Toast

Myrna Trauntvein wrote:

One of the first snacks suggested by Snack-Girl was toast. It is simple, versatile, and if you choose right, a healthy choice.

How do you find healthy bread? The rules for finding healthy bread are almost the same as cereal.

1. Is the first ingredient WHOLE grain? If it isn't then put it back on the shelf. Do not be fooled by the ingredient "wheat flour". The whole grain means that most of the nutrients remain from the grain remain in the bread. Without it, you might as well eat Wonder Bread (which is wonderful but not nutritious).

2. Does it have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving? Eating foods that are high in fiber will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Bread is an excellent source of fiber if it is made with whole grains.

Here are two brands of bread that Lisa (aka Snack Girl) found that passed the test: "The Arnold bread was in the bread aisle and cost me $2.99 for the loaf. It was on sale from $3.99."

"The Alvarado Street Bakery bread was in the 'Natural Foods' section and cost me $2.89 because I had a coupon. (I LOVE coupons!!) The Alvarado bread usually costs $3.49 a loaf. It is a sprouted bread which is fantastic from a nutritional perspective."

Myrna wrote: I looked and our usual stores and they do not carry Arnold. Is that a regional brand or where could I find it? 

I have been buying Aspen, Utah made, that is whole grain whole wheat. It is a low-glycemic bread that is high in fiber and has just a little honey. I don't know where to look for some things. They have a neat grocery store, called Sprouts, on the Orem hill that even has facilities for grinding your own almond butter. It seems like a good spot to buy foods that fit my new diet. I didn't check there last week for bread because I bought the Aspen brand at Costco. They have it at Sams, the health food store (for a buck more) and at WalMart. 

Oh, oh. The Aspen bread I bought I am not supposed to eat. The sugar grams are high. Now my quest for Arnold is really on. I am trying to find a bread without added sugar. Yes, I have learned, they do exist.


Melanie wrote: I am a bread bigot. I only buy the Arnold bread. I also have tried a few of the other whole grain breads, and Arnold's holds up better for sack lunches.

We used to buy Arnold bread in Massachusetts, so I thought they were a chain. They are marketed by orowheat. Sprouts is good, but can be expensive. Be careful. Sometimes you can find the same kinds of foods for better prices, in the area stores. I buy almond butter in the organic section of Kroger, it is cheaper than Sprouts. 

Good luck. 
Mel

Myrna wrote:

I cannot get it here nor at WalMart. I tried Albertson's and Macey's but I did not try Smith's. Is Kroger the same as Smith? 

Melanie: Yes

Popped Wheat

You can pop wheat kernels but the result is not like popcorn.

Place a layer in a preheated iron skillet (sometimes we oil or spray the pan and sometimes we use the pan dry). Heat the skillet and stir it until the popping sound stops. They are more like nuts than popcorn. The hard shell cracks and it is crunchy

We like to salt them while they are hot. Lots of times, we will do a half gallon at a time and store it in a canning jar for treats for later.

Grandma Smith Knew How to Keep a Baby Kitty Alive

This is the type of formula that Grandma Smith would use. She usually, and always that I knew of, was successful in getting another nursing mother cat to adopt the baby by putting butter on the baby's nose and putting it with the others. She said that keeping a baby cat alive was a lot of work and was not as successful as getting a kitten adopted was.

Formula #4
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons Karo syrup
All three mixed well and kept in tightly sealed jar in fridge. At feeding time mix 1/2 of the estimated feeding amount with: Equal amount of boiling water (once a day mix 1 drop of human infant liquid vitamins in each kitties' formula)

If constipation occurs: add 1 drop of vegetable oil to each kitties formula no more than once daily till problem is eased. Test temperature before feeding (the combination of boiling water and chilled formula should be just about right)

In a pinch (emergency), the Cornell University's Veterinary School's Book of Cats says that human baby formula can be used if made up to double the normal strength (human baby formula is not nutritious enough for kittens). As with the below formulas, please remember that any emergency formula should only be used until regular Feline Replacement Formula (such as KMR or Just Born) can be purchased at the pet store. None of these are nutritionally complete for the long term health of a kitten.

[note: if you cannot find "Karo syrup" (a very sweet corn syrup) you can substitute a very sweet sugar-syrup: 1 c. sugar + 1/4 c. hot water.  Heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves.]