tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030555181236061942024-03-16T04:38:04.814-04:00Gardening along the creek...The challenges are endless, the possibilities immeasurable, and the payback divine.dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.comBlogger996125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-59392212227825040822014-03-19T19:50:00.000-04:002014-03-19T19:50:21.476-04:00Just Passing ThroughDear Loyal Readers and Friends of Darius -<br />
<br />
It is with great sadness that I am posting on Darius' behalf. At 10:13am on Wednesday, March 19, 2014, Darius took her last breath and left this world. As you know from following her blog, she was a passionate, multi-talented and multi-faceted woman. I knew her for 30+ years as my beloved Aunt Donna.<br />
<br />
There are no words to fill the void that she has left in my heart and in this world. She was always just passing through, soaking in as much experience in this world as she possibly could, and sharing every ounce of her knowledge and perspective with anyone who wanted to partake.<br />
<br />
I hope that she has blessed your life as she has mine, from this, her little corner of the world wide web.<br />
<br />
Thank you for sharing and supporting my wonderful Aunt.<br />
<br />
Shawnee R. dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-21586168859687042202014-03-14T13:38:00.002-04:002014-03-14T13:38:31.126-04:00Guide to Pesticides in Produce<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We all worry about what's in or on our foods. This may be a help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The growing concerns about
chemical pesticide exposure in our food is exactly why the Environmental
Working Group (EWG) developed its annual list of “clean” and “dirty” foods.
From EWG’s website (<a href="http://www.ewg.org/">http://www.ewg.org/</a> )</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>The Dirty Dozen</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apples</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Celery</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strawberries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peaches</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spinach</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nectarines (imported)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grapes (imported)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweet Bell Peppers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Potatoes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blueberries (domestic)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lettuce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kale/Collard Greens</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>The Clean Fifteen</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Onions</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweet Corn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pineapples</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Avocado</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asparagus</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweet Peas</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mangoes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eggplant</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cantaloupe (domestic)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kiwi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cabbage</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watermelon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweet Potatoes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grapefruit</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mushrooms</span></div>
dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-65827101697891032332014-03-09T14:11:00.000-04:002014-03-09T14:11:25.320-04:00Preparedness and Disease<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you have followed my blog for long, you know that 2 important factors for me are nutrient-dense (healthy) foods, and being prepared for what may come our way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I usually have a good stock in my pantry of home-canned foods but with being hospitalized 7 times last year I really cut into the larder without the energy to replace items. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Normally I have enough stored (canned) veggies and meats for as much as a year, enough water filters for several months, a pile of dry firewood in case I have to cook over an open fire or on my wood stove when it's cold, but that has diminished over the last year. I hope this year will be better, and my garden productive.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, one thing I'm not prepared for is a pandemic. I just have 2 banker's boxes of medical stuff like bandages and antiseptics and 2 good first-aid books with drawings even an idiot should be able to understand.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I watched a show on the history channel last week about the Bubonic Plague and I just cannot wrap my mind around losing half the population... about 100 MILLION people in Europe at the time. Often there were so many deaths in a single day that they could not keep up with burials.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Think about your extended family, add in some friends and neighbors, and then imagine half of them dead in short order of a disease without control. That's scary.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The CDC says there are STILL pockets of the Plague around the world... that's also scary. Plus, the more they adulterate our food supply, the more we become vulnerable to ANY disease that comes along... and the diseases have grown more resistant to our "modern medicines" thanks to feeding antibiotics to the animals grown for us to eat, and the air-carried pollen of GMO's.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wish I had some suggestions for those kind of preparations but I don't. I DO think eating as healthy as we can is a first line of defense but that may not be enough to avoid a disaster.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If any of you have any good suggestions, I'd love to hear them.</span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-30647885665823178362014-03-05T13:21:00.002-05:002014-03-05T13:21:39.090-05:00Zinc and Colds<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've kept zinc supplements and lozenges on hand for years, taking some</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>whenever I've had a cold coming on, but never looked into exactly how and why it works. I never take it in a daily basis because I think I get enough in my foods.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Scientists at the University
of Adelaide, AU have discovered how Zinc interplays with one of the deadliest
bacteria, Streptococcus pneumoniae, which kills more than one million people a
year by causing pneumonia, meningitis and other serious infectious diseases.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Zinc starves the bacteria
that need to feed off manganese (an essential metal), bacteria that can to thrive and
attack the body. By blocking this process, Zinc weakens the bacteria and makes
the job of the immune system so much easier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The essential mineral Zinc,
is one of the very best anti-bacterial agents.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Arial;">Food Sources:</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Seafood</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Beef and Lamb</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Pork & Chicken</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Wheat Germ</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Spinach and Silverbeet
(Chard)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Pumpkin and Squash Seeds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Nuts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Cocoa and Chocolate (Cocoa
Powder)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Dry Beans or Legumes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mushrooms</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Zinc - An Essential Mineral</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Zinc is an essential mineral
present in nearly every cell of your body. Zinc stimulates the work of about
100 enzymes that keep your body functioning normally. In addition, your body
needs zinc to use nutrients for immunity, for wound healing and for maintaining
your senses of taste and smell. Food is the best source of zinc, as supplements
have not proven (to date) to be a sufficient source. It is very difficult to
get too much zinc in your diet; however, supplements may cause harmful side
effects: Lowering of HDL (good) cholesterol levels, weakening of immune
response and impairment of copper absorption. Zinc is found in many different
foods from both animal and plant sources so you can usually get all you need
from a variety of foods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Foods of animal origin are
the best sources: Lean meat, poultry, and some seafood, liver and, in small
amounts, milk and eggs. In fact, the body absorbs zinc better from a diet rich
in animal protein than from one high in plant protein. You also get zinc from
whole-grain foods, nuts, fortified breakfast cereals and some legumes, but
phytates in those foods can decrease its rate of absorption.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you are deficient in
zinc, symptoms include reduced immunity, appetite loss, skin changes and
impaired growth - and, during pregnancy, birth defects. The causes are poor
intake, poor absorption, zinc loss or increased need. Vegetarians may need more
since zinc from plant sources is not absorbed as well as zinc from other
sources. Fortified cereal may be the best source.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There are some
health-conditions linked to poor zinc status: Digestive diseases, alcoholism,
inadequate calorie intake and poor infant and childhood growth. The USDA found
that high fat, low-carbohydrate diets do not provide an adequate supply of
zinc. If you suspect a deficiency, talk to your doctor about your symptoms
before trying a supplement. Should you and your doctor decide you need a
supplement, read the label's Supplement Facts to help keep your daily zinc
intake under the UL.</span></div>
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dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-84148127648572772932014-02-28T15:56:00.000-05:002014-02-28T15:56:03.187-05:00Pricing Convenience<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is my 1,000th post on this blog, despite not being my original information. I'm looking forward to starting seeds as the weather begins to warm and melt the snow cover, and plan on a larger garden than I intended this due to what I fear is more rising food costs. Growing more food and cooking from scratch also means looking at what others do as short-cuts in convenience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Today everything is
convenient. You cook your meals by pushing a microwave button. Your car shifts
itself, and your GPS tells you where to go. If you go to a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>public restroom, you don't even have to
flush the toilet! This tedious chore is a thing of the past because the toilet
now has a small electronic "eye" connected to the Central Restroom
Command Post, located deep underground somewhere near Omaha, Neb., where highly
trained workers watch you on high-definition TV screens and make the flush decision
for you. ("I say we push the button." "Wait, not yet!")</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So we have it pretty easy.
But we have paid a price for all this convenience: We don't know how to do
anything anymore. We're helpless without our technology. Have you ever been
standing in line to pay a cashier when something went wrong with the electronic
cash register? Suddenly your safe, comfortable, modern world crumbles and you
are plunged into a terrifying nightmare postapocalyptic hell where people might
have to do math USING ONLY THEIR BRAINS.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Regular American adults are
no more capable of doing math than they are of photosynthesis. If you hand a
cashier a $20 bill for an item costing $13.47, both you and the cashier are
going to look at the cash register to see how much you get back and both of you
will unquestioningly accept the cash register's decision. It may say $6.53; it
may say $5.89; it may be in a generous mood and say $8.41. But whatever it
says, that's how much change you will get because both you and the cashier know
the machine is WAY smarter than you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I tried for several painful
minutes to show a neighbor’s granddaughter how to do long division, at which
point she gently told me I should go back to watching "Storage Wars"
and she would figure out long division on her own. And she did. I don't know
where she got the information. Probably from the Internet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304675504579391143240721978">http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304675504579391143240721978</a></span></div>
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dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-77267683488840380942014-02-24T12:31:00.000-05:002014-02-24T12:31:06.093-05:00Affording groceries<span style="font-family: Arial;">With the severity of this winter across much of the US, coming food prices are starting to worry me. I had planned only a small garden this summer due to my health issues but I need to re-think that plan because I NEED to eat healthy foods.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I just paid almost $17 for two grass-fed beef shanks which are usually a cheap cut of meat, and lemons (not even organic) were just barely under a dollar each.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here are a few sites with information, although I don't agree with some of them that are merely cost-cutting without addressing healthier foods. No doubt bulk fills our stomachs, but does it make or keep us healthy?</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.southernplate.com/2014/02/affording-groceries-during-times-of-rapid-price-increases.html"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Affording groceries duringtimes of rapid price increases</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">During the past two years
alone, the price of some household staples such as bread, milk, and eggs have
increased in price by as much as 69%, while the median household income has
only increased 1%.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UU8KT5ol3Za0qbU-Nu9XdWmw&v=Nhf3qSEXcjg#t=347"><span style="font-family: Arial;">YouTube</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/food-prices-soar-as-incomes-stand-still/"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Food prices soar as incomes stand still</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/photos/soaring-food-prices/?photo=2#!slide=985309"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Soaring Food Prices: CompareCost Increases</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.southernplate.com/2013/06/money-saving-tip-rice-the-ultimate-budget-extender.html"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Money Saving Tip: Rice, theUltimate Budget Extender</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">•In Soups and Stews that
call for diced potatoes, use uncooked rice instead. Allow half an hour for soup
or stew to simmer so rice can cook.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">•Use cooked rice in place of
oats or bread crumbs in meatloaf and hamburger patties to make them go further.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">•This is not food related...
BUT keep a rice hot pack around the house for those aches, pains, and
headaches that arise from time to time. Take a clean tube sock, fill halfway
with rice, and tie a knot in the end. When you need a good hot pack, just heat
in the microwave for about a minute or so. Be careful because it gives off a
moist heat and can burn skin if too hot when placed directly on it. This is a
long lasting heat source that can be made in a jiff!</span></div>
dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-27579245286082886522014-02-08T10:52:00.000-05:002014-02-08T10:52:49.258-05:00Junk DNA and Hope<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A different kind of post for me... "junk DNA".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We all carry what is called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noncoding_DNA">junk DNA</a>, which is our DNA for
which no discernible function has been identified. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There have been a few books written in the last few years about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_children">Indigo Children</a>,
and those traits are very much like the Star Children in a recent history
channel story. Star Children, like Indigo Children, are said to possess psychic,
spiritual, and other extra sensory abilities to bring about peace and topple
corrupt systems. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Could this just be activation of some of our junk DNA? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If it's true, does all this indicate Hope for this lovely blue planet we inhabit?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-72255494400513917202014-02-04T13:19:00.000-05:002014-02-04T13:19:57.245-05:00Weather takes its toll<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The weather takes its toll... we've gone days/weeks with frozen pipes and loss of electric power, not to mention the apathy that sets in when nothing works.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's a couple of links you may find interesting. I know I have posted before about the adulteration of extra virgin olive oil, and here's an update. The second link is good news on the food front.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Extra Virgin Suicide</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/01/24/opinion/food-chains-extra-virgin-suicide.html?_r=1&smid=tw-share"><span style="font-family: Arial;">http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/01/24/opinion/food-chains-extra-virgin-suicide.html?_r=1&smid=tw-share</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">California Legalized Selling
Food Made At Home And Created Over A Thousand Local Businesses</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/instituteforjustice/2014/01/29/california-legalized-selling-food-made-at-home-and-created-over-a-thousand-local-businesses/">http://www.forbes.com/sites/instituteforjustice/2014/01/29/california-legalized-selling-food-made-at-home-and-created-over-a-thousand-local-businesses/</a></span></div>
dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-16821009783128337582014-01-26T18:44:00.001-05:002014-01-26T18:44:50.082-05:00Praising Solar Gain<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Most of us have been experincing the arctic polar plunge into the US in the last few weeks, me included. We have had frozen pipes, impassable roads, school closings and more snow and ice that I'd like. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have extreme cabin fever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But, there's a lesson I learned in all of this. I have long been a supporter of passive solar energy but it really has come to the forefront in this awful weather. Usually on cold days, I run out and start my old truck and let it warm up before I try to go anywhere. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite recent temps in the single digits, we have had a couple of days with (cold) sunshine. On those days I try to get out for perishable groceries if the roads are passable. I've discovered that even in 5ºF weather, the cab of my truck is warm and toasty in the sunshine, without any need to warm up the engine, thus proving how solar gain really works even in dreadfully cold weather.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It gives me a great prospective now on designing wit6h passive solar gain in mind.</span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-37276212834339264752014-01-03T16:01:00.000-05:002014-01-03T16:01:27.471-05:00Growing Micro Greens and Health<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f5KHryWRwjI/Uqy24olfkzI/AAAAAAAAC9w/Spel4QIZerw/s1600/Beet+and+Kale+micro+greens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f5KHryWRwjI/Uqy24olfkzI/AAAAAAAAC9w/Spel4QIZerw/s400/Beet+and+Kale+micro+greens.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Beet and Kale Microgreens, Photo Borrowed from Johnny's Selected Seeds</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the things I've discovered during my declining health is what my diet is missing from salads. During the summer, I eat enough fresh vegetables (including tomatoes) that I don't notice any deficit, but it has become more apparent lately.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I was first diagnosed with liver disease, they put me through 6 months of testing all parts of my body to determine if I was healthy enough for a liver transplant. During that time, they pulled all my teeth except 6 teeth in the lower front. Tooth decay had been a life-long problem for me despite throwing many thousands of dollars into my mouth for root canals, crowns and bridges and still losing the teeth.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Medicare will not pay for dentures and I haven't had an extra $5-6,000 sitting around to pay for them myself, but I get by except for the few things I cannot chew easily, notably a steak and most salad greens. I can manage romaine but not the baby greens I so love, and eating only romaine in salads gets old.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Micro greens turn out to be a great alternative that I can actually chew, and interestingly enough, they contain more nutrition than those same greens grown to full size! Over the course of this past summer I have been buying micro greens at the farmer's market but now they are closed for the winter so I ordered seeds and trays to grow my own, inside on a bookshelf under a windowsill.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To start off, I bought a quarter pound each of 2 mixes from <a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-48-micro-greens.aspx">Johnny</a>'s, one spicy (<span style="color: black;">red and green mustards with various textures)</span> and one a mild mix <span style="color: black;">(Mizuna, Cabbage, Kale, and Kohlrabi)</span>. When I get the hang of growing them, I can buy the specific micro greens I prefer (and there are oodles of choices), but I thought this was a good way to start.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0XYZrrojsfo/Uqy3VLNIlQI/AAAAAAAAC94/TgUGpl5u3qA/s1600/microgreens_trial_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0XYZrrojsfo/Uqy3VLNIlQI/AAAAAAAAC94/TgUGpl5u3qA/s400/microgreens_trial_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After 4 Days</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My first try was to sow just a few rows of each in one tray just to see how they grow, although my ordered pack of trays was for 6 trays. I only have enough windowsill for 2 trays, leaving room enough for my cat to lounge in the sun's scant rays.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first seeds (uncovered) sprouted in 4-5 days and the instructions said 10-15 days to maturity (cutting). I think the first sowing will barely make 1 salad with other additions, so I should get 2-3 servings per full tray and will do continuous sowing as I use them.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EVK1oKfQj1I/Uqy5vMYwhII/AAAAAAAAC-E/y7MZIjoQxFU/s1600/after_6_days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EVK1oKfQj1I/Uqy5vMYwhII/AAAAAAAAC-E/y7MZIjoQxFU/s400/after_6_days.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After 6-7 Days</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I should be able to cut them in another week. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u>Update, Dec 23</u>. My micro greens are languishing for lack of enough light on the window sills. They don't even have a true set of leaves yet and are very leggy. My after-Christmas chore will be to hang a grow light (a fluorescent light with one cool-white bulb and one warm-light bulb) over that windowsill before I sow another batch. I have the light fixture, just need bulbs but I'm NOT braving the last-minute Christmas shoppers for them. </span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-15696451630220327752014-01-02T13:39:00.001-05:002014-01-02T13:39:25.459-05:00Eggs... whole or just whites?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For several months (or maybe more) fast food chains like McD's and Subway have been pushing breakfast items that contain egg whites without any yolks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I know the egg whites contain protein, but what is in the yolks making them omit them?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our brains run on fats, but not just any fats. Not canola oil, not corn oil, not soy oil, and not most other processed oils. Our brains <b>need</b> what's in animal fats such as egg yolks and free-range meats. Free-range eggs are a good and inexpensive source of those needed fats.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, my questions are what's in it for those food chains (and who sold them on that idea, anyway)? Are they trying to dumb us down even more? It has to be a "follow the money" thing. Equally important to me is WHAT are they doing with all those egg yolks they don't use?? Must be millions a week just for McD's. (Have you ever seen a chicken lay an egg without a yolk?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Inquiring minds want to know.</span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-68437638104016481862013-12-25T18:00:00.001-05:002013-12-25T18:00:26.364-05:00China rejects our corn, but we eat it??<br />
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lqjqWp4OLy8/Urti2ieOxEI/AAAAAAAAC-U/FknLSy031jY/s1600/corn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lqjqWp4OLy8/Urti2ieOxEI/AAAAAAAAC-U/FknLSy031jY/s400/corn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Photo from <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-122561122/stock-photo-man-hands-with-grain-on-yellow-corn-background.html?src=93XSDutE8b2OqSDlDJc_Dw-1-56">Shuttlestock</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Genetically modified strains
of corn not authorized for sale in China have been showing up in cargoes
exported from the U.S., prompting China to reject them.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And we’re not talking about
trifling amounts here. In November and December, the country rejected more than
600,000 tons of American corn that had been genetically modified.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s hard to conceptualize
that much corn, but it works out to more than a dozen shipments, or nearly a
third of the corn shipped from the U.S. to China this year. Another way to
think about it: <u>The rejected shipments weighed more than 100,000 elephants.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Source: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25461889">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25461889</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/18/china-us-corn-idUSL3N0JX1R120131218">http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/18/china-us-corn-idUSL3N0JX1R120131218</a></span></div>
dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-90100809448869592902013-12-22T17:44:00.000-05:002013-12-22T17:44:03.181-05:00Chicken and Superbugs<span style="font-family: Arial;">In case you have just
wandered onto this blog on a whim or random Google link, let me be clear about my food choices. I NEVER buy
meats from the grocery stores, and not much produce except in winter when
there’s no local hoophouse stuff available. I do as much home-grown and/or organic as possible.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My health is not good (stemming from years of work-related causes) but I'd probably be dead already if not for my food choices over the last few years. </span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When I say I buy no
commercial “no meats” I really mean it, but especially NOT any chicken. Here’s
one reason why: </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/19/antibiotic-resistance-chicken-consumer-reports_n_4469575.html?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=tweet"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Half Of Supermarket ChickenHarbors Superbugs, Consumer Reports Finds</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tyson chicken houses are
everywhere in Virginia, but thankfully none are very near me. They are now making biochar
from the Tyson waste and I won’t even buy that for my garden. Yuck. Instead I use the charred bits from my wood stove on my garden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I buy local organic grass-fed meats despite the higher cost, and I believe </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">(in addition to being tasty)</span> it benefits my health, plus cuts down my health-care costs. I cure my own bacon from domestic hogs that roam our wooded mountain slopes, and make my own butter from local cream that's not ultra-pasteurized. I also make a lot of my own cheese. Occasionally when I get off the mountain to a large city, I look for wild shrimp and fish but those gets harder to find every year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you've tread much about native american and early settler life, you know they ate the organs of meat animals long before they'd eat the muscle meats. That's because the organs contain so much more nutrition that the muscles. We Americans choose less nutritious steak instead of organ meats, sacrificing nutrition for popular belief.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I admit I balk at eating brains, although my dad loved them scrambled with eggs. I eat liver, kidneys, heart, and sweetbreads. Some of the tougher cuts like hearts and kidneys sometimes get ground and used in a mixed country paté loaf. Do NOT even mention chitlins or tripe because I'm not going there!</span></div>
dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-17153268221383171362013-10-29T12:33:00.001-04:002013-10-29T12:34:39.446-04:00Hard post to write<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've not posted much this year, having been taken by ambulance to the university hospital down in NC 6 times in 8 months (Feb 1-Oct 3) and then time at home to recuperate. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My liver disease has finally become worse, after a long 'remission', and recently my doctors have diagnosed the beginnings of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) from high ammonia levels. My liver has quit making enough enzymes to <i>fully</i> digest proteins, and the undigested proteins in the intestines cause ammonia build-up. The ammonia affects the brain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My plan is to move to Asheville, NC in the spring where good health care isn't a 2-1/2 hour trip each way (I'm going 1-2X a month now), and where there is excellent hospice when I finally need it. I lived in Asheville for years and still have many friends there, so I'll have support and a sense of community. Asheville is very alive, and has half a dozen natural foods grocery stores. The closest ones to me now are 125+ miles away.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'll have to find shared quarters, and store a lot of stuff I don't sell here first, as the COL in Asheville is high, but the medical trade-off is worth it. Besides I have LOTS of stored foods and hopefully will find a place with room somewhere for my 2 full freezers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If lucky I may have more than a year... a lot depends on a new med that's $1,000/month. I don't have the med yet as no local pharmacies stock it, but it IS now on order. The med I have to reduce ammonia is disgusting as it causes very abrupt diarrhea, but my ammonia level is slowly coming down. Maybe not enough soon enough, only Time will tell.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I WILL post from time to time, esp. in the dead of winter when I can't do much else except sort and pack (and that gets old quickly, not to mention it's tiring( but it won't be consistent. I have very little energy now and I'm losing weight.</span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-89381595824461701512013-09-25T00:00:00.000-04:002013-09-25T00:00:00.429-04:00egg whites<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had a long trip down to NC yesterday for medical stuff, and overslept so there was no time to make a proper breakfast.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the run, I broke one of my rules and went through McD's for an Egg McMuffin. The 'special' offer was an "egg white McMuffin" which I declined.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">True, the egg whites are high in protein, but the real value in eggs is the yolk. More so if the eggs are from free-range hens. That means truly free range, like from a local farmer who has a dozen or so hens that are outside all day, not the factories that have a small dorr to allow hundreds of hens access to the cement outside. I never buy nutritionally deficient factory eggs anymore... I'd rather do without.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Almost all of the
ever-important nutrients like DHA, folate, choline and the essential vitamins
like A, D, E, K-2, B-6, & B-12 live in the yolk rather than the white.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Makes me wonder why the spiel, and what are they doing with all the yolks? </span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-34354482454798148252013-09-24T14:09:00.001-04:002013-09-24T14:09:22.308-04:00I didn't know this, did you? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;">I've been using aluminum foil for more years than I care to
remember. Great stuff, but sometimes it can be a pain. You know, like when you
are in the middle of doing something and you try to pull some foil out and the
whole roll comes out of the box.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;">Then you have to put the roll back in the box and start over. The
darn roll always comes out at the wrong time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;">Well, I would like to share this with you. Yesterday I went to
throw out an empty Reynolds foil box and for some reason I turned it and looked
at the end of the box. And written on the end it said, "Press here to lock
end". Right there on the end of the box is a tab to lock the roll in
place. How long has this little locking tab been there?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;">I then looked at a generic brand of aluminum foil and it had one,
too.</span></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;">I then looked at a box of Saran wrap and it had one too!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;">I can't count the number of times the Saran warp roll has jumped
out when I was trying to cover something up.</span></span></div>
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</span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-60280560388659995002013-09-15T13:39:00.000-04:002013-09-15T13:39:14.521-04:00Bragging...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i1aXhUW9wjc/UjXwV6fbJ4I/AAAAAAAAC80/G5Qzy0TAC4M/s1600/blue_ribbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i1aXhUW9wjc/UjXwV6fbJ4I/AAAAAAAAC80/G5Qzy0TAC4M/s400/blue_ribbon.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of my good friends entered 2 of my homemade vinegars in the Fair, and I won a Blue ribbon for the <u><i>Chive Blossom Vinegar</i></u>, and a 2nd Place Ribbon for the <u><i>Ruby Basil Vinegar</i></u>!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I use champagne vinegar as a base, but it's expensive ($40/half gallon with S/H). So over this winter, I plan to buy some inexpensive champagne and make my own champagne vinegar. It takes about 5-6 months for champagne to mature into vinegar, but during that time I have no herbs growing in the garden anyway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Right now I have some tarragon vinegar brewing, with a touch of garlic in it, and plan some chive (not the pretty pink chive blossom) vinegar later, but before frost.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I did make some fruit vinegars, raspberry, cranberry, and blackberry and still have frozen arils of pomegranate to use. It's amazing what a splash of a fruit vinegar does for meats and vegetables.</span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-46564867649718185952013-09-10T14:07:00.003-04:002013-09-10T14:10:05.034-04:00Clafouti<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is a repost because I made another one last night, and
easier to re-post than write anew. STILL a big favorite!
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qf7-YDMDugw/Ui9f4b-HhXI/AAAAAAAAC8k/BF7ejJ464wU/s1600/cranberry_pear_clafouti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qf7-YDMDugw/Ui9f4b-HhXI/AAAAAAAAC8k/BF7ejJ464wU/s400/cranberry_pear_clafouti.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OhMyGod~... This is one of the best things I have ever put
in my mouth!!! YUM! YUM! YUM!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you are not familiar with a clafouti, you are not
alone... neither was I, except reading the name occasionally on food blogs.
This one I made, my very first, blew me away with the taste. I had thought it
might be good, but turned out to be one of the best damn desserts I have eaten
in my whole life!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">According to Wikipedia, a clafouti, or clafoutis, is a baked
French dessert of black cherries in a buttered dish, covered with a thick
flan-like batter and baked. The clafoutis is dusted with powdered sugar and
served lukewarm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The clafoutis originates in the Limousin region of France...
and while black cherries are traditional, there are numerous variations using
other fruits. I have fresh cranberries on hand for Thanksgiving, and still a
lot of pears in my root cellar, so I decided to adapt a recipe I found for a
Cranberry Pear Clafouti. The batter is a Yorkshire pudding style, made with
eggs, sugar, cream and a little flour. The result is like a thick, puffy
pancake baked over the fruit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My adaptations were mostly in the method of cooking,
although I did substitute half and half for the evaporated milk, and also
increased the amount of pears, and flour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rJM6P2M06qE/Ui9frpcGzkI/AAAAAAAAC8c/wp9RRx6ZGZQ/s1600/cranberry_and_pears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rJM6P2M06qE/Ui9frpcGzkI/AAAAAAAAC8c/wp9RRx6ZGZQ/s400/cranberry_and_pears.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I put about a cup of cranberries and three diced medium-size
pears (peeled and cored) in a skillet, along with 1/3 cup of sugar and about 1½
tablespoons of butter. The online recipe called for only 1 pear, no butter, and
baking the fruit about 20 minutes until soft. I only have a counter-top
convection to work with at the moment, and decided it was easier to pre-cook
the fruit in a skillet instead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The cranberries were fairly quick to burst in the pan, and
the cranberries and pears both softened in about 15 minutes on medium heat. The
butter kept the sugar and fruit from sticking to the pan until they gave up
some of their juices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next, drain the juices and set aside. The fruits don't have
to be very dry, but not swimming in their juices either. Pre-heat the oven to
375ºF. Notice I used a different pan for baking. I'm using a small countertop
convection oven until our oven gets repaired (or we get a new range).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In a bowl, mix 2 large eggs, 3 tablespoons all-purpose
flour, 1½ teaspoons vanilla, ⅓ cup half and half, and ¼ cup sugar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Spread the drained fruit evenly in the bottom of an
oven-proof pan (which you have buttered), and pour the batter on top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bake in the upper third of an oven until puffed around the
edges and set in the center, about 12-15 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because this batter puffs when it cooks, it also falls just
like a soufflé! The topping deflated in the time it took to find and focus the
camera! This is the virgin dish for this little oven, and I also see it heats
unevenly. Next time, I'll keep a better eye on it and rotate halfway through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OhMyGod~...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>that's one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth!!! YUM! YUM!
YUM! Not too sweet; just enough sweetness to excite my tastebuds dancing around
the tart cranberries. The 'pudding' was excellent, a puffy-custard-y texture
with lovely vanilla overtones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Serve warm with the reserved juices (re-warmed) poured on
top. Sprinkle with a tad of powdered sugar for looks. Serves 4.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's my recipe adaptation:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*
3 medium pears, peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch dice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*
⅓ cup sugar (for the fruit) plus ¼ cup sugar for the batter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*
2 large eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract</span></div>
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⅓ cup half & half (or cream)</span></div>
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1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Place oven rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to
375°F. Lightly oil a 9-inch glass pie plate or coat it with cooking spray. (I
used a metal pan; can't use glass in this oven)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Combine pear, cranberries and ⅓ cup of the sugar in the
baking dish. Bake until the fruit is tender and very juicy, about 20 minutes.
(I did mine is a skillet on the stovetop.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Meanwhile, whisk eggs, flour, vanilla and the remaining ¼
cup sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in half and half.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Drain the juices from the baked fruit into a small bowl,
holding back the fruit with a metal spatula. Reserve the juices. Redistribute
the fruit over the bottom of the dish and pour in the egg mixture. Bake until
puffed and set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Serve warm, with the reserved fruit juices spooned over the
top. Sprinkle with a tad of powdered sugar.</span></div>
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dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-52702622703223087282013-09-05T14:31:00.001-04:002013-09-05T16:28:38.789-04:00Micro Greens<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H_O9jTZcOsA/UijPD3Rj2yI/AAAAAAAAC8M/dRmNZVOkwmM/s1600/Beet+and+Kale+micro+greens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H_O9jTZcOsA/UijPD3Rj2yI/AAAAAAAAC8M/dRmNZVOkwmM/s400/Beet+and+Kale+micro+greens.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/08/29/160274163/introducing-microgreens-younger-and-maybe-more-nutritious-vegetables">Beet and Kale microgreens from NPR</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Micro greens are something I can actually chew, and love, so salads are finally on my menu again!! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Not only that, they are 4-6 times more nutrient-dense than larger greens of the same varieties. </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Microgreens could easily be confused with sprouts, but they're not the
same thing. Sprouts are seeds germinated in water just long enough
(usually 48 hours) to grow roots, a stem and pale, underdeveloped
leaves. Microgreens, on the other hand, need at least 7 days to grow before you can harvest them.</span></i> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/08/29/160274163/introducing-microgreens-younger-and-maybe-more-nutritious-vegetables">Source</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Six years ago I went through all the pre-testing for a liver transplant and as part of the process they pulled all of my teeth (except 6 in the lower front). Medicare will NOT pay for dentures (nor hearing aids and eyeglasses) so I'm nearly toothless, making chewing many things a problem. What I've missed the most is salads, because the lettuce leaves are so thin they are difficult to chew, and blenderized salads do NOT appeal to me!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Several weeks ago I bought some micro greens at the farmer's market, and not only can I chew them, the taste is just terrific! They were expensive to buy, so I just ordered 1/4 pound each (minimum order) of mild and spicy mix, great for beginners, from Johnny's Selected Seeds. I can grow them all winter long on a window sill in my LR in a small flat, so it's a Win-Win.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After I see how I do with the beginner mixes, I will branch out to making my own mix of greens and herbs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Johnny's has some great information on how to grow them, varieties available, and mixes for beginners.<span style="color: #336633;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #336633;"><span style="color: black;"><i>"Micro Greens are the leaves of certain vegetables and herbs harvested when quite
young, generally at the first-true-leaf stage of growth. In cuisine,
micro greens are added to gourmet salads, sprinkled over entreés, or
used for garnish. They can be marketed as individual components or in
signature blends, combining a number of varieties with different
flavors, colors, and textures.</i>" </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #336633;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/Assets/Information/MicroGreensTechSheet.pdf">Basics of Growing Micro Greens </a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/assets/information/MicroGreensComparisonChart.pdf"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/assets/information/MicroGreensComparisonChart.pdf">Micro Greens Comparison Chart</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-932-herbs.aspx?source=Webarticle_MicroGreensProduction_092013_LearnMorebull2">Herb Varieties for Micro Greens</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ps... if you do an internet search for "micro greens recipe" you will find hundreds! </span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-57609978187225917342013-08-27T11:07:00.001-04:002013-08-27T11:07:25.484-04:00Growing squash in bales<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Several years ago I planted vegetables in straw bales as an experiment, and had pretty decent results, and again the next year with potatoes planted in the remains of the bales. What I did NOT like was how much seed was still in the bales and sprouted. I fought them for 2-3 years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two years ago I cleared a large area, laid down cardboard, covered it with 6" of alfalfa from some bales I purchased locally, and covered it all with 6" of wood chips. I had 2 bales of alfalfa left over and just stuck them in the barn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9F_ju-5u4tY/Uhy9umJ5_DI/AAAAAAAAC7c/wRJb4XmpFPg/s1600/squash_in_alfalfa_blales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9F_ju-5u4tY/Uhy9umJ5_DI/AAAAAAAAC7c/wRJb4XmpFPg/s400/squash_in_alfalfa_blales.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This year I took those 2 aged bales out of the barn and planted winter squash in them. I'm totally astonished at the growth. In the photos, it's hard to see there are actually 2 plants but one is an acorn squash and the other is spaghetti squash.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_jVDmk1_lc/Uhy-FbE2tYI/AAAAAAAAC7k/V3kSZqul1xY/s1600/spag_squash_on_the_vine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_jVDmk1_lc/Uhy-FbE2tYI/AAAAAAAAC7k/V3kSZqul1xY/s400/spag_squash_on_the_vine.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The acorn squash isn't doing well, but there must be a dozen or so spaghetti squash growing on the other plant!</span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-41544912078321008272013-08-25T00:10:00.000-04:002013-08-25T00:10:29.475-04:00Winter Fare<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As low as my energy level is since my heart attack, I'm still managing to put up some foods for winter fare. Many are not from my own garden since I didn't get much planted this year due to health problems plus our crummy weather.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm really concerned that this winter may be a bear, and with so much of the country having either flooding or drought, I expect food prices to rise. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I bought a bunch of tomatoes, plus got quite a few from a neighbor and I oven-roasted them in batches with lots of chopped Vidalia onions and garlic. After going through the food mill, I have quite a few pint jars now canned for winter use. (My own few heirloom tomatoes got late blight, I think I only got 3 good enough to slice.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Corn is not a favorite because it gets so starchy so quickly, but I have quick-boiled a baker's dozen and just need to cut the kernels off the cob and can them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The few summer squash my sister's yard man didn't cut down have yielded a bounty of fresh squash, mostly now grated and frozen for later use. I found a recipe for Zucchini Faux Crab Cakes last year, and loved them. My zucchini hasn't done well (other than the gigantic one that grew while I was in the hospital) but now has more blooms. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm thinking to make the faux crab cake recipe with yellow summer squash since the squash is basically a filler, and if I get any more zukes, they will definitely be used in that recipe. They are easy to make, cook, and freeze for re-heating later as part of a quick meal.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two other plants the yard man didn't cut down look to be maybe a spaghetti squash (and loaded with small fruits) and one acorn squash plant that only has a fruit or two that I can see among the humongous leaves. Both are planted in a 2 year-old alfalfa bale and growing like gangbusters! Good thing I like winter squash, and they keep well in the root cellar. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He also cut down all my pole bean plants. sigh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have picked a few of my thornless blackberries, maybe close to a gallon, but it's become such an overgrown jungle that most went to waste. I'll make some spicy blackberry savory which is great with white meats (kinda like using cranberry sauce), and perhaps some blackberry syrup if I have enough berries.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My filbert bush looks like it will be the first year for a really good crop. It's now about 5 years in the ground here. The first year it bore nuts, I think I got about 12-15 nuts. Last year, probably 4-5X that amount.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I planted shallots, garlic and cippolini onions in one bed but it became so overgrown with weeds that I don't think there's a chance anything survived. I wanted SO much to make some cippolini onions in balsamic vinegar! They are $8.95-$9.95 a pound on most olive bars and I love their taste.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I may have already posted this, so forgive any lapses in my memory (which is not so good lately)... I have an upcoming trip planned with a gardening friend to go to the Outer Banks for several days in early October to get seafood. Living inland as I do, seafood is always the pits... frozen, stored, shipped, thawed, maybe re-frozen, but certainly NOT fresh... and most shrimp here are just tasteless farm-raised 'shrimp'.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Please put out good vibes that we can make our trip without the threat of a coastal hurricane! I haven't looked forward to such a trip in years so I'm kinda like a young kid anticipating Santa Claus and Christmas.</span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-21529285324694095612013-08-17T17:32:00.001-04:002013-08-17T17:32:27.073-04:00Agave Nectar<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Recently, a friend gave me a bottle of agave nectar, saying how much she loved it. I haven't opened it, but did do some research out of curiosity. Turns out it has more fructose than HFCS.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Since I'm still recuperating and not up to doing much yet, here's the whole reprint:</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Agave Nectar: Good or Bad?</span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/">http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The short answer to that
reader’s question is simple: agave nectar is not a “natural sweetener.” <b>Plus,
it has more concentrated fructose in it than high fructose corn syrup</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">. Now, let’s get into the details.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Agave Nectar Is Not A
Natural Sweetener</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Once upon a time, I picked
up a jar of “<i>Organic Raw Blue Agave Nectar</i>” at my grocery store. It was the
first time I’d ever seen the stuff in real life, and the label looked
promising. After all, words like “organic,” “raw,” and “all natural” should
mean something. Sadly, agave nectar is neither truly raw, nor is it all
natural.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Based on the labeling, I
could picture native peoples creating their own agave nectar from the wild
agave plants. Surely, this was a traditional food, eaten for thousands of
years. Sadly, it is not.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Native Mexican peoples do
make a sort of sweetener out of the agave plant. It’s called miel de agave, and
it’s made by boiling the agave sap for a couple of hours. Think of it as the
Mexican version of authentic Canadian maple syrup.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But this is not what most
so-called “agave nectar” is. According to one popular agave nectar
manufacturer, “Agave nectar is a newly created sweetener, having been developed
in the 1990s.” In a recent article now posted on the Weston A. Price
foundation’s website, Ramiel Nagel and Sally Fallon Morell write,</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: red;"><i>Agave “nectar” is not
made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of the giant
pineapple-like, root bulb. The principal constituent of the agave root is
starch, similar to the starch in corn or rice, and a complex carbohydrate
called inulin, which is made up of chains of fructose molecules.Technically a
highly indigestible fiber, inulin, which does not taste sweet, comprises about
half of the carbohydrate content of agave.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The process by which agave
glucose and inulin are converted into “nectar” is similar to the process by
which corn starch is converted into HFCS. The agave starch is subject to an
enzymatic and chemical process that converts the starch into a fructose-rich
syrup—anywhere from 70 percent fructose and higher according to the agave
nectar chemical profiles posted on agave nectar websites.</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Compare that to the typical
fructose content of high fructose corn syrup (55%)!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In a different article, Rami
Nagel quotes Russ Bianchi, managing director and CEO of Adept Solutions, Inc.,
a globally recognized food and beverage development company, on the
similarities between agave nectar and high fructose corn syrup:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: red;"><i>They are indeed made
the same way, using a highly chemical process with genetically modified
enzymes. They are also using caustic acids, clarifiers, filtration chemicals
and so forth in the conversion of agave starches into highly refined fructose
inulin that is even higher in fructose content than high fructose corn syrup.</i></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So there you have it. Agave
nectar is not traditional, is highly refined, and actually has more
concentrated fructose than high-fructose corn syrup. It is not a “natural”
sweetener. Thus far, the evidence definitely points toward the conclusion:
Agave Nectar = Bad.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">“But,” you ardent agave
nectar enthusiasts say, “agave nectar has a low glycemic index. I’m a diabetic,
and it’s the only sweetener I can use!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What’s wrong with fructose?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">First, we need to clarify
something. Concentrated fructose is not found in fruit, or anywhere else in
nature. When the sugar occurs in nature, it is often called “levulose” and is
accompanied by naturally-occurring enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and
fruit pectin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Concentrated
fructose, on the other hand, is a man-made sugar created by the refining
process. To clarify:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: red;"><i>Saying fructose is
levulose is like saying that margarine is the same as butter. Refined fructose
lacks amino acids, vitamins, minerals, pectin, and fiber. As a result, the body
doesn’t recognize refined fructose. Levulose, on the other hand, is [fructose]
naturally occurring in fruits, and is not isolated but bound to other naturally
occurring sugars. Unlike man-made fructose, levulose contains enzymes,
vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fruit pectin. Refined fructose is processed in
the body through the liver, rather than digested in the intestine. Levulose is
digested in the intestine. (source <a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/024892_fructose_food_health.html">http://www.naturalnews.com/024892_fructose_food_health.html</a>
)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I want you to pay special
attention to those last two sentences, for they are a huge key that will help
unlock the mystery of why fructose is bad for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Because fructose is digested
in your liver, it is immediately turned into triglycerides or stored body fat.
Since it doesn’t get converted to blood glucose like other sugars, it doesn’t
raise or crash your blood sugar levels. Hence the claim that it is safe for
diabetics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But it isn’t.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">That’s because fructose
inhibits leptin levels — the hormone your body uses to tell you that you’re
full. In other words, fructose makes you want to eat more. Besides contributing
to weight gain, it also makes you gain the most dangerous kind of fat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This has been verified in
numerous studies. The most definitive one was released just this past year in
the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The full study is available online, but
for the sake of space I’m including Stephan’s (of Whole Health Source fame)
summary here:</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The investigators divided
32 overweight men and women into two groups, and instructed each group to drink
a sweetened beverage three times per day. They were told not to eat any other
sugar. The drinks were designed to provide 25% of the participants’ caloric
intake. That might sound like a lot, but the average American actually gets
about 25% of her calories from sugar! That’s the average, so there are people
who get a third or more of their calories from sugar. In one group, the drinks
were sweetened with glucose, while in the other group they were sweetened with
fructose.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After ten weeks, both
groups had gained about three pounds. But they didn’t gain it in the same
place. The fructose group gained a disproportionate amount of visceral fat,
which increased by 14%! Visceral fat is the most dangerous type; it’s
associated with and contributes to chronic disease, particularly metabolic
syndrome, the quintessential modern metabolic disorder (see the end of the post
for more information and references). You can bet their livers were fattening
up too.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news doesn’t end
there. The fructose group saw a worsening of blood glucose control and insulin
sensitivity. They also saw an increase in small, dense LDL particles and
oxidized LDL, both factors that associate strongly with the risk of heart
attack and may in fact contribute to it. Liver synthesis of fat after meals
increased by 75%. If you look at table 4, it’s clear that the fructose group
experienced a major metabolic shift, and the glucose group didn’t. Practically
every parameter they measured in the fructose group changed significantly over
the course of the 9 weeks. It’s incredible.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Back to our original
question — Agave Nectar: Good or Bad?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The conclusion is clear.
Agave nectar is bad for you. It’s not traditional, not natural, highly refined,
and contains more concentrated fructose than high fructose corn syrup.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What natural sweeteners do I
recommend?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you’re interested in what
other traditional sweeteners are out there that are actually natural, check out
My Natural Sweeteners of Choice <a href="http://www.foodrenegade.com/my-natural-sweeteners-of-choice/">http://www.foodrenegade.com/my-natural-sweeteners-of-choice/</a>
.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Or, simply skip straight to
what I buy and use:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">organic, raw honey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">coconut palm sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">maple syrup</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">stevia</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">sorghum syrup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">maple sugar</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-13230105878293284232013-08-14T13:30:00.002-04:002013-08-14T13:30:43.140-04:00Muscle pains and Magnesium<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I barely took notice that during my 3 hospital stays so far this year they included an IV drip of magnesium each time, but when I mentioned it to my PCP in June, she included magnesium testing in my blood work. Of course my levels were low, and she suggested magnesium oxide, available OTC and very cheap.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Frankly, it did nothing (only 4% of magnesium oxide is bio-available) and then I read up on magnesium and I'm now taking a slow release magnesium <u><i>chloride</i></u>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What magnesium does is release the knotting or tightening in the muscles caused by an imbalance of calcium and magnesium (although we NEED the calcium for our bones). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Glad to say I haven't been awakened by any leg cramps since I started taking it, but I still have occasional back pains, esp. when I'm standing in the kitchen a long time when canning. I'm not sure I'm taking enough, but it will show up on my next blood work later this week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My doctors say 90% or more of us are deficient in magnesium so if you are having musculature problems or cramping, I suggest asking your doctor to do a blood test for magnesium. DO NOT rely on any recommendation for magnesium oxide, but choose the more absorbable magnesium chloride instead, and/or read <a href="http://drcarolyndean.com/magnesium_miracle/"><u><i>The Magnesium Miracle</i></u></a> by Dr<u><i>.</i></u> Carolyn Dean. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Health-wise, I'm doing okay since my recent fairly mild heart attack, and I have a follow-up appointment tomorrow at the hospital in NC. I still have lots of bruises from all the heparin shots, and the place where they went into the femoral artery has lots of sore muscles around it still, although the incision has healed. I've been restricted from driving or lifting anything heavier than a half-gallon of milk, have a Home Nurse 2X a week, and PT 2X a week because I've fallen a few times for no reason.</span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-33502402394768366112013-08-01T08:23:00.002-04:002013-08-01T08:23:27.685-04:00<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sorry I've been AWOL. I had a heart attack 10 days ago and have been in the hospital until last night, and I'm recovering slowly but nicely. The good news is that my cholesterol is low (154 down from nearly 400 several years ago, thanks to diet), and a heart cath showed no blockages.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm on bed rest for 2 weeks, and no driving until then.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I probably won't post much in the next 2 weeks as my energy level is rather low.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But, I'll be back!</span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-603055518123606194.post-44389941939700946242013-07-19T13:37:00.000-04:002013-07-19T13:37:15.006-04:00Raisins<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I needed some sultanas (golden raisins) for a recipe, and came across this on the 'Net.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><object height="236" width="420"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/A8S4S49TyDk?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/A8S4S49TyDk?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="236" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feds vs. Raisins</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8S4S49TyDk&feature=player_embedded</span>dariushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12905692094664443489noreply@blogger.com3