Physicals...and H1N1 Again

Both boys had their yearly physicals in the past week. Both are "healthy," whatever that means. I confess to being cynical about yearly physicals for the kids. After the uber-specialists DD17 sees, it's hard to believe that listening to a heartbeat or looking in someone's ear is going to give you any information. Yeah, I know, there's more than meets the eye in a physical exam, but can they *really* tell if something is wrong? You have to present with a problem before the real probing begins, and then usually by a specialist.

We were told H1N1 vaccines were still not available, and they would not hold another flu clinic unless they have several hundred doses to distribute. I suspect, however, that they are maintaining a "high risk" list, and perhaps doling out the few vaccines that come in to those children. That's OK. Glad we're not on it, although the doctor did say that DS12 should not get the mist because of his intermittent asthma. So is he "medium risk?"

I asked one of the doctors what they consider high risk, and he said given the shortages, any child with chronic, severe asthma or with cystic fibrosis and on a ventilator.

After Hurricane Katrina, I maintained that we learned we could not depend on our government to take care of us during a major emergency. That's become obvious again with this H1N1 debacle. Stories of wealthy companies and sports teams receiving doses ahead of the general public (i.e., children) abound in the news. Town clinics have long lines of people, many from out of state. There certainly does not appear to be any organization in how these shots are distributed. Very frustrating, especially since we live near what I consider a "medical mecca."

Oh dear, this is becoming the H1N1 Whining Blog.

A Green Smoothie

I tried making green smoothies again. Success! I used the simplest recipe I've seen...two bananas, two cups of water, and a big handful or two of baby spinach leaves (enough to fill the blender). This made enough for about 3 or 4 glasses.

I was quite excited. I'm sure the kids think I'm a nut, but they indulged me by trying it. They agreed all you could taste was bananas, although they did make comments like "Looks like something Shrek would drink" and "I feel like I'm drinking pond scum."

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Hopefully green smoothies and the like will protect us against H1N1, because they're giving the virus away free at the local supermarket. Today, my cashier and the one behind me were trading stories about how they dragged themselves into work after three days home sick with aches, chills, and headaches. AARRGH. Now we know how pandemics happen.

Feeling Better

I had a good night's sleep after a two-day migraine, and feel like a million bucks. It's amazing what 7 hours of good rest does for my energy levels and my mental state. I try to encourage the older two to get to bed at a decent hour, but they have so much homework in addition to school activities and sports. (DS12 loves to sleep, so he's not an issue.) Since we've been unsuccessful trying to get the H1N1 shot so far, my approach has been more fruits and vegetables and more rest. It's all I can do to try to keep them healthy.

Yesterday I tried to make green smoothies for two of the kids. Green smoothies are all over the Internet and I confess to being intrigued by them...they are so green. Most recipes suggest fresh baby spinach leaves along with fruit, but I only had frozen spinach, frozen blueberries, and pears. The blueberries, unfortunately, turned the smoothie a muddy purple instead of the bright green I was hoping for. But the frozen spinach worked okay, after I let it thaw a bit. And you really couldn't taste the spinach, since it was masked by the sweetness of the fruit. I'll try making them again without blueberries, just because I think it's fun. (And while my kids will eat spinach now, they wouldn't when they were younger. I wonder if I could've gotten them to try a green smoothie back then. It would have been a great way to get healthy greens into them.)

Last night DS15's team won their game and will move on in the playoffs. I was not there, but husband reports that the fans--mostly parents--were a little out of control. I always find it interesting (and scary) how quickly parents can go over the top at a sporting event. I understand anger if your child gets hurt because of rough play and bad calls, but truly some parents set very bad examples. Uh, this is an upper middle-class community with educated people. You'd think they'd know better.

Feeding a Teenage Boy on the Go

We are a society on the go. Trying to eat healthy while away from home takes some thought and planning. Throw in picky appetites and other variables, and I don't think I'm always successful.

DS15 has an away-game tonight. They will be traveling about two hours each way (it's the playoffs) so he needed to pack food. The high school coach won't stop for fast food (thank goodness), but even if he did DS15 informed me he'd rather bring his own. So I sent him to school with a couple of soy-nut butter sandwiches and water bottles for the bus ride to the game...he won't have to worry about keeping them cold all day. And since my husband will go to the game, he's bringing a cooler with some roast beef subs and pumpkin muffins and will give them to DS15 after the game for the long ride home. I'd like to toss in some fruit too, but I didn't make it to the store in the last few days and we're running low on what DS15 likes.

I almost never buy deli anymore, because of the scary nitrates. However, when I'm desperate and need some sandwich fillings, I will get some high-quality deli roast beef. I figure roast beef has to have less preservatives than ham or turkey or bologna. Here in the Northeast, the brand Dietz and Watson claims to have less than 1% of ingredients I can't pronounce, at least in the roast beef (london broil). And considering I'll buy it maybe once every 3-4 months (if that), I figure it's OK.

I know Whole Foods carries nitrate-free deli, but it's not always convenient to get there and it's twice the price.

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I'm running low on fresh fruits and vegetables because I spent most of the last few days under a blanket on the couch. I had a killer migraine that I could not shake, despite prescription medicine. It really took me down and I was quite ineffective around here. Today it's 90% gone, but the aftereffects make me very tired and not on my game at all. I think the weather this weekend contributed, since the temperature spiked rapidly. For me, weather changes can cause a doozy of a migraine.

Really Good Really Easy Dinner Rolls

The other night I made dinner rolls. Homemade dinner rolls. (Pat self on back--I was so excited.) The recipe came from Taste of Home: Honey-Oat Pan Rolls.

I know my way around a kitchen and can and will try to cook anything, but my dinner rolls have always been a disaster. I can make a decent loaf of bread and a good pizza crust, but something about turning dough into rolls has eluded me for years. They're either too hard or too doughy or look unappetizing. They almost always taste okay, if you love bread-y foods, but they never come close to store-bought brown-'n-serve style rolls.

One of the curses of becoming a label reader is realizing all the extra, unhealthy ingredients (like high fructose corn syrup) in simple bread products. (I wrote about trying to buy a healthier loaf of bread here.) I understand some ingredients keep items shelf-stable, but I worry about what all those preservatives are doing to our bodies. Enter home-made bread and rolls, at least occasionally.

The rolls even looked good. I forgot to brush them with melted butter, but we didn't even miss it. Not too sweet and with the addition of whole-wheat flour, these are definitely healthier than store-bought. You could probably even tweak them a bit with healthy additions like flaxseed, or try other grains like rye flour. I used my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook, because I was rushing and didn't have the time or space to knead, so they were really easy to make.

I will definitely make these again.

Thursday Musings

This week has been dragging along. Maybe it's the time change, but we're all so tired. DS12 went to bed at 8:15 last night, and still had to be awakened at 6:15 a.m. today. I'm still adjusting to the darkness at 4:45 every afternoon...it feels like a surprise every day when I look outside and notice it.

This H1N1 vaccine shortage has been so frustrating. The kids and teachers at both schools are dropping like flies, but the numbers haven't reached a critical point yet. It seems as if they ebb and flow so that people are sick at different times. DD17 is amazed she hasn't caught the flu yet, since everyone around her is coughing. One teacher ordered a coughing student out of her classroom and sent her to the nurse, despite the student's objections. Very frustrating for everyone.

Our town had a Halloween candy "give back" day, where the kids were encouraged to give up some Halloween candy that would then be sent to the troops overseas. We sorted out at least half of the candy and dropped it off, with no arguments. Even DS12 agreed it was best to cut back on the candy and up the healthy snacks, given all the germs around. I generally let the kids eat as much candy as they want, since the gluttony usually lasts about a week only, but this year they finally seem to "get it." DD17 really hasn't eaten much candy at all since she was diagnosed with her nut allergy (although we do treat her occasionally to an order from Vermont Nut Free chocolate). And DS15 gets the connection between athletic performance and what he puts in his body, and he's had success in the sports he plays so he figures he's doing something right, nutritionally.

And I do remember when growing up there were always some kids around who weren't ever allowed candy or soda or cookies. They seemed to be the ones who used their lunch money to buy junk instead of lunch at school. And while I know the junk is everywhere today, and the kids (at least in elementary school) have so many occasions in school for candy/parties/etc. (which used to drive me crazy), I think banning everything doesn't teach a child to make good decisions. They have to understand the connection between what they put in their mouths and the effect it may have on their body or even their moods. Because eventually, they will be exposed to situations where they have to make the choice of what to eat or not eat. Arming a child with the knowledge of what to choose and when is infinitely better, I think, than never having exposed them to that choice at all.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is a fun vegetable to serve my family. Full of nutrients and low-cal to boot, it's a great way to get more vegetables into the kids. Tossed with tomato sauce and grated cheese, it really does look like spaghetti.

To cook, split a washed squash in half lengthwise. Place halves skin side down in baking pan. Add an inch of water to pan and then cover tightly with tin foil. Bake in 350 degree oven for about an hour, or until strands separate easily with a fork.

Allow to cool until easy to handle. Remove seeds and then with a fork, scoop out the flesh. It will separate easily into spaghetti-like strands.

We like it served simply with a light tomato sauce, but I recently tried this recipe which we liked, too. You can also toss it with a heartier meat sauce, making it the centerpiece of the meal.