I Could Sew Do That!

www.icouldsewdothat.com is live!

2009-06-02T14:27:00.003-04:00

I'm moving my blog format to www.icouldsewdothat.com. Please follow me as I move on to my new location. I'm very excited to finally have my own url, see you there!

Summer Swap Announcement: 06.14.09 5pm @ The Parkside

2009-05-29T10:40:00.003-04:00

I have good news everyone! Our friends at The Parkside located in NorthEast Baltimore City, MD at 4709 Harford Rd. Baltimore, MD 21214, have offered to host our upcoming summer clothing swap. The swap will be in full swing by 5pm and will run through 9pm. Please bring at least one bag of clothing (feel free to bring more) and accessories and then swap them out for something new. We will have demonstrations on how to refashion/recycle clothing that you love. Please bring only items that you can wear on your body (jewelry, bags, clothes, shoes, etc). This swap is open to men, women, and children and the more folks we have the better selection of clothing we'll have to choose from, so bring a bag of clothes and a few friends to enjoy a glass of wine, or a tasty beverage, dish, and do some free shopping on Sunday, June 14th, 2009 at The Parkside.

If you would like to volunteer to help sort clothing or provide racks/hangers please contact me.

Enjoying the fruits of this season's labor.

2009-05-13T00:41:00.002-04:00

So this post is just a quick update, sadly no photos to add either. However, you will be happy to know that I have been busily cutting and drilling away on my self-watering vegetable garden containers; and I'm nearly done! I've also been enjoying my time out of school and used these last two weeks to get some seriously overdue spring cleaning done. I have been organizing like nobody's business, but I promise to get something interesting up for you soon. In the meantime, tonight I was able to enjoy my first harvest of the season! The mesclun mix that I am growing in a window box with organic potting soil has already grown enough to make a salad for myself, my husband, and my daughter tonight. This means that even if I never grew another salad, it will have paid for itself. Hurrah! More importantly, it was much more convenient to take my little scissors out back and cut exactly what I needed for dinner and the fresh, perfect, tasty little leaves are far superior to the mushy, bruised mess that I pay nearly $4.00 for at my local grocery store. Growing your own lettuce is super easy and well worth the small effort required to get it started. It's not too late to get your salad garden going either, so what are you waiting for; get digging!

10 Minute Transformation: Funky 70's Tie Recycled into Colorful Belt

2009-04-30T18:34:00.004-04:00

This is seriously the easiest project that I've ever done, but the reward is big. There are many reasons that you might want to make your own belt:

1. It will fit exactly the way you want it to

2. No animals will have been harmed in the making of your belt

3. Belts are freaking expensive! Even a cheap Target belt is almost 20 bones, this cost me about $1.50

Here's how to do it:

1. Go to the thrift store, or some man's closet (ask permission before you steal this man's tie please) and get yourself a fun necktie. I purchased mine at the local Goodwill, where they weigh clothes by the pound. I purchased two ties for about $.50.

2. Get yourself (2) D rings. If you can find an old belt at the thrift store with good rings, but no personality, pick it up and strip it down for the hardware. If not, a fabric store will have them in assorted sizes, usually for about $1.00.

3. You can measure this belt in one of two ways. First, you can find a belt that you know and love and use that to measure your new belt. Add about an inch so that you'll have a 1/2" seam allowance to work with. If you don't have a belt that you know and love, take a tape measure and measure around the area where you like to wear your belts (some like waist, some like hips, it's your belt...you get to decide!). Again, add 1" to this measurement.

4. Cut your tie to length. I used pinking shears and cut off at the fat end. Keep your scraps; they are great for applique!

5. Fold over one end of your belt and sew it in place. Take the other end (same side) and insert it through both D rings and sew into place.

6. Rock out in your new belt!

Oh the Humanity: Hipster Love/Hate

2009-04-30T16:35:00.004-04:00

I read this article and litterally lol'd at my desk today. I snickered because I have been both the giver and receiver of hipster mockery. Sadly, I can really identifiy with far too much of this article's content and therefore felt compelled to share it with you all, who will undoubtedly get a chortle out of it too.

The Hip Game of Mocking the Hipsters

by RUSSELL SMITH

Hipsters are taking a great bashing on the Internet these days, and it's hard not to join in the uncharitable fun - contemporary urban fashion is at its most ridiculous point since at least the late 1960s, and there is something so cleverly smug about the skinny-jeans artist brigade that they cannot help but annoy. You have probably seen the "Hipster Olympics" video on YouTube, a fake contest in the spirit of Monty Python's "Upper Class Twit of the Year," in which young New Yorkers compete in choosing ironic T-shirts, photographing themselves for MySpace and criticizing a jock. So now I encourage you to check out my current favourite hipster-mocking site, the rudely named "Look at This [Expletive] Hipster," which is a collection of candid photos of real people on the blog site Tumblr. LATFH, as we will call it, is modelled on the famously cruel Vice magazine "Dos and Don'ts" photos, in which an anonymous, violently misogynist and racist, and very funny voice made comments about unfortunate people photographed in the street. There is the same tone here. But where Vice magazine praises, with masturbatory enthusiasm, some of its subjects (the Dos), LATFH is purely negative. It's all Don'ts. Which were always the funniest anyway. Here are three textbook hipsters, for example, standing on the lawn of some college campus, all stick men with mandatory hipster slumped shoulders and mops of unwashed hair, in their super-narrow jeans and their striped T-shirts and their oversized glasses, and they are looking with some boredom at a girl sitting on the lawn in front of them, and she has a blanket over her legs. The caption reads, "There better be some torn leggings, bruised thighs and tattered cowboy boots under that blanket, or we are out of here." Which actually made me laugh out loud. Or here is an extremely skinny, pale, androgynous boy in dark glasses, sitting next to his identical-looking girlfriend on the subway, and the caption reads, "I'm sorry. This is the last time I'll ask, but are we a lesbian couple?" And here is a guy with the most unbelievably hideous, greasy mullet, big 1970s spectacles, an ugly mustache and a nasty acrylic sweater. He is saying, "Why yes, I do have ironic pubic hair." Now yes, of course, this is a juvenile and conservative humour, and it is not cool to find sexual androgyny ridiculous; it usually indicates some kind of insecurity. I have been on the receiving end of it so much in my life I am surprised by my own hostility here. Why is it that the hipsters irritate me so? I try, I try hard, to see something subversive or rebellious or aesthetically interesting in their determinedly ugly clothes and their determinedly unimpressed stance and I just can't.
I see a certain hypocrisy: The hipster pose is of someone who rejects fashion, who is wearing second-hand clothes because she is poor and refusing to buy into consumer culture, who makes fun of sensual subcultures such as Goths and dandies, and yet the outfits she invariably concocts are so odd they cross the line into flamboyance. If you combine your second-hand 1970s dress with huge plastic sunglasses and canvas running shoes, you can't deny you want to be looked at. And then of course there's the weedy, whiny music, and the lack of interest in any cause or intellectual issue, other than possibly environmentalism (the default cause of the sensitive dropout). The twist on hipster mockery, of course, is that (like all vicious satire), it comes from inside. That is, you have to recognize the subtle hipster tropes, which means that you are probably pretty much a hipster already. I myself wouldn't be so irritated if I didn't live in the thick of them. Vice magazine is the prime example of this self-deprecation, and LATFH itself is deeply in-the-know. One picture, of a guy in a plaid jacket listening to headphones, is captioned, "If I didn't already know I was listening to Animal Collective on these headphones, I would bet myself $100 that I was listening to Animal Collective on these headphones." Which is, of course, only funny to a hipster. Indeed, this kind of photo blog, and Tumblr itself, are madly hip. This is exactly how hipsters communicate. Tumblr is a site where, for free, you can create your own "tumblelog," a blog that is usually a collection of photos, links and oddities rather than of written entries. Like Twitter, it represents microblogging, a trend away from the page-long texts and arguments of blogs and toward brief flashes. You could call it post-literate. And like any good Internet meme, LATFH has spawned iterations with similar names. "Look At This Lovely Hamster," for example, is exactly the same, except it's pictures of hamsters. Is it a parody, is it ironic, or is it completely serious? What's the difference? I can't tell. That's how hip it is.

2 Days, 12 Hours, 44 minutes, and 29 seconds

2009-04-16T12:44:00.004-04:00

In my effort to live naturally, frugally, healthfully I noticed a glaringly obvious hypocrisy in my life; I've been a smoker for about 16 years. I did manage to quit once for about 1 of those years, but that was before Grad school. My husband often jokes that I'm the best quitter he knows, I quit all of the time and it is depressingly true. Most often I only relapse for a cigarette or a few, but occasionally I creep back up to a pack a week or harassing strangers for nicotine outside of bars. It's embarassing... So, this week I have taken a few steps to prevent my constant relapsing (ex. Monday night) and I found an interesting iGoogle gadget offered by Quitplan. I don't actually use their services, but I love the free gadget. I enter, the last time I smoked, the number of cigarettes per day, the cost per pack and let it do it's thing. Each time I log onto the internet it trumpets that I have now been smoke free for 2 days, 12 hrs.... and I haven't smoked 38 cigarettes, I've saved myself $11.40 and and I've added 5 hours to my life! Each time I relapse I have to set it back to 0, which is a tangible reminder of my momentary lapse in judgement. Fortunately I have not yet used those opportunities to return to full blown smoking, only treated them for what they are...a ridiculous step back from my goal. However, I find that the coutner provides me the best kind of unpatronizing support that I respond to best. I also have a few additional resources in my bag of tricks including, gum, nicotine mints, chocolate, and stretchy pants. In an effort to ensure my success I am taking 2 months to let myself go. I do still plan to lift weights and exercise, but I have promised myself not to notice the extra pounds that seem to be packing on fairly quickly. With nothing to signal my brain that the end of the meal has arrived (because I've been smoking after every meal since about 15 years of age) I am constantly overeating. Sure, this would be an issue long term, but losing weight has always been easy for me, quitting smoking has not. So, be prepared for lots of drawstring skirt and pants tutorials and plenty of t-shirt material outfits because I'm looking forward to letting it all hang out, if only briefly while I deal with my nicotine addiction. I'd like my cookie now please...

Spring Swap?

2009-04-13T20:57:00.005-04:00

It's that time of year again, when I drag out last year's goodies and donate the duds that I never did wear and pick-up some new fun spring clothes at my local Goodwill. Goodwill is a great way to recycle clothes and get a great deal, but I like the idea of free even more than cheap, plus I'd love the opportunity to hang out with my friends and neighbors. For this very reason I am considering hosting a clothing swap in Baltimore City. I'd like to gauge a general interest, so if you would be willing to participate please comment so that I can get a rough estimate. Also, if you have any friends that you think would be interested, please pass this post along. I'd like the swap to be open to men and women. I think that the more people we can get, the more opportunity we'll have to find new sizes and flavors of ready to wear or alter goodness. I'll post details as this develops and if it's a small group, we'll use my living room. If I can get a real group of friends I have a local place with plenty of room in mind.

Rockin' Refashion: The Twisted Sister Tote

2009-04-08T18:58:00.006-04:00

A really good friend of mine gave me an awesome 80's Twisted Sister shirt and told me to make something out of it; so I did. I made a rockin' tote bag that I can't wait to show off (pics to be posted soon). To make your own bag out of one of your retired, but beloved t-shirt you will need:

2 L or XL t-shirts
tailor's chalk
needle & thread
pins

You can use a machine or sew by hand, I did both. The project for a total noob like me took about 2 hours. Here's how I did it.

1. Measure 4" up from the bottom hem of your tshirt and draw a line straigh across the bottom of the shirt parallel to the hem. Next, cut through both layers of fabric, parallel to the hem and you will have a 4" wide tube. Keep this, it will be used to make the handle later. I chose a single long handle that can be word over the body, but if you prefer to make two short handles for a more traditiona tote, you can certain do that too. The world is your oyster and this is your bag, make whatever kind of handle you like to carry.

2. Draw the shape you like, using your tailor's chalk, to include the coolest part of your t. This will make the body of the bag. I chose to make a square, but you could make a heart, a circle, a triangle, or whatever shape captures the coolest part of your t. Cut this shape through both layers of t-shirt and then use it as a stencil to trace onto your other tshirt. If chose not to make the bag reversible and used a far less cool shirt to make the inside. You could use two totally awesome shirts and make a bag that is completely reversible inside out. Also, my design was cool on the front and back, so I used just the Twisted Sister shirt to make the front and back. You, however, can mix and match your shirts to reverse front and back, or in and out.

3. Pin your shirts together with the cool pictures facing in and lay your other shirt on top, making a super cool t-shirt sandwhich. Make sure to use your tailor's chalk to mark the top of your design, if you can't easily tell up from down.

4. Sew the sides and bottom edges of your shirts together. I chose an interesting looking stretchy stitch on my machine, but choose one that you like, but is designed to work on stretch knits. If you have an older machine, a medium width zig zag stitch will do. I used cool bright green thread to complement my t. Sew around the edges removing the pins before your needle gets to them. (Beweare the broken needle from trying to sew over your pins!) Be sure to leave the top open, so that you can put all of your awesome stuff in when you are done.

5. Turn your bag inside right (cook picture on the outside). Fold the top of the bag down, all of the way around about 1/2" and pin in place (pin to what will be the inside of the bag). Sew around to attach the outside t-shirt to the inside t-shirt. Do not sew straight through, or you won't be able to open the bag.

6. Finally, take your t-shirt tube from step 1 and fold in half, then fold in half again. Pin the edges and sew along the seam from end to end. This will make a 1" wide length of t-shirt to be used for the handle. Pin the handle in place and try on your bag to be sure that you like the length. Finally, hand sew on using a running stitch to attach the handles.

7. Rock out with your bag out!

Spring Fever: Gardening and Building Jumps...Wait, What?!?

2009-04-08T11:50:00.005-04:00

It's Spring again finally. The birds are chirping, I'm in my garden, and my husband is committing gravity defying feats of stupidity. It's great fun, in fact I wish that I was spending more time on the jump and less time digging in the berms.

So, I've been splitting my time between building the landing and working on my self-watering planters. So far I have mangaged to get my green onions, parsley, basil, strawberries and beets all into their containers. I have also planted some additional rosemary, because my previous year's work was being bullied by the oregano and I was hoping that the addition of a fully grown brother would aid in it's survival; we'll see. As you may know from reading my previous blogs, I am responsible for the (attractive) front yard garden and my husband is responsible for the (horrible mud pit) back yard, also known as the pump track, or dirt jump area. Our friends and neighbors came out to see Jamie's inaugural jump and even sent us pictures. Jamie, our friend Greg, and I spent the better part of two weekends building this madness, which suprisingly looks much smaller in pictures. I am responsible for the digging, also knows as the berm b*tch, and Jamie and Greg were on ramp and platform building detail. The first picture is from the side at ground level, while the second was taken from on top of the launching platform. Here's to another great season. Cheers!

I Did It! My Very First Thrift Store Refashion Project: Dress to Skirt

2009-03-31T20:40:00.006-04:00

So, I have some very exciting news. I was the lucky winner (highest bidder) on a used Necchi 535FA sewing machine. I picked my sewing machine up for under $60.00 with shipping. If you had read my earlier blogs I had purchased a new Singer about a year ago with terrible results. The tension was a mess and the plastic reverse lever stripped off on my very first attempt to sew. I promptly returned it for a refund, dreaming of the very expensive Husqvarna Viking that would one day be mine. I finally go tired of hand sewing and set about finding a machine. This baby is all metal, solid and purrs like a kitten. It worked perfect out of the box and even though I have no idea what I'm doing is super easy to use. I'm not stoked abuot the 4 step button hole, but hey, at least it makes one! So, for my very first sewing project I made my stepfather a bag to cover his birthday gift out of the discarded sweat pant legs that I had laying around in my scrap pile. But tonight I have finished my very first sewing refashion. I recently went thrifting at Goodwill and bought enough close to supplement my wardrobe for the entire year for the cost of one jacket at Nordstrom's. A few of them fit right off the rack and a few were even new with tags from New York & Co. and Target. The best though were my works of art waiting to be realized. For about $4.00 a piece I bought some beautiful dresses that were all too big. Lucky for me I dislike dresses anyway, so I wouldn't feel bad about cutting them up and making them look much cooler. My very first project that I completed tonight was to take a rather boring 80's light cotton dress and turn it into a skirt. This was super easy, even for a total novice like myself. It took me about an hour (yes, mom I should be doing my finance homework, but a girl needs a little fun sometimes!), but that's because I am super slow on the machine and I had to craft a drawstring belt. Luckily the dress had two ties, so I cut them off and then cut the dress off at the armpits. I folded the waist down to make the skirt the lenght that I liked (about 2") and then I sewed a medium zigzag stich all the way around to form my casing. Finally, I noted that the two strings weren't quite long enough to give me the length that I needed for a belt. However, I took a t-shirt from the scrap bin, cut the bottom hem off and sewed into the middle of my two matching strings. This way,the tshirt part is in the casing where no one will see it anyway, and my belt is now the perfect length. I used a safety pin and ran it through the end of the string, snipped a little hole in the front of my casing and inched the safety pin dragging the belt through and out the other side. My new green and purple paisley skirt is adorable and fits like a dream. Best of all, the drawstring waist hides all of my newbie sewing sins. My husband joked that I looked like a hippie, but when this summer's 90 degree weather hits and I'm rocking my new featherweight cotton skirt I think I'll get the last laugh.

*I don't have a working camera yet, but as soon as I do I'll post pictures of how the skirt would look as a dress and how it looks now.

Oh No! What's left?

2009-03-27T11:02:00.004-04:00

I just read a Discovery News article about how Lobsters and Crabs feel pain...I'm so depressed. I love seafood and thought that I was being a good human being by helping the environment and living a pescatarian diet. Then I go and read this: crustaceans possess "high cognitive ability and sentience." I watched Alton Brown tell me that they had the same nervous system and intelligence as a cock roach, and who would feel bad about eating them...if they weren't so icky. I'm a good Southern Maryland girl who loves her crustaceans and can't envision a summer without some tasty Maryland crabs. I've often wondered about the little noises I hear emmanating from the pot that sounded a little like tiny, crabby screams. I shudder just thinking back on how awful the experience of being tempted with a tasty chicken leg, rammed into a crate with a bushel of your enemies trying to rip your legs off, then dusted with pepper and salt, and tossed into boiling water. I can't promise to give them totally up just yet, but I'll try to eat fewer and be quicker about their dispatch. If I find out that my chocolate can feel pain I'm giving up on all of this and going straight back to raw cow.

EarthTainers

2009-03-24T13:07:00.006-04:00

I'm very concerned about growing a bountiful harvest of veggies and conserving water at the same time this season. My seedlings are doing well and I'll be preparing to plant in the next week or so, so I've been reviwing multiple container types. Raised beds, planters, feed troughs and many other options exist that are pretty and will grace my front yard, but they do waste a lot of water and aren't ideal for vegetables. Herbs will do wonderfully in these, but tomatoes suck up a lot of H2O and that is both expensive and wasteful. I encountered a very interesting article on something called the EarthTainer. This was developed by Ray Newstead as a self-watering vegetable container that can be made by anyone using his free designs and purchasing inexpensive items from big box stores. Gary Ibsen's Tomato Fest covered a great story on Ray's planters and includes a link to the plans and videos on installation. I'll be purchasing enough to make several of these to put in my unused and full-sun driveway space so that I can put my little seedlings out so that I can begin to literally enjoy the fruits of my labor as soon as possible.

Interesting Article : Mark Bittman's "Putting Meat Back in it's Place"

2009-03-16T14:27:00.003-04:00

This is a great article in the New York Times by Mark Bittman who encourages everyone to help save the planet, by eating at least a little less meat.

June 11, 2008
The Minimalist
Putting Meat Back in Its Place
By MARK BITTMAN
LET’S suppose you’ve decided to eat less meat, or are considering it. And let’s ignore your reasons for doing so. They may be economic, ethical, altruistic, nutritional or even irrational. The arguments for eating less meat are myriad and well-publicized, but at the moment they’re irrelevant, because what I want to address here is (almost) purely pragmatic: How do you do it?
I’m not talking about eating no meat; I’m talking about cutting back, which in some ways is harder than quitting. Vegetarian recipes and traditions are everywhere. But in the American style of eating — with meat usually at the center of the plate — it can be difficult to eat two ounces of beef and call it dinner.
Cutting back on meat is not an isolated process. Unlike, say, taking up meditation or exercise, it usually has consequences for others.
The keys are to keep at least some of your decisions personal so they affect no one but yourself and, when they do affect others, minimize the pain and don’t preach. (No one likes a proselytizer.)
On the other hand, don’t apologize; by serving your friends or family less meat you’re certainly doing them no harm, and may be doing them good — as long as what you serve is delicious, and that’s easy enough.
Reducing the meat habit can be done, and it doesn’t have to make you crazy. Although there will undoubtedly be times you’ll have cravings, they’ll never give you the shakes. So, in no particular order, here are some suggestions to ease your path to eating less meat.
1. Forget the protein thing. Roughly simultaneously with your declaration that you’re cutting back on meat, someone will ask “How are you going to get enough protein?” The answer is “by being omnivorous.” Plants have protein, too; in fact, per calorie, many plants have more protein than meat. (For example, a cheeseburger contains 14.57 grams of protein in 286 calories, or about .05 grams of protein per calorie; a serving of spinach has 2.97 grams of protein in 23 calories, or .12 grams of protein per calorie; lentils have .07 grams per calorie.) By eating a variety, you can get all essential amino acids.
You also don’t have to eat the national average of a half-pound of meat a day to get enough protein. On average, Americans eat about twice as much as the 56 grams of daily protein recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture (a guideline that some nutritionists think is too high). For anyone eating a well-balanced diet, protein is probably not an issue.
2. Buy less meat. How many ounces of meat is a serving? For years, the U.S.D.A.’s recommendation has been four ounces a person, yet most of us have long figured one-and-a-half to two pounds of meat is the right amount for four people. (Our per capita consumption of meat hasn’t changed much over the years, and remains at about a half-pound a day.) Change that amount, and both your cooking style and the way the plate looks will change, and quickly.
Remember that most traditional styles of cooking use meat as a condiment or a treat. This is true in American frontier cooking, where salt pork and bacon were used to season beans; in Italy, where a small piece of meat is served as a secondo (rarely more than a few ounces, even in restaurants); and around the world, where bits of meat are added to stir-fries and salads, as well as bean, rice and noodle dishes. In all of these cases, meat is seen as a treasure, not as something to be gobbled up as if it were air.
For many of us who grew up in the United States in the last 60 years, this is the toughest hurdle. The message (remember “Beef: it’s what’s for dinner”?) was in our psyche from before we could hold a fork. We may have vegetarian nights, or seafood nights, but when we have meat nights, there’s often a big piece of meat (or poultry) on the plate, with starch and vegetable to the side.
3. Get it out of the center of the plate.
You don’t have to jump into utterly unfamiliar territory; just try tweaking the proportions a bit. You might start by buying skinnier pork chops, or doling out smaller slices of steak .
Build the meal around what you used to consider side dishes — not only vegetables, but also grains, beans, salads and even dessert, if you consider fruit a dessert — rather than the meat. Nearly every culture has dishes in which meat is used to season rice or another grain. Consider dirty rice, fried rice, pilaf, biryani, arroz con pollo: the list is almost endless.
Similarly, there isn’t a country in the world that cooks legumes that doesn’t toss a little meat in now and then. And mentioning stir-fries and pasta dishes here seems almost too obvious.
But you need not go transcultural. When you make stew, soup or another dish with many ingredients, you make a decision about its main ingredient and about the quantity of that ingredient. If you think of meat stews or soups, chicken pot pie, even lasagna, you’ll quickly recognize that the decision to load them up with meat or to use meat as an ingredient of equal importance to the others is entirely yours.
The same is true when you’re grilling. Compare these statements: “We’re grilling a leg of lamb and throwing a few vegetables on there,” and “We’re grilling vegetables and breads, and will throw a few chunks of lamb on there.” Again, if you see the meat as a treasure, things change.
4. Buy more vegetables, and learn new ways to cook them.
If you’re a good cook, you already know you can make a meal out of pretty much anything. If you open your refrigerator and it’s stocked with vegetables, that’s what you’re going to cook. You’ll augment the vegetables with pantry items: pasta, rice, beans, cheese, eggs, good canned fish, bacon, even a small amount of meat. We’re not discussing vegetarianism, remember?
If you’re not a good cook, you have the opportunity to learn how to cook in what could turn out to be the style of the future.
5. Make nonmeat items as convenient as meat. There is a myth, even among experienced cooks, that few things are as convenient as meat. And while there’s no arguing that grilling, broiling or pan-grilling a steak or chop is fast, it’s equally true that almost no one considers such a preparation a one-dish meal.
By thinking ahead, and working ahead, you can make cooking vegetables as convenient as what in India is often called “non-veg.” Spend an hour or two during the course of the week precooking all the nonmeat foods you think take too long for fast dinners.
Store cooked beans in the refrigerator or freezer and reheat as needed, with seasonings. Keeping precooked beans in the freezer will change your cooking habits more easily than any other simple strategy.
Reheat cooked whole grains (the microwave is good for this) for breakfast with milk or dinner with savory seasonings. Wash tender greens and store in a salad spinner, covered bowl, or plastic bag. Most other vegetables can be poached, shocked in ice water, drained, and served cold or reheated in any fashion you like — sautéed quickly in butter, steamed, grilled or made into a gratin or something equally substantial.
6. Make some rules. Depending on your habits, it may be no bacon at breakfast; it may be no burgers at lunch; it may be no fast food, ever; it may be “eat a salad instead of a sandwich three times a week,” or “eat a vegetarian dinner three times a week.” It may mean meatless Fridays. It may mean (this is essentially what I do) meatless breakfasts and lunches and all-bets-are-off dinners.
7. Look at restaurant menus differently. If you’re cutting back on meat, there are three restaurant strategies. Two are easy, and one is hard, but probably the most important.
The first: go to restaurants that don’t feature meat-heavy dishes. It’s harder to go overboard eating at most Asian restaurants, and traditional Italian is fairly safe also.
The second: Once in a while, forget the rules and pledges, and eat like a real American; obviously you can’t do this every time, but it’s an option.
The third is the tricky one: Remember you’re doing this voluntarily, for whatever reasons seem important to you (or at least seemed, until you were confronted with the lamb shanks on the menu). Then order from the parts of the menu that contain little or no meat: salads, sides, soups and (often, anyway) appetizers. If all else fails, offer to share a meat course among two or even three or four people; many restaurant entrees are too big anyway.
I distinctly remember (no great feat; it was just over a year ago), the first time I was in a restaurant and ordered two salads and a bowl of soup.
My companion, who had long known me as a meat-first kind of guy, asked, “Really?”
The waiter asked, “How would you like that served?” And then life went on as usual. Wasn’t bad at all.

A Blue, Green Garden?

2009-03-02T15:49:00.004-05:00

It's seedling time again, but this year I wanted to use grow lights. However, traditional grow lights use a lot of energy that is wasted in the form of heat. Also, it's difficult to grow seedlings in a small home or apartment with these lights because of the high heat that they put out. Luckily, I stumbled across L.E.D. grow lights designed for all stages of plant growing. Blue bulbs for seedlings, red for flowering, and a cool cube of mixed red and blue for all-purpose indoor gardening. I've read a few reviews that sound promising, so I contacted EarthLED for their recommendations on the type and number of bulbs I'll need for my flats. He recommended the EarthLED GrowLED 38. He also indicated, "When the GrowLEDs are hung 3 to 12 Inches above plants each GrowLED 38 Illuminates 1-2 Square Feet of growing Area." I am going to order three bulbs so that I can be sure to illuminate all of my flats. I'll update with photos and progress as I go. If you have experience with L.E.D. grow lights; please comment!

The Twice Baked Potato: Easy and Nutritious

2009-03-01T21:44:00.005-05:00

Potatoes are super easy to make and a tasty snack or meal. Potatoes are high in vitamin c, minerals like potassium, are high in iron, protein and fiber. In short, potatoes are very good for you. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to put a lot of unhealthy things in our potatoes. Still, even if eaten with addition of a small amount of unhealthy foods, if replacing something even less healthy (empty, sugary caolories for example) potatoes can be good for you. I've been facing a tough semester and have had far less time to prepare food than I would like, but rather than turning to pre-packaged processed foods, I've tried to find comforting low-maintenance foods and twice baked potatoes fit the bill. You can use lot of ingredients to fill your twice-baked potatoes, but here is what I made tonight.

4 potatoes (russet)
2 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp chives
1 clove of garlic (smashed and finely chopped)
salt + pepper (to taste)

Simply scrub your potatoes and pop them in the oven (pre-heated to 350 degrees). I prefer my toaster oven for this task because it uses less energy and takes less time to heat up. Bake your potatoes for about 60 minutes (70 if you like really crisp skins). About half-way through, flip and poke a few holes in your potatoes with a fork. Remove the cooked potatoes with a pot holder and slice off the tops. Scoop out the tender flesh with a teaspoon, leaving enough to help the skins hold their shape. Put into the bowl and mash with your butter, milk, cream, olive oil, etc. and then add additional ingredients and mix. Scoop the fluffy mixture back into the potatoes and up the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the tops begin to brown. I enjoy mine topped with a bit of sour cream. Enjoy!

Mark Bittman: What's wrong with what we eat

2009-03-01T20:38:00.001-05:00

Charles Moore: Sailing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

2009-03-01T20:08:00.001-05:00

Save Money: Stop Washing Your Face!

2009-02-26T10:31:00.004-05:00

As you may know from reading my blog, I decided to eschew facial cleansing products and moisturizers and have been using olive oil instead. It's less expensive and breaks the cycle of irritated, oily, acne-prone skin. I strayed once, for about a week, with terrible results; my face was a mess. Luckily, olive oil doesn't hold a grudge and within one week my skin had returned to its dewey, soft, small-pored glory. Now, my favorite dermatology blog has let me know what I suspected; I don't have to wash my face in the morning. I used to be so jealous of my husband, who never cares for his skin, and continues to have a perfect complexion. Each morning, upon waking, he goes into the bathroom and rinses his face with cold water and moves on. The nerve! I decided that since my skin was starting to look pretty good that I would try it to...and guess what? My face is great! I did a little searching on the derm blog and found an article backing this up with a sensible explanation: your face knows what it's doing, so leave it alone :)
Brilliant!

How to Save Money on Facial Moisturizers: Stop Washing Your Face
What is the ultimate in natural skin care products? Moisturizers from your own skin. Treat yourself everyday to an exclusive facial moisturizer, better than anything you’ll find at Neiman Marcus. Let your skin produce its own natural oils and don’t wash them away.
It always impresses me how women will spend hundreds of dollars on skin cleansers and toners, then spend hundreds more dollars on exclusive facial moisturizers to replace the “cellular” oils that they just stripped off.
Here is a great tip: there is no better moisturizer for your face than its own natural oils. Your skin goes to great trouble to produce “exclusive,” highly modified fats, like ceramides and cholesterols to keep its surface smooth and well protected. Why not keep them there? The best natural cure for dry, dull skin is your skin’s oils.
If you have normal to dry skin:
Wash your face at night with a gentle cleanser such as Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser. Be sure to remove all traces of makeup, especially along the hairline. Rinse well and pat dry.
In the morning, wash with just water. Skip the soap.
If you have oily skin:
Wash your face at night with a gentle cleanser such as Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Daily Cleanser. Keep in mind that scrubbing harder will not make your skin less oily. Over-scrubbing can actually irritate your skin and cause it to secrete more oils. Rinse well and pat dry.
If you are still too oily, consider adding a toner in the morning such as Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Dual Action Toner which contains salicylic acid.
The bottom line: allow the natural oils in your skin to stay on your skin, giving you a truly natural glow.

Stretching Your Dollars: Potato Soup 3 Ways

2009-02-23T20:36:00.004-05:00

We've had another cold snap here in Baltimore and couldn't think of anything tastier or more comforting than potato soup. In these tough economic times it will also help stretch your budget. I've found three tasty ways to cook potato soup and I'll share my recipes here. Also, The first night's recipe was designed for 6 servings, but the second night, only two. I took the leftovers from the first night and dumped them in with the second night and it was super tasty and gave us two full meals. I served a salad and crusty bread with our soup and our bellies were sufficiently filled. I've used vegetarian tofu sausage in my recipe, but you can use whatever you like from kielbasa to chorizo and with equally tasty results. I used real butter in my recipes, but vegetarian/vegan spread would work just as well. Also, if you don't have heavy cream on hand, evaporated milk works in a pinch. I highly recommend the good stuff though, once in a blue moon isn't likely to destroy your diet or your health. Finally, a stick blender isn't required if you have a blender or a food processor, but as someone who loves to make lots of soup, mine has really saved me a lot of time and aggravation. I have this one and it's been kicking out some heavy duty soups in creamy perfection for many, many moons now.

Here's what I did:

1st Night: Vichyssoise

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

5 leeks (white part only), thinly sliced

4 Cups Chicken stock (veggie stock for my veggie friends)

3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 + 1/2 Cups heavy cream

1 Cup Milk (I used fat free, but soy will also work and make it even creamier tasting)

2 Tbsp chopped chives, or spring onion tops

salt + pepper to taste

In a soup pot cook leeks and butter, sprinkled with salt + pepper, over medium heat until the leeks are soft, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and puree your soup using your handy-dandy stick blender, or a blender (in batches). Add 1 cup of cream + 1 cup of milk and return to simmer, stirring occasionally. Vichyssoise should next be chilled, but my family and I like it warm; it's good both ways. If eating warm, let the soup cool for about 10 minutes, then stir in the last 1/2 cup of cream, top with chives and enjoy.

Night 2: Potato, Leek, and Tofu Chorizo Soup

2 servings of leftovers from night 1

1/4 tsp cumin seed

1/4 tsp caraway seed

1 Leek, thinkly sliced (white part only)

2 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)

1 russet potato, peeled and diced

1 link of tofu chorizo (or about 4oz of any other smoked sausage)

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp heavy cream

1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves, thinly sliced (about two handfuls)

salt+pepper to taste

In a soup pot toast the seeds over medium heat, stirring regularly for about 2 minutes, then remove and set aside. Next, add teh butter and leek and cook until softened, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Next, stir in the broth and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes. Finally, add the seeds, sausage, cream, salt+pepper and simmer for another 5 minutes. If you have leftover soup from last night, dump it in here. Stir in the spinach just before serving.

Night 3: Potato, Kale, and Tofu Chorizo

1 tofu chorizo link (or about 4 oz of smoked sausage)

2 + 3/4 Cups chicken broth

3/4 lb small red-skinned potatoes, thinly sliced (or if you only have russets, subsitute, but peel and dice)

1 Cup white wine

5 Cups fresh kale leaves, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp caraway seeds

Saute tofu chorizo over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, potatoes, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add kale and craway seeds and simmer uncovered until potatoes and kale are tender, about 10 minutes more. Season with salt+pepper and Enjoy!

College E-books?

2009-02-22T18:16:00.003-05:00

I'm finishing up my master's degree through the University of Maryland, where it feels like I've been in school for my entire life. Books are incredibly expensive, although for my master's in business it hasn't been nearly as costly as my undergraduate degrees, one of which was in Art History. Those enormous books with lots of glossy photos of paintings were hundreds of dollars a piece. In the past I had always purchased used books from Half.com or Amazon because I could conserve natural resources and my money at the same time. However, this semester I had a new option, E-books. I was a bit nervous at first because having a book means that you can take it with you anywhere and you can highlight all over it, which I do excessively. The cost of the e-book was significantly less, however, and I couldn't find it used. I purchased my book through our college bookstore which gave me access to a book offered by CourseSmart. I've been using it for about four weeks now and well, it's not so bad. I can highlight electronically and it keeps the highlighting until I choose to remove it. I can make notes and I chose the internet accesbile version. You can download a drm version as well, but then you can only access it from one computer. I work from my daughter's computer, my work laptop, and my husband's mac and I really enjoy the flexibility. There area few downsides to e-books though, including the fact that it wears my eyes out very quickly, I can only choose from two zoom settings, and there is no way to save your page. However, I imagine that eventually the software will progress to include some of these additional "needs". Their website boasts that they have saved over 175,000 trees so far, so I feel good about conserving the environment, and my cashflow. Now I'm off to do some exciting reading on finance in my e-book online. I only hope I can remember what page I was on...

City police search for man who fired @ officer in Lauraville

2009-02-20T14:43:00.002-05:00

City police were searching for a man who flashed a weapon at police and nearly ran over an officer before fleeing on foot.

read more digg story

Olive Oil Update

2009-02-17T22:29:00.005-05:00

So...I'll admit, I cheated on my facial regimine. It all started when we left for a mountain biking trip to Cleveland and I couldn't find anything to put my olive oil in that wouldn't make a mess all over my suitcase, so I took my old facial products. It's benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, it's good for me, and it's only for one day, and....and... Ehhh, not so much. I used the other products all weekend, and then it crept into the week, and then...it started. My face really broke out. Boy, did I make it angry this time. I had white heads, black heads, a cyst. Egads! Luckily, this weekend I came to my senses and returned to my skin's one true love; the olive oil. It welcomed me back with open arms, smaller pores, and it's calming, healing powers. In a few days, I should be right as rain. Phew; that was a close one! Now what did I do with that really large Whole Foods paper bag?

Mozy: Environmentally Friendly Back-up?

2009-02-15T23:18:00.004-05:00

A few years ago my labtop power source went up and I lost everything. My pictures, my homework, my address book. I was angry. I was angry because my laptop was one month out ot the warranty date, I was angry because I couldn't afford to buy a new one so soon, I was angry because I had lost everything, but mostly i was angry because I hadn't thought to back everything up and the first thing everyone says is, "Oh did you have your data backed up?" and I, knowing better, had to lower my head and answer no. So recently, as I am working on my grad-school papers was thinking, what if I lost everything? I would back up with cd, but that's super wasteful and really inconvenient. I could buy an external hard drive, but they are expensive and I don't have dedicated office space. I work from several different computers all over our house and sometimes at work or coffee shops. This posed a unique issue in that I needed to get my work from a single source available anywhere that I had internet access. During the superbowl I noted a commercial for a company named Mozy. I actually thought that the commercial was terribly lame, but a great concept. I can store all of my data online! I can back-up my computer from anywhere? Brilliant! It turns out that you can actually get free storage space from them too. If you need more space than they offer for free (lots of photos, videos, etc), then they only charge you $4.95 a month. That seems perfectly reasonable to me and for now I don't have enough data to require the subscription service yet anyway. So, I'm beginning to use it today and I'll try to remember to post up about my experience, but its drag-n-drop and compatible with Windows and Mac so I'm pretty excited. If you'd like to try it yourself we can both get some free space if you click on the link below and sign up:

"https://mozy.com/?ref=7JZK8L
For every person that clicks on that link and starts using Mozy*, you'll both get another 256MB of free backup space. That's right, you get extra space, and so do they. That's 1GB of free space for every four people! (We have powerful computers here that can do that sort of math.) For a limited time, there is no limit on the free space you can get."

Enjoy!

The Dermatology Blog Update: Tea Tree Oil Not Effective for Acne

2009-02-11T22:34:00.004-05:00

Bummer, I purchased tea tree oil for my daughter and I to use on our acne. I'll have to agree that I didn't really see any difference. The Dermatology Blog written by Dr. Benabio has just confirmed what I thought...

Is Tea Tree Oil a Good Treament for Acne?
Tea tree oil is an essential oil that has antiseptic properties. It has been used as a natural antifungal and antibacterial agent. You might have heard that teat tree oil can help treat acne because it kills acne-causing bacteria. However, unlike benzoyl peroxide and retin A, there is not much evidence that tea tree oil is an effective treatment for acne.
There are only two published studies on the use of tea tree oil for acne. The first was done about 10 years ago in Australia. It showed that 5% tea tree oil is comparable to 5% benzoyl peroxide. The tea tree oil took longer to work, but appeared to be less irritating than the benzoyl peroxide. The second study, which was done in Iran, showed that 5% tea tree oil was more effective than a placebo in treating acne. Comparing tea tree oil to a placebo, which is essentially comparing it to non-treatment, is not the same thing as comparing it to another acne-fighting treatment. It’s likely that tea tree oil has some effect on acne but it has never been shown to be better than traditional acne therapies.
In contrast to other acne treatments, however, tea tree oil is an increasingly common cause of skin allergies. Like other fragrant oils such as balsam of Peru, tea tree oil can trigger an allergic contact dermatitis in people who are sensitive. This can range from a minor itchy rash to a full scale blistering eruption.
Tea tree oil is also toxic if swallowed. If consumed, even in small doses, it can cause reduced immune function, abdominal pain, diarrhea, drowsiness, confusion, or even, in rare instance, coma. If applied in the ears, it can lead to hearing loss. It has been shown to be toxic to animals when applied to a large area of skin. Tea tree oil can affect hormones as well. One study published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that repeated application of topical products containing tea tree oil (and lavender oil) could cause prepubertal gynecomastia, a rare condition resulting in enlarged breast tissue in prepubscent boys. Tea tree oil is not recommended for pregnant or nursing mothers.
Because tea tree oil is a naturally occurring substance, it tends to get good publicity, but it’s probably only an average or below average product for acne. Oftentimes people believe that since tea tree oil is natural, it must be safe and better for you than traditonal acne treatements. It’s not true. Remember, turpentine (a related tree oil that is used to strip paint) is also natural, but it doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Celestial Seasonings Trees for the Future

2009-02-11T09:34:00.001-05:00

I receive the Celestial Seasonings Newsletter by email and today I received and update on their program "Trees for the Future". They now have two ways that you can help plant trees. You can buy a box of their tea before March 31st, or you can plant a virtual tree online.

Here is the text from their newsletter:

You can help Celestial Seasonings plant trees either by sipping our tea or clicking your mouse! We're partnering with a nonprofit organization called Trees for the Future to plant more than one million trees around the world. There are two ways you can help:

1. Purchase your favorite Celestial Seasonings tea between now and March 31. For every box of tea you buy, Celestial Seasonings will sponsor the planting of trees around the world. Our goal is to plant up to one million trees!

2. Plant your own Virtual Tree online. For each virtual tree planted online at CelestialSeasonings.com/trees, we'll sponsor the planting of one real tree by Trees for the Future up to 50,000 trees. That's in addition to the one million trees we're already planting.
Whether you choose to sip tea or surf the web, your actions benefit the environment and economies of emerging nations by improving the quality of their water, air and soil, promoting biodiversity and generating additional income for their residents.Visit our website or our new Facebook page for full details and to plant your own virtual tree!

Celestial Seasonings also offered these tasty recipes using their tea, so for Valentine's Day, if you can't afford to go out for an expensive dinner, or purchase flowers, candy or cards, stay home with the ones you love and snuggle up with some tasty home baked treats.

Peppermint Chocolate Cake

Serves 8

Click here to download this recipe in printable PDF format.

Your special someone will love this cake's scrumptious combination of irresistible chocolate with the whistling cool freshness of our beloved Peppermint herbal tea. Try this moist, dark and delicious cake for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and any other day that you want a tasty treat.
Ingredients
1 cup water
6 bags Celestial Seasonings® Peppermint herbal tea
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2 cup soft butter, plus enough butter to grease the pan
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups flour, plus enough to dust pan
1 tsp baking powder
Powdered sugar for dusting cake
Instructions
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Bring the water to a boil in a heavy saucepan and add the tea bags. Remove from the heat and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, carefully squeeze out the excess liquid and discard the bags. Return the tea to a boil.
Combine the chocolate and butter in a large bowl. Pour the tea over the top. Whisk until melted. Stir in the sugar and egg yolks. In a separate bowl, mix baking soda and yogurt. Add to the chocolate and butter batter and mix well. Sift flour and baking powder into the batter and mix well. In another separate bowl, whip egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the batter.
Grease and flour one bundt pan. Pour in the batter. Bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!

A Better Battery

2009-02-05T16:10:00.001-05:00

For less than $20.00 you can purchase one of the coolest green gadgets I've seen so far this year. ThinkGeek is offering a pair of AA batteries that can be recharged using the usb port on your computer! These are so convenient I can't pass them up. Here is what ThinkGeek has to say about them:

APPLY DIRECTLY TO USB PORT!

Rechargeable batteries are great! They power all our favorite gadgets. Without them, we'd be tossing all these alkaline batteries and their caustic chemicals back into the environment, and that's a recipe for bad times. The problem with rechargeables is the myriad plugs, ports, sockets and bays you need to have around to keep them filled with electrons. Oh, the battery's dead, but where's that dang recharger? Sound familiar? Then, one day, an enterprising geek built the charger into the battery. Not just any charger, mind you. They used a standard USB port built right into the battery. Now, when your batteries are flatlining, pop the cap, and jam 'em into your nearest ubiquitous USB port. Whether it's on your computer, laptop, monitor or powered USB hub, all you need is 250mA of juice from your universal serial bus, and a little patience. In just a few hours, you'll have 1300mAH of power!

Acupuncture Update: Nightmares

2009-02-04T21:20:00.001-05:00

Over the past two weeks and with increasing frequency since my last treatment I have been having terrible nightmares. My husband really enjoys waking to the sound of a blood curdling scream at 2 am. The worst part for me is that I waken so terrified, heart pounding, crying, and recalling my dream. I always remember exactly what is happening and one dream has been recurring since childhood. Last night was the most bizarre series of dreams I have ever had and unfortunately I couldn't go firmly back to sleep until around 5 am, overslept began developing a migraine and felt crappy all day. At my treatment today, my doctor asked me specifics of the dream and noted that it could be a number of things and recommended a few interesting things to help clear my mind including smudging, which is explained in detail below, and covering or removing the mirror facing my bed. She then proceeded to stick a needle square in my forehead (and other places) and I drifted off in a warm and comforting wrinkle in time. I did find some interesting information about nightmares and acupuncture and I am hoping that tonight is a more restful experience as a result.

From: Acupuncture - Dream Disturbed Sleep

t is important to differentiate between normal dreams, and dreams which are troublesome and indicate some kind of imbalance.

Dreaming which does not make the sleep restless, is not frightening, does not disturb the mind the morning after, and does not leave the person very tired in the morning, can be consider as normal.

‘Excessive dreaming’, or dreams with indicate imbalance may be defined as dreams which cause restless sleep or nightmares, resulting in the person feeling very tired the following morning.

Within Chinese medicine, the Mind (or Spirit) resides in the Blood, in particular the Heart Blood. In this sense, the Blood acts as an 'anchor' for the Mind to prevent it from wandering off. When the Heart Blood is weak, then there is no 'anchor' for the Mind and at night it can wander and cause excessive dreaming. The old classics of acupuncture described various types of unpleasant dreams such as nightmares, waking up screaming, sleepwalking and talking in one’s sleep. They related dreaming to the wandering of the 'ethereal soul ' at night.

Although it is mainly the Heart organ that is involved with excessive dreams, other organs such as the Kidneys, Gall Bladder, or Stomach may also be involved. The content of the dream may also give some indication of where there is an imbalance, for example, dreams with crying and weeping would point to a Lung excess condition, since these are the emotions linked to the Lungs. Plunging into water and being scared would indicate a Kidney deficiency condition, and there are many others.

At the initial consultation, information is gathered to get a complete picture of what is causing the bad dreams and disturbed sleep. Treatment would normally be once weekly, perhaps more frequently if the dreams were particularly disturbing.

Smudging: What It Is and How to Do It

By Annie B. Bond

Smudging is used and recommended by indigenous peoples, feng shui practitioners, healers, and more, for “space clearing” and purification.

A Native American healer I respect smudges his computer every night. I myself use it frequently when I feel “stuck” emotionally. What is smudging? Why do it? Why learn about it?

Here is what I think smudging is, and why it is often a very useful tool to use in the home.

Healers often recommend smudging to change the “energy” of a place after an event has happened, such a death, or even an argument. Smudging a computer would be done to remove the electromagnetic field energy; smudging one’s desk at the end of the day could be to remove the “work” mentality from the air; smudging after an argument would be done to clear the air, quite literally.

I think that smudging works to change the energetic of a space because of the science of entrainment. Our senses respond to vibrations, and there is a law of physics that makes vibrations want to start being harmonious, to be in synchrony. Entrainment is a word often used with music. In sound healing, the dissonant chord is gradually influenced by the harmonious cord and the disharmony changes to harmony over time.

Even air has a vibration, held I believe in the humidity. The water of the humidity would absorb the negative “vibe” of an argument, for example, and hold it. If you burn a healing plant, such as sage, in such an atmosphere, the humidity would then hold the energetic of the healing plant, and bit by bit the discordant energetic of the argument would be influenced by the harmonious vibration of the plant smoke.

The herbs burned are usually sage (white in particular), sweetgrass, or cedar, although any dried herb is fine, even lavender. If the herb has too woody a stem, the leaf part will burn very fast and die out.

White sage is a good choice because the leaf clusters are very long, and the leaves will smolder for quite a long time, emitting smoke into the air. Sage is also known as a purifying herb. Sweetgrass burns very quickly, and is a great choice for emanating sweet smell into the air (and healers believe sweet grass brings a high level of spirituality and burns away negativity). Cedar is very strong, and is considered powerful for removing negativity.

Buy your smudge sticks from those who honor the plants and bundle the herbs with sacred ceremony of appreciation. If you grow your own herbs, research making smudge sticks and honoring the plants.

To burn herbs, and create smoke, you have to be very careful not to start a fire. I use a big ashtray, with steep sides. Some light whole bundles of herbs, but I don’t because there is no need, usually, for that much smoke. Instead, I untie a smudge bundle and pull out just a few leaves, and light them. Once there is a flame, you blow out the flame (making sure you catch any sparks in the ashtray). The herbs will smolder, and the smoke will waft into the home. Walk around with the ashtray (smoking herbs included), and make sure the smoke reaches into all the areas of a room you want.

When you are done, let the herbs extinguish on their own (if they are safely in the ashtray and away from wind), or extinguish them fully with water.

As I think about smudging, sitting here on the cusp of spring and winter, I can see how smudging out the winter mood’s to let in the renewal of spring is a great use of smudging.

From Dream Moods:

Twins
To see twins in your dream, signifies ambivalence, dualities and opposites. It represents security in business, faithfulness, and contentment with life. It may also mean that you are either in harmony with or in conflict between ideas and decisions.

To see twins fighting in your dream, represents a conflict between the opposites of your psyche. One twin signifies emergence of unconscious material and suppressed feelings, while the other twin represents the conscious mind. There is some situation that you are not confronting.

Spiders
To see a spider in your dream, indicates that you are feeling like an outsider in some situation. Or that you may want to keep your distance and stay away from an alluring and tempting situation. The spider is also symbolic of feminine power. Alternatively, a spider may refer to a powerful force protecting you against your self-destructive behavior. If you kill a spider, it symbolizes misfortune and general bad luck.

To see a spider spinning a web in your dream, signifies that you will be rewarded for your hard work. You will soon find yourself promoted in your job or recognized for your achievement in a difficult task. Spiders are a symbol of creativity due to the intricate webs they spin. On a negative note, spiders may indicate a feeling of being entangled or trapped in a sticky or clingy relationship.It represents some ensnaring and controlling force. You may feel that someone or some situation is sucking the life right out of you. Alternatively, if a spider is spinning a web in your dream, then it could be a metaphor for the world wide web and global communication.

To see a spider climbing up a wall in your dream, denotes that your desires will be soon be realized.

To dream that you are bitten by a spider, represents a conflict with your mother or some dominant female figure in your life. The dream may be a metaphor for a devouring mother or the feminine power to possess and entrap. Perhaps you are feeling trapped by some relationship.

Web
To see a web in your dream, represents your desire to control everything around you. Alternatively, it suggests that you are being held back from fully expressing yourself. You feel trapped and do not know what to do or where to go. The dream may also be symbolic of your social network of acquaintances and associates or it may represent the world wide web.

Mother
To see your mother in your dream, represents the nurturing aspect of your own character. Mothers offer shelter, comfort, life, guidance and protection. Some people may have problems freeing themselves from their mothers and are thus seeking their own individuality and development.

To dream that you are having a conversation with your mother, denotes a matter that has preoccupied your mind and you are not sure how to deal with it in your waking life. It indicates unresolved problems that still need to be worked out with your mother.

To hear your mother call you in our dream, signifies that you have been negligent in your duties and responsibilities. You are pursuing down the wrong path.

To hear your mother cry in your dream, denotes some illness or affliction.

Throw

To dream that you are throwing something, indicates that there is someone or something that you need to rid yourself of from your life. Consider the object that you are throwing. Alternatively, the dream may be a pun that you are "throwing" or fixing a game or situation. Are you working against the objective?

Rocks
To see rocks in your dream, signifies permanence and stability as expressed in the familiar phrase "as solid as a rock". It may also indicate that you are making a commitment to a relationship. Or you may be contemplating some changes in your life that will lay the groundwork for a more solid foundation. On the other hand rocks may also symbolize stubbornness, disharmony and unhappiness.

To dream that you are climbing a steep rock, signifies struggles, obstacles, and disappointments.

Death
To dream about the death of a loved one, suggests that you are lacking a certain aspect or quality that the loved one embodies. Ask yourself what makes this person special or what do you like about him. It is that very quality that you are lacking in your own relationship or circumstances. Alternatively, it indicates that whatever that person represents has no part in your own life.

To dream of your own death, indicates a transitional phase in your life. You are becoming more enlightened or spiritual. Alternatively, you are trying desperately to escape the demands of your daily life.

Oh No! Not My Kashi! I Just Ate All Of These!!!!

2009-02-02T23:01:00.002-05:00

Recall -- Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Kashi Initiates Nationwide Recall of Select Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bar Flavors And Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Cookie Flavors

Contact:
Kris Charles
269-961-3799

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- February 2, 2009 -- Kashi, La Jolla, CA – As a result of the expansion of Peanut Corporation of America’s recall to include all peanut ingredients produced in their Blakely, Georgia facility since Jan. 1, 2007, a voluntary nationwide recall has been issued for the following products:

Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bars in Trail Mix and Honey Almond Flax varieties, 7.4-ounce box with a “Best If Used Before” date prior to September 19, 2009 and followed by the letters CD (SEP 19 2009 CD), with the following UPC codes: 1862703000, 1862703001, 1862723959, 1862728409, 1862731567.
Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Granola Bars Peanut Butter, 7.4-ounce box with a “Best If Used Before” date prior to August 8, 2009 and followed by the letters CD (AUG 08 2009 CD), with the following UPC codes: 1862703002.
Kashi™ TLC™ Chewy Cookies in Oatmeal Dark Chocolate, Happy Trail Mix and Oatmeal Raisin Flax varieties only, 8.5-ounce box with a “Best If Used Before” date prior to July 30, 2009, with the following UPC codes: 1862732467, 1862742593, 1862762001, 1862762002, 1862762003.

These products are also included in some Club assortment and variety packs of Kashi TLC products.

These products are sold nationwide in retail and club stores. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection to these products. Consumers can also visit the following Web site for information on this recall: www.kashipeanutbutterrecall.com.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. For more information on Salmonella, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Website at http://www.cdc.gov/.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled products are urged to destroy them. Consumers with questions or who would like a refund may contact the Consumer Response Center at 877-701-5868. Consumers with questions or concerns about their health should contact their doctor.

For a list of various company recalls and for more information on FDA’s ongoing investigation, visit FDA’s Web site at http://www.fda.gov/.

The Dermatology Blog Says that Olive Oil Good for Skin and Flax Seed Oil Even Better!

2009-01-28T20:43:00.001-05:00

Since I began my little olive oil as face wash and moisturizer experiment I've gotten everything from "why"? to "great idea"!, but I haven't had any one with a dermatology background agree that it's a good idea or even green light it as being not harmful. Today, however, I found just the article posted on The Dermatology Blog, written by Dr. Benabio. He says that olive oil is beneficial to your skin, and recommends flax seed oil as an alternative. So, without further ado, here's the professional advice I offer as evidence to support my sanity:

Flax Seed Oil and Your Skin

Flax oil or flaxseed oil is derived from the pretty, blue-flowering flax plant. The oil, obtained from processing the seeds, is high in omega 3 fatty acids, especially alpha linoleic acid (ALA). Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for normal skin and body function, but they are not produced naturally by your body.

The only way to get omega 3 fatty acids is from your diet. You can add flax oil as a dressing in salads, as a substitute for other oils (except in cooking, since flaxseed oil breaks down quickly when heated), or even take a tablespoon in a healthy smoothie. Flax seed flour, which is also high in omega 3s, can be added to muffin or pancake mixes or even sprinkled on cereal. You can also buy flax seed supplements.

Foods high in omega 3s help your skin protect itself by increasing natural oils that your skin secretes on the surface. These fats and oils are critical for keeping your skin soft, protecting it from irritants and preventing it from drying out.

But will it make me look younger?

Ah, the question most people want answered: maybe. According to a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who consumed the most linoleic acid had the youngest-looking skin among 40-74 year-olds.

Like vitamin C and olive oil, flax oil has benefits not only from eating it, but also from applying it directly to your skin. When smoothed on your skin, flax oil can help lock in moisture and prevent water loss through the skin. Applying it can also improve your skin’s dry dull appearance and even improve the appearance of fine lines, both of which certainly make you appear younger.

As an added benefit, omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory, which help minimize redness and skin irritation. There is evidence that omega-3s can improve chronic skin conditions such as eczema (atopic dermatitis), rosacea, acne, and psoriasis, but only preliminary studies have been done. Omega 3s have been shown to aid in wound healing as well. There is even some evidence that flax seed oil might protect against ultraviolet light (sun) damage and can help protect you against skin cancer.

What to look for when buying flax seed oil:

Because flax seed oil is easily oxidized, which diminishes its antioxidant capabilities, it is important that you find flax oil that is

in a dark container
protected from light
vacuum sealed when you buy it
stored in the refrigerator after opening it

What about cold pressed oil? This is controversial. There is no standard for labeling an oil “cold pressed.” Heat and/or high pressure is needed to extract the oil from the seeds. Oil that is labeled as cold pressed and sold in the refrigerator section is certain to be a lot more expensive but not necessarily more effective. As soon as the oil is exposed to air and light, it begins to break down, anyway. So save your money.

Post written by Jeffrey Benabio, MD.

The Dermatology Blog Tackles Exfoliation

2009-01-28T20:38:00.001-05:00

I've recently began reading The Dermatology Blog because I have sensitive skin, my daughter has acne to the point that the doctor recommended prescription drugs and I'm looking for sensible, inexpensive, natural solutions that are good for our bodies and our environment. The Dermatology Blog has lots of great ideas. I had recently read about ladies making their own exfoliating facial scrubs at home using olive oil and sea salt. I think this is a fabulous idea and I'll begin incorporating it into my routine in a few weeks, but for now read this article to make sure that you aren't overdoing it:

Facial scrubs can be soothing and can give your face a soft, healthy glow. They can also make your face raw. Too many women are overusing their facial scrubs, giving them red, irritated cheeks. Are you over-scrubbing?

A patient came to me last week with a bright red, painful rash on her cheeks. She thought she was allergic to her new citrus facial scrub from Burt’s Bees; she was faithfully using it everyday.

She wasn’t allergic to her facial scrub. It was doing what it is designed to do: remove a layer of cells from her skin every time she used it. But at that point she was down to raw skin.

This is a classic case of too much of a good thing in facial skin care. Facial scrubs can be an easy, rather inexpensive way to exfoliate the dull scaly cells on your skin’s surface leaving you with softer, more vibrant skin. However, exfoliating has gotten a little out of hand recently.

Thanks to my wife’s subscriptions, I have noticed that several women’s magazines this month have articles touting the benefits of some apricot-and-citrus-lavender-dead-sea-salt-micronized-facial scrub. It’s too much.

Facial scrubs can exfoliate your skin chemically or physically. Chemical facial scrubs use salicylic, glycolic, citric, or lactic acid to chemically remove the dry dead scales on your skin’s surface.

Physical scrubs exfoliate physically by using ground apricot pits or almonds, sugars, salt, sand, or even tiny beads in microdermabrasions. These abrasives are often mixed in an oil base (such as olive oil if it’s homemade), and when you scrub the abrasive on your face, you physically remove the dull, scaly surface to reveal the healthy living cells beneath.

It is helpful to understand that although these dead cells can give you a dry, dull look, your skin puts those dead cells at the surface for a reason: to protect the delicate living cells below. A little exfoliating once in a while can be useful, making your skin softer and visibly brighter. But you must do this in moderation, that is once every two weeks (which is about how long it takes your skin to turn over).

Some people can tolerate scrubbing more frequently than this, but I suggest you start slowly and work your way to more frequent exfoliating if you so desire. You will notice at some point that using your scrub more frequently does not improve your complexion any further. That’s because there are no dead cells left on your skin’s surface. In this case, give your skin a break, and let it heal before you scrub it again.

Over scrubbing with physical or chemical facial scrubs will not clean your pores, reduce your skin’s oiliness, decrease your acne, or give you a permanent healthy glow. It will however make your skin red, irritated, and raw.

Remember, everything in moderation.

EVOO: Day 3

2009-01-28T20:33:00.001-05:00

Well, I got up early, took a shower, washed my face did my make-up and then my truck slid from one end of my street to the next. My neighbors helped me shovel it out and clear the street enough that I could move it to a curb and I called it a day. I did nothing, I mean really nothing after that. I napped, I attempted to watch t.v. and then I napped some more. But...the good news to report is that even though I had on my full make-up my face didn't get oily. Incidentally, I've started hitting the t-zone with the Burt's Bees herbal blemish stick in combination with washing my face with olive oil each morning and before bed. Not only is my face doing well, dare I say it's improving?

EVOO: Day 2

2009-01-27T23:08:00.000-05:00

So not much new to report today. My skin is still looking better than it has in a while. My scars continue to heal and my pores are unclogged. My t-zone was actually less oily than usual today, but I also never put on any make-up because I worked from home. I'll continue to monitor over the next few weeks, albeit less frequently. So...unless you hear anything from me to contradict this statement, it works great, its cheap, its good for the environment and your body; so what are you waiting for?

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury!?!

2009-01-27T08:42:00.001-05:00

Egads, it's worse than I thought. A recent study has found that HFCS contains mercury, introduced during its manufacturing. Here's the article below that I read in the Washington Post:

Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury

Monday, January 26, 2009; 12:00 AM

MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.

HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," said the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies.

In the first study, researchers found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS. The study was published in current issue of Environmental Health.

In the second study, the agriculture group found that nearly one in three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was most common in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments.

The use of mercury-contaminated caustic soda in the production of HFCS is common. The contamination occurs when mercury cells are used to produce caustic soda.

"The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients," Wallinga said.

More information

The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry has more about mercury and health.

SOURCE: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, news release, Jan. 26, 2009

EVOO: Day 1

2009-01-26T19:39:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been 24 hours since I started cleaning my face with the EVOO. I also purchased the Burt's Bee's Herbal Blemish Stick in case things go wrong. On the mornings that I shower (every other day unless I get sweaty) I just use the olive oil soap, because it's more convenient. I actually really love the olive oil as a cleanser and a moisturizer. Not a clogged pore in sight, and the pores that looked like they were trying to break out, are flat and completely happy. The most amazing improvement is in the texture of my skin. It's soft, kind of dewey looking and completely comfortable. It doesn't feel greasy at all. In fact, my face was less oily today than usual. I did have to pat once, but that was it and my make-up didn't slide off the way it normally does. The red marks/scars from past breakouts are clearing up much faster than ususal, in fact some of the fresh ones are hardly even noticeable. My wrinkles are far less prominent and the black circles under my eyes, yep, you can hardly see them. I also read that lemon juice added to the olive oil help lighten discolorations and acts as a mild astringent too, but I figured I'd stick to one thing at a time for now. So, to end my report for the day, I couldn't be happier. Rubbing salad dressing on your face isn't so bad after all. I'll keep reporting as I continue along. Now, if I can just get my husband to stop trying to dip bread on my face....

The Olive Oil Expriement

2009-01-25T12:43:00.000-05:00

For most of my life I have had sensitive skin with dry itchy patches combined with oil slicks; not pleasant. I've spent lots, and lots, and lots of money on everything from grocery store products to some seriously high end stuff to even my tone, soften, dry, heal, clear, you get the picture. About 2 months ago I switched to Method's olive oil soap after they sent me a sample of their Olive Leaf body bar. It's great, my skin is soft, smooth clear, and not oily. I recall in some Roman/Greek history class that I took as an undergrad that in ancient times people actually washed with olive oil. They simply rubbed down their bodies and then scraped it off. I often wondered how they dealt with acne back then without today's lovely chemicals. I have noted in my life that the girls I've met with the best skin are rarely the same girls who use hundreds or even thousands of dollar worth of products on their bodies each year. In fact, my husband has irritatingly perfect skin and he barely even washes! So, I go a crazy idea, I mean really crazy. What if I used olive oil on my face? Would it stop my face from being so oily, or would it make it worse. So, I read around on the internet to see if anyone else had tried anything so crazy. What I was surprised to find is that lots of people have taken this leap of faith long before I had even thought of it. I'll post links to some of their stories below. So, I've decided that for the next two months (I recall my dermatologist saying that it takes 6-8 weeks for a pimple to form) that I'll try using the olive oil on my face. This could go really well, or it could end badly. But after my recent breakout which has left me reconsidering harsh chemical acne treatments again I figured what the hell, how much worse can it really get. Hey, it might even work out. So here we go, I'm diving in. I'm scared as hell, but I'll let you know how it goes. My method of attack:

Run olive oil into pores with a gentle massage. Use warm water on a washcloth to steam my face. Wipe off oil with the washcloth and toss a little cool water to close my pores.

Here are some links to stories of other girls taking the plunge:

Acne.org
Healthy Living
SoFeminine

Yummy Hair Care Product Review - Burt's Bees

2009-01-22T11:02:00.000-05:00

My husband, daughter, and I all have very sensitive scalps combined with oily hair, and damaged ends with a lot of breakage. Recently my husband and I have both started to lose our hair in gobs. I've tried many, many different shampoo and conditions combinations with similar results. My scalp is permanently itchy and peeling in layers even when using my salon recommended products for dandruff, eczema, and psoriasis. This has only been an issue since we moved into Baltimore City where we have highly chlorinated water. I've finally found a product that doesn't irritate my scalp, has healed the itchy peeling and improved the texture of my hair. My hair is soft, bouncy, full of body and the drain in my tub reveals that I'm losing far less hair. What amazing product caused this change you ask? It was my $8.00 a bottle of shampoo and conditioner made by Burt's Bees! I've been using the More Moisture Raspberry & Brazil Nut Shampoo and the Color Keeper Green Tea & Fennel Seed Conditioner. It was an impulse buy at my Safeway about two weeks ago and I have never been happier with the condition of my hair and scalp. Best of all, they are an relatively local (East Coast) company with a great mission, vision, and values focused on social responsibility with concern for well-being and the environment. I had tried other organic/natural shampoos in the past, but were disappointed with their lack of lather and the fact that they often left my hair looking flat and dull. I just can't sing the praises of this combination of shampoo and conditioner enough because it lathers well, requires only one shampoo, and I look and feel like I've been using a high-dollar imported salon shampoo. So, even if you've tried natural/organic products in the past and been disappointed, make sure that you revisit them, you may not know what you are missing.

The Global Economic Crunch and My Dog - Pet Product Review - Halo

2009-01-21T11:08:00.001-05:00

My concern with the slow down of the global economy centers around the fact that as profit margins shrink companies may seek ways to increase profits by using shoddy ingredients to fool regulators and end up harming consumers. China's recent melamine controversy that sickened and killed children through tainted milk and pets through tainted food immediately comes to mind. As a result, I am now buying only food products that come from food sources that I trust (U.S.A., Canada, etc). I realize that this can seem small-minded, but I just can't imagine taking any chances with my loved ones (yes, this includes my dog). Maybe these dangers exist with local producers as well, but it certainly seems less scary, and until someone proves me wrong that's my game plan. That being said, while at my local Petco this weekend I perused the natural, holistic, locally made dog food and found Halo Natural Pet Care products. I read the ingredients, perused the nutritional information and where the products were made. My dog, Max, has dry itchy skin and buying healthy food with fish oil in it seems easier than purchasing the supplements and putting them in his food separately. I chose the Wild Salmon Spot's Stew. It seems healthy, my dog loves it, and I'm supporting our economy; this is a small change that I can make and feel good about. He's been eating this new food for about a week now and seem quite contented. Hopefully I'm making the right choice for everyone.

Now's a good time to buy Made in America or DIY...

2009-01-15T12:35:00.000-05:00

China warns of more health scares amid slowdown
Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:50pm EST

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese food and drug makers struggling in a declining economy could be tempted to cut corners and ignore quality standards, a senior Chinese official warned as the country awaits court verdicts in a tainted milk scandal. China has been rocked by a number of scandals in recent years involving unsafe food and drugs which have sometimes killed people and prompted global recalls of Chinese-made goods. At least six children last year died from drinking milk formula adulterated with melamine, an industrial compound used to cheat nutrition tests, and more than 290,000 fell ill with kidney stones. China has put on trial a number of company officials and farmers accused of producing and selling the toxic milk. Shao Mingli, a senior official from China's food and drug safety watchdog, said that the country was on "high alert" as the impact of the financial crisis began to hit home, Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying late on Tuesday. "Some enterprises might conduct production in violation of standards and regulations in an attempt to ease their financial burdens," Shao said. "On the other hand, conflicts and disputes arising from some companies' regrouping or merger and acquisition might impact production and quality management," the official added, calling for tighter supervision of all levels of the supply chain. The watchdog had dealt with 297,500 cases of "illegal drugs and medical equipment" with a value of about 600 million yuan ($88 million) last year, Xinhua said, in an indication of the seriousness of the problem. The report comes amid an investigation into a health scare involving a foreign brand of dog food, which local media have linked to the deaths of dozens of pets. The China Daily on Tuesday said that at least 30 dogs had died from liver complications after eating a brand of dog food which the state newspaper said was tainted with aflatoxin. The paper quoted vets who said a number of dogs had been diagnosed with liver damage after eating the pet food, and a local supplier that had stopped selling it.
But China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said it had neither approved the food for import, nor had border quarantine units ever allowed its import, Xinhua said, casting doubt over the product's origins. In 2007, pet food made with Chinese ingredients tainted with melamine killed a number of dogs and cats in the United States.

Lunch Leftover's: Pescatarian "Beef" and Eggplant Red Curry

2009-01-15T12:10:00.000-05:00

It's too cold to go out for lunch, so I'm having leftovers from last nights dinner. Technically its not vegetarian or vegan because the curry has shrimp paste and fish sauce, so let's call it pescatarian "beef" and eggplant curry. Here's the recipe:

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 + 1/2 cup water or broth
1 package of Morningstar meal starters, beef
1 eggplant, chopped into 1/2" squares.
2 tablespoons of red curry paste
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups of jasmine rice, steamed

In a wok, stir 1/2 a can of coconut milk and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Once it is thick, bubbly, and fragrant (about 2-3 minutes) add the red curry paste. Mash and stir until it forms a creamy, smooth curry (about 2-3 minutes. Next, toss in the beef strips and stir, tossing to coat for a minute or two. Add the rest of your ingredients and stir occasionally, allowing to simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the eggplant takes on a light green color and softens. Once the curry looks ready to go, spoon it over a bowl of steamed jasmine rice and enjoy.

The Most Unhealthy Healthy Foods Out There

2009-01-12T12:24:00.000-05:00

14 Health Foods That Aren't!

The authors of the bestselling new book “Eat This, Not That!” uncover the most misunderstood “health” foods in America

1. Bran Muffin
2. Chicken Caesar Salad
3. Tuna Melt
4. Chicken Wrap
5. Turkey Burger
6. Fruit Smoothies
7. Granola Bar
8. Pasta Salad
9. Yogurt with Fruit on the Bottom
10. Bagel with Cream Cheese
11. Pasta Primavera
12. Dried Fruit
13. Fish Sandwich
14. Margarine

If your weight-loss regimen consists of giving up pizza and cheeseburgers in favor of flaxseeds and rice cakes, it’s time to reconsider your strategy. In the hot bestselling book Eat This, Not That! co-authors David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding insist you don’t ever have to diet again. You can eat all of your favorite foods and still drop 10, 20, 30 pounds in just a few months! To do so, though, you must be able to spot the many perilous nutritional traps that continue to plague health-conscious consumers every day. Seemingly nutritious packaged and prepared foods often abound with added sugars, preservatives, and dangerous, belt-breaking fats. To help you slim down this year, the Eat This, Not That! guys have identified the 14 most punishing health ruses and replaced them with delicious alternatives that will keep you satisfied and give you all the purported nutritional benefits that many of our most beloved foods sadly do not. Just click on the index at left to discover a new, smarter game plan!

On the Menu Tonight: Moroccan Eggplant with Garbanzo Beans and Mediterranean Kale

2009-01-08T18:14:00.000-05:00

I love the World's Healthiest Foods site, it is so full of nutritional information and new ways to cook foods. This week I randomly picked up an eggplant with hopes to use it and found this delicious recipe online. Sure I could just make eggplant parmesean like I alwasys do, but this is an exciting opportunity to try something different, healthy, and with an international flair. Mangia!

Moroccan Eggplant with Garbanzo Beans
This is a great cold weather dish that is an example of tasty and nutritious a vegetarian dish can be. One serving provides 166% of the Daily Value (DV) for molybdenum, 119%DV for vitamin C, 64% DV for manganese and 62% DV for fiber.

Prep and Cook Time: 35 minutes Ingredients:
1 large onion cut in half and sliced thin
5 medium cloves garlic, pressed
1 medium red bell pepper cut in 1 inch squares
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 inch pieces
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tsp turmeric
½ tsp garam masala
1 15oz can garbanzo beans
1 15oz can lentils, drained
½ cup tomato sauce
1¼ cups + 1 TBS vegetable broth
½ cup raisins
1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
salt & black pepper to taste
Directions:
Slice onion and press garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting properties.
Heat 1 TBS broth in a 10-12 inch skillet. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add garlic, red bell pepper, eggplant, garam masala, and turmeric. Stir to mix well for a minute, and add broth and tomato sauce. Stir again to mix, cover, and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until peppers and eggplant are tender. This is our Stove Top Braising cooking method.
Add garbanzo beans, lentils, red chili flakes, and raisins. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro.
Serves 4

Mediterranean Kale

With this delicious, easy-to-prepare recipe you can include kale as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating in a matter of minutes. Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables around with one serving of Mediterranean Kale providing you with 409% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin C, 358% DV for vitamin A and 80% DV for manganese. Enjoy!

Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes Ingredients:
2 medium bunches kale, chopped, about 12 cups
Mediterranean Dressing
2 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp soy sauce
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed
extra virgin olive oil to taste
salt & black pepper to taste
Directions:
Chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out its health-promoting properties.
Fill bottom of steamer with 2 inches of water and bring to boil.
While water is coming to a boil, slice kale leaves into 1/2-inch slices, and cut again crosswise. Cut stems into 1/4-inch slices. Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out it health-promoting properties.
When water comes to a boil add kale to steamer basket and cover. Steam for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and toss with Mediterranean Dressing ingredients. Mediterranean Dressing does not have to be made separately. For the best flavor it is best to toss with dressing while kale is still hot.
Serves 4

My Mother's Cold Care Tips

2009-01-07T18:18:00.000-05:00

My mother is a massage therapist (I am so lucky aren't I?) and owner of Sacred Space in Glen Burnie, MD. During the Christmas break I had a terrible cold that was quickly headed for sinus infection. As a gift she gave me a neti pot and some eucalyptus oil. I used my neti pot and my mother helped me heat some eucalyptus oil in a sauce pot full of water on the stove and then built me a towel "tent" so that I could inhale the vapors. I felt better almost immediately and could even feel my ears drain; it was great. Within 24 hours my cold was gone. My husband was the next unfortunate soul in the house to share my germs and he too found the same relief and healing benefits and was also better with 24 hours. So as an homage to my mother, here are her cold care tips:

1.Neti Pot

The original...since 1972. The Neti Pot naturally cleanses, refreshes, and protects the nasal passages, one of our body's first lines of defense against illness. Recommended today by doctors and pharmacists worldwide, the Neti Pot has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine to alleviate sinus and allergy problems. The Himalayan Institute introduced the Neti Pot over 35 years ago, and we currently offer a full line of high quality products to support a complete sinus cleansing system.Neti Pot instructions on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8sDIbRAXlg

2. Eucalyptus

Properties of the essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus, E. radiata and others: antiviral, decongestant, expectorant, analgesic amoung others http://www.holisticonline.com/Aromatherapy/aroma_ess-oil-eucalyptus.htm

Eucalyptus is best known as a decongestant inhalation for colds and catarrh. Bactericidal and anti-viral, Eucalyptus is a very powerful bactericidal and anti-viral. A steam inhalation with Eucalyptus is an effective natural treatment for colds. It eases nasal congestion and inhibits proliferation of the cold virus. Eucalyptus used in airsprays or any form of vaporization during epidemics, will give a good measure of protection from 'flu and the infectious illnesses of childhood. A spray containing 2% essential oil of Eucalyptus is found to kill 70% of staphylococci in the air. Eucalyptus essential oil is more effective than eucalyptol, its main active ingredient, that is used pharmaceutical preparations. The effectiveness of oil of Eucalyptus appears to be due to the action of aromadendrene and phellandrenes. When these come into contact with the oxygen in the air, their chemical reaction produces ozone. Bacteria cannot live in this environment. The anti-viral action of Eucalyptus has been observed empirically frequently.

Enjoy these healthful tips which are the best thing I've found for us non-chicken soup- eating vegetarians to get rid of those winter bugs. If you still enjoy your tasty chickens, do steps 1&2, then beg mom to make you some old-fashioned homemade chicken soup.

Giant and Wegman's Get Generous with Drugs

2009-01-07T15:49:00.000-05:00

From WJZ13:

Wegmans Joins Giant In Offering Free Antibiotics
BALTIMORE (AP) ―

One week after supermarket chain Giant Food LLC announced it would offer free antibiotic prescriptions to its customers, rival Wegmans Food Markets Inc. says it is doing the same.
Wegmans' spokeswoman Jo Natale says the program has been in the works for weeks and called the timing of the announcements coincidental. She says the Wegmans program was not a direct reaction to Giant's program. Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans will fill prescriptions for nine types of drugs through March 31. The Giant program ends March 21.Wegmans has 72 stores, including five in Virginia and Maryland.Giant is the largest supermarket chain in the Washington, D.C., region with 182 stores and more than 160 in-store pharmacies.

Vegetarian Chicken Fajitas

2009-01-05T20:47:00.000-05:00

Tonight's dinner consisted of vegetarian chicken fajitas with a side of rice and fat-free refried beans. I had some cilantro and guacamole cream leftover from last week's tofu chicken skewers that I didn't want to go to waste, so I pulled out some frozen Morningstar meal starters chicken strips and made fajitas. My daughter and husband both went back for seconds and I can confirm that they turned out really tasty.

2 packages (16oz) Morningstar meal starters chicken (the beef flavor would work equally well).
3 bell peppers (I used 2 green and 1 yellow) sliced into strips
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp chile powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground pepper
2 Tbs lime juice
1/4 C cilantro, chopped

Add about 2 Tbsp of canola oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add green peppers and onions, along with cumin, ground pepper, and chile powder. Stir until the peppers and onions begin to soften, about 10-12 minutes. Next add the chicken strips and continue stirring until heated through, about 6-8 minutes. Finally, once the vegetables have reached the level of crispiness you prefer and the chicken strips are heated through, remove from heat and add the lime juice and cilantro. Stir and enjoy over rice or on tortillas.

Eat This, Not That

2009-01-05T10:52:00.000-05:00

I love receiving the Men's Health - Eat This, Not That newsletter. The aim of the newsletter is to show the fat and calories in foods at chain restaurants. I knew deep down that many of my favorite restaurant foods were bad for my health, but not only does this newsletter confirm it, it will likely contain a few shockers. Ordering what may seem like a healthy food choice at a restaurant chain, and you could still accidentally down a day's worth of calories. However, the best part about this list is that it also recommends healthier alternatives. While cooking for yourself is always best, because you know exactly what you are putting into your meal, for many of us, this is a luxury. So without further ado, here is the 2009 top 20 worst foods...egads!

The 20 Worst Foods in America 2009 : Avoid these 20 industrial-strength calorie bombs this year

1. The Worst Food in America of 2009

Baskin Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake
2,310 calories
108 g fat (64 g saturated fat, 2.5 g trans fats)
266 g sugars

Let's look at America's Worst Food in numbers:
73: The number of ingredients that go into this milkshake.
66: The number of teaspoons of sugar this drink contains.
11: The number of Heath Bars you would have to eat to equal the number of calories found in one Baskin Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake.
12: The average number of minutes it takes to consume this drink.
240: The number of minutes you'd need to spend on a treadmill, running at a moderate pace, to burn it off.

Eat This Instead! (and ask for two spoons)
2-Scoop Hot fudge Sundae
Chocolate and Vanilla
530 calories29 g fat (19 g saturated fat)
52 g sugars

2. Worst Pasta of 2009

Romano’s Macaroni Grill Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce
2,430 calories

Eat This Instead!
Simple Salmon
590 calories

3. Worst Starter of 2009

Uno Chicago Grill Pizza Skins (full order)
2,400 calories
155 g fat (50 g saturated)
3,600 mg sodium

Eat This Instead!
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
390 calories

4. Worst Pizza of 2009

Uno Chicago Grill Chicago Classic Deep Dish Pizza
2,310 calories

Eat This Instead!
Cheese and Tomato Flatbread Pizza (individual)and a House Side Saladwith Fat-Free Vinaigrette
755 calories

5. Worst Ribs of 2009

Outback Steakhouse Baby Back Ribs (full rack)
2,260 calories(no other nutritional information available)

Eat This Instead!Prime Minister’s Prime Rib with Fresh Veggies and Sweet Potato
730 calories

6. Worst Chicken Entrée of 2009

Romano’s Macaroni Grill Primo Chicken Parmesan
2,220 calories

Eat This Instead!
Pollo Magro
330 calories

13. Worst Fish Entrée of 2009

Outback Steakhouse Atlantic Salmon (9 oz)
1,640 calories(no other nutritional information available)

15. Worst Salad of 2009

T.G.I. Fridays Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad
1,360 calories
Fat: unknown (The company refuses to disclose the nutritional content of the food they’re serving you.)
Sodium: unknown

18. Worst "Healthy" Sandwich of 2009

Blimpie Veggie Supreme (12”)
1,106 calories

Go to the article to see the rest of these scary foods and avoid them at all costs! Register for the newsletter, it's a great resource and they don't bombard you with other useless information. Happy New Year! I wish you all good health!

Healthy Panaeng "Beef" in Red Curry Peanut Sauce

2009-01-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

The other day my local grocery store had a sale on Morningstar Meal Starters in the frozen section for 50% off. I purchased several of the chicken and beef, which are vegan and 27% less fat than regular meat, and begin looking for recipes to use them in. Here is the one I made for tonight's dinner:

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup water

1 package of Morningstar meal starters, beef

2 tablespoons of panaeng curry paste

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons ground peanuts

1 tablespoon of lime juice

2 cups of jasmine rice, steamed

In a wok, stir 1/2 a can of coconut milk and the water together and bring to a simmer. Toss in the beef strips and stir, simmering for about 5 minutes. Remove the beef using a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the curry paste and a few more tablespoons of the coconut milk, press and stir to make a paste for about 3 minutes. Return the beef strips to the wok, add the remaining coconut milk and remaining ingredients. Continue stirring and maintain a simmer for another 3 minutes, or until the sauce is smooth and fragrant. Serve over a bowl of steamed jasmine rice and enjoy.

VegCooking Update: Cilantro-Lime Tofu Skewers with Avocado Cream

2008-12-29T22:59:00.000-05:00

Tonight for dinner I made a delicious recipe that I found on VegCooking.com:

Cilantro-Lime Tofu Skewers With Avocado Cream

For the Avocado Cream:
3 large avocados
1/2 cup Vegenaise
Juice of 2 limes
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

• Peel and core the avocados, then mash. Place in a food processor with the other ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Adjust the seasonings with salt and lime juice.
• Place in squeeze bottles and refrigerate.

For the Skewers:
1 1/2 lbs. extra-firm tofu
2 large onions, cut into 3/4-inch dice
3 yellow peppers, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch dice
1 1/2 lbs. whole cherry tomatoes
1 lb. whole crimini mushrooms
15 Mexican fiesta or bamboo skewers
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 oz. tequila (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
3 jalapeño peppers, cut into thin slices
1 1/2 Tbsp. salt

• Thread the tofu, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms on the skewers.
• Stir together all the other ingredients and pour over the skewers to marinate for 2 hours.
• Remove from the marinade and grill for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until the vegetables are softened and browned.
• Serve with the avocado cream.

Makes 15 skewers

I only used two yellow peppers, one onion, 1 1/2 packs of tofu, and half of the tomatoes that the recipe called for and this was more than enough for the two of us. I have to confess that I did use non-vegan light mayonnaise, so my dinner wasn't officially vegan, but it was still a delicious, low-fat recipe that didn't include meat. My husband and I served our veggies and tofu over rice, topped them with the avocado cream and stirred it all together. It had a great flavor, and the texture was nice too. I'm still learning to love tofu, but this recipe was an easy to make, flavorful, and filling meal.

VegWeb.com

2008-12-29T15:53:00.001-05:00

My mother was found to have unacceptable cholesterol counts this year and rather than using medication, has chosen to transition immediately to a vegan diet. While the effects of the many and varied cholesterol medications are yet unproven, a vegan diet has been proven to reverse heart disease. I did bake my mother a vegan chocolate cake and a few types of vegan cookies for Christmas and have been inspired to incorporate more vegan recipes into my regular rotation. Vegan dishes aren't difficult to prepare and are quite tasty. While browsing the web for tonight's dinner I found this site http://vegweb.com/ which looks promising. Enjoy!

Truvia

2008-12-23T16:24:00.000-05:00

Typically I buy my Stevia from Whole Foods and it is costly, about $7.00 for a box of packets and the liquid is similarly priced. I tend to prefer the liquid, because the powder often left a residue that collected at the bottom of my tea cup, leaving the last sip or two rather unpleasant. I was in the baking aisle at Safeway yesterday and noticed a product called Truvia. At just over $4.50 I decided to try it. I've used it several times since yesterday and found that the flavor is very similar to my Whole Foods stevia packets, and while it does cloud up on the last few sips, if I give it a quick swirl it does fully dissolve. The verdict, just as good and much less expensive; a rare occurrence. They also have an interesting article on their website stating that they have just recieved FDA approval to use Truvia Rebiana as a general purpose sweetener and that it has been found safe for consumption through conducting lots of research. I'm very glad to hear that we may be closer to finding something safer and more healthy to sweeten our food than high fructose corn-syrup that won't break the bank, but I believe that we still need to focus on eating anything sweet in moderation, even if it is calorie free.

Blinded by the light

2008-12-22T12:36:00.001-05:00

When I was around 12 years old I began to have many hormonal fluctuations which brought on terrible migraine headaches. I am given a diuretic which doesn't ease the vomiting or the extreme light sensitivity and my pediatrician makes the decision to put me on birth control pills to regulate my changing hormones. Fast forward to age 29... The day after Valentine's day I have terrible pain in my abdomen and a fever. I head over to the emergency room where after many, many tests it is determined that my gall bladder needs to go. While they were reviewing my scans they found small lesions on my liver. They are unable to determine whether they are harmless lesions caused by the hormones in my birth control pills, or something more sinister being fed by the hormones in my birth control pills. They decide to follow me every three months with MRI's (with contrast and without) to figure out whether or not they are continuing to grow and merit further investigation. Fast forward another years they have grown, but no one is doing anything about it, but my doctor orders me off of the birth controls pills. A year later, beginning in October of this year, my debilitating migraines come back. I go to my doctor who thinks that it could be hormone or stress related, "difficult to tell the trigger", he says. He prescribes me 10mg Maxalt tablets to "break the cycle" and acupuncture for 6 weeks to cure the chronic condition. He explains that they believe it to be a neurological disorder, but don't have much additional information to provide. I travel to my mother's for a much needed massage which helps my headache immediately, while I await my acupuncturist appointment. I'm really hoping that the acupuncture is successful, because the side effects from my migraine medication make it unsafe for me to drive. I'll continue to post on my progress and any new and interesting research related to migraine headaches. Perhaps I'll donate money in my own name to a reputable migraine foundation as a Christmas present to myself :)

Credit Card Rate-Jacking

2008-12-18T09:36:00.000-05:00

Credit card holders livid about 'rate-jacking'

Story Highlights

One man's rate went from 9.5% to 16.99%: "It almost borders on loan-sharking"
Citigroup, recipient of bailout funds, seems to be the target of most bloggers' ire
U.S. House passes "bill of rights" for customers, but legislation stalls in Senate
Citi says anyone unhappy with rate can opt out and close account when card expires

From Drew Griffin and Kathleen JohnstonCNN Special Investigations Unit
(CNN) --

It arrived in Rich Stevens' mailbox a few weeks ago: the notice that Citibank had "rate-jacked" the Visa cards belonging to him and his wife. "In my case, from 9.5 percent to 16.99," the 54-year-old nurse from the Long Island hamlet of Merrick, New York, told CNN. And his wife's rate zoomed from 7.95 percent to 16.99 percent, he said. Stevens said he did not know why the rates had soared; his credit rating is great. But, like thousands of other credit card customers around the nation, he has been notified his rate is skyrocketing. "It almost borders on loan-sharking, from my perspective," he said. In the blogosphere, writers are livid at the instant rate hikes -- called "rate-jacking." Citigroup seems to be the target of most bloggers' venom -- partly because Citigroup issues so many credit cards and partly because Citi began sending the notices at about the same time it was getting a $20 billion, taxpayer-financed government bailout.
No one at Citigroupwould talk on camera to CNN about the matter. Instead, the company issued a written statement, which said: "To continue funding in this difficult credit and funding environment, Citi is repricing a group of customers." Citi told CNN that anyone unhappy with the new rates can opt out and continue paying the lower interest, but they must close their account when their card expires. It's all in the fine print. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, said she is sick of the fine print. She agreed that credit card companies get away with whatever they want, as long at they put their desires into the fine print. "They have this provision that says they can raise the rate -- any time, any reason," she said. In September, Maloney got the House to pass by an overwhelming margin of 200 votes the "credit card holders' bill of rights," which would have stopped rate-jacking and the imposition of other fees by banks.
But the bill has languished in the Senate since September. "There's a lot of pushback from the financial industry," she said.

Critics say that pushback is linked to donations from the banking industry to the politicians responsible for regulating credit cards.
The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee is Christopher Dodd. His staff said the Connecticut Democrat has his own credit card bill containing tough language to stop things like rate-jacking and shortening of billing cycles -- two issues that anger consumers.
But even Dodd's own bill has failed to gain traction -- it has sat since July.
Dodd himself received more than $4 million from the financial sector during the last campaign, according to campaign records. His office did not respond to CNN's questions about that.
It did say that he has tried repeatedly to protect consumers, but added, "legislation has been met with stiff opposition by the credit card industry."
On Thursday, the Federal Reserve is expected to vote on its own new rules regarding credit cards, rules in the works for four years that could clamp down on rate-jacking.
Whatever is passed, Maloney said, probably would not take effect until 2010.

Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/17/credit.card.rates/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

I'm posting this story because Citibank has done the same thing to me repeatedly for two years. The first time, they jacked-up my rate to 35%. 35%?!? How is that even legal. Luckily, I called and complained because I had not gone over my limit, had not made any late payments, and the amount charged on my cards was only about 15% of the limit and they lowered the rate again. What if I hadn't been responsible though, what about in these difficult economic times where people are losing their jobs left and right and need credit to buy medicine, shoes for their kids, or dinner? Should they be forced to pay rates that should be considered criminal? More recently, as my debt has crept up again due my recent wedding which included a trip to Las Vegas, NV Citibank has once again jacked my rates up. What's most interesting is that I have two of the exact same card, which they have refused to merge into a single cards since I opened the account. Interestingly, there is a different rate on both cards. When I called and asked the rate to be lowered on one to meet the other, they indicated that I already had the lowest rate possible on that card. When I explained that I have another of the exam same card and provided my account number, they simply replied "oh, well there is nothing more that I can do". I would close the account, but I've learned my lesson doing that too...I once had a card in which the rate continued to climb, so I called and cancelled so that they couldn't raise the rate any more while I continued to pay it off. Let's just say, that doesn't work. They jacked-up the rate to the maximum. Anyway, as Citi is currently raising my rates for absolutely no reason whatsoever...again...I am using my lessons learned. I am transferring my balances to my local credit union who provides me with sane credit limits, low interest rates, and fair treatment...just as they always have. I'm doing my best to live within my means, pay down my debt, and continue to learn from my mistakes.

Holiday Shopping/Baking/Prep

2008-12-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I decided to take my own advice and slim down on some of the gift giving this year. We are notorious for overspending during the holidays and this year my grandmother and mother both said no more clothes :) They also said no more books, which is unfortunate because I had already picked some up at Goodwill, so they'll just have to take them and like them, or pass them on. So, to add to their gifts I decided to use the BBB website and find some reputable charities to which I could donate money in their names. My grandmother has recently been hospitalized due to COPD, so I have donated $25.00 in her name to the American Lung Association. My mother is now eating a vegan diet after years of down home cooking have caused her cholesterol to shoot through the roof, so in her name goes $25.00 to the American Heart Association. I am posting it here because notices have already gone to their homes, so it won't be much of a Christmas surprise anyway, but the intent is there. Finally, I am doing some baking as gifts and found a yummy vegan chocolate cake recipe that I wanted to share with you here:

Rich Chocolate Bundt Cake

Publication Date: 03/01/2007

The following chocolate cake recipe was created for PARADE by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, co-author of “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes That Rule” (Marlowe & Company, 2006) and host of the public access/podcast vegan cooking show “Post Punk Kitchen.”

1 3/4 cups freshly brewed coffee
2/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (like Droste)

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or all-purpose white flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray an 8- to 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.

2. Over medium heat, bring the coffee to a simmer in a sauce pot. Once simmering, lower the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to bring to room temperature.

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, canola oil, apple sauce and cornstarch until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved, about 2 minutes. Mix in the extracts. Once the chocolate has cooled a bit, mix that in as well.

4. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat until relatively smooth, about 1 minute with a hand mixer or 2 minutes with a whisk.

5. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick or butter knife inserted through it comes out clean. If your Bundt pan is on the smaller side, it could take up to 55 minutes.

6. Let cool for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate to cool completely. Once cool, sift powdered sugar over the top and enjoy.

Serves 12. Per serving: calories: 250, total fat: 7g, saturated fat: 1g, total carbohydrate: 47g, cholesterol: 0mg, fiber: 4g, protein: 3g

* If you can’t find whole-wheat pastry flour, then regular all-purpose flour will do. Don’t substitute regular whole-wheat flour; it is different and will result in a rough and chewy texture.

ABC News: Stevia: The \'Holy Grail\' of Sweeteners?

2008-12-10T15:43:00.001-05:00

ABC News: Stevia: The 'Holy Grail' of Sweeteners?

Posted using ShareThis

The Better Business Bureau Gives Advice on a Green Holiday

2008-12-10T12:29:00.000-05:00

BBB Advice on Going Green this Holiday Season
11/26/2008

Bing Crosby may have dreamed of a white Christmas but as many Americans adjust their lifestyles to become more environmentally friendly, some will be looking forward to a green Christmas this year. Your Better Business Bureau has advice to help families go green this holiday season and maybe even save some green in the process.

According to a survey by Plow and Hearth, half of Americans plan to purchase an environmentally friendly gift this holiday season. Among those going green this year, two-thirds say they are willing to spend between 10 and 25 percent more on green holiday gifts.
“The holidays tend to focus on kindness and sharing, but unfortunately, most of us aren’t very kind to the environment during the season of giving, and from an eco-friendly perspective, this period usually ends up being one of the most wasteful times of the year,” said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. “Consumers actually have a chance to save some green in more ways than one this season, from using candles and wreaths with recycled materials to homemade gifts and creative gift wrap, people can help themselves and the environment.”

Aside from buying gifts with the environment in mind, there are many other ways consumers can lessen the impact of their holiday cheer on Mother Nature. Following are a few ways consumers can aim for a more environmentally friendly holiday season:

Decorate with Care

There are many ways consumers can decorate “in green” this year. LED Christmas tree lights are a pricier option to conventional lights, but they require about 80-90 percent less energy and last much longer—up to 200,000 hours—compared to conventional lights’ 2,000 hours.
Rather than buying an artificial tree or a fresh tree that will end up on the sidewalk come January 1, consumers can opt to buy a live tree that they can later plant. When it comes to decorating that tree, making ornaments and garlands from gingerbread, Christmas cards, popcorn and cranberries is a great family craft project and better for the environment than plastic tinsel and ornaments.

Give Money to a Charity in Someone’s Honor

Charities are expecting a lean season of giving this year as the result of the downturn in the economy. Donating to a charity in a loved one’s name is a great way to further a worthy cause and it doesn’t have any negative impact on the environment. In fact, if the gift goes to a charity that deals in conservation, the gift will have a doubly good impact on the environment. To make sure donations are going to credible, conscientious organizations, donors should always research charities first with BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance – and can do so at www.bbb.org/charity.

Give Green

Many stores, both online and brick-and-mortar, specialize in green products, such as organic foods and gifts made from recycled goods. When shopping online, consumers should always look for the BBBOnline seal. The seal tells the shopper that the company adheres to BBB Standards for Trust and operates a secure Web site for financial transactions.

Get Crafty

For do-it-yourselfers, there are many Web sites and online communities dedicated to making new and useful items from things most consumers consider normal household “clutter.” Skill levels for craft projects range from easy to expert. Homemade gifts, such as baked goods and handmade gifts are also a lot easier on the wallet—and potentially the environment—and often bring much more meaning to recipients.

Dispose of the Old…

With CareElectronics such as cell phones, TVs and computers contain toxic materials that should be disposed of carefully and not just tossed out with the trash. Many companies will take back and recycle their products for free. Some retailers also accept trade-ins. Consumers can search for company policies and recycling locations online, and a good place to start is at Earth911.org.

For more trustworthy consumer advice on “going green” this holiday season, and for many other tips on saving money this year, go to http://www.bbb.org/.

http://us.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=113&id=24bc81dc-3fd0-40be-935e-3c07a8f5d342&art=8010

Goodwill Hunting

2008-11-20T14:35:00.000-05:00

So, I was inspired by my own blog yesterday, because I'm just that kind of nerd. So... I rushed off to Goodwill to see what kind of cool fabrics I could use to make gift bags, etc. Well, it turns out that it doesn't even require that level of effort. First, they have tons of new stuff with tags on it for Christmas and its like 75 - 80% off. It's like an after Christmas clearance, with none of the fighting over scraps. I bought lots of cute Christmas stockings that I can put gifts in (instead of wrapping paper). It's almost like a gift in itself; just think, if we all started doing this, no one would ever have to buy wrapping paper or bags again! Save money on the wrapping that everyone tosses into the garbage (or hopefully recycling bin at a minimum) and spend it on the gift..what a novel idea!?! I then looked around and found lots of cute Christmas, and non-Christmas baskets, and finally I got an idea. I bought lots of cute mugs and plates (its cheaper than the dollar store) and decided to give the gift of baked goods and chai tea. When you don't have a lot of money to spend on friends and coworkers, I say don't buy the cheap trinkets, give them something tasty! This way I can present the baked treats on something pretty that they can keep. Who knows, maybe they'll return the favor next year! Third, I found at least 25 new books at 3 for $6.00! Wow, I'm beginning to see a theme, books, mugs and warm drinks, plates and baked goods... what a great way to give a thoughtful and environmentally-friendly gift that will warm the heart and the tummy :)

Greening up the holidays

2008-11-19T13:58:00.001-05:00

Every year I pout around like scrooge and eschew the holidays grumbling about rampant commercialism. However, my daughter and I always love making gifts for friends and family, like soap, decorations, or baked goods. This year as I begin thinking about how I can do something inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and fun for the family I have come up with two good ideas on my own, and borrowed one from someone else. Here we are:

1. Homemade wrapping paper and gift bags

This year I plan to use clothes that have been handed down, and I will search the thrift stores for holiday prints to make gift bags. They are fun, reusable, and a gift in themselves. Next, I plan to use boxes and paper grocery bags to make wrapping supplies. I'll be purchasing a cool Christmas themed rubber stamp to do the decorations and jazz it up a bit.

2. I learned of Global Goods Partners, an online retailer of sorts, who is "Dedicated to alleviating poverty and promoting social justice by strenghtening women-led development initiatives and creating access to the US market for marginalized communities in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. If you are going to buy a gift, get something cute and include the story about where the gift came from in your packaging. http://www.globalgoodspartners.org/template/index.cfm

My pick from the website:

7 Turns Bracelet
Available in brown or green, this coiled bracelet from southern India combines a rich combination of glass, bone, metal, and wood beads in a creative swirling design. The vibrant colors derive from a unique and age-old technique of using natural vegetable dyes. Look beautiful while knowing that your purchase supports the Shambhal and Amroha communities, and is vital to preserving traditional Indian artistry.
Fully adjustable. Fits all Wrists.1 ¾" high

$14.00

3. Recycle Christmas cards from last year by cutting out the pictures and making gift bag tags, or making a collage on recycled paper for a new card. This is such a cute way to personalize your gifts and its inexpensive!

So, enjoy the holidays and feel good about the gifts that you give, without getting yourself into hock.

The Flu Shot and Yogi Tea

2008-11-12T23:41:00.001-05:00

Today I had my very first flu shot. I've always been wary of unnecessary vaccinations and have avoided getting my yearly free shot. However, last January I go the flu. I've had it twice in my lifetime and pray that it will never happen again each time. So today, as my coworkers began lining up I thought, "Why not"? First, I was surprised at the amount of pain one little shot could cause when injected into your shoulder. (Why don't they put it in a meatier spot I wondered to myself). Then within hours I began to develop a headache, sore throat, fever, and aches. My body appears to be reacting to something, hopefully my immune system will win. To combat the virus I made a very healthy dinner including citrus glazed carrots and wild rice. That'll show 'em who's boss. I did a little research on the flu shot and it turns out that I was right to avoid it after all. Only three strains are used, which were guessed at my researches many, many moons ago. It's level of effecitiveness isn't great even if you do get the exact strain covered by the immunization. So in short, its a lot of discomfort for no reward. Not to mention that they put all kinds of bad things in those shots and I'm not talking about the virus either. So to ease my achiness and fight off whatever is bearing down on my immune system I stopped at the store and picked up some yogi tea. Their immunity tea has everything except the kitchen sink (including echniacea) and is quite tasty. It was not very expensive, readily available, and full of good things. I'll keep you posted on my battle with the bug.

This is a link to the yogi tea website for additional information.

Here is some information on the tea I am drinking (on the website you can click the links to learn more about the herbs and their uses:

FIND STRENGTH IN ECHINACEA IMMUNE SUPPORT
Our blend of astragalus, elderberry and several species of echinacea can strengthen your defenses by stimulating production of immune system proteins. We complement this wellness formula with lively lemongrass and peppermint to help promote clear breathing while adding a fragrant essence and exquisite taste. It is sure to become an all-season favorite!*

GET THE MOST OUT OF EVERY CUP
When your immune system needs support, drink 2 to 3 cups per day. For a stronger effect, use 2 tea bags. For increased immune stimulation, drink up to 5 cups per day.*

INGREDIENTS
Organic Peppermint Leaf, Organic Lemongrass, Organic Echinacea Root (Angustifolia, Purpurea, Pallida), Organic Cinnamon Bark, Organic Licorice Root, Organic Spearmint Leaf,Organic Fennel Seed, Organic Lemon Flavor, Organic Cardamom Seed, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract (Phenols 12%), Organic Rose Hip, Organic Ginger Root, Organic
Burdock Root, Organic Clove Bud, Organic Mullein Leaf, Stevia Leaf, Organic Black Pepper, Astragalus Root Extract, European Elderberry Extract (Anthocyanins 30%), Natural Cinnamon Oil,Natural Cardamom Oil, Natural Ginger Oil

This is a link to the CDC's 2008-2009 Influenza Vaccine Update.

Switching gears with salad dressing

2008-10-29T22:41:00.000-04:00

I love salads. I love them all year long. I do really enjoy eating seasonal foods though, so this always prompts a change in salad dressings with the change in weather. In spring, I loved anything covered with my dressing made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt + pepper. I just eyeball and mix, its good on everything but is divine with feta or goat cheese, grapes, and walnuts. In summer, as my basil comes in, I add a pinch of that and its heavenly on tomatoes and avocado. My official dressing of summer however involves cilantro. I take cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, jalapeno, salt, and pepper. There is nothing better on a salad filled with grilled shrimp, grilled corn, and avocado. Now that its fall I've made a new dressing. I love apples on my salad in fall, especially paired with walnuts. This combination screams for tangy goodness. Tonight I made a dressing with olive oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper. It was simple, easy to make and delicious. I tossed in a handful of dried cherries too and everyone enjoyed a simple, quick, and healthy dinner.

Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar:

Scientific Evidence of Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits

But there are some medical uses of vinegar that do have promise, at least according to a few studies. Here's a rundown of some more recent ones.

Diabetes. The effect of vinegar on blood glucose levels is perhaps the best-researched and the most promising of apple cider vinegar's possible health benefits. Several studies have found that vinegar may help lower glucose levels. For instance, one 2007 study of 11 people with type 2 diabetes found that taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose levels in the morning by 4%-6%.
High cholesterol. A 2006 study showed evidence that vinegar could lower cholesterol. However, the study was done in rats, so it's too early to know how it might work in people.
Blood pressure and heart health. Another study in rats found that vinegar could lower high blood pressure. A large epidemiological study also found that people who ate oil and vinegar dressing on salads five to six times a week had lower rates of heart disease than people who didn't. However, it's far from clear that the vinegar was the reason.
Cancer. A few laboratory studies have found that vinegar may be able to kill cancer cells or slow their growth. Epidemiological studies of people have been confusing. One found that eating vinegar was associated with a decreased risk of esophageal cancer. Another associated it with an increased risk of bladder cancer.
Weight Loss. For thousands of years, vinegar has been used for weight loss. White vinegar (and perhaps other types) might help people feel full. A 2005 study of 12 people found that those who ate a piece of bread along with small amounts of white vinegar felt fuller and more satisfied than those who just ate the bread.
Read the benefits here

Life

2008-10-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

So I realize that my posts have been sparse as the summer has transitioned into fall. I've had a bit going on :) I am now married, have just reached the mid-point of this semester, have been working way too many hours, and my grandmother is very, very ill. However, let there be no more excuses and I offer you photos in exchange for my neglect. I have many more posted on facebook and hope to have them all loaded on shutterfly within the next week. I'll be splitting my time between work, school, my daughter, and visiting my grandmother in the ICU but I promise to write about my homemade bridesmaid gifts with photos in short order. Here are a few pics until then:

Chai Tea Oatmeal? Totally!

2008-10-15T09:31:00.000-04:00

So my husband purchased some Chai tea powder and well...it didn't work out. I hate to waste things though, so I tried to figure out some new and interesting way to use it. It has the consistency of cocoa powder, so it seems like a good option for cooking with. I keep a huge tub of plain oatmeal that I flavor myself depending on my mood. I have used apples, bananas, brown sugar & cinammon, nuts, dried fruit and peanut butter. So get creative and use those last little bits of whatever you have tasty lying around and eat some oatmeal!

Garden Update

2008-08-14T17:31:00.001-04:00

So, as you all know this year I decided to grow my own veggies. I planted some in containers and some directly into the ground. I have had mixed success... My zucchini, which I did a direct sow, into my herb garden is doing very well. I have harvested 3 small zucchini and am looking forward to the next one. My container garden is not fairing as well. Many of my plants were crowded and not getting enough water. My two suggestions are: self-watering containers (I saw them at my garden center) and thinning out the plants. I think next year I'll try transplanting the seedlings to the ground and keeping some in the container and see how that works. I pulled my eggplant plants out of the container and put them in my herb garden in hopes that they might develop more. I haven't harvested a single tomato, but luckily my friend is sharing hers (and her cucumbers) with me. I promise to hand over my next tasty zucchini. The herbs continue to do well in the containers, although I have never succesfully grown and harvested cilantro (which is a shame, because its the herb I use most in summer). My flowers, trees, and shrubs are all doing fabulous, so I'm including pictures of those here as well. Happy weeding!

Readymade Contest : The Macgyver Challenge : Prescription Bottles

2008-08-07T13:30:00.000-04:00

MacGyver Challenge: Prescription Bottles

{Deadline: September 22, 2008}by Anthony Discenza

Increasingly, stealing a peak into the average American’s medicine cabinet reveals a rainbow galaxy of brightly colored pills nestled in little orange bottles. You name it, we’re taking it, most likely three times a day, before meals. That’s a whole lot of little receptacles piling up, and we’re always on the lookout for unnecessarily disposable objects, especially plastic ones. So while we cannot provide a cure for your high blood pressure, restore your memory, or whisk away your excess cholesterol, we can provide some incentives for you to call upon such non-prescription substances as a little elbow grease and gray matter. Come up with your prescription for the re-use of pill bottles, and the most creative Rx will be featured in the pages of the magazine, winning you eternal glory and a ReadyMade T-shirt, if not a remedy for your acid reflux.
Send photos or projects to ReadyMade, 817 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94710, or
articles@readymademag.com

http://readymade.com/article/macgyver_challenge_prescription_bottles/?sssdmh=dm17.329460&esrc=nwrmu06_09d&email=1584501650

Gone Fishin'

2008-07-22T13:13:00.000-04:00

After my salmonellaosis I began to eat again and moved from clear liquid, to jello-o, on to soup, fruits, veggies, fish, and then I tried to get to meat. Actually, let me preface this whole story with a brief history...I've had digestive issues for years and my doctor went as far as handing me a pamphlet on irritable bowel sydrome and told me to increase my fiber intake, but stopped short of actually diagnosing me or giving me any real help or advice. My mom purchased a book that really helped me begin to understand how food affects the way I feel, for better or worse "Eating for IBS" http://www.amazon.com/Eating-IBS-Delicious-Nutritious-Low-Residue/dp/1569246009. Eventually I learned to pay attention to what foods my body liked and made me feel good and which ones it didn't. Sometimes my body followed the book, sometimes I didn't, but I think that is to be expected with anyone. Now, fast forward again to post salmonellaosis... some food types that have always causes me issue are fats. This includes, oils, butter, fried foods, animal products, etc. My friends have even been so kind as to name my condition Elizabutt :) So, as I began to work my way back up the foodchain I thought about why I was trying to force myself to eat meat and decided that maybe that's not a good idea. I don't plan to eliminate seafood (at least not anytime soon), but I've been enjoying my new pescatarian diet and it seems to be working well for me. I feel like I have more energy and my digestive issues seem to have disappeared. I'm beginning to track my food intake so that I can keep an eye on fats, calories, and nutrition. See what I'm eating here: http://www.everydayhealth.com/profile/eflesher

Jalapeno Peppers Recalled - Contaminated with Salmonella Saintpaul

2008-07-21T20:28:00.000-04:00

Agricola Zaragoza, Inc. Recalls Jalapeno Peppers Because of Possible Health Risk (July 21)
Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:11:00 -0500

The recall is a result of sampling by FDA, which revealed that these Jalapeno Peppers were contaminated with the same strain of Salmonella Saintpaul responsible for the current Salmonella outbreak. It is unknown at this time which, if any, of the more than 1,200 illnesses reported to date are related to this particular product or to the grower who supplied this product. Distribution of these products has been suspended while FDA, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.

Recall -- Firm Press Release

Agricola Zaragoza, Inc. Recalls Jalapeno Peppers Because of Possible Health Risk

Contact:
Raymundo Cavazos
956-631-6405

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- June 21, 2008 -- Agricola Zaragoza, Inc. of McAllen, TX is recalling Jalapeno Peppers distributed since June 30th, 2008 because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The Jalapeno Peppers were distributed to customers in GA and TX.

The Jalapeno Peppers being recalled were shipped in 35lb. plastic crates and in 50lb. bags with no brand name or label.

The recall is a result of sampling by FDA, which revealed that these Jalapeno Peppers were contaminated with the same strain of Salmonella Saintpaul responsible for the current Salmonella outbreak. It is unknown at this time which, if any, of the more than 1,200 illnesses reported to date are related to this particular product or to the grower who supplied this product. Distribution of these products has been suspended while FDA, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.

Consumers and retailers who purchased Jalapeno Peppers should contact their supplier to determine if their products are involved in the recall. Commercial manufacturers that have used these recalled Jalapeno Peppers as an ingredient in other products (i.e. salsas, etc.) are encouraged to contact their local FDA office to determine if these products should be recalled. Additionally, restaurants, retail food stores, and similar retail institutions that have used these Jalapeno Peppers as a garnish or as an ingredient to prepare entrees, salsas or other products are asked to dispose of these products making sure that all such peppers are not inadvertently made available for purchase, salvage or donation and therefore preventing any possibility for human or animal consumption.. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (956)-631-6405.

Jalapeno Peppers, Serrano Peppers, and Avocados Recalled for Salmonella

2008-07-21T11:53:00.000-04:00

Grande Produce, LTD.CO Recalls Jalapeno Peppers, Serrano Peppers, and Avocados Because of Possible Health Risk (July 19)Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0500The Jalapeno Peppers, Serrano Peppers and Avocados were distributed to the following states: TX, DE, NC, GA, OK, IA, MN, IL, FL, IN, MD, NY, MS, AR, KS, and KY. The avocados being recalled were shipped in boxes labeled "Frutas Finas de Tancitaro HASS Avocados, Produce of Mexico," all sizes, with lot number HUE08160090889. The Jalapeno Peppers and Serrano peppers being recalled were shipped in 35lb. plastic crates with no brand name or label.

NOTE: "According to the Texas and North Carolina Departments of Health, the strain of Salmonella found in this company's jalapeño and serrano peppers and in its avocado is not Salmonella Saintpaul, and is not believed to be related to the current Salmonella outbreak.

The recall is a result of sampling not by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but by the Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Health) and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (North Carolina Health ) which revealed that these products contained the bacteria.
The company has voluntarily initiated a recall of its already distributed products and has stopped future distribution while the FDA, Texas Health, North Carolina Health and the company continue to investigate to determine the source of the problem."
Recall -- Firm Press Release
FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.
Grande Produce, LTD.CO Recalls Jalapeno Peppers, Serrano Peppers, and Avocados Because of Possible Health Risk
Contact:Raul Cano956- 843-8575
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- July 19, 2008 -- Grande Produce, LTD. CO of Hidalgo, Texas (hereinafter referred to as Grande Produce) is recalling Jalepeno Peppers and Serrano Peppers distributed between May 17th and July 17th, 2008; and Avocados, all sizes, with lot #HUE08160090889 because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
The Jalapeno Peppers, Serrano Peppers and Avocados were distributed to the following states: TX, DE, NC, GA, OK, IA, MN, IL, FL, IN, MD, NY, MS, AR, KS, and KY.
The avocados being recalled were shipped in boxes labeled "Frutas Finas de Tancitaro HASS Avocados, Produce of Mexico," all sizes, with lot number HUE08160090889. The Jalapeno Peppers and Serrano peppers being recalled were shipped in 35lb. plastic crates with no brand name or label.
No illnesses associated with this recall have been reported to date.
The recall is a result of sampling by the Texas Department of State Health Services and The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, which revealed that these products contained the bacteria. Distribution of these products has been suspended while FDA, the Texas Department of State Health Services, The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.
Consumers who purchased Avocados, Jalapeno Peppers and Serrano Peppers should contact their supplier to determine if their products are involved in the recall. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (956) 843-8575.
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The Organic Raw Kombucha Experiment

2008-07-16T14:21:00.000-04:00

My friend invited me to join her at Whole Foods at lunch today. While walking down the aisles checking out the latest tasty products I ran into something that looked really interesting...Organic Raw Kombucha. http://www.gtskombucha.com/kombucha.html It's a fermented tea that is cultured for 30 days with probiotics and vareity of other good for you things, like algae. We chuckled, broke out the Stevia powder and prepped. I shook mine, which by the way, don't do. Its naturally effervescent and so overflows (just like when some jerk bangs their beer bottle on top of yours at a party). I took the first swig and discovered that it tastes exactly like you would imagine the vinegar and food color combination I use each year when my daughter and I color our Easter eggs. I decided to try the Stevia, but its fermented and the natural bubbles were even more excited by the Stevia and it began to bubble over again. It tasted a little better, but its sharp acidic taste will definately require some adjustment. I sure hope that this is good for me, because it sure does taste healthy....

The triumph of feminism has served the culture of capitalism

2008-07-15T17:44:00.000-04:00

The fruits of the feminist revolution? Sisterhood, empowerment, and eight hours a day in a cubicle by Sandra Tsing Loh

I Choose My Choice!

As you may have heard, some 50 years after Betty Friedan sprang us from domestic jail, we women … seem to have made a mess of it. What do we want? Not to be men (wrong again, Freud!), at least not businessmen—although slacker men, sans futon and bong, might appeal. In these post-Lisa-Belkin-New-York-Times-Magazine-“Opt-Out” years, we’ve now learned the worst: even female Harvard graduates are fleeing high-powered careers for a kinder, gentler Martha Stewart Living. Not only does the Problem Have a Name, it has its own line of Fiestaware!
And what are our fallen M.B.A. sisters of Crimson doing? Kvells one Harvard-grad-turned-stay-at-home-mom, on the subject of her days:
I dance and sing and play the guitar and listen to NPR. I write letters to my family, my congressional representatives, and to newspaper editors. My kids and I play tag and catch, we paint, we explore, we climb trees and plant gardens together. We bike instead of using the car. We read, we talk, we laugh. Life is good. I never dust.
Is the mass media to blame (again!) for pushing women out of the workplace? Not so much. On our zeitgeist-setting TV shows, it’s only the housewives who are desperate. Work is fun! The Manhattan working gals of Sex and the City, whose days revolve chiefly around dishing over cocktails, are essentially ’50s suburban housewives, trophy wives of (in this case) glamorous if emotionally distant New York jobs—skyscraper-housed entities with good addresses and doormen that handsomely fund their lifestyles while requiring that they show up to service them only infrequently, in bustiers and heels. I want a vague job like the one Charlotte has, in the art gallery she never goes to; or the lawyer job Miranda has (charcoal suits and plenty o’ time for lunch with the gals); or Samantha’s PR gig, throwing SoHo loft parties and giving blow jobs to freakishly endowed men (actually, that’s the one job I don’t want); I want to spend my days like “writer” Carrie, lolling in bed in her underwear, smoking and occasionally updating her quasi-bohemian equivalent of a MySpace page.
In real life, female journalists (particularly sex columnists) have frightening stalkers, dour editors who begin phone conversations with “This is not your best,” and paychecks so thin they trigger not just an amusing episode in which some Jimmy Choos must be returned but years of fluorescent-lit subway rides to a part-time job teaching ESL at some community college on Long Island. In an ugly if typical turn, one’s column is suddenly moved from the Manhattan section to the North Jersey “auto buy” section because of the arrival of a younger, hotter writer. In real life, workmen would unceremoniously peel Carrie’s ad off the side of the bus and replace it with an ad touting the peppy new relationship blog of Miley Cyrus.
An assault on the flaccid, pastel-hued Real Simple values of today’s overeducated, underperforming homebound women, Linda Hirshman’s marvelously cranky Get to Work … And Get a Life, Before It’s Too Late drew an Internet hailstorm. (Those stay-at-home mothers—like AARP members, they’ve got time to type.) Short, biting, funny, and deliciously quotable (Hirshman is like an old-guard feminist Huckabee), Get to Work is a great value in terms of making the most of your limited reading hours. (Susan Faludi’s Stiffed ran 672 pages; my galley of Get was a slim 94.)
Hirshman’s thumbnail review of recent feminist history makes for prickly, entertaining reading. “Just over thirty years ago,” she rails, “the feminist movement turned from Betty Friedan, the big-nosed, razor-tongued moralist,” to Gloria Steinem. Not only did the honey-tressed blonde clearly have a smaller nose, as Hirshman implies, but “Gloria was nicer than Betty.” The pliant undercover Bunny shepherded in a “useless choice feminism” of soft convictions and “I gotta be me” moral relativism. Hirshman quotes Sex and the City’s hapless Charlotte, who, when given flak for quitting her job to please her smug first husband, can only wail plaintively, “I choose my choice! I choose my choice!”
Hirshman fires with both barrels (Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!) at today’s mommies, who are so busy sniffing the Martha Stewart paint chips that they have forgotten Friedan’s exhortation to get out and change the world. In reference to the NPR-listening, tree-climbing Harvard grad quoted above, Hirshman acidly notes:
Assuming she is telling the truth, and she does live in the perfect land of a Walgreens’ ad, is not all this biking and tree climbing a bit too much of the inner child for any normal adult? Although child rearing, unlike housework, is important and can be difficult, it does not take well-developed political skills to rule over creatures smaller than you are, weaker than you are, and completely dependent upon you for survival or thriving. Certainly, it’s not using your reason to do repetitive, physical tasks, whether it’s cleaning or driving the car pool. My correspondent’s life does have a certain Tom Sawyerish quality to it, but she has no power in the world. Why would the congressmen she writes to listen to someone whose life so resembles that of a toddler’s, Harvard degree or no?
Ouch!
Not afraid, in her own big-nosed, razor-tongued way, to alienate everyone (or at least half of everyone), Hirshman considers all stay-at-home mothers fish in her barrel (think fish pedaling tiny aquatic bicycles). No target is too small: Hirshman even tears mercilessly into the sleep-deprived new mothers who’ve made the unfortunate decision to share their rambling thoughts on something called Bloggingbaby.com. (Really, aren’t there any blogs over which the Web should draw its gentle curtain? Apparently not.) But in fact, Hirshman insists, the problem starts well before motherhood. It begins when young women enter college and violate Hirshman’s No. 1 rule of female emancipation: “Don’t study art.”
Why aren’t the women who are outnumbering men in undergraduate institutions leading the information economy? “Because they’re dabbling,” she snaps. Here’s yet another Problem That Has a Name: Frida Kahlo.
Everybody loves Frida Kahlo. Half Jewish, half Mexican, tragically injured when young, sexually linked to men and women, abused by a famous genius husband. Oh, and a brilliantly talented painter. If I was a feminazi, the first thing I’d ban would be books about Frida Kahlo. Because Frida Kahlo’s life is not a model for women’s lives. And if you’re not Frida Kahlo and you major in art, you’re going to wind up answering the phones at some gallery in Chelsea, hoping a rich male collector comes to rescue you.
As Woody Allen’s own Whore of Mensa would sigh and pencil in the margin, “Yes, very true!” And don’t we all know them, those defiant, dreadlocked young lovelies with their useless degrees in studio art, experimental fiction, modern dance, and gender studies, lactose-intolerant and unemployable: “I choose my choice! I choose my choice!”
Of course, Hirshman, with that somewhat unlovely, censorious tone, is being a tad simplistic. She leaves aside the matter of whether women driven to make piles of money are the same ones likely to incite meaningful social change. If the Harvard stay-at-home mom walked away from an attack-dog corporate-lawyer job with Exxon, I, for one, would rather see her playing tag and climbing trees. And although Hirshman did work as a lawyer (lawyer, along with doctor and judge, is the kind of high-degree, socially relevant job she approves of), she then became a professor of philosophy and women’s studies. (Call the White House! We have a professor of philosophy on the line!)
Not that being an academic isn’t a hell of a lot of fun; in fact, its very pleasantness contributes to a bias peculiar to members of the thinktankerati. So argues Neil Gilbert, a renowned Berkeley sociologist, in A Mother’s Work: How Feminism, the Market and Policy Shape Family Life. According to Gilbert, the debate over the value of women’s work has been framed by those with a too-rosy view of employment,
mainly because the vast majority of those who publicly talk, think, and write about questions of gender equality, motherhood, and work in modern society are people who talk, think, and write for a living. And they tend to associate with other people who, like themselves, do not have “real” jobs—professors, journalists, authors, artists, politicos, pundits, foundation program officers, think-tank scholars, and media personalities.
Many of them can set their own hours, choose their own workspace, get paid for thinking about issues that interest them, and, as a bonus, get to feel, by virtue of their career, important in the world. The professor admits that his own job in “university teaching is by and large divorced from the normal discipline of everyday life in the marketplace. It bears only the faintest resemblance to most work in the real world.” In other words, for the “occupational elite” (as Gilbert calls this group), unlike for most people, going to work is not a drag.
Indeed, what does Linda Hirshman know about “work”? (It’s a veritable WWE Smackdown of Academics!) Parries Gilbert:
Linda Hirshman claims that “the family—with its repetitious, socially invisible, physical tasks—is a necessary part of life, but allows fewer opportunities for full human flourishing than public spheres like the market or the government.” Many people would no doubt find unpaid household chores less interesting than Professor Hirshman’s job … But walking up and down the supermarket aisle selecting food for a family dinner is a job that has more variety and autonomy than the paid work being done by the supermarket employees who stack the same shelves with the same food day after day, and those who stand in a narrow corner at the checkout counter all day tallying up the costs of purchases, and the workers next to them who pack the purchases into paper or plastic bags. That space in the market is a bit cramped for human flourishing.
To be sure, attacking feminist criticism as being the extended whine of a privileged, educated upper class is as old as … well, as bell hooks’s 1984 critique of Friedan’s Feminine Mystique: “[Friedan] did not tell readers whether it was more fulfilling to be a maid, a babysitter, a factory worker, a clerk, or a prostitute than to be a leisure-class housewife.” It’s a point that keeps having to be made, though. And hooks’s list doesn’t even include the legions of colorless office jobs that most women endure, “real” jobs that trap them from eight to five in a cramped cubicle under hideous lighting. During the course of a Sex and the City workday you’re likely to encounter Mr. Big, but at a “real” job you’re far more likely to be thrown in with the pimply, fright-wigged characters of Dilbert or with Dwight Shrute from The Office, the show whose name is synonymous with tedium, idiocy, and despair.
The eight-to-five routine entails quite a few repetitious, socially invisible physical tasks (think Rob Schneider’s Richmeister on Saturday Night Live: “Makin’ kahpies!”). Research suggests that such drudge work holds no special lure even for (free at last!) females. Citing a survey of 909 employed women on how they had felt during 16 different daily activities, Gilbert notes:
Employed women expressed a higher degree of enjoyment for shopping, preparing food, taking care of their children, and doing housework than for working at their jobs—an activity that was ranked at the next-to-lowest level of enjoyment, just above commuting to work.
Further, in a development that would shock only today’s most radical feminists (where are those last two hiding? Buffalo?):
When it came to interactions with different partners, the women ranked interactions with their children as more enjoyable than those with clients/customers, coworkers, and bosses.
But aren’t women at home subject to the oppression of their chauvinistic, soul-crushing husbands? As if a mere human could compete with clogged freeways and Sisyphean paper pushing (or its more up-to-date equivalent, paperless pushing) and burnt-coffee-laced afternoons counting the acoustic tiles in stale conference rooms, and the hours spent arguing over the wording of a memo that within minutes after its dissemination will be dragged into the now-two-dimensional circular file. Unless he’s an abusive alcoholic or something similar, to be more oppressive than a “real” job, a husband would have to possess tireless text-messaging thumbs: “Where’s my dry cleaning?” “Did you pick up my dry cleaning?” “Where are you shopping right now?” “No! No! I told you—no butter lettuce from Safeway, only Whole Foods!” (Come to think of it, this may be a fairly accurate bit of communication between a privileged mother and a micromanaged nanny.) Even providing a chilled martini at six o’clock and roast beef at seven to the legendary suburban alpha male of yore allowed most of one’s day to be fairly flexible. As for today’s poorer husbands, many of them are likely too tired from their job’s repetitious, socially invisible physical tasks—such as makin’ kahpies!—to continually oppress their wives.
But surely women’s economic independence is worth it? Oy. Wrong again. Here Gilbert launches into an exhaustive and rather depressing analysis of how far we’ve come since the 1970s. It’s a long way, baby … if chiefly in terms of the accessibility of appliances. Seventies luxuries—air conditioners and clothes dryers—are of course the new millennium’s necessities. Although more than half of all households were hanging their clothes on a line or schlepping them to a laundromat in 1971, for instance, by 2001, the majority of even poor households owned dryers. And now we all require goodies like cell phones and 900 channels of cable unheard-of 30 years ago—by 2001, eight out of 10 low-income households owned VCRs/DVD players. No question, getting moms a paycheck has been very good for the U.S. consumer-electronics market, not to mention fast-food vendors, child-care providers, and—despite all those clothes dryers—the dry-cleaning industry.
However, while the economy benefits, for working-class families with young children, so much of a second income is eaten up by child care and taxes and other costs related to holding down a job that, after purchasing the microwave—now necessary to produce hot meals in the 10 minutes left for food preparation—and the de rigueur DVD player, the second wage earner might as well have stayed at home. Gilbert concludes, then, that financial need is not the force behind women’s shift in the past 50 years from work in the home to work in the marketplace; rather, it is the desires of those who have made out like bandits in this new order, the tiny minority (3.5 percent in 2003) of women who earn $75,000 or more. Members of this occupational elite have created a host of cultural norms by which their far less privileged sisters—who, again, make up the vast majority of working women—feel they must abide. For Hirshman’s doctors, lawyers, judges, and professors, work has been terrific, so it’s no wonder they’ve advocated social change, imposing on society between the 1960s and the mid-1990s “new expectations about modern life, self-fulfillment, and the joys of work outside the home.”
They’ve gotten results: fathers in the U.S. now spend more time with their children and do more of the household tasks than their counterparts did, and Congress and employers both have made market-friendly provisions, such as parental leave, designed to encourage mothers of young children to take up paid employment. The society that has emerged, in which equality between men and women supersedes equality between social classes, may therefore be seen as “the triumph of feminism over socialism.” Never mind the social costs, we now have an army of consumers and a vast labor pool—what could be more market-friendly? Indeed, since the late 1990s, so-called family-friendly policies in Europe have been, as the Oxford sociologist Jane Lewis observes, “explicitly linked to the promotion of women’s employment in order to further the economic growth and competition agenda.” Women have achieved the freedom to join men on a more or less equal footing in the marketplace, which strengthens the notion that the only thing ultimately of value is one’s ability to turn a buck. The triumph of feminism, Gilbert reminds us (echoing those socially conservative men of the left, George Orwell and Christopher Lasch), has served the culture of capitalism. As he sums up the whole darn tangle:
The capitalist ethos underrates the economic value and social utility of domestic labor in family life, particularly during the early years of childhood; the prevailing expectations of gender feminists place too high a value on the social and psychological satisfactions of work; and the typical package of family-friendly benefits delivered by the state creates incentives that essentially reinforce the devaluations of motherhood prompted by the capitalist ethos and feminist expectations.
All of which brings us, finally, to Sweden. (And doesn’t a shot of raspberry Absolut sound good at this point?) The debate about mothers and work: it always ends—doesn’t it?—with Sweden. Oh, if America could only be like Sweden—such a humane society, with its free day care for working mothers and its government subsidies of up to $11,900 per child per year. The problem? One hates to be Mrs. Red-State Republican Bringdown, but yes … the taxes. Currently, the top marginal income-tax rate in Sweden is nearly 60 percent (down from its peak in 1979 of 87 percent). Government spending amounts to more than half of Sweden’s GDP. (And it doesn’t all go to children, given Sweden’s low fertility rate.) On the upside, government spending creates jobs: from 1970 to 1990, a whopping 75 percent of Swedish jobs created were in the public sector … providing social welfare services … almost all of which were filled by women. Uh-oh. In short, as Gilbert points out, because of the 40 percent tax rate on her husband’s job, a new mother may be forced to take that second, highly taxed job to supplement the family’s finances; in other words, she leaves her toddlers behind from eight to five (in that convenient universal day care) so she can go take care of other people’s toddlers or empty the bedpans of elderly strangers. (As Alan Wolfe has pointed out, “the Scandinavian welfare states which express so well a sense of obligation to distant strangers, are beginning to make it more difficult to express a sense of obligation to those with whom one shares family ties.”)
I’m pretty sure that changing diapers of all sizes isn’t the kind of women’s work Betty Friedan had in mind, nor Linda Hirshman. The bottom line (and this fact will become more so as humans live longer): there’s a whole lot of caregivin’ goin’ on. We all fantasize about work that uses our creativity, is self-directed, happens during the hours we choose, and occurs in an attractively lit setting with fascinating people—you know, jobs like women have on TV. Oprah’s job! However, since in reality—even in Sweden—so many roads lead to a wet wipe, I myself feel grateful and lucky to be here in California while I type this essay … which I am actually doing in bed, clad in my sweatpants rather than in high heels and a bustier (as, fortunately, I am not a fantasy character on television—not unless they did a Sex and the City “lumberjack” edition). Later, I will feed the cats for my single, working-gal neighbor, who has a real office schedule, complete with commute. Perhaps I’ll also fling Popsicles at my latchkey children in the next room, mesmerized by a Princess video. (How much money have I earned while running Princess videos? I should pay Disney! Well, maybe not.)
Work … family—I’m doing it all. But here’s the secret I share with so many other nanny- and housekeeper-less mothers I see working the same balance: my house is trashed. It is strewn with socks and tutus. My minivan is awash in paper wrappers (I can’t lie—several are evidence of our visits to McDonald’s Playland, otherwise known as “my second office”). My girls went to school today in the T-shirts they slept in. But so what? My children and I spend 70 hours a week of high-to-poor quality time together. We enjoy ourselves. As that NPR-listening, tree-climbing mother said: “We read, we talk, we laugh. Life is good. I never dust.” Perhaps our generation of mothers can at least offer an innovation that the early radical feminists never had. I think of Linda Hirshman approvingly quoting Pat Mainardi’s angry political analysis of the hidden tally of unrewarded “women’s” housework:
Here’s my list of dirty chores: buying groceries, carting them home and putting them away; cooking meals and washing dishes and pots; doing the laundry; digging out the place when things get out of control; washing floors. The list could go on but the sheer necessities are bad enough.
Wait … she washed the floor?! Time to redefine “necessities,” Pat. Say what you will about them, those radical feminists were tidy housekeepers. What I’d say to them over a distance of 30 years is (Ching! There’s the microwave!) … you can have it all—if you run your house like a man.
The URL for this page is http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/working-moms.

One More Reason to Demand Efficient and Affordable Public Transportation

2008-07-08T20:52:00.000-04:00

New Virginia Toll Lanes Designed to Create Congestion
Illegal political donations helped give Australian company full control over Virginia transportation until the year 2087.

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/24/2458.asp

Illegal political contributions helped an Australian firm land a lucrative toll road deal that grants the company unprecedented power over Northern Virginia's transportation future. Last week, Transurban wrote and asked state lawmakers to return checks that the Melbourne-based toll road operator had written in violation of federal campaign laws (details). But the deal these contributions helped bring about has already been finalized.

In June, the US Department of Transportation created a first-of-its-kind $1.6 billion financing package that consisted of tax-free bonds, loans and state taxpayer grants to support the project that will add a pair of High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes to the Interstate 495 Capital Beltway just outside of Washington, DC. To this amount, Transurban only added $349 million of its own capital -- less than the cost of interest -- toward the construction of the toll lanes (details).

In return for that small investment, Transurban received from Virginia officials the right to demand payment from state taxpayers any time that improvements are made to a number of free roads near the Beltway. In effect, the contract between the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Transurban is designed to ensure the area remains sufficiently congested so that motorists will have an incentive to pay to use the toll lanes.

For example, VDOT can make no changes, expansion or improvements to the free lanes on the Beltway until the year 2087 unless the agency first consults Transurban. VDOT agreed that if any such changes were made to the general purpose lanes without Transurban's explicit approval, they would at least be made in such a way as to guarantee the company maintained a high level of profit.

"If the department [VDOT] determines that additional traffic lanes on the Capital Beltway Corridor are in the state's best interests, the department shall consult with the concessionaire [Transurban] as to an appropriate strategy to implement such additional traffic lanes," the contract states. "At the department's sole discretion, [it shall] permit the construction of additional lanes as part of the project with a view to minimizing any detrimental impact on the project or its ability to generate revenues..."

In the past, most toll road deals included "non-compete" clauses that strictly prohibited transportation departments from making improvements to nearby, competing roads. They did so because free-flowing traffic on alternative routes would hit the toll road's bottom line. Simply put: why take a toll road, when there's a free alternative?

Explicit non-compete provisions have become politically controversial, and as a result companies have recently embraced a more subtle approach that accomplishes the same goal. For example, the contract for the State Highway 130 toll road in Austin, Texas included a provision giving the Texas Department of Transportation a financial incentive to lower the speed limit on the nearby Interstate 35 freeway. As first reported by TheNewspaper last year that, this provision was designed to create congestion and inconvenience for the motorists who choose the free alternative route (details).

For the Beltway project, improvements such as adding additional free lanes to the highway are absolutely permitted -- for a price. The contract considers any improvement to the Beltway to be a "Department Project Enhancement" which means that Virginia taxpayers must pay Transurban for the right to improve the free portion of the highway. Given VDOT's stated lack of funding, adding an extra monetary premium to the cost of any improvements effectively gives the foreign company the ability to prevent such projects from happening.

The effect is not limited to the Beltway. The contract specifies that payments called "compensation events" must be made in the event that the state decides to improve the connections between the Beltway's general purpose lanes and the Dulles Toll Road or any "improvements to I-66 outside the Capital Beltway Corridor" made over the course of the next eighty years.

An "independent engineer" determines how much compensation Transurban will receive by calculating an expected traffic impact. This means that the more the public is likely to use a free alternative, the more Transurban is paid. In Sydney, Australia, for example, the Lane Cove Tunnel toll project contained a provision requiring the state government to narrow the lanes of a nearby free road to generate congestion that would drive motorists into the tunnel. After the state decided to postpone the narrowing until after an election, the toll road concession was paid A$25 million (US $24 million) for that compensation event.

Transurban's control goes beyond lane improvements. Although the stated purpose of the "high occupancy" part of the toll lane project is to encourage motorists to carpool, the contract contains a provision directly designed to discourage any increase in the number of motorists sharing rides.

"The department agrees to pay the concessionaire, subject to Section 20.18, amounts equal to 70% of the average toll applicable to vehicles paying tolls for the number of High Occupancy Vehicles exceeding a threshold of 24% of the total flow of all permitted vehicles that are then using such toll section going in the same direction for the first 30 consecutive minutes during any day, and any additional 15 consecutive minute periods in such day, during which average traffic for a toll section going in the same direction exceeds a rate of 3,200 vehicles per hour based on two lanes," the contract states.

This means if carpooling becomes popular on the Beltway, taxpayers could end up making multi-million dollar annual payments to Transurban.

Finally, the contract insists that if any homes happen to lie in the way of the the construction of the new lanes, Transurban will pay no more than the current market value to purchase the land in question. If the owner refuses to move, VDOT will condemn the property and confiscate it for the use of the private, for-profit company through eminent domain. The Beltway project, however, was designed to be built within existing VDOT right-of-way to ensure the exercise of this power would not be needed.

Transurban shares on the Australian Stock Exchange jumped 15 cents to A$4.60 today after the company announced quarterly earnings results. On Virginia's Pocahontas Parkway, the company reported a 7.8 percent increase in revenue over the same quarter last year, despite a 6.9 percent drop in the number of motorists using the toll road. It credited the positive performance to an 11 percent toll hike in January and the cancellation of the discount previously given to transponder users.

Relevant excerpts from the Transurban contract are available in a 260k PDF file at the source link below.

Source: Comprehensive Agreement Relating to Route 495 HOT Lanes - Excerpts (Virginia Department of Transportation and Capital Beltway Express, 12/19/2007)

Watermelon is a natural alternative to Viagra!

2008-07-03T11:07:00.000-04:00

I love to hear about healthy, tasty alternatives to prescription medicines and this one is my favorite so far:

Watermelon Has Viagra-Like Effect, Say Scientists
Betsy Blaney, Associated Press
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/07/03/watermelon-viagra-print.html
July 3, 2008 -- A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects similar to Viagra -- but don't necessarily expect it to keep the fireworks all night long.
Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of the nation's top producers of the seedless variety.
Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body's enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart and the circulatory and immune systems.
"Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it," said Bhimu Patil, a researcher and director of Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center. "Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects."
Todd Wehner, who studies watermelon breeding at North Carolina State University, said anyone taking Viagra shouldn't expect the same result from watermelon.
"It sounds like it would be an effect that would be interesting but not a substitute for any medical treatment," Wehner said.
The nitric oxide can also help with angina, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, according to the study, which was paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
More citrulline -- about 60 percent -- is found in watermelon rind than in the flesh, Patil said, but that can vary. But scientists may be able to find ways to boost the concentrations in the flesh, he said.
Citrulline is found in all colors of watermelon and is highest in the yellow-fleshed types, said Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a USDA researcher in Lane, Okla.
She said Patil's research is valid, but with a caveat: One would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body's arginine level.
"The problem you have when you eat a lot of watermelon is you tend to run to the bathroom more," Perkins-Veazie said.
Watermelon is a diuretic and was a homeopathic treatment for kidney patients before dialysis became widespread.
Another issue is the amount of sugar that much watermelon would spill into the bloodstream --a jolt that could cause cramping, Perkins-Veazie said.
Patil said he would like to do future studies on how to reduce the sugar content in watermelon.
The relationship between citrulline and arginine might also prove helpful to those who are obese or suffer from type-2 diabetes. The beneficial effects -- among them the ability to relax blood vessels, much like Viagra does -- are beginning to be revealed in research.
Citrulline is present in other curcubits, like cucumbers and cantaloupe, at very low levels, and in the milk protein casein. The highest concentrations of citrulline are found in walnut seedlings, Perkins-Veazie said.
"But they're bitter and most people don't want to eat them," she said.

Recycled Jewelry Organizer

2008-07-02T22:22:00.000-04:00

A while back I recognized that I needed a new jewelry organizer. I needed something to hold my necklaces and earrings that I wear most often because they were laying in a tangled pile on my dresser. I came up with the idea to create a hanging organizer from some old fabric, buttons, and safety pins. Well, as luck would have it, my friend Kerry donated an excellent pair of 90's suede pants that were crying out to be used for something. I love the pattern and the weight of the material and instantly noticed that it would make an awesome backdrop to my sparklies. So, I got out the scissors, cut off part of a leg, sewed on some buttons, stuck two safety pins through the bottom and voila!

Less Bang for your Buck

2008-06-30T16:58:00.000-04:00

While I enjoy growing and making as much of my food as possible, I do buy my staples in bulk from BJ's Warehouse club because it requires less packaging and buying in bulk typically offers a better value. Unfortunately, our oil dependence has had some unexpected (IMHO) results. Time magazine is reporting that we are now getting less food for the same money! Read the article here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/americasshrinkinggroceries

America's Shrinking Groceries
By KATE PICKERTMon Jun 30, 11:40 AM ET
American supermarkets are epics of excess: it often seems like every item in the store comes in a "Jumbo" size or has "Bonus!" splashed across the label. But is it possible that the amount of food Americans are buying is, in fact... shrinking? Well, yes. Soaring commodity and fuel prices are driving up costs for manufacturers; faced with a choice between raising prices (which consumers would surely notice) or quietly putting fewer ounces in the bag, carton or cup (which they generally don't) manufacturers are choosing the latter. This month, Kellogg's started shipping Apple Jacks, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks containing an average of 2.4 fewer ounces per box.
Similar reductions have recently happened or are on the horizon for many other products: Tropicana orange juice containers are shrinking from 96 ounces to 89; Wrigley's is dropping its the 17-stick PlenTPak in favor of the 15-stick Slim Pack; Dial soap bars now weigh half an ounce less, and that's even before they melt in the shower. Containers of Country Crock spread, Hellmann's mayonnaise and Edy's and Breyer's ice cream have all slimmed down as well (although that may not necessarily be a bad thing).
"People are just more sensitive to changes in price than changes in quantity," says Harvard Business School Professor John Gourville, who studies consumer decision-making. "Most people can tell you how much a box of cereal costs, but they have no clue how much is actually in it." Other segments of the economy have made similar moves to pass on their higher costs to the consumer without raising prices directly. American Airlines announced in May that it would charge $15 each way for a single checked bag, part of what airlines have dubbed "a la carte" pricing, which - along with the industrywide drive to put price tags on former freebies like soft drinks, meals and headphones - some airline observers say is really an effort to avoid increasing base ticket prices.
Once they're asked about the changes, food manufacturers are quick to explain their own increasing overhead costs - a Kellogg's spokeswoman said reducing the amount of cereal per box was "to offset rising commodity costs for ingredients and energy used to manufacture and distribute these products" - but most are not exactly going out of their way to let consumers know they're getting less for their money. Some claim newly shrunk products are responses to consumers' needs. Tropicana told the New York Daily News earlier this month that its orange juice containers, which also include a newly designed cap and retail for the same price as the previous larger size, were the result of customer complaints. Said spokeswoman Jamie Stein, "We had a lot of spillage with our old products. It's a value-added redesign."
Reducing the size of products as a way of increasing prices is not new. Frito-Lay cut the amount of chips in their bags and Poland Springs reduced its water cooler jugs from 6 to 5 gallons years ago, all while keeping prices the same. Still, says Chris Waldrop, director of the Food Policy Institute at the Consumer Federal of America, "What's going on now is definitely reflective of rising food costs and rising fuel costs." Waldrop says he doesn't blame manufacturers for taking the step to protect their bottom lines, but says the food companies should be honest with their customers about it. "If they're transparent and open, consumers are less willing to think [manufacturers] are trying to pull one over on them," says Waldrop. The changing product sizes are part of the reason the Bureau of Labor Statistics says groceries cost 5.8% more than the same time last year. Price checkers in the department measure more than 2,000 food items to determine overall food inflation, and when they notice product size changes, they adjust the inflation index accordingly, according to Ephraim Leibtag, an economist with the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture.
When a product amount drops below a benchmark like "1 pound" or "1 gallon" consumers often take note, according to Gourville. But after that, it's much easier for manufacturers to further whittle down amounts. It's all about taking away consumers' ability to compare apples to apples. The best way to compare food products if you're not sure if sizes have changed is to look at the "unit price," which breaks down the cost per ounce or per quart.
- With Reporting by Alex Altman View this article on Time.com

FREE Ride Weekend Sat, July 12, 2008 Seven Springs Bike Park

2008-06-27T14:10:00.000-04:00

Seven Springs FREE Ride Weekend Sat, July 12, 2008 @ 9:00AM
Seven Springs Bike Park is pleased to announce the 2008 FREE Ride Weekend, July 12 – 13, 2008.The Bike Park Crew has been building some sweet new trails in the Seven Springs Bike Park and would like to invite riders to come ride the park for FREE – That’s right, unlimited FREE lift tickets all weekend long! The high-speed, six-passenger chairlift will be running extended hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., July 12 – 13.Additionally, there will be FREE bicycle test rides from Kona, Trek Factory, Trek WSD and Santa Cruz Bicycles. In addition to their standard fleet, Trek will be making a special delivery of 2008 Remedy and Session freeride bikes. All combined, there will be more than 100 bikes available for riders to test ride at no charge. Riders can choose between a variety of chairlift-accessed trails ranging from entry-level cross-country trails to expert-only downhill and freeride trails. Plenty of flowy, fun and exciting trails for riders looking for a mild bike path to share with their family or an epic freeride trail complete with ladder bridges, rock drops, fall-line sections and 20+ foot jumps.Of course, it’s also nice to have a good après ride party, so the Foggy Goggle Bar is the place for music, $2 drafts and a barbecue starting at 11 a.m. each day. And for riders who want to stay all weekend, there is a special lodging rate starting at $135 available for FREE Ride participants. On top of all that, Seven Springs is even giving away a new bike to one lucky rider.How do riders get involved in the FREE Ride Weekend? Just show up at the Foggy Goggle bar on July 12 and 13 with the proper safety gear to ride the park and test ride bikes for FREE. Call (866) 437-1300 early to reserve your lodging, since the special rate is first-come-first-served and the hotel is almost full!

A Mighty Wind

2008-06-24T12:51:00.000-04:00

Engadget reported today that 50,000 Delware homes will be powered by wind by 2012! Here is the article on the topic. http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/24/offshore-wind-power-park-to-energize-delaware-homes/

This is wonderful news; I am always happy to hear of a sensible energy alternative (not involving using food stuffs). The article also ties to another article highlighting Rock Port, Missouri as being 100% wind powered. http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/22/rock-port-missouri-celebrates-being-100-wind-powered/

These are promising and exciting developments and I hope that we will see many more of them soon.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

2008-06-17T18:00:00.000-04:00

So, you may be wondering where I have been. It's been a busy few weeks, so I'll explain as best as possible. First Jamie and I went for our first downhill mountain biking excursion to Snowshoe, WV. Jamie had the best time of his life and is considering racing as an amateur. I found the entire experience to be thrilling, death-defying, scary, and somewhat exhilirating and the jury is still out, but I've agreed to try it again. On my very first run the guys took me down the old race course and I did well through the rockgardens (super scary) and then I came to a rock drop that was several feet high. No one had really warned me that it was coming up, or trained me on the proper procedure to deal with such an obstacle, so I did what came naturally...I grabbed the brake. This was, of course, the wrong answer and as my friend's $5,000.00 bike plummeted straight down, I flew about 20 or so feet through the air (looking very much like a pink power ranger in my protective gear) and landed on my hand. I either bruised the bone or fractured it (its too difficult to tell without an MRI), but the end result was the same...pain. After a minute of sitting it out and a sniffle or two, I got up and kept riding for another 2 full days...yikes. Although I wore full body armor, a full face helmet, and goggles, very little of me managed to escape unbruised.

Next up came our first real camping trip. We bought cots and portable potties and carted all of our crap including our bikes out to Green Ridge State Forest for the weekend. We arrived Friday night, pitched our tent, roasted weenies over the fire, had some drinks and went to bed. We woke up early on Saturday to 92 degree weather, but decided to go mountain biking. Fortunately, Jamie forgot his shoes, so we traveled to nearby Cumberland, MD to shop. We found a local bike shop and learned that the trails there pretty much suck, so we agreed to pack all of our stuff back up and head for the relative comfort of Jamie's parents pool. We learned that camping in 90-100 degree weather is never fun, even if you do have your shoes.

Next come the tomatoes...so before we left for our camping trip on Friday I went to my local Safeway and purchased some delicious roast beef, bread, and tomatoes to make myself a real sandwhich that would leave me feeling full and ready to traipse off into the woods. Fast forward to Monday, June 9th. I arrive at work with a fever of 103 degrees and am feeling pretty crummy. I head to my doctor's office on the second floor where she tells me that I need to develop some more symptoms before she can treat me, but its probably just a virus that's going around. I take 800 mg of iburprofren and 500 mg of acetaminophen just to keep my temperature down to 101/102 degrees. Tuesday morning I develop horrific stomach cramping and spasms..to the ER I go. I was hospitalized from June 10 - 13th (4 days!). For two days, nothing but blood came out. It look like someone had been axe murdered in my butt. That is one excruciating experience that I hope to never, ever relive. Oh, and did I mention that when I got to Johns Hopkins Emergency Room, that the wait was so long, that there were no seats in the waiting room! 2 hours later, the gentleman assigned to making us more comfortable indicated that it might be another 3-4 hours wait. I promptly left, went home and took a nap. Once the pain returned I made my fiancee drive me to the closest ER where I was subsequently admitted and treated for.......salmonella poisoning! The Department of Health interviwed me, but it was too late, another woman had already claimed the first reported case in Maryland. So, I was taken out by a tomato; I couldn't believe it. This is one more reason to stick to local, organic farms as your veggie source. I'm just glad no one else in my family was sickened. Now, this week....Motorcycle License. That's right, I'm going to learn to ride and receive a license to operate a donorcycle. Wish me luck!

Recycled Jewelry Organizer

2008-05-16T13:31:00.000-04:00

I don't have a lot of jewelry, but I do have enough that it irritates me when my necklaces get tangled together. I'm sure that my daughter shares my sentiments so, I've come up with a plan to use some of my fabric scraps to make a cute organizer. I plan to take a rectangle of fabric, sew on a few buttons and clip on a few safety pins. The buttons will hold and divide the necklaces while the safety pins keep my dangly earrings straight. Here is my plan and I'll post up the work as I go.

A Home-made Mother's Day

2008-05-10T12:53:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day is nearly upon us once again. I'll travel back toward my hometown to celebrate with my mother and step-father, uncles, grandmother, my fiancee and his mother and step-father and, last, but never least, my daughter. Each year I ask all of the mothers what they would like and the answer is always inevitably, "don't buy me anything"! Ugh...nothing is more dreaded then the don't buy me anything statement. You know they want something, but now you have no idea what it is...and if you really don't buy anything...boy are you in trouble. This year though, I think I can appease the mothers and still get them something cool. Instead of buying a gift, I decided to make some last night. I broke out my Generation T book and started looking for cool gifts to make from old tshirt. My gifts will be free and from the heart, I think I may have finally devised a way to get an A+ on Mother's Day gifting. Here is what I've made. First, I made my mother a backpack from two t-shirt. I cut two squares, sewed up three sides, folded over a drawstring casing, sewed, threaded two tshirts trips and voila!

Next, for my grandmother I decided to make a soft, handmade glasses bag. Not only will it protect her glasses from being scratched, it can also help shine them up each time she puts them away. It couldn't have been an easier design. Cut a rectangle, sew up three sides, fold over and a sew a drawstring casing, and then thread through a tshirt strip.

My Big Fat Greek T-shirt Refashion

2008-05-09T13:09:00.001-04:00

So, I've been away for a bit... Final exams and work keep getting in the way of my social and crafting life again. However, I wanted to jazz up the t-shirt my fiancee gave me for Christmas, because although it said "Camo is the new pink", it didn't really scream it. So, I dove into Megan Nicolay's book again and chose her Greek Goddess design. It took less than an hour, and I thought it was kind of a fun project for 10pm on a Wednesday night. Here she is:

So, I took my "CAMO IS THE NEW PINK" shirt and cut off the sleeves just inside the seams. I cut the neckline out about 2" to make more of a boatneck/tank top. I cut two 8" tubes from another t-shirt and then gathered the fabric and stitched in place in 3 spots. For the final (over the shoulder) I gathered and attached with a rose pin/broach. My finacee wasn't thrilled with the makeover of his present to me, but he doesn't have to wear it either ;)

Saving Green

2008-04-24T19:08:00.001-04:00

Shoe Companies Doing Their Part to Recycle

2008-04-17T10:30:00.000-04:00

As Spring arrives I began dreaming of open-toe shoes and flip-flops. While shopping at my favorite online retailers I've noted that more and more shoe companies are getting environmentally friendly by incorporating post-consumer recycling materials. Here are a few of those shoes:

Teva Makayla offered at Zappos for $74.00 here: http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/31167640/c/93304.html

They feature:

Part of Teva's new Curbside collection, shoes that literally turn trash into treasure by incorporating post consumer recycled materials.

Post-consumer recycled PET canvas lining.

Mush® EVA sockliner with a recycled PET cover.

Post-consumer recycled rubber outsole.

For men, Reef offers these handsome flip-flops (Jutas) for $51.00 at Zappos here: http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/34875023/c/680.html

They feature:

Contoured compression molded 51% post industrial waste recycled eva footbed with anatomical arch support.
30% recycled content rubber outsole.

So, this spring after you've sent your old shoes off for recycling or donated your slightly used pair to charity, keep your eye out for companies that are doing their part to include recycled waste to make new fashionable products for your feet.

Veggie Update

2008-04-15T11:21:00.000-04:00

It's final exam season, but while I and my poor blog are wilting, my new veggie and herb seedlings are reaching for the sun. Here's a quick picture as an update to my previous post. I love these peat pots, I have nearly a 90% success rate. I'll definately use these again next year. Now, if only I can manage not to kill them until its time to hand them over to mother earth.

Super Cute Circle Skirt from Free T-shirts

2008-04-12T01:22:00.000-04:00

So tonight, after working two jobs, when I should be working on my paper for class I felt a stress that nothing other than a beer and some sewing could cure. So I reached for my pile of freebie t-shirts and Megan Nicolay's "Generation T: 108 ways to transform a t-shirt". I searched for a fun project and found "Flare thee well". It featured 2 xl t-shirts and one fitted t-shrit that had been cut and sewn into an adorable skirt with a foldover waistband. Who wouldn't want to wear a skirt made of uber comfy t-shirts? Fortunately I have a ton of unworn t-shirts laying around. It seems that companies, bands, and friends are always giving away plenty of t-shirts. I used to wear them as pajamas or donate them to Goodwill, but now that I have this great book I feel that I can finally do something practical with them. So, I began another sewing adventure. I did a quick waist measurment, and began cutting and pinning away. Two hours later, my skirt was complete, and its as comfortable as I had hoped it would be and cute enough to wear around on the weekends. So here are some pictures of the construction. (Excuse the picture taken in the mirror, but I haven't quite figured out how to take real pictures of myself in my creations yet.) I love the instant gratification that sewing a project from free, unused clothes brings. Now that I am filled with a sense of accomplishment, my stress seems like a distant memory. Time to celebrate my handiwork with a good night's rest.

Hai Karate T-shirt Upgrade

2008-03-29T12:53:00.000-04:00

I've had a black t-shirt with a picture of Bruce Lee spinning records on it chilling in my drawer for about two years now. I like it, but I don't love it, so it doesn't get worn. I wanted to make it super awesome, so I decided to stick with the martial arts theme and give myself a yellow belt in cool. I went to the thrift store and found a large yellow t-shirt to cut up into a belt. Next I cut the neck and sleeves to give it a handmade feel and then got to work on sewing my super belt onto the t-shirt and haiya! I love, love, love this shirt. Nobody bothers me either!

Container Farmer

2008-03-29T12:42:00.000-04:00

With the cost of gas pushing up, the cost of groceries is always sure to follow. It is always more expensive to eat healthy, and as much as I love to support local farming, my salary has not been keeping pace with the rest of my necessary expenditures so I've decided to try my hand at container farming. I already have a great herb garden going in my front yard, but I'm not sure that I'm ready to dig up my ornamental grass and replace it with squash so I decided to look for a good sunny, empty space in which to lay down my roots. Fortunately, although I live in the city I happen to have a very long and wide driveway. There is plenty of unused space there and it gets all of the sun any veggie could want. So I went to Burpee's website and started checking out veggies that would be easy to grow in containers. I wanted to try out some annual herbs also, I can always transplant those into my regular herb bed once the weather warms. I bought about 100 peat pellets in which to plant my new veggie buddies and some seeds. Some seeds need to be started indoors and some should be sewn directly into the soil once the danger of frost has passed and my seeds fall about half and half into these categories. I heated up some water and got some large tupperware containers ready for my peat pellets. I labeled each container, filled the little pellets with seed, watered, and crossed my fingers. So far I have planted: Patio Princess Hybrid Tomato, Sweet Basil, Jalapeno pepper, Rosemary, Flavorburst pepper, and fairy tale hybrid eggplant seeds. I also tossed in a food moonflower seeds just because I love them. Now, to find containers.....

Freecycling

2008-03-23T15:13:00.001-04:00

My fiancee sent me two great recycling resources this week. The first is http://www.freecycle.org/.

Their tagline is "changing the world one gift at a time". Membership is free and you can join large network of groups seeking to give or receive previously used items. It is a list that functions similarly to the free section of craigslist, but is moderated. There is no trading however, only gift giving. If you have something that you no longer need or want, simply list the items as available. It is organized and moderated by location and the person interested in your item is expected to do the pick-up. The biggest difererence between freecycle and craigslist appears to be that you must arrange for pick-up by the reciever, no leaving items on the porch or curb.

The next website is http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php. Here you can trade books, dvds, and music for only the cost of postage. I've long been a fan of half.com, which is very nearly free for many books, but this is the first website allowing you to trade nationwide at no cost and with no commissions.

Batteries and What to do with them

2008-03-10T14:08:00.000-04:00

While visiting my Uncle for my 2-year-old cousin this weekend, he showed me a mason jar full of old batteries and asked where I had been recycling mine. I noted that now that my daughter is 11, I don't have so many batteries to recycle, but promised to find a place close-by. As it turns out, it is so much easier than I would have thought. Apparantly every Staples and Best Buy in the area takes computers, electronics, and that's right.....batteries. It is, of course, always advisable to purchase rechargeable batteries though to cut down even furhter on waste.

You can find your closest Staples here.

You can find your local Best Buy here.

The Coolest Cardboard Furniture I've Seen All Day!

2008-03-06T10:20:00.000-05:00

'Green' furniture cut out from cardboard
(on Cnet News)

What does cardboard furniture have to do with technology?
As prices rise for oil and raw materials (even sawdust), fans of furniture made from cardboard call it more earth-friendly and affordable than its wooden counterparts, which usually requires felling trees, or furniture made of pressboard, which contains toxic glues. It's also lightweight and can be packed flat for easy shipping.
Star architect Frank Gehry is known as the design pioneer in this realm. Between 1969 and 1973, his "Easy Edges" series of designs layered corrugated cardboard to create chairs and tables capped by a wooden layer for extra strength. Design schools regularly teach Gehry's forms.
Cardboard as a building block is slowly gaining in appeal around the world. The 2000 Olympics in Sydney featured cardboard furniture. In Hong Kong, cardboard is used for coffins.
Credit: Vitra

View the original article and photos here.

Bike There!

2008-03-05T11:05:00.000-05:00

A friend sent me this article on DirtRag:

Google Maps 'Bike There'
by Karl Rosengarth

The folks at googlemapsbikethere.org have created an online petition to get Google to add a "bike there" component to their maps. They hope to convince the Google Maps team that folks want the ability to get bicycle route information via the main Google Maps interface. In addition to getting driving directions for cars and mass transit information, the folks at googlemapsbikethere.org want Google Maps to provide the ultimate in sustainability and self-reliance and exercise and healthy living—bicycle route information.As of this report googlemapsbikethere.org has collected over 12,000 signatures. You can add your signature to the online petition (which is reprinted below) by clicking here.
To: Google, and the Google Maps teamWe would like a 'Bike There' feature added to Google Maps—to go with the current 'Drive There' and 'Take Public Transit' options.The feature would take into account actual bicycle lanes from the locality being mapped, and it would automatically plan a route for a bicyclist, possibly even providing the cyclist options for either the most direct route, or the most bicycle-friendly (safest) route. The Google Maps-based third party site, byCycle.org (http://byCycle.org/), provides these features for two metro areas—Portland, Oregon and Madison, Wisconsin, and there are countless other mapping initiatives around the world aimed at accomplishing the same goal. We hope that Google will consider building this feature into the core Google Maps service.There are many reasons why this feature would be a wonderful edition to Google Maps. Among them, some of the most influential would be to:
Make bicycling safer for millions of bicyclists around the world.
Empower world citizens to better adapt their lifestyles to face the challenges of global climate change.
Help Google realize its core mission of 'organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful.' By implementing the 'Take Public Transit' option, Google and the Google Maps team have shown themselves to be concerned and capable world citizens; a 'Bike There' feature addition to Google Maps would be the ultimate statement in support of sustainable development.For more information on this feature request please visit the Google Maps 'Bike There' website (http://GoogleMapsBikeThere.org/).Thank you, Google and the Google Maps team! And thank you, petitioners, for joining us in attempting to realize this very important goal!

I'll be signing the petition and I really hope that this feature is intergrated. So sign-up an help remind everyone to "Bike There" more.

Organic Day Spas?

2008-03-05T09:17:00.000-05:00

My mom is a massage therapist and clued me in to a new trend, organic day spas. I was a bit skeptical at first, how could day spas really relate to recycling, but from what I've read about the new ReNew Organic Day Spa they've incorporated a number of green builiding and recycling techniques that are really innovative. Baltimore Magazine has even named them "Best of Baltinmore" in 2007. You can read their review here and get additional information here. What a great way to truly feel good about recycling.

What's Mine is Yours

2008-03-04T12:13:00.000-05:00

Treehugger is highlighting clothes refashioning this week in their e-newsletter and in their article they mention Whatsmineisyours.com. This website offers a place to swap, buy&sell, or barter clothes. What a great way to change out the items that you have grown out of or just fallen out of love with. I'm about to list several pairs of barely worn Banana Republic pants for somone new to love, so sign up add your size and get swapping!

Proposition 3-17

2008-03-03T15:08:00.000-05:00

SAY YES TO PROPOSITION 3-17

Help the brewers of Guinness stout get 1 million signatures by
midnight on March 16th to help make St. Patrick’s Day an
official holiday. Go to proposition317.com to sign the petition
or simply text “SIGN” to 65579 to make a difference.

With nine times more Irish-Americans in this country than there are people in all of Ireland, never before has the Irish Spirit been so
alive. Come St. Patrick’s Day, that spirit is even more pronounced as everyone reveals a little bit of their Irish side. From the camaraderie
in the streets to the joy pulsating in their hearts, people from all nationalities and backgrounds bask in the glory that is Irish.
That is why Guinness and the undersigned, present Proposition 3-17 which hereby requests that St. Patrick’s Day be made an
official holiday not only to officially commemorate the spirit of this day, but to celebrate and honor St. Patrick himself. A man once
known for driving snakes out of Ireland, St. Patrick now embodies the pride and strength in all who are Irish and in Irish enthusiasts
alike. March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, is a widely celebrated holiday in the US. Not only Irish Americans, but an ever-growing community
of people in America from all races, creeds and weltanschauungs partake in the day’s festivities.
Guinness and Proposition 3-17 supporters believe that a regulated, official holiday would not only reduce the amount of employees
missing work in order to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but officially allow people to express their Irishness. Guinness and Proposition
3-17 believers strongly urge you to consider making this day official so that it can be observed and celebrated annually by all
Americans for generations to come, when not only our nation, but nation's around the world, will join together to enjoy the parades
and fellowship and a pint of Guinness stout or two.

RECIPES:

GUINNESS® Marinade Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cup GUINNESS® Stout
1½ cup beef broth
1 tomato, finely diced
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
5 drops hot sauce
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
4 tbsp butter, unsalted

Directions
1) Pour all the ingredients (except butter) into a saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for
about 15-20 minutes.
2) Remove the bay leaf and stir in softened butter, 1 tbsp at a time over low heat. Stir constantly until the
butter is completely incorporated into the sauce.
3) Let cool. Use as a marinade for steaks, chicken or pork.

GUINNESS® Beef Stew

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
3 lbs boneless beef sirloin, cut into 1” cubes
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
¼ cup butter
¼ cup olive oil
3 lbs onions, chopped
2 pt GUINNESS® Stout
1½ qt beef stock
1½ lbs carrots, cut into 2” pieces
¾ lb parsnips or turnips, cut into 2” pieces
¾ lb rutabagas, cut into 2” pieces
½ lb celery
1½ lbs potato, cut into 1” cubes
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1½ hours

Directions
1) Season beef with salt and pepper to taste.
2) Heat oil and butter in kettle. Add meat. Brown on all sides. Remove meat and set aside.
3) Add onions and sauté until soft.
4) Place meat back in pan and add GUINNESS®.
5) Add enough beef stock to cover meat. Cover pan and simmer over low heat for one hour or until
meat is tender.
6) Add carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, celery and potatoes and cook until vegetables are tender and
sauce is thick, approximately 20 minutes.

Chocolate GUINNESS® Cake

Ingredients
Cake:
3 squares of unsweetened chocolate
2½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup shortening
1½ cup sugar
1 tbsp orange peel, finely grated
4 eggs
1 cup GUINNESS® Original Draught
Ingredients
Icing:
4 oz bar of sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
¾ cup water
¾ cup butter
2 tbsp blanched slivered almonds

Directions
Cake:
1) Melt chocolate in a small saucepan, then cool, slightly.
2) Sift together flour, salt and soda.
3) Cream the shortening and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy.
4) Add eggs, one at a time, beating until light and fluffy.
5) Add dry ingredients alternately with GUINNESS® to cream mixture, beating well.
Stir in the chocolate.
6) Place batter into 2 greased and floured 9” layered cake pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until
cake tester comes out clean. Let stand in pans for 5 minutes, then remove layers to rack and cool.
Icing:
7) In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate with the water, stirring often.
Remove pan from heat and stir in the butter.
8) Pour warm icing over bottom layer cake, spreading evenly with a spatula. Top second layer.
Finish icing cake.
9) Arrange almonds in pattern on top of cake.
10) Refrigerate 2 hours or longer before serving to allow the icing to harden.

Try My Tea

2008-03-02T12:24:00.000-05:00

Adagio Teas are letting users make their own blend of teas. I decided to make a flavor similar to my favorite Thai Dessert, Mango Sticky Rice. This tea contains all of my favorite Thai flavors in one. Try my tea blend or design your own at Adagio Teas.

Thai Dessert Tea: Mango, lemongrass, and sweet vanilla come together to produce a rich, sweet flavor reminiscent of mango sticky rice.

If you are interested in a free $5.00 gift certificate good toward your next purchase at www.adagio.com leave me a comment with your email address and I can send you one right away.

Next Best to Fresh Canned Peaches

2008-02-26T12:39:00.000-05:00

I frequently shop at BJ's Warehouse for our staple products in order to cut down on cost, packaging, and fuel. I generally don't buy fresh produce because in such large quantities, it is difficult to use it all and waste is never good for the environment. I also, usually, choose not to buy canned fruit because it is full of High Fructose Corn Syrup and several unpronouncable perservatives. However, I'd like to applaud BJ's for carrying a new Del Monte product that has allowed me to buy canned fruit again. Del Monte is now making premium fruit products labeled "Orchard Select". These come in a glass container (yeah!) and contain peaches in light syrup. Although I'd prefer real juice, this isn't bad. The ingredients are as follows: peaches, water, sugar, natural flavor, citric acid, and absorbic acid and that is it! Finally, healthy prepared foods..I was elated. Today, as I munch on them at work, I notice that they are fresh tasting and almost crisp (albeit a little too sweet, but that's ok). They are the next best thing to fresh peaches you can get at the store, and frankly given the current state of off-season peaches, these are even better. Thanks Del Monte!

Del Monte Website

Preservative-Free Beer with Natural Vitamin B

2008-02-24T21:14:00.000-05:00

After a good ride on the mountain bike, one of the first things I look forward to is a good beer. I enjoy a refreshing, flavorful beer and my new favorite is Unibroue Ephemere. Unibroue doesn't use any preservatives and it is only partially filtered meaning that the lees remain in the bottle and serve as a natural source of vitamin B. All of this means, a smooth, flavorful replenishment. Cheers!

Information about my new favorite beer:

ÉPHÉMÈRE (apple)
(eff-eh-mehr)

White ale brewed with apple must

Redolent of ripe Granny Smith apples, this
unique white ale pleases the palate with a
delicate balance of fruit and spice notes and
just a hint of sweetness.

Éphémère apple satisfies with each sip and
refreshes in all seasons, especially when
paired with an artisan cheddar cheese, pork
tenderloin served with apple chutney or Vidalia
onion soup.

We developed the Éphémère (Ephemeral)
series to feature a seasonal fruit in a
refreshing, lightly spiced white ale.

The label depicts a fairy, an ephemeral spirit
associated with fruits picked at the peak of
ripeness during each harvest season.
Éphémère apple flavor is brewed with apple
must, which consists of the freshly-pressed
juice from apples.

Enjoy this beer 'alfresco' while dining in the
afternoon sun, relaxing at a family gathering or
at a picnic in the back yard.

Winner of 3 Gold Medals from the Beverage
Testing Institute since 2002

Unibroue Beers

Recycle Your Eye Glasses!

2008-02-21T11:11:00.001-05:00

Are your your sassy specs outdated? Don't like the frames (blue seemed like a good choice at the time)? Donate your eye glasses to Give the Gift of Sight and they will work with local retailers to re-distribute your used glasses to someone who needs them here and abroad. Get some new glasses and feel better about getting rid of your old ones too. Going forward I would suggest a more classic style and updating the lenses as needed rather than opting for the fashionable optics every season.

Recycle Your Used Tennis Shoes!

2008-02-21T11:02:00.000-05:00

Tired of gluing your flapping soles to your sneakers, recycle them with Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe Program. From their website:

Reuse-A-Shoe: Worn out. Play on.

Every year, millions of pairs of athletic shoes are thrown away, clogging landfills and wasting a lot of good material. So we’ve created a solution to allow you to recycle your old shoes! Reuse-A-Shoe, part of our Let Me Play campaign, is one of Nike’s longest-running environmental and community programs, where worn-out athletic shoes of any brand are collected, processed and recycled into material used in sports surfaces like basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks and playgrounds for young people around the world. That’s right. You can turn your old kicks into new places to play your game. Since the birth of Reuse-A-Shoe, we’ve recycled more than 20 million pairs of athletic shoes and created more than 250 sport surfaces; giving thousands of young people access to new playgrounds and athletic facilities around the world. Find out how it works and donate your shoes »

Whippin Up My Own Seafood Dip

2008-02-20T23:28:00.000-05:00

So, we had some shrimp and although they are tasty plain, I really wanted some kick. I wasn't feeling cocktail saucy, so I decided to whip up something with ingredients I had laying around. I found some fat-free creme cheese and to it added some curry powder. I mashed in just enough to give it a pretty light yellow color and the distinctive curry smell. The texture seemed a little thick, so I whipped in some lime juice. I felt like it really needed a bit of a kick though, so I added about a tablespoon of ancho chile pepper and just a pinch of white pepper. It really was yummy and I've used it on leftovers for shrimp tacos too.

Throw Out Your Pam For Good!

2008-02-20T23:07:00.000-05:00

I love Pam cooking spray. In fact, I use it all of the time, but... it's always bothered me that it doesn't seem to last very long and then I'm throwing it in the trash. I tried drizzling olive oil on my bread and rubbing it on with a paper towel, but what a pain. Then I found this... The Emsa oil spritzer at King Arthur Flour. At less than $20.00 it was worth investing to try out something new that might improve my plight while helping the environment at the same time. I've had it for about two weeks now and I love it. I use it spritz the top of my bread, my cooking pan, everything. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who needs to keep things non-stick and wants to reduce her packaging.

He Responds!

2008-02-14T16:47:00.000-05:00

Thank you for your e-mail and for sharing your comments. As you may or may not know, I have apologized for the use of the derogatory term that prompted your e-mail. My comment was ill-chosen and inappropriate and I fully realize that. My true message about personal responsibility, and educating young people in regard to the responsibility of parenthood, has been overshadowed by a poor choice of one word. As a father, I want my child to get a good education, first and foremost, before undertaking the responsibility of parenthood. Adolescents may be capable of having babies, but most are ill prepared for the difficult duties ahead that come with being successful, competent parents. Unknowingly, they may relegate themselves and their children to a lifetime of poverty and hardship. This applies to young men as well. I understand that we all can make mistakes. My objection is with encouraging and perpetuating those mistakes. Though I realize you may disagree not only with my choice of wording, but also with that message, I respect your views. If anything positive has come of this incident, it is that more people have joined this debate over teen pregnancy, personal responsibility, and parental involvement.

Respectfully,
State Representative Larry Liston

Which Oil is Best for Cooking (you might be surprised)?!

2008-02-13T09:55:00.001-05:00

What are the Best and Worst Cooking Oils for You?by www.SixWise.com

Once you've made a commitment to healthier eating, cooking more of your meals at home and paying attention to healthy cooking methods becomes important. After all, even the most nutritious meal can be sabotaged if you fry it or douse it in trans-fat-laden oil.
Try experimenting with different types and flavors of oil. One of the best ways to really savor the flavor is to try the oil on a piece of crusty bread.
The type of oil you choose to cook with can also add or detract from the nutritional value of your meal. Here we've broken down some of the most popular cooking oils to clear up the confusion over which are great, and not-so-great, for cooking.
Vegetable Oils: Included in this category are soybean oil, canola oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, and others. Although these polyunsaturated fat are typically described as heart healthy -- they may help to reduce cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease -- they are often highly processed and are quite perishable.
This means that when you use them to cook with, the fats easily become rancid, and rancid oil may contribute to oxidative stress and damaging free radicals in your body. In general, any highly processed vegetable oil is not the best choice for a healthy diet.
Sesame Oil: Sesame oil is composed of primarily heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Sesame oil is also rich in antioxidants and very stable, meaning you can heat it to a relatively high temperature without damaging the oil.
Olive Oil: Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, which have been found to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. However, olive oil is very perishable, making it an ideal oil for salads, cold dishes and dipping bread, but not for cooking.

Alive in 5: Raw Gourmet Meals in Five Minutes is the perfect cooking companion for anyone who wants to get more fresh, healthy and great-tasting foods into their diet -- but doesn't have a lot of time to do it.
Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is a saturated fat, but don't let that scare you. This incredibly stable oil contains a type of saturated fat called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs are actually great for your immune system, intestinal health and even may help to support weight management. And, because coconut oil is highly stable, it won't become damaged during cooking.
Avocado Oil: If you're looking for something a little unusual, avocado oil is a healthy choice. It's rich in monounsaturated fats (similar to olive oil) but is relatively heat-stable. Further, when used on salads, avocado oil has been found to increase your absorption of nutrients such as beta-carotene and lutein, making it an ideal base for salad dressings.
A Final Note About Choosing Healthy Cooking Oils
Cooking oils are not created equal, and you will find a wide variety of qualities, and price ranges, in your grocery store. Because of the fragile nature of oils, you should look for varieties with the following properties:
Minimal, gentle processing: Highly processed oils can become damaged before you even open the bottle. Look for expeller-pressed or cold-pressed oils to be sure you're getting high-quality, undamaged oil.
The absolute worst oil you can use is highly processed, low-quality vegetable oil. It will be devoid of nutrients and very susceptible to going rancid (and rancid oil should not be consumed).
Minimal refining: Refined oils have been stripped of their flavor, color and nutrients. Although they have a place if you'll be using them for high-temperature cooking (as they're processed to be made more stable), for other uses (particularly when flavor and nutrition are important) seek out unrefined oils.
Stored in a dark, glass bottle: Oil can become damaged by heat and light, which is why you'll find high-quality oils stored in dark-tinted bottles. It is also possible that the oil could leach potentially dangerous chemicals from a plastic storage bottle, which is why you should, ideally, seek out those stored in glass bottles.
Recommended Reading
Are You Ready for Mediterranean Food to Make a Big Splash in the U.S.?
Eating Raw: The Advantages and Disadvantages According to Various Experts
Sources
WholeFoodsMarket.com

Food Storage For Your Bulk Ingredients

2008-02-12T10:59:00.001-05:00

Since I prepare most of my own food at home, I buy in bulk and have a lot of ingredients laying around. I didn't want to use disposable plastic bags because of their impact on the environment. My current solution is to order the Cambro Graduated Food Storage Containers from http://www.webstaurantstore.com/. They are inexpensive (much cheaper than tupperware at only $2-3), stackable, and reusable. They can go straight into the freezer or fridge which is wondeful for storing leftovers, using as a dough doubler, starter containers, etc. My pantry has never looked so neat!

Information from http://www.w ebstaurantstore.com/cambro-rfscw1-1-qt-clear-round-food-storage-container/214RFSCW1.html:

This Cambro RFSCW1 1 qt. round food storage container is made of crystal
clear, virtually unbreakable polycarbonate that won't be stained or harmed by
food acids, oils, and alcohol. This container can withstand temperature from -40
degrees Fahrenheit to 210 degrees Fahrenheit, so they can be used in
refrigerators and freezers.