F.A.V.E- Fruits and Vegetables Evansville

Hello Everyone!

It's great to be blogging again.  I have certainly missed it! I have been incredibly busy the past three weeks and have not been posting like I should.  Today I wanted to share the new community project I have the opportunity to part-take in. I have the unique opportunity to work alongside the University of Southern Indiana, St. Mary's Hospital, Deaconess Hospital, and the Welborn Baptist Foundation to improve the accessibility, quality, and selection of fruits and vegetables for the city of Evansville.  We arrive on campus every Friday at 8 am to unload our produce from the delivery trucks.  We then head over to the food lab where we wash, weigh, and bag the produce.  From there, we travel to three different community sites and sell the produce for the whole-sale cost it was purchased at.  We had a wonderful turnout and even had people waiting in line to buy our food!  Not only were we selling fruits and vegetables, but we also provided a nutrition education segment! This week, Brittany Smith, a dietetic student, demonstrated how to make caramelized bananas and banana muffins!  The demonstration was a hit and people were thrilled to taste samples.  It is a remarkable feeling to know we are able to make a difference in the community.  

 Kayla and I setting up the produce bins. 

Check out our fresh fruits and vegetables! 

 Chelsea modeling our personalized apron and baskets!

 The girls are eager to start work! 

 Brittany performing her nutrition education segment. 

Caramelized Bananas. YUM YUM

Recipes! Courtesy of Brittany Smith 

Banana Crumb Muffins

1.5 Cup Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

3 Large Bananas, Mashed

3/4 Cup Sugar

1 Egg Lightly Beaten

1/3 Cup Butter

Topping

1/3 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1 T Flour

1/8 tsp. Cinnamon

1 T Cold Butter

Directions: 

Combine bananas, sugar, egg, butter. Mixed well. Stir in dry ingredients until moistened. Grease Muffin pan.  Fill pan 3/4 full.  Combine first 3 topping ingredients.  Cut up butter and add to mix until crumbly.  Spread over muffin.  Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes. 

Caramelized Honey Bananas

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, or substitute preferred cooking oil such as grapeseed oil or canola oil

2 Tbsp Honey

½ tsp cinnamon

 Directions:

Using a sharp knife, start by cutting the bananas into ½ inch thick slices. Preheat your skillet to medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter or preferred cooking oil to the pan. Add in 2 Tbsp honey and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Let ingredients dissolve. Once melted and combined take banana slices and lay them flat in your pan. Once they are in, let them cook for 4-5 minutes until it starts to brown and caramelize on the bottom. Flip to the other side and let them cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Once they are brown and caramelized all over you can remove them from the heat and serve!

Great to eat as a snack or to use as an ingredient or topping! 

Chelsea and I managing the register. 

 Don't they look delicious?!

Guest Blogger- Madison Duncan: Mind of Madison

Hi everyone and thank you in advance to Sylvia for allowing me to be a guest blogger on her site!

First off I'd like to say THANKS for stopping by. I'm not sure what brought you here. Maybe you saw my post on Facebook and wanted to stop by and keep tabs on the high school homecoming queen that went to college and got fat. Or maybe (hopefully) you're here for inspiration to get off the couch and get moving.  I've never been a size 0, nor will I ever be. God has blessed me with curves and I'm doing my best to embrace them. Unfortunately, I've used my God given curves as an excuse to eat and be lazy. A little extra to love is okay, right?So let me fill you in on my journey.. I started my freshman year of college @ Purdue University (BOILER UP) in 2010. Between a mixture of eating all-you-can-eat dining court meals three times a day, joining a sorority and drinking 4 nights a week, and only exercising when I had to walk 5 minutes to class.... you can imagine I gained a few pounds (or 30). I also developed a few health problems in my sinuses and was put on steroids for three months straight. Adding the constant consumption of calories and the weight gaining power of steroids, there was no hope. I was gaining weight and I didn't want to do anything about it.

It wasn't until a year and a half ago, when my life took an unfortunate turn for the worse, that I started to focus on living a healthier lifestyle. I think it took a seriously traumatic life experience for me to pull myself together. I was depressed and food was my vice. I spent 6 weeks laying in my dark bedroom watching Netflix before I decided that I should do something about my depression. I went to a doctor to get a second opinion on how to tackle my disease. After being put on enough medications to kill a small horse (just to be able to get out of bed and not be a sloth all day) I decided to take matters into my own hands. I HATE the fact that I was considered someone with a 'mental illness' and I was going to do my whatever it took to get rid of that title. So besides the obvious medication, another recommended tactic is diet and exercise. Sounds good to me.

I remember one morning a year and a half ago when I stepped on the scale and saw "the number." The largest number I'd ever seen on a scale. 173 pounds. I was never tiny. I graduated high school weighing 140 and I was happy with that weight.That morning I put on an old pair of running shoes and took my first step towards a healthier me. Fighting the heat of July, I completed two miles in 40 minutes. I was exhausted, but I didn't give up. I continued to run every day and started replacing fast food with healthier options. Fast forward to today. I am 35 pounds lighter, happy, and training to run my first half marathon.

(173 vs. 136)

It can happen to anyone. But, with hard work and determination I know that YOU can be healthy too.

You can follow more of my journey at MadisonDuncan.wordpress.com! 

Guest Writer- Jasmin Foster: Dietitian Ambition

Hello,

My name is Jasmin Foster and I am a Dietetics graduate from the University of Kentucky. While in the didactic program at University of Kentucky my most exciting class was Quantity Food Production.  My classmates and I were in charge of running a student restaurant, The Lemon Tree.  For only $11.00 guests reserved a table where we would provide a three course meal.  Students worked in pairs and rotated to every position of the restaurant to gain a diverse experience.  Of course, we were supervised by a wonderful team that included a registered dietitian, two chefs, and two teaching assistants.  For each meal students we were responsible to prepare food for an average of 40-50 guests and additional food for the class to eat making the total to at least 70 people!  My partner and I started off working in front of house as servers.  Here, we were in charge of preparing the dining room for service.  As a server I learned etiquette on which side to stand, how to properly pour drinks, and how to set the dining room table.  As front of house manager we were in charge of deciding the placement of table, decorations, handling money, and helping servers when in need.                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The majority of the position were in back of house as cooks. All meals were made fresh and each day of service featured a Kentucky Proud or locally grown product.  Some items were provided straight from the farm of our chef! As back of house manager responsibilities were to ensure everything ran smoothly by overseeing operations of all the cooks, delegating cleaning responsibilities, and working with the front of house manager to provide the correct number of dinner plates, glasses, and silverware needed. When my partner and I were in charge of dessert we made lemon poppy seed cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and raspberry drizzle. Some other dishes I made throughout the semester included spinach dip, sautéed kale, roasted turkey, pita bread, and a caprese salad with arugula greens. Customers of Lemon Tree were mostly faculty, staff, and family members of students. I was able to work on a larger scale using RoboCop mixers, large salad spinners, commercial ovens, ranges, and steam tables.  Overall I learned a lot and gained a deeper understanding about what it takes to run a restaurant.  Teamwork through effective communication, preparation, timeliness, and great customer service made my semester in The Lemon Tree a success.  Having a hands on learning class was a great contrast to the medical nutrition therapy and science courses. To view more pictures visit The Lemon Tree Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/UKLemonTree).

                                                                                                           

Want to learn more about Jasmin's experience? Check out her blog at http://www.dietitianambition.com/ and on facebook at Dietitian Ambition 

                

12 ways to motivate yourself to exercise

 Today I was asked why I workout as religiously as I do. It's simple: I really can't afford not to workout!  Heart disease is the number one killer in America and by exercising 30 minutes a day the risk is cut in half.
Well Sylvia, that's great but how do you find motivation to exercise when you don't want to get off the couch? Well today, I am answering that question!  I sat down and really thought about what keeps me motivated and while there are millions of ways to motivate yourself to exercise, I'm going to share a few that have worked for me.

• The feeling after a workout. I love that "high" I get after a long workout.  I remind myself of how good I am going to feel later. 
• Me time. While we find time to take care of others, we often put ourselves on the back burner. Exercising is one of the few times a day I truly zone out and take care of myself mentally and physically. 
• Adrenaline rush. I get a rush of energy when I am doing a new workout. Ride that rush to complete it.
• Calories burned. Recently, I received a Polar heart-rate monitor watch as a gift.  I track my calories and push myself to go a little farther and harder than the day before. 
• Having fun. I am constantly mixing up my workout routines.  One day I'm at the gym, next a fitness class, after that a home workout DVD.  I always try to keep things new and exciting and prevent getting in an exercise "rut". What's the best part about mixing up your workouts? No muscle memory so you are constantly working and pushing yourself!
• The future you. Visualize a happier, healthier you.
• Blogs. I love to read blogs from RD's, athletes, and runners.  Learning their up and downs is inspirational and you can learn from their experiences. 
• Success stories. Nothing can compare to testimonials of others who have reached their goal.  Just think, one day that will be you.
• Cheat days. Let's be honest. It is unrealistic to have perfect days all year long.  Schedule yourself a cheat day once a week.  Studies have determined if you allow yourself a cheat day you will be more likely to comply to the new lifestyle habit. 
• Contemplation time. I do my best thinking when I workout because I have a clear head. 
• The dreaded feeling of not exercising. I love waking up early in the morning and getting my workout in before the rest of the day.  Whenever I don't workout, I feel more tired and sluggish.
• Upcoming event. Anything from a weekend date, graduation, or upcoming vacation.  Find a day that has meaning to you and make a commitment to yourself to prepare for the event. 

What keeps you motivated? I would love hearing your thoughts and ideas! 

Video Blog! Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. Super Bowl!

These little bites are a great additive to any Super Bowl Party.  At 120 calories a serving and 2 grams of fat, you won't have to worry about munching on these all night!

                                                 Watch my video on how to make them! 

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower 

1 cup milk

3/4 cups flour

2 tsp garlic powder

1 T butter

1 cup Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce

Video Blog - Thick and Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Thick and Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Nutrition: 
30-40 Calories depending on size
Fat: 1.5 grams
Carbs: 7
Protein: 1.5 grams
Fiber: 1.3 grams
1 Weight Watchers Point

Ingredients:
3 Bananas
2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/3 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Dash of Cinnamon

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mash bananas in a large bowl
Stir in remaining ingredients
Let batter stand for 20 minutes
Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet
Bake 10-12 minutes

                                                 Watch My How-To Video Below!

No Bread Ideas!- First Video Blog! Cinnamon Banana Pancake

Hello everyone! I am super excited to announce that I have created my first video blog.  In addition to my ingredients, you can chop up nuts, coconut shreds, or berries and put them in the pancakes.  The possibilities are endless so don't be afraid to get creative!

Cinnamon Banana Pancakes

Nutrition:
Calories: 100
Fat: <5

Ingredients: 
1 Banana
2 Whole Eggs or 1/2 Cup Eggbeaters
Cinnamon to taste
                                                           Watch my video below!