And speaking of potatoes—the latest down the pike is the 10-carb spud. Seems growers are now introducing a potato with 1/3 less carbs. It’s predicted that consumers will love the flavor and appearance of this potato and the fact that those 30 percent fewer carbs will make a difference in a person’s daily diet. It’s been in the testing stage for the past 5 years and the Florida growers who were involved in bringing these spuds to market remarked that these potatoes tasted great, had a shorter growing cycle, were disease resistant, and were even able to handle Florida’s extreme weather.

Potatoes contribute about $120 million a year to Florida’s economy. The state supplies nearly 60% of the country’s fresh potatoes to market from January to June. No word if Hurricane Charley has affected the Florida potato industry.

Hey, from low-carb spuds to low-carb brewskis. Seems the brewers are racing to win back carb-calorie conscious abstainers. Why, even the beer industry is jumping on the low-cal low-carb bandwagon. The assault on sugar and carbohydrates leaves beer lovers feeling lost. Really? Well, seems the Adkins people claimed that beer was loaded with maltose, the big enchilada of evil sugars. Boo! Said the Adkins diet books. Bull! Said the brewers. And herein a war was started.

The brewers said that the maltose is eliminated in the brewing process. And they did their homework and came out with some interesting and tasty brews. In a blind taste test, the following light/low cal/low carb brews were judged the best. Number five was Miller Light, four was Corona Light, third was Rock Green Light (Rolling Rock), second was Aspen Edge (Coors), and numero uno was—ta-da—Sam Adams Light. Might I remind you all that these were all in 12 oz. bottles. These were chosen from a field of 11 candidates. So, don’t feel guilty about having that beer—drink up—but be responsible.

Here’s one for the books. I found it so shocking, yet mystifying. Seems a young mother of 3 children was having a problem with her 6-year-old daughter. Ever since the little girl was able to walk, she’s eaten just about anything she could get her little hands on. The little bugger preferred to eat things like hairspray, make-up (yum!), cleansers, soaps, baby oil—even tried bleach.

What’s a mother to do? (Hey, this is real—I ain’t makin’ it up!) She’s afraid the little girl will do damage to herself. Well, lady, Duh! The mother goes on to say that just the other day while attending a girl scout meeting, the little girl went to the restroom and was caught spraying air freshener into her mouth. Jeez, hasn’t her mom ever tried giving her a tic-tac?

Mom has called the pediatrician and left messages, but the doctor has not returned any phone calls. Why? Dunno. But she used to think that her daughter was just curious; now she’s beginning to think the little girl is obsessed and can’t resist the urge. Well, gee mom, did the light just come on? Mom needs advice. What would you advise her to do? Well, the answer was get another pediatrician (ya think?), lock up any harmful products she may have in the house (shoulda been done a long time ago), and take the kid to have an evaluation. Let’s see; kids been doing this since 10 months old—now she is six—what’s the rush, mom? I guess some people really need to be hit on the head to make them realize that their kids may be in serious danger—she could lose her health or even lose her life. Mom—get help for the both of you. Like I said, this is a true story!

And speaking of kids, I came across an article that I found very valuable for parents and their kids. It said that one of the most effective, as well as enjoyable, ways for parents to instill healthful eating habits in their children is to involve them in the preparation and cooking of food. My mom taught me to cook at age 6. She showed me how to make sandwiches first. With practice I was able to cook on the stove top while standing on a chair to reach the burner and pan. She also taught me about nutrition—the good and the bad. Meat, potatoes, veggies, as well as baking cakes and cookies. I felt very empowered. As I got older, my mom would let me prepare dinner for the entire family and I really liked doing that. Helping kids to learn how to cook for themselves can help them develop confidence and self-reliance as well as healthful eating habits and a greater appreciation for a wide range of foods. Cooking also can help children improve everyday skills—especially in schools—such as organizational and mathematical skills, as well as attention to detail and accuracy. And what a great gift to give your child by taking the time to teach them self-sufficiency and proper nutrition. Maybe teaching kids to cook will cut down on America’s obesity problem our kids are facing today.