Eat

I made this roast last year for Easter Sunday dinner. I had intended on cooking lamb, but at the butcher they would only sell me a minimum of half a leg, which was just too much for four people. So, seeing the pork loin, I decided to go with that.

Rolled and Roasted Herbed Pork Loin
Ingredients:
Fresh herbs; oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage (could also add basil, parsley, majoram, etc.) about 1/2 oz each

There’s been a movement lately called "Meatless Monday" (it even has a website, http://www.meatlessmonday.com) where people are making the conscious decision to eat once a week without meat. This tradition goes back to World War I when the government urged people to go one day without meat to aid the war effort and it continued during WWII. Today, the goal is "to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet." The website says, "going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

We have a tradition of Sunday dinners in our family. I don’t have a particularly large, related-by-blood family, but I do have a wonderful group of friends who have become our extended family and are as much my sisters and brothers as if we shared the same DNA. The dinners don’t happen every Sunday, but we try at least once a month. Occasionally, they are at my house, but usually my mother is the one to host these meals, inviting a changing cast of characters—some new, some spanning decades. Over the years it has evolved; first my mom’s friends and "strays," then my friends (and later, my husband’s friends) came into the mix. Once our generation got married, our friend’s kids now come to Sunday dinner.

You may have heard people comment that lettuce is just empty calories, but contrary to popular belief, this is just not true. While iceberg lettuce is not a nutritional powerhouse, other salad greens are nutritional champions.

As a general rule, the darker the lettuce leaves the more nutritious the salad. As an example, romaine and watercress have seven times as much beta-carotene, two-to-four times as much calcium and twice the amount of potassium as iceberg lettuce.

It is common for food to become a source of conflict in most families. Many parents employ a bargaining or bribing approach to get their kids to eat healthy foods. This is not the best strategy as it encourages children to resist, a trait that most kids excel at from a very young age.

An alternate strategy that will net better results is to give kids some control in deciding what foods to eat. Of course, as a parent the job of you and your spouse is to ensure that the choices available in your home are healthy ones.

Most couples would love to buy "green" or "organic" foods, but choosing organic foods can be a pricey proposition. If you think your budget cannot afford 100 percent organic, here is some simple advice on making the most of your "green grocery" dollar.

Eat organic at the top of the food chain: Livestock eat pesticide-laden feed and are dosed with antibiotics and hormones, which all end up in the package at the super market. There is no way to remove or reduce the contaminants. Purchasing organic dairy, egg and meat products is a great place to begin.

Avoid the following unless they are organic: Pesticides levels vary in produce.

With summer fast approaching, it can be an exciting time for couples who want to invite family and friends over for a summer cookout to celebrate their new home and life together—or just the new season. However, this cherished pastime can be more dangerous than many realize—especially for younger couples who may be hosting their first cookout. In 2006, STATS reported that approximately 3,500 people nationwide were treated in emergency rooms for grilling injuries, up 10 percent from 2005.