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Simple Times - 8/5/08 - Healthy summer eating; building better burgers

 

Simple Times

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Vol. 10, No. 15 -- August 5th, 2008

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

debi

Copyright 2008 Deborah Taylor-Hough

ISSN: 1527-1269

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Celebrating 10+ years of saving your time, money and sanity!

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IN THIS ISSUE:

-- "Dear Readers"

-- Simple Living Quote

-- Top Ten Tips to Building a Better Burger

-- Healthy Summer Eating

-- Letters to the Editor / Reader Tips

-- Assorted Information (archives, etc.)

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Dear Readers,

Sometimes in the lazy days of summer, I find myself more

disorganized than usual. Who wants to spend the few sunny

days sorting through the odds-and-ends that accumulate in

various spots throughout the house?

Just to help keep everyone on track a little bit with what's left

of summer, here are some of my favorite summertime home

organizational tips. Nothing earth-shaking ... but perhaps

still a bit helpful. :-)

1) Keep like items grouped together in separate crates: BBQ

supplies, pool maintenance supplies, etc.

2) Keep a basket of beach towels clean and rolled up in the

laundry room near the outside door for easy pool, lake, beach,

or sprinkler play.

3) Keep a handled bin in the back of your trunk or van for putting

supplies, groceries, etc. and keeping them from rolling all over

the car.

4) Have an insulated bag rolled up in the trunk, too, for keeping

frozen foods cold on the trip home from the store on hot days.

5) Keep a folded blanket or sturdy tablecloth in the back of the

car for impromptu picnics in the park, or to sit on during an

outdoor theater or concert event.

6) Store all hand-held gardening and weeding tools in a plastic

bucket with a handle. Trowel, gloves, knee pad, etc.

7) Hang a shoe bag organizer over the back of one of the car's

front seats for your kids to store their toys, books, games, maps,

water bottle, and other car or travelling related paraphenalia. If

the bag's too long, cut it to length and hem the bottom.

8) In your guest bathroom, keep a small bin or wooden box on

the countertop for easy access with a collection of summertime

ointments and lotions. Sunscreen (a variety of SPF levels), aloe,

hand lotion, bug spray/lotion, antiseptic, anti-itch lotion for bug

bites.

9) Store a small accordian file in your car with all essential car-

related stuff. Registration, insurance information, maps, emergency

contacts, receipts, and directions.

10) Store a "Before We Leave" checklist in luggage. Make a master

list of chores, errands, and packing requirements you encounter

before each out of town trip you make. You can even laminate the

list and then check off complete items with a dry erase marker..

11) Make sure your jumper cables, tire jack and emergency kit are

actually in the car.

12) Keep all camping supplies in one place. Store camping cookware

in a hamper that stays packed and ready to go at a moments notice.

Have a great rest of the summer. And for those of you in the Southern

Hemisphere, feel free to keep this issue of Simples for ideas during

December. :-)

Simply Yours,

Debi

(Deborah Taylor-Hough)

Editor, Simple Times Email Newsletter

--Author of the popular 'Frozen Assets' series; 'A Simple Choice: A

practical guide for saving your time, money & sanity'; and 'Frugal

Living for Dummies®

--Editor, Simple Times, Solo Parents, and Bright-Kids email newsletters

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SIMPLE LIVING QUOTE

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

--Theodore Roosevelt

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TOP TEN TIPS TO BUILDING A BETTER BURGER

Copyright 2008 Deborah Taylor-Hough

Used with permission. All rights reserved.

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com

Summer's here and if you're anything like me, you've already

made more than one trip to the store to refill the propane tank

on your backyard grill or to buy more briquets.

One thing I often hear from guests is that my barbequed burgers

actually taste good ... rather than just being hard and dry as

hockey pucks like so many of those traditional Family Reunion

barbequed hamburgers we've all endured from time to time.

In honor of the hallowed summertime tradition of outdoor cooking,

here are some of my favorite tips for finding your way to Hamburger

Heaven in your own backyard.

1) Don't build your burger from low fat meat. Get a package of

ground beef with an 80/20 or even a 70/30 ratio of meat to fat.

The fat keeps it moist and flavorful and drains off during the

cooking process so the calorie count ultimately isn't much higher

than the lower fat varieties ... but the flavor is so much better.

Be aware, thought, that the higher the fat content in your meat,

the more the patty will shrink while cooking. So plan accordingly.

2) For additional flavor, try mixing ground beef with other ground

meats like pork, sausage or lamb. A good ratio is two parts beef

to one part other meat. Also, if you use ground turkey to save

money, keep in mind that turkey is probably one of the least stable

burger materials you can find, so mix it 50/50 with ground beef to

keep those burgers in one piece on the grill.

3) When forming burgers, mix the ingredients together gently, handle

your burger patties as little as possible, and don't fully compress

the meat ... remember, you're not making meatloaf or meatballs. If

you form the raw beef into patties with wet hands, the grease won't

stick to your skin nearly as much.

4) If you like adding extra things to your ground beef before making

patties, make sure to keep the pieces small. Large chunks of onion

or garlic make the patty unstable and more apt to fall apart while

cooking. Be sure to finely chop or grate all added veggies.

5) Some particularly tasty additions to the burger mix are: freshly

ground pepper, minced garlic, finely chopped onion, Worcestershire

sauce, grated carrot, crushed vinegar & salt potato chips, or soy

sauce. I've discovered that burger purists tend to insist on top-of-

the-line ground beef (Sirloin) with nothing added but salt and pepper

(after grilling). Honestly, I love a good, pure burger ... but some-

times it's fun to add the extras for variety. Also, if you add steak

sauce or applesauce to your burger patties, try mixing in some dry

bread crumbs, quick-cooking oats, or beaten eggs to help stabilize

the burgers.

6) Cook over a medium flame rather than a high one. You want to

cook the patties just slow enough to cook all the way through. You

don't want them charred on the outside and a raw mess on the inside.

7) Don't press down on the cooking burger patties with your spatula

or flip the burger using tongs that squeeze the burger. You'll just

be squeezing out all the delicious juiciness and leaving behind a much

dryer and tougher finished product. Make an indentation with your

thumb in the center of each burger before cooking to help keep them

flat without squishing them under the spatula.

8) Never -- I repeat, "Never!" -- poke your cooking burger patties

with a fork or other pointy object. It's a guaranteed trip to Hockey

Puck Hamburger Land when all those delicious juices pour out through

that hole.

9) The less you move the burgers around on the grill, the better

looking the grill marks. Ideally, you only want to turn the burger

once, but be sure to focus on safety and full cooking more than making

the prettiest burgers on the block. You'll hear mixed messages from

various burger aficionados about what temperature to cook the burgers

and how often to flip them, but I tend to not worry about the perfect

grill marks and have found that frequent flipping tends to keep the

juices in the burger a bit better.

10) Let the burgers rest for a minute or two before serving to give

a chance for the juices to settle. Serving too soon may cause the

burgers to dry out. Rather than melting cheese onto the burgers

during the grilling process, I like to set the cheese slices on top

of the finished burgers while they're "resting." The cheese melts

without dripping off the burger onto the grill. When the cheese is

done melting, the burgers are done resting and ready to serve.

Add your favorite toppings and enjoy! ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

--Deborah Taylor-Hough is the author of the bestselling Frozen Assets

series, Frugal Living For Dummies®, Mix-and-Match Recipes, and A

Simple Choice: A Practical Guide for Saving Your Time, Money and

Sanity. Debi's also edits the Simple Times, Solo Parents, and Bright-

Kids e-zines. http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

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SUMMERTIME AND HEALTHY EATING

Copyright National Association for the Education of

Young Children

Used with permission. All rights reserved.

http://www.naeyc.org/

Summer provides an excellent opportunity to bring healthful eating

and young children together. Parents and child care providers play

a critical role in children learning healthful eating habits both

through teaching and modeling. They have daily opportunities to

prepare and serve snacks and meals. Summer offers more time to

involve children in these preparations and occasions that lend

themselves to simply having fun in planning and serving healthy

foods.

An excellent way to start is to order a copy of "Tips for Using

the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children 2 to 6 Years Old" from

the U.S. Department of Agriculture (ordering info at the end of

this article). The key message of the children's pyramid remains

the same -- go easy on the food group at the tip of the pyramid --

sugars and fats with lots of calories and few minerals or vitamins --

and make lots of selections from the cereal and grains and fruit

and vegetable groups.

The key to success is variety! Fortunately, the healthiest food

groups -- milk, meat, vegetable, fruit, and grains -- include a

wide variety of foods to choose from. Remember, the younger the

child, the smaller the portions and serve them in a form that is

easy to chew and swallow to prevent choking.

Don't forget variety in serving. The same peanut butter and jelly

sandwich or slice of cheese can be so much more appealing when

cut with a cookie cutter shape.

A train of crackers of different shapes with carrot wheels, a

pineapple chunk smoke stack, and raisins for smoke puffs can be

a delight, as can a banana chunk standing in a ring of pineapple

with a half grape on top for a rocket.

A "walk-around" snack of various cereals, pretzel pieces, and a

few colorful M & Ms in a bag, or a dab of frosting and a few sprinkles

to fancy-up a graham cracker are appealing. Summertime Activities

Summer also includes activities that lend themselves to serving

food differently:

Make new and favorite fruit juices into popsicles; make fresh

lemonade; or flavor water each day with a different fruit juice

that adds color and flavor to help encourage drinking extra

liquids on hot days.

Bring along tasting bins to help pass "rest break" at the pool

or playing in the lawn sprinkler. Simply prepare a plastic

container or bag for each child with a variety of fruit pieces

to sample. You can have fun simply listening to each other's

taste responses; identifying a dozen letters of the alphabet as

each selection is named; and, where appropriate, keeping score

of the number of "right guesses."

Children can help with the main meal. Provide them with a melon

boat or squash boat and guidance/supervision in cutting selections

of fruits or vegetables to serve with a yogurt dip.

Extend children's play using play dishes readied for snack time,

adding a paper doily to a serving plate, or providing grown-up

fancy napkins. Older children can prepare menus, place mats,

checks, play money and other restaurant features.

Follow-up on story themes by having a foil covered box as a

treasure chest with individually wrapped snacks to be selected;

a lovely basket decorated with flowers to hold snacks tied with

a ribbon; or toddlers imitate The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Vegetables (new varieties and old favorites) taste oh so different

when grilled ... even if they need to be dressed in a bit of catsup

or mustard.

The key to success for adults -- in teaching and modeling healthy

eating habits -- and for children in learning healthy food choices --

is variety. But, now you know it's not just what you choose, but

how you fix it and serve it that puts "fun" into the variety.

Enjoy healthful summer eating! Recommended Resource:

The Tips for Using the Food Guide Pyramid may be downloaded at the

USDA's web site: http://www.usda.gov/cnpp or ordered from the U.S.

Government Printing Office at (202) 512-1800, request stock number

001-00004665-9, $5.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

--"Early Years Are Learning Years: Make Them Count!" is an ongoing

effort to focus attention on the importance of the early years for

children's learning and all aspects of development. The National

Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is online

at: http://naeyc.org

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Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / READER TIPS

We'd love to hear YOUR tips and ideas for simplifying daily life.

Send your simple living comments/tips to: DSimple

==Back-to-School Tips for Special Needs Kids==

As a mom and a teacher, here are some special back-to-

school tips for parents of students with special education

needs:

1) Make sure that you have a copy of your child's Individualized

Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan. If your child is changing schools

(especially districts), this is critical.

2) Contact the school before the school year starts. Many teachers,

counselors and administrators are in and out during the summer.

Find out who your child's classroom teacher or teachers will be, as

well as which special education teacher will be responsible for your

child's services and accommodations. Drop off a note or e-mail just

to say hi and give your contact information.

3) If your child has critical medical needs (inhalers, epi-pens, blood

glucose monitors, insulin, or severe food allergies) make sure the

school is aware of this. Your district may have special forms to fill

out to keep medication or equipment at school, and these will need

to be renewed each year. All medications and equipment will need

to be labeled with the student's name. Unfortunately most schools

don't have full-time school nurses.

4) If your child is in middle or high school, classes and teachers

change each quarter. A quick e-mail to give teachers a heads up

to touch base with the counselor or special education teacher

regarding the IEP, and your current contact information is always

welcome.

5) If your child has an unusual medical condition, a fact sheet with

basic information will be welcomed by teachers. Often the special

education teacher, counselor, or nurse can distribute this to the

teachers.

6) Keep a binder or folder of past IEPs or 504 plans, standardized

tests, special medical information, and any other items that seem

relevant. Only you have the full history of your child, especially if

your child receives services outside of school.

We all want the same thing: a positive learning experience for your

child. As a parent, your level of organization and communication

can make a huge difference in easing back into the school routine.

--Jennifer Burns

Special Education teacher and parent of special needs child

Kenosha WI

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SIMPLE TIMES RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Book list for frugality and simple living

Go to: http://snurl.com/simplebooks

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SIMPLE TIMES ARCHIVES

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"Read Messages" button at: http://snurl.com/st_archives

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As always, a special "Thank you!" goes out to Gary Foreman

and the friendly folks at the Dollar Stretcher for making this

mailing list possible!

== http://www.stretcher.com/ ==

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Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)

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EDITOR'S BOOKS AND AUDIO RESOURCES:

Books and resources by Deborah Taylor-Hough

Editor, Simple Times Email Newsletter

http://snurl.com/debisbooks

________________________________

DEBI'S ON-LINE RESOURCES:

Personal Blog: http://dsimple.wordpress.com/

Frugality/Simplicity: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com

Cooking Ahead: http://frozenassets.wordpress.com/

Bright-Kids: http://brightkids.wordpress.com

Tupperware®: http://snurl.com/DebiTupperware

Kids' Books: http://snurl.com/books4kids

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