Zebra Potatoes

  Here's an idea for dressing up mashed potatoes (or maybe, for getting more vegetables into your kids):

Make mashed potatoes your usual way.  Also, mash sweet potatoes or yams.  If you wish, sweeten them with a little orange juice or cinnamon.  Put the 2 kinds of potatoes into a heat-proof glass bowl or a baking pan, in stripes or alternating layers.  Swirl them together a little with a table knife.  Attractive-looking, aren't they?  (And no gravy needed)

Popcorn's Good News

++  Popcorn has higher antioxidant levels than vegetables. 

That headline grabbed attention!  

  Popcorn is a great snack food.  It is 100% whole grain, and one of the few snack food items common today that isn't highly processed.  One serving provides about 70% of a person's daily recommended intake for whole grains and is high in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant.
  It's low moisture content means that the nutrients are more concentrated, much like they are in dried fruit.  Of course, this means the calories are more concentrated, too; but, popcorn doesn't have many to start with.  A 3-cup serving of air-popped corn provides fewer than 100 calories, if eaten plain.  Microwave-popped corn averages 43% fat and closer to 200 calories  Popped yourself (in a pan on the stove), it's about 28% fat. according to Joe Vinson, PhD, University of Scranton, PA.  "Kettle-popped" has both sugar and fat added.  Another way to put a big dent in it's healthful nutrient profile is to add salt and butter to popped corn, as is often done at home or at theaters.

Love popcorn?  Munch on!