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I made banana crunch muffins and I think that its 50/50 processed and whole food because it uses the usual things you use when baking like flour and sugar but it doesn’t use a lot of the processed ingredients. If you constantly ate this meal everyday, you most likely after a while would get fat from the sugar intake even though its not high and a good portion of the sugar comes from the bananas in it. Your body breaks down sugar and turns it into energy. I think that most of the stuff thats out of season comes from warmer climates outside of the country. I think the bananas traveled the farthest. I think that homemade food highly differs from fast food because fast food has lots of preservatives in it. In total the meal was about 30 dollars because I had to make more servings. Banana come from tropic areas. Most bananas sold by the British market come from Latin America and Africa. America gets their bananas from a number of places depending on the season. We get our bananas from Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, the Philippines, and Panama. We couldn’t grow own bananas here unless in warm climates, but we wouldn’t be able to have them all year round. Growing bananas yourself could prove difficult rather than getting bananas from another country.

Banana Crunch Muffin Recipe:

Makes 10 muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-crumb-muffins/

Reflection:

This unit we learned about different things relating to health and diet. Like Diabetes, disease related to diet, processed food, organic food,  obesity, and how we contribute to the food system. I think that we contribute to the food system with what we buy, and how we choose to eat and how we eat in our families. How we choose to eat at home is really important because if you constantly eat healthy at home, and cook it helps you lead a healthier lifestyle. Some people raise their kids vegetarians, some people make home cooked meals every night. I think the biggest issue with our food system is unhealthy food is too available. You can have it delivered to your house. Its easier than grocery shopping, because there aren’t a lot of places where supermarkets are in walking distance. Some changes I’ve already made in my food diet are to eat at least one fruit and veggie a day, and try to choose the healthiest option for me out of what I have, and drink a lot of water. I think it would benefit me in the long run. I feel like its a change I’m willing to make fruit is pretty easy to get, and its good.

Food Rule:

Ingredients

4 servings, serving size: 1 cup

2 apples, cut into bite-size pieces

2 oranges, peeled and break into pieces

1 lb strawberries

1 lb blueberries

3 Kiwifruit

2 Mango, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

1/3 cup of sugar

2 tablespoon- balsamic vinegar

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip®), thawed

Process

1. Refrigerate, 8-10 glasses in the Refrigerator

2. Cut all fruits into 3rds or 4ths.

3. Add all fruits into large bowl

4. Then add 1/3 cup of sugar & 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

5. Gently Stir

6. Next, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour

7. Last, spoon fruits from bowl to the chilled glasses.

8. add one serving of cool whip

9. Enjoy!

Analysis:

The percent of the meal that is processed is 20%. We are using all organic fruit from whole food. This store is the only store that sell organic food only. That mean all the fruit are not processed and locally grown. But we do know that the balsamic vinegar, sugar, and cool whip are factory made. One person will be consuming 39 caloric per serving, 1.5 g total fat, 1 mg sodium, 6 mg potassium, and  5.1 g  Sugar. We would be able to process the food better because it doesn’t have a lot of genetically modified ingredients. It will also mean that when you was to work off the fat it will not be as hard. We would not have any protein in our meal but we will have your 9 serving of fruit everyday.

We think all our food (fruits) for our recipes were locally grown in the U.S, since we brought them from whole foods.The Whole food products come from local farmers across the country. The apples are prominently grown in Washington. The Oranges are grown in Florida, California, Texas and Arizona. The strawberries are grown in California. The blueberries are from Michigan and Indiana. The Kiwis aren’t from here but are grown in California. The mangos are also grown in California and Florida. Most of our fruits are from the South or West where there is nice weather all year around. The foods that travel the farthest would be the ones from California which are the Oranges, Strawberries, Kiwis and Mangos. Our fruits were organically grown from these farms. The fruits were organically processed and it’s better for the environment because there are no outside chemicals tainting the environment.

4 servings, serving size: 1 cup

2 apples, cut into bite-size pieces

2 oranges, peeled and break into pieces

1 lb strawberries

1 lb blueberries

3 Kiwifruit

2 Mango, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

1/3 cup of sugar

2 tablespoon- balsamic vinegar

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip®), thawed

Process

1. Refrigerate, 8-10 glasses in the Refrigerator

2. Cut all fruits into 3rds or 4ths.

3. Add all fruits into large bowl

4. Then add 1/3 cup of sugar & 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

5. Gently Stir

6. Next, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour

7. Last, spoon fruits from bowl to the chilled glasses.

   8. Add, 1 serving of whipped cream.

   9.Enjoy!

Analysis:

The percent of the meal that is processed is 20%. We are using all organic fruit from whole food. This store is the only store that sell organic food only. That mean all the fruit are not processed and locally grown. But we do know that the balsamic vinegar, sugar, and cool whip are factory made. One person will be consuming 39 caloric per serving, 1.5 g total fat, 1 mg sodium, 6 mg potassium, and  5.1 g  Sugar. We would be able to process the food better because it doesn’t have a lot of genetically modified ingredients. It will also mean that when you was to work off the fat it will not be as hard. We would not have any protein in our meal but we will have your 9 serving of fruit everyday.

We think all our food (fruits) for our recipes were locally grown in the U.S, since we brought them from whole foods.The Whole food products come from local farmers across the country. The apples are prominently grown in Washington. The Oranges are grown in Florida, California, Texas and Arizona. The strawberries are grown in California. The blueberries are from Michigan and Indiana. The Kiwis aren’t from here but are grown in California. THe mangos are also grown in California and Florida. Most of our fruits are from the South or West where there is nice weather all year around. The foods that travel the farthest would be the ones from California which are the Oranges, Strawberries, Kiwis and Mangos. Our fruits were organically grown from these farms. The fruits were organically processed and it’s better for the environment because there are no outside chemicals tainting the environment.

This meal will cost about $5.00 per serving which correlates to about 20$ for the 4 servings which would feed about 8 people. Our price for this healthy meal is more expensive but way healthier than a fast food “McDonalds Meal”. Fast Food restaurants use a lot of grease and fatty materials and processed foods that ultimately is unhealthy and will kill the consumers. There food is cheap and will cause great health problems vs. our slightly more expensive healthy alternative. Our food isn’t genetically modified or tampered with as it has very little preservatives and is organically grown. The businesses involved are Whole Foods cooperating with the local farms, also the Cool Whip® Product at General Foods. There aren’t any social ramifications of our meal choice because it is a healthy delicious meal that everyone could enjoy while sticking to a healthy way of living.

Personal Reflection

So far in this quarter, I feel that I have learned a lot about food and food in the major industries. This was probably one of my favorite quarters because it's a topic that I can really relate to. In my opinion I don't have a major role in the larger food system, but I impact it in small ways. Major industries rely on the common people to but what they have to sell. They depend on us for their profit. That's why these industries use so much propaganda and advertisements to drive us in looking for food alternatives, healthy or not. I feel as though the biggest problem in the food industry is the amount of processed and unhealthy foods being sold to the U.S people. From 2 early assignments form earlier in this quarter, "Obesity in the US" and " Teach Every Child About Food(Ted Talk)" told us that 2/3 people that's about 66% of the U.S population is obese or will become obese. That is an extremely unhealthy way of living that could and will kill our people. It also stated the Japanese people of obesity is about 6%. This fact really stuck with me that the U.S knows that we are living so unhealthy but we still sell our people garbage. Changes in my diet that could make would be to eat foods that are less processed, not organic foods though because there too expensive (Simpsons Episode). If I just cut down on my sugary snacks and junk and instead eat more leafy foods than I would be living a healthier life. My diet would be better and I would be healthier. I am willing to make these changes but only by a little bit. I workout a lot and stay in shape. The sugars and cakes go against that, but I burn it off regularly. So I would limit my treats but not get rid of them. One of the "food rules" said you shouldn't deprive yourself, you want it eat it, just be smart. 

Plantains Recipe:

⅓ SALT

Plantains

Oil or water

Process:

Peel the Plantains

slice it small

add salt

Wait until the oil is hot then put the plantain in there

or if using water just put it in water and let it boil.

when turn reddish which would be about 8 to 9 mins take out and enjoy!

Analysis:

Plantains are a type of bananas, they are not bananas but are a type of bananas. My family has been eating plantains for many years because of one poverty at the time and also because they pretty delicious. Plantains are appetizer but could be also be a meal if you add other things like fish to it. Plantain are very healthy because according to foodworks “Fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free, an excellent source of vitamins A and C and a good source of potassium.” Despite the fact that plantains are really healthy food when my family makes it I think they take away all that. They put way too much salt and too much oil, and I was thinking maybe instead of using vegetable oil maybe use some coconut oil. As far as boiling it, that would work because you are just adding a little salt and that would still make the food good for you. Now the plantains could also be fried with red oil, red oil is healthy and could make the plantain more healthy. To make plantains is not very expensive, it is a poor food to make.The food from what I know definitely started in Africa, and as slave trade it then move up here.

According to food works “Plantain found its way into Madagascar from Malaysia and India through trading Asian merchants and by Arabs during the Trans-Saharan trade boom. Plantain and banana trade along with yam and other food crops became a very important factor in the wealth, prosperity and rapid expansion of the Bantu Kingdom of central and southern Africa around 1500 AD. Up till date, plantain is still a major and popular staple meal across Uganda and the rest of the former Bantu region.” The food cost about four dollars. This food has traveled 3450 miles from Africa to south America. Compare to fast food this food is actually a lot cheaper so therefore no excuses as to why it couldn’t be purchased. Growing this food could be a lot better, but if it is grown in the farm they may process it too much, there are also organic plantains that you can definitely look into.

Self Reflection:

The unit has been very interesting because we have been talking about food, I can relate to this because I love food and everything about food. I have a very major role in the food system because in order for something to change I feel like everyone should feel like they can do something so with that being said I am consider myself to be a very big part of the food system.  I definitely feel like big companies uses advertising to make everyday people buy their product and since I am a everyday people I think I could start to watch what I buy or consume. Since we talked about obesity this quarter and talked about about 66% of the U.S population is obese. That a pretty big percentage. Watching the the ted talk also gave us a lot information on how school lunch isn’t even healthy. Something that was very major was the japanese obesity was only 6% compare that to U.S was very strange. Another statement that was very interesting was when we talked about “If you are not hungry enough to eat an apple then you are not hungry”. I am definitely going to change my food choices, because this situation is serious and I don’t think we are taking actions as a society. I have come to a conclusion that healthy food is the way, but that also remembering that even “Healthy food” is also processed but as a consumer I just have to be aware. This was a very good unit, I enjoyed everything about it and I am looking forward to actually getting more knowledge on what I a consume.

Analytical Essay:

War is dense. It pulls at the mental and physical stability of a person until they are constantly running off of an adrenaline rush in order to survive the intense circumstances that is war. “The yellow birds”  depicts this easily by constantly personifying the war, calling the air of shrapnel it’s breath, how its constant weight of death is a heavy reminder that war is patient, and murderous. Powers begins the book by saying “The war tried to kill us in the spring . As the grass greened the plains of Nineveh and the weather warmed” This completes imagery and personification of the war is continuously used throughout the book to prove a further point on which Powers decides to elaborate, on. War creates the armor of the soldier. It makes him numb to all things human, and embeds the constant feeling of survival, a life on adrenaline, a permanent fight or flight syndrome. War strips a person of their emotional connection to life due to survival, resulting in PTSD and a severe lack of empathy and room for grieving. Changing the world starts with the empathy for people, without it nothing can be changed because no one is understood. The eradication of war would create a world united in improvement and not destruction.

In a war it is said that one, a soldier is their country, that they are fighting for the very glory and victory of their own nation. However the truth to be seen is that in reality there are no winners in a war. Those who empty there guns first and find themselves with the most bodies at their feet envy the deceased, because they now live with the permanent memories of gore embedded in their minds, are called cowards if they cannot cope with the after math of their doings or admit that they might need help. How can one be able to create a change if they are not able to seek help? To find guidance and be in agreement on the problem? Instead problems are created at home. In a heated discussion with his mother Bartle says “Got dammit Mama all I fucking do is think.” After she asks him what he does in his room all day. After this statement springs out of his mouth it becomes clear to the reader the amount of agitation he is feeling, constantly on edge in the small expert of expression within a sentence to his mother. This is the first time Bartle comes home before he dies. After seeing enough, after not wanting to see anymore.

Many would argue that war is a constructive way of solving conflicts. That it has its purposes and allows the job to get done with as much gratification for its successor as possible. However the toll that it takes in the aftermath of itself proves to be far more harmful than beneficial. It begins the road to poverty from destruction people who had nothing find themselves having less than before, people betraying their countries in order to survive and dying at the hand of the war with no one to grieve their loss. “Shukran, Afwan, Qumbula, Thank you, Your welcome, Bomb. This is Maliks old stomping grounds!...We did not see Malik get killed but murph and I had his blood on both of our uniforms.... Doesn’t count does it? No. I don’t think so. Where are we at? Nine-sixty eight.” (Powers 11) The beginning of the conversation has such a thankfulness ring to it. As if Malik is of value and immediately after his death they didn’t even include them in their count of dead men, for the loyalty to their own soldiers. For the defense of their own bodies.

The soldiers will later go home to grieve in silence. To never open up their room or windows, and while The Yellow birds tells the story of two men who had died and follows them through the most painful and concise instances of their life. Without war, they could’ve kept the streets clean, help build from the rubbles that had been lost, but war has changed the world. It has turned it gray and shoved soot into the lungs of children crying for their fathers while they watch their mothers dig bodies out of the ground at dawn, while we force our children to dig cereal from a bowl before school. It has deprived those who rightfully so deserve it. War is a last breath, is a barbaric resort to a frustration for the yearning of immediate gratification.

Works Cited for Analytical Essay:

Powers, Kevin. The Yellow Birds: A Novel. New York: Little, Brown, 2012. Print.

Dahlen, Dr. Barbara Van. "PTSD / Video." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2015.

Narrative Essay:

In 1973 Richard Nixon installed a coup to take down Chilean president Salvador Allende. To be rid of the communist rule that had gained so much power for the poor people in the country. A country rigged with classism prior to his election. The coup lasted for years, and resulting in the assassination of Salvador Allende and the installment of Pinochet killing millions of communist and liberal chileans. There was a black-list that had my uncles name on it.

Partner: Amani Bey (separate analysis though)

Ingredients:

1 lb. of lentils

half an  onion

spinach

Cumin

salt

pepper

Chicken Broth

Coconut Milk

Chicken

Butternut Squash

Tomato Paste

Zucchini

Steps:

1. Brown onions and zucchini in a pot with vegetable oil

2. Add desired amount of pepper

3. Put in half a can of chicken broth

4. Bring to a rolling boil

5. Put the lentils in

6. In separate pot Combine 1/2 can of coconut milk, butternut squash paste, a dash of tomato paste and cumin, add pepper and cayenne to taste

7. Put the coconut mixture in the lentils once the broth in the lentils evaporate.

8. Let the lentils cook down until they become paste-like.

9. Chop and add spinach.

10. If needed, add more cumin and pepper to taste.

Lentils are one of the world’s healthiest food. They are the third highest of any legume or nut in protein by weight, only to be succeeded by soybeans and hemp. Lentils contain dietary fiber, vitamin B, folate and other essential minerals. Lentils can be grown in many types of conditions. The two leading countries in the production of lentils are Canada and India. Together, the account for over 50% of the worlds lentil production. The United States is 5th on the list. Lentils is a good choice if you need to lower cholesterol. It has high levels of soluble fiber which helps keep arteries clean. Lentils being a good source in folate and magnesium make it a good choice for people who are struggling with heart health. Magnesium improves blood flow and oxygen. Lentils have also been found to be able to help with blood sugar stabilization, weight loss, and increasing energy.

A bag of all natural whole lentils cost about $2 for a 16 oz bag. That equates to about 8 servings. That is under $0.30 a serving. This is a way better price compared to the unhealthy dollar menu that in the long run will cost more than one dollar if that person develops health issues. In this recipe, only 1/12 of the ingredients is processed. The rest are all natural ingredients.This is great because the consumer will not have to worry about whether there are harmful chemicals. Overall lentils is a great food option, not only is it extremely healthy, but it is also a product that does not cost a plentiful amount of money.

During this unit, I learned that food is a real essential topic in America. I learned that the food industry is larger than the food businesses themselves. It branches out into government agencies, health and fitness. I learned that making good food choices is not always getting the organic kind because organic doesn't mean natural. There are a lot of pretenders that advertise themselves as healthy but really are not. I think the problem with our food system is that we allow trash to be labeled as food. McDonalds, Wendy's, Pop-Tarts, Meat with multiple animals inside or chemicals and fillers. Nearly all foods in the supermarket that is boxed on shelves or in cans is unnecessarily unhealthy. Also, the healthier choice is too expensive and poorer people do not have the choice but to buy the unhealthier product. If I could make changes it would be to get rid of fast food places that sell half food, decrease organic food prices and distinguish healthy organic and not healthy. I would outlaw the ability to overprice the healthier option and under price the unhealthier option. Hopefully with these changes more people will have access to healthier food choices. I would if I could.

My art mostly comes from a place of longing for something different for my community.  This is tied with imagination and realism about the world. I’m real about worldly topics, but also imagine something crazy and different. I enjoy pencil work because I like the versatility of the tool. Also a lot of this unit was making art for the sake of learning the techniques.

Recipe: Light stir-fry chicken and vegetables with Chinese egg noodles

*This recipe can be vegetarian/vegan friendly by simply replacing the meat with eggs or tofu, or even taking meat out completely!

There is no specific measurements for most of the ingredients because it is your preference on how much vegetables, noodles, or meat you want to eat/use. Also, you don’t need to completely follow these ingredients, feel free to use whatever vegetables or meat you want. Anything that is laying around in the fridge that needs to be used such as leftover vegetables or different kinds of meat such as beef or pork is fine. And for the noodles, it is not completely necessary to use Chinese egg noodles, regular noodles that you have on hand can be used. And if you don't want to eat noodles, you can totally forget about it and just make meat and veggie stir fry and serve this over your choice of rice.

Adjust measurements according to how many people this meal will be serving to.

Ingredients:

Boneless skinless chicken breast

Carrots

Onion

Broccoli

Snow peas

Bell peppers

Mushroom

Soy sauce

Minced garlic

Chinese egg noodles

Salt

Black pepper

Red pepper flakes (Optional: only if you want it to be spicy)

Any kind of cooking oil (cooking spray or olive oil are the healthy choices)

How many minutes it takes to prepare and cook:

15-20 minutes

Everything will be cooked very quickly!

Directions:

1. Cut up all your vegetables and meat into bite size pieces.

2. After you finish cutting up your main ingredients, get a wok or a big skillet pan and put it over medium-high heat. Add your cooking oil(1 tablespoon) or cooking spray. Let the pan heat up for at least 3 minutes.

3. Depending on what kind of noodles you are using, if it is not cooked yet, you may need to get a saucepan and boil water, then add in the noodles and blotch noodles for 2-3 minutes, take it out and strain the noodles, then set it aside to dry. (This is an extra step if your noodles are not cooked. Skip this step if it doesn't apply to you)

4. Finely mince the garlic.

5. Throw the minced garlic and onion into the wok/pan and stir fry that until you noticed the pieces of garlic turn golden brown and smells very fragrant and the onion becomes translucent. If you are making this dish spicy, this is the time to also add in your dry hot pepper flakes. This should take 2-3 minutes.

6. Turn the heat down to medium. Add in your sliced chicken or other choice of meat then stir fry until the meat is almost cooked through. You don’t want to cook it all the way yet because you haven’t added the vegetables yet (overcooked meat will taste bad and hard to chew). This will take a few minutes.(If you are using sliced beef, cook for only one minute!)

7. After your meat is cooked about half way through, turn the heat back up to medium-high and add in all your vegetables. Stir fry until vegetables are slightly cooked but do not overcook or else your vegetables will become too soft or soggy (you still want that “crunch” when you bite into your veggies). This will take 2-3 minutes.

8. Add in the noodles and stir fry with kitchen tongs or chopsticks until noodles are heated. (Tongs or chopsticks will be easier to cook with the noodles. If you use a regular spatula, it might break the noodles) This will take 2-3 minutes since you are just reheating the noodles.

9. Turn the heat down to low and add two teaspoons of soy sauce and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Stir this for a minute and then turn off the heat. Do a taste test and see if you need anymore soy sauce or salt/black pepper. But don’t forget, too much sodium isn’t good for you.

10. Serve this in a plate or a bowl and you are ready to enjoy your quick, healthy, light stir fry!

Analysis of the recipe:

In my recipe, the only ingredient that might have be processed is the choice of noodles you use. I used thin Chinese egg noodles that I bought from a local asian supermarket near my house. I’m sure they’re processed because I did not make these noodles from scratch, they pre-made. All I had to do is blotch them in boiled water for 3 minutes, drain it, then it was good to eat or use in any meal I prep. I would say 30% of the recipe is processed because I put in a good amount of noodles but there’s more vegetables than noodles. The vegetables and boneless skinless meat is whole food, not processed.

Since my recipe is overall healthy, the sugar count and fat count is extremely low because we did not use sugar at all in this recipe and since we used boneless skinless chicken breast and we only used a tiny bit of oil in the pan, this is very little fat. The calorie count shouldn’t be so high because these are mostly veggies, so I can’t estimate it but I am aware that the calorie is not high. If you eat this recipe every day, there wouldn’t be any possible health problem arising because it’s not high in fat, sodium, sugar or anything.

I am not really sure where most of my ingredients came from, I’m positive my vegetables and meat are from this country but I don’t know which state. I don’t think the travel is that far because I’m pretty sure there’s a farm or meat factory nearby. I think the Chinese egg noodles might possibly be from California because lots of Asian food are processed or made in California. I don’t know if my vegetables are grown organically because I bought my vegetables from Shop Rite, not from Whole Foods Supermarket or Trader Joe’s.

This meal does not cost that much, in all honesty. This stir fry recipe is very easy to make and you can use any choice of vegetables, choice of meat or choice of noodles or seasoning. If you have leftover vegetables that need to be used before it goes bad, you could simply cut it up and throw into the wok/pan. If you have raw beef in the freezer or leftover chicken in the fridge, that can be used to. Chinese egg noodles isn’t common in American households so if you don’t have it or can’t find it, some pasta in from the cabinet can be substituted. You don’t really need to make a trip to the grocery store to buy these ingredients unless you want to eat specific vegetables, meat or noodles. I would it’s as cheap as fast food because this recipe is for anything that is laying around in your fridge. I didn't even go to the grocery store to buy my ingredients, I already had it in my fridge and my mom didn't use it for her cooking so I just took all of it and cooked this. I know where we bought it from but I already had it at home.

All my vegetables that I used were grown from farms that I don’t really know about. So the intermediate steps could’ve included chemicals to grow it. I don’t grow any vegetables at home. So if I were to grow my green peppers, onions or garlic at home, I’d have to buy the seed, go through a bunch of steps to get the right kind of soil to grow my vegetables, maintain these plants and make sure I water it, and a ton of more steps. As for commercial production process, they handle it themselves and I just simply purchase these vegetables without the hassle of growing it myself.

Personal Reflection:

Although before this unit, I was aware of some of these issues that we have in our food system, however, this unit has taught me even more about our food system and I actually learned "numbers" and "statistics" involved in it. The biggest issue I see in our food system is how much the government lies to us about it. The "sugar free", "low fat" labels are just lies. These low content food is just being covered up with another kind of terrible chemical or make it taste as good it normally would be. I think that is the worst corruption in our entire food system because this is going into our body and we are being lied to. Some of the changes I can make to my food choices is to make healthier decisions in my diet. I eat healthy during weekdays because I usually eat homemade food since I'm not going out with friends(my mom cooks pretty healthy) but sometimes I should eat brown rice instead of rice. Or whole wheat bread instead of white, and greek yogurt instead of mayo, something like that. The impact of these changes if that I think I will physically feel a lot better and have more energy to go through my day. I also think this will impact while I'm exercising, I'll notice more physical changes if I eat right. I'm willing to make these changes because I want to be fit and I want to be healthy. I don't want to have heart disease or diabetes, it already runs in my family. I want to decrease my chance and beat my genetics by being healthier. I really enjoyed the warm ups we've previously done in this unit because I've read some great facts and educated myself more about this.

Analytical Essay:

After every war, or every deployment to war, there are always soldiers who come back with emotional damage being expected to mold back into society’s way of life. Changes such as the one Bartle was expected to go through when returning from war come in multiple phases. Soldiers are expected to come back and almost instantly get their normal lives together while adjusting to an environment that doesn’t have them constantly feeling like they are still deployed at war. As a result, they go through severe phases of depression and a lot of times, things like suicide is a popular option among these guys.

We saw this in chapter 7 when Bartle finally decided to go out with some friends for the first time since coming back from the war and leading up to that part of the book we learned pretty much Bartle’s daily routine after the war. We know that he is going through a depression and it all comes to a climax when he takes this small trip with some friends. He’s out with friends and decides to go out into the river while his friends are all still on shore not really noticing at first. As time goes on he kind of dozed off and ends up falling asleep face down in the water.

His friends then notice and see that their depressed friend Bartle is lying face down in the water and drag him out thinking that he has drowned which he probably did but that is not the point. The point that the writer of “The Yellow Birds” is trying to make that goes almost perfectly with the thesis of this essay is that soldiers coming home from war go through a tough time. It comes in a set of phases, now how many phases, nobody knows, it is different for almost every person coming from war. As stated in the thesis as well, a lot of times, this time of severe depression(PTSD) can and has a lot of times led to suicide.

Works Cited for Analytical Essay:

1. Anderson, Pauline, and Désirée Lie. "Depression, PTSD Worsen Several Months After Soldiers Return." Medscape. Medscape Medical News, 15 Nov. 2007. Web. 12 Jan. 2015. <http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/565954>.

Narrative Essay:

So sophomore year was by far my worst ever academic year. I wasn’t motivated to do anything my self esteem dropped severely and I felt like an outcast at home. Well as time went on between February 2014 and April 2014, people(my parents) started to take notice(mainly because my advisor noticed and pointed it out at the first narrative conference of the 2013-2014 year.) Anyways my parents realized that the same ways they treated my two younger siblings(my brother and my sister) wasn’t going to do a good job of helping my situation with school at all.

As a result, people like my parents and my brother and sister started to hang around me a little more thinking that spending time would heal all of my emotional wounds. So the school year finished, I barely passed World History and my parents decided not to really punish me for the bad grades but they put limits on all the things I could do like play video games. So summer started rolling through and things were starting to go back to normal until mid July.

It honestly felt and until that point of the day had gone on as any other day, wake up, get dressed, do chores, eat breakfast, play video games, eat lunch,play more video games with friends, but around like 6 or 7 pm, I paused the game just to stretch out and I pulled out my ipod touch and saw that I had a bunch of messages on the kik messenger app. I open it up to see what was happening and I see that one of my friends had sent me a text saying that a mutual friend of ours had run away from home and left a note saying he was going to kill himself.

I stopped everything and started talking to a bunch of friends and everyone is going crazy. I made up my mind right then and there that I was going to go help search for him. I knew my mom wasn’t going to help search and I figured that my dad who had been the Leader of my scout troop the last time that kid had come would also not hesitate to help search and that no matter how much begging I was going to have to do, I was going to help in the search any way that I can. My dad came home from his night shift at work and he must have heard about the situation on his way home because he was scrambling to change out of his police uniform so he could go search. Honestly my mom didn’t really want me to go and at first so did my dad. It took about ten minutes of back and forth arguing before I just stopped listening and changed out of my pajamas into regular clothes.

We searched and searched for hours and couldn’t find him. By the time we got back to the house, we could see the sun rising. We knew that there would be searches going on all week until they found him and though my parents didn’t really agree with me going to all the searches, I went and we didn’t find him. Keep in mind he went missing on a monday or tuesday I believe, and that saturday, my dad had worked during the day and when he got home, again just your normal day for a teen during the summer, we had friends over and I remember my dad pulling me and my little brother and sister aside and telling us that a body had been found in the area where we thought my friend had gone missing and that they were trying to confirm his identity through DNA.

I had the feeling inside when I heard the news that it was him and we had been told that his mom had indeed ID’d him through just seeing him as they wheeled him away.

Dylan Long

Science & Society Q2 Benchmark

Ingredients

(1 serving)

2 Fresh Avocados

1 Lime

1 Package of Cilantro

1 Onion

Garlic

Salt

Tools

1 cutting board

1 sharp cutting knife (large)

1 spoon (large)

2 bowls (1 large 1 small)

1 tupperware

Directions

1. Take your avocados and split them open by cutting the outer shell open in a 360 fashion around the entire shell. Once you have completed the cut, twist the avocado open into two halves. Take your knife and whack the center of it onto the pit so your knife is wedged in the pit, turn your knife 90 degrees and remove your knife; the pit will come with it!

2. Use your spoon to scoop out the avocado from each of the halves and empty it into your large bowl.

3. Once all your avocado is in your bowl, throw out the shells and pits and mix your avocados to a pasty texture.

4. Take out your cutting board, large knife, cilantro, onion and lime.

5. Chop up your cilantro and onion into small diced pieces and dump them into your large bowl.

6. Cut your lime into eighths and squeeze anywhere from 1-8 pieces of lime into your guacamole at your preference.

7. Use your spoon to stir your bowl thoroughly so that all of the ingredients mix together with the avocado.

8. At your own discretion/preference, add a couple sprinkles of salt to your guacamole.

9. Use your spoon to scoop your guacamole out of the bowl and into your tupperware.

10. Enjoy your fresh all-natural guacamole with some chips or tacos!

Analysis

The ingredients that I used in my recipe are simple, all-natural, healthy and can be found in the local grocery market or supermarket. All 100% of this food is whole food and not a single ingredient is processed; only vegetables, herbs and fruits! With my dish, there is no need to worry about any added sugars, fats, preservatives or artificial additives. Unless you have an allergic reaction with one of the ingredients, this is a healthy meal that will yield only good things for your body! In addition to being a great standalone dish, my guacamole is a fantastic way to increase both the flavor and nutrition of many common dinner meals! Going to a party and need to bring something along? My guacamole takes a quick ten minutes to concoct and tastes delicious. It can also be added onto tacos, enchiladas and more.

The ingredients that go into this guacamole (there are few) all come from the local grocery, which likely comes from all over the place. What I do know is that these fresh ingredients are not mass produced with artificial additives and preservatives. My ingredients come from real plantations and farms, and are transported to the local markets while retaining their fresh and authentic essence.

This meal does not cost much at all! With the finer ingredients, this meal falls under the $10 range. In comparison with fast food, guacamole and chips is far more healthy, filling and budget-friendly than fast food. In addition, you can make it in your own home! No need to make any side-tracked pit stops on the way home, guacamole is easy to make it under ten minutes! The thing that I enjoy the most which is another comparison that can be made between guac and fast food is that buying fast food supports massively corrupt corporations, and buying the ingredients for guacamole supports small, local businesses!

There are very few (if any at all) social ramifications of my guacamole. The economy prospers from the buying and selling of the ingredients, the one(s) consuming the guacamole are obviously extremely satisfied, and the ingredients are all natural! The avocados and cilantro come from the farmers market around my home, specifically in the 9th Street Market. Natural ingredients are sold there in the masses by Spanish families. The ingredients presumably come from all over the world! Avocados grow on trees, cilantro grows on farms, et cetera! Once all of these ingredients are combined, you are in for an absolute treat.