The World's Full of Picky Eaters

I've been busy easing into the school year, so I haven't fit blogging back into my schedule. However, I plan on returning with a new post on Saturday. For now I thought I'd share a photo with you from my daughter's scrapbook highlighting key moments from her school year.

Click on the photo to enlarge it. If I had a dollar for every time one of my meals received this look from my daughter, I'd be able to retire and blog full time. I don't know what was served for a snack that day, but whatever it is, no one seems thrilled about the prospect of eating it.

I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only one who has a Little Miss Picky Eater.

clean your plate or you'll get no dessert,
muddy

The Highway's Jammed with Heroes on a Last Chance Power Drive

Here at The Greasy Skillet we love books about as much as we love food. Periodically, I'll share books that I’ve been reading in a feature I call The Greasy Bookshelf (I know it’s not a very original title). I do try to put an original spin on this feature by sharing excerpts that have a connection with food.


I don't like to run. I might run if I'm being chased by someone who wants to kick my ass. I might run if I'm chasing down an ice cream truck. I might run if I'm playing a game that requires running. Otherwise I don't care to run. However, my ever-expanding waistline is demanding me to adopt running as a form of exercise. In the past, I tried to develop a relationship with running in the past, but it quickly withered. You see, when I run there's no "runners' high" and I spend the whole time thinking about how miserable I am. That's no way to spend 30 minutes.

Depsite the fact that I loathe running, I'm reading a book about runners titled Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. In this nonfiction book, the author tells his story of traveling to Mexico, so he can learn about the Turahumara Indians, who are known for their superhuman ability to run long distances without resting. These individual can run for two days without stopping to rest. The book is an incredible look at the culture of the Turahumara, and of course, you can't talk about culture without talking about food and drink. Some of the Turahumara's endurance can be credited to a beverage called iskiate. The following is a description of that drink:

• "It's brewed up by dissolving chia seeds in water with a little sugar and a quirt of lime. In terms of nutritional content, a tablespoon of chia is like a smoothie made from salmon, spinach, and human growth hormone. As tiny as those seeds are, they're superpacked with omega-32, omegas-6s, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber, and antioxidants. If you had to pick just one desert-island food, you couldn't do much better than chia, at least if you were interested in building muscle, lowering cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease; after a few months on the chia diet, you could probably swim home. Chia was once so treasured, the Aztecs used to deliver it to their king in homage. Aztec runners used to chomp chia sees as they went into battle, and the Hopis fueled themselves on chia during their epic runs from Arizona to the Pacific Ocean. The Mexican state of Chiapas is actually named after the seed; it used to rank right up there with corn and beans as a cash crop. Despite its lquid-gold status, chia is ridiculously easy to grow; if you own a Chia Pet, in fact, you're only a few steps away from your own batch of devil drink."
  

Interesting stuff. It's just a matter of time until this gets incorporated into one of those newfangled energy drinks. It's probably already out there.

I know there will be more food moments in this book, and I'll share them with you as I continue to read the book. Later I'll get to learn about the corn beer that the Turahumara like to consume with great gusto.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia,

muddy

Wheat Berry Salad

Since I think about food 24/7, I'm prone to eccentric thoughts like building an oven from mud or sabotaging a factory that churns out chemically processed chunks of chicken. Most thoughts I just keep to myself because I'm a thin-skinned soul who would crumple under the bewildered stares of strangers and loved ones.

Here's a secret I wouldn't share with most people: I think about plowing my front yard and planting a patch of wheat. Instead of mowing once a week, I'd thresh once a year. Instead of working the weather into small talk, I'd discuss it with urgency. I'd be a street side farmer and with the fruits of my labor I'd make this:

Wheat Berry Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wheat berries
• 2 quarts of water
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 6 slices of bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
  

***Feel free to vary the ingredients. Keep the wheat berries as your base recipe. I saw recipes with dried cherries, feta cheese, nuts, lemon juice and oil. Relax and use whatever you have on hand.

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan combine wheat berries, water, and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower temperature, so it simmers. Place lid on pan and allow to simmer for 45-60 minutes. The berries should be tender and slightly chewy.


2. Drain and rinse berries under cold water. Then place berries in a large bowl.


3. Mix tomatoes, onions, and bacon into the wheat berries.


4. In a small bowl, whisk oil and balsamic vinegar together. Drizzle and mix into salad.


5. Enjoy warm or cold.

I enjoyed leftover wheat berry salad for breakfast this morning, and it possessed the power to resist the temptation of donuts at this morning's teacher in-service. This is the power of whole grains. You need to harness and unleash this power.

pass the scythe,

muddy