FIBER FRIDAY

Early Friday morning everyone! How are you doing this end of the week? I'm ok... still somewhat unmotivated from yesterday's emotionally draining trauma... but fear not! I shall try to pick myself up by the boot straps and put on a happy face and dance a jig! For you see... SCHOOL STARTS MONDAY!! YAY!!!!!! Bright and early at 7am, my lovely little leeches will be gone and I will have about 7 hours of sheer silent bliss! OMG who could ask for anything more!? Must remember to set the alarm with that lovely Andy Williams song... The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! LMAO! (I really do love my kids but sometimes, you just need a break ya know? Makes you appreciate them more LMAO!)

Ok, the $5 Dinner mom was offering a Kellogg's fiber gift package yesterday as a contest and I entered of course... I like free stuff LOL. And then this morning I find an article about things you can do to add fiber to your diet. Guess fiber focus is a big deal lately. So I thought I would bring you this article about a few things you can do to add fiber to your life.



Start Roughing It
By Matthew Kadey, R.D., Prevention
Tue, Jul 22, 0010

It's no secret that fiber is essential, possibly reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes, as well as helping us keep our appetites—and waistlines—in check. The mystery seems to be how to get enough of it. Most women consume only half the recommended 21 to 25 g daily. Try these six options for something jazzier than brown rice.

SPIKE SMOOTHIES WITH CHOCOLATE
A tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder has 2 g of fiber, plus it contains less saturated fat than dark chocolate bars and none of the added sugars.

TOSS MUSHROOMS INTO SOUP
Rehydrate dried shiitakes in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes, then chop and add to your favorite soup for 3 g of fiber per ounce, plus lentinan, a compound that may have anticancer properties.

ADD EDAMAME TO STIR-FRIES
Brimming with folate, a B vitamin that may protect women from pancreatic cancer, and 4 g of fiber per ½ cup, boiled soybeans complement any Asian flavor.

MIX OATS INTO MEAT LOAF
Instead of nutritionally inferior bread crumbs, use 2/3 cup rolled oats per pound of meat as a binding agent. In addition to 5.5 g of fiber, they contain magnesium, a mineral that may slash diabetes risk.

MAKE PUMPKIN-PIE OATMEAL
Combine 1/3 cup canned pumpkin, 1 cup oatmeal, 1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and spices of your choice, like cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice. The pumpkin adds nearly 2.5 g of fiber and loads of immunity-boosting vitamin A.

SPRINKLE WHEAT GERM INTO PANCAKES
Rich in selenium, which could cut skin cancer incidence by about 60%, ½ cup of wheat germ packs 4 g of fiber. Add it to any batter recipe.

Alright, it's time to talk crafts. Kalleen over at another blogspot page called At Second Street has a great tutorial which I am bringing you today! Its recycling at its finest... clothing tags! Yes, this creative mom of 4 made this super spiffy wallet out of old clothing tags and when I saw it I was just like "Oh that is SO gonna be on the site"! I think this would make a great gift for yourself or anyone you know! Hop on over for great step by step instructionals and photos!



Craft Idea of the Day: Clothing Tag Wallet

What you need:

-4 pieces of 8-1/2 x 11 handmade paper
(the handmade paper looks like paper fiber pressed together, it's stronger and has more flexibility than card stock).
-lots of clothing tags in preferred colors ( I used about 40, but it will vary depending on their size)
- colored ribbon- optional (I didn't have enough tags and wanted to add more green so I used three strips of green ribbon)
-fray check
-a glue stick
-thread (I used 4 different shades)
-a piece of poster board
- a Dritz snap and pliers
- one button



Well here it is... Friday... day 5 of BODACIOUS BANANAS week. Are you going bonkers for bananas yet? LOL I know my mom is! My intent is not to frustrate but educate LOL. I always like showing you how versatile each ingredient can be with just a few ingredients and a lot of imagination! If you are like most people, you probably do not give a second thought to the sweet banana, one of the few fruits available year-round. If you're ever stranded on a desert island, just hope and pray it contains a banana tree bearing the world's most perfect fruit. Although it has a long pedigree, the sweet yellow banana is a mutant strain which developed from original red and green cooking bananas most often called plantains. Although primarily eaten out of hand or in desserts, sweet bananas can also be used as an accent in savory dishes.

Some banana trees continue producing up to one hundred years, although most banana plantations renew their stock every ten to twenty-five years. The tree itself also has uses. The leaves are used as wrappers to steam foods in Latin, Caribbean, and Asian cultures. The banana flower is also edible, but if you eat the flower, you obviously won't get any fruit. The banana is a distant cousin to ginger, turmeric, and cardamom, and is botanically classified as a berry. There are over four hundred varieties of bananas with the yellow Cavendish being the most favored in America.

Americans consume an annual average of twenty-five pounds of bananas per person. Bananas are the world's best-selling fruit, outranking the apple and orange. So to tempt your taste buds today, as I bring a couple of "ethnically enhancing" recipes to the table for you. Eat & Enjoy!



Curried Banana Sauce
(This goes well over fish, chicken, or even rice!)

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 small ripe bananas, quartered
1 shallot, quartered
1 clove garlic, halved
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion (such as Vidalia®)
1 3/4 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 pinch salt

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bananas, shallot, garlic, and onion. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken chicken broth and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the curry mixture, rice vinegar, honey, and salt into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the curry moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the curry right in the cooking pot.



Teriyaki Pork Chops with Grilled Bananas

Ingredients

1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless pork chops (3 to 4)
2 large firm DOLE® Bananas, peeled
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cups hot cooked rice
2 tablespoons sliced DOLE Green Onion
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed

Directions

Combine sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar and oil in small bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons sherry mixture and brush on pork chops and bananas.

Grill pork 8 to 10 minutes on each side until cooked through.

Grill bananas 2 to 3 minutes on each side until heated through. Cut each into 1-inch pieces.

Combine remaining sherry mixture and cornstarch in small saucepan; cook, stirring until thickened.

Arrange pork and bananas over rice on serving plate; drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with green onion and sesame seed.

Well folks, that's all for today. I think I am gonna go sit and stitch my little fingers nuts today. And maybe on breaks sit and organize some things from the paperwork in my living room. I am so glad you stopped by to see me this morning and hope you will take a moment to come back by tomorrow for more fun and fabulous times here on The Frugal Mom! Until tomorrow friends... HUGS!