Ann Cochran's blog

After a long, long, long day and into the wee hours, I hear hallmates next door fumbling for their phones and the Chinese take-out number. It’s not hard to find since the vendors wickedly slide the ad underneath our doors or stick them on the handles. Weren’t thinking about an eggroll?

Alas, the winter holiday season is upon us.  Then again, judging by commercials, radio stations, and public decorations, Christmas was probably unfolding itself before Thanksgiving menus were even considered.  With this wonderful time of festivity comes the massive onslaught of end-of-se

Looking for a power snack after you hit the gym?  An on-the-go breakfast bar?  An energizer for late-night studying?  I've gotta say, I'm really digging Clif Bars.  They're super dense, moist, and leaning on the sweet side.  Chewy and filling.  Variety of flavors including Crunchy Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Banana Bread, Black Cherry Almond, and so on.  Sometimes we like a nice sit-down dinner with our friends.  Sometimes, we just don't have the TIME!  If we did, how could we qualify ourselves as college students?  You mean there are people with lives in which they can spend time doing nothing and not lose sleep for it?  Absurd.  I don't believe it.

(P.S.  Exaggeration.  I condone a healthy dose of nothingness.)

Mmmmmm.....

So deliciously convenient while I suffer through four research papers.

Halloween this Friday!  On a day devoted to candy, it's pretty hard to eat healthy.  I say, indulge a bit!  Be festive!  Maybe tune in a little Vampire Weekend, paint your face, carve a pumpkin.  Whatever makes you happy.

9 Green Halloween Treats

Healthier Halloween Treats

Think eating candy here and there is better than more at once?  Think again.  Nibbling throughout the night will continually soak your teeth in sugar and acid, and such exposure leads to tooth decay.  You probably don't want to have a filling next time you're at home and your mom makes you go to the dentist.  If you eat an allotted amount of sweets at one time and then brush your teeth afterwards, you'll decrease your chances of cavities.

Going to a party but don't know what you can possibly bring from your wee dorm or apartment?  Some healthier and accessible recipes:

SUPER EASY

Dracula's Blood  (At least you are getting calcium?)

1/2 cup cold low-fat milk
3 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding
1 drop of red food coloring

Mix it all up.  One box of pudding will make 4 servings of BLOOD.

Black Cauldron Dip (One way to trick ourselves into eating veggies)

Black food coloring
Ranch salad dressing
Prepackaged raw veggie sticks

Just mix until desired color is achieved.  Or use green food coloring for "slime."

MODERATELY EASY

Bloody Popcorn Balls 

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
5 cups popped popcorn
extra butter for handling
Red food coloring

1. Place air-popped popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.

2. In a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl, combine honey, sugar, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon butter. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high or to 275 degrees F for 5-7 minutes. Add red food coloring and stir.

3. Pour honey mixture over popcorn and stir to coat with a wooden spoon then set aside to cool.

4. After thoroughly washing your hands first, butter your hands then shape popcorn into balls.

Makes 6 popcorn balls.

[From Public Health Seattle & King County]

 Jack-o-Lantern Smoothies (Pour this into festive cups/glasses.)

1 cup canned sweet potato
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. unpacked brown sugar
1 small banana
2 cups of 1% milk (or your choice)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Cinnamon to taste
5 ice cubes or more as desired to increase volume

Blend it in a blenda!  Serves about four 8-oz. glasses.

Estimated Stats per Serving:  148 calories, 1.4 g fat, 28 g carb, 2.3 g fiber, 6.8 g protein.  Not bad for Halloween.

[http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=405794 ]

Bland?  Boring?  Doesn’t have to be!  The varieties of instant oatmeal and cereal can be dizzying.  Be humble with your food choices, pay attention to what you eat, and you may realize there is more flavor to food than how much you can stuff yourself with.  Choose quality in health over quantity in bulk. (Ramen noodles, anyone?)

If you’re fortunate enough to have a small fridge, you can stock up on whatever fresh fruit is on sale, tons of different yogurt flavors, and milk.  Activia Light yogurt is fantastic in raspberry, blueberry, vanilla, peach, or strawberry/banana.  Buy a tub of plain fat-free yogurt or cottage cheese and add your own fruit, if that is less expensive.  Cereals like all bran, Uncle Sam’s whole wheat flakes, grape nuts, cheerios, or unfrosted mini wheats can be paired with skim milk, plain or flavored soy milk, rice milk or almond milk.  If you aren’t used to the hearty, earthy tastes of those relatively unsweetened grains, adding a few pieces of your favorite sweet cereal or berries can help ease you in. 

With a carton of egg beaters, a bowl and a microwave, you can cook yourself a scrambled egg in about 1 minute.  Make a b-fast sandwich or wrap with some salsa and canned black beans or refried beans, if you’d like!  Got a freezer?  Whole-grain frozen waffles.  Got a toaster?  PBJ or PB-Banana toast.  Apparently, there are even toaster pastries, much like Poptarts, but with more beneficial fiber from the brand Fiber One.

If you don’t have a fridge, like me this semester, instant oatmeal is your best friend.  Quaker’s Weight Control is my current go-to with flavors like Maple Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and Banana Bread (loaded with fiber and protein).  Kashi’s Hot Cereals, like Truly Vanilla or Honey & Cinnamon, are rich as well.  Add water & microwave down the hall.  BAM!  Warm whole grain action in my belly, and I’m off to Intro.to Literature.

So maybe it’s not your mama’s homemade spread.  So what?  Make the best of it!

A Sweet Quick-Whip:  Peanut Butter-Banana Trifles

Time:  10 minutes or less          Serves:  2

Ingredients

-         1 cup plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt (or soy yogurt)

-         1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter, no sugar added

-         1 Tbsp. honey (or maple syrup)

-         1 large banana, sliced

-         1 cup whole grain or multigrain cereal

In a bowl, whisk/stir together yogurt, PB & honey/syrup until smooth.  Divide ¼ cup each yogurt mixture among two glasses.  Top with half banana slices and half the cereal.  Repeat layers one more time.  FIN.