China in New Mexico

My freshman year of college I had the opportunity to participate in a service learning trip over Spring Break. The trip was to Taos, NM a small mountainous community in the north-west part of the state. Not only was I able to learn a great deal about the culture of Taos, but I was also able to learn about China because there were three students from China on our team. 

One evening the three students asked everyone to come to their culture. They had even made a meal for us. I was so surprised at how different their foods are from the Americanized version of Chinese foods. Their dishes were simple most from broths with lots of vegetables (cucumber, cabbage, and other greens mainly). There was little meat in the dishes and they said that one of the dishes would have a whole chicken for the family to eat from, unfortunately, we only had breast cuts of chicken.

All in all, we were able to learn a lot about the culture of China and the simplicity of their dishes.

Presentation Reflection

The presentation of my summer internship project was Tuesday. There were 17 individuals in the group that I presented to. I was initially a bit nervous as the presentation was scheduled for 1.5 hours (the longest I've ever done)!

Thankfully, I was well prepared for the demonstration of four activities and sharing of information on how the curriculum is outlined and designed. In all, there were 8 lessons containing a total of 23 activities, 7 clinic display ideas and numerous additional resources and handouts. 

The agents and educators were very excited for the program and to see it all together. As expected, there were a few comments and suggestions, most notedly will be having the program translated into Spanish and wording of a few items.

A few of the other suggestions were about additional activities that could be added, but began to branch outside the scope of the program. However these discussions gave way to thoughts about future projects for students/interns.

In summary, my summer was far more of a "real world" job than I expected. From staff changes to curriculum expectations to working independently, I feel much better prepared to enter the world of graduate school and eventually the workforce. I also feel more prepared to be pregnant, should that ever come my way! This experience was very humbling as I felt so blessed to be able to provide a resource that the educators were excited to use and implement.

Zucchini Boats

This summer we have had lots of zucchini. That said, we were having a hard time finding new recipes for zucchini that didn't heat up the oven. Luckily last week was cooler and we were able to bake zucchini boats. We used tomatoes, red pepper, salt, pepper, onion, garlic and shredded mozzarella cheese. The zucchini seeds were scooped out, then stuffed and finally baked at 375 for 12 or so minutes (just until they are soft to the fork).

Image Source: http://www.laaloosh.com/2011/07/25/stuffed-zucchini-boats-recipe/

The zucchini doesn't have a strong flavor which allows for it to retain the moisture from the tomatoes and flavors from the other ingredients.  All in all, a healthy addition to our evening meal! I look forward to trying these again as we continue to gather summer squash from the garden. Next time I plan to try them with meat, beans, corn, onion, cheese, and tomatoes.

I use photos from other sources because my photography and editing skills are not that great.

Next Steps

As my time with EFNEP and K-State Research and Extension come to an end, it is time to look forward to the start of school. While school is three weeks away, I will stay busy with various activities. It will definately be a "different kind of busy", as the more I complete these weeks, the less I will have to do once school starts. Some of those activities include moving, clinical dietetic shadows, and sorority recruitment.

I will also be working on graduate school applications and contacting faculty and internship directors at those respective schools. I am exctied to have date goals for when I will submit each application and am excited to see the results.

My Time with EFNEP

As my last days in the office are approaching, I can hardly believe ten weeks has passed. It seems like just yesterday that I sent out the outline for the curriculum and waited for responses: that was over a month ago. 

The program is coming together nicely and is in the final stages of revisions. The educators will, most likely, have comments and changes after it is presented to them. 

I was so excited when I received the proof from the graphic designer. She had compiled all of the scripts for educators and handouts into one document that will serve as a leader's guide. It is complete with small icon-like pictures of the handouts the clients will be completing for the respective activity. She has been so great to work with: I will have an idea for a handout or activity page and she will make it happen.

It is hard to believe I have put together a program for nutrition and lifestyle education during pregnancy. One of the largest challenges I faced is the fact that I have never been pregnant.

This internship has helped me realize my blessings in the areas of education and economic environment in which I was raised. Sometimes as a college student, I forget that there are millions that dream of the opportunities that we so often complain about (the small assignments, studying for tests, writing papers and such).

I have also learned that I will most likely not pursue in community nutrition, at least not in program writing. Instead, I will look for a career that includes more direct interaction with clients (this will most likely be in the clinical setting).

Loving the Pizza Pie...College Style

Pizza has always been one of my favorite foods. But it has recently taken on a whole new meaning, of cheap and convenient meals. My version of pizza is also fairly healthy (depending on which vegetables are handy). I start with a tortilla for the crust: it can be flavored, regular or even whole wheat. Then comes the sauce. I prefer a little ranch dressing, but pizza sauce, Italian dressing and salsa also work great. From there you can be creative or just use any vegetables and meat you have.

Things I've used:

• Tomoato
• Zucchini
• Red Pepper
• Ham
• Chicken
• Onion
• Garlic
• Corn
• Black Beans
• Mozzarella Cheese

I just cook my pizza on a cast-iron griddle, but that's what we have. Anything that heats the pizza through and metls the cheese will work. 

I usually pair my pizza with a salad or fruit, and sometimes there's a baked treat like a brownie! I have a major sweet tooth!

These types of pizzas are great for college students and anyone that wants a quick, easy and fairly inexpensive meal!

A New Gluten Free Expereince

As I shared in my last post, I attended another gluten-free group meeting. This meeting featured a speaker from a local company that makes gluten free flour blends. We tried food items from the pizza blend and the pastry blend.

From the Pizza Blend we tried:
Pizza
Flatbreads
Biscuits

From the Party Blend we tried:
Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Roll Cake (like pictured below)
Donuts

Here is a link to the recipes page on the AgVantage Natruals website (the name of the company). There are more recipes there than what we tried, but the products were all great.

Image source: http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/cinnamon-roll-cake/

My favorites were the cinnamon roll cake and the donuts, but I really like my sweets! It was very helpful to learn about the combinations of flours and gums used in baking different types of products. If you would like any of the additional recipes I mentioned, just comment with an email address!

I had never thought of a career in the gluten-free baking industry, but it sure sounds like I will have to keep my ears open!

Perks of Changing Your Major

A year ago, I switched my major from food science to dietetics. However, this was not before learning a great deal about grain processing (I have also worked in a small flour mill and lab for four years). The reason this background is especially helpful is when it comes to understanding gluten free products and baking. Don't get me wrong, I am not a seasoned gluten free baker, honestly I've only tried once! But, I do understand why wheat is superior to other flours for baking...GLUTEN (the protein in wheat)... the exact thing that individuals with Celiac disease cannot have.

The hardest parts of gluten free baking (from what I've heard) stem from the moisture balance and protein levels. This is why in gluten free baking a blend of flours is used, and also why that blend can be different for various products.

Last night, I attended another gluten free group session sponsored by a local grocery store. The speaker was a representative from a local company that makes mixes for baking: the mixes are gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and soy-free (so friendly for those with food allergies). The company claims that their product can be used in place of flour, for the same amount, in any recipe.

One of the main flours they use is sorghum. Personally, I have found sorghum products to have a gritty texture. However, these sorghum flours are milled so fine that there is not gritty taste! 

Image Source: http://www.mississippi-crops.com/2013/02/09/2013-grain-sorghum-hybrid-recommendations/

Above is a picture of sorghum. The grain is small seeds about the size of a kernel of wheat, but round. Sorghum is lower in protein than wheat, so in order for it to act like wheat flour, it must be mixed with higher protein ingredients. This understanding is an important part of gluten-free baking that I can share with future clients as a dietitian.

We tried many products and those will be posted next along with links to those recipes!

Calorie Comparison

As a dietetics student, I hear a lot about the number of calories individuals should consume throughout the day. However, it is still sometimes difficult to picture the calorie densities of certain foods. 

Yesterday I was sent this link. It has 75 pictures of different foods and each is 200 calories. It is so interesting to see how even vegetables compare or butter and a candy bar! Feel free to check it out, it just might surprise you!

 That's a lot of celery for 200 calories and at least 2 whole apples!

Growing Pains

This past week has brought all sorts of personal and professional growing opportunities...so many in fact at times I feel as though I'm a young child with growing pains. They would come sporadically and suddenly when I least expected it!

In addition to internship supervisor transitions, I have summer class, graduate school application drafts, and preparation for activities I am planning/leading this fall. All of these opportunities are wonderful and I have gone to great lengths to streamline the types of activities I am involved in, however it catches me off-guard when it all comes at once!

Anyway, enough about that. The past few weeks in the EFNEP office have seen a great deal of progress. I am over half way done scripting and creating handouts/worksheets for over 20 activities that will correlate to the pregnancy nutrition lessons. I am hoping to finish the scripts by the end of the week, which I know will give me a great sense of accomplishment.

The August TEFAP list came out two days ago. I love looking for recipes to use with this list because it lets me be creative with the serving information that is being shared with clients across the state! In addition to generating the recipes and creating a Nutrition Facts Label using special software, I will soon (hopefully this afternoon) begin working on guidelines for turning over the TEFAP handouts!

Image source: http://www.mpull.com/blog/growing-your-sales-pipeline-using-lead-management/

A Slice of Humble Pie

Yesterday as I was enjoying a slice of apple pie, I started to think about everything I have to be thankful for! If there were 100 people selected at random from around the world:

Only 5 would speak English.

33 would be Christian

21 would be overweight and 16 would be undernourished or starving

23 would have no place of shelter

22 would have access to a computer, 17 would be illiterate

7 would have a college degree.

 

Image Source: 

http://www.indexmundi.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/the-world-as-100-people.png

Only 7 would have a college degree. This one really sunk in. I will graduate college in a year and have every intention of attending graduate school the next fall.

Why is it that I have this sense of entitlement or expectation? There are people that probably wouldn't be able to comprehend the idea of this blog, let alone have clean water to drink! I firmly believe it is because of those who have fought to protect what we have. I also believe it is due to my parents that told me I could do anything I wanted (yes even as a child when I thought it would be cool to be a cheerleader)!

So as the summer months get hotter, and we dread the day to day grind, just remember all of those that are far less privileged!

Healthier Sweet Treat

I have a confession...I have a major sweet tooth! It began when I was younger and became worse when I was in middle school and playing sports! 

Recently, I have started paying more attention to the amount of sugar I am consuming. I have never really liked yogurt, but know it is a healthier sweet/desert option. One day at the grocery store, I picked up a new kind of Greek yogurt to try. I picked it because it was coffee and dark chocolate flavor and I knew the protein would help me feel full!

To my surprise, I really liked the flavor. The type of yogurt is pictured below. The particular flavor that I tried is 100 calories and has 12 grams of sugar, 8 grams of protein and only 1 gram of fat. 

http://www.dairyfoods.com/ext/resources/Food-Photos/Cultured_Dairy/Chobani-bite-300.jpg

This has been my new sweet treat for the past couple of months and is far healthier than a brownie, cookie or slice of cake!

Change

Today, I just have a few thoughts on change. Change can be a scary word but it is an inevitable part of life and learning. Like the quote below states, it is our response to change that determines our fate. We can choose to dig our heels in our current ways, or we can learn about the change and accept it after learning about it!

If we fail to change, we are only harming ourselves by means of our own ignorance. So do we run towards change full speed ahead, not necessarily. I have learned that it is best to be informed before proceeding with change. By approaching change with caution, you can make an informed decision!

A Whole New World...

Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend a gluten-free group meeting. I didn't really know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised! The meeting was hosted by a local grocery store dietitian. She and her two student interns for the summer (part of the coordinated program at K-State) prepared numerous pizza crusts and pizzas for the group to try. All were made with mixes, doughs or frozen pizzas that could be found at the grocery store.

My knowledge of gluten free baking is fairly limited. I understand that a gluten free diet is free of wheat, barley and rye products. In replacement for wheat flour, various flours and starches are combined to achieve the desired consistency and properties (which varies by product). Flours and ingredients that are commonly mixed (from what I've seen) include: rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, and xanthan gum. My only experience with gluten free baking was making muffins for a friend: they didn't turn out that well either!

I was welcomed by many members of the group: there were over 20 that attended. We all tried the various pizza crusts and pizzas. Some were much better than others. One of the members brought a cauliflower crust recipe for everyone to try. Her recipe included cauliflower, egg, cheese, and spices.  

The group was very supportive of me being there to learn about a gluten free lifestyle and some explained personal challenges with baking gluten free. I was so appreciative of this opportunity to learn more about gluten free eating and can't wait to attend next month!

Sidenote: There was also a sample of a new chocolate chip cookie product that was quite tasty (and that's by my standards)! I included the product label for anyone who is curious!

A Dash of Culture

I greatly appreciate the link between food and culture, but more importantly how that link is different for each culture. Most notably, I have realized that the link between food and culture is one many Americans take advantage of. As a sophomore in the college of agriculture (my former home), I had the opportunity to travel to Tuscany to learn about food production. This truly was a dream come true! I was going to spend 8 days in ITALY learning about food and culture…oh and eating!

As part of the class, we met weekly and researched history and production of the foods we would be seeing, this research was compiled into a presentation for the rest of the class (16 in all) to learn! We also had weekly Italian quizzes, something I wish I would have taken more seriously.

After a day of travel, we landed in Milan, where we would spend a day before heading to Florence. Florence was our base and from there we went out to see various producers including: parmigiano reggiano cheese, balsamic vinegar, parma hams, gelato, chocolate, and numerous vineyards. We attended two cooking schools in Florence; both were amazing but offered a different perspective on cooking. The first was very serious and professional while the second was much more laid back. While attending the second cooking school, we went to the market. The market gave me a great insight into the culture of Italy. There were fruits, vegetables, baked goods, seafood, and cuts of meat that I had never seen before. The seafood part wasn’t too surprising; I did grow up in Kansas after all!

What I really learned from the trips to the market (we also visited one in Venice), was food is a central part of Italian livelihood. In the US, few individuals sell things they grew or caught themselves. In addition, meals are eaten on the run and not enjoyed as they are in other countries. One of our meals lasted 3 hours, not because we ate that much, but because we were in conversation with one another and enjoying the atmosphere we were in!

        My experience in traveling to Italy was the trip of a lifetime. I was able to learn so much and eat so many wonderful foods! I cannot wait for my next adventure abroad! Please feel free to share comments on places to see and foods to try!

A Day Out of the Office

Yesterday I had the opportunity to help with a kids cooking camp in a neighboring town. It was a great way to see programming in action. As a child in 4-H or just attending summer camps, I didn’t realize how much educational planning is put into each activity. The activity for the children was to make MyPlate Happy Faces. I thought this activity was a great way for the 7-9 year old children to learn about the different food groups and make a healthy snack (they looked a bit silly also)!

Tomorrow I have the opportunity to listen to a webinar on education in food banks. I am very interested in this opportunity as I feel it is incredibly important to educate consumers in addition to giving food items!

Last week I heard back about the first two lessons I have submitted. There were very few changes suggested and I am hoping to finish the outlines for remaining lessons this week!

In addition to waiting for feedback, I completed an outline for blog posts though the end of the year! I have only written blog posts though early November, but if I have downtime, that is something that I can finish!

Past, Present, Future

I firmly believe my past experiences influence my current decisions and therefore my future outcomes. For example, last summer I served as an Orientation Leader for my university! I LOVED IT!! When given the chance to come back,  however, I was hesitant. I knew that I would have a great experience and be able to positively impact the lives of incoming students. I also knew that there were several (4 to be exact) opportunities in dietetics and nutrition that I could also take.

 As an Orientation Leader, I was a bit hesitant the first few days, but quickly warmed up. My intention of returning was to give the experience 110% from the beginning. However, had I been an Orientation Leader, I would not have had the opportunity to learn about the EFNEP program, let alone create what I am hoping to be a lasting nutrition education tool for the educators across the state. In the end, I am glad I chose my present internship with EFNEP because it gave me the opportunity to help with orientation events on the weekends but experience community nutrition.
 
It is so easy to get caught up in the "might have been" situations in life that we (myself included) can overlook the present opportunities.