something for Our Vets
Every year this is a hard time for me when I remember that two of my children were in the Navy. One of my daughters served in the first combat position for females on a fast frigate.
My son served on a nuclear submarine. His sub went to the North Pole.
Both children are out now and secure in other jobs. But my heart goes out to all servicemen and women because I know what their families are thinking and praying about.
For two of my children who are Veterans:
My son served on a nuclear submarine. His sub went to the North Pole.
Both children are out now and secure in other jobs. But my heart goes out to all servicemen and women because I know what their families are thinking and praying about.
For two of my children who are Veterans:
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The Garden School Tattler
It's a madhouse at school...too much is going on. Today the fund raiser comes in by truck between 3:00 and 5:00. We will call you to pick up all food items.
This is my least favorite week through the entire year, but it always seems to end well. I get really nervous about the play. Right now, most of the kids know their lines. Getting them to project is the hard part. Trying to get them to remember where to stand is almost like herding cats. It's a young group, and when your four year olds are holding down the fort... it makes for some sleepless nights!
The play is one of the best things we do, however. It's a real community effort. Every year I think that we should do this or that differently about half way through, and then I remember that kids only want to do this for about two weeks, and then they're tired of it. We take time out of class to practice, practice, practice, and half the time we are practicing being quiet. And that's a good thing to establish -- that we can be quiet. But try to explain that to very young children.
The behavior of an entire group changes with the play. It's almost remarkable how much they learn. It's a real growing experience and one - when it's over - teachers regard with a real sense of pride - right now I think teachers are feeling a little like we're on top of the pyre waiting for the white horse of Friday evening about 5:00 p.m.!
Mrs. St. Louis has made costumes again. She's really good at inventing and bringing those inventions to reality. Now if we could get her to paint more...
Sunday, November 11, 2007
The Good News
The good news is the Thanksgiving Play is already coming to life. The kids are learning their lines with great pizazz. Emma knows her lines with the kind of enunciation that could only be hoped for. Jackson is a ham; we knew it! Caitlyn is very expressive, and her voice is LOUD. We think we will try to get her to demonstrate to some of the whisperers! I've been delighted all week with the effort. Now getting the turkeys to look like turkeys is going to be the hard part. Last year we used plastic garbage bags, but this year E had this delicious idea, and we went with it.
Lots of Indians, lots of Pilgrims, lots of good faith between them, and that includes the turkeys. Some jokes, some laughs, some fun. That's the way a play is supposed to be.
This week we will begin to block the play. That means showing children how to come out on stage and stop, wait, and deliver their lines on time. It's a group effort and an effort well worth the work and the experience.
With very young children, you only have two weeks to get the play started and finished, because after that, they don't want to play anymore. So from the git go, it's a run to the finish line.
I hope our parents enjoy this as much as we do. It's going to be performed Friday afternoon at 3:00. Please plan to attend for your child. Grandparents and other interested parties are more than welcome. Please bring a small snack to share.
Judy
Here's the Bad News
Comment: I know, I know; I spend half my life condemning soda pop as a blight on the whole of Western Civilization. Now here's some real ammo! It's the bad news! I got this article from E.
A MUST READ
In October of 2001, my sister started getting very sick. She had stomach spasms and she was having a hard time getting around. Walking was a major chore. It took everything she had just to get out of bed; she was in so much pain.
By March 2002, she had undergone several tissue and muscle biopsies and was on 24 various prescription medications. The doctors could not determine what was wrong with her. She was in so much pain, and so sick she just knew she was dying. She put her house, bank accounts,
lifeinsurance, etc., in her oldest daughter's name, and made sure that her younger children were to be taken care of.
She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip to Florida (basically in a wheelchair) for March 22nd. On March 19 I called her to ask how her most recent tests went, and she said they didn't find anything on the test, but they believe she had MS.
I recalled an article a friend of mine e-mailed to me and I asked my sister if she drank diet soda? She told me that she did. As a matter of fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment.
I told her not to open it, and to stop drinking the diet soda!
I e-mailed her the article my friend, a lawyer, had sent.
My sister called me within 32 hours after our phone conversation and told me she had stopped drinking the diet soda AND she could walk! The muscle spasms went away. She said she didn't feel 100% but she sure felt a lot better. She told me she was going to her doctor with this article and would call me when she got home.
Well, she called me, and said her doctor was amazed! He is going to call all of his MS patients to find out if they consumed artificial sweeteners of any kind.
In a nutshell, she was being poisoned by the Aspartame in the diet soda...and literally dying a slow and miserable death.
When she got to Florida March 22, all she had to take was one pill, and that was a pill for the Aspartame poisoning! She is well on her way to a complete recovery.
And she is walking! No wheelchair! This article saved her life. If it says 'SUGAR FREE' on the label; DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!
I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE on 'ASPARTAME,' marketed as 'NutraSweet,' 'Equal,' and 'Spoonful.'
In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the United States in 2001 there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. It was difficult to determine exactly what toxin was causing this to be rampant. I stood up and said that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject.
I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous: When the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics, among other conditions, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. Many people were being diagnosed in error. Although multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, Methanol toxicity is!
Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. The victim usually does not know that the Aspartame is the culprit. He or she continues its use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that it may become a life-threatening condition.
We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once taken off diet sodas.
In cases of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, most of the symptoms disappear. We've seen many cases where vision loss returned and hearing loss improved markedly.
This also applies to cases of tinnitus and fibromyalgia. During a lecture, I said, 'If you are using ASPARTAME (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting, pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, unexplainable depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss you probably have ASPARTAME poisoning!'
People were jumping up during the lecture saying, 'I have some of these symptoms. Is it reversible?'
Yes! Yes! Yes! STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame on food labels! Many products are fortified with it! This is a serious problem.
Dr. Espart (one of my speakers) remarked that so many people seem to be symptomatic for MS and during his recent visit to a hospice, a nurse stated that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence!
Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered, multiple SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you crave carbohydrates. It is far more likely to make you GAIN weight!
These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs. Formaldehyde is an absolute toxin andis used primarily to preserve 'tissue specimens.' Many products we use every day contain this chemical but we SHOULD NOT store it IN our body!
Dr. H. J. Roberts stated in his lectures that once free of the 'diet products' and with no significant increase in exercise; his patients lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period.
Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics. We found that some physicians, who believed that they had a patient with retinopathy, in fact, had symptoms caused by Aspartame. The Aspartame drives the bloodsugar out of control. Thus diabetics may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are NEUROTOXIC when taken without the other amino acids necessary for a good balance.
Treating diabetes is all about BALANCE. Especially with diabetics, the Aspartame passes the blood/brain barrierand it then deteriorates the neurons of the brain; causing various levels of brain damage, seizures, depression, manic depression, panic attacks, uncontrollable anger and rage.
Consumption of Aspartame causes these same symptoms in non-diabetics as well.
Documentation and observation also reveal that thousands of children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have had complete turnarounds in their behavior when these chemicals have been removed from their diet. So called 'behavior modification prescription drugs' (Ritalin and others) are no longer needed. Truth be told, they were never NEEDED in the first place! Most of these children were being 'poisoned' on a daily basis with the very foods that were 'better for them than sugar.'
It is also suspected that the Aspartame in thousands of pallets of diet Coke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the Gulf War, may be partially to blame for the well-known Gulf War Syndrome.
Dr. Roberts warns that it can cause birth defects, i.e. mental retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early pregnancy. Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and should NEVER be given artificial sweeteners. There are many different case histories to relate of children suffering grand mal seizures and other neurological disturbances talking about a plague of neurological diseases directly caused by the use of this deadly poison.'
Friday, November 09, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Mouse Brains!
Mouse brain imaging helps understand appetite
By Jess Halliday
From Food Navigator
Comment: As a member of the EVV Early Childhood Development Coalition, my job is to examine the city's need for understanding obesity in very young children - the causes and the steps we, as childcare providers and teachers, can take to help families safely bring overweight children into the normal range. These are the kinds of articles I'm reading these days. Thought readers might be interested.
11/8/2007 - A new imaging technique that shows increased neuron activity in mice's brains when they are hungry could be a key to understanding appetite, satiety, and why some people become obese.
In the past, researchers investigating appetite and satiety have had to rely on subjective methods like asking human subjects how hungry they feel at any given moment, or watching how much is eaten. These are considered to be rather unreliable, especially as appetite can be altered by other factors such as mood.
But scientists at Imperial College in London and Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan, believe their brain-scanning method, which uses magnetic resonance imaging, to be a far more objective.
If work currently underway to extending it from mice to humans is successful, it could far-reaching implications for countering obesity.
"Appetite and appetite control are important components of why people put on weight," said corresponding author Professor Jimmy Bell of Imperial College. "We know very little about the mechanisms behind these processes and why they can vary so much between individuals."
For a study using the technique published in the latest Journal of Neuroscience, Bell and team gave a group of mice one of two types of hormone: pancreatic peptide YY (PYY), which is known to inhibit appetite, or ghrelin, which increases it.
They were also given a contrast agent of manganese ion.
The researchers then used the imaging method to look at the part of the brain's hypothalamus that has already been established as playing a part in regulating appetite. They found that contrast agent was taken up by the neurons when the mouse felt hungry, so that they were lit up on the scan and the researchers could actually see them firing.
By contrast, when the mice felt less hungry the neurons became less active and the signal decreased.
In fact, the use of contrast agents to look at the anatomy of different cells. But this is said to be the first time a contrast agent that is taken up by hunger neurons has been identified - and therefore the first time researchers have been able to observe their response to different stimuli.
Obesity is recognised as having reached epidemic proportions in the Western world.
According to the figures prepared by the International Obesity Taskforce, there are variations in prevalence of obesity (body mass index of BMI over 30) across Europe but there is a marked upwards curve. Population obesity rates range from 10 per cent to 27 per cent in men and up to 38 per cent in women.
Cinnamon
More cinnamon at school please! This morning we had whole wheat and wheat germ pumpkin, apple, cinnamon waffles with freshly made vanilla syrup - and guess what - this wonderful breakfast which the kids ate and ate was really good for them. According to this article, cinnamon is good for you, so we are going to do a lot more cinnamon.
Cinnamon, ground
Although available throughout the year, the fragrant, sweet and warm taste of cinnamon is a perfect spice to use during the winter months.
Cinnamon has a long history both as a spice and as a medicine. It is the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which is available in its dried tubular form known as a quill or as ground powder. The two varieties of cinnamon, Chinese and Ceylon, have similar flavor, however the cinnamon from Ceylon is slightly sweeter, more refined and more difficult to find in local markets.
This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Cinnamon, ground provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Cinnamon, ground can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Cinnamon, ground, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.
- Health Benefits
- Description
- History
- How to Select and Store
- How to Enjoy
- Safety
- Nutritional Profile
- References
Cinnamon's unique healing abilities come from three basic types of components in the essential oils found in its bark. These oils contain active components called cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol, plus a wide range of other volatile substances.
Anti-Clotting Actions
Cinnamaldehyde (also called cinnamic aldehyde) has been well-researched for its effects on blood platelets. Platelets are constituents of blood that are meant to clump together under emergency circumstances (like physical injury) as a way to stop bleeding, but under normal circumstances, they can make blood flow inadequate if they clump together too much. The cinnaldehyde in cinnamon helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets. (The way it accomplishes this health-protective act is by inhibiting the release of an inflammatory fatty acid called arachidonic acid from platelet membranes and reducing the formation of an inflammatory messaging molecule called thromboxane A2.) Cinnamon's ability to lower the release of arachidonic acid from cell membranes also puts it in the category of an "anti-inflammatory" food that can be helpful in lessening inflammation.
Anti-Microbial Activity
Cinnamon's essential oils also qualify it as an "anti-microbial" food, and cinnamon has been studied for its ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi, including the commonly problematic yeast Candida. In laboratory tests, growth of yeasts that were resistant to the commonly used anti-fungal medication fluconazole was often (though not always) stopped by cinnamon extracts.
Cinnamon's antimicrobial properties are so effective that recent research demonstrates this spice can be used as an alternative to traditional food preservatives. In a study, published in the August 2003 issue of the International Journal of Food Microbiology, the addition of just a few drops of cinnamon essential oil to 100 ml (approximately 3 ounces) of carrot broth, which was then refrigerated, inhibited the growth of the foodborne pathogenic Bacillus cereus for at least 60 days. When the broth was refrigerated without the addition of cinnamon oil, the pathogenic B. cereus flourished despite the cold temperature. In addition, researchers noted that the addition of cinnamon not only acted as an effective preservative but improved the flavor of the broth.
Blood Sugar Control
Seasoning a high carb food with cinnamon can help lessen its impact on your blood sugar levels. Cinnamon slows the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, reducing the rise in blood sugar after eating. Researchers measured how quickly the stomach emptied after 14 healthy subjects ate 300 grams (1.2 cups) of rice pudding alone or seasoned with 6 grams (1.2 teaspoons) of cinnamon. Adding cinnamon to the rice pudding lowered the gastric emptying rate from 37% to 34.5% and significantly lessened the rise in blood sugar levels after eating. Am J Clin Nutr. 2 007 Jun;85(6):1552-6.
Cinnamon may also significantly help people with type 2 diabetes improve their ability to respond to insulin, thus normalizing their blood sugar levels. Both test tube and animal studies have shown that compounds in cinnamon not only stimulate insulin receptors, but also inhibit an enzyme that inactivates them, thus significantly increasing cells' ability to use glucose. Studies to confirm cinnamon's beneficial actions in humans are currently underway with the most recent report coming from researchers from the US Agricultural Research Service, who have shown that less than half a teaspoon per day of cinnamon reduces blood sugar levels in persons with type 2 diabetes. Their study included 60 Pakistani volunteers with type 2 diabetes who were not taking insulin. Subjects were divided into six groups. For 40 days, groups 1, 2 and 3 were given 1, 3, or 6 grams per day of cinnamon while groups 4, 5 and 6 received placebo capsules. Even the lowest amount of cinnamon, 1 gram per day (approximately ¼ to ½ teaspoon), produced an approximately 20% drop in blood sugar; cholesterol and triglycerides were lowered as well. When daily cinnamon was stopped, blood sugar levels began to increase.
Test tube, animal and human studies have all recently investigated cinnamon's ability to improve insulin activity, and thus our cells' ability to absorb and use glucose from the blood.
On going in vitro or test tube research conducted by Richard Anderson and his colleagues at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center is providing new understanding of the mechanisms through which cinnamon enhances insulin activity. In their latest paper, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Anderson et al. characterize the insulin-enhancing complexes in cinnamon-a collection of catechin/epicatechin oligomers that increase the body's insulin-dependent ability to use glucose roughly 20-fold.. Some scientists had been concerned about potentially toxic effects of regularly consuming cinnamon. This new research shows that the potentially toxic compounds in cinnamon bark are found primarily in the lipid (fat) soluble fractions and are present only at very low levels in water soluble cinnamon extracts, which are the ones with the insulin-enhancing compounds.
A recent animal study demonstrating cinnamon's beneficial effects on insulin activity appeared in the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. In this study, when rats were given a daily dose of cinnamon (300 mg per kilogram of body weight) for a 3 week period, their skeletal muscle was able to absorb 17% more blood sugar per minute compared to that of control rats, which had not received cinnamon, an increase researchers attributed to cinnamon's enhancement of the muscle cells' insulin-signaling pathway. In humans with type 2 diabetes, consuming as little as 1 gram of cinnamon per day was found to reduce blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol, in a study published in the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Care. The placebo-controlled study evaluated 60 people with type 2 diabetes (30 men and 30 women ranging in age from 44 to 58 years) who were divided into 6 groups. Groups 1, 2, and 3 were given 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon daily, while groups 4, 5, and 6 received 1, 3 or 6 grams of placebo. After 40 days, all three levels of cinnamon reduced blood sugar levels by 18-29%, triglycerides 23-30%, LDL cholesterol 7-27%, and total cholesterol 12-26%, while no significant changes were seen in those groups receiving placebo. The researchers' conclusion: including cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
By enhancing insulin signaling, cinnamon can prevent insulin resistance even in animals fed a high-fructose diet! A study published in Hormone Metabolism Research showed that when rats fed a high-fructose diet were also given cinnamon extract, their ability to respond to and utilize glucose (blood sugar) was improved so much that it was the same as that of rats on a normal (control) diet. Cinnamon is so powerful an antioxidant that, when compared to six other antioxidant spices (anise, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg and vanilla) and the chemical food preservatives (BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and propyl gallate), cinnamon prevented oxidation more effectively than all the other spices (except mint) and the chemical antioxidants.
Cinnamon's Scent Boosts Brain Function
Not only does consuming cinnamon improve the body's ability to utilize blood sugar, but just smelling the wonderful odor of this sweet spice boosts brain activity!
Research led by Dr. P. Zoladz and presented April 24, 2004, at the annual meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, in Sarasota, FL, found that chewing cinnamon flavored gum or just smelling cinnamon enhanced study participants' cognitive processing. Specifically, cinnamon improved participants' scores on tasks related to attentional processes, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor speed while working on a computer-based program. Participants were exposed to four odorant conditions: no odor, peppermint odor, jasmine, and cinnamon, with cinnamon emerging the clear winner in producing positive effects on brain function. Encouraged by the results of these studies, researchers will be evaluating cinnamon's potential for enhancing cognition in the elderly, individuals with test-anxiety, and possibly even patients with diseases that lead to cognitive decline.
Calcium and Fiber Improve Colon Health and Protect Against Heart Disease
In addition to its unique essential oils, cinnamon is an excellent source of the trace mineral manganese and a very good source of dietary fiber, iron and calcium. The combination of calcium and fiber in cinnamon is important and can be helpful for the prevention of several different conditions. Both calcium and fiber can bind to bile salts and help remove them from the body. By removing bile, fiber helps to prevent the damage that certain bile salts can cause to colon cells, thereby reducing the risk of colon cancer. In addition, when bile is removed by fiber, the body must break down cholesterol in order to make new bile. This process can help to lower high cholesterol levels, which can be helpful in preventing atherosclerosis and heart disease. For sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome, the fiber in cinnamon may also provide relief from constipation or diarrhea.
A Traditional Warming Remedy
In addition to the active components in its essential oils and its nutrient composition, cinnamon has also been valued in energy-based medical systems, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, for its warming qualities. In these traditions, cinnamon has been used to provide relief when faced with the onset of a cold or flu, especially when mixed in a tea with some fresh ginger.
Cinnamon is the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which when dried, rolls into a tubular form known as a quill. Cinnamon is available in either its whole quill form (cinnamon sticks) or as ground powder.
While there are approximately one hundred varieties of Cinnamonum verum (the scientific name for cinnamon), Cinnamonum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) and Cinnamomun aromaticum (Chinese cinnamon) are the leading varieties consumed. Ceylon cinnamon is also referred to as "true cinnamon", while the Chinese variety is known as "cassia". While both are relatively similar in characteristics and both feature a fragrant, sweet and warm taste, the flavor of the Ceylon variety is more refined and subtle. Ceylon cinnamon is more rare in North America than the cassia, the less expensive variety, which is the most popular in the United States.
Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known. It was mentioned in the Bible and was used in ancient Egypt not only as a beverage flavoring and medicine, but also as an embalming agent. It was so highly treasured that it was considered more precious than gold. Around this time, cinnamon also received much attention in China, which is reflected in its mention in one of the earliest books on Chinese botanical medicine, dated around 2,700 B.C.
Cinnamon's popularity continued throughout history. It became one of the most relied upon spices in Medieval Europe. Due to its demand, cinnamon became one of the first commodities traded regularly between the Near East and Europe. Ceylon cinnamon is produced in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil and the Caribbean, while cassia is mainly produced in China, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Cinnamon is available in either stick or powder form. While the sticks can be stored for longer, the ground powder has a stronger flavor. If possible, smell the cinnamon to make sure that it has a sweet smell, a characteristic reflecting that it is fresh.
Oftentimes, both Ceylon cinnamon and Chinese cinnamon (cassia) are labeled as cinnamon. If you want to find the sweeter, more refined tasting Ceylon variety, you may need to shop in either a local spice store or ethnic market since this variety is generally less available. Just like with other dried spices, try to select organically grown cinnamon since this will give you more assurance that it has not been irradiated (among other potential adverse effects, irradiating cinnamon may lead to a significant decrease in its vitamin C and carotenoid content.)
Cinnamon should be kept in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark and dry place. Ground cinnamon will keep for about six months, while cinnamon sticks will stay fresh for about one year stored this way. Alternatively, you can extend their shelf life by storing them in the refrigerator. To check to see if it is still fresh, smell the cinnamon. If it does not smell sweet, it is no longer fresh and should be discarded.
For some of our favorite recipes, click Recipes.
A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Enjoy one of the favorite kids' classics - cinnamon toast - with a healthy twist. Drizzle flax seed oil onto whole wheat toast and then sprinkle with cinnamon and honey.
Simmer cinnamon sticks with soymilk and honey for a deliciously warming beverage.
Adding ground cinnamon to black beans to be used in burritos or nachos will give them a uniquely delicious taste.
Healthy sauté lamb with eggplant, raisins and cinnamon sticks to create a Middle Eastern inspired meal.
Add ground cinnamon when preparing curries.
Cinnamon is not a commonly allergenic food and is not known to contain measurable amounts of goitrogens, oxalates, or purines.
Cinnamon is an excellent source of manganese and a very good source of dietary fiber, calcium and iron.
For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Cinnamon.
In-Depth Nutritional Profile
In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, an in-depth nutritional profile for Cinnamon, ground is also available. This profile includes information on a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more.Introduction to Food Rating System Chart
The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good or good source. Next to the nutrient name you will find the following information: the amount of the nutrient that is included in the noted serving of this food; the %Daily Value (DV) that that amount represents; the nutrient density rating; and the food's World's Healthiest Foods Rating. Underneath the chart is a table that summarizes how the ratings were devised. Read detailed information on our Food and Recipe Rating System.
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Music
Multicultural Music In Early Childhood
Children should be exposed to music from all over the world from as early an age as possible. This article explains why and lists the benefits.
Comment: this is a WONDERFUL article and so true. During Halloween week we listened to scary music and moved with it to express our ideas of scary things. The kids loved it.
Music is a universal language. Exposing children to the music, songs and dances of other cultures should simply be another aspect of the music and movement program, integrated quite naturally on a daily basis. In the home setting, if another language is not spoken, exposing children regularly to the sounds of another language through music is a good idea.
Why is it a good idea? Young children learn by being actively involved in the process, through exploring and experimenting, through copying and acting out. And so it is with learning music, including the music (and language) of another culture, the foundations for which are best learnt while developing primary language. As such, a successful early childhood music program must incorporate movement (including dance) and should quite naturally involve learning across the curriculum. In other words, through music, the child can also develop language, mathematical concepts, physical development as well as social and emotional outcomes. Music, of course, is not exclusively reserved for the school domain. At home or in a childcare centre, music, including music from other cultures, should form part of the structure of everyday play. EVERY child has the right to a musical education. Like other forms of verbal and non-verbal communication, exposure to music should start at birth and even before.
It is important to bear in mind that not every child will naturally take to singing or learning to play a musical instrument. Physical expression through dance and drama is the way some children prefer to enjoy their musical experience. How wonderful to extend that experience by using the dances, the music and the costumes from another culture. And what child doesn’t love dressing up?
In musical interpretation there should be no pressure on the child to “get it right” because there is no right or wrong but simply the joy of participation. When a child feels successful at something, the child gains enormous confidence. This is critical where children are suffering from low self-esteem due to poor academic achievement. The more you can extend the creative arts experience, therefore, the better.
Furthermore, by exposing children to other cultures in a positive way, they gain understanding and learn acceptance of others. They need to be made aware that somewhere in another corner of the world are children just like them. These children are also having fun by singing songs, chanting rhymes, playing games and dancing. In this way inherent social values are gained, especially discovering that difference simply means diversity. Thus, it encourages a sense of harmony and inclusion rather than discrimination and distrust.
Studies show that exposing children to the sound, rhythm and intonation of language and music from diverse cultures assists them to discriminate between sounds, which assist with the acquisition of language skills. Listening is a skill that needs to be taught, as opposed to hearing which is a sense we are born with. Listening to the sounds of another language encourages concentration. In time, it starts to make sense, in the same way that as babies, we all learnt to understand the spoken word. Introducing children to Languages Other Than English (LOTE) cannot start soon enough. Far from confusing children, learning another language actually enhances the learning of their mother tongue.
Unlike adults, children absorb the language of another culture easily. Children who come from bi-lingual households quickly learn to discriminate between the two languages and use them both appropriately. They soon become aware that communication, in whatever form, gets them what they want.
Whether in a classroom, a nursery or at home, children are naturally attracted to the sounds of another language. Most adults can remember the foreign songs that they learnt at school. How many English songs from school can we remember? And why limit it to songs? Include fingerplays, dances and relaxation music. To the child, it is not important what the words mean as the music conveys the mood and that is everything.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Biscuits
Biscuits from Kraft Food and Family
Comment: These are cheesy biscuits. Biscuits are an excellent and quick way to introduce new flavors to children and picky adults. Try adding bacon, herbs, spices, and different cheeses. Add bits of meat, vegetables and even fruit. Biscuits are always a favorite with kids.
"These biscuits are delicious! They are just like the biscuits served
at restaurants...."
Prep Time: 10 min. Total Time: 22 min.
Makes: 9 servings
1cup flour
2 tsp. Calumet Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut up
1 cup Kraft Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) Philadelphia Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
PREHEAT oven to 450°F.
Mix flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar and salt in medium bowl.
Cut in butter with pastry blender two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in Cheddar cheese.
Add milk; stir until mixture forms soft dough.
PLACE on lightly floured surface; knead eight to 10 times or until smooth.
Pat out dough into 6-inch square. Cut into nine squares. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until golden brown.
Spread each split warm biscuit with 2-1/2 tsp. of the cream cheese spread.
Nutrition (per serving): CAL 190, FAT 13 g (sat 8 g), CHOL 40 mg,
SODIUM 360 mg, CARB 13 g, FIBER 1 g, SUGARS 2 g,
PROTEIN 5 g, VIT A 10%DV, VIT C 0%DV, CALCIUM 15%DV,
IRON 4%DV
Early Weight Gain
Early Weight Gain Can Mean Heart Trouble Later in Life
Children as young as 7 show signs of cardiovascular risk factors, study finds
By Amanda Gardner
From US News and World Report
From US News and World Report
Posted 11/5/07
Comment: People have asked why I'm so interested in teaching children to eat the right things at the right time. Here's the answer. Children need to experience non- fattening foods, foods that are nutrient rich. They won't do that at McDonald's or out of a pop tart box.
Comment: People have asked why I'm so interested in teaching children to eat the right things at the right time. Here's the answer. Children need to experience non- fattening foods, foods that are nutrient rich. They won't do that at McDonald's or out of a pop tart box.
MONDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Parents don't let your children grow up to be fat -- or even fat when they start grade school.
Children reach a low point in their body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height) early in life, before the BMI rises in concert with childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
But the earlier a child reaches his or her low point and starts gaining weight (called BMI rebound), the greater the chances of developing cardiovascular risk factors as young as age 7, a new study found.
"Plump is not good. We're seeing adverse cardiovascular risk factors developing in early childhood," said Dr. Thomas R. Kimball, study senior author and a pediatric cardiologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "The obesity epidemic of kids today is going to be the heart disease epidemic 20 years from now."
Pediatricians need to scrupulously monitor their patients' BMI, even their very young patients, said the authors of the study, which was presented Monday at the American Heart Association annual meeting, in Orlando, Fla.
"This goes to show you that it's never too early to prevent heart disease," said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, medical director of the Women's Health Program at New York University Medical Center and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. "It's really important given all that we know about kids not exercising as much as they used to and eating high-fat, high-calorie fast food meals. We really need to stop it."
Previous research had shown that the earlier in childhood BMI rebound occurs, the greater the risk of obesity and obesity-related disease later in life. Overweight and obesity are growing problems for American children. U.S. figures estimate that 17 percent of children aged 2 to 19 years and 18.8 percent of children aged 6 to 11 are overweight.
For the new study, the researchers measured the BMI of 308 children (158 boys and 150 girls) every four months starting at the age of 3 and ending at age 7. The participants were mostly white and were recruited from the pediatric population of Cincinnati Children's Hospital, which led the study.
The children were divided into three groups depending on when they reached their BMI rebound age -- early, middle and late. The BMI rebound age for children in the early group was 4.4 years for boys and 4.2 years for girls. In the oldest group, the rebound age was 6.6 years for boys and 5.7 years for girls.
By the time they turned 7, children with an earlier BMI rebound age had higher blood pressure, higher blood insulin and leptin levels, and larger left ventricular and left atrial size. The ventricle and the atrium are chambers of the heart.
"Girls' rebound age was a little bit younger than boys, and that potentially can mean they are at an increased risk to be obese," Kimball said.
The study authors also found that children today, overall, had younger rebound ages than a generation ago.
Why is BMI rebound age so critical? "I don't know for sure, but it's probably because you just have a longer period of time that you're gaining weight," Kimball said. "The earlier you start, the more you're being exposed to being obese."
It's unclear if the problem is reversible, but teenagers who underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost large amounts of weight (60 to 70 pounds) saw their left ventricular size decrease, the researchers said.
"There needs to be education. I don't think even pediatricians or physicians are necessarily even measuring BMI," Kimball said. "We know what to do: Diet and exercise. It's the same old thing, and it's frustrating getting people to actually practice it."
More information
Visit the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a partnership between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, for more on childhood obesity and wellness.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Jumping Rope
Comment: I think this sounds like fun. We need to teach this to the kids. They would absolutely love this. It's from the Sparkpeople.
Jumping Rope for Fitness
Bring Out the Kid in You with this Serious Exercise
-- By Jason Anderson, Certified Personal Trainer
I believe that most people would say jumping rope is for play, not for exercise. After all, you jumped rope as a kid on the playground and you probably forgot about it entirely after fourth grade. And it certainly isn’t touted as a benefit of joining the newest fitness center. “Join our facility! We have an excellent variety of jump ropes!” I doubt you hear that. Even if it isn’t very common as a workout tool, jumping rope fits right in with other forms of aerobic exercise (running, swimming, cycling, etc.). And as a matter of fact, it may be one of the best forms of cardio exercise out there.For years, top athletes have been using the rope to condition for their sports. Boxers probably come to mind. But with other well-known jumpers like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (basketball), Arnold Schwarzenegger (bodybuilding), Jerry Rice (football), or Michael Chang (tennis) joining in, jumping rope is certainly not for “girly men!”
So is jumping rope for you? Here are several reasons why you might want to give it a try:
- It’s inexpensive. You probably have a jump rope somewhere in your house already. Otherwise, most ropes cost less than $10, while higher-quality ropes are around $20 and top-of-the-line models (made with the best materials) will set you back just $25.
- You can do it practically anywhere. A jumping surface like hardwood, rubberized flooring, or very thin carpet is preferred, but any hard surface works fine. Outside, inside, at the gym—anything goes.
- It burns a lot of calories in a short amount of time. It is estimated that 10 minutes of jumping rope (at 120 turns per minute) has the same benefit as jogging for 30 minutes. Those are great numbers for people short on time.
- It’s compact. A jump rope makes a great addition (or start) to your home gym. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a piece of equipment that takes up a lot of space. A jump rope can fit nicely in a drawer—just don’t forget it’s there!
- You’ll notice improvements. Jumping rope helps build agility, speed, balance, and coordination, while improving your overall fitness level.
- You can do it with your family. Because jumping rope is a fun activity that almost anyone can do, it’s also an easy way to get your whole family exercising with you. Try making a game out of it. How many jumps can you do in a minute? How many jumps can you do without stopping or messing up? What kind of cool tricks can you do while keeping the rope turning?
| Your Height | Rope Length |
| Under 5' | 7' |
| 5' to 5' 5" | 8' |
| 5' 6" to 6' | 9' |
| Over 6' | 10' |
Now that you’ve got the perfect rope, it’s a good idea to spend a couple weeks perfecting your jumping technique—the basic bounce step. Remember that jumping rope is a skilled movement—it takes both coordination and timing to rope with each jump. Keep these pointers in mind:
- Hold handles with a firm grip, elbows close to sides.
- Make small circles with wrists while turning the rope.
- Keep torso relaxed, head lifted, and gaze ahead for balance.
- Jump only high enough to clear the rope, with light ankle-knee motion.
- During jumping, the rope should skim the surface lightly and your feet should not kick back behind you.
- Always land softly on the balls of your feet.
- Never sacrifice good jumping form for speed!
Now that you’ve mastered technique, this three-week program will help you build endurance. Always warm up before you start jumping, either by marching or jogging in place, for about five minutes. Finish each workout with a 5-minute cool down, and be sure to stretch the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings and shoulders.
Week 1: Practice the basic bounce step, using an interval (work-rest) training method. Try to jump and rest at a 1:2 ratio (rest twice as long as you jump, such as 15 seconds jumping and 30 seconds resting). Depending on how quickly you pick it up and how conditioned you are, start with around five to 25 consecutive jumps each work period. Then stop, rest, and start jumping again for a total of about three to five minutes. Aim for three practice sessions each week.
Week 2: As you gain confidence and ability, try to increase the number of consecutive jumps you can do before resting. Use the same interval training method, but this time at a 1:1 ratio (your rest time to be equal to your jump time, such as one minute jumping and one minute resting). Repeat your intervals for a total of five to six minutes. Aim for four sessions each week. By the end of week two, you should be able to jump for two to three minutes non-stop.
Week 3 and beyond: By now, you've got the hang of it! You should be able to jump for a few minutes straight without needing a break, keeping a pace around 120 turns per minute (two jumps per second). The goal over the next few weeks is to gradually increase your jumping time (while decreasing your resting time) until you can go for 10 minutes non-stop. Keep jumping rope a part of your workout routine about every other day.
Mastering technique: Now that you're fit to jump for several minutes, try some of the following speed and jumping techniques to keep challenging your body:
- Increase your speed. Aim for 180 turns per minute (3 jumps per second).
- Switch directions. Instead of turning the rope from back to front, switch its direction (forward to back) for more challenge.
- Crossovers. Cross the rope and your arms in front of your body as you jump through the rope.
- Scissor jumps. Turn the rope as you normally would, but scissor your legs forward and back (like skiing back and forth) to clear the rope.
- High stepping. Turn the rope as you normally would, but clear the rope with a high knee run (bringing one knee up high at a time).
- Jump straddles. Turn the rope as you normally would, but clear the rope with a jumping jack motion with your legs (straddle legs apart then together).
- Freestyle it! Get creative—invent your own jump!
Soup
From the Sparkpeople!
Comment: we began introducing soup about a week ago. I'm a soup maker and enjoy different concoctions. Last week we had swamp soup made from a lot of leftovers, and we also had homemade chicken soup. It was received very well by the kids. So proud of them. Soup is a wonderful and very easy thing to make. Start with a pan of water and a tablespoon of either chicken or beef bouillon. Add anything you have left over from the fridge. Thicken with either flour and water mixed to a gruel or cornstarch and water mixed to a thin gruel.
Here's an article about soup:
Super Healthy Soups
How to Make a Healthy Selection
-- By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietitian
Take stock the next time you walk through the soup aisle at your local grocery store. Soup can be good and healthy food. It can be a tasty way to add healthy beans, legumes, grains and vegetables to your diet. It's a convenient, yet inexpensive way to add protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber to your diet. And soup is both comforting and filling—a hot, savory bowl can help take the chill out of the fall and winter seasons. Want more reasons to ladle up?- Soup may curb your appetite. Studies show that people who eat broth or vegetable-based soups (not creamy or high-fat ones) as the first course of a meal consume fewer total calories during their meal. In fact, study participants consumed 20% fewer calories when they started their meal with soup!
- Soup can help you slow down. Eating a bowl of soup involves spooning, slurping, smelling, tasting, chewing, and swallowing. This helps you slow down your eating time instead of inhaling your food. Slower eaters tend to notice signs of fullness sooner and consume fewer calories by better enjoying their food in the moment.
- Soup stimulates the senses. These warm concoctions have unique aromas, tastes, enjoyable temperatures and visual interest, which add to the pleasure you experience when eating.
- 250 calories (or less) per serving, to keep your diet in check.
- 3 grams of fat (or less) per serving, to protect your heart.
- 3 grams of fiber (or more) per serving, for filling power.
- 600 mg of sodium (or less) per serving, to help keep blood pressure in check.
- Add your favorite herbs and spices to boost the flavor of reduced-sodium soups. Experiment with pepper, basil, parsley, oregano, garlic, ginger, or salt-free seasoning blends like Mrs. Dash.
- Add calcium and protein (without extra fat) by reconstituting your soup with skim milk, evaporated skim milk, non-fat dry milk powder, or calcium-fortified soymilk instead of water, whole milk or cream.
- Add frozen or leftover veggies to increase the fiber, vitamins and minerals in your soup. Spinach, broccoli, corn, celery, carrots and potatoes work well in most soups.
- Add beans and whole grains for more fiber, protein and filling power. Try potatoes, beans, lentils, lima beans, brown rice, barley, or whole wheat pasta.
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