Terre Pruitt's Blog

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Posts Tagged ‘brussels sprouts’

Selective Eater

Posted by terrepruitt on October 31, 2018

A Facebook Friend posted this list recently on Facebook. She received a lot of replies. I was pretty surprised at them. For so many years I was called a picky eater so I was happily surprised to see I was not among the pickiest out of the people who replied to her query. There was one woman who answered 17. SEVENTEEN! The response to her response was, “What do you eat?” I mean, seriously. There are so many things on this list that I DO eat, and they are pretty much staples in my diet I was wondering the same thing about this woman.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit, City of San Jose Exercise ClassesThe numbers from the responses were funny. There was only a handful of people who were in the 0 range. With the bulk of the people being in the 1 to 5 and 10 to 15. And only one being over 15. That was the result when I decided to count, but I am sure that it changed as I saw people had commented after I had done my quick count. I was just curious. I really just wanted to see how many people were “pickier” than me. I do understand, as I am sure so do you, there are a lot more reasons than, “I don’t like it” as to why people don’t eat some things. I am actually very grateful for all of the allergies and intolerances that are now an everyday thing because – again – most people don’t just label someone picky . . . wait staff doesn’t even blink any more when someone orders a menu item but ask for something to be removed. It is no longer really considered a “special order” it is just an order. With so many different diets and things going on it is ok to “rearrange” a menu item – as I call it.

Here is the list with the items I won’t eat circled. I don’t really like green olives with the pimentos, but without them they are fine. I will eat raisins especially golden ones, but I don’t care for the black ones, but sometimes I will eat them. If they are in a dessert item, I will generally not eat that item because . . . it is probably something I should be avoiding anyway. I don’t eat fish raw or otherwise. I like celery soup, but I don’t like celery and I prefer it NOT be in things (chicken salad, green salads, etc.). I don’t like avocados. I don’t even like to touch the mush of them — eww. And I don’t like mustard.

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What about you? How do you fair with this list? How many points did you get?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , | 8 Comments »

The Goodness Of Brussels Sprouts

Posted by terrepruitt on April 10, 2017

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitSo I recently posted about Brussels Sprouts.  I posted about how I roasted them.  But while I was finishing up writing that post I learned something . . . I will admit it . . . I thought is was Brussel Sprout, I didn’t realize is was BrusselS Sprout.  Huh.  Of course, while I was typing up the roasting post, I realized I didn’t know anything about their nutrition value.  As I was typing the last paragraph it dawned on me actually.  I mean there must have been a reason why kids always complained about having to eat them and parents always made their kids do so.  Although, this is with kids of my generation and – not to mean anything bad against our parents because it was WAY different back then – most vegetables were cooked in an awful way back then.  But let me point out some of the BrusselS sprouts benefits:

RAW, Brussels Sprouts, according to United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitCalories per 100g is 43

per 100g (about one cup)

Protein     3.38grams
Carbohydrate     8.95 grams
Dietary fiber     3.8 grams
Calcium     42mg
Iron,     1.40mg
Magnesium    23mg
Sodium     23mg
Zinc     .42mg
Vitamin C     85mg
Pantothenic acid     .309mg
Vitamin B-6     .219mg
Vitamin K     177.pg

Vegetables and food in general is cooked way differently then when I was a child.  There are many different ways — that are common – for things to be cooked.  I am a fan of roasting.  Probably not the best way to do some vegetables in order to get the most out of their nutrition, but it is supper yummy.  And so easy.  I just wash them, cut them, if necessary, them put them in the oven with a timer.  I don’t have to stir the pot or pan, or fuss over them . . . too much.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitAfter I posted the Roasted Brussels Sprouts post, I have actually cooked them a few more times.  One time I roasted them with a medley of other vegetables.  The roasting was with mushrooms, snow pea, and baby bok choy.  And one time . . . you would be surprised to know, I didn’t roast them.  I just sautéed them to add to the grated zucchini and rice.  So very good.  I can’t believe it has taken me so long to get on the train to Brussels Sprouts.

According to The World’s Healthiest Foods website Brussels sprouts have been the focus of almost 100 studies published in the database at the National Library of Medicine in Washington, D.C.  And over half of the studies have to do with cancer prevention.  They are believed to help detox our bodies, as well as provide support to in the form of antioxidants.  They are thought to help with inflammation by helping with excessive inflammation and the prevention of it in the first place.

The World’s Healthiest Foods website does start out by saying that the best way to get the cardio vascular benefits of lowered cholesterol from Brussels sprouts is to steam them.  It has to do with compounds in the vegetable binding better to acids in your system when the veggies are steamed.

Brussels sprouts, a cruciferous vegetable, are a good source of fiber and that is often helpful.

So, it is good to eat your Brussels sprouts.  Do you have a favorite Brussels sprouts recipe?  How do you eat yours?

Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Posted by terrepruitt on March 22, 2017

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitRecently we received Brussels sprouts in our box.  I didn’t remember if I had ever had Brussels sprouts besides at a restaurant that roasted them with bacon.  I am not sure if I had cooked them before.  I vaguely remember doing so and my husband saying he liked them.  I must not have NOT liked them if I cooked them and didn’t remember them.  If you have read any of my vegetable posts then you know how I cook my veggies.  In fact the Brussels sprouts pictured here are not the ones that we received in our box.  I had cooked those thinking I wouldn’t post about them because I always post about roasting veggies because that is basically all I do with them.  I thought you all would not be interested in that because you had read it before.  But then I realized that it is more likely that some of you reading had probably not seen all my previous roasted veggies post, so I thought I would post about the Brussels sprouts when I bought more to cook.  Since my husband enjoyed the ones I roasted that we got in the box, I thought I would buy more and do it again.  They are pretty easy to cook.  But I feel that way with roasting in general, that is why I roast my veggies.  I can wash ’em, cut ’em, put ’em on a pan, throw ’em in the oven and let them cook without having to think about it.

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Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitRoasted Brussels Sprouts

about 1 pound of Brussels sprouts
olive oil
garlic salt
garlic powder
pepper

Preheat the oven to 400° F.  Wash the Brussels sprouts.  Cut the end off of each Brussels sprout, the end where the sprout was growing from the stalk.  Then cut the Brussels sprouts in half.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Put the Brussels sprouts on the pan, spreading them out a bit.  Drizzle some olive oil on the Brussels sprouts.  Sprinkle with garlic salt, salt, and pepper if you’d like.  (I didn’t use pepper.)  Then put them in the oven for about 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes take them out and flip them over, moving them around.  If they seem a bit dry you can always put more olive oil on.  Sprinkling on more seasoning if you would like.  Then put them back in the oven for 15 minutes.  Take them out after the 15 minutes has passed and move them around again, flipping them over, if they are browned to your liking then serve them.  Or you can put them in for a few more minutes like I did.  I like them browned.

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We just ate them like that.  I didn’t add any bacon or cheese or sauce.  We rather enjoyed them.  I do remember having been afraid of Brussels sprouts because I had always heard how awful they were.  Well, they are not.  They are pretty good.  Some even have a little sweetness to them.  They are super easy to make — and I love that.

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Are you a fan of the Brussels sprout?  How do you cook them?

Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: , , , , | 8 Comments »

Kale – Sounds As If It Should Be A Superfood

Posted by terrepruitt on January 19, 2012

After a I teach Nia I am sweaty and going from a somewhat warm studio to the cold when you are wet is not fun. After Nia class yesterday I was so cold I just wanted to go straight home, but I had one stop to make in Willow Glen. But after that I had planned on jumping on the freeway and going straight home. Sometimes getting off the freeway at our exit is difficult. The most direct route requires one to go from the exit ramp across three to four lanes of a sometimes busy street. Most of the time I can safely move across to the turn lane, but every once in a while it is too trafficky and I don’t believe I should stop the people behind me on the ramp NOR the people driving on the street I am going to cross just because I want to make a left hand turn. I don’t believe in endangering others to make it easier on myself. So sometimes I just stay in the most right lane and drive through the light instead of turning left. Then I take a round about way home. But I get there just the same and I don’t stress other drivers or myself. Well, this happened yesterday when I was freezing and just wanted to get home. As I was deciding on my round about way home I realized I might as well just go to the grocery store since I was on that road already. We could always use fresh veggies so I decided to get some.

Nia teacher, dance exercise, Nia class, Nia, San Jose Nia, Nia San JoseWhile I was in the store a woman started talking to me about eggplant. She said it was too difficult to cook so when her neighbors gives it to her she just throws it away. For on brief moment I considered asking her if I could give her my phone number and she could call me and I would take it! Then we started talking about some of the other vegetables that were in the same area. She was saying collard greens are good for you. I told her that my husband loves them. She asked me how I cooked them and I told her I sautéed them. She said she fried them, the same as the eggplant. While we were talking I noticed the Kale. I always forget about kale. I was happy that we were talking and it allowed me to focus for a moment on the kale. I bought some.

Kale is part of the cabbage family. It is just leaves. Kale is part of the family of vegetables that are called cruciferous vegetables. Some other cruciferous vegetables are broccoli, collard greens, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower.

You know how I don’t understand plant species and families and all that. But more and more research is providing information that these types of vegetables are very good for us in regards to nutrients we need.

As much as we all know to take the governmental daily values with a grain of salt, a cup of kale has over 1300% of the daily value of vitamin K, over 350% of vitamin A, and over 80% of vitamin C. It also contains calcium and beta carotene. Research has shown that kale is rich in antioxidant, is an anti-inflammatory, and has properties that are thought to be of the anti-cancer nature. Steamed kale is thought to have cholesterol-lowering benefits.

According to Wiki: Kale freezes well and actually tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to a frost. I, myself, am going to try to make the oh-so-talked-about-you-have-probably-heard-about-them kale chips. In fact I could swear that one of you — one of you that I read your blog — posted about kale chips, but I can’t remember who. I went looking but I couldn’t find the post.

Anyway . . . do you eat kale? If you do how do you eat it? I am going to go experiment right now!

Posted in Vegetables | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »