Free Republic

Of all the sinister intrustions and usurpations of Government over the past few decades, the War On Food must rank as among the most bizarre. Included are updates for the Stowers Family Saga which began almost exactly a year ago and some other background and explanatory links.

As many families gather for this splendid holiday feast, there are too many others who in the year suffer the American equivalent of hunger. This is more like deprivation and thankfully not the clinical malnutrition and starvation it is in the Third World. At the same time, this super-rich nation is also battling what is described as an epidemic of overweight and obesity. Obesity, according to the experts, is mushrooming faster than any other health problem. If not slowed down, it will exact $344 billion in health care costs in 2018. By that time 43 percent of Americans, or 103...

Forget buying a ton of gifts. A week before Thanksgiving, the holidays are shaping up as a season of no frills. And for some, the joy of family time and gift-giving has been replaced this year by a quest for basic necessities as more jobs are lost and unemployment benefits start to expire. Michigan, with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation at 14.8 percent in September, has a food crisis going into the holiday season. "We have people coming to the food bank who said they were donating to us last year, but who are now out...

2 cups diced watermelon 2 cups diced rockmellon/cantaloupe 1 cup diced honey dew – optional 2 teaspoons honey

Anyone else see Food Network Iron Chef? There was a promo commercial touting a 2 hour episode with a "very special guest" while showing the Washington Monument.

I did this last year and a lot of good recipes were posted so I thought I'd try it again. Take one and/or leave one!

My personal favorite is the Upside Down Mac and Cheese Pizza.

Michelle Fashion Thread

6 egg whites 1 ½ cup super fine sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla 2 cups pure cream - whipped Variety of fresh berries

Two keys to this holiday favorite are consistency and seasoning. Certain spices, like sage, go a long way so start with less and add to your liking. As far as consistency goes, I prefer mine moist rather than crumbly. This can be adjusted by the amount of chicken stock you add; again start with less and adjust until it's the way you like it.

...Fieri's meteoric ascent is impressive, but it also makes him one of the culinary world's most polarizing figures. For as many fans as Fieri earns—Dora Long, the creator of Fieri's biggest fan site, says she gets “hundreds of emails a week”—he draws equal detractors. Like Rachael Ray or Emeril Lagasse, Fieri is a food personality who has rapidly outgrown the food, walking the narrow line between technique and celebrity that makes so many in the industry nervous. His recipes have names like “No Can Beato This Taquito,” and “Mac-Daddi-Roni Salad,” and he often effuses about the greasy meals he eats...

Winston Churchill once predicted that it would be possible to grow chicken breasts and wings more efficiently without having to keep an actual chicken. And in fact scientists have since figured out how to grow tiny nuggets of lab meat and say it will one day be possible to produce steaks in vats, sans any livestock. Pork chops or burgers cultivated in labs could eliminate contamination problems that regularly generate headlines these days, as well as address environmental concerns that come with industrial livestock farms. However, such research opens up strange and perhaps even disturbing possibilities once considered only the...

Sweet potato hating kid loves Saltgrass' baked sweet potatoes. He wants some at Thanksgiving and thinks the key is the seasoned butter flavoring. Anyone know how they make or season them? Thanks.

Raw Emotions Over Raw Oysters The FDA's proposal to treat raw oysters had sparked an outcry among diners. Legend has it that raw oysters are good for love — but they're also worth fighting over, as the Food and Drug Administration has learned. Facing political pressure from the Gulf Coast oyster industry, the FDA has backed off a plan to require raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico to be treated to rid them of Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially deadly bacteria found in warm-water oysters. Harvesters and politicians had warned that the plan could devastate the industry. The outcry was...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE HUNTER, Iraq, Nov. 16, 2009 – A little bit of home made its way to this remote base in Iraq’s Maysan province recently, as soldiers tested their skills in a barbecue competition. Army Sgt. 1st Class Aric Quitugua tends to hamburgers and sausages during a barbecue cook-off at Contingency Operating Site Hunter, Iraq, Nov. 1, 2009. U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Juan Torres Jr.  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Despite unexpected downpours, violent wind gusts and hail Nov. 1, an afternoon that might otherwise have been lost to inclement weather served instead as a cloudy...

12 baby potatoes ½ onion - finely chopped ¼ cup fresh parsley - finely chopped Salt & Pepper 1 tablespoon red pepper - finely chopped 1 small avocado ¾ cup grated melting cheese Extra parsley for garnish

The graphic below shows counties designated as disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (data from the USDA. See http://www.fema.gov/dhsusda/searchState.do). It speaks for itself.

Ingredients: 6 red bell peppers 1 lb. medium shrimp, cooked and cleaned 3 cloves garlic 1/2 cup raw rice 1 can cream of mushroom soup Juice of 1 lemon 1 small onion, chopped fine 2 tbsp. butter 1 cup grated Swiss cheese 6 pats of butter Paprika, salt and pepper to taste

Official guidance on how much we can eat each day has been underestimated for the last two decades, scientists have revealed. The daily intake of calories - currently 2,000 for woman and 2,500 for men - could be increased by up to 16 per cent, the equivalent of cheeseburger or two packets of crisps. An average adult could happily squeeze in an extra 400 calories a day and not pile on the pounds, Britain's leading nutritionists have admitted. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1227743/Its-official--eat-stay-healthy.html#ixzz0WuC35zPn

Researchers at MIT and Columbia University believe the answer to the so-called obesity “epidemic� lies in getting Americans to eat more regional food. So they’re outlining different “foodsheds� that we should all be relying on for our needs—especially if we live in a U.S. city. Will it work? Can we afford it? Let’s take a look.The PhysOrg news service spells out the proposal: Each metropolitan area, the researchers say, should obtain most of its nutrition from its own “foodshed,� a term akin to “watershed� meaning the area that naturally supplies its kitchens … [T]hese local efforts should form a...

To celebrate this year's holiday, Applebees Veterans Day gives a free meal to those men and women who are either on active duty or veterans. The offer is not for a specific time of the day but any time at the food chain's restaurants. To redeem the offer, anyone can just show their military identification or be dressed in uniform to receive the free meal. Thanks to the Applebees chain for honoring our men and women who give of themselves and their lives for the freedom of others.

More than 36.2 million Americans – 11 percent of U.S. households – suffer from food insecurity. That is, their access to enough food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. -- More than 35 million Americans – one out of nine – are receiving food stamps, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. -- 17.5 percent of rural households with children are food insecure.

Steven MalangaKilling Field Autumn 2009 Environmental groups’ view of the animal world sometimes resembles Disney’s Bambi, with owls and rabbits mingling peacefully and Man lurking as the only predator, aided by his evil servant the hunting dog. A good example is the National Wildlife Federation, which wants to reintroduce wild animals into the suburban and urban enclaves from which development has expelled them by encouraging homeowners to develop “healthy and sustainable wildlife habitats” on their properties. The NWF has even produced a television program—Backyard Habitat, shown on Animal Planet—in which experts advise homeowners in places like Chicago about how...

Starting this weekend (SIC: Past Weekend), restaurants across the country are honoring veterans for their service with special offers.

1 cup Gluten Free bread mix (white or whole meal) 2 eggs - beaten ¼ cup sugar (optional) ¼ teaspoon salt 2 ripe bananas - mashed Milk

Health/wellness expert Amy Hendel available for interviewsHoping to keep the flu at bay? A strong immune system helps. Enjoying the bounty of colorful fruits and vegetables available right now can be an important step toward supporting your family's immune system this cold/flu season. In addition to vitamins, minerals and fiber, fruits and vegetables contain phytonutrients, believed to come from the com-pounds that give these foods their vibrant colors. These phytonutrients provide a wide range of health benefits, includ-ing supporting a healthy immune system. A new study, America's Phytonutrient Report, found eight in 10 Americans are missing out on the health...

This dessert gets it's silly name because you basically "dump" all the ingredients in the cake pan together. Very easy and very yummy!

The recipe calls for 536 sheets of edible seaweed, 100+ pounds of rice, 167 pounds of surimi, 67 pounds of cukes and an equal amount of avocados. The finished product? A 330-foot long California sushi roll to best the world record one made in Maui in 2001. That beast of traditional cuisine was 300-feet long. More than 350 UC Berkeley students on 58 teams will build the ginormous roll on Sunday. The teams, with names like Smashin' Sushi, AvoCALdoes and Roll Me California Style, are made up of students from sororities, fraternities and other campus groups. After a learning lesson...

The National Inflation Association today released the following statement to its http://inflation.us members: "While most mainstream economists such as Nouriel Roubini are warning of deflationary threats to the U.S. economy, it is our belief that massive price inflation has already begun. The Federal Reserve's policy of massive monetary inflation in 2009 has caused the Dow Jones to bounce over 50% from its low, oil to rise 100% from its low, and gold to surge to a new all time nominal high. One NIA co-founder just saw his health insurance premium rise 16% over a year ago; and the average tuition...

Good morning gardeners! Happy Halloween. Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour Sat. night! Since things have slowed down I thought I would revisit this years threads and try to locate and archive some of the great posts, advice and info you Freepers have given out over the past year. My objective would be to then put all the posts in to categories like; Fertilizer, Gardening Methods, Flowers etc. And then post all of this info in one thread at the beginning of next year. What do y’all think? Also I would like your input. Let me know...

Buy Food – Price Rises Are Almost Guaranteed By Garry White Published: 7:50PM GMT 25 Oct 2009 There are two main drivers of commodity prices – supply and demand. This is just as true with soft commodities such as wheat, rice, sugar and cocoa as it is with copper and tin. The big problem for your weekly shopping budget in the future is that there are problems on both sides of the equation that are likely to squeeze prices higher, permanently. However, this also provides a great investment opportunity and now is a good time to buy into many areas...

At the small warehouse tucked away in the back side of the French Quarter, the shuckers at P&J Oyster Co. have arrived before daybreak for 133 years. Their in-shell and shucked oysters have been on the menus of generations of restaurateurs, from oysters on the halfshell at Acme Oyster House and Casemento’s to the seafood gumbo at Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse. In less than two years, the tradition could become obsolete for seven months out of the year, based on newly announced oyster guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration. In an effort to reduce cases of a rare, but potentially...

NEW ORLEANS – Federal officials plan to ban sales of raw oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico unless the shellfish are treated to destroy potentially deadly bacteria — a requirement that opponents say could deprive diners of a delicacy cherished for generations. The plan has also raised concern among oystermen that they could be pushed out of business. The Gulf region supplies about two-thirds of U.S. oysters, and some people in the $500 million industry argue that the anti-bacterial procedures are too costly. They insist adequate measures are already being taken to battle germs, including increased refrigeration on oyster...

Biofuel refineries in the US have set fresh records for grain use every month since May. Almost a third of the US corn harvest will be diverted into ethanol for motors this year, or 12pc of the global crop. The world's grain stocks have dropped from four to 2.6 months cover since 2000, despite two bumper harvests in North America. China's inventories are at a 30-year low. Asian rice stocks are near danger level. Yet farm commodities have largely missed out on Bernanke's reflation rally in metals, oil, and everything else. Dylan Grice from Société Générale sees "bargain basement" prices....

Ingredients: 2 cups flour 1 stick butter 1/2 cup shortening 5 egg yolks 1 tsp. baking soda 2 cups sugar 1 cup buttermilk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 small can coconut 1 cup chopped pecans 5 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Good afternoon to all of you gardeners. I apologize for the late post today. Well the last days of October are upon us and the garden is finally tilled for the last time this year. I seeded it with an annual rye grass. I also started rebuilding my compost pile. The oak and pecan trees have yet to drop their leaves so I will have to wait for their contribution to the compost pile until November.

In my opinion, this over the top idea isn’t sustainable at any level. On a personal note, my cat eats with a footprint more like a Volkswagen microbus. I think I’ll give “Minners” a can of doplhin safe tuna tonight, just for spite. From Stuff.co.nz By TANYA KATTERNS – The Dominion Post Save the planet: time to eat dog? The eco-pawprint of a pet dog is twice that of a 4.6-litre Land Cruiser driven 10,000 kilometres a year, researchers have found. Victoria University professors Brenda and Robert Vale, architects who specialise in sustainable living, say pet owners should swap cats...

The Agri-Food investment story has been unfolding for more than three years, and has another ten or so years to go. For that reason, investors still have plenty of time to uncover the opportunities for profits in a world soon to be far more hungry. Agri-Food cannot be produced in factories with lower marginal costs for new production. Unlike consumer electronics, marginal production will have a higher cost. For centuries mankind has sought to satisfy hunger. Only in the second half of the 19th century did food become more plentiful with improved availability. Yet even after that period food was...

Are we seeing the begining of the food police? Please. Stop. Just stop it. I’m not stupid. I know me Lucky Charms are not magic. I know Frosted Flakes are not …”Greaaaat” for you. I know Count Chocula isn’t a real monster and Tricks aren’t just for kids. Stop it pleaseeeeee. The federal government is wading into the supermarket aisle, making its first effort to provide better nutritional information on food products since it developed the black-and-white Nutrition Facts label 15 years ago.

Ingredients: 3 large avocados 2 1/2 lbs. lump crab meat 1/2 cup celery, chopped fine 1/4 cup lemon juice 4 tbsp. olive oil 1/4 cup vinegar 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 3 tbsp. green onions, chopped fine salt and pepper to taste

INTERNATIONAL. Legendary global investor and chairman of Singapore- based Rogers Holdings, Jim Rogers said the lack of supply in agricultural products is especially concerning. This cycle may last for many years as no one is bringing new supply on stream, Rogers said. In a Yahoo Finance video clip Rogers explains the reasons he is bullish on agricultural commodities. As he sees it, "most agricultural products are still depressed on a historic basis." "The story is not over, not for a while," he said. "I don't see any reason it's going to be over for a few years because no one...

I make really good soup. The only reason I'm thinking about it now is that we're going from hot, dusty haying to cold and wind-blown leaves. That brings out the need for warm, homey food, and nothing fits the bill like soup. I make such good soup that complete strangers have asked me for my recipe. That's where the problem arises. I don't have a recipe, and there's no way that this week's soup is going to be anything like next week's soup, no matter how hard I try. If that statement sounds familiar based on other things I've written,...

It is seldom recognized, commented historian René Dubos, that each society and every civilization creates its own diseases.1 Is the peanut allergy epidemic man-made? And if so, how has it been created in millions of children in just 20 years and who or what are its architects? The features of the epidemic continue to puzzle doctors. In the US alone, 5.6 million people – 2% of the population – are allergic topeanuts and nuts almost all having experienced onset as toddlers. This epidemic tipped into critical mass around 1998 when the first flood of allergic children entered kindergarten sending a...

Sgt. Christopher Nekvapil, with Company D, 120th Combined Arms Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, provides security in the Murtada neighborhood near Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad, Oct. 15. Nekvapil, of Portland, Ore., and other Company D Soldiers accompanied the Iraqi Army to provide humanitarian assistance to poor families in the area. Photo by Mary Phillips, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.BAGHDAD — A poor neighborhood near Mahmudiyah, south of the Iraqi capital, was surprised with much needed water and food brought by U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers, Oct. 15. Soldiers with the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team and...

This is a wonderful dish to serve on a special occasion!

A popular Boca Raton chef is in jail and faces aggravated assault chargesYou have to break a few eggs to make an omelet, but one chef decided he would crack a few skulls if he had to make one more dish of mozzarella Caprese. Chef Mark DeCraepeo was arrested Wednesday night after he pulled a gun on two waitresses at his restaurant because he was tired of seeing orders for the appetizer, according to the Sun-Sentinel. "If you hang one more f---- ticket for mozzarella Caprese, I swear to God I'll shoot you in the forehead," witnesses at Pizza Time...

12 unbroken rice sheets (approx 8 inch diameter) 1 cup washed and chopped Vietnamese mint 4 large carrots – peeled and finely shredded 1 piece ginger (approx 2 inch) grated ½ cup gluten free soy sauce 3 or 4 radishes – topped and finely shredded 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 12 large washed spinach leaves

The other day, deep in Rego Park, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, Stanley Moscowitz and Walter Israel sat down at a Formica table for lunch at Ben's Best Kosher Deli on Queens Boulevard. Moscowitz, who's 53 and grew up in nearby Forest Hills, ordered first: matzo ball, tip of the tongue, roast beef, rye, Russian, onions and Dr. Brown's diet cherry drink. Israel ordered pastrami on rye bread. His son Jason ordered pastrami on white. In his defense, Jason did not ask for mayonnaise, but the combination of pastrami and white bread enjoys a certain...

Yield: 24 servings (serving size: 1 bar) RECIPE INGREDIENTS Non-stick cooking spray 3 cups favorite granola 1 cup wheat germ 1 1/2 cup almond butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour 3/4 cup honey 1 cup dried cherries or dried cherry-flavored cranberries 1 cup slivered California Almonds