's motd Wednesday March 2, 2011 - Kiwi

[Guest guest]

FURRY FRUIT

Wednesday, 02 March 2011

Well, I'm here in beautiful

Auckland, New Zealand! And you know what? It seems

I've picked up a little accent already. All

of the flight attendants on my Air New Zealand flight

had those cute little down-under accents. Oh, they

just sound so classy! Who knows, I may keep this new

accent of mine for the rest of my life. LOL.

I'm staying at a really beautiful

hotel and I love my room. It has a great view and,

you know me, I just have to see my sunrises and

sunsets. When I walked into my hotel room, there was

a beautiful bowl of fruit waiting for me. It was

filled with apples, oranges, plums and the most

beautiful purple grapes I've ever seen. And wouldn't

you know it? There were these furry little fruits

called...KIWI. And it just so happens, I'd

planned to talk about them today!

The Kiwi is a bird native to New Zealand and that's

where the fruit got its name. (The fruit has a

remarkably similar appearance to the bird!) I walked

over to my basket of fruit, removed a kiwi and took a

good, close look at it. They really are an

interesting fruit. On the outside, they're brown and

furry, sort of reminds me of a guy whose fuzzy new

beard is just getting started.

When you cut the kiwi in half, you'll see what a

beautiful fruit it is. The flesh is a dark

fern-green. At the center you'll see a white pulp

and it has these teeny black seeds which, by the way,

are edible. When I look at the fruit, it's sorta like

looking through a kaleidoscope. I'm telling you, God

was in a really creative mood when he made the kiwi.

So, are you wondering what it

tastes like? Well, I'd describe it as a cross between

a banana and a piece of pineapple with a little

strawberry taste thrown in. The flavor is really

unique. After that first bite, I'm telling you,

you'll want another. You can eat them with a spoon,

directly from the half-fruit or you can remove the

peel entirely and slice it into sections, like you

would an orange.

Now wait 'til you hear all this...and you'd better

fasten your seatbelts. A kiwi contains as much

potassium as a banana. It also contains Vitamins A

& E. And those little black seeds I was telling

you about? They can be crushed to produce kiwi fruit

oil which is very high in Omega-3, an imporant fatty

acid people like to get from fish oil.

And are you ready for some more good kiwi

news? Well, I've got it for you. Kiwi is rich in

fiber and those disease fighting antioxidants we've

been hearing so much about lately. Regular

consumption of kiwi can help combat a number of

cardiovascular problems, too.

One large kiwi will cost you one

fruit window on the FoodMover. You can cut it up and

combine it with other fruits for a uniquely flavorful

fruit salad. And if you like making protein drinks at

home, throw in some kiwi for a delightful and

special-tasting burst of flavor. You can also buy

kiwi juice. Back home in my fridge, I have this

mm-mmm good kiwi-strawberry juice that I just love.

So now, if you're ever a contestant on Jeopardy!

and there's a category called KIWI, looks

like you're ready to sweep every question Trebek

asks!

I have a meeting this afternoon for the Air New

Zealand spots I'll be taping later this week. In the

meantime...throw a kiwi into your fruit salad for me

today!

Love,