Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
2 Heloises From My Paper
Posted by: “Eleanor
The second one is really good - my folks take a lot of medicine, and I
tried it on some of their old bottles - it works! Cheers : )
Recycle old CDs into coasters and mirrors : Do you have some old,
unwanted CDs lying around your home or office collecting dust? Then I have
some recycling suggestions you might want to try. They make great
coasters under drink glasses. They’ll catch the moisture droplets and can be
wiped off easily. You can also use the shiny side as a clock face for
clock-making kits. Make a sun catcher by hanging several together with
nylon fishing line. In fact, if you have unwanted critters in your
garden, then a few CDs hanging from several branches just might discourage
birds, squirrels, and even deer from visiting. And here’s an ingenious
ideas from my younger readers : Make a mirror for your school or gym
locker by gluing it to a magnet or some sticky foam tape. It would
actually make a good mirror just about anywhere.**
From Mississippi : I get my medications my mail in three-month
quantities. I have been frustrated when trying to remove those labels with much
of my personal information on then so I can put them in the trash. I
fill the bottles with water, put on the lid and drop them in a bowl of
water for about a minute. Off they come!
** Couple from me : I used to have a huge bushy tree in my front yard,
and about a hundred AOL CDs ( no, really! ) I hung the bush as high as
I could reach with dental floss tied through the hole - it looked
really cute : ) I’ve also used the shiny side to set votive candle holders
and tealights to reflect and amplify the light - that’s pretty at a
nighttime Christmas party, too.
Granny note:
If hung a foot to 18 inches above the ground, the flashing might keep the chickens out, it is thought that it will keep birds out of fruit trees........
I do not know if rabbits would leave if they bumped into them or not.
granny
A Busy Mineral
The mineral zinc plays an important role in cell production, including
creating new skin cells. (Zinc also helps boost the immune system,
encourages healing, and helps protect against vision loss.) Although
moderate doses of zinc can enhance immunity, high doses can actually
depress
it and should be avoided.
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP02810/A-Busy-Mineral.html
Why you
need
zinc
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2062912383
UN: Urgent aid needed to avert global food crisis
Rome, 11 April (AKI) - The United Nations has appealed to its members
and
international institutions for up to 1.7 billion dollars in urgent aid
in a
bid to avert a looming global food crisis.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said additional annual
funding of
between 1.2 and 1.7 billion dollars was needed to support poor farmers
and
increase production.
In an alarming report released on Friday, the FAO said 37 countries
were
facing a food crisis and the cereal bill of the world’s poorest
countries
would rise by 56 percent in 2007-2008, after a 37 percent increase last
year.
The FAO
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=1.0.2062454881
report echoes concern expressed by the International Monetary Fund this
week
that rising food prices will worsen poverty and put further strain on a
global economy already hard hit by a financial crisis.
The UN agency said in Africa’s low-income countries, price increases
could
be as high as 74 percent in the current fnancial year, due to higher
oil
prices, freight rates and cereal prices.
“Food price inflation hits the poor hardest, as the share of food in
their
total expenditures is much higher than that of wealthier populations,”
said
Henri Josserand from the FAO’s global information and early warning
system.
“Food represents about 10-20 percent of consumer spending in
industrialised
nations, but as much as 60-80 percent in developing countries, many of
which
are net food importers.”
The price of bread, rice, maize, oil and others basic foodstuffs has
increased sharply in several developing countries, despite policy
measures,
including export restrictions, subsidies, tariff reductions and price
controls.
Food riots have recently been reported in Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia,
Madagascar, the Philippines, Haiti and other countries in the past
month.
In Pakistan and Thailand, army troops have been deployed to avoid the
seizure of food from the fields and from warehouses.
By the end of March prices of wheat and rice were about double their
levels
of a year earlier, while those of maize were more than one-third
higher,
according to the FAO report.
But the FAO said there may be a 2.6 percent increase in food production
in
2008 and that could ease the situation.
“Should the expected growth in 2008 production materialise, the current
tight global cereal supply situation could ease in the new 2008/09
season,”
the report said.
But much will depend on the weather, FAO cautioned, recalling that at
this
time last year prospects for cereal production in 2007 were far better
than
the eventual outcome.
It said unfavourable climatic conditions had devastated crops in
Australia
and reduced harvests in many other countries, particularly in Europe.
“Favourable climatic conditions will be even more critical in the new
season
because world cereal reserves are depleted,” the report said.
According to FAO’s forecast, world cereal stocks are expected to fall
to a
25-year-low of 405 million tonnes in 2007/08, down 21 million tonnes,
or 5
percent, from their already reduced level of the previous year.
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*
Crock Pot Chicken Ala King
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 T. Flour
1/4 t. Pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 lb. Boneless chicken breasts cut in small cubes
1 rib celery chopped
1/2 C. Green pepper chopped
1/4 C. Onion chopped
1 10 oz. Package frozen peas thawed
2 T. Pimento chopped
Combine soup, flour and pepper. Stir until smooth.
Stir in chicken, celery, onion and green pepper. Cover and cook on low
for 7 - 8 hours or until meat is cooked and tender. Stir in peas and
pimentos. Cook another 30 minutes.
Serve over rice, noodles or biscuits.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. Layered Summer Vegetables
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”
Layered Summer Vegetables
3 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise or horizontally
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
Oregano, fresh or dried to taste
3 medium vine ripened tomatoes, sliced
2 large sweet onions, sliced
3 cups (12 oz.) mozzarella cheese, grated
14 slices bacon, cut in half
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In an oiled baking dish, cover bottom with slices of zucchini. Sprinkle
with salt, pepper and oregano.
Arrange tomato slices on top and cover completely. Lightly sprinkle
with salt, pepper and oregano.
Next, add the sliced onions and sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese.
Put strips of bacon over all.
Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/casseroles_and_crockpots/
Posted by: “Sharon
Ham-Broccoli Bake
Serves 5
This is so good and it really doesn’t take long to make. I enjoyed
every
bite of it. I love a good creamy cheese sauce and this really does hit
the
spot. I got the recipe from Hot Dish Heaven by Ann L. Burckhardt.
Classic
Casseroles from Midwest Kitchens .
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cut-up fresh broccoli or frozen broccoli cuts
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked or baked ham or turkey ham
1 cup drained canned or frozen whole onions
2 cups Medium Cream Sauce (recipe follows)
2 teaspoons dry mustard or 3 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup buttermilk baking mix such as Bisquick
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/3 cup milk
Heat oven to 425°.
Mix broccoli, ham, and onion in a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Prepare
white
sauce, adding mustard and cheese and stirring until smooth. Pour sauce
over
ham mixture. Place in oven while making biscuits. In small bowl, stir
together biscuit mix, celery seed, and milk, forming a soft dough,.
Remove
baking dish from oven and drop 10 small biscuits atop ham mixture,
holding a
tablespoon in one hand and rubber spatula in your other hand to shape
each
biscuit. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until ham and vegetables are
bubbling and
biscuits are golden.
VARIATIONS:
Turkey-Broccoli Bake: Use smoked turkey from the deli in place of ham
Ham-Vegetable Bake: Use 3 1/2 cups frozen California mix (cauliflower,
broccoli, and carrots) in place of broccoli and onions.
Swiss Ham-Broccoli Bake: Try Swiss cheese in place of Cheddar in
sauce.
MEDIUM CREAM SAUCE:
2 cups
This is made with milk but it gets the name because the sauce is so
creamy.
4 tablespoons butter, margarine, or oil
6 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black or white pepper or paprika
2 cups milk
Melt the butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour,
salt, and
pepper. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly (a wire wisk is best)
until smooth and bubbly. (Flour mixture must be cooked 1 additional
minute
at this point to avoid a floury taste in the finished sauce.) Remove
pan
from heat. Pour in milk. Stir constantly, cook until smooth and
boiling.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
tips for the kitchen
Posted by: “Gina”
Cleaning Tips
• To get rid of smells in your microwave, cut half a lemon up
into
several small pieces and place in a cup of water. Add a couple of whole
cloves. Place this in the microwave and boil for 5 minutes.
• To rid a cutting board of food smells, such as fish or onions,
cut a
lemon or lime in half and rub the board down with it.
• To freshen a smelly garbage disposal, grind up some lemons,
oranges,
or grapefruits. Save lemon and orange rinds in a plastic bag in the
freezer
to use for this purpose. When the disposal begins to smell, take a rind
from
the freezer and throw it down the disposal.
• Remove odors from your hands by rubbing them with lemons.
Washing
hands with a couple of tablespoons of mouthwash will also remove the
odors.
• For plasticware that has been stained, place in a gallon of
warm
water, which has one cup of bleach added to it. Let it soak in this
solution
for at least 20 minutes. Take out and rinse well, and then wash as you
normally would with hot soapy water.
• Clean stuck-on food from cookware by soaking it in baking soda
and
water for 10 minutes. After soaking, wash as normal. Baking soda can
also be
used as a scouring powder on the cookware.
• Clean up grease or oil spills by sprinkling flour over the
spill.
The flour soaks up the spill and can then be easily scraped up and
disposed
of. This prevents the grease or oil from being spread around while
trying to
wipe it up with a paper towel or rag.
• After grating cheese, grate a raw potato to clean the cheese
out of
the holes.
• To make stainless steel shine, rub it down with lemon peel. You
can
also soak it in club soda until the fizz is gone. After either process,
wash
in soapy water and dry.
• To make your copperware shine, cut a lemon in half, sprinkle it
with
salt, and rub the surface of the copperware.
• To clean darkened aluminum cookware, boil a quart of water with
2
teaspoons of cream of tartar for about 10 minutes.
• Make cleaning cooked-on splatters from the inside of the
microwave
easier by first boiling a cup of water in the microwave for a couple of
minutes. Then let it set for a couple of more minutes to allow
condensation
to form. The condensation will help loosen the cooked on splatters and
make
clean up much easier.
Kitchen Tips
• Brown Sugar
To keep brown sugar soft and fresh, seal the package tight and
store
it in the refrigerator or place a piece of bread in with the brown
sugar to
prevent it from becoming hard. To soften brown sugar after it has
hardened,
place a fresh apple wedge in the bag of hardened sugar, seal the bag
and
leave it for 1 to 2 days until the sugar is soft again. Remove the
apple
wedge and stir sugar. Store in an airtight plastic bag.
• Flour
To prevent bugs from getting into the flour, add a bay leaf to
your
flour container or store it in the freezer.
• Honey
If honey crystallizes, place the honey container in a pan or bowl
of
hot water and let it stand until the honey has melted. Then stir the
melted
honey until it is smooth.
• Eggs
Check the shells of eggs to determine freshness. Fresh eggs have
shells that are rough and chalky. Old eggs have shells that are smooth
and
have lost the chalky appearance. Or, place in cold salt water and if it
sinks it is fresh. If it rises to the surface, it is old and should be
discarded.
• Garlic
Select garlic that is plump and firm with paper-like skins that
are
tight and intact. Avoid any that are soft or that have begun to
shrivel.
Placing garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds should make the
skins
peel off easily. Place peeled and mince garlic in a small jar and pour
just
enough olive oil over it to cover the garlic and then refridgerate to
keep
fresh flavor for about a week. Instead of throwing out sprouting
garlic,
plant the cloves fairly close together in a pot or in the garden (if
climate
allows). The new shoots that appear will have a mild garlic flavor and
can
be used in the same manner as regular chives.
• Apples
When cutting apples into slices or chunks, sprinkle them with
lemon
juice or lemon-lime soda to keep them from turning brown. Or soak in
apple
juice to keep them from turning brown.
• Potatoes
Do not store potatoes close to onions. The onions will cause the
potatoes to rot faster. Place an apple in the bag with the potatoes to
keep
them from sprouting.
• Tomatoes
If tomatoes are under-ripe, place them in a brown paper bag and
store
them overnight in a dark area, or try placing them in a covered bowl
with an
apple. The apple gives off ethylene gas, which hastens ripening. Firm
up
overripe tomatoes by placing them in a bowl of cold salt water and
leaving
them sit overnight.
• Chili Peppers
Keep chili peppers fresh longer by storing them with the stems
removed.
• Mushrooms
Store mushrooms, uncleaned, in a paper bag or their original
container. Do not store in plastic or airtight plastic containers
because
they cause the mushrooms to retain moisture and decay faster.
• Lemons
Select lemons that are heavy for their size and have smooth
skins. To
get more juice out of a lemon, allow the lemon to reach room
temperature and
then roll it on a hard countertop using the palm of your hand. Roll it
back
and forth until you feel the skin loosening. To produce more juice from
a
lemon or other citrus fruit, place the fruit in a bowl of hot water
before
cutting and squeezing, or place it in the microwave for 10 seconds
before
squeezing
• Lettuce
Choose heads that are firm and have nice green leaves. Avoid
heads
that have leaves showing any discoloration. To remove the core from a
head
of lettuce, hit the core solidly on the top of the counter. This will
separate the core from the head. The core can then be removed by giving
it a
slight twist and pulling it out.
Easy Chicken & Biscuits
Posted by: “Dorie”
Easy Chicken & Biscuits
From: Campbell’s Kitchen
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes
Serves: 5
Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
(Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Potato Soup
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut-up vegetables *
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 pkg. (about 7 oz.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuit
Directions:
MIX soups, milk, thyme, black pepper, vegetables and chicken in 3-
quart shallow baking dish.
BAKE at 400°F. for 15 minutes. Stir.
CUT each biscuit into quarters.
ARRANGE cut biscuits over chicken mixture. Bake 15 minutes or until
biscuits are golden.
TIP: *Use a combination of broccoli flowerets, cauliflower flowerets
and carrots.
French push for EU food response
France is urging EU countries to come up with a global initiative on food security in the wake of violence linked to price rises in basic foodstuffs.
Agriculture minister Michel Barnier said Europe could not remain passive and leave the situation to the markets.
As he spoke, UN special rapporteur Jean Ziegler accused the EU of agricultural dumping in Africa.
He said producing biofuels, a key part of the EU’s plans to tackle climate change, was a “crime against humanity”.
We cannot, and we must not leave food for people... to the mercy of the rule of the market alone and to international speculation
Michel Barnier
French agriculture minister
The European Union has set a target of providing 10% of its fuel for transport from biofuels by 2020, which its own environment advisers have said should be suspended.
There are fears that the use of farmland to grow crops for biofuels has reduced the scope for food production.
The European Commission said on Monday that there was no question at the moment of the target being dropped, as work was currently under way to implement it in a sustainable way.
According to a spokesman, less than 2% of EU cereal production is currently used for biofuels.
‘Humanitarian tsunami’
The EU is well aware of the risks of soaring food prices and, only last week, Development Commissioner Louis Michel warned of the crisis leading to a “humanitarian tsunami” in Africa.
France will take over the presidency of the EU in July and, in a statement on Friday, four ministers made it clear that the violent response to price rises in Haiti could easily be replicated in 30 other countries.
Protests because of a big increase in the cost of rice have led to a number of deaths in Haiti as well as the fall of the government.
Mr Barnier told French radio on Monday: “We cannot, and we must not leave food for people... to the mercy of the rule of the market alone and to international speculation.”
He is proposing four ideas:
* Production of more and better food to enable Europe to respond to the food challenge
* To bring together the efforts of various member states to help developing countries rebuild their agriculture
* To redirect public development aid towards the agriculture sector
* To ensure that poorer countries do not become the victims of the World Trade Organization’s Doha round of negotations.
Last week, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown wrote to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, whose country holds the presidency of the G8 industrialised nations, calling for a “fully co-ordinated response”.
He proposed urgent short-term action to tackle immediate hardship and a medium-term response in trade and agriculture.
Dumping claim
The UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler, told German radio that the EU financed the exports of European agricultural surpluses to Africa, “where they are offered at one-half or one-third of their (production) price”.
But a European Commission spokesman said it was an old argument that simply was not true anymore.
He said that initial reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy had done away with the link between production and subsidy and further changes would free farmers to respond better to the market.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/7346198.stm
Published: 2008/04/14 12:23:05 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Families’ shopping list
Six families around the world share their shopping list and tell the BBC how the global rise in food prices has affected their eating habits. We will return to the families in the months ahead to see if prices have changed.
The Rodas family
Guatemala The Classick family
UK
The Mhatre family
India The Wang Jun family
China
The Mbiru family
Kenya The Abdulwahab family
Egypt
THE RODAS FAMILY, QUETZALTENANGO, GUATEMALA
Evelyn: I am an agronomic engineer and my family has six members.
I spend approximately $250 a month buying meat, milk, fruit and vegetables, bread and tortillas, which is around 40% of our income.
The rise in the prices of all the basic food products here is alarming, and it is even worse for the families who live in extreme poverty, because they don’t have enough food to live with dignity.
I have noticed the rise as well. We used to eat meat five times a week, and we can only do it twice now. The children don’t drink milk three times a day but once for breakfast, and we don’t buy some fruits that get too expensive depending on the season.
LOCAL FOOD PRICES
The Rodas family spends 40% of its income on food.
1 kilo of corn tortilla flour: $0.71 (35p)
1 litre of cooking oil: $1.95 (97p)
1 kilo of chicken: $4.28 (£2.12)
1 kilo of potatoes: $ 4.40 (£2.18)
Shop owners have also been affected. My mum owns a shop, and I have seen how there are fewer customers, while the suppliers raise their prices every day.
Basic products like corn tortillas, which are central to the Guatemalan diet, cost US$1 a kilo, and we consume at least two kilos a day, besides bread.
I think the reason behind the high prices is the rise in the price of corn in the international markets, due to its high demand in the production of bio fuels such as ethanol.
THE CLASSICK FAMILY, FELTHAM, UK
Joanne: I think we are probably quite average with our food shopping habits.
We try to keep our diets balanced by eating healthy snacks, and having plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables each day.
We spend between £80 to £100 per week on our food shopping, which is about 10% of our weekly income.
I like to cook with fresh ingredients and prepare most of our meals from scratch.
On an average day, we will all have toast or cereal for breakfast with a glass of orange juice. Lunch is usually a home-made sandwich, yoghurt and fruit, and our main meals usually consist of meat with potatoes and two or three vegetables.
LOCAL FOOD PRICES
The Classick family spends 10% of its income on food.
Loaf of bread: $2.50 (£1.23)
1 litre of cooking oil: $1.60 (78p)
1 kilo of carrots: $1.25 (62p)
1 kilo of lamb: $18.60(£9.24)
Probably the most expensive part of our weekly shopping is the fruit and vegetables, and the meat. I haven’t really noticed the fruit and vegetable prices rise much lately, but the price of the meat has certainly gone up.
The rises haven’t changed our buying habits, as we believe a healthy diet is one of the most essential things we teach our children about, and what you eat does have an effect on how you feel.
We would rather go without other things if necessary.
THE MHATRE FAMILY, MUMBAI, INDIA
Poonam: I have to feed a family of four here. My weekly food bill comes to more than US$100.
We buy vegetables, meat, cold cuts, eggs, dahl, rice, pulses and cooking oil. Each week we try to eat out about twice.
I have to say we have definitely noticed a lot of price rises in the past two years. I don’t think it has really changed our buying habits, but what it has meant is that we have to spend much more. We cannot cut down on food. That is not an option. My family just eats that much. So our weekly budget has gone up.
I think we spend about 20% to 30% of our income on food. Food is very important to us, it is really central to our lives. The children always need their salads and their fruit plates. The children need their cookies and their eggs. There is no way I can compromise. I just have to buy more.
LOCAL FOOD PRICES
The Mhatre family spends 20% to 30% of its income on food.
1 kilo of chapati flour: $0.55 (27p)
1 litre of cooking oil: $2.20 (£1.10)
1 kilo of chicken: $1.40 (70p)
1 kilo of beans: $1.04 (52p)
In India, the majority of the population is below the poverty line. The government really needs to concentrate on getting prices stabilised, particularly the basics, like rice, wheat flour and onions. I have particularly noticed price rises in goods like sugar, milk, pulses and vegetables.
Other people I know complain. Everyone talks about how price rises are just too much, how they are really affecting their budgets.
THE WANG JUN FAMILY, BEIJING, CHINA
Wang Jun: I live with my wife and my wife’s mother in Beijing. We own a small cleaning place. Food prices have risen in the past few years, especially last year.
We spend a lot on food. Renting the place where we live costs more than $100 and we can’t really save much money for our daughter’s tuition fees back at our hometown.
We’ve been tightening our belts to save more money.
Over the past year, the cost of food has risen so quickly that we had to stop eating meat every day to save money.
The pork price just soared madly, and it’s now three or four times more expensive than two years ago.
We only eat chopped-up pork two or three times a week, but with vegetables. Eating meat on its own seems too extravagant for us.
LOCAL FOOD PRICES
The Wang Jun family spends 16% of its income on food.
1 kilo of rice: $0.62 (31p)
1 litre cooking oil: $2.50 (£1.25)
1 kilo of pork: $4.22 (£2.10)
1 kilo of lettuce: $0.99 (49p)
Also, to save money, my wife wakes up around at around 6am and cycles for one hour to go to an early market that sells cheap vegetables.
Even though it is less than one yuan cheaper than a nearby market, we can save a lot by doing it every day.
We’ve been using less cooking oil as well, because the price of oil has trebled over the past few months. Just now, the supermarket was taking down old price tags as the price went up again. It’s mad. So we’ve been eating more vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, cabbages - locally grown food is just cheaper.
The price rises are frustrating for us, but because I used to be a farmer I also see the farmers’ point of view.
If the government controls food prices too much, farmers can’t earn any money and life can be very difficult.
THE MBIRU FAMILY, NAIROBI, KENYA
Sheila: I work as a research scientist and my husband is a businessman. We live around 15km from Nairobi, at the Ridgeways Estate.
I spend an average of $228 a month. This may increase if we entertain guests or if we eat out. That’s around 10% of our joint income.
I buy most of the storable stuff like rice, flour and sugar in the supermarket. I have stopped buying fresh food like fruit, vegetables and meat from there, and now buy at a local shop near to where I live, because it’s cheaper.
I don’t eat beef, because I have an allergy. So we eat fish, chicken and pork. I have noticed an increase since the beginning of year, especially because of the political crisis in our country.
LOCAL FOOD PRICES
The Mbiru family spends 10% of its income on food.
1 kilo of maize flour: $0.40 (20p)
1 litre of cooking oil: $2.34 (£1.16)
1 kilo of chicken: $4.70 (£2.33)
1 kilo of potatoes: $0.55 (27p)
The price of potatoes has increased from 25 shillings per kilo, to 35 shillings per kilo. Roast chicken from the local chip shop has doubled. And this was just last week.
The political situation is a bit better, so maybe prices will go down. But they haven’t yet.
We have reduced the amount of meat we eat and increased our vegetables intake because of the increased cost. We used to have meat three times a week, and now do just twice a week.
THE ABDULWAHAB FAMILY, CAIRO, EGYPT
The Abdulwahab family lives in Imbaba, a poor area of Cairo. Egypt is the world’s largest importer of wheat, so they have been hit hard by international prices rises.
Aza Hedar (on the right of the photo wearing a blue scarf), says that instead of three meals a day, the family now eats just two.
“We never thought it would reach this level. The prices of some foods have doubled since the end of last year. One Egyptian pound used to feed the whole household now five Egyptian pounds barely covers it.”
Aza shops in the market with her sister-in-law, Aza Abdulwahab (on the left of the photo, in the beige scarf), and together they cook for the extended family of five adults and three children.
“We used to go to the market and buy whatever we laid eyes upon but now we have to think first,” the second Aza says.
LOCAL FOOD PRICES
The Abdulwahab family spends 80% of its income on food. Subsidised bread and cooking oil can be bought from government shops, but not in enough quantities to feed the family.
10 unsubsidised loaves of bread: $0.45 (22p)
10 subsidised loaves of bread: $0.09 (4.5p)
1 unsubsidised litre of cooking oil: $2.30 (£1.15)
1 subsidised litre of cooking oil: $1.50 (75p)
1 kilo of lamb: $7.22 (£3.60)
1 kilo tomatoes: $0.37 (18p)
“I buy more fruit and vegetables and we eat meat just once a week instead of every day.”
The family is also increasingly reliant on government food subsidies, buying as much sugar, rice, tea and cooking oil as their ration book will allow.
Othman Abdulwahab, a government worker, is the main earner for the household. But salaries have not increased since the dramatic rise in food prices.
He is recovering from a back operation and so cannot endure hours queuing for subsidised bread.
The solution has come from his elderly mother, Nabawia. She uses a recipe from her native home in Aswan to make a simple type of bread made from flour and water - which is cooked on the stove.
“This is what we do in a time of crisis,” Othman says.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/talking_point/7287793.stm
Published: 2008/03/11 13:11:17 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
US in $200m food crisis response
US President George W Bush has ordered the release of $200m in emergency aid to alleviate food shortages in Africa and other parts of the world.
The White House said the money would be used to meet unanticipated needs for food aid.
Rising food prices have sparked recent riots in several countries, including Haiti, the Philippines and Egypt.
The World Bank has said a doubling of food prices in three years could push 100m more people into poverty.
“This additional food aid will address the impact of rising commodity prices on US emergency food aid programmes and be used to meet unanticipated food aid needs in Africa and elsewhere,” the White House said in a statement.
The announcement followed a call by the World Bank’s Development Committee and the International Monetary Fund for rising food prices to be addressed at the highest political level.
Food riot deaths
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday that the rapidly escalating crisis called for short term emergency measures to prevent people in many parts of the world from starving.
The UN’s World Food Programme has launched an emergency appeal for $500m, saying the money is needed by 1 May to avoid food rationing.
Prices have risen sharply in recent months, driven by poor crop-growing weather in certain countries, increased demand and a reduced production area resulting from an increase in the use of land to grow crops for transport fuels.
World Bank head Robert Zoellick had on Sunday proposed a “new deal” action plan for a long-term boost to agricultural production.
Emergency help would include an additional $10m to Haiti, where several people were killed in food riots last week, and a doubling of agricultural loans to African farmers.
The US provided more than $2.1 billion in food aid in 2007.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/7347697.stm
Published: 2008/04/15 01:47:25 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Interesting and sad that none of the six families mentioned a thing about growing or raising something to feed themselves. Lessen your consumption and look to the government for solutions ... not the way I want to live, nor shall I ever.
Fried Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Posted by: “Vergie”
Fried Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
4 hamburger buns
4 slices American cheese (optional)
mayonnaise
2 boneless skinless chicken breast half, cut in half lengthwise and
pounded slightly
6 tablespoons Frank’s red hot sauce
1/4 cup margarine (NOT butter)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more, if you like it hot)
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1 dash black pepper
1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
3/4 cup baking mix
1/2 cup beer
1/2 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
vegetable oil (heat about an inch in a large frying pan over medium
heat)
Combine all sauce ingredients in a pan and simmer until melted. Set
aside.
Prepare chicken breasts by trimming off all visible fat and pounding.
Mix batter ingredients until no lumps remain.
Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. Dredge chicken breasts in
batter, letting any excess drain off. Fry on one side until done
(depending on how thinly you pound them, this takes between 5 - 7
minutes per side). Flip over, and continue to fry until done.
We usually serve this with french fries, so while I’m preparing the
fries, I place the chicken breasts on a baking rack over a cookie
sheet and keep them warm in a 200 degree oven.
Dip chicken breasts on both sides in buffalo sauce and serve on buns
that have a light coating of mayonnaise on both sides. Top with
cheese if desired.
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2. Newman’s Creamy Caesar Dressing (Copycat/Clone)
Posted by: “Vergie”
Newman’s Creamy Caesar Dressing (Copycat/Clone)
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp distilled vinegar, white
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, Kraft brand
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 pinch dried basil
1 pinch dried oregano
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with an electric mixer
for about 30 seconds. Chill the dressing for a couple hours before
serving.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cookingandbakingmixes/
Paprika Chicken w/sour cream gravy (not crockpot or casserole)
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*
Paprika Chicken w/sour cream gravy
1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground red pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. butter or margarine (I use less)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. sliced green onions
1 container (8 oz.) sour cream
Mix flour, paprika, garlic powder, black and red pepper on plate to
coat chicken.
Heat butter in skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken 10 minutes or
until browned. Set chicken aside.
Add soup and green onions. Heat to a boil. Return chicken to pan.
Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes or until chicken is done.
Stir in sour cream.
Serves 4
Crockpot Chinese Beef And Pea Pods
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*
Crockpot Chinese Beef And Pea Pods
1 to 1 1/2 pound family steak, thinly sliced,
1 can beef consomme soup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 bunch green onions, about 8
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 small can bamboo shoots, drained
1 small can bean sprouts, drained
1 7 oz. package frozen Chinese pea pods, partially thawed
Combine steak in crock pot with consomme, soy sauce, ginger and
onion. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 7 hours.
Turn control to HIGH. Stir in cornstarch that has been dissolved in
the 2 tablespoons cold water. Cook on high for 15 minutes or until
thickened.
During last 5 minutes of cooking, add water chestnuts, bamboo shoots,
bean sprouts and pea pods. Serve over hot rice.
Yields 6 servings.
Crockpot Pakistani Style Beef Stew
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*
Crockpot Pakistani Style Beef Stew
8 tablespoons vegetable oil
20 whole black peppercorns
6 whole cloves
2 whole bay leaves
6 whole cardamom pods
2 medium onions, chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 ginger root, 1” cube, chopped fine
2 pounds beef, cut 1” cubes
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, optional
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons yogurt, beaten
2 pounds chopped spinach, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon garam masala
Put the ginger, onions, and garlic into a blender container, and
blend to a paste, adding a tablespoon of water if necessary. Set
aside.
Put the peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, and cardamom pods in one
bowl. Put the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and 1 teaspoon
of the salt in another bowl. Put the yogurt into another bowl. Wash
and chop and drain the fresh spinach, have it ready to add into the
dish. (Or defrost the frozen spinach.) Put the remaining teaspoon of
salt into another bowl.
Now, heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven. When hot, put in
the peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves and cardamom pods. Stir for a
second. Now put in the onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir and fry until
the paste starts to develop brown specks.
Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and 1 teaspoon of the
salt. Stir together, then add the meat. Stir and fry for a minute.
Next, add the yogurt 1 teaspoon at a time, until the yogurt has been
mixed throroughly with the other ingredients. Keep on frying until
the meat has a slightly browned look.
Add the spinach, bit by bit, stirring in more as the spinach in the
pan wilts. Keep stirring and cooking until the spinach wilts
completely. It should give up its juices, to cook the meat.
Now, put the entire mixture in the crockpot, and allow to simmer for
6 to 8 hours on HIGH or 8 to 10 hours on LOW, until meat is tender.
When done, sprinkle the garam masala over the meat, and stir in, then
simmer for about 5 minutes longer. If there is too much liquid,
simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes until sauce is thicker.
Makes 6 servings.
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19. Crockpot Chicken in Wine
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*
Crockpot Chicken in Wine
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
1 onion sliced
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Put onions, garlic, wine and bay leaf in slow cooker.
Salt and pepper chicken and place on top.
Cook for 2 to 3 hours till tender.
Makes 2 servings.
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20. Crockpot Stuffed Pork Chops for one or two persons
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*
Crockpot Stuffed Pork Chops for one or two persons
2 Pork chops, 1 to 2” thick
1 c. Breadcrumbs, soft
1 8oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1 tsp. Instant Onion, minced
2 tbsp. Green pepper, minced
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Sage
Have the butcher cut or with a sharp knife cut
a horizontal slit in the side of each chop forming
a pocket for stuffing.
Mix undrained corn, breadcrumbs, onion, pepper, salt,
and sage.
Spoon corn mixture into the slits.
Close with toothpicks or small skewers.
Place on a metal rack or trivet in crockpot.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
Serving Ideas: Especially good with fruit salad
and lemon-buttered broccoli.
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21. Mushroom Sauced Beef
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*
Mushroom Sauced Beef
1/2 lb Fresh button mushrooms;-clean, slice
1 md Onion sliced
1 cn Cream Of Mushroom Soup
1/3 c Red wine
2 tb Worcestershire sauce
4 oz Can chopped green chilies;-drain
2 1/2 lb Boneless Beef Chuck or Cross-Rib Roast; trim fat
3 tb Flour
Combine 2/3 of the sliced mushrooms and all of th
onion in the crockpot. In a small bowl whisk: soup,
wine, 1 tb worcestershire sauce and the chilies. Pour
1/2 of the soup mixture over the mushrooms and onion
in the crockpot. Cut the beef horizontally into 2
pieces each about 3/4” thick. Place the beef on top of
the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle the remaining mushrooms
on top and pour on the rest of the soup mixture. DO
NOT MIX. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours. Increase the
heat to HIGH, mix the flour with the remaining 1 tb of
worcestershire sauce and stir this into the liquids.
Cook for another 30 minutes to an hour.
group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/casseroles_and_crockpots/
http://my.kitchengardeners.org/forum/topic/show?id=1091455%3ATopic%3A1271
Hi, I’d like to plant some edible perennials in my front yard, but the space is so small and the soil is very dry and sandy. I live in zone 6, near Boston, and I have these tiny raised beds that are my only front yard - one is about 6x5 and the other is 6x8. One side is almost full shade, the other is mixed - part sun and full sun. There are some existing holly bushes in the back half that I want to keep, but the rest of the space (like 3x5 and 3x8) is fair game...
blueberrries are a good choice and in the winter they have beautiful colored foliage.
Elderberries depending on how much room you have they can get kind of leggy but you can also keep them trimmed neatly as well and they still produce well.
Blueberries dont take up alot of room easy to grow and provide lots of antioxidants. Plus at the price of grocery store blueberries its a real treat to walk outside and pick your own.
Also depending on how much room you have vertically you could try Jerusalem Artichokes. They make prety sunflowers and are good for diabetics and others. Its a tuber like a potato and can be fixed as such like mashed potatoes or other ways of cooking. They can get really tall think 4-10 foot tall. So thats why I said if you have room vertically. Somewhere they can go up beside a wall.
Talk about how the media covers the news, I found this, and it is about the article that I started this thread with....granny
http://www.kitchengardeners.org/2008/03/kgi_in_the_press.html
KGI in the press: gardens help families stretch food budgets
splash061807.jpg
We’ve made yet another media splash by getting our “grow your own” message into the national press. The coverage came as a result of a pitch we made and which turned into the article below. Variations of the article have now appeared in the following newspapers:
[long list of papers]
By encouraging the media to report on home gardening trends, we’re helping to amplify those trends and get more people involved. Some quick math based on newspaper circulation shows that we reached upwards of 3 million readers with this timely and important message.
Did you see this article in a paper that’s not listed above? Please let us know as we’re trying to track the effectiveness of our media outreach efforts.
More families will stretch food budgets with vegetable gardens
By Dean Fosdick for the Associated Press
Pugliese pepper relish
Although this appears at first glance to be quite labor intensive, the labors are spread out over several days and the result is well worth any effort. Do make this when peppers in the market are fresh from local farms and gardens, not shipped in from far away. The flavors will be that much better and more intense.
The balance of sweet and hot peppers is really up to you: If you have mildly spicy peppers, like New Mexico or Anaheim peppers, for instance, make Pepone with those on their own; but if, on the other hand, the only chiles available are fiercely hot—like Scotch bonnets—you might want to cut down on the quantity of chilies and increase the amount of sweet peppers.
Makes 4 pints
Ingredients:
6 pounds green and red sweet peppers
2 medium carrots, peeled
1 quart white wine vinegar
1 large white onion
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
15 fresh hot red chilies
4 plump garlic cloves
3 celery stalks
2 tablespoons sea salt
Procedure:
Wash and thoroughly dry the peppers and chiles, then cut them in half, discarding the seeds and white internal membranes. Chop the peppers, chiles, celery, carrots, onion, and rather coarsely by hand. Transfer the chopped vegetables to a bowl and add the salt. Set aside for 24 hours, but do not refrigerate. The vegetables will give off quite a lot of liquid. At the end of that time, turn into a colander, rinse the salt off thoroughly under running water, and set to drain. Transfer to a bowl, cover with the vinegar, and set aside for another 24 hours.
Have ready 4 pint (or 8 half-pint) sterile canning jars.
Drain the vegetables in a colander, but do not rinse. Fill the jars with vegetables, then olive oil, which should completely cover the chopped vegetables. Push a table knife into the jar in several places to get rid of any air bubbles. Screw down the lid and proceed with the remaining jars.
Process the jars for 20 minutes in a water bath canner. Remove from heat and let cool. Then remove the jars from the canning kettle. Set aside in a cool, dark place. The Pepone will be ready to use in 2 weeks. Use as a condiment for any meat or fish dish.
Recipe source: Cucina del Sole, by Nancy Harmon Jenkins, reprinted with permission.
http://www.kitchengardeners.org/cooking_and_recipes/
http://www.kitchengardeners.org/cooking_and_recipes/
Spinach pancakes
Ingredients:
10 ounces fresh spinach, well washed, large stems removed, or 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk or thin yogurt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted and cooled butter, plus unmelted butter for cooking
1 cup sour cream, optional
1 tablespoon minced lemon peel, optional.
Procedure:
1. Put spinach in a covered saucepan over medium heat, with just the water that clings to its leaves after washing; or plunge it into a pot of salted boiling water. Either way, cook it until it wilts, just a couple of minutes. Drain, cool, squeeze dry and chop.
2. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat while you make batter. Heat oven to 200 degrees. In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Place 1 1/2 cups buttermilk in another bowl. Beat eggs into it, then stir in the melted butter. Stir this into dry ingredients, adding a little more buttermilk if batter seems thick; stir in spinach.
3. Place a teaspoon or two of butter in pan. When butter foam subsides, ladle batter onto skillet, making any size pancakes you like. Adjust heat as necessary; first batch will require higher heat than subsequent batches. Add more butter to pan as necessary. Brown bottoms in 2 to 4 minutes. Flip only when pancakes are fully cooked on bottom; they won’t hold together well until they are ready.
4. Cook until second side is lightly browned; as pancakes are done, put them on an ovenproof plate in oven for up to 15 minutes. Mix sour cream and lemon peel together and place a small dollop on each pancake.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Granny note:
I would try one, then add corn, crumpled bacon, maybe even onion, if it was not for breakfast........
could not resist posting the recipe.
I would like it even better with cornmeal pancake batter, or as I did on the campfire, make my dry mix for cornbread, add the milk and eggs and then fry it for a pancake type bread....good.
I had a sister in law, who put all the vegetable for her kids in scrambled eggs and called it breakfast, green beans and squash I can handle, not some of the others.
granny
No knead bread? Yes, need bread!
nokneadbread120906.jpg
Amateur baking will never be the same after the New York Times’ article and video earlier this year about Jim Lahey’s revolutionary “no knead” bread method. The response has been so great that it has spawned a second article with more details. The technique requires a heavy cast iron pot. You can use your Le Creuset-style Dutch oven if you have one, but you’ll need to remove the plastic lid handle which cannot handle the high temperatures.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
11/4 teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
Procedure
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Yield: One 1.5-pound loaf.
Recipe adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery and printed in the New York Times
Photo credit: Tschoerda
http://www.kitchengardeners.org/cooking_and_recipes/
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2005/07/panzanella.php
Panzanella
- 6 oz (200 g) stale country bread, cut in thick slices
- 10 small and nicely ripe tomatoes, or 6 medium, or 4 large
- half a large cucumber
- 2 small sweet red onions — the original recipe calls for cipolliti rossi - dolci
- a small bunch of fresh basil (about 15 stems)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt, freshly-ground pepper
(Serves 4.)
Put the bread in a shallow bowl and pour fresh water to cover. Let sit for ten minutes. Drain, squeeze the bread tightly with your hands to remove most of the water, then crumble it with your fingers and set aside.
Cut the tomatoes in wedges and slice the cucumber and onions thinly. Pluck the basil leaves and tear them into bits. Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and basil in a large salad bowl, season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Add in the bread and toss gently to mix, preferably with your hands.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. At the last minute, add in the vinegar, taste and adjust the seasoning.
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