Stay Positive. Extension Education Association of Williamson County. Upcoming Events:

Transcription

1 Extension Education Association of Williamson County Texas AgriLife Extension 3151 S.E. Inner Loop, Suite A Georgetown, TX (512) fax (512) mmjohnson@ag.tamu.edu EEA NEWSLETTER Fall/Winter 2011 Issue Upcoming Events: October 14, H Scholarship Dinner 7:00 p.m. November 1, 2011 Associa on Mee ng & Leader Training 9:00 a.m. November 4, 2011 Lunch & Learn November 30, 2011 District Leader Training Corsicana December 6, 2011 Awards Dinner Greetings! I m now back from maternity leave and just want to thank each of you for all your support and kindness during my pregnancy. Baby Dru is growing big and we are truly blessed. Look forward to seeing everyone. Happy Fall! Maggie Stay Positive A growing number of doctors believe that a positive attitude can help you cope with some chronic illnesses. When you feel optimistic, you re more likely to take care of yourself by getting regular plan and reaching out to others for support, says Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of California. Riverside, and author of The How of Happiness (The Penguin Press HC, 2007). Her advice about keeping on the sunny side: Act the part Get moving despite your pain even when you don t feel your best. Be kind Focusing on the needs of others can ease symptoms by taking your attention away from your own struggles. Exercise Regular vigorous exercise, like walking, can boost your mood and help treat mild depression. Source: HealthCommunities.com

2 PAGE 2 Portion Distortion While the USDA has reduced recommended serving sizes over the years, portions served in restaurants, cafes and movie theaters have ballooned. Watch out for these whoppers: * 16 oz mocha coffee: 350 calories * 5 oz blueberry muffin: 500 calories * Large tub of movie popcorn: 630 calories * Chicken Caesar salad: 790 calories * 10-inch turkey sandwich: 820 calories * Takeout chicken stir-fry: 865 calories * Spaghetti and meatballs: 1,025 calories Source: HealthCommunities.com

3 PAGE 3 Top Ingredient Swaps Swaps are key when it comes to guilt-free recipes. Instead of eggs, use fat-free liquid egg substitute. This stuff is basically just real egg whites with added nutrients and coloring. The best and most well-known brand out there is Egg Beaters Original. Liquid egg whites work too. A quarter-cup of egg substitute or liquid egg whites is equal to about one whole egg. Instead of ground beef, use frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles. These meat-like crumbles are one of my secret weapons. With about 120 calories and 2.5g fat per cup, they'll save you tons of fat and calories in the kitchen. They're timesavers too, since they're more or less ready to go once thawed. Instead of milk, use light soymilk or unsweetened almond milk. Both of these alternatives have fewer calories than even fat-free milk -- unsweetened almond milk has less than HALF the calories. These swaps are deliciously creamy and work perfectly almost everywhere regular milk is called for. (They won't work in pudding recipes.) Top pick - Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze. But if you're making something savory, stick with unflavored milk swaps. Instead of mayonnaise or sour cream, use plain fat-free Greek yogurt. This yogurt (like the kind made by Fage) is a great swap, especially if you're not crazy about the taste of fat-free mayo or sour cream. It's thick 'n creamy, packed with protein (an added bonus!), and slightly tart. Plus, unlike sour cream and mayo, it doubles as a snack. Score! Source:

4 PAGE 4 Chicken Picadillo This zesty one-pot meal is easy to throw together on a busy weeknight. Preparation Time: 30 minutes 2 tsp olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped 1 1/2 Tbsp garlic, mashed (about 3 cloves) 12 oz chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into thin strips 1/3 cup tomato sauce, no-salt-added 1/3 cup lemon juice 1/4 tsp ground cumin 2 bay leaves 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup seedless raisins Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic, and sauté until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken, and stir-fry another 5-10 minutes until chicken in no longer pink inside. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, lemon juice, cumin, bay leaves, water, and raisins to the vegetables and chicken. Cover the pan and reduce the heat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve. Serves: 6 ¾ Cup of Fruits and Vegetables per Serving Optional: Add diced potatoes; nutritional value will change... Nutrition Information per Serving: Calories: 130 Total Fat: 3g Saturated Fat: 0.5g % of Calories from Fat: 21% % Calories from Sat Fat: 3.5% Protein: 13g Carbohydrates: 12g Cholesterol: 30mg Dietary Fiber: 2g Sodium: 65mg Each serving provides: An excellent source of vitamins B3, B6 and C, and a good source of vitamin A, selenium, and phosphorous. Recipe courtesy of Keep the Beat, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Source:

5 PAGE 5

6 PAGE 6 Did you know? The phenomenon of cats finding their owners in a place where they have never been before is scien fically known as Psitrailing. Many well documented stories tell of cats that have walked hundreds, even thousands of miles to find their owners. At their fastest, cats can run 30 miles per hour. The cheetah is the only cat in the world that can t retract its claws. A group of cats is called a clowder. A group of ki ens is called a kindle. There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats. ~ Albert You can tell a cat s mood by looking into its eyes. A frightened or excited cat will have large, round pupils. An angry cat will have narrow pupils. The pupil size is related as much to the cat s emo ons as to the degree of light. The heaviest cat ever recorded weighed 46 pounds. A cat will almost never meow at another cat. Cats use this sound The penalty for killing a cat, 4,000 years ago in Egypt, was death. Information & facts were gathered from trivia on the Internet which have not been verified. Source: Food for Thought Volume 11, Issue 3 September 2011 Maggie M. Johnson County Extension Agent, Family Consumer Sciences Texas AgriLife Extension Williamson County Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin, The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.