“Really, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you.”  Dr. Sam Bierstock

How have you shown your appreciation to returning war veterans?

And for all of this we are very grateful to you.  (Acts 24:3; NLT)

Our great friend, Janet Kennon, sent us the following story.  If you’ll remember “Tribute to a Lasting Marriage” that Sharon wrote on the occasion of her Mom and Dad’s 62nd wedding anniversary (DG 3/10/08), then you’ll remember that her Father is a WWII veteran.  He doesn’t talk about it much, but we’ve both seen him start to cry when he does reminisce.  Most of us can’t begin to imagine the pain.  That makes this story special to us…we wanted to share it with you.

The elderly parking lot attendant wasn’t in a good mood!

Neither was Sam Bierstock. It was around 1 a.m., and Bierstock, a Delray Beach, FL, eye doctor, business consultant, corporate speaker, and musician, was bone tired after appearing at an event.

He pulled up in his car, and the parking attendant began to speak, “I took two bullets for this country and look what I’m doing,” he said bitterly.

At first, Bierstock didn’t know what to say to the World War II veteran. But he rolled down his window and told the man, “Really, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you.”

Then the old soldier began to cry.

“That really got to me,” Bierstock says.

Cut to today.

Bierstock, 58, and John Melnick, 54, of Pompano Beach–a member of Bierstock’s band, Dr. Sam and the Managed Care Band–have written a song inspired by that old soldier in the airport parking lot. The mournful “Before You Go” does more than salute those who fought in WWII. It encourages people to go out of their way to thank the aging warriors before they die.

“If we had lost that particular war, our whole way of life would have been shot,” says Bierstock, who plays harmonica. “The WW II soldiers are now dying at the rate of about 2,000 every day. I thought we needed to thank them.”

The song is striking a chord. Within four days of Bierstock placing it on the Web, the song and accompanying photo essay have bounced around nine countries, producing tears and heartfelt thanks from veterans, their sons and daughters and grandchildren.

“It made me cry,” wrote one veteran’s son. Another sent an e-mail saying that only after his father consumed several glasses of wine would he discuss “the unspeakable horrors” he and other soldiers had witnessed in places such as Anzio, Iwo Jima, Bataan, and Omaha Beach. “I can never thank them enough,” the son wrote. “Thank you for thinking about them.”

Bierstock and Melnick thought about shipping it off to a professional singer, maybe a Lee Greenwood type, but because time was running out for so many veterans, they decided it was best to release it quickly, for free, on the Web. They’ve sent the song to Sen. John McCain and others in Washington. Already they have been invited to perform it in Houston for a Veterans Day tribute–this after just a few days on the Web. They hope every veteran in America gets a chance to hear it.

GOD BLESS every EVERY veteran…and THANK you to those of you veterans who may receive this !

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR THE SONG AND SEE THE PICTURES:

Prayer Power
Lord, we thank You for the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.  Bless them in unimaginable and uncommon ways through the rest of their days among us.  We thank You for the privilege and blessing of having them with us for the last many years.

Link of the Day
Before You Go

Bonus Link
Music with a Message

Blessings to you as you reach out to a WWII vet this week and let them know how much you appreciate what they did–and maybe even forward this tribute on to them.
 

“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.”  Orison Swett Marden

What dream have you given up on because of the “overwhelming” odds?

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.  (Psa. 37:4; NLT)

Today I’m sharing the other overcomer story that my friend in Denver, Shelley Grieser, sent me.  (See Wednesday’s DG for more of the background.) 

I saw this particular story about a year ago or so when it was circulating around on the Internet, but we weren’t writing DG’s at that point.  Yes, we all get a lot of junk on the Internet, and it is so great to finally have a good way to share the occasional “really great” one with our friends. 

In the spirit of March Madness, this one is about a high school basket ball manager who just happens to be autistic.  This particular story has a little special nostalgia to me personally, as the high school where this took place was at one time a very big part of my life. 

Yes, I saw this story a year or so ago, but I still tear up every time I watch it.  I can’t explain why…just a little weird, I guess.  I can only imagine how incredibly exciting it must have been to be there to witness that in person.  If you’ve seen it before, see if it doesn’t still choke you up a bit.  If you’ve never seen it…grab a Kleenix and enjoy!

Dreams are to be pursued, not forgotten.

Prayer Power
Lord, it is so exciting to see people who get to fulfill a long-held dream.  Thank you for blessing us with the technology that allows us to vicariously share in the joy of those incredible stories.

Link of the Day
Jason McElay

Blessings on you as you continue to pursue one of your dreams.
 

“Make no mistake: glass is the container of choice for health-conscious consumers.”  Mike Adams, Health Ranger

Are you aware of how much plastic you use in a day?

Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.  (Rev. 7:12; NIV)

It seems we are hearing and reading more and more about the dangers of the chemicals in plastic that bombard us each and every day.  Now, I know there are many good and essential uses for plastic, so I won’t enter into a chemical debate here.  However, the dangers to the human body from plastics are very real (and substantiated).  One way that we can help to minimize our use of plastic in the home is with food storage.  Years ago when my immune system was nearly destroyed, I became allergic to almost everything in the environment.  One of the chief culprits causing reactions was plastic.  We literally had to remove everything plastic from our kitchen! 

I was forced to learn about alternative ways to store food.  Instead of plastic food storage bags, I had to use bags made of cellophane.  This was before the days of the Internet and online ordering, thus making the search much more cumbersome.  I also loved the popular, plastic food storage containers that came in various colors with matching, “burping” lids.  I ended up giving most of those away.  So, what did I use to store our food?  Glass to the rescue!

We had some old Pyrex or Corning casserole dishes that became instant friends.  I began saving glass jars and asking friends to save and collect them for me.  Everything from tiny jars to quart-sized jars to the large restaurant-size gallon jars.  Any food leftovers went into a glass jar or dish.  Foods such as nuts, grains and seeds were all stored in glass jars.

To God be the glory, today I am totally free from that yoke of bondage known as allergy.  And a few years ago, I looked around and realized that I had various sizes of plastic bags in the kitchen along with other plastic storage containers.  I still liked glass but plastic was “easier.”   While continually studying nutrition and wellness, the subject of “plastic-dangers,” began surfacing.  Hmmm.  Much of this was all too familiar.  I knew plastic was not the best for food storage.  I’m now back to storing food in glass jars, glass bowls, or dishes.  If I don’t have a lid for something, I place a (glass) plate on top of the bowl.  Begin looking around for those Pyrex casserole dishes that aren’t getting used and use them to store your leftovers.  Wash and sterilize your salsa jars.  They’re great for storing dressings and sauces.  Quart sized, wide mouth mason jars make great food storage containers as well.  Look at garage sales or your local thrift store for glass containers.  Your body will thank you.

There are many articles now available telling of the danger of plastics to our bodies, especially the endocrine (or hormonal) system.  I’ve included two links for your perusal.

Prayer Power
Lord, we thank You for Your wisdom and knowledge.  Help us to the right thing, even when it’s not convenient.

Links of the Day
Researcher calling for ban of plastics chemical says major chemical company tried to silence his report
Glass baby bottles make a comeback

Blessings on you as you begin using more glass for food storage.
 

If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?  Milton Berle

When is the last time you changed a newborn’s diaper with one hand tied behind your back?  How about tying both hands?  Can’t be done?  Keep reading!

Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you when I was a nursing infant.  (Psa. 22:9; NLT)

As you probably know by now, I’m a sucker for stories of “overcomers.”  By overcomers, I mean those among us who refuse to let a little problem stop them from going after their dreams.  I’ve featured a number of overcomers since we’ve started writing DGs, e.g., a dancing couple (one with only one arm and the other with only one leg), a motivational speaker without any arms or legs, a totally blind teen who has learned to navigate using clicking sounds he makes with his tongue, and a personal friend of ours who was born blind, but who went on to earn a law degree and become a concert pianist. 

Well, Shelley Grieser, a budding coach from Denver, sent me two more incredible stories.  I’ll share one today and the other in Friday’s Daily Gram.  Today’s is about an incredibly awesome mother of a newborn who is handling all the usual motherhood responsibilities with excellence in spite of a handicap that would take most out of the game completely.  You see, this amazing mom has no arms.  What she does with her feet, would put many of us to shame.

There’s not much more I can say…the video clip seems to say it all.  Heard any good excuses lately?

Prayer Power
Lord, we are so incredibly adaptive when we can keep our eyes on You and on our dream instead of feeling sorry for ourselves.  Please remind us of some of these amazing stories the next time we complain…about anything.

Link of the Day
Amazing Mom

Blessings on you as you totally eliminate one excuse from your repertoire this week.
 

“Sprouting grains and seeds before baking produces living, nutrient-rich food.”  Food For Life

How familiar are you with sprouted foods?

Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself.  (Ezekiel 4:9a; NIV)

Our dear friend, Maureen D’Amelio, originally gave me today’s recipe.  I’ve made a few changes to the recipe along with recommending certain brand names of ingredients.  The recipe calls for tortillas.  All tortillas are not created equal in today’s massive bakeries.  I recommend using sprouted grain tortillas.  Perhaps you’ve heard of sprouted breads before.  Ezekiel bread is now a popular bread that uses sprouted grains.  Sprouting of grains is an “old-time” tradition, beginning centuries ago and is mentioned numerous times in scripture.  Sally Fallon’s book, Nourishing Traditions, also presents a treatise on the benefits of sprouted foods. 

According to Food For Life’s website, germination (or sprouting) changes the composition of grain and seeds in numerous ways. Sprouting increases vitamin content and neutralizes phytic acid – a substance present in grains – that inhibits absorption of nutrients. Sprouting neutralizes or “predigests”  grains through enzymatic activity. The enzymes produced during the natural sprouting process “in effect” break down amino acid protein bonds to promote digestibility of the entire grain.  Many people who are allergic to grains, will tolerate them well when they are soaked or “sprouted.”

Sprouted grain bread has numerous advantages over “enriched” wheat flour breads. As I’ve mentioned several times before, white breads have very little nutritional value.  (Remember, the whiter the bread, the faster you’re dead.)  White breads are made from the endosperm (or the inside portion of the wheat kernel) which contains primarily carbohydrates and few vitamins and minerals. The milling of grain into white flour removes the bran and the germ. This results in the loss of natural fiber, bran, and 22 vitamins and minerals. To compensate, vitamins and minerals (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron, and folic acid) are added back, “in a synthetic form,” thus “enriching” the flour.  The combination of the formula from Ezekiel 4:9 of wheat, barley, lentils, spelt, millet and beans when sprouted creates a complete protein that closely parallels the protein found in milk and eggs.

As a comparison, I’ve printed the ingredients label for the sprouted grain tortillas that I use, followed by the ingredients from a common white flour tortilla.  You be the judge.  Which one would you choose to feed to your family…or eat yourself?

Ingredients: Organic Sprouted Whole Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Unhulled Sesame Seeds, Organic Sprouted Whole Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Whole Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Millet, Organic Sprouted Whole Lentils, Organic Sprouted Whole Spelt, Sea Salt.

Ingredients: Enriched Bleached Flour (Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oils); Contains 2% or Less of the Following: Salt, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Corn Starch, Monocalcium Phosphate, and/or Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Calcium Sulfate), Propionic Acid, Calcium Propionate, Sorbic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Benzoic Acid, and Phosphoric Acid, (to Preserve Freshness), Dough Conditioners (Fumaric Acid, L-Cysteine, Sodium Metabisulfite).

Prayer Power
Lord, thank You for providing wisdom for us through Your Word on how to feed our families and ourselves.  Help us to hear Your voice more clearly about things we can do to improve our eating.

Link of the Day
Mexican Chicken

Blessings on you as you experiment with sprouted foods.
 

“The Law of the Big Mo basically says, ‘Momentum is a leader’s best friend,’”  John Maxwell

What picture comes into your mind when you hear the word momentum?

While he was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum.  (2 Sam 15:12: NLT)

The Law of the Big Mo is one of John Maxwell’s favorite subjects.  I love to hear him teach on it.

However, like most things, there is a balance that is required.  If you remember the two curves, the upward curve to success and the downward curve to disappointment, that we discussed in last Friday’s DG, it is interesting to note that too much momentum, i.e., too much speed, will almost always put you on the downward curve.  Huh?  How can that be?

Ever heard the maxim, “The hurrier I go the behinder I get?”  How about this one from Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline: “Virtually all natural systems, from ecosystems to animals to organizations, have intrinsically optimal rates of growth.  The optimal rate is far less than the fastest possible growth.  When growth becomes excessive–as it does in cancer–the system itself will seek to compensate by slowing down; perhaps putting the organization’s survival at risk in the process.”

Hmmmm…what is that optimal rate that Dr. Senge refers to?  Well, according to Jeff Olson, author of The Slight Edge, the book we looked at all last week, that optimal rate and key to successful goal achievement  is simply the consistent performance of the simple, easy-to-do things, i.e., simple disciplines compounded over time.  How hard is that?

Frankly, that’s an understanding of the Big Mo that I can get excited about.  As much as I admire John Maxwell and his teaching, I’ve always seen him as almost super-human…you know, “bigger than life.”  When I hear him talk about momentum, I envision a massive action kind of thing.  Gargantuan effort to “get the ball rolling,” so to speak.  Now I’m much more comfortable with the idea of a series of baby-steps repeated consistently over time than I am with massive action.  One energizes me and the other makes me tired just to think about it.

How many of you have noticed Sharon’s often requested cook book slowly emerging one recipe at a time…each a week apart.  Yes, it might take a couple of years…but so what?  It’s happening!  Hallelujah!!!

I’ve quoted so many people in this DG, but let me end by quoting this old Chinese proverb: “Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still.”

Prayer Power
Lord, I thank You for this new and improved (for me anyway) understanding of the Big Mo.  As one who is “wired” for discipline instead of massive action, I believe that You have revealed a more sure path to my destiny.  Lord, I trust that a number of our readers will feel the same sense of relief.

Link of the Day
The Laws of the Big Mo, Priorities, and Sacrifice

Blessings on you as you take steps to get the Big Mo moving in your favor this week.

Previous in Series-/ /-Next in Series

“A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.”  John Burroughs

What is your first response when something negative happens?

The LORD God called to Adam, “Where are you?”  He replied, “I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”  “Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten the fruit I commanded you not to eat?”  “Yes,” Adam admitted, “but it was the woman you gave me who brought me the fruit, and I ate it.”  Then the LORD God asked the woman, “How could you do such a thing?”"The serpent tricked me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”  (Gen. 3:9-13; NLT)

In Jeff Olson’s book, The Slight Edge, which I referred to earlier this week, he makes the rather obvious observation that your life is either curving upward toward success or curving downward toward disappointment.  He states, “If you’re not increasing, you’re decreasing.”  I’ve often heard the same notion expressed, if you’re not growing, you’re dying.

The whole point of Olson’s book is that the formula for moving upward toward success is “a few simple disciplines, repeated every day.”  Similarly, the formula for failure is “a few simple errors in judgment, repeated every day.”  You see, it all boils down to time.  Time will either promote you if you are doing the right things or expose and demote you if you are doing the wrong things.  It’s really not very hard to make time your friend rather than your enemy.

It is instructive to note that the general attitude of those riding the curve downward is blame.  Focused on the past, to them it’s always someone else’s fault, or just some bad circumstances, or fate, or chance.  It’s the classic case of victim mentality.  Whereas those riding the curve upward have a future focus and an attitude of responsibility.  They are willing to take total responsibility for everything that happens to them and are always looking for the good that can come from it.  Yes, I understand that sometimes negative things do happen to us, and sometimes they are completely outside of our control, but we can always control how we react to them.  And therein lies the key to success…how we react to life’s negative events.

John Maxwell has written a delightful little book whose title says it all–Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success.  Just keep doing the little things.  Be grateful for the lessons you’re learning along the way.  Make the choice to make time and discipline your friend.

Prayer Power
Lord, show us our attitude when we fall into the playing the “blame game.”  Grant us the grace to be able to manage our attitude and develop a reputation as the eternal “good finder” who picks up the pieces and perseveres on toward the mark.

Link of the Day
Let the Blame Begin

Blessings on you as you look for the good in some difficult situation you face this coming week.

Previous in Series-/ /-Next in Series

“Easter is one of the most cherished holidays in the calendar.”  Beta Sigma Phi Holiday Cookbook

What are some of your cherished Easter memories from childhood?

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:6; NIV)

On Tuesday, we reminisced about the meatloaf we ate growing up.  Today, we’ll reflect back on our childhood Easter memories.  Am I becoming nostalgic?  I’m sure it has nothing to do with my age. J  What do you remember about how your family celebrated this holiest of holidays?  For Jerry and I, and many of our readers, Easter, first and foremost, signifies the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is the reason we celebrate this holiday. 

However, there are many fun traditions also associated with this holiday.  For many of us, spring has sprung.  The cold, dark days of winter are rapidly coming to a close, being replaced with warmer temperatures and longer days.  The forsythia is in bloom and the fuchsia buds on the azaleas are pushing their way to brilliance.

Do you remember the thrill when you were a child of getting up early, hunting for Easter eggs, and then going to church as a family? (Growing up on a dairy farm meant that we first had to milk the cows before any Easter egg hunting.)   For us “girls,” it also meant a fancy, new dress.  I confess to that being one of the highlights for me.  I loved getting a new dress, patent leather shoes, and even little white gloves.

Easter was also a time when families got together, oftentimes for the first time since the Christmas holidays.  We would go to my maternal grandparents’ home where there were lots of cousins and lots of fun….and more egg hunting!  There was also LOTS of food.  Holidays seem to equal food, don’t they?

Today, we can still enjoy sharing an Easter meal with family or friends, without compromising our health.  In recent years, I’ve roasted a chicken and served it with lots of vegetables and various salads.  Fresh green beans are becoming available now that spring is in the air.  Green beans, lightly steamed and then tossed with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and sea salt make for a winning side dish.

Another food that I grew up with was pickled eggs and beets.  If you’ve never had them, don’t turn up your nose too quickly.  They’re a flavorful, and very pretty addition to an Easter dinner. Traditionally, they’re made using sugar and vinegar.  Several years ago, I created a healthier version substituting honey for the sugar.  I don’t usually do a recipe in Thursday’s Daily Gram.  However, today’s link is the recipe for pickled eggs and beets.  Enjoy!  Have a blessed Resurrection weekend!

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Son, Jesus and for all He has done for us.

Link of the Week
Pickled Eggs and Beets

Blessings on you as you enjoy a healthy Easter dinner.
 

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  16th century nursery rhyme

If an apple a day would keep the doctor away, why don’t you eat an apple every day?

But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.  (1Tim. 6:11; NLT)

Monday’s DG, “Do the Easy-To-Do Things” generated quite a bit of positive response.  Because it seemed to strike a responsive chord, I’ve elected to push it a little further today and talk about some other ramifications of the notion that the consistent performance of the simple, easy-to-do things is the key to successful goal achievement.  Remember on Monday how I used the exercise bicycle example?  Here are a few more to think about.

It would certainly be easy to eat an apple a day.  If there is any truth to that old nursery rhyme, why don’t we do it?  Probably because it’s so easy not to do.  And when we don’t eat that apple, we don’t suffer any immediate consequences.  Therefore, we too easily conclude (maybe erroneously?) that’s it’s just a dumb old nursery rhyme anyway.  After all…where’s the proof?  You know, where’s the double-blind, placebo study performed by Big Pharma and endorsed by our ever-vigilant  FDA.  (Don’t forget to look at the Link of the Day today.)

How about reading the Bible through in a year.  Based on the number of people who tackle that goal, it must be a pretty formidable task, right?  Actually it’s pretty easy.  I’ve done it a number of times.  All it takes is the discipline to read between 15-20 minutes every day for the year and, voila, you’ve done it!  Believe me, there are days, especially when wading through some of those Old Testament books like Leviticus and Numbers, when it’s pretty easy not to do.  But persevere, and the goal is accomplished.

Along those same lines, what if you read just 10 pages of a good, life-changing book every day with out fail?  How long would 10 pages a day take?  Not very long.  Remember, how you feed your mind is just as important to how you feed your body.  Let’s see…10 pages a day for a year adds up to 3,650 pages.  That’s a couple dozen books!  Now if the books you chose to read were filled with life-transforming material, don’t you think you would be changed?

What if on that drive to and from work every day, you listened to a CD or an mp3 file on a topic you wanted to learn or assimilate.  Would that be more profitable and productive than listening to the same old music or news on the radio?  Believe me, if any thing important is happening, you’ll hear about it when you get to work anyway.  So why not spend your drive time feeding your mind with good stuff?  How many CD’s do you think you would have listened to in the space of a year?  Wouldn’t take too many years before you had the equivalent of a college degree.

Can you see how the same principle applies to so many other things?  What if you wanted to write a book?  Could you spare just 30 minutes a day…without fail?  Maybe get up 30 minutes earlier?  How far along would you be just one short year later?  Maybe the better question would be how many books would you have written at the end of that year?  What if it was emptying all your loose change into a jar every night?  Would you miss the money you’re accumulating?  What if it was to put $10 or $50 or $100 in the bank every week to save toward all those Christmas presents that are put on credit cards every year?  Remember the old Christmas clubs the banks used to offer?  Whoops, I’m dating myself again.

The lesson in all this is that a little bit adds up to a whole lot when consistently applied for an extended period of time.  It’s absolutely amazing.  Remember Monday’s Pearl of Wisdom, “Do the thing and you shall have the power.”

Prayer Power
Lord, how easy it is to get distracted from the main things in our lives.  Help us learn the value of perseverance and consistency.  Give each of our readers a vision of an uncommon way they could apply this principle in their own lives.

 Link of the Day
Reasons Why An Apple A Day Really Keeps the Doctor Away

Blessings on you as you begin to consistentyl “nibble” away at that goal you’ve always wanted to accomplish.
 

“For many, meatloaf is an ultimate comfort food, bringing back pleasant childhood memories of family meals.”  Diana Rattray

What memories do you have about eating meatloaf?

On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine–the best of meats and the finest of wines. (Is. 25:6;NIV)

Do you have memories of family mealtimes eating meatloaf and some kind of potatoes?  I’m sure there are almost as many meatloaf stories (and recipes) as there are people in America.  It’s truly the ultimate comfort food for many Americans.

What kind of potatoes did you have with your meatloaf?  I’m learning that most people had mashed potatoes.  In our home, we had scalloped potatoes with meatloaf.  Since the oven was already hot, my mother made scalloped potatoes to further “fill up” the oven and use the oven heat.  She was an energy conservationist long before “green” came on the scene!

Traditional American meatloaf has its roots in the 19th century. However, it wasn’t until the 20th century that meatloaf truly made its mark on the American food scene, thanks to scientific progress. Modern technology enabled meat packers to produce ground meat on a large-scale basis, and the use of the home refrigerator also rose sharply at that time.  Meatloaf is one of the classic American foods even though it’s not indigenous to America. Most cultures have some form of ground meat concoction. Throughout history man has combined ground meats with seasonings, fruits, bread and vegetables.

Meatloaf has always been popular for three reasons. First, meatloaf was an inexpensive source of protein. Second, meatloaf, like stews and soups, was an efficient way to use up miscellaneous food items before they spoiled. Finally, by incorporating other ingredients, you could stretch your limited meat supply.

I began experimenting with traditional meatloaf recipes several years ago.  Having eaten a vegetarian diet for many years prior, I wanted to make a “meatloaf” with lots of vegetables and less meat.  Today’s recipe is a result of those experiments.  It contains lots of vegetables, which brings flavor and moisture to a meatloaf.  I use an egg as a binder, but I don’t use breadcrumbs or oats, as I prefer to decrease grains and bread in our diet.  And therein lies the fodder for another “Daily Gram.”

Enjoy your meatloaf!

Prayer Power
Lord, we thank You for our sense of taste.  May we glorify You with our food choices.

Link of the Day
Meatloaf with a Twist

Blessings on you as you reminisce about a good childhood memory.