Top 10 Links of the Week: 1/15/10 – 1/21/10

We had a wonderful week here at CHG thanks to oatmeal, Lois S. Kellogg, and y'all. In gratitude, Im sending a tray of Cholives to everyone who logged on. But before that...

1) Fed Up: School Lunch Project
Mrs. Q is a teacher at an unidentified school in Chicago. This year, she’s eating lunch from the kids’ cafeteria and documenting the whole ordeal. It ain’t pretty, folks. Bagel dogs, ahoy! (Pic from the Mrs. Q.)

2) Parent Hacks: Let little kids "help" with cooking by placing the mixing bowl on the open dishwasher door
Simple. Brilliant. Different. Better. Moms and dads (especially of brilliant little girls named Julia), read on!

3) The Kitchn
Warm and Restorative – 15 Favorite Soup Recipes
Fresh and Flavorful – 15 Lighter Recipes From the Kitchn
Two more recipe countdowns from the Kitchn. I’m gonna start just reserving them a spot here.

4) New York Times: Snack Time Never Ends
The revelations in this article: better than “The Song That Never Ends,” but still pretty irksome. Almost half of U.S. children eat three snacks a day? That seems … excessive. (*Runs off to eat snack.*)

5) Washington Post: Michelle Obama Promises Childhood Obesity Plan
MObama’s launching a new initiative focusing on health and activity in schools, communities, and beyond. Say what you will about recent political developments, but this woman is kind of my idol.

6) Chow: How to Eat Less Meat - Tips on de-meatifying your favorite dishes
Smart, helpful slideshow discusses principles that might make you crave meat less, eat more veggies. Umami, texture, and acid figure prominently. Mmm … acid.

7) Slate: How Do Companies Determine Serving Size?
So this is interesting: did you know that a pint of Ben & Jerry’s is supposed to contain four separate servings? And that these, and pretty much all portion sizes, are determined by guidelines established in the ‘70s and ‘80s, when we were all eating much less? Hunh.

8) The Atlantic: Calorie Labeling Works
According to a new study, “people do change their ordering behavior when they see calorie counts [on menus] —though not the first.” Slow and steady, guys! The more people are aware of their food, the better. Except maybe at Taco Bell. Denial is kind of helpful there.

9) Philadelphia Enquirer: Eat Up, Be Well
You read a lot of “What CAN we eat?” rants these days, but they’re rarely phrased as well as this piece by Dianna Marder. Diet is not a one-size-fits-all kinda thing, bucko.

10) The New York Times: If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online
Jaw. Dropping. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “[Kids] ages 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day with … a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device.” Are we officially in the Matrix now? When do they sleep?

HONORABLE MENTIONS

344 Pounds: Guide to Losing Pounds
Tyler may be the most prominent dieter/lifestyle changer in the blogosphere right now. Here’s how he dropped 125 pounds. (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

The Atlantic: School Gardeners Strike Back
I like to imagine this is about superhero gardening strike teams, fending off the forces of evil using only hoes (heh) and radioactive packets of tomato seeds, but it’s actually a response piece to Caitlin Flanagan’s hatchet job from last week. My dreams, deferred.

Get Rich Slowly: The Art of the Potluck
Confucius say: if inexpensive, fun, creative family gatherings are what you’re looking for, access your inner potluck planner. Then go eat.

Hillbilly Housewife: Foraging for Food in My Kitchen
In a world ... littered with "eat from your pantry" posts ... comes a woman ... who did it successfully. This is her story.

Kalyn’s Kitchen: How to Make Ham Stock (and Recipe Ideas)
Chicken stock gets too much play. Get out and ham it up, everybody!

The Kitchn: Extra-tall Cutting Boards for Extra-tall Cooks
As a potential Harlem Globetrotter myself, I declare this winner of the Meadowlark Lemon Award for Achievement in Making Tall People’s Lives Easier.

Lifehacker: Make Five-Minute Sorbet in a Ziploc Bag
Any budding Alton Brown’s out there willing to try this? I’ll provide the plastic bag and intricate cheers during the shaking portion of the program

AND ALSO

Epic Win FTW
An entire blog filled with awesomeness. Scroll through back posts for instant day brighteners like:

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