Alicia M. Brown MS, RD, CSSD, LD
Tyra M. Carter, PhD, RD, LD

As you walk into our stores, delicious aromas fill your head and wonderful, cozy feelings envelope you. The smell of cinnamon and ginger warms you and you can’t help but fall into the holiday spirit. Thevibrant orange sweet potatoes,bright green beans, and vibrant red pomegranates and crimson cranberries color your dreary day and before you know it you are dancing down the aisles and singing "Winter Wonderland." Well, maybe that’s just me (Watch out for me on Aisle 5, it’s wide enough to do a split leap.)

As you pick out and purchase your favorite holiday foods, consider some of the surprising facts you may have never known.

Did you know that CINNAMON:

• Is currently being studied for its role in improving diabetes, arthritis, high cholesterol, leukemia and even lymphoma?
• Is actually bark of a tree?
• Was used as a form of currency in the Middle Ages? A person’s worth was often determined by how much spice they could afford.
• Want to use cinnamon tonight? Try our Classic Apple Crisp

Did you know that GINGER:

• Is used to treat digestive problems? In ancient days, Greeks would wrap ginger in bread to help ease stomach trouble. Eventually this became what we call Gingerbread!
• Is used to alleviate morning sickness?
• Is made into a paste and used to treat headaches in India?
• Looking for a ginger recipe? Try our Classic Apple Crisp
  or Cranberry Chutney

Did you know that SWEET POTATOES:

• Were originally called "Nyami" by the slaves in the south as it was referred to in Africa? Eventually the name was shortened to "yam".
• Are not the same as yams? Americans use the terms interchangeably.
• Are a excellent source of vitamin A and a good source of fiber and iron?
• Taste buds craving a sweet potato? Try our Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Did you know that GREEN BEANS:

• Have over 130 different snap bean varieties?
• Take 55 days to harvest?
• Provide 122% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin K? What is vitamin K for? It helps provide strong bones and aids in blood clotting
• Love green bean casserole but worried about the creamy sauce? Try our Green Bean Casserole Makeover

Did you know that POMEGRANATES:

• Grow on trees that can reach 15 feet in height and live to be 100 years old?
• Are available September through January?
• Should be heavy when you pick them out? It means they have more juice and seeds!! YUM!
• Are high in fiber? Delicious!
• Never had a pomegranate? Just cut one in half and remove the juicey pods from the rind (kids love doing this). They are fun to eat plain (the pods pop with juice in your mouth) or mix with goat cheese and nuts for a great appetizer. The red pods are also a great addition to green salads to take holiday colors right to your plate!

Did you know that CRANBERRIES:

• Will bounce if they are good and ripe? They are also nicknamed Bounceberries.
• Contain high amounts of antioxidants? Cranberries are being studied for their role in protection again cancer, heart disease, infections and other diseases.
• Were used by Pilgrims to dye fabric, rugs and blankets?
• Tongue tingling for that tartness? Try our Cranberry Chutney (link to recipe) with your holiday meal, on your salads or as a tart treat on a turkey sandwich.

Looking for a Creative Holiday Gift for your gourmet friends?

Try homemade gourmet rub gift sets. Mix up your favorite spice blend and package in a beautiful clear jar tied with a bow. Decorate creatively: cinnamon sticks, dried orange or lemon slice, herb sprigs, spice grater, microplane, mini-whisk, etc.

Spanish Rub: Combine 6 tablespoons smoked paprika, 3 tablespoons each regular paprika, dried cilantro and course salt, 1 tablespoon ground dried lemon peel and 1½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper. Great on pork chops, tenderloin or shrimp.

Tuscan Spice Rub: Grind 1 tablespoon fennel seeds in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Combine with 6 tablespoons dried basil, 3 tablespoons each garlic powder and course salt, 2 tablespoons each dried rosemary and dried oregano. Try it on boneless, skinless chicken thighs, salmon steaks or lamb chops.

Indian Spice Rub: Combine 6 tablespoons curry powder, 3 tablespoons coarse salt, 4 teaspoons crushed red pepper, 1 tablespoon each ground cumin, ground coriander and dried mint, 2 teaspoons each turmeric and ground ginger. Try it on tofu, chicken breast or with sautéed potatoes.

Each rub makes about 1 cup.

Nutrition per teaspoon of rub: 4 calories, 211 mg sodium

Adapted from Eatingwell.com Nov/Dec 2008