Quick Product Review: truRoots Germinated Brown Rice

                 I was looking for some rice the other day to cook for my husband since the quick cook rice I had in the cabinet seemed to not be cooking up right. As I stood in the isle at Whole Foods looking for a simple bag of brown rice I had too many choices to know where to begin. This one caught my eye, because it was on sale, and lets be honest, sales are always nice. When I looked at the back of the package for cooking directions and nutritional info I was even more intrigued. Due to the fact that it is germinated it cooks up in 25 to 30 minutes. That is almost half the time of regular rice. That was another bonus.

 So, here are the nutritional details:
                                                        190 calories per 1/4 cup(dry) serving
                                                        2g fat (no saturated or trans fat)
                                                        5mg sodium
                                                        41g carbohydrates
                                                        2g fiber
                                                        4g protein

This rice has a hardier texture than others that I have tried. I happen to really like that, and so did my husband who is a very picky eater. He had it with chicken. I had it with vegetables. I would like to try cooking it with milk and adding some fruit, and try it for breakfast. I think it will become my staple for rice. And, I can't forget that it has a little calcium and iron in it. Cook away!
                                                        

Spring has Sprung!

            It is unusual to experience Spring around here. Usually we get a week of nice weather, then it just gets hot and very humid. This year, for the first time in a long time, we have had several weeks of comfortable weather with cool breezes and lots of singing birds. It has been overcast for a while, but I don't mind as long as it isn't cold. I heard someone complaining about how she hasn't enjoyed Spring this year. I wasn't sure how to respond since it's the first year Spring has actually been like it is suppose to be. I simply stated that our other option was 95 degree days with 80% humidity. I will take this weather any day. How can you not enjoy the view when you have this to look at:

This is the first Iris to open this year in my flower beds. I always look forward to them every year. When I got home the other afternoon, and saw this beauty had opened it got me thinking. I wonder where Irises came from? A quick internet search and I had my answer.

The iris can be dated as far back as ancient Egypt. It represented eloquence, and was associated with the god Horus. In ancient Greece the iris was associated with the goddess Iris, which is where it gets it's modern day name. It was used for perfumes and medicinal purposes in both Greece and Egypt. It is easy to see why this flower was associated with the gods. Now-a-days the flower is mainly used in gardens and floral arrangements.