FoodBozo.com

Provided by Jim Romanoff, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A tight budget is a good excuse to look to your pantry for gift-giving inspiration.

Gifts from the kitchen, such as a box of homemade holiday cookies or jars of jazzed-up hot cocoa mix, not only are easy and inexpensive to prepare, they also add a personal touch in this gift card era.

Making a great food gift is a balance between culinary creativity and clever packaging ideas.

Lucinda Scala Quinn, executive director of food and entertaining for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, suggests using coloured parchment or plastic to wrap bite-size pieces of homemade fudge. Twist the ends to look like old-fashioned candy and package them in a cellophane bag tied with a ribbon. Or use the candies individually as stocking stuffers.

Quinn says that flavoured nuts also make lovely holiday gifts, especially when portioned in decorative cupcake liners, placed inside cellophane bags and tied with coloured twine or ribbon.

Or use a recipe for easy-to-make homemade cocktail mixers in flavours such as cranberry and apricot-ginger fizz. To package, decant them into decorative bottles (found at many home good stores) and add a label with drink recipes and storage instructions.

If you want to avoid bottling, Quinn suggests making sachets of spices for mulling wine or cider. Just fill squares of cheesecloth with a two-centimetre ( 1/2-inch) cinnamon stick, one star anise, two cardamom pods, four black peppercorns and one ml ( 1/4 teaspoon) of whole cloves. Tie each sachet with kitchen twine and package in a decorative tin tied with a bow and holly sprig.

The best food gifts often are the simplest, says Tanya Steel, editor-in-chief of Epicurious.com. Not only are they easy to appreciate, but they also save you time.

Steel gravitates toward pretty jars with screw-on tops and airtight plastic containers – it’s important that containers are airtight so that food gifts remain fresh and sturdy, especially for cookies, which crush easily. And if the containers will come into contact with the food, make sure they are labelled food-safe.

To be even thriftier, Steel suggests repurposing containers that may be sitting around your home. Jars and old tins are great, she says, but you also can package foods in an airtight cellophane bag set in a pretty bowl that you no longer use.

These gifts also are a good way to involve children in the gift process. It’s a fun way to teach children, says Steel, that the holidays are as much about giving as they are about receiving. And that’s a gift in and of itself.

Thinking of giving someone a fruit and nut basket? Assemble your own for far less money. Bulk nuts in the shell are inexpensive. Those already shelled can be wrapped in cellophane bags. Fill a basket with nuts, then top with fresh (and affordable) fruit, such as apples, pears, oranges, even a pineapple.

And don’t forget, there also is the gift of time. Especially for an elderly relative or neighbour, a “gift certificate” good for an afternoon of help in the kitchen can be more valuable than any material item.

Provided by Karen Robock

“People think there are set rules that everybody has to follow, but there isn’t a cookie cutter approach to nutrition,” says Casey Hamilton, a registered dietitian in Kelowna, BC. What works for you may not apply to your mother, co-worker or friend. “You have to consider your personal situation and if it’s something that even applies to you,” she says.

So, with that in mind, you’ll be happy to hear that you can probably chuck three of those impossible-to-follow and totally no-fun nutrition rules right now!

The rule: No eating after 7 p.m.

Why it doesn’t work for everybody: This rule is assuming that we all go to bed early. “The general rule is not to eat two to three hours before going to sleep,” says Hamilton. That’s because when you sleep your bodily functions, including digestion, slow. Eating a large meal heavy in protein or fat right before bed is difficult for your body to process.
A night owl, or a shift worker, might need one last healthy snack at 9pm or even in the middle of the night, to get all the nutrition they need – it’s all relative to each person’s schedule and lifestyle. If you do need to nosh at night, just stick to simple foods in small portions that are easy to digest, like a few crackers with skim cheese and half of an apple, to satisfy your hunger.

The rule: Juice is a no-no because it’s full of sugar.

Why it doesn’t work for everybody: Women with hectic schedules can find it difficult to cram in their required fruits and veggies. If it’s lunch hour and there’s no fruit handy, a half-cup of juice is equivalent to a serving of fruit, so it’s a decent alternative. But, keep in mind that all juices – ones made with 100 percent fruit juices and cocktails with added ingredients – are all very high in sugar, be it natural or added. Hamilton suggests cutting your juice with water (one part juice to three parts water) if you’re craving a glass, and drinking it with a snack or meal so your body won’t feel such a big hit of sugar. Vegetable juices, like tomato and carrot, are an excellent way to get your greens on the go, too.

The rule: If you must have a treat, go with low-fat desserts.

Why it doesn’t work for everybody: Many people find that low-fat desserts are also low on taste, leaving them wanting – and ultimately eating – more. As long as you think of dessert as an occasional treat there’s no reason to deprive yourself, says Hamilton. Just keep portion sizes in mind before you dive in. If you’re dining out, she suggests splitting your entrée and dessert with your dinner companion since the servings tend to be generous. That way you’re getting half the calories and fat and all the satisfaction.

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Eggnog, the turkey, and the buffet table make up half of the 6 holiday health risks.

We can make a case for the addition of the following items;

• Turtles (the chocolate ones)
• Sugar pie
• Candy
• Holiday pastries
• Holiday doughnuts
• Alcohol- wine & beer

The festivities of the season can lighten the heart and lift the spirit – but they also can also make you sick according to an article on Forbes.com. No need to be a Scrooge, however. By taking a few simple precautions, you can reduce your exposure to the hidden risks of the holiday season.

With the hunt for alternative sources of Omega-3 in full swing, Canadian health officials are considering genetically modified soybeans adapted to produce the essential fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids, most commonly found in fish, are important for cardiovascular health and brain development in humans.

The full article is here; Canada looks at soy as Omega-3 source.