My mom didn't do a lot of cooking when we were growing up. She was too busy saving lives…literally. She practiced as an Emergency Medicine doctor before switching over to Internal Medicine. As such, she is much more accustomed to putting out fires than I am..figuratively. Once I asked her how she was able to deal with acute life or death situations, and she responded, "It's fun!"
My mom never cooked anything fancy or overly complicated, but I have always loved my mother's home cooking. She made sure to do a quick stir fry so that we would always have some vegetables on our plate. One surprising vegetable that she used to stir fry often was lettuce. And I liked it. In fact, I didn't realize I was eating cooked lettuce until well into adulthood.
Cooked lettuce is not only surprisingly good, it is one of my most favorite ways to ironically eat salad. The other day, we had some people over for a barbecue, and as usual, I figured it would be a great opportunity to experiment with live subjects. I looked up this recipe for Grilled Caesar Salad. This recipe has all the flavors of a traditional Caesar salad, with the unique aspect of grilled romaine lettuce. It was a hit at our party and could just make your kids fans of salad!
My brother and I used to get into insane fights. In our epic battles, we would always play the same roles. Being the younger brother, I would be the instigator. As the elder statesman, he would take it upon himself to point out any injustices to my parents. But because my parents treated us equally, any time my brother would cry foul, we would both get punished. My brother would always shriek, "why me? I didn't do anything!" He never seemed to get that his tattle telling would inevitably lead to self inflicted punishment rather than retribution.
Now that I am a parent myself, I have a more profound appreciation for what my parents went through. Recently, with the hot weather, Colin and Cailya have spent more time together indoors. Oh, did I say spending time together? I meant, fighting with one another. But the only people who seem to get punished by all their fighting is Cassie and me.
There is the occasional blissful moment when the seemingly incessant whining and yelling quiets down. Time slows, I hear the birds chirping outside, and I can actually pause for a moment of quiet reflection. And for a brief and exquisitely pleasant moment, I hear the beautiful sound of children's laughter in the background. I look over and see my two darling children actually playing together in perfect harmony. Then they start fighting again and my utopia comes crashing down.
When it comes to food, there are pairings that seem to fight with one another. On the other hand, sometimes contrasting flavors go surprisingly well together. The other day, a friend of ours gave me a fermentation kit. I took some green cabbage, placed it into the kit, and let natural fermentation work its magic. In a few days, I had made my own homemade sauerkraut, a deliciously tangy side dish that was low in glycemic index as well. I paired my sauerkraut with grilled bratwurst, and I found the flavors married very well together. I think I even heard some birds chirping their approval.
Since Finding Dory just came out, I decided to watchFinding Nemo with the kids. On the surface, Finding Nemo is about a father's search for his son. But on a deeper level, it is a story about fear. Both father and son alike learn to overcome their fears--Nemo learns to overcome his disability and Marlin learns to trust his son's abilities.
A lot of bad things can be born out of fear. People discriminate, commit hate crimes, give up, or fail to show up due to fear. But fear is also an opportunity. Just as fear can be a powerful negative motivator, overcoming that fear can be a really powerful incentive.
Colin used to have a fear of water. His fear stemmed as much from Cassie and myself as it did from himself. Neither Cassie nor myself are that comfortable in the water. Last summer, we enrolled Colin in his first set of independent swim classes. Like Marlin, I felt nervous for my little Nemo. At first, Colin was so scared, he wouldn't even blow bubbles. Eventually, by the end of the summer, he learned to overcome his fear of water.
This summer, we once again signed him up for swim lessons. At first, I was sort of dreading the nightly trips to the pool. But then, I witnessed an incredible transformation in Colin. He actually liked going and looked forward to getting into the water. As I let go of my own uneasiness, I saw my Nemo swim down, swim forward, dunk his head, and even happily jump into the pool.
When kids reject new foods, they are often acting out of a fear of the unknown. Colin tends to reject green foods. However, early on, he accepted broccoli, and now it is one of his favorite vegetables. Once a child accepts a vegetable in one form, they are much more likely to accept it in various forms. To build on Colin's acceptance of new foods, I introduced him to a this tilapia dish topped with a pesto sauce made from broccoli. It turned out to be a surprisingly tasty dish, and I recommend you try it. I mean, what do you have to be afraid of?
Growing up, our family rarely ate out. Instead, we would eat Chinese or Taiwanese food at home. On the occasions we did go out, we would eat Chinese or Taiwanese food at a Chinese or Taiwanese restaurant. Once a year, as a special treat for my birthday, we would go out to Red Lobster and I would order popcorn shrimp.
Oddly enough, now that I can choose whatever I care to eat, I often choose Asian cuisine. Perhaps Asian flavors are comforting to me because they remind me of my childhood. Or perhaps Asian food is just simply some of the best food out there. Although I hate to admit it, perhaps my parents were right all along.
One of my favorite childhood dishes was Asian fried rice. I used to shovel spoonfuls of the stuff into my mouth. Now that I make an effort to lead a relatively low glycemic lifestyle, I no longer eat rice regularly. One great low carb substitute for rice is cauliflower rice. Recently, I tried an Asian style cauliflower rice. Pulsed in a food processor, the cauliflower "rice grains" soaked up the soy sauce, making for a very fine substitute for Asian fried rice. The kids loved this dish, happily shoveling spoonfuls of the stuff into their mouths.
My first born just graduated from preschool. We attended his graduation ceremony, which was complete with cap and gowns, celebratory necklaces, and diplomas. Never mind that Colin went back to the same preschool the very next day, or that he will continue to attend preschool for the next three months before Kindergarten actually starts. That's besides the point.
The point is that my first born graduated from preschool! This is the same kid that would greet me in the mornings with a fresh bowel movement in his diaper. This is the same kid that couldn't even hold the weight of his own head up. This is the same kid that I would hold with one arm like a football. This is the same kid who would call out for me in the middle of the night due to night terrors. And now he's graduating preschool?!? Over the years, I have seen my son evolve from an infant, to a toddler, to an adolescent. I am proud of many things, but I am most proud of his emotional growth. He used to pout when he went to piano or tennis lessons, and now he goes happily. He used to throw colossal tantrums on a regular basis and now he throws them on a semi-regular basis. He used to stubbornly demand his way all the time. Now, when he doesn't get his way, he has the emotional maturity to self talk his way into believing he got his way. I've noticed how his emotional growth has translated into being a more adventurous eater as well. He used to absolutely refuse to try new foods. Now, he knows that we expect him to just try things at least once. Often, he surprises himself when he learns that new foods aren't all that bad. Recently, I made a crudité with a roasted garlic aioli dip. Thanks to our friend Kris, for introducing me to crudité! Typically, Colin doesn't like bell peppers. But I found some sweet mini peppers and I made him try them. I saw him process the taste of the peppers and determine they weren't bad after all. I didn't push him further because I knew we had accomplished what we needed to. I am sure that the next time he sees the mini bell peppers, he won't refuse them. These are the small victories that make me a proud papa. Happy Father's Day!
Last weekend, we took the kids to feed the birds at Roer's Zoofari in Vienna. Some people might protest about the price of admission at Roer's Zoofari (formerly the Reston Zoo), particularly when the National Zoo is free. Those people would be me. However, Roer's Zoofari has a lot of advantages, making the price admission totally worth it. It is less crowded than the National Zoo, parking is free, there are plenty of shady respites, and it is on flat, level ground.
But the most unique aspect of Roer's Zoofari is the up close and personal interaction with the animals. Ordinarily, I would have been too cheap to purchase animal feed, but thanks to Groupon, I purchased discounted tickets that included animal feed and feeding sticks. It's a good thing too, because it turns out that animals, much like humans, are drawn to food.
Colin loved having the goats literally eat out of the palm of his hand. Budgie stick in hand, he squealed in delight as the birds would flock to him and land on his shoulder. Cailya had a slightly more traumatizing experience, as you'll see in the video for this week. Although she found the birds overwhelming, she really enjoyed the wagon ride. More like a safari, the wagon ride was a truly memorable and unexpected experience for a zoo located in the middle of the suburbs. Although it may not seem like it, feeding your kids can be as fun as feeding the birds. But leave the breadcrumbs to the birds and try this recipe for cheesy cauliflower "breadsticks". Your kids will love pulling these cheesy breadsticks apart and gobbling them down.
One of my most memorable gifts was a transformer set I received for my birthday. I remember seeing the set in Toys R Us and begging my mom for it. It had a big rig that could transform into a missile launcher. The big rig carried a yellow sports car that could transform into an airplane. On the day of my birthday, I was thrilled to unwrap my present even though I already knew the contents of the package. I loved that transformer. I loved it so much I kept it and handed it down to Colin. It is now one of his favorite toys.
Thanks to the generosity of one of our friends, Cassie and I received a four week trial to Blue Apron. We returned home on a Thursday evening and found a large package waiting for us on our doorstep. Even though we had selected our meals in advance, I was still excited and curious to open the package. I tore into the package like it was my birthday. In fact, the Blue Apron trial was actually a present for Cassie's birthday, but that's besides the point.
This is how I would describe my Blue Apron experience:
Pros:
Deliciously tasty meals
Fresh, high quality ingredients
Nice packaging, labeling, and organization
Easy to follow recipe cards
Reasonably affordable
Simple flavors from salt, acid, spices, and fresh herbs
Innovative use of ingredients with novel recipes
Cons:
You still have to do the work--peeling, chopping, and cooking
Meals come at the end of the work week
Meals may be high in glycemic index and saturated fat--several of my meals incorporated flour and butter for instance.
All in all, my experience with Blue Apron was quite favorable. Perhaps the greatest value in Blue Apron is it makes cooking and learning about food fun. Their packages include a card highlighting interesting factoids about the ingredients in their meals. I learned some nifty flavor combinations like cashews and rice. I also made food I never would have otherwise made, like homemade empanadas. My family learned we are fans of creamed spinach and simply seared scallops.
But the most important message from Blue Apron is anyone can cook. Michael Pollan laments how cooking has become a lost art form. Cooking is a uniquely human activity. Sadly, so many of us have lost our culinary sensibilities due to the demands of work and life in general. Blue Apron invites us all to don our blue aprons, and once again learn the joy of cooking.
Why do I do it? Why do I blog? Well it isn't for the fame. And it certainly isn't for the fortune. I enjoy expressing my thoughts on how food delivers health. I like sharing my thoughts with others, with the hope that they will benefit too. I also enjoy cooking my kids nourishing food. But the main reason why I blog wasn't apparent to me until I went to New York and saw Finding Neverland. Finding Neverland tells the story of J.M. Barrie, a playwright who is best known for writing Peter Pan. Before writing Peter Pan, Barrie was inspirationally stuck. Despite a history of writing success, he found himself in a rut. He wasn't writing anything novel, and he wasn't having any fun. In the song Play, the actors are reminded of why they went into acting in the first place. People with creative jobs enjoy the freedom and fun of playing at their craft. It is the pure joy of playing for playing's sake that drives creative people.
Upon watching this musical, I realized the primary reason I keep on blogging and making YouTube videos is because it's fun. Playing is not just a pastime, it works the creative side of the brain. And by working the creative side of my brain in addition to my rational side, I get to use my whole brain. And I'm pretty sure my patients appreciate a doctor who uses his whole brain.
You can work the creative side of your brain as well simply by cooking for your kids. Try some of my favorite recipes featured in the third annual Osko award show:
"One hundred percent. This is kashk. One hundred percent." This is what the shopkeeper at Babylon Market assured me of when I visited the Falls Church specialty grocer one Saturday morning on a desperate search for kashk. It certainly didn't help that I had no idea what kashk looked like or tasted like. All I had to go on was pictures of jars of kashk that I had found on the internet. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical since the internet pictures were jars and the shopkeeper directed me towards boxes that looked like silken tofu. One of the hidden bonuses of maintaining a healthy food blog is it forces me to search out new and exotic ingredients. I recently ate at a Persian restaurant and tasted some of the best eggplant I have ever had. I looked up "Persian eggplant recipe" and found several recipes which included this mysterious ingredient called kashk. After some research, I learned that kashk is a dairy product made from drained, dried yogurt. After fruitlessly searching for kashk at our local grocery chain, I almost decided to substitute with plain yogurt or sour cream as some recipes suggested. Then I remembered this small Middle Eastern market hidden in the back of a shopping plaza in Falls Church. I figured a place called Babylon Market just might have the elusive ingredient. It turned out that I was right. In fact, I was one hundred percent right. Heeding the advice of the owner, I picked up the box of kashk and headed home. I opened up the box and indeed found a dried ball of kashk sitting in a pool of cloudy liquid resembling the whey found in a carton of yogurt. I followed the instructions for Creamy Persian Eggplant Dip (Kashk-e Bademjan) and this is how the dish turned out: I don't know if it was the salting of the eggplant, the caramelized onions, or the kashk, but this was indeed one of the creamiest eggplants I have ever made. I am thankful to the knowledgeable and affable shopkeeper at Babylon Market. Unlike the processed food we often cram into our mouths, food cooked from scratch is authentic and real. It is the only way to be assured that the food you are putting into your body is indeed good for your body, one hundred percent.
Kobe steak burger with duck fat fries. Maine lobster mac and cheese with truffle salt. If I were to open a fine dining restaurant, even before I selected a top rate chef, I would make sure to hire a clever linguist. In The language of food : a linguist reads the menu, Dan Jurafsky talks about the linguistics of restaurant menus.
For instance, fine dining restaurants are able to charge a premium for their food simply by highlighting exotic ingredients and citing where their food comes from. Kobe steak from Japan? $100 please. Lobster caught off the shores of Maine? Get ready to open your wallet.
On the other hand, menus from budget diners don't tell you where their food comes from. They also don't include strange ingredients you've never heard of. Instead, if they describe their food at all, budget diners might emphasize "real" ingredients, like "real" cheese and "real" eggs.
We should be served food that can easily and honestly be described. We should know where our food comes from. We should eat real food. And, we shouldn't have to pay $100 a plate for good food. You don't need to cook with fancy ingredients to eat good tasting food that is good for you. You can create a gastronomically sensational experience simply by relying on unprocessed, whole food like plants and protein.
For instance, instead of buying an expensive cut of Kobe steak, you can create tender, juicy chicken zucchini poppers. Adding grated zucchini to ground up chicken takes advantage of the high water content of zucchini to make these poppers succulent. I recommend microwaving the zucchini and squeezing out some of the water so the poppers don't get soggy. Also, I used chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts because they are juicier but still lean. Try putting chicken zucchini poppers on the next menu you serve your kids!
My mother never spanked me. Not once. She did however, hit me once. Well, it was really more of a slap on the wrist. After I had misbehaved yet again, she screamed at me and told me to hold my hands out, with my palms faced downward. Sullen and confused, I obeyed. Then, with one swift strike, she slapped me on the back of my outstretched hands. Raising kids is tough work. You have to be a parent, friend, consultant, disciplinarian, psychologist, and behaviorist all in one. No one really teaches you how to be a good parent, so you end up recalling a lot of what your own parents did. Certainly, you can motivate your kids through negative reinforcement. But punishing them by taking food away or using food in a punitive way can set up unhealthy associations with food. Negative reinforcement, while initially effective, also tends to be less and less effective with time. Rather than carrying a big stick, I advocate using the power of positive reinforcement to help your kids develop healthy eating habits. Using carrots to incentivize your kids builds self esteem and healthful eating habits at the same time. A popular message for childhood obesity prevention is the 5-2-1-0 campaign, which advocates five servings of fruits and vegetables, two hours or less of screen time, one hour or more of physical activity, and zero sugary beverages per day. The 5-2-1-0 campaign is a great foundation for obesity prevention. However, it doesn't go far enough to treat our existing child obesity crisis. In order to actively treat our obese kids and help them develop the kinds of behaviors that effectively induce weight loss, I created my own 5-2-1-0 rule for obesity treatment:
5 Servings of Protein
Children afflicted with obesity should strive for five servings of protein per day. In order to maintain weight, we need to eat 0.7-1 mg of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight per day. In order to promote weight loss and maintain muscle during the process of weight loss, we need to eat approximately 1.5-2 times that amount. Good sources of protein include animal meat, eggs, plain greek yogurt, cheese, peanut butter, and nuts.
2 Weeks of Exposure
Helping your kids adopt healthy eating patterns takes time. It may take two weeks of exposure to a new food before a child eventually accepts it. Additionally, it may take up to one month of reinforcement to adopt a new habit altogether. For instance, one study demonstrated that repeated dietary exposure to green beans in infants ultimately resulted in greater consumption of green beans.
1 Big Reward
Kids and adults alike need to be motivated to change their behavior. It can be helpful to set up a reward system. Create a sticker chart that helps your child keep track of their daily protein intake over the course of two weeks. At the end of the two week period, reward your child with a non-food based incentive such as a new toy or a fun activity.
0 Added Sugar
In addition to setting up daily protein goals for your child, it is critical to teach them the harms of added sugar. Foods with added sugar, such as processed food and sugary beverages, are particularly high in glycemic index and have a strong association with obesity. One study found that the risk of childhood obesity increases by sixty percent for each additional daily serving of sugary beverages in middle-school children. Teach your children to look for added sugar like high fructose corn syrup on nutrition labels and make your household a zero added sugar domicile.
I never resented my mom for that slap on my wrist. Perhaps it's because I knew I deserved to be punished for being such a brat. Or perhaps it's because a slap on the wrist doesn't hurt all that much. Mainly, it's because that one incident paled in comparison to the overwhelming majority of acts of love my mom showered me with. But you don't' have to choose between a carrot and a stick. Try this recipe for motivational Moroccan Carrot Sticks. These healthful sticks are both the incentive and the reward!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2268898/ Ludwig DS, Peterson KE, Gortmaker SL. Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis. Lancet 2001; 357:505–08.
Becoming a competent home chef for your kids is easier than you might think. You don't have to buy a ton of expensive equipment to make healthy and delicious meals for your kids. Instead of buying up every new kitchen gadget, stick to versatile tools that you can use again and again for multiple meals.
One of my favorite kitchen tools is the cast iron skillet. If you can pick one up (literally), it will help you cook delicious food both on the stovetop and in the oven. Once properly seasoned, the surface of a cast iron skillet can be made non-stick and easy to clean. Although cast iron skillets take longer to heat up, once hot, they contain more thermal energy than other pans at the same temperature. As such, cast iron skillets are great for giving your proteins a nice hard sear. A hard sear gives the surface of your protein texture and adds a lot of flavor through the mallard reaction.
If you are new to cast iron cooking, one easy dish you can try is this recipe for one pan crispy chicken legs. You'll be surprised what you can do with your legs.
Did you know our sense of smell, sight, touch, and sound contribute more to the pleasure of eating than our sense of taste? As much as 80% of our sense of taste comes from the olfactory receptors in our nose. Human teeth are exquisitely sensitive, able to detect a grain of sand or grit 10 microns in diameter. One of the reasons people like potato chips is because they make a pleasing crunchy noise when chewed. Mary Roach, author of Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, notes that the audible crunch of crispy foods comes from their inherent brittle facture: a sudden, high-speed crack. In order to get this noise, you need crack speeds of 300 meters per second. Roach writes, "The crunch of a chip is a tiny sonic boom inside your mouth." Roach suggests that we like crunchy food because historically, crispness equaled freshness. Compared to a crunchy apple, a mushy apple is decidedly less fresh. However, while processed food like a six month old bag of Cheetos stays crunchy, it is certainly not fresh. Instead of giving your kids food-like products that have been on the shelf for months, why not make your own fresh chips? You can make your own chips from fresh produce like eggplants. I have also tried king oyster mushroom chips and kale chips. Baby bok choy chips are especially tasty. Each leaf can be peeled off into a conveniently sized chip, and the dark green leafy parts nicely crisp up in the oven.
When I listen to my adult patients, I can often commiserate with many common barriers that affect the nutritional quality of their diet. Themes include being overworked, having a lot of stress, and feeling tired all the time. For many well-intentioned adults, it is hard to prioritize eating healthfully in the modern age. However, my heart really aches when I hear some of the stories that my pediatric patients relate. Many American kids today are starving for real nutrition and being poisoned by processed foods. Parents' work is so consuming that they really have no idea what their kids are eating. As a result, kids are often left to fend for themselves. Many kids skip breakfast. Still others eat breakfast and lunch for free at school. While special nutritional programs for indigent families are well intentioned, they are actually part of the problem. The other day, I was speaking to a pair of young sisters, each afflicted with morbid obesity. At the ages of eight and ten, they already manifested health problems due to their weight, including elevations in cholesterol and blood sugar. I asked them what they ate for breakfast. They said that they usually skipped, but if they made it to school they delighted in eating Bosco sticks. I didn't know what a Bosco stick was, so I asked. A Bosco stick is essentially a pizza rolled into a breadstick. I asked them what they ate for lunch. The reply was cheese pizza, usually washed down with chocolate milk. Halfway through their day, these kids had yet to have any real nutrition. Today's kids are more familiar with manmade products like Bosco sticks than they are real food like plants and protein. The diets of so many kids is so devoid of essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, it's no wonder that some require supplements like Flintstones vitamins. The irony is instead of taking Flintstone sugar pills, kids today would be much better off if they simply ate their vitamins and minerals from real food, like we used to do when we were cavemen. In the following video, I take a page right out of history and show you how to make a Paleo pot roast that your kids will love.
While on a weekend getaway to the Massanutten Resort, we caught a show by a performer named John Cassidy. Magician, comedian, and world record holding balloon artist, John Cassidy put on an entertaining show that captivated young and old alike.
Thin and wiry with bug-like eyes, Cassidy was a nervous bundle of energy. Somehow, his blend of enthusiasm and awkwardness put the audience at ease and set a humorous tone to his act. After telling a few jokes, he proceeded to perform his magic act.
Being toddlers, Colin and Cailya were easily fooled. Being a sophisticated mind, I on the other hand, was AMAZED! At the end of the show, he surprised all the kids with their own gigantic balloon sculptures, so that no kid left empty-handed.
You can be a magician in the kitchen as well. Be creative and use your illusory powers to disguise vegetables in ways that your kids won't immediately recognize. For instance, I took on the seemingly impossible mission of getting my kids to eat green vegetables. Transforming zucchini into tasty zucchini hushpuppies is one magic trick that will surprise and delight your kids. I modified this recipe by using oats to make my zucchini hushpuppies gluten-free.
The other weekend, we went to the Massanutten Resort for a mini vacation. Well, I suppose it would be hard to classify it as a vacation since we put in three hours of work listening to a time share presentation.
We arrived promptly at 8:30 am for our "continental" breakfast, which consisted of bagels and donuts--scant pickings for a low glycemic proponent like myself.
Every guest was paired off with their own personal tour guide. I scanned the room. "How many of these other fine folks are just here for the free stay?" I wondered. "Furthermore, how many other two doctor families are there in this crowd?"
A pleasant young lady called our name and introduced herself. We exchanged pleasantries and sat down for our carb load. After breakfast, we headed out on a tour of the facilities. Our guide had very thoughtfully equipped her car with seats for Colin and Cailya. Great. The only problem was Cailya was in the middle of potty training without pull-ups. Buckle up folks. It's going to be a bumpy ride!
Our guide continued on with small talk. As she casually drove us around, I could see furtive looks on Cassie's face in the rearview mirror. Here and there, our guide would insert interesting tidbits about the property, purposefully taking us to some of the resort's more scenic spots. I nodded along, all the while thinking, "This property is enormous. Hold, bladder, hold!"
We visited Massanutten's amazing indoor and outdoor waterpark, stopped over at one of their timeshare properties, and finally, returned back to the tour center for the final hard sell. In the end, thanks to frequent pit stops along the way, Cailya didn't have any accidents in our guide's car.
Although we didn't end up buying a timeshare, I do remember one particularly strong pitch our guide made. She said that her richest childhood memories were the vacation experiences she shared with her family.
After the timeshare presentation, we ate some delicious smoked barbecue and spent a wonderful afternoon floating down a lazy river in the waterpark. Mini vacations like this remind me to truly value the experiences I share with my family and cherish the memories we make together. While I love to prepare healthy food, the greatest joy comes from sharing that healthy bounty with my family. For instance, try making these healthy zucchini boats for your family. Not only will you be giving them something healthy to eat, but you'll be creating a family memory as well. After all, I know I will always remember the amazing bladder hold of 2015 with great fondness.
"I haven't seen Colin in some time and he's changed so much!"
-Facebook comment
Yes, indeed kids have a way of doing that. I remember when Colin was just a baby. His face seemed to change every week. When he first came out, he was the spitting image of my dad. Eventually, as his face went through multiple evolutions, it became readily apparent that Colin takes after Cassie's side. Now, when he smiles, he reminds me of Cassie.
Cailya, on the other hand, didn't bear a strong resemblance to either side initially. Slowly, her face evolved to become increasingly Ko-like. Still, it isn't obvious to the general outsider that Cailya takes after me because she has these adorably full cheeks. Most people can't see how those cheeks can come from an angular face such as mine. However, if you met any of my relatives, you would see that Cailya's cheeks are undeniably Ko cheeks. I continue to be amazed by the transformations my kids undergo. This summer, we decided to sign Colin up for some lessons, mainly because he was looking bored. We signed him up for swimming, piano, and tennis lessons, and we found out that he is equally mediocre at all three. Although he was timid when he first tried any new skill, over time I saw my son develop a real enthusiasm for learning. He went from disinterest to curiosity. He went from defiance to acceptance. He went from being scared of water to jumping right into a pool. These are amazing transformations for a dad to witness and I could not be prouder of my son.
You can turn your food into amazing transformations as well. Try this healthy lasagna recipe made out of zucchini, inspired by my son's enthusiasm for transformation.
In my line of work, I am constantly encouraging my patients to cook for themselves. I tell them that they should cook as if their lives depend on it...literally. Food is our most powerful medicine, and cooking for yourself and your kids is the single best thing you can do for the health of your family.
Sometimes my recommendations meet with some degree of resistance. Work, time, and energy are all common excuses. Another reason people don't cook is they may be afraid of trying something new. On average, people cook about twenty-five things, which are on heavy rotation. It's understandable that people tend to cook comfort foods and food that they are comfortable making.
Before I became invested in cooking for health, I would get nervous about entertaining. I feared that I would serve something inedible. I feared I would undercook something and make my guests sick. I tended to stick with familiar dishes that I had done before.
Then, I read Man With a Pan, by John Donohue. One of the inspirational stories in this book was written by Manny Howard. Howard, known for extravagant high-wire cooking feats, shares his tale of roasting a whole pig in an underground pit. The fact that he had never done so before, or that he was preparing a meal for a small army of guests did not faze him in the least. Nor was he fazed when he pulled the hog out only to find that it wasn't properly cooked. He simply pulled the meat and finished it off in the oven. In the end, his guests had a great meal and a great time.
This story inspired me to try a new way of cooking paella for my extended family. After cooking the chicken, onion, and aromatics on the stove, I added the rice and chicken broth, then transferred the pan to a hot outdoor grill. The charcoal grill gave the paella an even distribution of high heat and a smoky flavor. It was the first time I cooked paella on a grill, but it won't be the last.
References Donohue, John. 2011. Man with a pan: culinary adventures of fathers who cook for their families. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
"Mommy!" Pure joy and excitement wash over my kids' faces when they see their mommy. Do you know who else can evoke that kind of elation from my children? Well, certainly not daddy. My kids love Elmo. In fact, "Elmo" was probably one of the first words my kids learned. And so, we packed our sleepy children into the mini-van at 5:30 in the morning, and made the pilgrimage to see the red, furry deity.
After a remarkably pleasant three hour drive, we arrived at Sesame Place. Although it's called Sesame Place, a more apt name would be Elmo's Place. Although the park is replete with all the classic Sesame Street characters, Elmo is most prominently featured. And let's face it, he is the main attraction. That's why we reserved a special seat at the appropriately titled, "Breakfast With Elmo & Friends."
Taking your kids to Breakfast With Elmo scores major points with the little ones. Cailya immediately brightened up once she was greeted by the Count. The young girl inside the Count outfit gave Cailya a warm hug and even offered to hold our selfie stick so we could take a proper family photo. In addition to the Count, the kids met Abby, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, and of course, Elmo.
As an added bonus, reserving a spot for breakfast entitled us to early admission into the park. This is a huge tip for those seeking to beat the massive crowds that build up at the 10 o'clock opening. Because we were able to beat the bottleneck into the park, we were able to breeze through many attractions without having to wait in extended lines. Everything is perfectly geared towards young toddlers. We went on several rides including Elmo's Cloud Chaser, witnessed the musical styling of Elmo the Musical, and took in a show called, "Let's Play Together", featuring Elmo. The highlight of the trip however, was Sky Splash, a large family water slide.
I learned a few things from this trip. Go early. Don't overschedule your trip. Freeze water bottles and carry popcorn with you at all times. And, Elmo is God. Elmo's influence is so powerful, he can even help your kids develop healthful eating habits. For instance, children rated broccoli more favorably when an Elmo sticker was attached to a picture of broccoli. I enlisted Elmo's help to encourage the kids to eat grilled tomatoes in the following video:
