Food, glorious Food!  It is the fuel of our bodies and the memories of our taste buds! It can be our best friend, as well as our worst enemy. What a serious relationship we have with our food!

If you are a proud-to-proclaim-it foodie, like I am, you've realized that you have a relationship with your food. We don't just scarf items for mindless reasons (or maybe we do emotionally eat - that is different, yet see, still a relationship). For a self-proclaimed foodie, most of the time, food tends to take on a focus like nothing else. It is precisely this relationship that can aid a foodie in the challenges of weight loss!

Here are just a few foodie traits to show you how we can attack weight loss:

Just SOME of the Benefits...! 

By: Donna Miller

Couscous (pronounced kuskus or kooskoos) is a typical North African food that has become popular in many countries. Couscous is often confused with being a grain, but in fact is more of a pasta and not a whole grain at all. The couscous granules are made by rolling and shaping moistened semolina wheat, the same wheat from which most dry pastas are made. It is then coated them with finely ground wheat flour to assist in the tiny granules of pasta to keep from sticking.

Traditional couscous requires considerable preparation time and is usually steamed. In many places, a more-processed, quick-cook couscous is available and is particularly valued for its short preparation time. Couscous is traditionally served under a meat or vegetable stew. It can also be eaten alone, flavored or plain, warm or cold, or as a side dish.

Each Fall, my heart turns to more regular baking. Although every Friday night consists of Pizza and Challah made from fresh milled whole wheat, Fall has a special baking place in my heart.

Challah, also known to many as a Braided Bread, has a rich tradition for each Friday night in the Hebrew nation of Israel.  I enjoy the braiding and decorating of the loaf, because it sets it apart from the regular loaves of bread I make throughout the week. As usual the recipe makes enough to have two loaves of sweet and fluffy bread. One we eat with our pizza and the other makes us get through the weekend without having to bake again! So Mama gets a little break.

This tradition us not only found in the Bible, but the smell and texture of this special loaf of bread helps us to mentally prepare for a restful weekend to enjoy our family!

You don't have to be Jewish or Hebrew to enjoy this tradition…give it a try.