My daughter and I have been playing around with salads this summer. This one has organic mixed greens, black olives, mango, walnuts, and a splash of extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Aside from cutting the mango, it was easy to make.
If we all included a salad in our daily menu, or even replaced an entire meal with one, just imagine how much healthier (and leaner) we'd all be. It's so much easier to get our 5 to 9 fruits and vegetables (and healthy fat) a day that way. We just have to be careful with the dressing we choose. If I can't make my own, I am sure to read the label. I don't want saturated fat and unrecognizable ingredients to outweigh the healthy benefits.
Pistachios, Walnuts, and Cashews © Dawn Riccardi Morris
The food we eat has a lot more to do with the way we all look and feel than many of us realize. The more we eat as nature intended, the healthier and happier we will be.
It's not always easy to avoid the tempting processed foods which dominate the grocery store aisles. But there are simple ways to do so.
Why does it seem that truth is in short supply these days? Every which way you turn, there are people caught lying and cheating. And they're often the most unlikely suspects.
For example, many of us think that someone out there is making sure that the food we're eating is safe. But, when you read an article like this one, you have to think twice. Not only are genetically modified foods not proven to be safe for people or the planet in general, but we're not even informed which foods contain them! Is this a democracy or not?
Food manufacturers should not be able to pull the wool over our eyes so easily. It's an outrage. I could go on all day about this. But I won't.
The bottom line is we need our children to be truth seekers, and not individuals who will cover up things just to make money.
So, while reading and discussing a wide variety of books is a good start, watching movies can leave lasting impressions as well. Two movies which have truth seeking characters are:
- It's like you're a fly on the wall inside a jury deliberation. 11 men believe the defendant is guilty, but Henry Fonda is not so sure. To him, it's not so black and white. And with a gray area comes a lot of questions. How do you stand up for something (or someone) when no one else is willing to? Find your answer here.
- What means more to you - money or trust? Travel back in time to the 1950's and watch a television scandal erupt right before your very eyes. If you ever thought one person couldn't make a difference, sit back and watch this.If you have teenagers, these are great movies to watch and discuss together. I haven't received my copy of Reel Culture from the library yet (which was recommended recently by Angela of Bookish Blather blog), but I'm anxious to see if these movies are listed in it!
Can you recommend any other movies which have truth seeking characters?
In case you missed it, my recent post, When Being a Picky Eater is a Good Thing , also relates to food safety.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to be treated like a guinea pig.
Have a great week.
Dolphins off of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina ©Dawn Riccardi Morris
Yes, we were this close to the dolphins on a raft last week at Hilton Head Island! A couple of days later, we went kayaking in the bay and saw dolphins again. They didn't come as close that time, but it was a thrill to see.
We learned that dolphins fight off a shark by working as a team to scare it off. They fight for one another and with one another.
It seems to me that this example could be used to teach children to stick together when a friend is being bullied. It seems common for friends to abandon friends when one is being picked on, and the strategy of standing together is an important one. There's a picture book I once mentioned which discusses this very issue.
After a trip like this, I often like to seek out related books at the library. Young children would love to read about dolphins after a trip like this! Off the top of my head, an enjoyable one for children between the ages of 4 and 8 is If a Dolphin Were a Fish
Anyway, we spent a lot of time on the beach as well. The water is clean, and the waves are not too rough. People can even ride their bicycles on the wet sand. While we were walking along one day, we found these sand dollars (howstuffworks.com is a great site for kids, by the way):
Sand Dollars at Hilton Head Island ©Dawn Riccardi Morris
Aren't they beautiful? They were in the dry sand, so we threw them back in the shallow water, hoping it wasn't too late to save them.
If you look really closely, hopefully you'll see that there's a flower-like pattern on each one. That pattern is actually part of the tube feet that allow the sand dollar to breathe. Pretty amazing, huh?
Anyway, I figured I'd give you a few highlights of our wonderful beach vacation. I hope you're having a FUNtastic summer!
Here are some other vacation related posts:
If you know of any other great family destinations, please do share!Organic Fruit ©Dawn Riccardi Morris
Fruit ©Dawn Riccardi Morris
What do strawberries, grapes, apples, blueberries, and nectarines all have in common?
Continue reading "When Being a Picky Eater is a Good Thing" »
© Dawn Riccardi Morris
I know many people try to stay away from beef, but I like a good roast beef or pot roast once in a while! I try to buy organic meat whenever possible, and I can usually find lean choices at Whole Foods. Not only that, but they have the highest quality control standards. I don't have to worry about animal cruelty, antibiotics or hormones, which gives me piece of mind.
With Earth Day coming up this Thursday, April 22nd, I thought I'd gather all of my 2009 posts relating to the natural world. Spring is in the air, and it's a great time to talk about the environment, the crazy weather we've been having, trees, gardens, life cycles, insects, the night sky, the beach, butterflies, the water cycle, etc....
With everything springing to new life around us, it's also a great time to inspire the creative writer within your child and yourself! So, please feel free to use any of these books as starting points not only for discussion, but for journal writing and the creation of artwork as well.
It's been a very long time since I've posted any recipes, which I regret. After all, we can learn so much about life through cooking and eating!
Recent Comments