As soon as we’ve washed the dishes and refrigerated the leftovers, my aunts, cousins and I will break out the Black Friday ads!  There will be newspapers from the two nearest trade centers, and we’ll swap sections until we’ve reviewed, analyzed and compared every price.  We’ll share what’s on our kids’ wish lists and drop hints about what we’d really like someone to buy for us.  Of course, we’ll have to decide the order of stores we’ll visit since they open at different times; it’s imperative that we strategically plan how to get to each store in time to get the best buys.

Another key to a productive shopping day is eating a high energy, power-packed breakfast.  High energy is practically synonymous with high protein, low sugar food.  Make use of left-over Thanksgiving dinner by cooking up an egg white omelet with turkey, cheese and mushrooms. (Omelets are super quick and easy, so you can get to the mall sooner!)  Another quick and easy idea is to top off a bowl of instant, high-fiber oatmeal with cranberries.  Complex carbohydrates like this provide your body with much needed morning fuel without causing rapid shifts in insulin levels like simple carbohydrates do, according to eHow’s “How to Eat a High Energy Breakfast.”

Honestly, I’ll probably eat breakfast on the run this Friday.  I’ll most likely grab a protein bar and a cup of vanilla-flavored coffee on my way out the door.  Then I’ll eat a handful of smoked almonds around 10 a.m. as I’m driving between stores.  Black Friday is all about optimization, Baby!

What tops your Black Friday shopping list?

One of our Field Position readers submitted the following recipe as an idea on how to use corned beef leftover from St. Patrick’s Day.

With March Madness underway, this recipe looks like a relatively easy way to feed the masses who might have congregated in front of the Big Screen.

I have yet to try this one, so I’d love to hear from anyone who taste-tests the Rueben Loaf. Thank you so much to the reader who submitted the recipe!

Also, please feel free to share your favorite Game Day recipes.

I heard it, too. The whispers that we would get hit with another storm beginning last night. Cabin fever is setting in, so I thought today, we’d try to battle it by recommending a few good activities you can do inside and out.

To keep you warm on another cold day, I’m also including a good recipe from allrecipes.com.  I figure if Mother Nature’s going to keep us cooped up anyway, we may as well fight back with good food!

Stay warm this weekend and let us know if you liked the recipe and if the activities helped keep cabin fever at bay for another day.

Indoor Activities:

• Build a fort – grab some blankets and get to building. Heat up some marshmallows and chocolate in the microwave and make indoor s’mores. They may not have the magic of the fire, but your kids will still smile when they take a bite.
• Cook – kids love to get their hands into new activities. Have them help plan the menu, as well as make the food. It will definitely be messy, but it should help keep them entertained for another hour.  And, we know how precious 60 minutes can be!

Outdoor Activities:

• Snow Painting – take a few water bottles with squirt tops and pour food coloring into the bottle. That’s all it takes. Let the kids go out and paint the snow!
• Sledding – a classic, and it’s great for getting the kids (and parents) a little exercise during the winter months.

There’s nothing better than a summer picnic! I love being outdoors, enjoying beautiful weather and the company of family and friends. I especially enjoy listening to bullfrogs croaking, birds singing and kids giggling?or shrieking with delight as they chase one another with water balloons and squirt guns.

I also think summer picnics are a good opportunity to branch out from the standards: fresh fruit, potato salad and baked beans. I wanted to make use of fresh vegetables from our garden, too. So this weekend I served something new that was a real hit with my family and friends.

Try the following Lemon Orzo Primavera, courtesy of  www.allrecipes.com. I’d love to know what you think of it!

April is Soy Foods Month, so we’re featuring soy menu items on our blog. All of them have been taste-tested by yours truly. In fact, I liked the Crisp Summer Salad so much that I’m planning to make it for our family’s Easter dinner. It’s certain to be a conversation piece!

The tofu-stuffed pasta shells, edamame and corn salad and chai soy latte all earned rave reviews last week at the 2009 Iowa Soy Day on the Hill. One goal of our March 31 visit to the Iowa Statehouse was to showcase the variety and value of soy products, as well as the value of services offered by the Iowa Soybean Association. In addition, the Day on the Hill highlighted the 45th anniversary of the Iowa Soybean Association.

Here is the recipe for Crisp Summer Salad from our Soy Menu, courtesy of the Soyfoods Council.

For more great soy recipes see their website at The Soyfoods Council.
Have a favorite soy recipe of your own?  Share it with us!