Welcome to “Tuesday Tours: What’s Happening on the Web” where I serve as your tour guide and showcase the best contests, freebies, deals, and reads for moms on the web…all in one convenient location.
Good Reads
From TIME Magazine – Organic Eggs: More Expensive, but No Healthier.
From Examiner.com: Girl homeschooled in semi truck graduates Harvard.
From iVillage: Sitting Down Can Up Your Risk of Death.
I agree with Randy Elrod: Thinking Is Underrated.
Steph often writes posts that seem to mirror exactly what is going on in my head: It might be me.
Marina {My Busy Children} shares excellent insights on Raising bilingual children.
Amy {the Finer Things in life} writes about Preparing for a Natural Birth.
Going to BlogHer? Jennifer James gives the best advice on how not to stress out.
Miscellany
I dare you not to love this magical photo blog: Mila’s Daydreams.
This giveaway blog is beautiful (I never thought I’d describe a giveaway blog that way, but it’s true!): The Bright Side Project.
Have you ever been on a Breakfast Picnic? Me neither, but now I want to try it {via TreasuresInTerraCotta}.
This Healthy Chicken Salad recipe uses plain yogurt instead of mayo.
—————————————————————————————————————
*** If you have a contest or an announcement that you think might be a good fit for Tuesday Tours, e-mail me at stephanie@metropolitanmama.net.
The TIME article looks at only one measure of healthfulness, related to protein content, and as such is nearly useless. What about levels of omega-3 fatty acids? Other essential fatty acids? B-vitamins? Choline? Vitamins A, D, E? Potassium, phosphorus, and calcium? Total fat and calorie contents? The article is basically worthless.
I think the consensus of my readers is that the study/article is flawed (and I agree).
I did find it interesting, however, that brown-shelled eggs are no healthier than white-shelled eggs. The brown ones look so much more “wholesome,” don’t you think? ;)
Aw, thank you for letting me “tour” with you. :)
Steph
Thanks so much, Stephanie for including me on your Tuesday Tour. What a great idea! And awesome blog!
Randy
I’m no expert, nor am I a scientist, but the Time article on eggs seemed flawed to come to such a big conclusion based on the results of one simple experiment. It assumes that all of an egg’s nutrition is in the protein, that all the protein is in one place, and checked the quantity the egg white in different types of eggs. I don’t think the quality of an egg can be measured by any part of its quantity.
Good points, Joanna. I’m not an expert or a scientist either, but I agree that the study seems unsound. That said, it was also interesting reading!
Thanks for the shout-out!
I loved the story of the homeschooler graduating from Harvard! Nice!
Think!Think!Think!
Wasn’t that story great? Yay for homeschoolers!
Thanks! I’m off to check out that chicken salad recipe
Thank you! And I read Steph’s posts too and think I could have written that!!
SO…this Egg article….here is my two cents…
For me one of the big things is I need to care and I need to teach my children to care how the animals that they are getting food from are treated. I don’t care if it is a hen’s eggs to what they do to cows. I want to know how things are done and when I can’t trust a company to do it I’ll pay more and find a smaller local company or I’ll do it myself. (hence getting the chickens or buying them at the farmers market from a guy I like until they start making eggs)If having the hens be “free range” ups the risk for other things then lets deal with that…not stuff all the chickens in one room, pump them with hormones and not let they see the day of light.
I know they are just hens but in my mind they are one of God’s gifts to us that we need to treat with respect meaning stop pumping them with man made chemicals, stop having them live in inhumane or inchicken ;) I am not sure what the right term is… conditions.
This is an excellent exhortation, Vanessa. I was so disturbed by the treatment of animals when I watched the documentary “Food, Inc.” I’m not a vegetarian, but I DO think that it’s important to treat animals without cruelty…hens included.
I found this egg info helpful in understanding what all the labels on the egg carton really mean: http://food-facts.suite101.com/article.cfm/egg_labels_free_range_organic_and_omega3
I don’t think it’s the Organic label I’m concerned about when it comes to eggs, or Chickens for that matter.
That’s a super useful article, Joy! Thank you.
I’m curious since you live in my area. Where do you buy your eggs?
I worked at an egg farm and all the chickens were free range. They had huge barns to go anywhere they’d like. They were also feed food with fish oil and the eggs have omega 3 in them. I’d rather buy these eggs knowing the chickens were treated well.
Forget the egg article! That chicken salad looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it.
Joy – thanks for the link; from it I found this link: http://food-facts.suite101.com/article.cfm/nutrition_freerange_vs_batterycage_eggs
It mentions studies which found significant differences between free-range and factory-farm eggs. Unsurprisingly, free-range eggs are higher in vitamins A and E, and higher in B vitamins. They are lower in fat and cholesterol, but higher in omega-3 fatty acids. So taking a holistic look, instead of a narrow look, as TIME did, shows a very different result.
we love picnics around here! we’ve been on breakfast, lunch, and dinner picnics. our kids love them… something fun about eating together on a blanket and then playing together. we’ve also been known to have dinner picnics on the floor of our living room (complete with a picnic blanket) while watching a movie together.
I also loved the post Steph wrote. She put into words what I’ve felt from time to time.
Nell
Thanks for the tour- actually went on most of it :) Yay for homeschooler to Harvard- makes me want to school my girls in a more “life-experience way, loved your comment about bilingual babes- agreed! Steph’s “Might be me” post was spot-on- totally me too. I was able to enjoy the benefits of unmedicated childbirth w/ #2 with way less prep than I should have done and I would do it again in a heartbeat :)
Thanks for the fascinating tour- I will take it more often in the future!
P.S. I was regretting not having a “playmat picnic” pretty soon after you all left:). (Probably while I got the big sis up from her nap to enjoy the downpour from the back porch.) I was asking myself- well, why not? I guess we all get distracted and miss those opportunities sometimes. That big girl of yours is on the right track ;)
Perhaps next time we’ll have a picnic! :)
We so enjoyed your company! You and the girls were great hosts. Thank you for having us!
P.S. My back and arms are crazy-sunburned! Yours? My girls were covered in rashguards, sunscreen, and hats. Me? Not so much. I need to remember to take care of myself too.
Thanks for including me, Stephanie!
I Love TT! That Egg article by TIME was ridiculous! SO flawed in a million ways…gah! Any article that starts out with “just-released study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)”…should give you pause. And how many times have things been labeled “fine” and then 10 years later they discover a link to something we didn’t know even existed. I’m sticking with natural eggs made the way God intended. No question.
PS, I use yogurt in any “salads”: egg, coleslaw, etc…and it makes a wonderful, yummy (much healthier) sub – delicious!
I went to the Mila’s Daydreams website today from another online link – she’s really sparking attention and for good reason – her photoscapes are STUNNING! It’s one of those “now why didn’t I think of that” and “I wish I had that kind of artistic eye” moments all at once for me! :)