The Day of the Dead

With Halloween right around the corner, families across the U.S. are putting final touches on costumes and making sure the jack-o-lantern is just spooky enough to cause a few goose bumps. Children are excited about the haul of treats they expect to bring home, and are beginning to confer about the best trick-or-treating routes in the neighborhood.

If you live in the Southwestern United States, you may also be preparing your family for another holiday this week: The Day of the Dead. The Day of the Dead, or El Día de los Muertos, is observed in Mexico and by Mexican Americans living in the Unites States. A two-day celebration, The Day of the Dead falls each year on November 1st and 2nd, right after Halloween, during All Saints’ Day. While Halloween, with its history rooted in the Celtic tradition of honoring ancestors, is a festive holiday, The Day of the Dead is a somber, yet happy, celebration.

Dating back thousands of years to Aztec, Mayan, Olmec, Zapotec and Totonac civilizations, the ritual of honoring ancestors is still considered to be an important ceremony for people of Latin American descent. It is believed that during this time the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest, and it is easier for the souls of the dead to visit their living family members. In an effort to call to dead loved ones, objects are gathered year round to make sure that when the holiday comes, just the right pieces are used in altars, or ofrendas, to family members. Favorite foods and drinks, photos and personal items are displayed for adults, while children and infants are offered toys. People travel to cemeteries to clean and decorate their family members’ graves and spend time talking about their loved ones in an effort to preserve an oral history for future generations to pass along. In some areas, people spend the night graveside. Pillows and blankets are left for the dead to rest on after their long journey, and flowers are used as grave and home decorations in an effort to attract souls.

A frequently used symbol of the holiday is a skull. People often wear masks or paint their faces to resemble skeletons during the Day of the Dead festivities. Special foods are prepared for the two-day observance and recipes are as varied as the small towns and big cities that make up Latin America. The most common, and some consider most important, is a loaf of bread called pan de muerto. It is a sweet egg bread, formed into an oval to represent a skull, that is consistently found at ofrendas. Tamales are placed at most ofrendas and eaten at festivals, and children, alive and passed on, are also offered pumpkin candies and sugar molded into the shape of a skull. You can find these special candies in almost any food shop for weeks before the Day of the Dead.

Even if you aren’t of Latin American descent, take part in the festivities that take place across the country. They are fun, educational and the food can’t be beat. Check your local newspaper or city website for a list of celebrations in your area this weekend.

Protecting Yourself From the Flu

As fall is cooling off, winter isn’t too far behind and people are spending more time indoors in close quarters. This prolonged exposure to other people in warm and cozy environments increases the chances of contracting a flu virus. The term “flu” refers to the illness caused by the influenza virus. If you have ever had the flu, you know that the symptoms can range from mild discomfort and fever to respiratory distress.

There are two different strains of the flu circulating around the United States right now: seasonal flu and H1N1 (Swine) flu. Seasonal flu usually appears in the late fall, and outbreaks of this flu can last through spring. Unlike the seasonal flu, most people do not have natural immunity to H1N1 because it is a new strain of flu in the United States. For this reason, the 2009-2010 flu season may be more dangerous than flu seasons in the past.

While this news may sound distressing, there is no reason to panic. You can protect yourself and your family from the flu by taking a few easy preventative steps:

Get Vaccinated. This is the best way to protect you and your family from contracting the virus. You will need two shots this year, one for each flu strain. It is especially important to get vaccinated if you have health conditions like asthma or diabetes.

Find a Flu Clinic. The American Lung Association created the Flu Clinic Locator to help you find clinics near you.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people. If you do need to take care of a sick person, try to wear a facemask.

Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

Follow this advice and you will be doing your part to prevent the spread of influenza and helping to ensure a healthy, happy winter for your family.

For more information, and the source of the preventative steps, go to www.flu.gov.

A Rainbow of Flavor

Rainbows after a storm are a fleeting sight, but you don’t have to wait for rain to catch a glimpse of these beautiful colors: nature brings the rainbow to you every day in the form of fruits and vegetables. The colors that you see aren’t just there to entice your eyes; each color contributes specific benefits for your body, too.

Red fruits and vegetables are colored by a pigment called lycopene. Lycopene may help to reduce your risk of several types of cancer and your body absorbs it better if the food has been cooked. Tomatoes, watermelon and radishes are all good sources of lycopene, another reason to serve tomato sauce or salsa with meals.

Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables are colored by carotenoids. Beta-carotene, part of the carotenoid family, is converted by the body into vitamin A. This helps to maintain eye health and protect mucus membranes. Many of these fruits and vegetables also contain vitamin C, another antioxidant, and potassium. Sweet potatoes, pumpkins, carrots, winter squash and cantaloupe are just a few examples of carotenoid sources.

Green fruits and vegetables are colored by chlorophyll. Plants require chlorophyll to convert light into energy, but for you it acts as an antioxidant and has been linked to reducing the risk of some cancers. Leafy green vegetables like spinach, chard, lettuce and kale are important sources of folate, too, which helps with healthy red blood cell formation and helps reduce the risk of birth defects.

Blue and purple fruits and vegetables are colored by anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants and may help reduce the risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease by protecting your cells from damage. Eating blueberries, eggplant, raisins or plums is a good way to make sure you are getting your fair share of anthocyanins.

White fruits and vegetables are colored with pigments too! Named anthoxanthins, they may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and are thought to reduce the risk of heart disease. Bananas, garlic, mushrooms and onions are examples of white foods.

Delicious, versatile, usually portable and packed with nutrition benefits, plant foods are smart choices for any snack or meal. Eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables won’t just help you on the inside, it also makes the plate in front of you beautiful and appetizing. We eat with our eyes first and the more appealing the food in front of you –or your family –is, the more likely everyone is going to eat it.

Fall Family Fun

The temperatures are cooling off and families across the country are getting back into the routine of school and life balance. Many people see this as a time to begin settling in for the cold winter months ahead, but don’t move everything inside just yet. The onset of fall brings many new and exciting outdoor activities the whole family can enjoy. Go outside and take advantage of the great outdoors before winter comes!

Lace up your shoes
Fall offers almost perfect temperatures for checking out the local scenery. Go to a park or take an afternoon hike on a nearby trail. The National Parks Service has an extensive list of parks in all 50 U.S. states as well as U.S. territories. Many cities have guided walking tours, with topics ranging from outdoor sculpture to local historical sites, that can be downloaded to your portable music players. Check out your city’s main web page to see what is available in your area.

Family night
Instead of going to the movies or ordering in pizza, why not take the family to a game of miniature golf? Play catch, go for a bike ride, or set up a scavenger hunt that requires people to get moving.

Don’t get the rainy day blues
Fall may bring some chilly rain, but that is no excuse for sitting around sedentary until it clears up. Build a maze out of furniture for the kids to explore or have a dance contest and let them pick the music. You can even gear up and go out into the weather and play in the puddles – just make sure there’s some cozy sweaters and hot cider ready when you return home.

Visit a local farm
Apples and pumpkins are coming into season, and they bring the opportunity to harvest some fresh food for your home. It may not sound like much, but walking, picking, hauling and bending are all involved and are all exercise! Many farms also offer corn mazes, petting zoos and hayrides that keep the boredom level to a minimum.

Rotate chores
Does everyone in the family do the same chore week in and week out? Switch it up and assign different chores each week so everyone gets to do something new and work different muscle groups.

Play in the leaves
Raking leaves into piles and jumping on in is one way to get the heart pumping. Before you start to rake, though, you can make mazes and paths in the leaves that kids can walk, bike or play follow the leader through. You can also get them involved in seasonal gardening like preparing for the winter, pulling out annuals and clearing weeds.

These are just a few ideas for you to try; there are countless things to do outside. Including the family in ideas for planning weekend and weeknight fun will engage them to participate in the long run and keep the activities fresh and new.

Preserving Summer's Bounty: Canning

Home canning foods, like vegetables and cooked sauces, is an easy and economical way to make summer produce last far beyond its usual shelf life. Many foods are at the peak of their season at this time of summer, such as tomatoes, carrots, onions, corn, peaches and peas. Not only does this mean they'll be loaded with flavor and nutrients, but purchasing these fruits and vegetables will be easy on the budget as well.

Although home canning once provided a primary source of winter sustenance, many of us have stopped canning. Perhaps it is because of busy schedules or maybe its because the art has phased out of modern society because it’s no longer necessary. We are more likely to buy a can of food in the supermarket aisle. Of course, this isn't a bad shift in habits but there are other, even more tasty options out there.

The first step to canning: What do you want to preserve? Almost any fruit or vegetable can be chosen for the process. Do you want to make pickles? Store some of your tomato sauce for gifts? Set aside summer fruit for a winter dessert? The choice is up to you!

The process is very easy and requires some basic equipment, most of which you will already have in your kitchen. The rest can usually be purchased at a hardware store or a well-stocked supermarket. A good starting line-up for the first-time canner:

• regular or wide-mouth home canning jars with self sealing lids (available in a variety of sizes)
• a large pot, with a lid, made of either aluminum or porcelain-covered steel
• a canning rack with a handle OR
• a round rack that fits in the bottom of the pot (with at least 1 inch of room between the bottom of the rack and the pot bottom – a sturdy pie cooling rack works well)
• a plastic spatula or utensil for removing air bubbles from jars
• a strong set of tongs for removing cans from hot water

Before you decide to start canning, it is very important that you read a few basic rules about the process. This will ensure that your food turns out colorful, flavorful and safe; as with any food preparation, food safety when canning is very important. Utah State University’s Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Science Center (http://extension.usu.edu/utah/htm/fcs/food-preservation-canning/) teamed up with the USDA to create in-depth tutorials on canning almost any type of food, even meat! There is even a self-guided canning class Power Point available on their website.

When you happen across a delicious piece of fruit or find a vegetable stand with fantastically fresh offerings, why not buy extra and give home canning a try? It will be your way of making that flavor last all year long.

Preserving Summer's Bounty: Freezing

One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh produce available at farmer’s markets, local co-ops and neighborhood grocery stores. Locally grown fruit and vegetables are making their appearance as the growing season is in full swing, making it easier to get your 7-9 servings a day. Purchasing these regional delights not only helps you be a greener shopper, they also taste like local summers – sweet from the sun, plump with rain, and grown with your taste buds in mind.

All too soon these sweet treats will be replaced by other seasonal offerings, so why not make the most of summer’s bounty now by freezing it for later? Nothing warms up the cold winter months like a freezer full of blueberries waiting to be made into muffins, or roasted tomatoes just waiting to enrich your next batch of soup or stew. Even cucumbers can be frozen and will survive the thawing process to take center stage in a cucumber salad that can transport you back to these hot summer nights.

Here are a few of our favorite tips and tricks for preserving summer’s bounty in your freezer:

Fresh summer fruit is easy to store and, if properly stored, can last for up to a full year. Gently rinse blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries in a colander, then lay flat on a kitchen towel to dry for 10 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with foil or wax paper, then transfer the rinsed and dried fruit to the sheet. Shake the cookie tray gently back and forth to help the fruit settle in one even layer. Then, pop the whole cookie sheet in the freezer for about an hour. The berries will freeze without clumping together and can then be transferred to an airtight container for storage. Use them in salads, baked goods, cereals or for breakfast or snack “batidos”, or blended frozen fruit with milk or ice.

Extra tomatoes can be stored in the freezer for up to 4 months with just a little bit of prep work in your oven. Preheat your oven to 400. Quarter tomatoes and place in a foil-lined baking dish, making sure the foil comes up high enough on all sides to catch all the juices released in roasting. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then put them on the middle rack of the oven. Timing will depend on how ripe the tomatoes are, so check them after 7-10 minutes. You’ll be looking for browning and sizzling juices, but try to avoid burning or smoking (although a little isn’t bad). Once cooled, simply transfer them to an airtight container for freezing, or portion out your results in clean ice cube trays and then transfer to an airtight container once the “cubes” are frozen solid.

Cucumber salad is a great summer side dish, but did you know that you can freeze them for future salads? Take one large cucumber, peel it and slice it into very thin slices. In a freezer-safe bag, lay the cucumber slices flat and refrigerate until cool. Freeze flat for up to 2 months. After thawing, they are best used in vinegar-based salads, like the following one:

CUCUMBER SALAD
- 1 large cucumber, peeled, sliced and frozen
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- salt
- fresh ground pepper

Place the frozen cucumber slices in a bowl, cover and let thaw at room temperature. Add vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly and refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.
Try this with thinly sliced red or white onion, fresh dill, sliced fennel or fresh mint for added flavor.

No matter where you live, right now is a great time to take advantage of the fresh and juicy offerings of the season. A few minutes taken to prepare now can make a winter meal remind you of the summer’s warmth and in our part of the country, summer is a welcome memory.

Satisfied vs. Full

According to dictionary.com, to be satisfied is to “fulfill the desires, expectations, needs, or demands of (a person, the mind, etc.); give full contentment to.” Therefore, when we eat, why do we not stop when we are satisfied- but instead eat until we are uncomfortably full? Why do we eat when we aren’t hungry anymore? This is a habit that has become part of our culture and is being ingrained into future generations.

Understanding the difference between satisfied and full is very important when it comes to controlling your weight and being in tune with your body. Our bodies give us cues to let us know when they need food and when they are satisfied, however many of us have ignored those cues for such a long time that we no longer recognize them. Recognizing these cues is an important habit to form because it will teach you two important things. First, you will learn when your body gives you the “Done!” signal, which will prevent you form eating excess calories. Second, it will help you prevent yourself from partaking in mindless eating.

How many of us can remember buying a bag of popcorn at the movies (not because we were hungry, but because the smell of it was so good) then proceeding to consume the entire bag while watching the movie and not realizing how much was eaten until “Oops- the bag is empty!” This is a prime example of mindless eating.

Here are some tips to help you cue in to when you’re satisfied and help you break the habit of overeating:

*Pay attention to how you feel. – Tune in to your emotions before you eat. Identify if you are truly hungry or if you are merely eating because you are bored, tired, stressed or thirsty. Halfway through a meal, check in with yourself – are you still hungry? When you no longer feel physically hungry, that is the first cue your body gives you to tell you it is satisfied.

*It’s not a Race! –Eat your food slowly and savor each bite. It takes your body at least 20 minutes to recognize when it is satisfied. By slowing down, you will be able to truly taste your food and focus on the way the food makes you feel as your meal progresses.

*Chew your food slowly and thoroughly. –It easier for your body to digest food that has been more thoroughly chewed. Take more time to chew each bite slowly and taste all the flavors of the delicious food you’re eating.

*Take smaller bites. – One way to eat quickly is to take large bites. Smaller bites will require the meal to last longer.

*Make food an event. – Eat at the table and pay attention to the food that you’re eating. Set the table completely, even if you are eating alone. By doing this your mind will eventually associate sitting and relaxing with eating a meal.

*Don’t Multitask. – Difficult not to do in the busy, fast-paced world that we live in today, but eating while you’re doing something else leads to mindless eating. Give eating your full attention. Don’t eat while driving, standing up, watching TV, working, talking on the phone, etc. These are distractions that lead us away from what our bodies are telling us.

*Drink Up! – Drink lots of water throughout the day so that you are fully hydrated and will not confuse thirst with hunger. Also drinking water while you eat will help you eat slower and recognize when you’re satisfied.


By following these tips and incorporating them into your daily life you can begin to change these habits. As you know, change is not easy. It may be difficult in the beginning, but keep at it – it is possible and it is worth it! It will lead to invaluable results in your lifestyle, health and weight.