A portion of the proceeds from The Braces Cookbook go to benefit Smiles for a Lifetime, a program that pays for dental care for high school students. Glyph Award winner.

Many of you know that I LOVE niche cookbooks. That’s why I was so pleased to receive copies of The Braces Cookbook and The Braces Cookbook 2 from The Discovery Box. Although, I have never worn braces I have endured more than my share of dental work because of loose or lost fillings, ugh! It seems you are always hungriest the moment you leave the dentist office.

These cookbooks offer alternative recipes and substitutions for some of our favorite dishes.

The Braces Cookbook
Written by Pamela Waterman, an author, editor and engineer.  And, Brenda Waterman, who was eleven years old when she created the concept of The Braces Cookbook. Here are a few examples:

Caramel Apple Days (this recipe inspired the cookbook) <<< -- LOVE THIS
Soft-Crust Pizza
Three-Corn Extravaganza (substitute when craving corn on the cob)

 Wirebound and nicely indexed with a section for notes in the back. Very simple recipes with fun tooth trivia throughout the book. Great for cooking with kids or for teens cooking alone. Thoughtful tips for eating out. Alas, no food photos However, it would make a great gift, especially if bundled with a few ingredients in a nice basket.

For this edition, Pamela Waterman teamed up with Chef Amee Hoge, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute of NYC and culinary instructor. It is definitely a step into the “adult” world with gourmet recipes and tips for dealing with braces in a business environment. There are wonderful  color photographs and simple tips accompanying the recipes. Here are a few of my favorites:

Creamed chicken puffs <<--- great quick appetizers you can make from leftovers
Roasted eggplant boats
Sausage chicken paella <<--- nice flavor

 Find out more at www.BracesCookbook.com

 Chef Jill Houk
Co-Founder of Centered Chef Food Studios
Chicago, IL

Students are just settling into the fall semester (or gearing up to go), which usually ushers in late nights, stressful situations, and some very poor food and drink choices. Despite eating cafeteria food or food cooked in a dorm room, students can still feed themselves healthfully and easily. Follow these tips and recipes to maximize energy, retain a good level of focus and avoid “the freshman 15.”

• Stay hydrated to maintain ideal weight AND energy levels. To do so, drink plenty of water. Most people know thirst can disguise itself as hunger, which can cause you to overeat or make you make poor food choices. What’s interesting is that thirst can also disguise itself as fatigue. Even slight dehydration can leave you feeling tired and lethargic. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. If you feel fatigued after a good night’s sleep, try cutting down on alcohol during the evening.
• Avoid or minimize consumption of alcohol. Alcohol contains empty calories, is dehydrating, and leads to poor food choices when consumed in excess.
• Reduce reliance on caffeine. Although you may be tempted for the short-term boost a soda or coffee provides, the best way to ensure you can face all the challenges at school is to get adequate rest. Caffeine often interrupts sleep, is dehydrating and provides an artificial sense of alertness that does not equate to the rest your body needs to study.
• Always eat breakfast! Studies have shown that people that eat breakfast are in a better mood and have more energy throughout the day. Optimal breakfasts are full of fiber and protein, which provide sustained energy. Excellent choices are scrambled eggs with veggies, plain eggs with a fruit salad, oatmeal, or whole-grain toast with cheese or peanut butter. Even a slice of cold pizza with lean meat and veggies is an ideal day starter!
• Keep your blood sugar levels balanced by eliminating sugary foods. This way, the flow of energy to your body is constant. If you eat foods that are high in sugar, the blood sugar level will spike, giving you a short term energy boost but leave you feeling fatigued later. Instead of sugar, opt for produce, proteins and whole grains. These foods provide a slow, steady release of fuel, normalizing blood sugar levels and keeping your energy level consistent.
• Always choose whole grains when they are offered. This includes whole wheat bread, brown rice, barley and whole grain cereals like oatmeal. Grains are excellent sources of B vitamins, which help to counteract the chemicals and pollutants that pollute the body.
• Studying and late nights drain energy from your system. To add it back, ensure you’re getting enough anti-oxidants. Eat 6-10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. It’s easy to get this amount. A banana is two servings, a handful of raisins in another serving, a small salad is two servings and half a cup of cooked broccoli is another serving. You’re already at six if you eat all this!!!
• When choosing produce, lean towards darker fruits and veggies, such as spinach, dark leafy greens, vibrant berries and sweet potatoes. These contain the most nutrients per calorie, and will lead to increased energy.
• Stock your dorm room with healthy, low-fat, high-nutrient snacks like microwave popcorn, whole grain pretzels, dried fruit, canned and frozen vegetables and fresh hardy fruit like citrus, apples and pears.
• Ask your loved ones to send you a pre-paid grocery card instead of a care package. It’s easier for them to mail, and makes it convenient for you to buy healthy foods, instead of loading up on homemade cookies and cakes. If you need a cookie and cake fix, befriend a dorm-mate whose loved ones keep sending fattening foods. Eat a reasonable portion and feel satisfied without blowing your diet!
• If your friends and family insist on sending you unhealthy foods, set it in a common area to share. You’ll gain instant popularity while maintaining your health.
• For those days when you have had too much alcohol the night before, treat your body to foods that replenish nutrients you’ve lost during drinking. Foods high in potassium help, and include orange juice, potatoes, bananas, avocados, tomatoes, broccoli, soybeans, brown rice, garlic and apricots. You will also want to include foods high in cysteine, the substance that breaks down hangover-causing toxins. Foods high in cysteine include eggs, pork, chicken, turkey, duck, luncheon meat, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, red peppers, garlic, onions, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, oats, granola, and wheat germ.
• College is a stressful time, so choose foods that fight anxiety, such as berries, guacamole, mixed nuts, oranges, asparagus, chai tea, and dark chocolate.
  If you are eating at a cafeteria or in a fraternity/sorority dining room, communicate with the foodservice director that you would like healthy foods available. Often, directors assume that college students want only burgers, pizzas and fries, and that’s what they provide in abundance. While students do crave these foods, others enjoy salads, fish, vegetarian entrees or ethnic dishes. By voicing your dietary needs, you will have a better chance of getting healthy food.

Recipes>> Read more…

Kids in the Kitchen w/Travel Writer & Cookbook Author, Jennifer Evans Gardner

Jennifer Evans Gardner is a food and travel writer, cookbook author, and the owner of Little Feet In The Kitchen, a Los Angeles based children’s cooking school. Previously a film and television writer/producer, she has written for WB Animation, Walt Disney Television Animation, MTV, Tribune Entertainment, Lifetime II and Fox. She wrote and edited for Vicki Iovine’s popular parenting website Girlfriendsguide.com, as well as Weddingchannel.com. She is the author of “Barefoot in the Kitchen – The Pregnancy Survival Cookbook” (Lyons Press), co-author of “Bitchin’ in the Kitchen – The PMS Survival Cookbook” (Kensington Press), and “A Cookbook For Adventurous Young Chefs.”

Jennifer has served as a producer for Walt Disney Television Animation, and has just completed her first children’s book. She has been Editor-In-Chief for NBC’s Today Show travel guru Peter Greenberg, contributing editor for ePregnancy Magazine, and a freelance writer for Eating Magazine, Santa Barbara Magazine and The Studio City Sun, among other publications.

GIVEAWAY ALERT: Jennifer will be giving away a WEEK OF SUMMER COOKING CAMP!

The Sexualization of Our Young Girls

Recently, I read article online about little girls receiving pedicures as young as six years old. Mattel is due to release the new Black Canary Barbie, a.k.a. Hooker Barbie in September. And the Mommy blogger sites lit up with commentary on this subject of the Sexualization of Our Young Girls. Most of them crying “Enough is enough!” What are we teaching our girls? What is the key to positive healthy body image and self-esteem for girls and teens? What’s your opinion?

My Special guests: Elizabeth Atkins, Anthony Reeves, Esq. and Christine Lowe-Woolard joined me on The Recipe Box and shared their thoughts. I was entertaining and insightful. You can listen to the program @ The Recipe Box hosted by Barbara Howard
and be sure to leave your comments.

Elizabeth Atkins has appeared on Montell Williams and Oprah. She is a journalist, best selling author and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She is an expert speaker on the topic of multi-racial identity. http://www.elizabethatkins.com/

Christine Lowe-Woolard is a Yale grad, educator, entrepreneur, homeschooler, and prolific blogger. http://www.neosoulmama.info/, http://www.neosoulessentials.com/

Anthony Reeves, Esq is a mentor, motivational speaker, martial artist, talk show host, an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and a member of the Florida State Bar. http://www.reevesfirm.com/, http://www.anthonyreeves.com/