Health for life

No time to waste! Let’s get right to it.

1) The Kitchn: 10 Things to Buy in the Next 60 Days to Save You Money
Supermarket are holding some huge sales right now, meaning you can stock up on food used all year-round. Butter it up, everybody.

2) Casual Kitchen: Organic Food, Chemicals, and Worrying About All the Wrong Things
ComPLETELY agree with Dan here. Sometimes, our fears are amplified so much by hype, we get distracted from the real issues. Case in point, pesticides.

3) 344 Pounds: Discrimination Against Fat & Obese People
Interesting viewpoint on prejudice leading to an even more eye-opening discussion thread.

4) Divine Caroline: 10 Sugary Cereals to Avoid
Marshmallow Froot Loops are 48 PERCENT SUGAR? Are you JOSHING ME? It’s one of those things you knew, but don’t really know until someone translates it into a stat like that. Yowza.

5) Public Radio Kitchen: What Not to Get the Cook on Your List
Um, not that we’re ungrateful. But … yeah. Lots of cluttery tools out there.

6) Chow: Best and Worst Recipes You Made From a Cooking Show
Oo! Fun, huge thread. Paula Deens Gooey Pumpkin Bars represent very, very well (with good reason).

7) Mama Says: School Lunches
A glimpse into modern cafeteria cuisine.

8) Jezebel: What Fast Food Really Looks Like
Ooo … reality bites. Entertainingly so.

9) Obama Foodorama: Huge BiPartisan Coalition Urges House to Pass Childhood Nutrition Legislation in Lame Duck
Damn right.

10) The Simple Dollar: Some Thoughts on a Plant-Based Diet
Updates on Trent’s vegetarian experiment. Insightful. A spreading trend, perhaps?

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Gawker: The Internet Has Killed Cooks Source
It will live to “edit” articles no more.

Obama Foodorama: Improved Nutrition Labels on Food Packages Coming Very Soon, Sebelius Says
We’ll see, Sebelius. Well see.

Plixi: The Windows at Barneys
I had a dream like this once.

stonesoup: Defrosting 101 – The Quickest and Safest Methods Without a Microwave
Behold: THE SUN! (Just kidding.)

THANKSGIVING

• Food 2: Thanksgiving on a Budget
• Jezebel: Social Minefield – How to Properly Feed Your Guests
• The Kitchn: Help Me Find a Green Vegetable Dish for Thanksgiving!
• The Kitchen: The Pie Guide – 22 Tips, Tools, and Ideas for a Perfect Pie
• Money Saving Mom – How to Host a Frugal Thanksgiving for Guests With Food Allergies
• Serious Eats: Harold McGee’s Top 10 Thanksgiving Tips
• Words to Eat By: How to Enjoy Thanksgiving Without Blowing Your Diet

AND ALSO

Gawker TV: Tina Fey’s Famous Friends Pay Tribute at the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
Does Jon Hamm ever stop being so dreamy? Seriously now. Oh, also, Fey is my hero. (Well, her and Ina Garten. If they ever combined forces to produce Baoot 30 Rock, my life would be complete.) (P.S. Alec Baldwin as Jeffrey. It could work.)


Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Big news this week, as the USDA released their new food guidelines and Mark Bittman started his new occasional editorial series for The New York Times. Also, there’s this … thing? This Sunday? I don’t know. I think some people are eating at it. And there’s some kind of ball.

1) Get Rich Slowly: Fight Rising Prices By Building Your Own Food Bank
This guest post from Donna Freedman advocates – in a new and intelligent way – the stockpiling of food in your home. It’s not so much that you’ll never eat it, but enough to get you through the winter, especially when Mama Nature feels the urge to drop another three feet o’ precipitation on your car.

2) Lifehacker: The Geek’s Guide to Rebooting Your Kitchen
Dig this one-minute video about maximizing kitchen efficiency. Then read the more detailed descriptions, which will undoubtedly help you in your quest to reorganize. Then think about the video again, asking yourself, “How did the cat manage to be in the way at all times?” Then ponder cat ownership.

3) New York Times: A Food Manifesto for the Future
Remember that Bittman piece we spoke of up top? This is it. His proposals for a better food future read wonderfully, but have a long way to go before they’re actualized – if it ever happens. Still, it’s nice that they’re even out there. (Think positive!)

4) Cracked: 6 Subtle Ways You’re Getting Screwed at the Grocery Store
Perhaps not as classic as Cracked’s “6 Animals That Just Don’t Give a F#@k” from November, but very helpful nonetheless. Caution: Beware the saucy language. (Also, the Ides of March.)

5) Food Politics: The 2010 Dietary Guidelines: Enjoy your food, but eat less!
Marion Nestle breaks down the new USDA guidelines in easy-to-understand bulletpoints. (Seriously, they’re really easy to understand. They average about five words each.) Bonus: she’s attached the link to the PDF itself. Browse through if you’re feeling motivated.

6) Zen Habits: The Simplest Diet for Lean Fitness
In which Leo Babauta counsels against extreme changes to your eating and exercise plans. He adjusted his gradually, until it his body was working optimally. Best part? Never felt a thing.

7) xkcd: Learning to Cook
This one-panel comic has been all over the food ‘net this week, but it’s so good, I’m linking to it again. (No picture, so you have to click! MUAHAHAHAHA!)

8) The Kitchn: Halving Casseroles: Tips for Reducing the Size of a Recipe
Oooo … I need to do this ALL THE TIME, since it’s only HOTUS and me at home. (Also, the cat. But he has a pretty strict casserole policy. If I make one, it’s all his, or we get clawed.)

9) New York Times: Mushrooms Fill in the Blanks for the Meat-Free
Ahh … the power of fungus. I’ve known of mushrooms’ curious ability to sate ever since my friend H. grilled me my first big ol’ Portobello in college. Now, the Times is sharing five recipes of its own. (Or, of other people’s. You know how it goes.)

10) Café Johnsonia: S.M.A.R.T. Goals
The SMART system to creating goals means they should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and should have a timeline. (There are also a few other acronyms in there, but the internet only has so much space.) They guidelines are pretty much applicable to anything, but especially achieving bodily health. Mama likes. (P.S. Beware you spell “SMART” right. Otherwise, this.)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Business Week: TV – A Sneaky Part of the Food Pyramid
USA TODAY: Kids Fed Unhealthy Foods Learn to Per Them
USA TODAY: Catch of the Week – 8 Ounces of Fish in Your Diet
Washington Post: Military personnel take extreme measures to meet body-fat and weight rules

AND ALSO

Parks and Recreation: Ron Swanson’s Pyramid of Greatness
INTENSITY: Give 100%. 110% is impossible. Only idiots recommend that.


Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Many thoughts and well-wishes going out to Japan today. To my knowledge, the Red Cross is not taking donations yet (11am EST), but are staying abreast of the situation. Check their updates here.

And with that, the links.

1) The Awl: How to Split a Check at a Restaurant
This one was all over the interwebs this week, since writer Neel Shah offered up somewhat controversial advice on footing a dining bill. He says if you’re under 25, you pay for what you ate. If you’re over 25, you split the check equally. Naturally, this isn’t fair to non-drinkers, but there’s an alluring simplicity to having everyone cough up the same amount of dough. Opinions?

2) Food Politics: The perils of food nutrition and resesarch
Marion Nestle explains how she discerns good food research from bad food research, and maybe, how we should, too. She mentions three criteria: biological plausibility, factoring for other influences, and the study’s sponsor.

Wiki Commons my100cans

3) USA Today: Is it healthy to drink diet soft drinks? The answer is fizzy.
That study Nestle was specifically erring to? Is this one. Theres an observational link between diet soda and an increase in risk for strokes and heart attacks. Is it genuine? Im not sure, but will tell you after I finish this lovely Diet Pepsi.

4) New York Times: Creamy, Brothy, Earthy, Hearty
Mark Bittman gives up 12 vegetable soup recipes, that honestly, you can extrapolate into an infinite number of slightly different dishes with the mere addition or subtraction of a few select ingredients. Also, I wonder if he based the title on The Who’s Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy album. Also, derf.

5) Get Rich Slowly: The GRS Garden Project – February 2011
JD and his wife Kris are starting their yearly garden project up again. If you ever wanted to see how lucrative growing your own produce can be, both in a fiduciary and flava sense, this monthly series is a must-read

6) Walletpop: Top 10 Fruits With the Most Nutritional Bang for Your Buck
It’s a quick list, but as those things go, it’s a good one.

7) stonesoup: 3 uber-simple lunches you can make at work in less time than it takes to go out and buy something
Think you don’t have time to cook yourself a delicious meal? Not so fast, bucko.

8) Money Saving Mom: What do you do when you don’t feel like being frugal anymore?
Short, to-the-point three-step post about what to do when you feel like taking a break. Great advice within.

9) New York Times: In New Food Culture, a Young Generation of Farmers Emerges
(And they’re all really, really hot.) Agriculture is the new culture, period, as many independent croppers are youths in their ‘20s and ‘30s. The downside: money. As in, there ain’t none.

10) Village Voice: Is it Okay to Eat My Stinky Food in the Office?
Ack. No! Okay, maybe. But it depends on the stink. Don’t go cracking open a durian by my desk, or I will staple you to a manila folder.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Consumerist: Grow Your Own Everlasting Salad
Gardening tips, great title.

New York Magazine: Best of Food Issue
And the winner is: all of us.

Time Magazine: A Food Fight in the Budget Debate
More on the budget cuts, and how they could affect federal food departments.

AND ALSO

Paula Deen Riding Things
Scratch that. The winner is the internet. If you havent seen this site yet ... Paula herself approves.


Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Lots of good little stories today, along with a chicken saga of near-epic proportions. It will beak you out.

1) Politics of the Plate: Co-opting an Unsustainable Food System - Student-Run Collectives Replace Junk Food Franchises on College Campuses
With a headline like that, this had to be about UC Berkeley. Fortunately, those crazy hippie kids have the smarts and drive to back up their freewheeling ideas, like a healthy food co-op to replace a planned fast food chain. Hooray for the future! Its looking bright, and somewhat jam bandy.

2) New York Times: Chicken Vanishes, Heartbreak Ensues
A diverse Brooklyn neighborhood comes together for a stolen chicken. Its like Steel Magnolias, minus the accents, characters, armadillo cake, and diabetic shock, but with a chicken.

3) Donna Freedman: I Have “Frugal Fatigue” Fatigue
Sing it, sister. To paraphrase Livia Soprano, “Oh, poor us.” (Um. I don’t know if it’s possible to convey Nancy Marchand’s vocal inflections in three words of text, but trust me: She said that really, really sarcastically.)

4) The Simple Dollar: Does Cutting Meat, Eggs, or Dairy from Your Diet Save Money?
Yes, but it also costs you time. Are you willing to sacrifice one for the other? Trent explores the Triangle of Compromise.

5) Money Saving Mom: Free Downloadable Recipe Cost Calculator Spreadsheet
Man, this could be really, really handy. Check it out, and if you’re having problems with the Excel Doc, check the comments for troubleshooting tips.

6) Wall Street Journal: Fiber-Rich Diet Linked to Longevity
It begins with this: “People who consumed higher amounts of fiber, particularly from grains, had a significantly lower risk of dying over a nine-year period compared to those who consumed lower amounts of fiber,” and just gets better. Best pack the quinoa.

7) Obama Foodorama: One Study Finds that Posted Calories Don’t Keep Kids From Choosing Junky Fast Food
Call me crazy, but could it be because they’re children? Who have almost no conception what a calorie, gram of fat, or milligram of protein could possibly mean in the grand scheme of their diets? Great. Now I feel like Andy Rooney.

8) More: The 5 Nutrients You’re Not Getting.
A breakdown of potassium, fiber, calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, plus where to find ‘em

9) Frugal Dad: A Grocery Shopping Hiatus – How Long Can You Eat from the Pantry?
Guest poster Laurel Gray wants to see how many days she can go without hitting the supermarket. She’ll write back with updates. I’m guessing 22, before the lack of dairy and fresh produce force her into a Kroger. Anyone taking bets?

10) 344 Pounds: Ten Small Benefits of Losing 100 Pounds
You knew that clothes would fit better, and walking up stairs wouldn’t be as difficult, but how about less sweating, better posture, and the ability to sit in restaurant booths? Quick and interesting.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Lifehacker: The Best Foods and Strategies for Eating at Your Computer
Not that I do this. Hey! Look over there! It’s zombie Cary Grant! (*runs away*) (*sits at computer*) (*eats*)

New York Times: For Actresses, is Appetite a Big Part of the Show?
You know how the skinniest of Hollywood ladies always have to front, like theyre constantly scarfing mile-high stacks of pancakes for breakfast? Why is that?

The Simple Dollar: Inspiring Others to Financial Responsibility Without Being Preachy
There’s a fine line between clever and annoying.

AND ALSO

Urban Edge: Honest Real Estate Broker?
This is a shockingly accurate portrait of apartment hunting in New York City.



Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Today, its lotsa food politics, a temporary (but sufficiently fabulous) Thanksgiving section, and a guest appearance from the greatest Scandinavian cook in history. (No, its not Marcus Samuelsson.)

1) Christian Science Monitor: The End of Cheap Food
Fascinating, relatively short piece on world food economics, in which it’s explained why countries with improving qualities of life will ultimately drive up global grocery costs. The last quote kind of sums it up: “Americans have become accustomed to cheap and abundant food … They’re about to get a rude surprise.”

From Diet-blog.

2) Chicago Sun-Times: Kids in kitchen are worth the trouble - Hands-on cooking at an early age can help foster mental, social skills
Mirror neurons, meaning, responsibility, higher-level learning, sensory learning, active learning, simplicity, skill building, and purpose. What do these things all have in common? Yes, theyre words, spelled with letters. But they’re also qualities developed/enhanced when your kid helps out in the kitchen. Hand em some butter knives and get goin’, ‘rents!

3) Daily Mail UK: Eating fruit and vegetable peel could combat cancer
Banana peels: they’re not just for tripping up Yosemite Sam anymore. Turns out, garlic skin, pineapple cores, and … stay with me here … kiwi husks (yep) are superb cancer fighters. Sure, they need a little extra prep, but maybe it’s worth it? Maybe? Yeah, I need a minute to think about that kiwi thing.

4) Food Politics: The food movement’s new frontier: “ultra-processing”
This Marion Nestle piece has been all over the interweb this week, thanks largely to its neat summary of a larger article in the Journal of the World Public Health Nutrition Association (or, in journal acronym parlance, JWPHNAUIDOHFEUNSFUS). The author, Carlos Monteiro, devised a tri-level classification for processed foods. Level 1 is unprocessed, Level 2 is minimally processed, and Level 3 is ultra-processed, and includes almost every convenience product out there. Guess which is the unhealthiest? Yeah. It’s that one. Interesting stuff, not least because Nutritionism is highlighted as a veddy bad ting.

5) HuffPo: Whole Foods Doubles Net Income
Wow. You knew Whole Paycheck was doing well, but not this well. They attribute the growth to, “more competitive pricing and efforts during the quarter to appeal to its core customers concerns about healthy eating, animal welfare and sustainable seafood.” Makes sense. Everybody, invest now!

6) Good Eater: For Young Locavores - Eating Local on a Budget
I’m trying to think of ways to describe this piece that don’t already appear in the title, but that headline pretty much sums it up. So, hey! Young locavores! Check this thing. It’s about eating local on a budget. But you knew that.

7) The Simple Dollar: Review – Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
Trent lays out a chapter-by-chapter summary of the new book from the Economides (“World’s Cheapest”) Family, expanding on key theories within the text. Really, it’s kind of a primer for thriftier, healthier eating in itself, making it worth the read.

Debbie Stabenow

8) Serious Eats: Midterm Elections - Who Will Be the Next Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee?
Agribusiness stalwart Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) is out (with a vengeance), so who’s to take her place? According to Obama Foodarama, it’s looking like Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who may be in a position to challenge Big Ag on certain policies.

9) Wise Bread: 6 Plant-Based Diet Tricks for Carnivores
This dovetails nicely with Leigh’s piece from yesterday, if you’re looking to chop some meat. Er … cut some meat out of your diet. Oh, English language. How you confound me sometimes.

10) AOL News: Security Gourd - Man Fights Off Robber With Squash
Butternut squash: more effective than handguns, and only ten times as heavy. Im thinkin the NYPD might want to look into this.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Chow: What’s the Difference Between Types of Oatmeal?
Don’t know your instant from your steel-cut? Now you do.

Money Saving Mom: What Meals Can I Cook Without an Oven?
As it turns out, many.

stonesoup: Knife Skills – How to Chop Like a Chef
I link to lots o knife skills posts, cause theyre important. Anyway, here’s another one.

THANKSGIVING

• Chow: 10 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dishes
• The Kitchn: Help Me Make a Festive Meatless Dish for Thanksgiving
• Serious Eats: How to Choose Wine for Thanksgiving

AND ALSO

The Swedish Chef: Cårven der Pümpkîn
I’m a week late on this, but is der Swedish Chef ever unwelcome? No. And there’s a chainsaw. Mork mork mork!



Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

The links are back, yo! Its a new year, and to go with it, we have some new sources, along with proven favorites like Marion Nestle and the minimalist, uh ... (nothing rhymes with "minimalist," except maybe "Stephanie Zimbalist," but if anything did, I would put it here) ... always great Mark Bittman.

1) Grandparents.com: Recipe Section
I maintain this now! It’s my job! So, I’m posting it as #1. You might exclaim, “Why, she’s gone mad with power. MAD, I tell you.” And in reply to that, I cackle maniacally, shake my fist at the heavens and reply, “Yup.” (P.S. As you would expect with a grandparentally-oriented website, the cookie section is particularly solid. Not my doing, but my predecessor’s.)

2) New York Times: How the Microplane Grater Escaped the Garage
Loved this neat piece about microplane creator Chris Grace, who was just trying to file some wood. It’s like the penicillin legend, only delicious and less yogurty.

3) Food Politics: Predictions – National Nutrition Issues for 2011
Marion Nestle gazes deeply into her crystal cantaloupe and comes up with eight food policy issues (see: the title of her blog) that will be on everyone’s lips in the coming year. Most prominent: safety and school eats.

4) 344 Pounds: Stop Making Excuses for Weight Problems
Somewhat bluntly worded? Yep. Somewhat totally true? Absolutely. And it’s advice it’s about time I took. (Why, hello, post-honeymoon/holidays precipitous weight gain! I missed you so.)

5) Jezebel: The Problem With the Special K Challenge
In a nutshell: It’s nutritionally and calorically no good. But there’s a much more extensive, detailed explanation inside.

From Flickrs megleo

6) Washington Post: Consumer Reports Insights - Breakfast is important; tips for making it nutritious
Old news, reconfirmed, but with lots of interesting, helpful, and practical solutions to cramming breakfast into a busy day.

7) The Kitchn: 10 Inspiring Blogs on Vegan Food & Cooking
You! Meatless, eggless, and cheeseless people! Heed my call! Read this and weep no longer, for your diets have been saved from a eon of snow peas and cold spaghetti.

8) Food Network: Paula Deen’s English Peas Recipe
Come for Paula’s recipe. (Butter + peas = buttered peas.) Stay for the incredible comments. (Skip the first three. They’re a tad bitter.)

9) Bittman: Muffins, Infinite Ways
Not only is this a solid master recipe for all sorts of muffin-oriented treats, but “Muffins, Infinite Ways” will be the name of my first album.

10) Serious Eats: 5 Veggie-Packed Frittatas
Not only is this a solid post about healthy variations on the standard egg dish, but “5 Veggie-Packed Frittatas” will be the name of my first child.

AND ALSO

Saturday Night Live: Amusement Park Ride
Dunno if y’all saw SNL this past weekend, but Jim Carrey hosted, and about 2/3rds of the way through the show, they aired this sketch. It’s about a young couple haunted by animatronic figures when an amusement park ride breaks down. And it’s awesome. I forgot what a phenomenal physical comedian Jim Carrey is. Look at his face. LOOK AT HIS FACE!



Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

It’s a rough week for working moms, a good week for buying food cheaply, and a terrible week for heavy wine bottles and weak shelving. Read on for the magic.

1) Wise Bread
5 Things Other Grocery Stores Should Steal from Trader Joes
Best Money Tips - Eat Healthy for Under $5 a Day
Best Money Tips – How to Get Groceries for Free
Sex Up Your Sandwich – Ideas for Budget Conscious Brown Baggers
Not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR way relevant posts from the fine folks at Wise Bread this week. Read ‘em and … well, don’t weep. But enjoy them thoroughly. That’s what they’re there for.

2) The Kitchn
How to Cook Moist and Tender Chicken Breasts
How to Start a Food Storage Plan on $10 a Week
On Cooking Through Your Pantry – Using Up Odds and Ends
Coming in a close second, this trio of super-useful Kitchn posts.

3) Culinate: Eating like monsters - 12 ways to get kids to eat well
Ooo! Dig these creative suggestions for feeding kids, which are so much more constructive than, “Puree vegetables and stick em in tastier foods.” I want to live in Laura Grace Weldon’s house at dinnertime.

4) Squawkfox: 1 Chicken, 22 Meals, 49 Bucks
Loved this post, which uses a humanely-raised, all-natural chicken for an experiment similar to CHG’s 1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo. It can be done healthfully! Includes pictures and a grocery list.

5) Serious Eats: New USDA Report Says You Can Eat Right for $2.50 a Day
While it’s definitely possible to get enough USDA-recommended produce for $2.50 per day, author Leah Douglas raises good points on some missing details in the recent nutrition report. One thing is clear: While progress is being made on what the government considers to be a healthy diet, there’s still a ways to go.

6) Hunter Angler Gardener Cook: Why Salt Matters
Excellent tutorial on artisanal salts accompanied by gorgeous pictures of the same. Read it, then print it out and staple it to your wall.

7) Businessweek: The More Mom Works, the Heavier Her Kids Get - Study
Let’s ignore the fact that men weren’t mentioned until the very end of this article, as if they have little obligation to feed their children. (ANGRY LATENT FEMINIST HULK SMASH!) Instead, we will say that the weight gain coincided with hours worked, as opposed to employment itself, which is somewhat comforting. I guess.

8) Time: Toddlers Junk Food Diet May Lead to Lower IQ
Bad foods consumed at age three can have an adverse effect on intelligence by age eight, a new study finds. The IQ drop isn’t gigantic, but why take the risk? After all, an apple a day keeps your brain ... uh ... very ... yay?

9) Consumerist: Should Restaurant Refund Me For Edamame Appetizer With Free Giant Worm?
Yes. But wait! There’s more!

10) Epicurious: Budget Boosters – 35 Ways to Stretch Your Food Dollars
There is a slim possibility I’ve linked to this before, but I can’t seem to find it, and it’s good enough to deserve a double-mention anyway. It’s a great primer and not a slideshow, so – bonus.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Kalyn’s Kitchen: Five Fun Things on a Friday and My Family Rocks
Love the first craft idea.

Salon: Charting anti-obesity progress
A look back at the year in MObama’s food initiatives.

Salon: Regrets of a Stay-at-Home Mom
Well, this doesn’t terrify me at all. (*enrolls in medical school*)

AND ALSO

Urlesque: Watch 100 Wine Bottles Crash to the Floor
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!



Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

This week, its a little bit of childhood obesity burnout, a very good Mothers Day question, and a video you will love to pieces.

1) Chow: But Mom...
I would argue that Mother’s Day might not be the time to expand your mom’s palate, but this is still a fabulous question: How do you pry your parents away from the same ol’ restaurants?

2) Culinate: Culling in the Kitchen - Does He Really Need Six Loaf Pans?
In which an ardent cook resolves to chuck the extras in his kitchen, and finds them somewhat intimidating. Hey, we’ve all bin there. Except me, I mean. (*Runs to conceal all seven of her French White Corningware casserole dishes*)

3) The Kitchn: Best Recipes for a Healthy Potluck
Potlucks and healthy recipes. This is my kind of comment thread.

4) Washington Post: Why Being a Foodie Isnt Elitist
Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser pens a longish essay on why giving a flying you-know-what about food shouldnt be looked upon as fascist. (Yes, fascist. The guys been called a fascist for daring to suggest that our meat supply may not be the safest.) Caring is a good thing.

5) Food Politics: Food Stamps and Sodas
Should folks on SNAP be able to buy Pepsi with their food stamps? Some argue that not “allowing” them would be “insensitive and condescending,” but after caul consideration, Marion Nestle is for it. I dont know that I agree, but her arguments are worth reading. (Also: I know we link to Nestle every week, but no one is more thoughtful or informative when it comes to American food and eating.)

6) Wall Street Journal: Why Wood Pulp Makes Ice Cream Creamier
You know cellulose, that powdery stuff that coats grated cheese and can be found in Coffeemate (not to mention several bajillion other food products)? It’s apparently made of wood. Harmless wood, but … wood. You know how, sometimes when you’ve eaten a food for a really long time, and after years and years you find out that food is actually made of bark and roots? That is what is happening to all of us right now.

7) Time: The Sad State of American Kids Food Environments
Lots of stats. They’re bad. (Ack. All this awareness of childhood obesity is wonderful, but to be honest, Im kinda reaching overload.)

8) US News: Family Meals Keep Kids Slimmer, Healthier, Study Finds
No surprise. If you havent checked out Laurie Davids The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time,which makes for excellent reading material as well as a neato cookbook, do so. Its all about this kind of stuff.

9) The Kitchn: Desserts with Three Ingredients or Less
10 ingredients, 11 totally different desserts. Neat little rundown.

9) Money Saving Mom: 3 Ways to Cut the Meat Without Decreasing Nutrition
Quick, useful, and in two cases, heretofore unknown by me, tips for reducing your meat intake.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Reuters: Do Video Games Make Kids Eat More?
With apologies to Portal 2, I will give you ten dollars if you answer correctly. (Note: I will not actually give you ten dollars.)

USA Today: Shifting Focus a Lot at Work Could Wreck Your Diet
Um … what if your job IS shifting your focus? Yuh-oh.

AND ALSO

Story Corps: No More Questions
Story Corps mission "is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives." Those stories are occasionally animated, like that of Kay Wang, an 87-year-old grandma who passed away just a few weeks after telling her tale. Its ... awesome. Happy Moms Day, everybody.


No More Questions! from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

First off, thanks to everyone commenting on Wednesday’s post. I’ve rarely read such a thoughtful, well-reasoned discussion on the internet, and it’s wonderful beyond words. (Er, except these words.).

Second, on to the links!

1) Jezebel: “Let’s Move” - Michelle Obama’s Anti-Obesity Program Looks Promising
Post of the week, man. This breakdown of MObama’s obesity initiative covers much of the same territory Marion Nestle does (see #2), but with the added bonus of hundreds of excellent comments discussing all sides of the issue. Even better, Jez goes on to post an excerpt from a National Review piece by Julie Gunlock, who has absolutely no idea what she’s talking about. It’s opposition for opposition’s sake, and it’s heinous.

2) Food Politics:
The Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation
Michelle Obama’s campaign against childhood obesity: Applause!
What Mrs. Obama’s Campaign Does Not Do: Food Marketing to Kids
Everything you ever wanted to know about this weeks newly unveiled anti-obesity program, but were afraid to ask/attempt to navigate government websites.

3) The Atlantic: How to Wield a Knife
Gory and fascinating look at knife safety in a butcher shop. The tips will help you remain injury-free. The scar stories will fascinate and repulse you. (The guy buried a cimeter knife in his arm! GAH.)

4) Oregon Live: Thin Budget, Smart Choices
Maybe the best article about healthy budget grocery shopping I’ve ever read, and an excellent companion piece to Wednesday’s CHG article. Expert Ellen Damaschino buys a full week of food for a family of four on a food stamp budget. (P.S. We get a mention at the bottom! Woo!)

5) AVClub: Taste Test - MREs
The sensitive palates at The Onion tried six different MREs, the military-issued ready-to-eat meals legendarily loathed by the fine members of our armed forces. Hilarity ensues, with reactions ranging from, “The cheese spread is almost exactly like a chunk of Velveeta that’s been left out too long and is starting to sweat” to lots (and lots) of disgusted cursing.

6) Chow: Know Your Legumes
A virtual encyclopedia of beans, lentils, and split peas for those looking to expand their legumic consciousness. Trippy, man.

7) BoingBoing: Highlights from TED 2010 - “We Can Eat to Starve Cancer”
So, check this: cancer needs angiogenesis (the growth of blood vessels) to grow and spread. The produce-heavy foods listed herein slow the process, and consequently, could help slow cancer. I don’t know how thoroughly researched this is, but if it’s appearing at TED, there has to be some legitimacy there. Plus, it kinda makes sense, doesn’t it?

8) The Kitchn: How to Select the Best Produce – Fruit and Vegetables
Print out this convenient pair of rundowns, stick ‘em in your wallet, and *poof*, you’ll never buy an unripe cantaloupe again! (Also: I just forgot how to spell “cantaloupe.” I think I’m getting dumber.)

9) New York Times: One Bowl = 2 Servings. FDA May Fix That
The feds could ask manufacturers to provide more accurate, prominent calorie/portion labeling on food packaging. Because who eats half a can of soup?

10) Money Saving Mom: How Buying Less Can Set You Free
Let this zen post be your frugalist mantra from now on. All will be well. Ohm.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

BlogHer: 44 Chili Recipes for Super Bowl XXLIV
Awesome! Just in time for the big game! (*Husband-Elect whispers in ear*) Uh … awesome! Just in time for Valentine’s Day! Don’t forget a breath mint.

Cooking Light: Food Court Survival Guide
Quick slideshow highlighting the healthiest choices at eight major fast food chains.

EcoSalon: Want to Lose Weight? Eat a Really Big Breakfast.
Kicking your morning off with a large meal will help keep you sated throughout the day. Another pancake, please. (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

MSN Smart Spending: Organic Economics – The Budget Version
Nice beginners guide to buying organic food with limited finances.

Mom Advice: The Best Steakhouse Dining Experience on a Poor House Budget
Just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Neatorama: Lose Weight Without Exercise While Eating All You Want – For Real! Yay, Science!
All you have to do is move to a much higher altitude. This must be why Coloradoans are so thin and sporty and stuff.

AND ALSO

Fat Nutritionist
Smart, informed, non-judgmental, body positive, occasionally profane, Canadian. What more could you want?

(Photos from WhiteHouse.gov and Wikimedia.)

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Tangent!

Dunno if y’all have been watching Idol this season, but so far, it exemplifies what I both adore and loathe about the show. I love that the heretofore unheard of Crystal Bowersox is receiving a wider audience, because girl can saaaang. Simon might have discovered a young Bonnie Raitt or Emmylou Harris there.

On the other hand, with last night’s ouster of Lilly and Katelyn, it seems like the finals will once again be dominated by angel-voiced 16-year-olds who know very little about music. Which? Boh-ring. You’ve heard Aaron warble one schmaltzy country ballad, and you’ve heard his entire bag of tricks. Lilly may have had the weaker vocals, but at least she kept it interesting. I’m curious to see how the next few weeks go. Readers?

That aside, the links!

1) What I Weigh Today: 152
I loved this whole post, in which the author comes to accept her weight, but this line really struck me: “When I think about the hours, years, decades of my life that have been sacrificed to body loathing and dieting, I just don’t want to surrender another second to it.” Word, Joy.

2) Good Medicine: Health vs. Pork - Congress Debates the Farm Bill
You knew meat and dairy were subsidized at much higher rates than fruit and vegetables, but seeing it in graphic form is another thing entirely. Thanks to reader Kristen for sending the link.

3) Videogum: The Videogum Why Don’t You Caption It? Contest - Sandra Lee’s Cocktail Face
Aunt Sandy made up a drink consisting of vodka, lemon juice, and heavy cream, the thought of which curdles my brain. Someone (god bless ‘em) slow-motioned her reaction after taking a sip. It’s almost performance art.

4) Lifehacker: The Common Sense Guide to "Organic" and Other Food Labels
Excellent rundown of food labels worth your attention. Preview: “antibiotic free” means almost nothing, while “certified humane” is mos def a good thing.

5) Food Politics: Does Fighting Obesity Also Mean Fighting Corporations? So it Seems.
Corporate interest in money will always supersede corporate interest in well-being. The trick, I think, is making well-being seem profitable.

6) Casual Kitchen: The "Its Too Expensive to Eat Healthy Food" Debate
Love this eloquent rant about the nutrition/cost debate, not just because Dan uses “shibboleth” in the second sentence. It reminds me of that old chestnut about freeing your mind: “If you always do what you have done, you will always get what you have gotten.”

7) The Simple Dollar: Convenience Foods – What They Really Cost
Great post reiterating a key concept in keeping grocery bills low: cut up your own food. This CHG piece from August has more.

8) Money Saving Mom: How to Build a Stockpile
MSM’s "31 Days to a Better Grocery Budget" series is still going on, and this excellent post pretty much negates any reason for CHG’s existence. In other good news for MSM readers, Crystal is creating a “lite” RSS feed, meaning you get none of the coupon deals (which were pretty tough to wade through), but all the articles. Woo hoo!

9) Money Talks News: 28 Tasty Ways You Can Save on Food
I’m a sucker for tip roundups, and this one hits a lot of cheap/healthy bases. Forward it to a friend just beginning their journey.

10) The Kitchn:
How Do I Find a High-Quality, Affordable Chef’s Knife?
Clearing the Pantry? Make a Free-Form Pasta Casserole.
Ideas for Healthy Snacks That Ship Well?
Three questions I wonder about nearly every week, once again solved by the masterminds at The Kitchn.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Ars Technica: The New Age of Online Grocery Shopping
Good run-through of popular online supermarkets. (Thanks to Eat Me Daily for the link.)

Eat Me Daily: Fruit Kicking Cancer’s Butt
Tomatoes and papayas FTW!

Eater: Bagel Store Owner Confirms Plans for Williamsburg Starbucks
Brooklynites: biggest bummer, ever. French toast bagels, I’ll miss you most of all.

New York Times: Women Drinkers Gain Less Weight
Any excuse for a mimosa, you know?

Serious Eats
The 5 Commandments of Sautéing Food
Taste Test – Store-Bought Tofu
Use the first link to cook your veggies correctly. Use the second one to add the right tofu.

Slate: Can It - At-home preserving is ridiculously trendy.
In which the author attributes the canning boom partly to its photogenic nature. Strange arguments herein.

Tasty Kitchen: The Theme is Homemade Ingredients
Short-n-sweet compilation for the DIY enthusiast.

AND ALSO

The Paper Towel Gang feat. Bountys Pool Balls Test
The bearded Nordic-looking gentleman in this hilarious Bounty ad is my friend Chris. He is a genius.



Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!