[2012 In Review] The Best Books I Read For My Business

I read a lot of books for my business in 2012. I read so many that I ended up forgetting a lot of them as soon as I moved on to the next book. But there were a few that really stuck with me, and have continued to shape the way I think about my business. Here is a short list of the ones that mattered most to me.

1. Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey. Winner, winner, winner. Whether you agree with Dave Ramsey's personal and religious views or not, he knows what he's talking about when it comes to running a business. Not only that, but he also knows how to communicate that knowledge in a compelling and down-to-earth way that really connects with business owners.  

I seriously can't recommend this book enough. If you have aspirations to grow your business and create a place where you and your employees work hard and love to come to work every day, I consider this a must read.

2. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell. To be honest, pretty much everything after Law 1 in this book was white noise to me, but Law 1 so revolutionized my thinking about being a business owner that the book ranks at the top of my list for the year. Not that the rest of the book wasn't worth reading, but nothing else in the book really compared to the realization of how true The Law of the Lid is - that I am the lid on my business. My limitations, my personal ability to lead, will always be the cap on my business. Amazing.

3. Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuck. I listened to the audiobook of this one - read by the author, with lots of additional commentary. If you haven't yet discovered the wonderful world of Gary Vaynerchuck, buckle your seatbelt. I love this guy for his passion, his enthusiasm and his tenacity, all of which come through in everything he says and does. It's hard not to be inspired by him. Especially for a quiet, reserved person like me, it was so good to insert some loud, crazy, passion into my day.

Some great practical advice for getting out there and hustling to make your business work. This book also includes a big element of online and social media strategies that are so important in running a business today.

4. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Ok, so I first read this book a few years ago, but I reread it this year, and will read it again and again. This isn't strictly a business book, but it is for anyone who fights the inner battle with creativity and discipline. I never fail to finish this book feeling ready to fight my demons for another day.

What's So Great About Kale?

{Nourish : October : Kale}

History: Kale was cultivated by both the ancient Greeks and Romans and is believed to have been brought to Britain by either the Celts or the Romans.

What's Inside: 

An Abundance Of

 Vitamin K (in the form of carotenoids) - Vitamin A - Vitamin C 

Manganese - Dietary Fiber

A Very Good Source Of

Copper - Tryptophan - Calcium - Vitamin B6 - Potassium 

A Good Source Of

Iron - Magnesium - Vitamin E - Vitamin B12 - Protein - Vitamin B1

Folate - Phosphorous - Vitamin B3

Other Health Benefits: Kale, as you can probably gather from the long list above of nutrients it contains, is one of the most nutrient-dense foods. Among some of its other health benefits are the following.

• Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Benefits: "In addition to conventional antioxidants like Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, and Manganese, kale also provides us with at least 45 different recently discovered flavonoids, many of which are known to function as both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds."
• Cancer-preventing: Kale is also a top food source for at least 4 Glucosinolates, which after digestion can be converted by the body into cancer preventive compounds. 

Read more about the health benefits of Kale here.

Source: The World's Healthiest Foods

All in the Family: Kale is in the same vegetable family as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and brussels sprouts.

In Season: Late Fall-Winter. Available in grocery stores year round.

Buying: Look for bunches with deep, vibrant color that are wilt free, with thick, sturdy stems. Leaves should be free from browning, yellowing and small holes.

Storing: Fresh, unwashed kale keeps best refrigerated in a plastic bag, and should be used within a few days after purchasing.

Eating: Rinse leaves under cold running water to clean.

This month we'll be bringing you some easy and delicious kale recipes.

{Nourish is our monthly series on learning about and using amazing foods.}

Fall Flowers: Mums

I love that time of year when mums of various sizes and colors start to appear outside the grocery store and the home improvement stores, when beautiful orange and red and purple mums pop up among pumpkins and hay bales on the porches that I drive by every day. It's one of my favorite signs that Fall is here.

And of course, every year I buy a few of my favorite colors - the oranges and deep reds - for my own front porch, to sit beside the pumpkins that are waiting to be carved.

Here are a few interesting facts about mums that you may not have known:

The name Chrysanthemum is derived from the Greek words Chrysos, meaning gold or golden, and anthemon, which means flower.

 Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as early as the 15th Century B.C.

Chrysanthemum tea, made from the flowers of certain species of Chrysanthemum, is a popular drink in parts of Asia, believed to be beneficial in treating eye problems and maintaining eye health, and in alleviating cold symptoms, among other things. 

 Mums are one of the most popular potted flowers in the U.S.

 They are also one of the longest lasting cut flowers.

Do you have a favorite color of mums that you like to use for your Fall decorating?

Apple Tasting

{Nourish : September : Apples}

: A Family Apple Tasting :

A Little Guide to Common Grocery Store Apple Varieties

Ever wonder about all those different kinds of apples piled in the grocery store aisle? How different are they? Which type is best for apple pie? For eating with lunch? Well, in this month of apple abundance, we wondered about these things, and decided to do a little research on the subject, and compare some apples for ourselves.

We made a quick trip to our local grocery store where there were about 12 apple varieties available, but we limited our tasting to 8 of those. We bagged up 2 of each variety, and I made a little inward wish that the cashier wouldn't silently be cursing us for all the separate codes that would have to be keyed in at checkout. 

Here are our observations, along with some general info about each apple type.

McIntosh
We described these as: Sweet and a little sour, bright white flesh with a mealy texture
Descriptives from other sources: Simple flavor, sweet with a bit of acidity
Uses: Good for baking and snacking
History: Introduction in the 1820s, originated in Ontario, Canada

Braeburn
We described these as: Very soft, grainy texture, sweet with a bit of a bitter aftertaste
Descriptives from other sources: Crisp, without being hard; very juicy; high-impact, sweet-tart flavor
Uses: Great for snacking and baking
History: Introduction to market in 1952, originated in New Zealand

Honeycrisp
We described these as: Crunchy, crisp, tart and juicy, with a good balance of sweet and sour
Descriptives from other sources: Crisp and juicy; sweet yet slightly tart flavor; juicy and instantly refreshing
Uses: Great for snacking and salads, good for baking
History: Introduction to market in the late 1990s, originated at the University of Minnesota

Golden Delicious
We described these as: Sweet, crunchy, with muted flavors
Descriptives from other sources: Mellow and sweet
Uses: A true all-purpose apple; great for snacking, salads, cooking and baking

History: Introduction to market in 1914, originated in West Virginia 

Granny Smith

We described these as: Very sour, crisp, crunchy at first bite, then kind of chewy

Descriptives from other sources: Extremely tart, acidic, crisp, juicy

Uses: A versatile apple, Granny Smiths are excellent for baking, snacking and salads

History: Introduction to market in 1868, originated in Australia

Gala

We described these as

: Sweet, juicy, good initial crunch, less immediate flavor than others

Descriptives from other sources

: Crisp, aromatically sweet and snappy, though the best of these qualities is often not found in supermarket apples that have traveled from other countries

Uses

: Best for snacking and salads

History

: Introduction to market in 1965, originated in New Zealand

Red Delicious

We described these as

: Very mealy with tough, thick skin; mildly sweet; overall rather flavorless

Descriptives from other sources

: Crunchy with sweet, very mild flavor; skin can be quite tough

Uses

: Snacking and salads, not well suited for baking

History

: Introduction to market in 1874, originated in Iowa

Cripps Pink (also known as Pink Lady®)

We described these as

: Very sweet, well-rounded flavor; firm and juicy

Descriptives from other sources

: Firm, crisp flesh with a unique, tangy-tart, sweet flavor

Uses

: Best for snacking, can also be used for baking

History

: Introduction to market in 1985, originated in Australia

So, now that you know a little more about these apples,
here are our conclusions for snacking:

Unanimous Favorite: Honeycrisp

Unanimous Least Favorite: Red Delicious

Have you ever done an apple tasting (It's a fun idea if you haven't!), or do you have a favorite apple? 

Sources of apple information: Orange Pippin and Washington Apples

All About Apples

{Nourish : September : Apples}

History: Archeology shows us that humans were eating apples as early as 

6500 B.C. That's about 4000 years before the Egyptian Great Pyramid in Giza was built. What also happened around this time period? The cow was first domesticated in the Middle East, and humans mostly lived in small hunting-gathering tribes scattered across the globe. 

Crab apple trees are the only native apples to the US. Cultivated apple varieties were brought to America by Europeans nearly 400 years ago, followed not long after by shipments of honey bees to pollinate newly planted orchards. 

Source: "Apples: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy"

What's Inside:

Vitamin C - Fiber - Vitamin A - Calcium - Phosphorous

Potassium - Folate - Iron - Antioxidants

Plus small amounts of Magnesium, Copper, Zinc, Vitamins B1, B2, B6, E, K, & Niacin

In Season: The majority of apples are ripe for picking September-October. They are available year-round in grocery stores.

(Seasonal Fun: We look forward every Fall to a Saturday afternoon spent at a local orchard where we pick apples, buy cups of hot cider & more cider to take home, and wait in a long line for the most mouth-watering apple cider donuts EVER. )

Buying: Not much of a mystery to this. They are readily available at grocery stores. Check to make sure they have good color, and don't have bruises, cuts, or soft spots. 

Organic vs. Non Organic: Apples are regularly listed as one of the top fruits/vegetables contaminated by pesticides, and most regular grocery store apples are also coated with wax to make them look shiny and appealing. For both of these reasons apples are invariably on the recommended lists of produce items to choose if you're choosing a few fruits/vegetables to buy organic. Especially if you can't/don't buy organic, be sure to wash apples well by rubbing under running water.

Storing: Apples keep best in the refrigerator, preferably in the crisper drawer.

Eating: Keep the skin on! Most of the fiber and Vitamin C in an apple is located in or just below the skin.

Varieties: There nearly 7500 varieties of apples worldwide, but only about 100 of these are produced commercially in the US. I don't know about you, but my local grocery store has about 12 types, and we get to sample a few more unusual varieties when we make our annual orchard trip in the Fall.

Stay tuned for next week when we share our observations from a family tasting of 8 apple varieties!

{Nourish is our monthly series on learning about and using amazing foods.}