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Food pyramid: Stick to it

Promised Land Bread
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
TheReporter.Com

There's something, well, peculiar, about the food pyramid just released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Never mind that it took four years and $2.4 million to change the 13-year-old pyramid into the one you see today.

The new pyramid shows a stick figure racing up the steps. Sticks, as you know, need lots of exercise, and the way 
they get it is by racing up the steps of a food pyramid. Shake a leg! Get the lead out! You go, girl (or guy)! There's 
a triple cheeseburger, a double order of French fries and a super-sized chocolate shake waiting for you at the top.

Sticks do not race up steps. They stand at the bottom and push the elevator button.

Next to The Stick Person are six vertical, rainbow-colored bands stretching from the top to the bottom, or apex to 
the base. You can't possibly know they represent the food groups unless you go to www.mypyramid.gov. The reason 
they call it "my pyramid" is because it's yours. You paid for it and you can personalize it.

There are no icons or labels on the bands of colors, probably because the USDA folks want you to get more exercise 
by clicking on the individual colors. Then you will learn that orange is for grains, green is for vegetables, red is for fruit, 
yellow is for oils, blue is for milk, and purple is for meat and beans. Just think of the tri-tip on your plate as purple. Got 
milk? Got blue? If you can remember all that, then you pass with flying colors.

Do not confuse the colors with homeland security advisory system of terrorist alerts. You know, green is low, blue is 
guarded, yellow is elevated, orange is high, and red is severe. We are in a yellow alert now, and that means oils in the
food pyramid. If we go up a color to orange, we're on high alert for grains. And red? Severe terrorist attack and fruits.
That's something to shake a stick at.

If you're really confused, just think of "red and blue" as representing the states that went Republican or Democrat in the
last presidential election. Blue? That would be Democrats. Land of milk. Forget the honey. Red? In the grand pyramid 
scheme of things, that would represent Republicans and fruits.

We can all be thankful that the USDA didn't name the colors after the Crayola crayons. Mango tango for orange. 
Mountain meadow for green. Cranberry for red. Banana mania for yellow. Denim for blue. And purple mountain's 
majesty for purple.

What USDA is trying to tell us is this: Eat your fruits and vegetables. Eat whole grains. Eat calcium-rich foods. Get 
more exercise. Do not cross over into the Great Divide and eat junk food. Twinkies and Krispy Kremes are not on 
the food pyramid. Neither are potato chips, cheese curls or candy bars. They will make you round.

Food choices are indeed a major problem. Statistics show that 64 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. 
The number of children and adolescents in America who are overweight has tripled during the past three years. 
High-fat, high-sugar foods and lack of exercise are the culprits.

By placing the food guide pyramid on the Internet and letting folks personalize it - isn't that what those teenage boys 
with raging hormones are doing on the public-access computers in the Solano County libraries? - the plan is to 
educate us about nutritional food choices, physical activity and healthy lifestyles.

Trying to reach everyone via the Internet does have its drawbacks. Internet use is growing rapidly, but not so much 
among ethnic groups and low-income households. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 
May-June 2004 Tracking Survey, 63 percent of American adults go online. Among black adults, Internet usage 
stands at 43 percent; Hispanic adults, 59 percent. In low-income households (less than $30,000 a year) only 
44 percent of adults use the Internet.

University of California Cooperative Extension nutritional experts are working to spread the word to those who 
may not otherwise hear it. And, one-size does not fit all, they point out. "The new pyramid captures the important 
dietary concepts of personalization, gradual improvement, physical activity, need for variety, and moderation in 
serving size," says U.C. Berkeley nutrition education specialist Joanne Ikeda.

It's a promise they are keeping.

Speaking of promises, you have to try Marjorie King's original recipe for Promised Land Bread. Marjorie, a former 
Fairfield resident, was known as "The Herb Lady" at the now defunct Solano County Fair Gourmet Cooking Festival 
and the equally defunct Vacaville Onion Festival.

She now pushes mowers (she owns Reel Mowers Etc.) and healthy lifestyles in Granada. Of her recipe, she says: 
"The Promised Land refers to the biblical 'land of milk and honey.' This recipe is easy; the honey seems to encourage
the yeast, and milk bread is said to keep longer than that made with water. It is my favorite way to make bread.

"This light, rich dough is very versatile," she adds. "You can use it for dinner rolls, sandwich rolls or breakfast treats, 
such as cinnamon rolls. It also makes a delightful doughnut."

Promised Land Bread
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 package or one tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
6 cups sifted unbleached white flour (approximately)

Place butter, salt and honey in mixer bowl. Scald milk, add to bowl; allow to cool. Soften yeast in warm water. When 
milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add yeast mixture. Add about two cups of flour, beat well, then gradually add 
remaining flour to make a light, sticky dough. Turn dough into greased bowl, cover and chill thoroughly, then form into 
your favorite roll shape. Allow to rise in a warm place until dough is doubled in bulk.

Bake at 400 degrees F until golden brown. Remove from oven, allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then turn rolls 
over to finish cooling upside down.

For shaped rolls: Try making small dough balls for plain rolls. Make large balls for sandwiches. Top sandwich rolls 
with poppy or sesame seeds, if desired.

For spiral rolls: Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick, spread with butter, butter and honey, butter and poppy seeds, 
or butter, cinnamon and sugar, then roll up into a log and slice.

For ring: Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick, spread with chopped apples, cinnamon, sugar, walnuts and butter. 
Roll into log, place log on baking sheet, turning it into a ring, then, using a sharp knife, slash across the ring in several 
places. When baked, glaze with powdered sugar dissolved in a little milk and a few drops of vanilla extract.

For doughnuts: Roll to about 1/2 inch thickness, cut with doughnut cutter, allow to rise, then deep fry. Roll in 
confectioner's sugar, sugar and cinnamon, or glaze or frost with your favorite thin chocolate frosting.

Recipe from: Marjorie King

If you want to ignore the USDA pyramid but keep the color, try this recipe for lime bars from Alisa D. Bangerter's 
cookbook, "Sweet Surprises for the Holidays" (although you can make any day a holiday). It has added color - green 
food coloring.

Lime Bars Recipe
Bottom layer:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
Top layer:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (approximately 1 large lime)
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest (optional)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4-5 drops green food coloring

To make bottom layer: Mix together flour and powdered sugar. Cut in the butter or margarine until crumbly and the 
mixture clings together. Spread the dough in an 8-by-8-inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until 
lightly browned. While the crust is baking prepare the topping layer.

For the topping: In a mixing bowl, slightly beat the eggs. Add the lime juice, zest, sugar, flour and food coloring. 
Mix well and pour the mixture over the hot baked crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove from 
the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool and cut into small squares.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

Note: Recipe can be doubled and made in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

* * *

This recipe for a strawberry shake from the California Strawberry Commission is great for after school, after work 
or after any time.

After-School Strawberry Shake
1 pint basket strawberries, stemmed
2 medium bananas, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups ice cubes, divided
1/2 cup nonfat strawberry or plain yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey

Place all ingredients except 1 1/2 cups of the ice cubes in blender; blend on high speed until smooth, scraping down ingredients in blender occasionally. Add remaining ice; continue to blend until smooth. Serve in tall glasses, dividing 
equally. Serves 3.

More recipes from Kathy Keatley Garvey can be found at www.thereporter.com. 
E-mail her at kathygarvey@mac.com.

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