Author Archives: Fiona Bryan

Family Vacation Steamboat Springs Colorado ~ Ski And Play In Champagne Powder

Posted on by
Reply

Record snowfall in the past few weeks has had people across the country staying home and bundling up. While the rest of the country frets over school cancellations and runs on bread, we Coloradans are saying, “Bring it on!”

One Colorado resort in particular, Steamboat Springs Ski Area, has surpassed the 200-inch mark two months earlier than last year! Spend a weekend in Steamboat Springs and you’ll realize that the easy 3-hour drive from Denver is much closer than we Denver-ites think. The trademarked “champagne snow” and true western heritage have made Steamboat a hot spot for vacationers from all over the world. Coloradans love the dry snow and because Steamboat is less crowded than many other resorts, visitors experience shorter lift lines and more mountain time.

This not-so-sleepy little town is buzzing with plenty to keep a family busy.  The Kids Ski Free program is only one of the many reasons Steamboat has appeared on a number of best family friendly resort lists.

Accomodations:

Whether you choose to stay in a condominium, studio, or traditional hotel room, there are plenty of places to choose from in all price ranges. For the true ski in ski out experience Bear Claw Condominiums do not disappoint. Located slope-side just below Christie Peak Express, we were able to walk right out the door and into our skis. At the end of the day be sure to pop into the Bear Claw Lounge, located on the second floor. Complimentary appetizers are served each day at 4:30 pm and guests are invited to enjoy complimentary cocktails on Mondays from 5:00-6:00 pm.

Each unit, from a one bedroom to a four bedroom loft, is uniquely furnished with a fully equipped kitchen, a gas fireplace and all of the amenities you would expect from a premier condo. Our four bedroom loft was spacious and comfortable. The kids ran through the rooms deciding where everyone would sleep. With a family of five, one of us is usually stuck on a couch, but not this weekend. John and I shared the king-sized bed in the master bedroom and the kids split themselves between the bunk bed in the loft and the other bedroom. We were in heaven with our own little retreat downstairs!

Kids On The Mountain:

Thumbs Up!

We brought Katherine (5) to the newly expanded Kids Vacation Center (KVC), where we were greeted by two smiley young folk who labeled every last thread of clothing on the child with her name. We were pointed towards one of what seemed like a dozen desks where we checked her in for her ski lesson with the Sundance Kids and got a big “thumbs up” from Kat as she bounced towards a room full of kids playing. KVC opens for check-in at 8:00 am with lessons beginning at 9:00 am, depending on the time of year and how busy the center is. You’ll want to be sure to get there in plenty of time (no later than 8:30) to make sure your kidlet is comfortable and ready to roll. Lunch is included in the cost of lessons, and if you reserve more than 7 days in advance you’ll benefit from a $13 savings.

The Rough Riders (1st grade to age 15) meet outside at 9:30 and head straight up the mountain as soon as everyone arrives so don’t be late! Both boys were met by friendly instructors who asked them questions about their skill levels. Each child is given a Flaik GPS tracking device with an individual number on it. The Rough Riders wear the device around the leg right below the knee, Katherine wore hers inside a pocket at the back of her ski school vest. Be sure to take note of your child’s number and you’ll be able to visit Flaik.com at the end of the day to see where your child skied, how fast, and at what elevation. The system (Mountain Watch Technology) actually communicates with the ski school and has different levels of alerts so that if a child takes a different turn, slows down, or somehow gets separated from the group the instructor or ski patrol is notified by radio. I have to say that I was impressed from a geek gadget standpoint but the mom in me breathed a sigh of relieve knowing that my kids were being well taken care of on an unfamiliar mountain.

By all standards the day was a success. Kat was making parallel turns consistently by the end of the day and Will seemed to walk a bit taller as he proudly described his day riding through the terrain parks with the older kids. I was able to download the Flaik GPS and see that Henry’s class had skied more of the mountain than I could possibly hope to do in a full day! The biggest clue to how much fun they’d had? They were all pooped!

Play Time For The Big Kids:

Steamboat is actually a complete mountain range: Mount Werner, Sunshine Peak, Storm Peak, Thunderhead Peak, Pioneer Ridge and Christie Peak. Loryn from Steamboat Springs Ski & Resort was kind enough to be our guide for the morning. With almost 3,000 acres of accessible terrain, I was relieved to hear we’d be starting in a friendly area the locals call “Wally World”. This area encompasses the Sunshine and Sundown Bowls, a nice mix of trail levels with access to a number of different lifts that seem to take you any direction you could possibly want to go. There are actually 5 lifts in this area, 3 in Sundown Bowl and 2 in Sunshine Bowl. My favorite run of the day? Two O’clock! It’s a blue/black trail with a decent pitch and on Saturday it was wide open and pure heavenly fresh powder-a perfect snowboard run!

On Mountain Dining:

If you are skiing “Wally World” you’ll have plenty of dining options at the top of the Gondola in the Thunderhead Peak building. For the best views of Yampa Valley, visit Hazie’s and ask to be seated upstairs. Even on an uncharacteristically gray day the view was fantastic.

The lunch menu at Hazie’s offers a nice selection of entrees, burgers, sandwiches and salads. For a quick bite order the soup and salad bar ($15). The Ahi Shooters are a fun and unique appetizer ($14). Because I love burgers, I could not resist ordering the Grilled Kobe Burger, served with Maytag bleu cheese and buttermilk fried onions on a Ciabatta roll. The burger was perfectly cooked to medium rare and the blend of blue cheese and onion was delicious. The perfect meal to fuel me down the hill in time to pick up the kids!

Hazie’s serves lunch from 11:30 am-2:30 pm and offers a set menu dining experience Fri-Sun and holidays. Call for reservations 970-871-5150.

Family Western BBQ:

Howdy Partner!

The Western BBQ at the top of Thunderhead is one of those “not to be missed” experiences if you are traveling with family. Ride the gondola up and enjoy a buffet of traditional western style foods like slow roasted ribs, chicken, beans, prime rib, and turkey. Local Country-Western band, Sun Dog, plays from 7:00 pm ’til 10:00 pm. Their “schtick” is clearly geared toward making sure the kids have fun and the adults have plenty to laugh about. They’ll teach you the two-step and the Electric Slide and your kids will get a good giggle at Mom and Dad tripping over each other’s feet. I captured plenty of fun video footage of my cowboys and girls dancing the night away. Henry was on fire and didn’t want to leave when it was time to go!

Reservations are required. Call 970-871-5162.

Downtown Steamboat Springs:

Downtown Steamboat Springs is surprisingly lively for a ski town. There’s plenty of history mixed in with the many choices for modern dining and shopping.

Thunder Ridge

Step into the old west with a visit to FM Light & Son’s. You’ll be familiar with the name because you’ll see signs every 500 yards or so for the last 50 miles of the trip into town! They had the biggest selection of cowboy boots and hats I’ve ever seen in my life.

8th Street Steak House – If you like your meat cooked your way, this is the spot. You’ll pick out your own meat and cook it too! They even have little buckaroo saddles for the kids to sit in while they cook their steak.

Hot Springs:

Mineral Hot Springs

Our trip would not have been complete without a visit to the Old Town Hot Springs. I say this because aside from soaking in the heavenly warm pools my son was able to convince me to ride one of the 250-foot slides several times. I provided the evening’s entertainment by screaming my way down every foot of the slide-several times. It was fast. Very fast but definitely fun and gave the family much ammunition with which to tease me for the remainder of the trip! The slide is open from 4:00-8:00 pm in the winter. The pools are beautiful at night and the perfect place to soak your legs after a good day on the hill.

Packages and Specials:

We were so enamored by the snow that we’ve been looking at the possibility of returning before the end of this season. If you’re looking for a real bargain take a look at the late season Ski Free Package, valid 4/1/11 – 4/10/11. We love spring skiing and rates as low as $119 per adult for 3 nights’ lodging and a 2-day lift ticket are looking very attractive right now. Visit Steamboat.com for the most up-to-date deals.

Getting There:

157 miles Northwest of Denver, an easy 3-hour drive. Take I-70 west through the Eisenhower Tunnel to Silverthorne, Exit 205 (67 miles). Take CO 9 North to Kremmling (37 miles), then West on US 40 to Steamboat Springs (53 miles).

*My family was a weekend guest of Steamboat Springs Ski and Resorts; accomodations, ski lessons, lift tickets, etc. were provided to us at no charge for purposes of review. All opinions are my own based on my experience.

Did you like this? Share it:

Healthy Recipe ~ Whole-wheat Corn Muffins

Posted on by
Reply

From the Editors of Live Right Live Well

These light whole-grain muffins contain far less fat than packaged muffins. They’re perfect for starting the day off right — or keeping them tucked away in the freezer for a handy, healthy snack.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, both kinds of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg, oil, honey and vanilla. Tip: After measuring the oil, use the same cup (without washing) to measure the honey. This way, the honey will glide out of the cup.

4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the yogurt mixture and stir until just combined (do not overmix). Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

5. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.

Nutrition information (per serving)
Calories: 151
Carbohydrate: 22g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 5g
Sodium: 240mg
Cholesterol: 18mg

Did you like this? Share it:

Can Video Games Count as Exercise?

Posted on by
1

By Stacey Colino for Live Right Live Well

Not long ago, playing video games provided good exercise for kids’ thumbs — and not much else. Now, a new generation of more active video games, like Wii Sports, is changing all that. The big question on everyone’s mind: Can these new active video games help you, your spouse and your kids get (or stay) fit?

The answer is maybe. A study at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that kids burn more than twice as many calories playing activity-promoting video games — such as Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) and EyeToy — than just sitting and watching TV. With DDR, you control the game by stepping on an electronic dance pad, while EyeToy uses a special camera to capture an image of the player in motion and literally inserts her into the onscreen Playstation action.

In a recent study at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 24 volunteers (ages 12 to 25) played DDR at various intensities, then researchers examined their heart rate, VO2 max (a measure of maximum aerobic capacity) and caloric expenditure. It turns out that playing DDR in “difficult mode” produced results comparable to taking a high-impact aerobics class: Heart rates jumped to 76 percent of maximum and participants burned calories at a rate of 480 per hour, reports study leader John Porcari, Ph.D., professor of exercise and sport science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Playing DDR in “standard mode” was the calorie-burning equivalent of riding a bike 12 miles per hour.

Does this mean active video games are as good as regular exercise? “I see it as a supplement, not a substitute,” says Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise. “These more active video games don’t get you moving to a degree that can serve as a substitute for the real thing.” However, others see it differently: “It isn’t a replacement for exercise — it is exercise,” Porcari says. “When you’re working that hard [as hard as people did playing DDR in difficult mode], your heart and lungs don’t know what you’re doing. They just know they’re working harder.”

Ultimately, experts agree that the best approach may be to aim for a combination of regular exercise and video exercise. To that end, your family could jog, bike, swim or play (real) tennis four days a week and play active video games twice a week. Or “you could do 30 minutes of formal exercise and 15 minutes of these [video games] most days of the week,” Bryant suggests. However you divvy it up, the key to getting the most from these active video games, says Bryant, is “to move as much as possible and move as much of your body as possible.”

Stacey Colino has written for The Washington Post health section and many national magazines, including Newsweek, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Self, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Parenting, Sports Illustrated and Ladies’ Home Journal.

Did you like this? Share it:

Greek Yogurt, Granola and Citrus Parfait

Posted on by
1

From the Editors of Live Right Live Well

Eat breakfast every day: It really will help you achieve that new year’s resolution to lose weight. Research shows that breakfast eaters are more successful with weight loss efforts. Choose a protein and carbohydrate-rich breakfast — that’s the winning combo for a satisfying meal that sticks with you longer and helps prevent mindless munching. This fast parfait is loaded with protein from Greek yogurt (which has double the protein of regular yogurt) and nutrient-rich carbohydrates from granola, grapefruit and tangerine. Ruby red grapefruit and tangerine provide an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamins A and C.

Makes 1 parfait

Ingredients
1 cup Greek nonfat vanilla yogurt
2/3 cup favorite granola cereal
1/2 small ruby red grapefruit, peeled and sliced
1 tangerine, peeled and sliced

Directions
1. In a tall glass or bowl, layer all ingredients alternately.

2. Enjoy immediately.

Nutrition information (per serving)
490 calories
29 g protein
90 g carbohydrates
3 g fat (0.5 g saturated)
3 mg cholesterol
225 mg sodium
485 mg potassium
350 mg calcium
2.2 mg iron
3185 IU vitamin A
73 mg vitamin C
7 g fiber

Did you like this? Share it:

Vitamins That Keep Your Brain Young

Posted on by
2

By Stacey Colino for Live Right Live Well

Wouldn’t it be great if simply eating could keep your brain young? Well, good news: New research sheds light on how certain vitamins and other nutrients may keep your memory sharp and your brain agile — and ward off dementia — as you get older. “The key is to try to get these nutrients from whole foods whenever possible, because they can act synergistically,” says Paula Bickford, a doctor of pharmacology and professor in the department of neurosurgery and brain repair at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.

So which vitamins and nutrients have the most promise for keeping your brain young?

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
French researchers found the lower your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, the higher your risk of suffering cognitive decline.

How they keep your brain young: “Omega-3 fatty acids protect the brain against oxidative stress [damage generated by unstable molecules called free radicals],” explains Bickford. In addition, “nerve tissue uses omega-3 fatty acids as the building blocks for cells,” says Bickford, and omega-3’s help with signaling within and between nerve cells, which helps your brain function properly.  

What to eat: salmon, tuna, lake trout, sardines, anchovies, walnuts, canola oil, flaxseeds.

Vitamins C, D and E
Research from the Netherlands suggests that eating a diet rich in vitamin E may reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A South African study found that older adults with dementia had lower blood levels of vitamin C. Finally, a study at the University of Manchester in the U.K. found that middle-aged and older adults with lower blood levels of vitamin D performed less well on cognitive function tests.

How they keep your brain young: Because these vitamins have antioxidant properties, they can protect the brain from free radical damage. Plus, “having antioxidants in your diet helps reduce low-grade inflammation in your cells and clogging of arteries, which would compromise blood flow to the brain,” says Joy Dubost, a doctor of food science, registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Institute of Food Technologists.

What to eat:
For vitamin C: orange juice, red peppers, papaya, strawberries, broccoli, citrus fruits.
For vitamin D: salmon, halibut, fortified milks, fortified cereals, eggs.
For vitamin E: fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach and other leafy greens, canola oil.

B Vitamins
Researchers from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that older adults with higher blood levels of vitamin B12 showed slower rates of cognitive decline. Meanwhile, research from the University of California, Los Angeles found that low folate levels were associated with higher levels of cognitive decline among high-functioning adults in their 70s.

How they keep your brain young: No one knows exactly how these B vitamins help, “but there are many hypotheses,” says Christy Tangney, a doctor of nutrition and associate professor at Rush. One is that suboptimal levels of B12 can lead to problems in your body’s ability to synthesize brain chemicals and maintain your brain’s network of nerves. “Another is that a deficiency of either folate or B12 can lead to a buildup of homocysteine [an amino acid in the blood], which is toxic to the blood vessels in the brain and causes damage to neurons [which can lead to cognitive decline],” explains Tangney.

What to eat:
For vitamin B12: beef, shellfish, organ meats, salmon, fortified cereals.
For folate: fortified cereals, beans, broccoli, spinach, okra, papaya, enriched pastas.

Stacey Colino has written for The Washington Post health section and many national magazines, including Newsweek, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Self, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Parenting, Sports Illustrated and Ladies’ Home Journal.

Did you like this? Share it:

Healthy Holiday Treats

Posted on by
Reply

By Jessica Goldbogen Harlan for Live Right Live Well

If you’ve got a sweet tooth — not to mention heartburn — , chances are you anticipate the holidays with both excitement and dread. After all, even the most resolute intentions can crumble when you’re faced with a whipped cream-topped wedge of pecan pie or your favorite holiday cookie. But “there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to enjoy outrageously delicious and decadent desserts this time of year,” says Kathleen Daelemans, author of Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen (Houghton Mifflin) and a regular guest on NBC’s “Today” show. “The problem is when portion control goes out the window.”

Whether you’re a guest at a party or making treats for your own dinner or event, you can make it easier to enjoy holiday treats with just a few simple ideas:

Choose recipes wisely Instead of picking a super-rich recipe and trying to lighten it with substitutions that could compromise the flavor and make it less satisfying, opt for stunning desserts that also happen to be low in fat and calories. Angel food cake is often fat-free, and you can drizzle it with raspberry syrup  for a lovely presentation. Fruit crisps with seasonal fruit are often lower in fat than pies, which have butter-laden crusts.

Think small Take a cue from the spa cuisine restaurant chain Seasons 52, which serves rich and creamy desserts like red velvet cake and Boston cream pie layered in tiny shot glasses. Tiny portions allow you to savor rich ingredients without packing a huge caloric punch.

Make fruit the rule That’s the advice of Sari Greaves, a registered dietitian at the Step Ahead Weight Loss Center, in Bedminster, N.J., and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. By piling your plate up with fruit plus a small indulgence, like a dollop of whipped cream, a mini scoop of premium vanilla ice cream or a petit four, you get all of the fiber and nutrients fruit has to offer and still satisfy your sweet tooth. Greaves also recommends baked or poached fruits, like apples and pears, or making fruit kebabs dusted lightly with powdered sugar. When it comes to fruit pies, she says, “Ditch the pie crust. It’s probably high in fat, especially saturated fat from butter.” Instead, bake the filling in individual custard cups or use fruit compote to top elegant meringue shells.

Be smart about substitutions Not every recipe or ingredient will lend itself to lower-fat substitutions. But in certain instances, you can use nonfat or 2 percent when a recipe calls for milk, or thick Greek-style yogurt in place of sour cream. “Just be sure to practice the recipe beforehand to make sure you’re happy with the finished dish,” suggests Daelemans. Greaves adds that in many baked desserts, you can simply cut the fat by up to half. For recipes that call for vegetable oil, use heart-healthy olive, canola or grapeseed oil. Finally, you can often get away with replacing one-third or one-half of the sugar in a recipe with a sugar-free substitute, like Splenda, and use two egg whites or one quarter-cup egg substitute to replace each egg in a dish.

Plan ahead Who can resist a holiday buffet? You can, says Greaves, if you have a plan of attack. Start by checking out the entire buffet and deciding what goodies you want to sample. Then serve yourself small portions on a small dessert plate (a large plate might cause you to unwittingly serve yourself more). Avoid grazing, which can cause you to lose track of how much you’ve eaten.

Above all, says Greaves, “Enjoy your dessert, eat slowly and savor every bite.” After all, the holidays come but once a year.

Jessica Goldbogen Harlan is an Atlanta-based writer and recipe developer specializing in nutrition and healthy eating. Jessica has written for numerous publications and Web sites including Pilates Style, H2O, Lime, Gaiam and iVillage.

Did you like this? Share it:

Do You Sit Too Much?

Posted on by
Reply

By Daryn Eller for Live Right Live Well

Stiff joints, achy muscles, numb limbs — all familiar side effects of too much time spent parked in a chair. But did you know that sitting too much may actually shorten your life as well? That’s the conclusion of a surprising new study conducted by the American Cancer Society.

After tracking 123,000 people, researchers found that women who reported sitting more than six hours per day were 37 percent more likely to die prematurely than those who sat fewer than three hours a day — even if they got regular exercise. Men were 18 percent more likely to die early.

When participants reported sitting for long hours without engaging in a regular exercise routine, the results were even worse: Women and men who sat for six hours a day and didn’t work out were, respectively, 94 and 48 percent more likely to die early compared with those who sat fewer hours and were very physically active.

“Being active is beneficial — this we know from many years of research, not just from this study,” says lead researcher Alpa V. Patel, who is an epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society. “But our study also showed that being active combined with sitting less was better.” This may be because sitting has been shown to negatively affect cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, leptin (the hormone that helps govern appetite) and other factors associated with obesity and cardiac disease.

So what do you do if you have a desk job or are otherwise stuck sitting in a chair for six or more hours per day? “For optimal health and longevity, adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week,” says Patel. That averages out to a minimum of 20 minutes a day. “Additionally, this study suggests that reducing time spent sitting will add additional benefit. Our study showed that less than three hours a day [of sitting] had the lowest risk.”

A few suggestions to get your daily dose of movement:

  • Set an alarm on your computer that will remind you to stand up or walk around for a few minutes once every hour.
  • Take a 20-minute midday stroll if you simply can’t get up every hour. It gets your blood flowing and counts toward your daily out-of-chair quota.
  • Work standing up. Lore has it that Thomas Jefferson and Ernest Hemingway, among others, used a raised desk so they could stand while working.
  • Skip interoffice phone and email. When you want to discuss something with a colleague at work, get up and walk to their desk instead.
  • Use your feet instead of sitting in a car if you have to run an outside errand that’s within walking distance.
  • Choose leisure activities that don’t involve sitting: Go to a bowling alley instead of a movie theater, a dance class rather than a concert, or a museum as opposed to a spectator sports arena.

Daryn Eller has written for O, Prevention, Health and Natural Health magazines. She lives in Venice, Calif.

Did you like this? Share it:

The Heart Of Social Good, Karen Bantuveris #heartofhaiti

Posted on by
Reply

Through my work with The Blogrollers, Fair Winds Trading, and Macy’s as an ambassador for the “Heart of Haiti” initiative, I’ve been asked to highlight someone that is doing great things to raise awareness, empower and/or inspire others, and is all out passionate about making positive changes in her life, her community (online and/or offline), or maybe even the world! Karen Bantuveris is someone who personifies many of the themes present in the Heart of Haiti project. I chose to highlight Karen as a person who represents the “Heart of Social Good”; Karen is the Founder and CEO of VolunteerSpot; she is passionate about increasing parent participation in schools, engaging parents to fund education technology, and using new media tools to inspire social action in the ‘real’ world.

Have you ever met someone and known instantly that they were your kind of people? When we were in Las Vegas earlier this year for BlogWorld Expo, Stephanie Schwab invited me and Michele McGraw to a nice dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio in The Venetian. It was an amazing meal but most it was the quartet of women gathered around the table that made the meal. The conversation that evening covered the gamut of topics from our upbringings to our careers and we even touched on politics!

Stephanie introduced us to Karen Bantuveris that evening. I was “social media style” acquainted with Karen and had vaguely heard of the organization she is Founder & CEO of, VolunteerSpot, but this was the first time I’d had the opportunity to sit and get to know her. She’s one fabulously fun gal! Later that night, while visiting VolunteerSpot.com and reading one blog entry after another, I discovered what an amazingly brilliant thing Karen has done.

Volunteerism is essential to the economic and social workings of most communities. The organization and mobilization of volunteer efforts, whether in the wake of disaster or for a simple school fundraiser, can make or brake the experience for all involved. The “burnout” rate for volunteers is a hot topic in the news and it’s something we’ve been addressing in my own community this fall. The extraneous “noise” and hoops one must often jump through just to give of their time can be overwhelming. I have often found myself weighing the value of my time (and the time taken away from family, work, and household responsibilities) against the good I’m able to accomplish. The reply-all emails, clipboards, online groups, and late night reminder messages can be incredibly time consuming and frustrating; it was just this type of frustration that fueled the launch of VolunteerSpot in 2009.

VolunteerSpot - Doing Good Just Got EasierVolunteerSpot is a free on-line organization tool that simplifies organizing and coordinating volunteers in your community, congregation and social networks. VolunteerSpot’s simple sign up application makes it easy for community members to participate without having to wait for approvals and passwords, there is no software to install, just easy, free scheduling and sign up tools.

Thank you, Karen, for sharing your talents and for your passion for empowering and inspiring others to make a difference in their communities!

Listen to Karen talk about avoiding volunteer burnout on CNN.

Did you like this? Share it:

5 Breakfast Recipes That Boost Your Health

Posted on by
Reply




By Densie Webb for Oral Care And Health Daily

It’s tempting to take shortcuts, especially when it comes to the first meal of the day. Instead of sloughing off breakfast, start off on the right food and set the tone for a healthier day — every day. Here’s how:

Stay Slim Mondays

Opting for fresh vegetables first thing in the morning ensures that you’ll be more likely to get in the recommended 2 1/2 cups of daily servings to stay fit and healthy.

Carrot Smoothie (2 servings)

  • 2 cups carrot juice
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup vanilla yogurt

Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend until smoothie reaches desired consistency.

Tough Teeth Tuesdays

Combine the calcium cache of cheese with the phosphorus found in eggs, and you’ve served a wakeup call for strong bones and teeth.

Breakfast Quesadilla (2 servings)

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons light jalapeno cheddar cheese
  • Two 6-inch soft fat-free tortillas
  • 1 tablespoon diced green pepper
  • 1 tablespoon diced onion
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  1. In a skillet, use nonstick cooking spray and prepare eggs with green peppers, onions and 1/2 cup cheese. Flip once. Cook until done.
  2. Heat tortillas in the microwave until warm, about 30 seconds.
  3. Layer a tortilla, egg mixture and tortilla with cheese on top.
  4. Cut into six pieces.

Heart Health Wednesdays

Eating oatmeal is a proven way to lower your cholesterol, but let’s face it: Pancakes sound much more tempting. Get the best of both.

Oatmeal Pancakes

  • 2 cups pancake baking mix
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups low-fat milk
  • 2 eggs
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  1. Grease griddle with cooking spray and heat to 375 F.
  2. In medium bowl, use a spoon to stir all pancake ingredients until blended.
  3. For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle. Cook until edges are dry. Turn and cook other side until golden.

Brain Boost Thursdays

Blueberries pack a huge antioxidant punch to help keep your mind nimble.

Blueberry Waffle Sandwich (3 servings)

  • 3 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
  • 6 whole-grain frozen waffles
  • 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
  1. In bowl, stir together cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar.
  2. Heat waffles in toaster.
  3. Spread cream cheese mixture on waffles.
  4. Spoon blueberries over cream cheese on three slices.
  5. Cover with remaining slices.
  6. Cut each “waffle sandwich” in half.

Protein Punch Fridays

A high-protein breakfast will keep your hunger at bay throughout the morning.  Stay satisfied without the saturated fat with this tasty option.

Sweet Greek Breakfast (1 serving)

  • 6 ounces Greek yogurt
  • 1 ounce raw walnuts, chopped
  • 1 medium apple, chopped
  • 1 handful raisins
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Stir together all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy!

Densie Webb is
a Texas-based registered dietitian and writer. She co-wrote The Dish: On Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous.

Did you like this? Share it:

Living A Life Unplugged Featured On Mom It Forward

Posted on by
Reply

Several weeks ago I was contacted by a writer for Mom it Forward and asked if I would be willing to interview for the segment,  Moms Making A Difference.  I wasn’t sure what qualified me to be lumped into the same category as the many admirable women who’d been featured prior to me, but I was flattered and agreed to the interview.

On the day of my interview, I had a huge smile on my face as I realized the direction the interview was going to move in. I didn’t blog very much last summer because I was too busy living unplugged. We had such an amazing summer traveling, hiking, biking, and being outside together. We don’t even have cable television anymore. Thanks to Mom it Forward, I now have pretty darn good documentation of what the best summer of my entire life was like!

Click here to read my story, The Bantering Blonde Unplugs

Did you like this? Share it: