such small hands

Upper Peninsula Explorations

For five of the last six years, my husband and I have spent several of our vacation days in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Our “base of operations” is Munising, at the Holiday Inn Express, which commands a sweeping view of Grand Island, Munising Bay and Lake Superior beyond.

The U.P. has many charms for us, all of them relating to its unspoiled natural beauty. You can see and feel the difference almost as soon as you’ve crossed the Mackinac Bridge and begin the drive west on U.S. 2. The northern shore of Lake Michigan is less developed and more rugged than the lakeshore below the bridge. The towns are small and far between.

Besides being the jumping-off point for the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Munising is a nice central location along Superior’s southern shore from which to take day trips.

So, after you’ve taken the Pictured Rocks boat tour and eaten at the Dogpatch, what is there to do around Munising? Here are some new things we did this year:

Glass-Bottom Boat Shipwreck Tour. Based in Munising, the two-hour tour takes you over three wrecks around Grand Island. The oldest dates from between the late 1700s and late 1800s; the most recent from the 1920s. The history is fascinating and the views of Grand Island are stunning. The captain and tour guide didn’t find it necessary to fill up every moment with idle chatter and corny jokes, letting passengers enjoy the fresh lake breezes and views in our own way. But the captain did speak up to call our attention to a bald eagle perched atop a tall tree on the island’s shore. Because it was a calm day, we were able to come in close to one of the caves carved in the cliff. A pleasant way to spend an early afternoon. Adult fares are $32.

Au Sable Light Station near Grand Marais. We discovered this little gem in the book “Gentle Hikes of Upper Michigan.” The trailhead starts a few miles off H-58. It’s about a 3-mile round trip, but the trail is wide, fairly smooth and the hills aren’t steep. If we hadn’t already walked to Sable Falls that day, we might have taken the lighthouse tour. But the walk offers nice views of Lake Superior and the lighthouse itself is lovely.

Laughing Whitefish Falls, in the middle of almost nowhere. Nearest the little town of Sundell, the falls are about 20-some miles either way from Munising or Marquette, but SO worth the drive. The walk is only about a mile round trip, but you have to descend about 150 stairs to get to the base of the falls. There are lots of places to rest along the way. It’s not the quantity of water that makes these falls so enchanting, but the deep gorge and layered limestone walls that wrap you in a peaceful embrace far from the world’s cares. It feels like sacred space.

(If you love waterfalls, the area around Munising is rich with them. A great resource is "A Guide to 199 Michigan Waterfalls" by the Penroses.)

 Laughing Whitefish Falls

Presque Isle Nature Trail in Marquette. Presque Isle Park is a huge recreation area that juts out into Lake Superior at the northern tip of Marquette. The 1.5-mile trail is inside the park, and even though you’re so close to the city, you feel as if you’re in deep woods. Toward the end of the trail, you have some beautiful views of Lake Superior and the Presque Isle Light.

Foggy’s Steakhouse and Bar in Christmas, Michigan. Foggy’s (as in “then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say …”) is across the highway from a big hotel and casino, but you will find the parking lot full on most nights. The steaks are generous, well-prepared and well-priced. You can even grill your own if you’ve a mind to. We went back for lunch and enjoyed the salad with peppercorn filet tips.

“Bucket list” restaurants: These are well worth the drive out of Munising:

• Brownstone Inn on M-28 near Au Train is the closest you can get to fine dining outside of Marquette. They offer a varied menu, including three preparations of Lake Superior whitefish.
• Buckhorn Resort restaurant and bar is a short drive from Munising down M-94 and Buckhorn Road. The featured dish is broasted chicken. The dining room offers a gorgeous tree-framed view of Hovey Lake and binoculars for bird-watching.
• Bear Trap Inn is on H-58 a few miles east of Munising. You can’t miss with a fried whitefish sandwich or basket.

Our New (to Us) Approach to Eating

The DASH diet has been around a long time. I just learned of it in January, when it was again named one of the best diets in the country by U.S. News & World Report. DASH is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

Ken and I both are on blood pressure medications, and we’d love to take less of them. We both wanted to shed a few pounds. So when I proposed this new way of eating, Ken was totally on board.

I checked out some websites, found a Facebook support group page, and bought a book for my Kindle to learn how it all worked. You’ll find a ton of DASH diet books on the shelves and on Amazon, but I chose “The DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution” by Marla Heller, because it seemed to fit our goals and I just liked the tone. It doesn’t promise a quick fix; it presents a long-term lifestyle change that’s doable and sustainable.

The list of Don’ts is pretty short:

• Very limited added sugar
• Very limited refined starches

The Do list is much longer:

• All the non-starchy vegetables you want
• Up to 3 servings of fruit a day
• Up to 3 servings of whole grains a day
• Low-fat or non-fat dairy
• Lean protein
• Nuts, beans and seeds
• Healthy fats (for example olive oil and avocado)

I have three meals and usually three snacks a day. Some kind of protein is included in every meal and snack — it may be meat, nuts, beans or dairy. My favorite snacks are cottage cheese with chopped tomatoes and fresh ground pepper, or plain nonfat yogurt with fresh fruit. 

No Crust Pizza from the "Weight Loss Solution" book

I try to incorporate veggies in every meal — even breakfast — which may be a hard-boiled egg or a frittata muffin and a slice of Canadian bacon. I try to keep plastic containers in the fridge well-stocked with cut-up celery, peppers, radishes and cucumbers. 

We’re allowed two or three planned splurges every week, so on our date night we may treat ourselves to some really good bread, or potatoes. Maybe we’ll go out for ice cream one night to celebrate a small victory or milestone. We always save room for Sunday morning Bible study treats, because St. Paul has some talented and generous bakers! 

So far the results have been everything I’d hoped. Ken has lost 21 pounds so far. I lost about 19 and I'm trying to hold steady at about 108. I was able to decrease my blood pressure medication. Our cholesterol and triglycerides are lower than they were before DASH. Overall this eating plan is working well for us and we’re sticking with it.

 

Re-creating a Food Memory

Chocolate pie with a graham cracker crust is my husband’s favorite. He often mentions how his grandma used to serve him up a big slice with a bottle of cream soda. I’ve made it before, but I always felt as if I was cheating, mixing up a box of cook-and-serve Jell-O pudding and topping it with Cool Whip. Then I found this recipe by Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. It’s a little more effort than pudding from a box — you have to separate four eggs and finely chop the chocolate — but let me tell you it is SO TOTALLY WORTH IT. Mostly because you decide what kind of chocolate to use. We like to have a small piece of dark chocolate after dinner, so I just used what I had on hand — in this case Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa. Since I went to all the work of making the pudding from scratch, I thought why not go all out with real whipped cream. Jeepers, it was good! And the cream soda does make the perfect flavor counterpoint. Guess Ken’s grandma was onto something.

Fall Baking

With the crisp fall weather, I've been in the mood for baking my own sweets. I tried out these carrot zucchini bars after discovering a couple of zukes  on my plant. I substituted extra nuts for the raisins --- Ken and I aren't fans. Mine had more of a cake-like texture than brownie-like bars. The results were more like morsels of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

Eating Healthy on Vacation

A Guest Post by Cole Millen, an avid traveler and foodie who frequently contributes to food-related blogs.

Going on vacation is an exciting experience, but it often also presents many opportunities for making poor food choices. Instead of "winging it" and hoping that you'll make the right choices, use these tips to ensure a high chance that you'll withstand all the temptation that lies with going on vacation.

One of the first things you'll more than likely do after setting out for your vacation is take a flight to your destination. While at the airport, use the stairs and carry your own luggage to ensure you get proper exercise. If you find that you've got a long wait before you can board your plane, walk around and check out what the airport has to offer! Grab a fruit cup to snack on while you explore.

In our fast-paced society, it can be difficult to find health-friendly hotels or areas that won't present constant temptation. To find an area that will be conducive to healthy eating habits, search for neighborhoods that have a lot of options available. You also can find health-friendly hotels by checking with the menu/food options before making reservations. Making sure the hotel has exercise equipment is a good idea as well.

Once you've checked into your hotel, this might be where the real challenge sets in. Hotel restaurants generally aren't great for offering healthful food options, so it's probably best to avoid them. Besides, many hotel rooms come with a microwave oven; use it to make healthier meals. Additionally, go straight for the food bar when it's time for breakfast. Make the healthy choices such as oatmeal, fruit, hard-boiled eggs, and whole-grain toast. The bagels and doughnuts aren't worth it.

Eating healthy in Key West

At some point during your trip, you'll probably want to treat yourself to a nice meal at a restaurant. I have found that it made a big difference in my travels when I began to read reviews of the restaurants and areas where I was staying before I left home. Without this preparation, you'll be in a blind food frenzy trying to pick a restaurant --- and this often leads to unhealthy eating. I did a poor job of this in the past and paid the price. For my most recent trip out west, I searched the Las Vegas hotel reviews and ended up with the best option for my personal eating habits, avoiding the buffet zone.

The first rule of thumb is to avoid buffet-style restaurants or any place that serves a lot of bread and starch. You can make great preparation by checking with online menus for restaurants before setting foot in them. Also, it doesn't hurt to munch on an apple and drink a glass of water before heading out the door. These can help fill your stomach and lessen your chances of overeating.

At the restaurant, be sure to make smart menu choices. For example, avoid foods that are battered, deep-fried, "loaded," stuffed, etc. Foods that are likely to fit into your healthy eating plan will be described as broiled, multi-grain, fat-free, light, etc. When you order, you may be asked to choose a side dish or dishes for your entree. Avoid carbs at all costs! If possible, always go with the veggie option. If you're completely clueless about what you should order, remember that brightly colored foods are generally better for you. Deep greens, red, orange, yellow and white are good choices. If you can follow these tips, you shouldn't have any problem staying on track health-wise while on vacation.

Mediterranean Diet

By now, everyone's probably heard about the article published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, showing the results of a study of the benefits of following the so-called Mediterranean diet. Ken and I have been trying to modify our diets since the first of the year, so I wanted to see how closely we are already following Mediterranean guidelines, and what we can do to improve. Here is how the NYT article describes the diet followed by the study participants:

One group assigned to a Mediterranean diet was given extra-virgin olive oil each week and was instructed to use at least 4 four tablespoons a day. The other group got a combination of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts and was instructed to eat about an ounce of the mix each day. An ounce of walnuts, for example, is about a quarter cup — a generous handful. The mainstays of the diet consisted of at least three servings a day of fruits and at least two servings of vegetables. Participants were to eat fish at least three times a week and legumes, which include beans, peas and lentils, at least three times a week. They were to eat white meat instead of red, and, for those accustomed to drinking, to have at least seven glasses of wine a week with meals.

They were encouraged to avoid commercially made cookies, cakes and pastries and to limit their consumption of dairy products and processed meats.

 Just for fun, I took the quiz (sidebar to NYT article) to see how closely I am following a Mediterranean diet. Here are the points where I need to improve:

• More olive oil, in cooking, salads, maybe even as a bread dip?
• More vegetables, at least 2 servings a day. Which I do sometimes, but not every day.
•  I don't eat red meat daily, but we probably have beef, pork or lamb two or three times a week.
• More beans!
• More fish!
• Give up the Oreos and Girl Scout cookies. Have homemade treats instead. Sparingly.
• Sofrito? What's that?

It could be hard for me to give up the cookies cold turkey and start making my own. Of course, what do you find on Pinterest except desserts and healthy recipes? Dark chocolate is OK, so Ken and I can keep enjoying our 72% cocoa Ghirardelli square every night. Here's another article that offers a few more specific diet guidelines.

Other health factors also help determine the food choices I make. Because I'm a petite Caucasian woman, I need to take in calcium and Vitamin D through dairy products, so I don't see myself giving up milk, cheese and Greek yogurt. Because alcohol consumption is a risk factor for breast cancer, I've worked hard since December to reduce my wine drinking from about 14 glasses a week to 8 glasses. That's a level I'm comfortable with, and it's within the Mediterranean diet guidelines.

What kind of changes are you making to follow a heart-healthy diet?

Hooked on Pinterest

My daughter joined Pinterest, the online pinboard for everything from recipes to jokes, sometime in 2011, I think. She's always finding out about new stuff before her stick-in-the-mud mom. At the time, I couldn't imagine what I would do with such a thing. But then a few of my friends joined, sent me invitations, and I thought, "Why not?"

Pinterest is almost like your own personal magazine clipping service. It brings together some of the best (and worst) stuff on the web and lets you "pin" items, or save them to your own custom categories or "boards." It's where single girls plan elaborate weddings and apartment dwellers save ideas for mansions that would bankrupt a Trump.

Like just about everything on the Internet, Pinterest can become one more soul-sucking waste of time. But it also can be fun and practical. So, Pinterest, thank you for giving me:

• Fluffy Nutella buttercream frosting. Not only is this stuff out-of-this-world delicious, but the recipe taught me that homemade buttercream is so easy I may never buy the canned stuff again.
• Bathroom remodel ideas. Ken and I are planning to redo our bath sometime this spring/summer. This is a great way to find and save ideas without buying every decorating magazine on the rack.
• Cheap Christmas decorations. I found instruction for an outdoor Christmas tree using a tomato cage, wire coat hanger, flower pot, string of tree lights and tinsel garland. It cost me nothing but about a half hour to assemble, but it really brightened up our usually low-key exterior (Clark Griswold does not live here).
• Many useful recipes. Like the right way to make sauteed Brussels sprouts. Often Pinterest leans heavily toward rich desserts and gloppy Crock-Pot dinners, but there's also creative and healthy dishes from a variety of blogs and websites. It's like creating your own online recipe book.
• Inspiring quotes.
• A few good laughs.
• Gardening ideas and tips.
• New ways to wear a scarf.
• New nail polish colors to covet.
• Grumpy Cat.

Blueberry Madness

It all started with one of Ken’s business trips to Georgia. Turns out that a friend of a friend that he works with grows blueberry bushes on his property. Lots of them. So he invited Ken and his pal to pick as much as they like.

I thought maybe Ken would bring back maybe a quart.

He showed up with a small suitcase full. About 4-5 quarts by my reckoning.

Now there are only so many blueberry pancakes and muffins that a person can eat.

Which is why this recipe from the June 1997 issue of Cooking Light has been a godsend.