In other related culinary news, a village in Macedonia recently broke the South Dakota held Guinness World Record for boiling the most beans in one pot.  The Macedonian villagers boiled 3.15 tons in a five foot tall cauldron at their Saint Friday Festival.  This shattered the previous world record of 1.35 tons. It is reported that all of the Macedonian villagers have very “good hearts.”

Included in this set of dicta is a one-hour minimum period of “quiet time.”

While I’m sure the girls don’t use this period to consciously reflect on all the information they’ve acquired throughout the course of the day, a recent University of California study suggests that this is exactly what they’re doing.  This “quiet time” is a period away from electronics and the constant sea of stimulation that swamp us daily.

In his New York Times’ article, Matt Richtel proposes a similar hypothesis: that the brain needs downtime to process the information of the day. While a walk through the woods might not be a possibility for most of us, we can certainly turn off the radio on our commute home to “be alone with our thoughts.”  So, schedule yourself some downtime this evening, and see what a difference it makes.

To read Matt Richtel’s original full article, visit nytimes.com.

Donahue reviews briefly The iConnected Parent: Staying Close to your Kids in College (and Beyond) While Letting them Grow Up.  This is quite a hefty title, but the book examines a simple subject: providing for one’s children the necessary space to mature.  Donahue also reviews the works The Happiest Kids on Campus and Debt Free U. As far as I’m concerned, the books are a cursory platform to examine a much larger issue: how to help our students transition successfully from young-adult to adult.  “This is something we’ve been working towards for 30 years,” says camp owner Julian Krinsky.  “Whether in sport or academic courses, we strive to provide young adults with the tools they need to think for themselves and make their own decisions.”  So, as our alumni head off to higher education, we wish them the best of luck, encourage them to think independently and look forward to many future homecomings.

To read more of Donahue’s article, click here.

I’ve always believed that student involvement is the key.  Students just don’t learn in a vacuum.  I never would have guessed that a campus wide game of humans vs. zombies would work towards this end, but who am I to judge?  Regardless of one’s opinion on the matter, it’s clear that academic success resides no longer education, but “edutainment” (I can’t believe that this did not come up as a spelling error in Word 2007).  So, encourage your students to build their resumes by petting squirrels and help them forge a path in 21^st century education.

To read more about this modern, didactic phenomenon, check out Stephanie Steinberg’s article.

Photo: Brian Snelson

Although, it’s become a somewhat tongue in cheek tradition, Wisconsin’s Beloit College has – for nearly 15 years – compiled a “mindset” list that it distributes to all its professors.  The list has a lofty goal: to catalogue the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of our nation’s youth.  The Mindset List is a sort of Rosetta Stone of rapidly changing worldviews.  It covers everything from formal education to foreign competition in a domestic economy, beginning with the fact that “Few in the class of 2014 know how to write in cursive” and ending with “Honda has always been a major competitor on Memorial Day at Indianapolis.”  My personal favorite is #12: Clint Eastwood is better known as a sensitive director than Dirty Harry.

A cursory purpose of the 75 items listed is to dissuade Beloit professors from using dated references.  More importantly, though, the mindset list is an annual reminder that forces organizations to recognize that change is not only inevitable, but happening incessantly.  “We’ve always believed that we should not let nostalgia get in the way of catering to our students,” says camp owner Julian Krinsky.  The world’s changing constantly; so, you might as well stay current, grab a venti half-caf no foam skinny vanilla latte and enjoy the ride.

To check out Beloit College’s Mindset List, click here.

When Daniel came to Krinsky Fitness last year he’d never stepped foot in a gym, now he can’t wait to get going with the Fitness trainers. This year he’s taking his fitness routine to the next level, and learning a lot about nutrition along the way.

Daniel isn’t too fussy when it comes to what class he’s taking, as long as it’s in the gym, and as long as he is getting pushed hard. “All of the trainers are really helpful and will push you to the extremes,” he says. This fitness camp is not just about fitness, it’s about learning to live a healthy lifestyle. Daniel really enjoyed being able to go play golf or tennis as an alternative for hitting the gym.

As any trainer will tell you, any good fitness routine includes a nutritious diet. Daniel found the food at Krinsky Fitness to be a pleasant surprise. “There are a lot of really healthy foods out there that don’t taste that great,” he says. “The food here tastes really good for being so healthy.” So far, his favorite food has been the whole grain pizza. From working out to learning the proper things to eat, Krinsky Fitness is definitely a summer program every teen should try!

Here’s a little food for thought:

“ Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” ~ John Kennedy

So, I suppose that today I should give thanks for the plethora of Dorothy costumes that I have the privilege of owning (thanks girls!), for all the times I wished I only had a brain and for the countless number of sleepless nights engendered by flying, blue monkeys.  Without the Wizard of Oz, we never could have made it to Inception, The Matrix, Toy Story or any number of today’s favorites.  So, whatever your favorite movie might be, you owe the Wizard of Oz a debt of gratitude.  Tonight’s the perfect opportunity for dusting off the old classic…

However, former Louisiana restaurateur, Tony Geraci, aims to make the move back to academia a little more enjoyable for students in Baltimore City Schools.   As the director of Food and Nutrition, Chef Tony has enriched the student menus by serving exclusively Maryland-grown fresh fruits and vegetables.   He’s even founded a 33-acre self-sustaining farm to support the project.

As a nation, we’ve come a long way from the lunch lady’s bubbling stew and continue to take steps in the right direction.  All of the faculty & staff from the Julian Krinsky School of Cooking applaud this effort and wish Chef Tony the utmost success in his quest to fill our students’ plates with wholesome fare.

To read more about Chef Tony’s project, get some tips on packing healthy lunches and browse some healthy brown-bag recipes, click here to read Nanci Hellmich’s article.