Navigating the nutrition info highway

Looking for some good food jokes? Try the KidZone page at asfsa.org, sponsored by the American School Food Service Association. Need a lesson plan and ''ready to print'' activity sheets on the food pyramid and good food choices? Visit nutritionexplorations.org, the site of the National Dairy Council. Looking for ways to reduce the fat in your favorite fettuccine Alfredo recipe? Click on cyberdiet.com and go to ''recipe recreations.'' Not only will you get a recipe, but you'll find a ''before'' and ''after'' calorie and nutrient analysis as well.

An enormous amount of nutrition information is on the Web, but it can be hard to find. The Center on Nutrition Communications at the Tufts School of Nutrition Science and Policy provides a way to navigate it all. It's called Nutrition Navigator, at navigator.tufts.edu, a ''rating guide to nutrition Web sites.'' Ask dieticians for their favorite Web site and most point to this as the very first place to visit. Tufts nutritionists review and rate Web sites for accuracy, depth of information, and usability, among other categories. Each Web site that is reviewed on the 25-point scale (25 being the best) gets an overall rating and information on target audience, sponsor, and commentary.

Hundreds of sites are reviewed under headings including Family, Special Dietary Needs, Hot Topics, and Women. It is not overwhelming. Each site mentioned has a short summary, then a single page with the site's Web address, rating, and more about the content. Still interested? Click and you're there.

Most sites have a variety of options once you get there. Parents looking for recipes for children are also likely to find activities they can do online with their children, such as game show-style quizzes, puzzles, and nutrition information.

Many nutrition sites are sponsored or co-sponsored by commercial firms or business associations. For instance, healthychoices.org, aimed at teachers and day-care providers, is sponsored by the Growers of Washington State Apples and Tree Top, a fruit processing company. The site promotes healthy eating throughout the food pyramid and has lessons and coloring sheets to download for preschoolers, though all the recipes use some form of apple.

Even the Tufts Navigator site is sponsored by Kraft Foods. Some groups' agendas are more obvious than others. The Vegetarian Resource Group, vrg.org, rated a 24 (among the best) by Tufts, has as one of its titles ''Afraid of Mad Cow Disease?'' It directs you toward alternatives to meat products, such as veggie burgers. The site has informative articles, tips on feeding a vegetarian child, and loads of recipes.

The National Dairy Council Web site, nutritionexplorations.org (rated 22, among the best), originally was designed to support the many Dairy Council programs that are already in the schools. For teachers, lesson plans and activities are ready to download. The site also includes information for food service professionals and parents, a Nutrition Bookshelf, and a colorful place called the familyfoodzone.com with a funky interactive refrigerator, games, and recipes. The primary message is about the importance of calcium in one's diet through dairy products but as part of a well-balanced diet from the five food groups.

Cyberdiet.com, with a high rating of 24, promotes health and fitness, and features articles, on-line diet support, and a variety of topics. Colorful, easy to follow, reasonable advice and a free weight assessment tool make this site user-friendly.

All these sites have links galore to other sites. You can spend time going from one place to another and end up in Ireland, at the Healthy Food magazine sponsored by the Department of Health in Dublin: indigo.ie/~indicom/crunch.htm. The recipes might be in grams and the Irish spell yoghurt with an ''h,'' but the information is useful.

The site dole5aday.com, with a rating of 21, has activities and tips for parents to encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables.

''Hey Mikey, what did the banana do when it heard the ice scream? It split!'' There's plenty more where that came from at asfsa.org/kidzone/jokes.asp.


Black Bean and Mango Salsa
(Adapted from nutritionforkids.com)

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (7 ounces) yellow corn
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1/2 red pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup Spanish onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil.

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill. Serve with baked tortilla chips.

To make a burrito: Place 1/2 cup of black bean salsa on a tortilla. Sprinkle on some grated Monterey Jack cheese, fold the burrito in half, and grill in frying pan for 2 minutes on each side.


Raisin Buddy Banana Muffins
(Reprinted with permission from dole5aday.com)

2 ripe, medium bananas
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup raisins

1. Lightly grease muffin tins. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mash bananas until smooth. Add eggs and oil.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add banana mixture and stir until moistened. Stir in raisins.
4. To make mini muffins, spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each mini-muffin pan cup. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool muffins before popping out. For regular muffins, spoon 1/3 cup batter into 10 or 12 prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes.


Hot Legs
(Adapted from the Munch'n Crunch @ Lunch site indigo.ie/~indicom/hotleg.htm)

Serves 6

8 carrots, peeled and sliced into strips
12 chicken drumsticks
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 can (16 ounces) chopped tomatoes and juice
2 heaping teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons ketchup
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. In a 9-by-13-inch casserole, spread the carrots along the bottom.
2. Wash and dry drumsticks and sprinkle on salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In a frying pan, brown the drumsticks in the oil for 3 minutes each side. Place them on top of the carrots.
3. In the same frying pan, saute the onions. Mix the cornstarch and water. Add the chopped tomatoes and cornstarch mixture to the onions. Heat until bubbly. Add the chili powder and ketchup. Mix well until thickened.
4. Pour the sauce over the drumsticks. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
5. Remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes.
6. If you wish, serve with a dollop of plain yogurt over each serving. Rice makes a good accompaniment.

The Wooden Bowls

I was on my hands and knees, plucking pot after broken-handled pot from beneath my Nana's cabinets cluttered with kitchenware accumulated after the death of each of her four sisters. "Who needs to spend money on new pots with all these?" I imagined her saying.

Imagined indeed. My grandmother, Beatrice Bloom, had died just days before, at age 94, and I was helping my mother clean out her apartment in Miami Beach. The mound of pots grew while thoughts and images of the formidable, widowed Cohen sisters: Aunts Rose, Ruth, Francis and Lilly, came alive. Rose, the undisputed matriarch and best cook, Ruth the best baker, intrepid Lilly (who at 84 showed up, alone at our Tokyo apartment), and Francis and Beatrice-- working girls until well into their late 70's.

And then, like a miner hitting a vein of gold, I found what I knew had to be there somewhere-- two shallow, elliptical wooden bowls nestled together. Pulling them from the darkness of the cabinet, in tears, I brought them close to my nose and breathed deeply, smelling more than half a century of Friday night and holiday dinners. Nothing triggers memories like aromas. There I was, in February 2001 on the floor of a kitchen in Miami, transported decades back to the New York City apartment my grandmother and her sisters Rose and Francis shared.

Frazzled from a Friday night ride on the Long Island Expressway, we step off the elevator into the hallway of Beatrice's apartment building, and are met by the distinctive smells of Eastern European Jewish cooking. We could have picked any floor in that building or any other in the neighborhood where Jewish women were preparing dinner, and would have felt right at home.

Chopchopchopchopchop-- the rhythmic sound of metal blade hitting wooden bowl at rat-a-tat speed. The smell, oh the smell. Onions being fried in chicken schmaltz (chicken fat) permeated the hallways and infused my soul. What treats lay behind the door of Apartment 7B! Roast Chicken, Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls, sweet noodle pudding…

Upon entering the apartment, there would be a flurry of hugs and commands. My two brothers, and father were set upon. If a male attempted to follow his nose across the culinary 38th Parallel of Aunt Rosie's kitchen, they were chided and shooed "Out, out, out!" I alone was allowed into the kitchen where a flushed Aunt Rose held the double-bladed chopper above the wooden bowl and exclaimed "Debala (little Debbie in Yiddish) how about a little taste?" She filled a spoonful of chopped liver scraped from the bowl and into my mouth. (Even at age 10, I loved this stuff!) Before I could answer, Rosie would say "more salt," and toss crystals of kosher salt into the bowl, in perfect unmeasured proportion.

But the single magic ingredient (or lethal weapon, as we now know) was chicken schmaltz. A jelly-glass full of the weeks of rendered chicken fat-- resembling strata of sedimentary rock-- sat inside the refrigerator door. A dollop was always added to the chopped chicken livers, fried onions and hardboiled egg mixture. It was guaranteed to take you to Jewish Nirvana and probably was responsible for more than a few triple by-pass operations.

A basket of fresh challah is on the center of the table set with a beautiful linen cloth, the good china and silver. Finally we are all seated. My Nana and Aunt Francis serve the first course. Happy and chatting, we spread the chopped liver onto the challah.

Aunt Francis reaches for the salt-- big mistake. "What are you doing?" demands Rose. "It needs salt," Francis explains. "No it doesn't" retorts Rosie as she reaches into Aunt Francis's plate with her fork, confirming her pronouncement. Then an exchange of "no it doesn't, mind your own business, what do you know" ensues. The girls, even as octogenarians, never agreed on much. I always wondered why the salt and pepper shakers were out on the table, as they were purely for decoration.

Herring, gefilte fish, and walnuts were chopped for a variety of dishes in those wooden bowls. My great-grandmother, who came to this country from Poland, observed kosher rules. She used different bowls for different foods. As time passed, however, the next generation dropped this custom, replacing it with a good washing instead.

My mother, Rona Greenberg, has her own wooden bowl, and when I got married, part of my 'dowry' was a new wooden bowl and chopper. Customs changed over time as we assimilated into American culture. My great-grandmother's Shabbos (Sabbath) dinner with candles and prayers, turned into a regular Friday night gathering of cousins in my mother's generation, before it became dinner at Nana's when I was a kid. And now what is it? Pizza and a video after a long week of work and busy schedules.

Yes, I do use my wooden bowl, sometimes even for making chopped liver. To be honest, though, I more often hit the pulse button on the Cuisinart. But, against my better judgment, I do skim the fat off the top of the chicken soup and add it to the batter for making matzoh balls-- you get a much lighter ball and not a bomb that sinks to the bottom of the pot. However, I also crush sesame and fennel seeds and mash tofu in this same wooden bowl. Sorry girls.

With my Nana's tchotchkes ("stuff" comes closest in English) and those two bowls as carry-ons, I returned to Boston from Miami. I was richer than when I left. Fighting my sentimental instincts, knowledge about bacteria forced me to put the bowls into the dishwasher. Today they are on my kitchen counter, filled with fruit and memories.

Gut Yuntuf (Yiddish for Happy Holidays) Nana and Aunties. For this year's Rosh Hashanah dinner I will use your bowls to make chopped liver, and add an extra spoonful of shmaltz with a dash of tears. No one had better reach for the salt.


Aunt Rosie's Chopped Liver (serves 8 as an appetizer)

There are as many methods for making chopped liver, as there are Jewish mothers.
My paternal grandmother, Bess, used mayonnaise as her secret ingredient, to no end of disdain from the Cohen girls.

1 pound fresh chicken livers
2 large onions
2 hardboiled eggs
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil or chicken shmaltz(fat)
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

1. Clean and separate chicken livers. Place chicken livers in a baking dish and broil for 2 minutes. (My mother in law boils them for about 3 minutes).
2. Chop onions and sauté in a frying pan with the oil(chicken shmaltz) for 15 minutes until they are very soft and brown. If you dare, fry them in rendered chicken fat.
3. Add the chicken livers and sauté an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

To mix by hand in a chopping bowl:

1. Finely chop hard-boiled eggs and set aside.
2. Vigorously chop the onion and liver mixture until well blended and spreadable. Add the eggs and mix with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To mix by food processor:

1. Put eggs in processor bowl and with 's'blade hit the pulse button 3-4 times. Remove to a separate bowl.
2. Add the chicken livers and onions to processor bowl and hit the pulse button about 7-8 times. Add to the egg mixture and mix well.
Season with salt and pepper.
If the mixture is a little dry, you can add a little oil, chicken shmaltz or mayonnaise.

To serve individually:

On a small plate, place a mound of about 3 tablespoons on a lettuce leaf garnished with tomato wedges. Serve with Challah, matzoh, or crackers like Tam Tams(Manishewitz Brand)


Grandma Rita's Mock Chopped Liver (Vegetarian)

This is my mother-in-law Rita Schwartz's delicious and lower fat alternative to the real thing. "You know we all have to watch it these days, says Grandma Rita."

1 8 ounce can green beans
1 8 ounce can green peas
15 Tam Tam crackers
2 large onions, chopped
3 hard boiled eggs
1 tablespoon low fat mayonnaise
1 cup chopped walnuts
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. In a frying pan, sauté onions for 15 minutes until soft and browned.
2. Put the onions alone in the food processor and pulse 3-4 times and remove.
3. Place walnuts and Tam Tam crackers in the food processor bowl and pulse until just broken up.
Add the vegetables, hard boiled eggs and process until smooth.
4. Finally add the onions to this mixture and pulse another 3 times.
5. Scrape into a mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste.
Chill for at least 2 hours.


Rosie's Herring Salad (serves 12)

This is like a pate and is delicious with crackers

2 jars pickled herring filets (not in cream sauce) with onions
2 apples peeled and grated
¾ cup walnuts
2 hard boiled eggs
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup sour cream(you can omit this)

1. Drain herring filets and reserve the liquid.
2. Chop herring and onions finely in a bowl or pulse about 6 times in a food processor.
3. Place in a bowl and add the grated apple, ½ cup of chopped walnuts, hardboiled egg, lemon juice, sugar and a few teaspoons of the pickling liquid.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve with crackers on a platter. Garnish with the remaining walnuts.


Rosie's Waldorf Salad (serves 4 as a first course)

Old fashioned and simple to make, this salad is quite refreshing. It also makes a great dessert.

2 Red Delicious Apples
2 Golden Delicous or Granny Smith Apples
2 tablespoons each, mayonnaise and sour cream
3 stalks celery, diced
1 cup green grapes halved
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
lemon juice and sugar to taste

1. Wash, cut and core apples. Do not peel. Cut into bite-size pieces. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.
2. Add diced celery, grape halves and walnuts
3. Mix sour cream and mayo together. Fold into salad. Chill for 2 hours.
4. Serve in individual glass compote cup. Sprinkle on chopped walnuts as a garnish.


How to Render Chicken Fat
(Adapted From the New Jewish Cookbook - Hebrew Publishing 1947)

Cut skin from any kind of fowl and remove fat.
Heat fat in a frying pan until it melts. Reserve in a jar.

For a special treat (I'm not kidding) the skin of the chicken and chopped onions would be fried in the chicken fat until crispy. Then drained on paper towels.
This is called Grieben. My mother says she and her brother would wait like little birds at the stove while my Nana made this. It rivals the skin on a roasted turkey.

Crabber keeps fishing in family

DEER ISLE, MAINE - Kelly Pratt, ninth generation Islander, has deep roots
in this part of the Maine coast. Legend has it her great-great-grandfather,
Julius Heanssler, found his way to a cove here in the late 1800s in a row boat and
never left. For generations, fishing has been the family's livelihood, and Pratt, 36,
keeps that tradition alive. She helped on her dad's lobster boat, has her own
crab-picking business, and is married to a lobsterman.

Tucked inside the inlets and coves of Sunshine Road under the dramatic light of
early evening, Pratt prepares to pick and package a crate of Peeky Toe crabs
(approximately 100 pounds, or more than 200 crabs) for sale to local markets and
beyond. She's had her own business for two years, and before that she picked for
10 years with her aunt and uncle.

This scene is not as common as it used to be in these parts. In the yard behind her
home is her newly built ''crab kitchen,'' where all the action takes place. Its
screened-in porch houses two huge pots that cook and cool the crabs. Inside the
kitchen, the crabs are split apart, refrigerated, picked, and packaged. This whole
operation once took place outside in her Uncle Dick's yard and garage, until Maine
issued new regulations on cottage industries.

These regulations ended some home businesses. Small home kitchen operations,
where women picked crabmeat to make pocket money, are all but gone in the
Deer Isle-Stonington area, down from about 400 to 40. Pratt hopes this season's
profits will pay for the expenses she incurred to stay in business.

Survivors like Pratt make the adjustment. Her screened-in porch ''is to protect
from airborne bacteria,'' she explains. In the double sink, she dilutes bleach to soak
and clean her utensils, and has thermometers to check the crab for doneness.

Minette Billings, manager of the North Atlantic Seafood Co., laments the
diminished supply of pickers, but buys only from state-approved operations.

''These girls are really good and their stuff is the best,'' she says. ''I sell it as fast as
they can pick.''

Life at the home of a crab picker means everyone is involved. In the kitchen, the
atmosphere is relaxed but busy. Country music plays on the radio, and sons
Jeremy, 12, and Andy, 11, are hanging around playing with a Game Boy and
helping make a big sign for the roadside that says, ''Kelly Pratt's Fresh Picked
Crabmeat.'' Everyone takes turns helping bait the traps that husband Jonathan sets
in the waters off Eastside Cove in Jericho Bay.

Jeremy explains the process of crab picking, with machine-gun speed. The crabs
are caught in the same traps as the lobsters and then crated. The crabs are taken
from the crate (not a favorite job, as the crabs pinch), placed in a huge basket, and
hung from a rope and winch system. Pratt swings the basketful of live crabs over
the vat and lowers it into about 30 gallons of boiling water. The crabs then cook for
40 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees. When they
are done, Pratt raises the basket of steaming crabs, and plunges them into cold
water.

The crabs are then pulled apart and separated into baskets of bodies, claws, and
legs. The bodies are picked while still warm with a small tool that looks like a seam
ripper. Pratt cracks the legs and claws with a tack hammer, and the meat is
scooped out. There are about 10 crabs to a pound of meat, and on a good day,
she will pick 20 pounds; nearly all are spoken for before her husband's boat docks.

Pratt says picking can be a ''lonely occupation,'' but often the women will help each
other. Tonight, Molly MacDonald, a friend and fellow picker with her own
business, comes by. MacDonald swiftly pulls a crab from the bubbling water. The
thermometer is inserted into its body and reads 160 degrees. Back in it goes until it
reaches 180. Once it does, the pace of activity increases to a speed only achieved
by the experienced and admired by the uninitiated. Hot crabs spill onto the counter
for McDonald and Pratt to break, tear, and toss. A task that looks as if it would
take hours is completed in about 30 minutes.

Jonathan Pratt comes in to test his haul, and cracks the claw of a crab with the butt
of his knife. Deftly, the tip of the blade slips the warm meat from the shell and he
holds out an offering. The briny sweet taste is simple and pure.

''Doesn't get any better than that, does it?'' says the tanned lobsterman. With hands
and shells and crab flying, but never missing a beat, his wife and McDonald chat,
and to the amusement of all, over the radio comes the song ''Take This Job and
Shove It.''

April through September is picking season, and Pratt picks about three times a
week.

She also has a catering business specializing in shore dinners (lobster, clams, and corn), and she cooks at a campground. In fall and winter, she sews colorful quilts
for sale during the summer.

After three hours, more than 200 crabs are boiled, soaked, cracked, and sorted.
Bodies are picked, and shreds of white and red-flecked crabmeat fall into a
growing mound. Pratt is only half done, though. The remaining claws and legs are
refrigerated for picking tomorrow. It's 10:30 p.m., but before she can turn out the
lights, puddles of crab juice need mopping, counters need wiping.

When asked if she has time for a hot bath before bed, Pratt, flushed from the heat
and activity, says, ''Now wouldn't that be nice.''

Cool Ades

¡Es muy caldo! (Spanish) Atsui nee! (Japanese) What a way it hot - mi well thirsty - mi need fi cool down (Jamaican patois)

Is it hot enough for you? No matter how you express it, summer brings on the heat, the sweat, and a very big thirst. And culture can matter when trying to keep your cool.

We are all aware of the need to keep well hydrated but did you know that water makes up approximately 60% of your body's weight? Water helps regulate the body's temperature, carries nutrients throughout the body and aids in digestion. That is why it is important to drink plenty of water, especially during the summer months. But we lose water quickly through perspiration, making us susceptible to dehydration. Children ages 2-6 should drink five to six cups (one cup = 8 ounces) of liquid each day; kids 6-12, six to eight cups, adolescents and adults ?? cups. The more active you are, the more fluids you need.

Water is great, but can get a bit boring. Caffeinated, sugar-laden carbonated drinks abound and entice, but add empty calories and do little but leave you wanting more. How often do you see people walking around with those 32 ounce mega cups of colas? In reality they are drinking gargantuan amounts of sugar-- X tablespoons in one hit. Yikes! Certainly it is the right concept-- sipping huge amounts of liquid in a colorful colossal cup-- but the wrong combination. Why not save those calories for an ice cream?

Sugar need not be the enemy and does help provide energy. It's the amount used that can be controlled by making your own drinks. Of course lemon and lime ades need a lot of sweetening or you will be walking around with a permanent pucker. However you don't need as much as you think. It's a matter of re-training the taste buds.

For the cost of one of those giant drinks you can make a day's worth of beverages for the entire office or for a block full of kids-- and have fun too. In a week's time you can taste test thirst quenchers from half a dozen countries, expand your kid's culinary and geographic boundaries and do it with a nutritious twist.

Many cultures use fruit to flavor water therefore providing a natural sweetness. In Mexico, aguas frescas-- fresh water-- is a very common drink made from a variety of fruit pulps and water, such as pineapple, papaya, watermelon, strawberry, cantaloupe and tamarind. Street vendors in stalls serve up this refreshing and colorful drink from big glass jars with ladles. Preparing aguas frescas is easy and fun and can be done at home. Watermelon, a very popular flavor is refreshing, and a beautiful pink color. Buy a seedless watermelon or make removing the seeds an activity for the kids: Can they guess how many seeds in half a watermelon?

Sky Juice is a drink that is enjoyed in the Caribbean country of Jamaica. Also sold by street vendors, large blocks of ice are shaved and these shavings are put in a small plastic bag. Some fruit syrup flavoring is added. A straw is placed in the bag and as the heat of the sun melts the ice, flavors blend and sipping ensues for a very cool treat.

Kakigori-- shaved ice-- is the sno-cone of Japan. Mariko Takinami Brothers formerly from Japan, now living in Brookline with her two children, remembers hot summer days when she'd beg some money from her mother, grab her best friend and they would go to an old grandmother's shop window to buy melon, lemon or strawberry flavored kaki gori. "Kids, just love it. I was so happy that I would eat the ices too fast and my head would get so cold I would have to hit it." A colorful, inviting banner hangs from these little 'mom and pop' stores that sell hot bean paste filled waffles in the winter. Mariko dreamily describes the one adults favor - green tea syrup over the shaved ice topped with sweet azuki beans. "For a little extra yen the obaachan (grandmother/proprietor) would drip sweetened condensed milk over the peak-- that was heaven."

And what about one of our own summer drinks? Smoothies are a cool and nutritious blend of fruit juice and yogurt. Rumor has them coming from California, but smoothies have relatives all over the world: Batidos in Puerto Rico, frulatti in Italy, and mango lassis in India are all first cousins.

All it takes is a blender, a hand cranked ice shaver, some funky cups and a few crazy straws-- equipment that adds up to less than a day at the movies for a family of five. And you get to keep the stuff! Making smoothies is an activity in which all ages can participate and the words "I'm bored," can be met with the exhortation - "press the ?? button and pipe down."

While plenty of plain old water-- plain or fizzy-- is still your best choice for a healthy diet, adding these drinks and frozen treats to your repertoire will add a little variety, education, and excitement.


Aguas Frescas (Mexico - 2 quarts)

2 cups of your favorite fruit, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries
2 quarts of water
sugar to taste

1. Put the fruit in the blender
with 2 cups of water and blend.
2. Mix this with the rest of the water (6 cups) in a pitcher and stir well.
3. Add sugar to taste.
4. Add some ice cubes

*For fruit such as limes and oranges, you squeeze the juice of the fruit (6-8 pieces) directly in the pitcher with the water and sugar.


Strawberry Orange-Banana Smoothie (United States - 2 large servings)

2 cups orange juice
1 cup frozen banana, cut in chunks
(don't throw those soft bananas away - freeze them)
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cup ice cubes

Procedure

1. Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth and foamy. For a thicker Smoothie add ice cubes.

Sky Juice (Jamaica)

Make your own Sky Juice for a great summer fruit cooler.

5 cups crushed ice
1 can frozen fruit juice concentrate
20 sandwich size plastic bags
10 plastic straws, cut in half ribbon

1. Put ice cubes in 2 large plastic bags.
With a rolling pin, hit the ice crushed.
Divide into 20 bags.
2. Make frozen juice with half the amount of water indicated on the package.
3. Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of juice on top of the ice.
4. Place straws in bag and tie a colorful ribbon around the top.

*You may need to add a little water to get the ice to start melting if you are serving this inside.
*Another way to make this is to place ice and juice in a blender. Process until a slush is formed.

Think simple for at-home weddingsProper planning should help you put together a memorable affair

Scene 1:

''Hi Mom, I have a great surprise for you: Ilsa and I got married last week here in Berlin. We are coming home next month so you can meet her. Do you think we could have a small wedding at the house for some friends and family? No big deals, please.''

Fade to speechless and stunned mother.

Scene 2:

''Honey, I met the most wonderful man at my line-dancing class. We are getting married next month. Can we do a small reception for 25 at your house? Nothing fancy.''

Fade to shocked and frantic daughter.

Whether it's the first or second time around, an at-home wedding sounds like a big deal, even for something as small as 25 guests. On such short notice and at the height of the season, caterers are likely to be unavailable and you want to do better than deli platters. Don't panic. You can do this. Breathe deeply and start planning. It is easier than you imagine and actually can be fun.

Think cold. Think simple. Think single-ingredient dishes. Prepare about two hours a day starting four days in advance. Hire - or coax - someone to help on the day of the party and you can feel almost like a guest. The goal is to reduce the amount of slicing and dicing, chopping and schlepping so you have a smile on your face that is sincere.

Serve buffet-style with several tables around for seating. Pull out all your dishes; things do not have to match. Four of this, six of that, eight of something else makes the table interesting. Serve foods that do not need to be cut, reducing the amount of cutlery. Roll the fork in a napkin for easy handling when going through the line. Prepare two large platters of each item so you are ready to replace an empty plate instantly.

It is important to spend money on quality ingredients; they will save you time in the end. Shrimp that is shelled and deveined is more expensive , but you have saved your back hours of standing over the sink and thus have time to make a more interesting marinade. Although more expensive than a whole turkey, fresh turkey breasts are easy to cook and go a long way. Rub with fresh rosemary, coarse salt, and pepper. Roast and baste with V-8 juice. Refrigerate and slice the next day.

Roasted vegetable medleys are great but not when you are cutting, peeling, and trimming several varieties for 25 people. Better to make a spectacular splash with a comely mound of asparagus and a great dressing.

When cooking, keep in mind that buffet servings are not calculated the same as sit-down meals. With several choices, guests usually take less of each one. Figure about 1/4 pound of meat per person and about 3/4 cup of each side dish. Shrimp defies calculations; rule of thumb is 4-6 per person, but we all have seen people park themselves in front of these platters popping shrimp in their mouth at an alarming rate. Buy plenty.

An open bar is unnecessary. It doesn't matter that Uncle Max likes 25-year-old scotch. Nor do you have to have every brand of soda on the market. We often anticipate negative waves that just don't materialize. One type of juice, usually cranberry, sparkling water, cola, wine, and perhaps a Bellini cocktail (made with Asti Spumante or non-alcoholic sparkling cider and crushed strawberries) are nice offerings for a summer's day. (Remember, this is lunch.)

Now for dessert. A big glass punch bowl full of strawberries makes a beautiful presentation. Don't even remove the hulls. Serve with bowls of sour cream and brown sugar for a traditional New England dipping experience. Then try this strawberry-filled Angel Food Tunnel Cake as a creative alternative to a traditional wedding cake. You can assemble this light and delicious cake a week in advance. It will be festive, seasonal, and most important, you never turn on the oven. You will not be sent to cook's purgatory for using a store-bought cake. This is a snap.

Shop with a list, stick to your menu, and don't get seduced by great buys. They are not great if they create more work. Try not to second-guess yourself; that is the hardest thing.

Jo-Jo's Spicy Marinated Citrus Shrimp (Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet 1999 - Serves 25)

6 pounds uncooked large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Marinade:
1 orange
1/4 cup water
2 limes
1/4 cup sugar
2 lemons
2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon coriander powder
4 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons McCormack's pickling spice
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons tarragon

Remove the zest (skin) and pith (white inner coating) from the orange, lemons, and limes. Squeeze the juices into a large bowl. Add zests, coriander powder, oil, vinegar, sugar, tarragon, mustard, red pepper, water, and 3 tablespoons kosher salt, and mix well with a whisk.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pickling spices and 1 tablespoon salt and cook the shrimp (in two batches, if necessary) for about 11/2 minutes. Drain in colander and put shrimp in marinade while warm. Mix to coat.

Divide into large plastic bags and refrigerate overnight in flat layers.

Serve Cold.

Cold Grilled Flank Steak in Honey French Dressing Marinade (Serves 25)

7 pounds flank steak
Marinade
Make this easy honey French dressing or use bottled.
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup chili sauce
2 cups salad oil (canola is best)
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion, grated
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Wash and dry flank steaks. Place in deep foil pans. Rub in garlic and onion powders, salt, pepper and paprika.

Mix all marinade ingredients together well. Pour over steaks and refrigerate at least four hours or overnight. (To prepare even further ahead, place steaks and marinade in plastic bags, seal, and freeze. Thaw before cooking.)

Fire up the grill and cook steaks 7-8 minutes per side. Remove from grill. Let cool. Wrap in foil and refrigerate.

Slice steaks when cold, against the grain. Serve with grained mustard.

Asparagus with Sesame Mayonnaise

5 bunches asparagus
1 lemon, sliced
Dressing
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 cup plain yogurt
2-3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup roasted sesame seeds
kosher salt

Trim bottom off asparagus spears. Cut spears in half on diagonal.

Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Add lemon slices. Cook asparagus for 3 minutes, in batches if necessary. Plunge spears into cold water and drain. Chill up to one day in refrigerator.

Mix all dressing ingredients except sesame seeds and salt in a large bowl.

Pile half the asparagus on a large serving plate. Toss with 2-3 teaspoons kosher salt.

Just before serving put on half the dressing and toss. Sprinkle on sesame seeds. Do same with the second platter.

Strawberry Mousse Angel Food Cake

This no-bake wedding cake is an assembly project and can be done a week in advance. Make 3 cakes for 25 people.

1 store-bought angel food cake
1 quart strawberries - half for filling, half for decorating
2 cups whipping cream or non-dairy whipped topping
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon vanilla
boiling water
fresh mint for decoration

Cut a 2-inch deep slice across the top of the cake. Remove the piece and reserve.

Cut a bowl from the interior of the cake, leaving walls and bottom of cake at least 1 inch thick. You are creating a cavity for the filling.

Crush 1 cup fresh strawberries with a potato masher.

Whip 2 cups of fresh cream with 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Stir in vanilla.

Soften gelatin in 1 tablespoon cold water. Mix with 2 tablespoons boiling water until dissolved. Add to crushed strawberries.

Place half the whipped cream in a bowl. Reserve remainder for frosting. Fold in strawberries.

Fill the cavity of the cake with mixture. Place circle back on top of the cake.

Let set in refrigerator for an hour. Freeze and then frost while frozen with remaining whipped cream.

Remove from freezer 1/2 hour before serving. Place on platter. Decorate around the base with strawberry halves and fresh mint.

For all levels of play, winning diet is key

Cleats? Check. Sneakers? Check. Bats? Check. Shin guards? Check. Frisbee? Check.
Snacks and water? Check. Breakfast? Oops.

''Food is fuel for the body,'' says Walter Norton Jr., strength and conditioning coach for the Boston Breakers, the women' professional soccer team.

''If you are not fueled properly, you are going to run out of gas,'' adds Ellen Lowre, registered dietician at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

That metaphor for eating right throughout the day is echoed by athletes and by their nutritionists and coaches. All also say unequivocally: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is part of a refueling process that replenishes the energy expended the previous day and jumpstarts the upcoming day. The nutrients missed by not eating breakfast are not often made up.

Experts say nutrition has to be a central concern for all athletes - amateur and pro, schoolchildren and adults, including the weekend joggers and tennis players. Episodic bouts of ''eating well'' do not make for optimal performance.

''Team athletes are judged on their ability to replicate their performances,'' says Norton. The Breakers' philosophy involves practicing hard, getting rest, and eating well and enough to get their bodies back to square one.

With up to two practices daily, and multiple games weekly, these women expend so much energy during the season that 2,500-3,000 calories a day is a must to keep up their strength and refuel their bodies. (By contrast, a moderately active woman can maintain her weight with roughly 1,500-2,000 calories, depending on her weight, height, and age.)

Consistently eating well helps store energy. Meals high in carbohydrates and lean proteins and low in fat at least three hours before playing allow time for digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Tracy Ducar of Andover, the Breakers' goalkeeper, says, ''I enjoy cooking, so this is not so hard.'' She tries to eat three meals a day and snack in between with good sources of protein, and she drinks plenty of water. Her teammate, forward Allie Kemp, likes a shake of plain yogurt, milk, a banana, and 1 or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for extra protein. Ducar is lactose intolerant and gets calcium from soy milk and yogurt.

High-sugar foods or sweetened drinks can give a false rush of energy but won't sustain you. Sugar also inhibits water absorption. Proper hydration before, during, and after a game is essential. Sixteen ounces of fluid prior to a game, 4-8 ounces every 15-20 minutes during intense activity, and 16 ounces of water post activity is recommended.

Joan Buchbinder, registered dietician and sports nutritionist for the Patriots, says, ''The main electrolytes lost while sweating are sodium and potassium. Replacement of these nutrients is key.'' Sports drinks are popular for this reason. A diluted drink of three cups water, 1 cup juice (grape, apple, orange) with a teaspoon or two of salt is a homemade alternative.

''You repair muscles with protein and refuel with carbohydrates,'' says Buchbinder.Athletes have a one-hour window to repair those muscles, says Norton. Liquids carry the needed nutrients through the body fast, so his team has a shake high in carbohydrates and protein. Lowre suggests post-game snacks such as peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat, trail mix with dried fruit,
peanut or almond butter on apple slices, and yogurt with fruit.

Assistant Coach Jorge Espinoza sets the meal plan for the New England Revolution, the men's professional soccer team. Revolution members eat together three times a week and stay away from fried foods. Fresh fruit and water are always available. A favorite of Espinoza is pineapple, which he feels aids in digestion and has valuable nutrients. Knowing that muscles fatigue faster as one
ages, defender Ted Chronopoulos tries to replenish his lost nutrients within a half hour after the game.

Those are the professional athletes. Then there are the rest of us: T-ballers, skateboarders, joggers, and play-grounders. The same concepts apply, though. Protein bars and sports drinks have their place, but there is no substitute for good eating habits.

Still, we wonder: Do the athletes, impressive in their knowledge of nutrition, ever give into the craving for an order of large fries? Sure. Nutritionists and coaches know that banning foods is futile.

As Kemp says, ''We work so hard, we should treat ourselves and not feel deprived.''

Ducar's weakness is the fruity, chewy candies Skittles and Starbursts. The Breakers have ''found every ice cream place in Boston,'' says a teammate in the know. For Chronopolous, it's chocolate cake.

Make-your-own sundaes is a popular dessert for the Revolutions' after-game meals.

Tracy Ducar's Tasty Pre-Game Chicken and Pasta (Serves 2)

1-2 cups of uncooked noodles
1 whole boneless chicken breast or 2 halves, cut into bite-size pieces
Breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red pepper, cut into small strips or chunks
1/2 yellow pepper, cut into small strips or chunks
1/2 Vidalia onion, cut into strips
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes (grape tomatoes or cherry are also good)
1/2 cup small broccoli florets
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon butter
1/2-1 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Dash of salt
1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Shredded skim mozzarella cheese

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Cut off all fat and cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Roll pieces in breadcrumbs until covered. Set aside.

Start cooking the noodles.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large non-stick skillet on medium heat.

Saute chicken until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. You may need to add more oil if the pan dries out. Add it slowly and sparingly.

Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl and sprinkle on chicken.

Cook another three minutes until center of chicken is done. Place chicken on several paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Wipe skillet clean with a moist paper towel. Add remaining olive oil and reheat pan on medium heat Saute vegetables and pine nuts for 2 minutes.

Mix noodles, chicken, vegetables, and spaghetti sauce in a large, oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top.

Bake at 375 for 5 minutes to melt cheese and crisp upper noodles in the casserole.

Enjoy!

Malcom White's Ultimate Frisbee Trail Mix (Measurement by ''the handful.'')

Equal amounts of:
Soy nuts
Raisins
Chocolate chips
Cashews
Dried fruit: cranberries, apricots, apple, dates

Mix in large bowl, and divide into individual plastic bags.

Post Game Fruit Shake (Serves 2)

1 1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana
1-2 tablespoons powdered milk
1/2 cup ice cubes

Place pineapple juice and powdered milk in blender and blend for 30 seconds.

Add ice cubes, frozen strawberries, and banana cut in half.
Blend until smooth and frothy.

What's for lunch? Mom may be surprised

NAOMI Joshi, mother of three and director of a nonprofit organization in Boston, still happily packs a lunch for her 15-year-old daughter, Emily, throwing in a sesame bagel with whipped cream cheese, a yogurt stick, a bottle of sparkling water, an apple, carrot sticks, and a package of graham cracker cookies.

''This is one way I know that she will have something nourishing to eat and she does appreciate it,'' says Joshi.

But do we really have control over what our children eat at school?

It is no surprise that the greatest number of children bringing lunch from home is in the elementary grades. At the Cyrus E. Dallin Elementary School in Arlington, students eat lunch in their classrooms. One day recently, the members of Susan Dreskin's kindergarten class spilled the contents of their cool canvas lunch bags - with mini ice packs and pockets for every purpose - onto the tables. The usual suspects appeared: peanut butter and jelly, bologna and cheese sandwiches, crackers, juice boxes, chips, pudding-in-a-cup, cookies, pretzels, fruit roll-ups, some carrot sticks, some fruit.

The children were eager to tell who made their lunch (mostly mom) and who decided what was packed (mostly mom). What would parents say, though, if they knew their children were eating their meal backward? Snacks first, two bites of a sandwich, and finito.

There were plenty of new hyper-convenient products, among them packaged lunches with deli meat and cheese squares, drink, and snacks, including a whopping 50 percent of the daily allowance for sodium. Tyler had ''portable yogurt'' in a tube. He squeezed, and aqua-colored, cotton candy-flavored yogurt oozed. ''Wanna taste?''

Standing by the trash can was illuminating. Much of the lunches was thrown away; barely eaten sandwiches were dumped. Linda Baker, mother of four, was on lunch duty and said she feels the kindergartners were bringing too much food for such little stomachs. ''These kids have snack at 10 and lunch at 11,'' she said. ''They are not that hungry.''

One little girl, Amelia, brought pizza, which she licked for 15 minutes, then gnawed mouse-like around the edges, and threw away.

In a third-grade class, the boys and girls sat separately, by choice. Though peanut butter still outnumbered other sandwiches, there was more variety and most said they made the requests and parents complied. Salads, kiwi, tuna, grapes, hot soup, bagels, and yogurt accompanied multiple snacks. Most of the lunches were consumed, but still there was significant waste.

According to Mary Scott, teacher's assistant and lunch monitor, ''The kids are given way too many snacks and then throw away most of the food. Parents should pack good lunches and what the kids really eat.''

Phoebe, a vegetarian, had vanilla yogurt, fruit, muffin, and water. Great meal, but she hovered about her friends waiting for leftover tater puffs.

At the Ralph B. O'Maley Middle School in Gloucester, Mark Lidano, food service director for the Gloucester public schools, said about 60 percent of the students buy from the school lunch program, and middle-school students are tough to please.

One recent day, friends Heidi, Emily, Katie, and Lauren giggled as they displayed their lunches. The girls had an average of at least five items each and the sandwiches seemed incidental.

''Middle-school kids are always hungry,'' said sixth-grade teacher Tina Cirarametaro. Indeed, very little food was thrown away.

Peanut butter was still popular and parents were still making the lunches. Stacy, an articulate sixth-grader, said her mom knew by now what she liked: tuna, yogurt, chips, and punch, all packed neatly with an ice pack.

Ross said, ''My Mom makes the sandwich, I pack the extras.''

Amid his protests, several hands were grabbing for those extras.

The line for food was long and the search for brown baggers brief during a recent visit to Cambridge Rindge and Latin School's atrium-like cafeteria. Ninth-graders Ben and Paul said they usually bring their lunch to avoid waiting in line. Ben had a bagel and cream cheese. He snorted when asked if either parent made his lunch.

Paul's mother made his, however: PB&J and a banana. He said sheepishly,
''I'm pampered.''

Two more lunch periods yielded only a few more students with packed lunches. Eyes rolled when students were questioned about what kept most of them from bringing lunch to school. Time and lack of choices were the answers.

Rob Clickstein, food service director for the Cambridge public schools, said few high school students bring lunch to school, although participation in the food service program is only 20 percent at the high school. Many students buy lunch off campus.

Some students eat nothing for lunch. Linda Baker's 11th-grade daughter at Arlington High School eats when she gets home and just has a cola at school. She says she doesn't have time to eat and the lines are too long. Her mother's take is that ''this is an age when you look a lot cooler drinking a Coke than eating a PB&J. There is definitely peer pressure.''

For the students who do bring lunch, the bag is empty when they return home, the money spent, and assurances given when asked, ''Did you have a good lunch today?''

Andrea Gulezian, a registered dietician with the University of Massachusetts Nutrition Education Program, says pointedly, ''It's a parent's responsibility to offer good food, and it's the child's responsibility to eat it.''

Gulezian, Clickstein, Lidano and Cindy Juncker, nurse leaader for the Gloucester public schools, offer these lunch tips for parents:

Reduce the number of snack foods.

Enhance the main food item.

Make lists and shop with the student.

Vary the breads: mini bagels, pita, rolls, lavosh.

Prepare most of the meal the night before.

Freeze sliced meat (in portions) and bread. They will thaw during the morning before lunch and keep the sandwich fresh.

Use small ice packs when sending perishables if the student is not eating the food within two hours.

Try new spreads: apple butter (a great alternative for children allergic to peanut butter), hummus, Ajvar (a roasted red pepper and eggplant spread).

Keep convenient, healthy foods available.

Offer three choices for main item. Let the student choose.

Try not to deny treats. They are fine in moderation. Children will find a way to have them even if they are not allowed.