Make Your Own Instant Oatmeal

OK, I found an awesome idea on Endless Crafting, one of the many blogs I follow.  This fits so well with my whole homemade is best ideal that I just have to share it - Homemade Instant Oatmeal.  Natalie's recipe is simple and I can't believe it's never occurred to me to do this before.  This would certainly be less expensive than the prepackaged instant as well. 

I love oatmeal in the morning.  My kids and husband do not, but I keep hoping the kids will come around.  Mornings are generally pretty busy with getting ready for school etc. so instant oatmeal is very convenient.  Quaker's Maple & Brown Sugar is my preferred flavor and is what I currently have in the cupboard.  A quick look at the ingredients tells me that Quaker is the least offensive of the major brands for instant oatmeal. 

However, it still has artificial flavors and caramel color.  I generally like to avoid the artificial stuff when I can.  It also lists salt and guar gum.  I don't have anything against salt or guar gum per say; both are natural ingredients.  However, there is more of each of these per package than there is oat flour.  This just seems wrong.  I suspect that the guar gum is used as a thickening agent and it must cheaper than oat flour because they use more of it.  Call me odd, but I think I would rather be eating oats in my oat meal instead of crushed guar beans. 

As soon as I use up the stuff in my cabinet, I'll be giving Natalie's Homemade Instant Oatmeal a try.  I am not sure why the powdered milk is in there, except perhaps to make it a 'just add water item'.  Perhaps I can leave the powdered milk out and just use regular milk to make it instead.

Ode to Vitamin D

It is that time of year again.  School is back in session.  The kids are swapping germs and bringing their new bugs home to their moms and dads who take them to work to swap with their colleagues who then take them home to their kids.  The virus mutates somewhere along the way and the whole cycle starts over. 

 

Ever since I moved north from Texas in 1999, I have managed to contract at least one upper respiratory virus every winter.  It was usually something that robbed me of my voice, had me carrying around a box of Kleenex everywhere I went, left me popping Sudafed and expectorant every 4 hours, and turned me into a cough drop addict.  Most of the time it would take me 3 or 4 weeks to kick these illnesses completely.  Herbal teas and homeopathic remedies provided some relief but nothing terribly lasting.  Extra Vitamin C, echinacea, and zinc kept things from stretching into 5 or 6 weeks.  In the end, I was left to stoically accept that viruses in the Midwest were different than those in Texas and to hope that my immune system would eventually develop a resistance.



Then, in Fall 2009, my cousin mentioned a new study(1) that she had read about Vitamin D deficiency contributing to illnesses, in particular upper respiratory illnesses.  I looked up the study and did some quick research on Vitamin D dosages (and over dosages) and then bought a bottle of Vitamin D supplements.  I started taking an an extra 1000 IUs per day.  For the first time in 10 years the worst I came down with was a case of sniffles and a slight sore throat which lasted all of 24 hours.  I am definitely a believer. 



Now, following my youngest son's nasty and rather frightening, bout with pneumonia last May, I've started my kids on some children's chewable Vitamin D tablets, just an extra 500 IUs per day.  We have managed to get 3 weeks into this school year and the worst they've had so far has been cough and sniffles that lasted about 3 days.  During the past couple of school years, my oldest son has, within the first week of classes, come down with an upper respiratory virus that has last for a minimum of 10 days.  Now I see the other kids in his class coughing and sniffling and I am feeling pretty good that he is not, at least not yet.

What is Vitamin D and from where does it come?

Vitamin D is actually a group of fat-soluble secosteroids.  The two most important of these are Vitamin D2 (aka ergocalciferol) and Vitamin D3 (aka cholecalciferol).(2)  Nutritionally, it is found in relatively small number of foods.  These are fatty fish (e.g. catfish, salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, and eel), eggs, beef liver, fish liver oils (e.g., cod liver oil), and mushrooms.   In fact, mushrooms are the only vegan dietary source of Vitamin D.(3)  The label of my Vitamin D supplement does not specify the source but neither does it stipulate that it's source is vegan.  So if you are vegan, I hope you like mushrooms, lots of mushrooms. In some countries, including the USA, some foods such as milk, breakfast cereals, orange juice, flour, margarine, and butter are fortified with Vitamin D.



In vertebrates, Vitamin D is produced in the skin after exposure to ultraviolet-B (UVB) light, either artificial or from the sun.  Peak synthesis occurs when sunlight is at a UV index greater than 3, which occurs daily in the tropics, daily during the spring and summer months  in temperate regions, and almost never in the arctic circles.(4)  Not all outdoor sunlight exposure is equal.  Overcast skies, shade, and air pollution can block UVB rays by as much as 60%.  UVB radiation does not penetrate glass, so sitting indoors in a sunny window does not produce Vitamin D.  Sunscreens with a sun protection factor of 8 or more also block UVB rays, although practically speaking people generally do not apply sufficient amounts or cover all sun-exposed skin, so it is likely that some Vitamin D production will occur anyway.  Clothing also blocks UVB rays.(5) 

Before we all jump the gun and go get a membership at a tanning salon or start visiting the nearest nudist beach, you should consider that some researchers suggest that 30 minutes of sun exposure to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen from late morning to mid-afternoon at least twice a week is enough to provide to sufficient vitamin D synthesis.(6)  Of course this is a generality.  Dark skinned people need longer exposure times than fair skinned people, obese people need more Vitamin D than skinny people,(7) and everyone's body operates uniquely.  Personally, I prefer not to chance the skin cancer.  I use SPF 30+ sunblock, wear hats, and avoid the intense sun during the heat of the day.



How does the body use Vitamin D?

The Vitamin D obtained from sun exposure or diet is biologically inert and must undergo two changes before it is used by the body.  First it is carried in the bloodstream to the liver, where it is converted into a prohormone, calcidiol. The second change takes place in both the kidneys and in the immune system where the circulating calcidiol is converted into calcitriol, the biologically active form of Vitamin D.(8) 



Vitamin D3 aka Cholecalciferol



Vitamin D is essential for to bone strength.  It promotes calcium absorption in the digestive tract and helps maintain adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations enabling normal mineralization of bone and preventing hypocalcemic tetany.  It is also needed for bone growth and maintenance.  Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen, symptoms of rickets, osteomalacia, and osteoporosis.(9)

Vitamin D also plays a significant role in neuromuscular and immune function and reduction of inflammation. It also plays a role in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, all of which are important in fighting and preventing cancers.(10)  In the immune system, calcitriol behaves as a cytokine and helps defend the body against microbial invaders.(11)

What are safe doses of Vitamin D?

First know this, I am not a doctor or a pharmacist.  You should talk to yours before you go start or change dosage of any supplements.  This is doubly important if you are on any medication, pregnant, nursing, or undergoing medical treatment for anything.  The only thing I will do is point you to some websites that discuss dosage and talk about why I decided on my own dosage.

 

First, as I mentioned earlier, Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which means that it is stored in the body differently and is easier to over-dose with than a water soluble vitamin, like Vitamin C.  Vitamin D overdose causes hypercalcemia.  Thus, the main symptoms of Vitamin D overdose are those of hypercalcemia.  These include anorexia, nausea, vomiting, polyuria, polydipsia, weakness, nervousness, pruritus, kidney damage, and renal failure.(12) 

A sustained intake of 50,000 IUs can produces toxicity after several months.  However, there can be medical conditions that can make an individuals more sensitive to Vitamin D; thus my cautionary statements.  The U.S. Dietary Reference Intake Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL or maximum amount that can be tolerated without harm) for infants (birth to 12 months) is 1,000 IUs per day. The UL for children and adults is 2,000 IUs per day.(13)  However, some newer studies indicate that a UL of 10,000 IUs is more appropriate.(14)  These UL numbers are total intake values, dietary, sunlight exposure, and supplemental. 



The Food and Nutrition Board at The National Academies' Institute of Medicine established the Adequate Intake levels (AIs) for Vitamin D based on age alone assuming no exposure to sunlight.  They are 200 IUs for ages birth to 50 years,  400 IUs for 51–70 years, and 600 IUs for 71+ years.(15)  However in 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended a higher minimum intake of 400 IUs for infants.(16)

In March 2007, a group of vitamin D and nutrition researchers published a controversial and provocative editorial contending that Vitamin D intakes of 400 IUs per day were insufficient to maintain serum Vitamin D levels at optimal levels in healthy adults and that daily intakes of 1,700 IUs should be recommended.(17)  Just as reference, typical diets in the United States provide about 100 IUs per day.(18)

Based on these recommendations and the data presented in the new studies, I have chosen to take an additional 1,000 IUs per day.  This is over and above anything I eat, the 800 IUs in my daily multi-vitamin, and anything I receive via sunlight exposure.  The way I see it, I am most likely getting about 2,000 IUs per day, which is the UL.



With my kids, I am, of course, more cautious.  A smaller intake for smaller people.  I calculate that they are receiving 1,000 IUs per day across diet, multivitamin, Vitamin D supplement, and sun exposure.  This is half the UL for their age group.  Add to that the fact that I cannot always get them to eat the vitamins each day, I am not worried in the least.  I am however, very happy having healthy children when everyone else around them is hacking up a lung. 

I am sure that  we'll all come down with some kind of virus that knocks us on our butts.  It's unavoidable.  However, if the extra Vitamin D makes it easier for our immune systems to handle what we might contract, then it's doing its job.  My goal, to keep my kids and myself out of the hospital due to pneumonia or anything else that tries to take up residence in our chests and have fewer illnesses overall. 

Footnotes

(1) Archives of Internal Medicine. "Association Between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey." Adit A. Ginde, MD, MPH; Jonathan M. Mansbach, MD; Carlos A. Camargo Jr, MD, DrPH. (2009) 169(4):384-390. (http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/169/4/384)

(2) Institute of Medicine.  Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride.  (1997) (http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309063507&page=250)

(3) National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D.  (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)

(4) The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Environmental factors that influence the cutaneous production of vitamin D." MF Holick. (March 1995) 61 (3 Suppl): 638S–645S. (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/61/3/638S)

(5) National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D.  (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)

(6) National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)

(7) National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)

(8) Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.  "Update in Vitamin D."  J.S. Adams; M. Hewison (Feb 2010) 95 (2): 471–8. (http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/95/2/471)

(9) National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)

(10) National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)





(11) Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. "Update in Vitamin D." J.S. Adams; M. Hewison (Feb 2010) 95 (2): 471–8. (http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/95/2/471)  

(12) Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, Professional Edition.  "Vitamin D."  Larry E. Johnson, MD, PhD, editor.  (April 2007) (http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec01/ch004/ch004k.html#sec01-ch004-ch004k-BABBBEAE)
 
(13) Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, Professional Edition. "Vitamin D." Larry E. Johnson, MD, PhD, editor. (April 2007) (http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec01/ch004/ch004k.html#sec01-ch004-ch004k-BABBBEAE)
 
(14) National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)
 
(15) National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)
 
(16) Pediatrics. "Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents."  C. L. Wagner; F. R. Greer.  (January 2009) 123(1):197. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18977996?dopt=Abstract)

(17) National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)

(18) Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride.  (1997) (http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309063507&page=250)

Cost Analysis: Hunted Venison Vs Store Bought Beef

My cousin posted the following to my FaceBook wall the other day.

“Neal wants a full cost per pound of hunting venison analysis. He swears it’s more expensive than buying in the store. Please post on my page so he can see it.”

After an initial chuckle, I decided that this was a good exercise. Not only does it appeal to the engineer in me, but it’s a handy thing of which to keep track. I have always believed that overall the cost of hunting venison was, worst case, comparable to purchasing beef; and I suspected that it was most likely less. However, I have never sat down and worked up a comparison.  My response is way too long and detailed to post directly on my cousin’s FaceBook wall, and to be honest, this is really good blog fodder. I am not sure what Neal is expecting to see, but I doubt this is it.

Background
I am pro-hunting. When I was a kid, I remember Daddy and Mom stringing up the deer he had hunted from the grapevine trellis off the back deck and doing their own butchering. No meat went to waste and I seem to recall most of the bones ending up in the stew pot to make broth, which Mom froze for later use as soup stock. We ate a lot of rabbit when I was a kid too. Mom has an incredible BBQ Rabbit recipe.

Fast forward to today, my hubby and father-in-law hunt. It consumes their fall and early winter free-time. Everything is planned around it. It’s something they enjoy doing together and it’s great recreation. I have always encouraged Hubby to hunt because he enjoys it so much and because I believe that this kind of father/son time is priceless, regardless of age. At some point in the future, when my kids are old enough, I hope that my hubby and father-in-law will teach them to hunt as well for the same reasons.

The wild game we harvest never goes to waste. Our freezer is not just filled with venison, but also pheasant, duck, and goose. Because Hubby keeps us supplied with wild game, I really don’t buy much in the way of meat from the store, just the occasional pound of bacon or picnic ham to satisfy a pork craving and fish. If a recipe calls for beef, I substitute venison or, sometimes, goose. If it calls for chicken, I use pheasant. For this reason, I classify the expenses associated with Hubby’s hunting under ‘Groceries’ instead of ‘Recreation’ in our family budget.

Other Considerations
There are numerous benefits to eating wild game. It’s not treated with synthetic hormones, questionable antibiotics, nitrates/nitrites, questionable preservatives, or artificial ‘flavor enhancers’. This appeals to me from an organic living standpoint. Nutritionally, it’s very hard to compete with venison and most wild game in general. Per several studies referenced in the September 2000 Deer & Deer Hunting article, "How Healthy is Venison?” (read a reprinted copy here), a 3½ ounce portion of lean ground beef has 31% more calories, 189% more fat, and 118% more cholesterol than an equal portion of venison. Venison also wins hands down in a vitamin and minerals comparison. You don’t have to take my word for it, go the USDA National Nutrient Database and check out the comparisons for yourself. From a health care cost point of view good nutrition has significant monetary value; however, for purposes of this analysis, I have not attempted to quantify it.

Hunting also has advantages in controlling the deer population. We live in Iowa where the food supply for deer is virtually limitless. Because they have so much to eat, the average whitetail doe has two, sometimes three, fawns per year here. Humans have destroyed the natural predator populations and taken over huge acreages of habitat. Without hunting, the only things to keep deer populations in check are Lyme disease, chronic wasting disease, and deer/vehicle collisions; all of these being excruciating ways to die. I shudder to think how the deer population would explode if hunting were not allowed. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) makes deer population and harvest numbers publicly available for anyone who is interested. I am not going to spend a lot of time on the importance that harvesting deer plays in terms of public safety and preventing property damage.  These benefits have tangible monetary value; but, I am not considering them for purposes of this article. Perhaps, I’ll do a follow-up article at a later date.

I think it's worthwhile to mention that all of the revenue generated by hunting license fees in Iowa goes into a constitutionally protected Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund.  This fund is pays for the majority of the IDNR's fish and wildlife management activities including restoration of native habitat, planting food plots, managing wetlands, acquiring additional land for hunting and fishing, paying for lake improvements and access, and law enforcement activities.  Thus, these functions are not paid for with tax payer dollars.

I also think that Iowa's Help Us Stop Hunger (HUSH) program is worth mentioning.  It is cooperative effort among deer hunters, the Food Bank of Iowa, meat lockers, and the IDNR.  It functions to control the deer population while providing red meat to the needy.  The program is funded by a $1 surcharge included in the cost of the deer license.  A hunter can donate any legally taken deer of any sex from any season by dropping it off at a participating meat locker, where it is processed, and then transported to the Iowa Food Bank for distribution.  During the 2009 alone, more than 7,075 deer were donated to HUSH, generating 1.2 million meals to Iowa's less fortunate. 

Harvested Meat Yield
According to IDNR, the typical Iowa whitetail buck ranges between 240 and 265 pounds on the hoof. The typical doe ranges between 140 and 160 pounds. For purposes of this analysis, I used an average buck live weight of 252.5 pounds and an average doe live weight of 150 pounds. The method for estimating realistic meat yield based on live weight is outlined on the Butcher & Packer website. This method condenses down into a single equation: Realistic Meat Yield = 0.2753*Live Weight. Thus, each buck yields 69.5 lbs meat and each doe 41.3 pounds of meat on average. Hubby routinely harvests three deer each year, one buck and two does for an average total of 152.1 lbs of meat, in an assortment cuts.

Capital Investment in Equipment
Most hunters invest in a certain minimum amount of equipment. While it is possible for the occasional hunter to borrow some of this equipment, anyone who hunts routinely should really get his own. Because we live in Iowa, deer season is cold, often with snow on the ground; thus, I have included a good pair of boots and winter wear in this list. My hubby uses this gear for snow blowing the driveway, sledding with the kids, and working outside when it’s cold. So really, this was an investment we would have made regardless; however, for the sake of conservatism, I have included it in the cost of venison. The table below provides an itemized capital equipment list, cost of new equipment, life expectancy, salvage value (if any), and annual straight-line depreciated cost.

Just as a side note for those unfamiliar with deer hunting regulations in Iowa, rifles are not permitted except occasionally during a limited season in one or two of the southern counties. Hunters here use shotguns fitted with slug barrels. There is also a bow season. However, Hubby doesn’t bow hunt so I did not figure those costs into this analysis. Handy capital items not included, because we would own them regardless, are a chest freezer and a pick-up truck.

Please note that the annualized cost of the shot gun shown here is an overestimate for anyone who uses that weapon to hunt anything in addition to deer (e.g. pheasant, goose, duck, and turkey). You would have to account for the total pounds of meat hunted with the gun to make the adjustment. So realistically, for us, the final cost per pound of venison number generated here is a bit high.

Annual Expenses

The annual expenses associated with deer hunting in Iowa are itemized in the following table.

We have our deer butchered and processed at Ruzicka’s, a meat locker in nearby Solon, Iowa. However, you could save the majority of your annual operating expenses by doing the butchering yourself, as my parents did when I was a kid.

Cost Comparison: Our Hunted Venison to Store Bought Beef
Thus, the total annual expense of hunting venison in Iowa is $428.08 with a 152.1 pound meat yield which comes to $2.81 per pound venison, regardless of cut (i.e., everything including steaks, roasts, chops, tenderloin, and ground).

So how does this compare to the current price of beef in the store? (For the sake of argument, I am going to ignore how government subsidies and price supports create an artificially low price for beef.)  The most realistic comparison would be with organic grass-fed beef, which brings a premium in most stores. However, not surprising to me, our hunted venison also bests the prices for the cheaper commercially raised and processed beef as well. I compared prices from three different sources – the USDA Economic Research Service, Hy-Vee (an Iowa based grocery chain), and New Pioneer Coop (our local whole foods store).

Hands down the best nutrition for the best price is our hunted venison. My hubby does a great job bringing home the groceries!

The Quest for Good Nutrition - Ode to Flax

For those friends of ours who have had or will have a sample of my cooking, it seems fair to warn you that you have been or will be consuming flax seed. Over the last couple of years I have been cooking more and more with flax, or rather ground brown flax seed. I put a tablespoon of it in everything I bake, from cookies, to bread, to pancakes. It does not change the texture, taste, or cooking requirements of these items so its a quick and easy change.

I also use flax seed oil whenever I make salad dressing. The oil smokes at higher temperatures so I do not recommend it for cooking but in salad dressings and other recipes that do not require heat, it is great. The taste, though different from olive oil, is just fine.

Why go the trouble you ask? Well, my patented mommy answer is that it's good for you. However, for those who require a bit more data, I will elaborate.

Brown flax seeds contain high levels of lignans and omega-3 fatty acids. There is a golden or yellow flax seed variety but it does not contain the high levels of good stuff that the brown does, so I don't use it. According to some studies, lignans benefit the heart, possess anti-cancer properties, and, in mouse studies, reduced the growth rate of in some tumor types. Flax seed may also lower cholesterol levels (good for those with a history of heart disease) and helps stabilize blood sugar levels (lessening the severity of diabetes and hypoglycemia). Add to all of this laxative properties due to dietary fiber content and it really hard to find a reason not to add it to our diet a tablespoon full at a time.

For the sake of completeness, I should say that consuming large quantities not necessarily recommended because the high fiber may cause constipation for those that don't drink enough water. I have also read warnings about large amounts of flax interfering with oral medications. By large amounts, I mean replacing your wheat consumption with flax seed meal, not a mere tablespoon or two per loaf of bread. Thus, since I don't use large quantities of the stuff, I am confident that I am cooking beneficially.

I find my ground flax seed meal in the health food section of our local grocery store. Out of the brands the store carries, Bob's Red Mill brand has the best price so far, though I still check the numbers periodically. If you can't find Bob's Red Mill at your local store you can order from them directly via the internet. I get a 1 pound bag at a time and it lasts about 2 months depending on how much baking I do and how pancake mornings my youngest son requests. Store it in a sealed container or in the refrigerator to prevent it from going rancid. Happy cooking!

The Quest for Good Nutrition - Bread

I took us off store bought bread in January. Yep, the bread we eat is homemade (with the exception of the occasional bagels, tortillas, and pita bread). I have a bread machine so this is not as time consuming a process as it sounds. I have been averaging about 1 loaf every 2 or 3 days so far. There are multiple ideas behind this decision.

1) Expense - The price of bread has gone up significantly and I am unwilling to buy the cheap, tasteless, nutritionless, generic white breads available for just under $2. Even then, the price of the cheap stuff has gone up significantly. You used to be able to get that stuff for under $1. Anyway, in the interest of reducing our grocery expenses I am going homemade. A 5-lb bag of bread flour is about $3.00 and I can 4 to 5 loaves of bread per bag. We already had the bread machine which I only used occasionally prior to this.

2) Variety - I can rotate types of bread more easily this way. Country white, sourdough (I made my own starter), oatmeal, and Hawaiian are favorites and have good texture for sandwiches. The occasional treats, like chocolate bread, are guaranteed to bring a smile to DH's face. The variety keeps things from getting too routine.

3) Nutrition - You just can't beat the nutrition associated with home made. I also experiment with the recipes by substituting some of the bread flour for whole wheat, amaranth, millet, or potato flour. I have also started adding 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed to all my baked goods. This adds nutrients we would not normally be getting, including additional fiber (for DH =P) and omega-3 fatty acids for cardio health and lipid control. Good stuff! Added benefits include no artificial fillers so prevalent in store bought and ready made foods and no corn sweeteners. Corn sweeteners are one of the biggest evils in the average American diet. But that's just my opinion; maybe I'll expound on it another time.

I have also been experimenting with wheat free/gluten free breads as well with some marginal success. They just don't have the right texture for good sandwich breads and flavor is an issue for some recipes I have tried. Anyway, just trying to rotate our grain consumption a little better to see if it helps with DS1's attention span and ability to focus. I think he has shown improvement but it's hard to say if the diet change has contributed significantly - too many other other variables.

So that's it... If anyone is interested in swapping bread recipes, let me know. I've got some good ones.