Food for thought: Portion Control

Not only is it important to eat the right foods, it is also important to make sure you are eating the right amount of them. Knowing proper portion sizes is essential to not only managing nutrition related health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease, but it is also one of the basics to weight loss and overall healthy eating. If you are struggling with losing weight, but think you are eating the right foods, it may be the amount you are eating. Estimating portion sizes can be very tricky, and most of us are not very good at it. It takes time and practice. Here are a few tips to help you correctly measure and estimate your portions:

1 .  Measure your foods at first. See what one cup of breakfast cereal or 1/2 cup of vegetables looks like on your dishes. Measure one cup of milk and see what it looks like in your glassware. You may be surprised. After measuring foods several times, you will be better at estimating.

2 .  Freeze leftovers in individual-size portions. This is not only more convenient, it will save you time when are ready to heat and eat these foods.

3 .  Buy individual portions of snack foods, especially those that are high in fat, sodium or calories. Or make individual portions yourself by dividing up a large container into smaller portion-sized bags. This makes it easier for you to make sure you are getting the right amount every time.

4 .  Use smaller dishes. This may sound trivial, but you will not put as much food on a smaller plate. This will help you eat less. If you are hungry, you can always go back for more. Limit second helpings to fruits and vegetables to help keep you on the right track.

                                    Coconut Cream Pie:

Coconut filling is cooked on stove-top then poured into the baked crust and chilled with a whipped cream topping.

Ingredients

3/4        cup cornstarch 

1-1/2     cups granulated sugar 

1/2         teaspoon salt 

4           cups milk, scalded 

2           eggs, beaten 

1-1/2    teaspoons vanilla 

2          tablespoons margarine 

1/2       teaspoon coconut extract 

1          cup coarsely shredded fresh coconut 

1          baked 10-inch pie shell or  graham cracker  pie  crust

4          cups whipped cream

Preparation:

1 .  Combine cornstarch, sugar and salt; mix well. Gradually stir scalded milk into cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for two minutes, or until thickened and shiny. Add a small amount of the hot mixture to eggs and beat until well blended. Return to pan and beat for two minutes over medium heat until slightly thickened, being careful not to let mixture curdle. Remove from heat and add vanilla and margarine, mixing until smooth. Pour through sieve to strain out lumps. Place plastic wrap directly over filling; set aside to cool.

2 .  Add coconut extract and half the coconut to the cooled pie filling. Pour filling into pie shell; chill. Spread whipped cream over pie, mounding in center. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Coconut cream pie recipe makes one 10-inch pie.

Words of  Wisdom :

You may not have very much sense. But if you have enough to keep your mouth shut and look wise, it will not be long before you acquire a wide reputation as a fountain of Wisdom

Few and precious are the words which the lips of Wisdom utter: 

To what shall their rarity be likened? What prices shall count their worth? 

Perfect, and much to be desired, and giving joy with riches, 

No lovely thing on earth can picture their fair beauty. 

They be chance pearls, flung among the rocks by the sullen waters of Oblivion. 

The sun of the mind, and the life of the heart is Wisdom. 

She is pure and full of light, crowning grey hairs with lustre, 

And kindling the eye of youth with a fire not its own. 

The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.

You can never control who you fall in love with, even when you're in the most sad, confused time of your life. You don't fall in love with people because they're fun. It just happens.

A very proud  grand-poppa      G.