Flax for the memories...

I have no idea why I wrote that title… maybe I was channeling Bob Hope and his “Thanks for the Memories” song… but bear with me… it worked in my mind…

Flax… have you heard of it? It’s my new favorite food. It’s a tiny, tiny little seed, with a POWERFUL punch. The best thing about it? IT TASTES GREAT!

I do wish we would name our foods with pretty names. Flax seems like its good for you, therefore, it MUST taste awful! Why couldn’t it be named… oh….Moonbeam seed… or Livewell kernel… but… alas… Flax is short and sweet… less to type.

I have been adding Flax seed MEAL to almost every food I prepare for my family and myself. Yes, if you’ve taken bread home from my oven, or eaten my cookies, or have come over for dinner in the past 2 years… you, too, have eaten Flax seed meal. Bet you didn’t know you did!

Every bread loaf, bagel, baguette, breadstick, pizza crust, cookie, cake, bowl of cereal, and casserole I make, has added Flax seed meal in it… when I cook for friends and family.

It contains essential amino acids that are hard to find elsewhere, in such abundance. It has FIBER galore, and it’s GREAT for lowering cholesterol… and has been studied and shown to slow the growth of breast tumors in women and prostate cancer growth in men.

It’s important to eat it ground up. You can buy whole Flax seeds like I do, and grind them up nicely in a coffee grinder, batch for batch. Or you can buy it already ground up. Make sure to store any unused portion in the refrigerator because it’s chock full of wonderful good-for-you fatty acids that can go rancid quickly.

I love the Bob’s Red Mill variety, and I can find it at my local supermarket… and Trader Joes. All health food, or Whole Foods stores carry it.

Sneak it into foods… sprinkle it on cereal, add a tablespoon or two to your smoothie, add it to cookie dough, stir it into soups and stews… You’ll barely notice it’s there.

It’s a very small, economical way to add powerful nutrition to our day. Aren’t you worth the very best?