What better time to “mentally” wipe the slate clean of the old junk that fills our brain and scribble on some new! The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to learn and apply new ideas and habits. Out with the old and in with the new!
Here’s a trivia test to help you along the way; see how much you know! Scribble on some new (and mindless) information. You can find the answers at the end of today’s recipe.
1. What is the most consumed meat around the world? Beef; Goat; Pork; Chicken.
2. Which of these foods, if not bought organic, contains the largest amount of pesticide? Potatoes; Tomatoes; Apples; Oranges.
3. Under current school food standards, are chocolate chip cookies considered a junk food? Yes or no.
4. Does the USDA consider French fires a junk food? Yes or no.
5. With Easter on our shirttail, here’s a fun fact that might come in handy: How many PEEPS (those cute little marshmallow nothings), if lined up beak-to-tail, would it take to reach from New York City to Los Angeles? More than 2 billion; exactly 3 trillion; less than 1 million; more than 70 million.
6. Okay, the Easter question was a little “out-there.” Here’s one for all you football foodies. Which three football stadiums have more than 500 concession stands? Soldier Field (Chicago Bears), Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland Browns); Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland Browns), and Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots); Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers), M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore Ravens), and Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots).
7. Which stadium sells world famous crab fries? Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles); Heinz Field (Pittsburgh Steelers); CenturyLink Field (Seattle Seahawks).
8. Traditional Italian Pesto sauce is made with what herb? Parsley; mint; basil; oregano.
9. Basil grows best in what type of climate? Hot and humid; shady and cool; sunny and warm.
10. What is the name of the unleavened bread traditionally eaten throughout Passover? Matzah; Maror; Afikoman.
Had enough? Then here’s a cake recipe that’s like a little piece of sunshine on a plate. So refreshing and delicate tasting!
ANSWERS:
1. Goat. Goat is low in cholesterol, lower in fat than chicken and higher in protein than beef.
2. Apples.
3. No. A packet containing two of Grandma’s Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies has a complete days worth of saturated fat and 30 grams of sugar, yet that is not considered junk food.
4. No again. The USDA’s nutrition standards do not address fat or sodium. The USDA nutrition standards for foods sold out of vending machines, school stores, and cafeterias limit only the sale of “foods of minimal nutritional value.” The USDA developed these standards back in the 1970s, making them out of sync with current nutritional science. They don’t address calories, saturated or trans fats, or sodium.
5. More than 70 million. Don’t believe me? Then get out there with your semi truckloads full of PEEPS and start routing them out! You’ll see!
6. Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland Browns), and Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots). While some stadiums, such as Sun Life Stadium (Miami Dolphins) and Candlestick Park (San Francisco 49ers) have under 50 concessions, Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland Browns), and Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots) each have more than 500.
7. Lincoln Financial Field. Eagles fans can all attest to the fact that their stadium is home to Chickie’s & Pete’s crab house and sports bar. They are famous for their crinkle fries sprinkled with crab seasonings and served with a side of cheese sauce.
8. Basil, that wonderful-smelling, mouth-watering herb I love! Basil (basilico) is one of the most recognized Italian herbs. Pesto consists of pureed basil, olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts, and is usually mixed with pasta or used as a condiment.
9. Basil plants thrive during the summer when planted in a sunny location. Start basil seeds indoors and then transfer to an outdoor garden once they’ve begun to grow.
10. Matzah is eaten throughout Passover to honor the Jews who left Egypt in such a hurry that they had no time to leaven their bread.
Sunshine Cake
1 pkg. (two-layer size) of lemon buttermilk cake mix
1 small pkg. of JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
2 cups of cold milk
3/4 cup of water
Powered sugar for garnish
Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the cake batter as directed on the package; pour it into a 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Beat the dry pudding mix, granulated sugar, milk and water with a whisk until thickened; pour it over the cake batter. Place the baking dish on a cookie sheet to catch any sauce that might bubble over the sides as the cake bakes.
Bake one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool. (Sauce will thicken slightly.) Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm. Refrigerate the leftovers.