Professor Lonnie Gamble | ArtisanFoodSlowFood / Bens Blog

Friday, January 20, 2006 Fringe benefits and homemade pizza

It's Friday, the completion of another busy week in the Rampolla household. I look back and am amazed that we have been able to get everything in. Work, Boy Scouts, basketball practice, workouts, homework, reports, science fair projects, studying, cooking with Chef Billy and I know I am missing something else.

I tried to take my full day off today. Thought it would be a great time to practice new cooking skills and decided to make homemade PIZZA for dinner tonight. I started everything in time to have pizzas, green salad and fruit salad available for the family when Pedro and the kids came home after work and school. The new ingrediants were fabulous and came together well. I used whole wheat crust, fat-free cheese, fresh mushrooms and lean ground beef, which I mixed with tomato sauce, chunk tomatoes and Italian pizza spices. I added a couple slices of turkey pepperoni for taste. I believe it was a hit. There aren't any left overs.

One of our New You tasks was to slow down the family activity. I am not sure we are slowing down as much as re-prioritizing. What's really important anyway?

Wednesday night I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and my two youngest sons were sitting down at the kitchen table doing homework. The unusual part about this is that I have always been in and out of the kitchen while preparing dinner. Now, since I need to create a meal instead of just pulling ingredients from a bag or box, I found myself watching them, reading with them, spelling with them and counting with them. My how precious this time was. It has been awhile since I have had such focused time with my boys. How much they have grown and I am amazed at how bright they are.

I am starting to see changes in our family. It does not look like we will only be healthier as we emerge on our life journey after New You but closer!

Admittedly, Pedro and I usually ate in front of the TV, watching the news to catch up on what had happened in the day while we were away at work. The kids would sit at the kitchen table. Since we have started this transformation, we have had dinner every night together at the kitchen table with our boys. The world news can wait...I want to know the news that our boys have for us about what has developed during their days!

This is truly an unexpected fringe benefit! Posted By Denise Rampolla: 10:44 PM ( on cnn.com)

my thoughts...

this blog is an example of how many benefits come from what happens when people start putting a little effort into what they are eating. they may not have put in effort to finding the most healthy or eco friendly ingredients but what they are doing is begining to experience the fringe benifits. i like this blog because it shows me how people are able to fee lthe difference on an experience level when they put some time into the food and company they are with. not only will the food taste better but also the community of the family is being brought together.

Dear espicurious,

I have read a recent article of yours � nutrition 101� and I was amazed to find that in all the tips you�ve recommended not a single one was based on the food it self. Ther was no mention about the quality of food, where is comes from, oand the benefits of such things. Your article seems to point out the obviouse things and then goes on to give a few pointers but offers no real solutions.

Im sorry, but eating healthy is much more than counting calories, reading labels, and watching portion sizes. I mean, I would like to see things on how the use of local products and time spent preparing the food has on the over all well being of the self and the community. There are ways to make the holistic connection between food and the eater. I believe the continuation of these type of articles is senless. Tell me something I don�t know or actually makes me think.

Ben newman

A t Epicurious, we believe that food and cooking are two of life's greatest pleasures. However, it's important to maintain a balance and make the right choices about what you are eating.

"When it comes to diet, one size definitely does not fit all," says Dana Lilienthal, a registered dietitian and holistic health counselor with a private practice on New York's Long Island and in New York City. "It's about finding out what works best for you and creating a diet based on your own personal desires and needs." To that end, we have created a simple guide to the basic tenets of nutrition. Ten Keys to Healthy Living

� Create a balance in your life�healthy relationships, a satisfying career, and regular physical activity all affect the food choices you make.

� Remember that moderation and portion size are important�the rule is that if you eat healthy 90 percent of the time, the other 10 percent of the time you can eat whatever you feel like eating.

� Drink water�your body is 75 percent water, so make sure you keep it replenished.

� Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables) and whole-grain carbohydrates such as brown rice, bulgur, quinoa, and millet each day.

� Opt for lean meat or poultry and fat-free or low-fat milk products.

� Select foods low in saturated and trans fats (hydrogenated oils).

� Keep your total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated sources such as vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fish.

� Refrain from adding more than one teaspoon of salt per day to your cooking.

� Get in the habit of reading the labels of packaged foods�knowing the ingredients and calories a product contains will help you make more informed decisions about what you buy and eat.

� Eat less sugar and processed food, and aim for a diet high in freshly cooked whole foods.