“When we work to end childhood hunger, we are giving our love to kids who need it so much they will never ask for it.”  Beau Bridges

What is your reaction when you hear about needless suffering?

Have I been stingy with my food and refused to share it with hungry orphans?  (Job 31:17; NLT)

Sharon and I watched a live, streaming broadcast on the Internet of the annual gathering of a group we’re associated with Friday night and I was particularly touched by one of the presentations.  So much so, that I want to share with you some of the information from that presentation over the course of the next couple of days.  (So this will be at least a 2-parter, and maybe 3.)

The presenter took the lion’s share of his presentation from a major article in the Dallas Weekly newspaper (March 18-24, 2010 titled “Global Malnutrition – The 21st Century Childhood Plague.”  (I will include a link to that article in Part 2 of this series.)

Today’s DG is primarily about the child on the left, obviously a victim of malnutrition in a developing country, an image we’ve seen all too often over the years.  The message here however, is that it’s not getting any better.  We’re not gaining ground in the war on malnutrition.  Statistics now suggest that one child is dying of malnutrition every 6 seconds.  Every 6 seconds!!!  Can you comprehend that?  In third-world countries, the combined number of deaths from the worst childhood diseases still falls short of the number of children who die annually from malnutrition.

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“Leftovers in their less visible form are called memories. Stored in the refrigerator of the mind and the cupboard of the heart.”  Thomas Fuller

I’m often asked the question, “So, what’s in your refrigerator?” As a wellness coach, I’ve helped clients “alter” what they keep in their cupboards and refrigerator. However, I thought our readers might enjoy seeing what I keep on hand.

So Jerry pulled out our trusty little Flip Video Camera and we filmed a new video series for you.  Please note that I didn’t go out and shop before we did this, so the refrigerator isn’t overly full. But you’ll get an idea of some of the staples I use in food preparation.

Today is the final installment of our look inside our refrigerator. We begin with raw milk, mild cheddar cheese that I buy from a food co-op. I buy a five pound block and then cut it into smaller pieces that I then wrap and freeze. I also keep a soft goat cheese on hand for use in salads and other recipes. Organic dried cranberries are also a staple in our refrigerator. I refrigerate all of the dried fruit to keep it fresher longer. Without preservatives and sulfur dioxide added, dried fruit can develop mold if left unrefrigerated.

Eggs are always in our house and I use them lavishly. (And for those of you who are new to our blogs, eggs do NOT cause “high cholesterol.”) I buy eggs from a local source where the hens are allowed to bask in the great outdoors. You’ll see some leftovers this time. Leftover chicken and vegetable soup and leftover squash pie grace the shelves. We both enjoy leftovers so that’s always a treat to have more of a good thing. As I said, the squash pie was a savory dinner pie as opposed to a dessert pie.

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting soybeans, rice, and barley. It’s a thick, dark brown paste used for making soups, sauces, and spreads. It is one of the few fermented soy products that I use in my kitchen. I also use organic sour cream to make my own salad dressings since there are so few commercial salad dressings with favorable ingredients. Lastly, you see the organic, sourdough spelt bread that we use, when I don’t take the time to bake my own. I made our own bread for many, many years and only recently began buying the spelt sourdough bread. Along with this bread, I also recommend buying Ezekiel or other sprouted grain bread.

It’s been fun taking you on a tour of our refrigerator. Perhaps I’ll do the freezer or the pantry at some point. Or maybe I’ll produce some videos of making certain recipes. Let me know what you’d like to see.

Prayer Power
Father, we are so blessed by our readers and by their comments and their interest in what we’re doing. Bless them abundantly this day.

Blessings on you as you continue to clean out your refrigerator!

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“What three things do you want to accomplish this year? Write them down and place them on your refrigerator for inspiration all year long.”  Unknown

I’m often asked the question, “So, what’s in your refrigerator?” As a wellness coach, I’ve helped clients “alter” what they keep in their cupboards and refrigerator. However, I thought our readers might enjoy seeing what I keep on hand.

So Jerry pulled out our trusty little Flip Video Camera and we filmed a new video series for you.  Please note that I didn’t go out and shop before we did this, so the refrigerator isn’t overly full. But you’ll get an idea of some of the staples I use in food preparation.

Today is our third look at what’s in our refrigerator. I will do half of the shelves this time and will finish the set in the next Daily Gram with one final peek inside. Again, I didn’t shop before doing this video, so the refrigerator is not overly full.

I’m introducing you to what I’ve coined as “nutola.” Since granola is made with grains, and I consume very few grains, I created nutola. (I still sometimes desire a cereal-type of food but choose to not eat commercial cereal.) For nutola, I chop up nuts that I’ve soaked and dried and then add ground flax seeds and coconut. We eat it with warmed coconut milk. The nuts are still raw with live enzymes.

I also mention Vegenaise as the mayonnaise I recommend. Honestly, there is no perfect mayonnaise. Most all commercial mayonnaise is made with soybean oil which I avoid. There are various options of Vegenaise which is made by Follow Your Heart. I recommend the one with the bright purple lid and label, as it is made with grapeseed oil.

You’ll see my spelt sourdough starter that is used to make sourdough spelt bread. I also show you coconut oil that’s solidified. When coconut oil is cold, it will harden and turn white. I keep a small jar in the cupboard for everyday use. In the winter months the oil is soft but still white. As temperatures warm up, the oil will become an almost clear liquid.

I’ve written Daily Grams on Kombucha. It’s a great beverage for supporting overall intestinal health. Try some today. I recommend the plain (blue label). Jerry calls it “high-test.”

You’ll also see that I recommend organic, whole milk yogurt — NOT low-fat. And I buy plain, not flavored. Even the organic fruited yogurts contain sugar, I’m sorry to say. If you want a sweetened yogurt, buy the plain and add some honey, or stevia and vanilla extract. Just this evening, I  made us a quick dessert by blending plain yogurt, slightly thawed organic strawberries, and a pinch of honey and vanilla. It was yummy!

Prayer Power
Father, thank You that You desire for us to be healthy and well and that You provide food for us that will nourish us and not cause harm.

Blessings on you as you decide what changes you can make with what’s in your frig.

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“Never pride yourself on knowledge. Remember; even a head of iceberg lettuce knows more than you do. It knows whether or not that light really does go out when the refrigerator door shuts.”  Unknown

I’m often asked the question, “So, what’s in your refrigerator?” As a wellness coach, I’ve helped clients “alter” what they keep in their cupboards and refrigerator. However, I thought our readers might enjoy seeing what I keep on hand.

So Jerry pulled out our trusty little Flip Video Camera and we filmed a new video series for you.  Please note that I didn’t go out and shop before we did this, so the refrigerator isn’t overly full. But you’ll get an idea of some of the staples I use in food preparation.

Today we’re continuing with our second installment of what’s in my refrigerator.  We’re peeking into the produce bins.  We find organic apples, oranges, one lonely pear, one lonely kiwi, and some avocadoes.  I point out the organic produce number on the pear.  Organic produce always begins with the number 9 and is a five-digit number.  Commercially grown produce begins with the number 4 and is only a four-digit number.  Hopefully you won’t see any produce beginning with the number 8.  If you do, DON’T buy it.  That means it’s been genetically engineered or altered.

In the remaining produce bin we find organic baby spinach and organic baby romaine lettuce.  I always buy organic spinach as spinach is high on the pesticide list. I normally buy the large, one pound containers of each allowing us to eat salad at least once a day.  I ran out of the one pound containers and went to the nearest supermarket in order to have greens for the day.  I mention that the red peppers were hot house grown without pesticides.  They were very tasty, which is a good indication that they’re loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Celery is another vegetable that I always buy organic.  It also is one of those on the list of highly sprayed with pesticides.  It is sometimes difficult to find organic bunches of celery, but organic hearts are fairly easy to locate. Cabbage is another vegetable staple.  It’s great in soups, stir fry, and coleslaw.   Next time we’ll explore the refrigerator shelves.

Prayer Power
Father, bless our readers with peace, joy and delight.

Blessings on you as you purpose to eat more fruits and vegetables.

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“If it weren’t for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn’t get any exercise at all.”  Joey Adams

I’m often asked the question, “So, what’s in your refrigerator?” As a wellness coach, I’ve helped clients “alter” what they keep in their cupboards and refrigerator. However, I thought our readers might enjoy seeing what I keep on hand.

So Jerry pulled out our trusty little Flip Video Camera and we filmed a new video series for you.  Please note that I didn’t go out and shop before we did this, so the refrigerator isn’t overly full. But you’ll get an idea of some of the staples I use in food preparation.

I began with the refrigerator door. You’ll see that I use organic, unsalted butter, which thankfully is becoming easier to find. I mention organic agave nectar which I use on the rare occasion I make dessert. I show raw almond butter which I use instead of peanut butter, since peanut butter is actually a legume, harder to digest and contains a carcinogenic mold called aflatoxin.

I show various types of vinegar. Organic, raw apple cider vinegar is a stable I use often. A well-known food TV star abbreviates extra virgin olive oil with the letters, EVOO. I’ve often thought that organic apple cider vinegar should be called OACV. What do you think? The other vinegars I mention are used for various recipes. Balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, brown rice vinegar, and ume plum vinegar each bring a distinct flavor and uniqueness to a recipe. Balsamic vinegar is commonly used. I always buy organic balsamic vinegar to avoid added sulfites.

Even though I do like and prefer fresh garlic, there are times when it’s just not possible. So, I do use organic, diced garlic from the jar. I also show the various mustards, relish, and other condiments I keep on hand.

Stay tuned to find out what else I usually keep on hand.

Blessings on you as you examine what’s in your refrigerator.

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“Irradiating your skull to treat cancer makes about as much sense as injecting poison into your veins to treat cancer (chemotherapy).  It’s one of the most misguided ideas to have ever been floated by the sick care industry.”  Mike Adams

Would you get in a vehicle (car, plane, boat, et al.) that experts refused to use themselves?  Why or why not?

What a shame, what folly, to give advice before listening to the facts!  (Prov. 18:13; NLT)

There’s been a lot on the Internet lately about a topic that has been swept under the rug for years.  Late in January, Walt Bogdanich of the New York Times wrote two very long articles on radiation errors made by hospitals and others in the medical community in their attempts to radiate cancer cells.  The titles of the two articles tell the story: “Radiation Offers New Cures, and Ways to Do Harm” and “As Technology Surges, Radiation Safeguards Lag.”

While Bogdanich did his best to point out all the good that is being done with radiation, the frightening revelation in his two articles was

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“Opening this book can take anyone right back to the 50s kitchen, where fat was our friend. Why else would Betty say butter “promotes growth” and “builds resistance to disease” in this volume?  Sherril Steele-Carlin”

What fond memories do you have of your mother’s cooking?

One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home exhausted and hungry from a hunt.  (Gen. 25:29; NLT)

In 1950, Wiley Publishing, Inc and General Mills, Inc published Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook. For those of you who’ve never seen the book, it was a pale red (rather anemic looking actually) with white floral type designs on the cover.

I have no idea when my mother acquired the book, but suffice it to say, it was a mainstay in our kitchen. I grew up with that cookbook. Once I started cooking and baking, I explored that book from cover to cover. Many of the ingredients were foreign to me as we never had them in our kitchen.

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“You will come to know God as your Teacher, and how to walk with Him in your studies.  A’s may please your parents—and yourself—but it is faith that pleases God.  Your faith will be activated as you DO what takes faith, and banish boredom, procrastination, mediocrity as you do your work as unto the Lord.”  Veronica Karaman

What is the most exciting thing you’ve learned lately?

So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better.  (1 Peter 1:5; NLT)

You may recall my writing about Veronica Karaman and her teaching and coaching gift in the past, and this DG announces the availability of her life-changing program, “God’s Way to an A” in an on-line format making it available world-wide.

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“God, who gave us life, gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are a gift of God?”  Thomas Jefferson

Why do you suppose the phrase “one nation under God” evokes such strong feelings?

What joy for the nation whose God is the LORD, whose people he has chosen for his own.  (Psa. 33:12; NLT)

A friend sent me a link to another on of those viral videos.  To me anything with a million or more views is viral.  Can you imagine creating something that more that million people see?  This one currently has over 2.5 million views.  Interestingly enough, I looked at a couple of viral video top 20 lists, and many had significantly fewer views, while this video was no where to be found.  Could it be the topic?

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A little over 2 weeks ago, I published a DG reporting on the trip Sharon and I made to Portland to speak before an international group of Internet marketing and small business folks.

In that DG, I wrote, “Sharon got to encourage a large room full of busy entrepreneurs to pay attention to their health, or find that all they were so busily seeking was for naught if they ‘earned’ one of the many life-style diseases that comes from neglect. I was able to encourage these social marketing gurus that their expertise is desperately needed by the small business community where-ever they live.”

We’ve had a good bit of feedback regarding the success of our message.  In fact, one of our fellow speakers, Arne Bush, wrote the following testimony:

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