Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/faqs/culi-4-6-jelly.html
4.6 Jelly, syrup and other sweets.
* Edible flowers
* Jelly
* Sweets
* Syrups
From (Joseph St.Lawrence):
An excellent book with info on edible flowers is *The Harrowsmith Salad Garden* by Turid Forsyth and Merilyn Simonds Mohr. Another good one is *Flowers in the Kitchen* by Susan Belsinger.
4.6.1 Flower / herb jelly
also see 2.9.3 for mint jelly, 2.17.3 for garlic jelly and 2.20.3 for horseradish jelly.
> PS... Anyone like basil jelly? B-)
From: Sallie M
Haven’t tried that yet, but I really like herb jellies. After trying rosemary jelly, I will never put mint sauce on lamb again!!! And I found that thyme jelly makes a terrific sauce for chicken.
But what does one do with basil jelly? None of my knee-jerk reactions for basil includes “sweet.”
From: Judy
My fiancee puts it in peanut butter and basil jelly sandwiches! He loves them! Personally, I think its a little revolting, but Basil jelly would go nice with pastas or italian cuisine, maybe even on garlic bread. Maybe an addition to pesto? The recipe is as follows:
Basil jelly
1 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves - the fresher the better!
1 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups water
6 1/2 cups sugar
Two 3 oz. pouches Certo liquid pectin
Green food coloring (just enough to give it a nice emerald green color, about 7 drops or up to 1 teaspoon full)
Place the basil leaves, lemon juice and vinegar in an 8 to 10 quart sauce pot. The larger size is necessary since this recipe boils up a LOT. Let the basil, lemon juice and vinegar stand while you are measuring the two cups water. Add the water and food coloring. Heat almost to boil, stirring to blend, then add all the sugar at once. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to hard boil, add two 3-ounce pouches of Certo liquid pectin, 6 ounces total. (Make sure to get as much of the 6 ounces as you can into the kettle, and not all over your hands and stove, like I normally do! The jelly will not set without all the pectin.) Bring back to boil, boil hard for 1 minute or until jelly point is reached. Remove from heat. Remove basil leaves with slotted spoon. Pour immediately into hot, sterilized 1/2 pint jars, seal and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Makes 6 to 7 half pints.
This recipe produces a nicely set jelly that is sweet, but with a real kick to it! Personally, I like to use 4 different types of basil leaves in the recipe to add up to one cup, but you may use what you like. This receipe can also be used for other herbs, like oregano, rosemary, mint, parsley, thyme, etc.
Hope you enjoy it. I am proud enough of it to enter it in the county fair this year.
Basic flower jelly recipe - can also be used for other herbs
From: (Bess Haile):
2 cups flower infusion: steep 2+ cups moderately packed flowers in 2 cups boiling water at least 30 minutes
1/4 cup lemon juice (E. Toley says not to use bottled, but I do)
4 cups sugar
3 oz of liquid pectin (this will be 1/2 box of liquid Certo)
Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil you can’t stir down. Add pectin and boil 2 minutes. Ladle into hot sterile jars. Seal in preferred manner.
Note (Bess Haile): I prefer the liquid certo to the powdered. It seems to jell better with flowers. Also, I find the extra minute of boiling helps to create a stiffer jelly, though 1 minute will create a clear jam-like texture. I always use the 4 oz canning jars because I can give away some of the jellies without running out of all my stock. Not everyone likes jelly from flowers. My own family HATES rose jelly which is one of my favorites. Also, note, rose petals have a bitter white bit where the petals join the flower. Cut these off. I do this by holding the flower, step up, and cutting around the flower, leaving all the bitter bits on the flower. I’ve used Rose, Honeysuckle, Lavender, and many herbs too. Rosemary makes a good jelly for a glaze on roast pork (and probably lamb). Lemon verbena and spearmint are great too!
rosa-glauca-1.jpg
Rose petal jelly
From: (Gwen Baker)
1 1/2 c rose petals
1 1/2 c white grape juice
1/2 water
3 1/2 c sugar
1 pkg liquid fruit pectin
Trim away white part of rose petals, wash petals thoroughly, and drain. Combine rose petals and grape juice in a sauce pan. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly; cook 1 min, stirring frequently. Add fruit pectin; cook stirring constantly, until mixture returns to a rolling boil. Continue boiling 1 min, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and skim off foam with a metal spoon. Quickly pour jelly into hot sterilized jar leaving 1/4 in headspace; cover with metal lids and screw tight. Process in boiling water bath for 5 min. Makes 3 pints.
For fun leave the rose petals in and you can tell folks you are eating roses - they end up with the funniest looks on their faces.
Rose petal jelly II
From: (Gwen Baker)
2 quarts fresh rose petals, loosely packed (about 3 dozen roses)
1 quart boiling water
4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Place petals in a large bowl. Add boiling water. Cover and steep for 20 minutes, or until all color is out of the petals. Strain liquid into a shallow pan. Add sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved, and mixture comes to a rolling boil. Maintain boil until mixture gives a jelly test (2 drops form on side of spoon, then flow together). Skim. Pour into hot sterile jars. Cover with melted paraffin (or use your preferred sealing method). Makes 8 x 6-ounce jars.
Note (Gwen Baker): The rose petal jelly I have had used added pectin. This recipe thinks rose petals have enough of their own.
viola-tricolor
Violet flower jelly
From: (Gwen Baker)
Violet infusion:
2 cups violet blossoms (don’t have to pack tightly, just nicely full cups will do)
2 cups boiling water
Pour boiling water on blossoms and cover 12-24 hours (If you can’t get to the cooking within 24 hours, store in the refrigerator).
Jelly recipe:
2 cups infusion
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pkg. powdered pectin
4 cups sugar
Bring first 3 ingredients to a rolling boil (one you can’t stir down). Add sugar all at once and bring back to rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let boiling die down. Skim off foam with large spoon. Pour immediately into hot sterilized jars and seal. Makes 4-5 cups of jelly. I use the half cup jars so I can give away samples without giving away everything.
Note (Gwen Baker): I’ve made two batches of this jelly and it is delicious! The lemon juice turns the blue infusion the most glorious amethyst color. No fruit jelly I’ve ever made has this color. It is tart and lemony, but does not taste exactly like lemon. My violets are not parma violets, just plain old Virginia weeds.
Apple jelly with herbal variations
From: (Graeme Caselton),
taken from “Preserves & Pickles”, by Heather Lambert, publisher: Octopus Books Ltd.
malus-pumila-4.jpg
Apple jelly is quite pleasant plain, especially with hot, buttered scones. Add herbs and it becomes a delicious jelly to serve with hot and cold fish, meat and poultry dishes.
1.75 kg (4 lb) cooking apples
1.75 litres (3 pints) cold water
750g (1 1/2 lb) sugar (approximately)
Cut up the apples, discarding any bruised parts. Put in a pan with the water and bring to the boil, then simmer until very soft. Mash with a wooden spoon and strain through a jelly bag. Test the juice for pectin; it should form a firm clot. Put in a pan and add the sugar. Heat gently, stirring, until dissolved, then boil rapidly until setting point is reached, stirring occasionally. Remove any scum, pour into small, hot sterilized jars and cover. Makes about 1.5 kg (3 1/2 lb)
Variations
Some of these jellies, particularly the rosemary and mint ones, can be melted and poured over ice cream or added to fruit salads.
* Sage jelly: Add 4 tablespoons chopped sage after removing from the heat.
* Rosemary jelly: Add 8 large rosemary sprigs with the water. Set a further sprig in each pot.
* Dill jelly: Add 4 tablespoons chopped dill or 2 tablespoons dried dill weed after removing from heat.
* Thyme jelly: Add 8 large thyme sprigs with the water. Set a further sprig in each jar.
* Mint jelly: Add a small bunch of mint with the water. Add 6-8 tablespoons chopped mint after removing from heat.
* Bouquet Garni jelly: Tie 1 parsley sprig, 2 bay leaves and 1 small thyme sprig with a length of sterilized kitchen string. Put one in each jar of jelly.
4.6.2 Flower / herb syrup
From: (Gwen Baker):
Rose petal syrup
1 c rose petals
1 c water
1 1/2 c sugar
3 whole cloves
Trim away white part of rose petals was and drain thoroughly. Combine rose petals and water in a sauce pan bring to boil. Then simmer for 5 min. Add sugar and cloves. Simmer until sugar dissolved (do not reboil) strain petals, refrigerate. Makes 1 2/3 cup.
Use this for
Rose cooler
1/2 c rose syrup
2 c club soda
fresh rose petals.
Combine soda and syrup garnish with rose petals. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
Violet Syrup
From: TOIVO.aol.com
You need to collect as many violet flowers as you can find. This is the hardest part—I can almost never find enough. (recipe based on a quart of violets, increase or decrease according to what you could find. You could increase the proportion of violets to syrup, making a stronger syrup, but I wouldn’t recommend making it much weaker than this) You may wish to wash the flowers, depending on where you found them.
The only important piece of information: go through and remove all the green parts from each flower. Cooked, the green parts taste strong and spinachy. Just a little green stuff can ruin your whole batch. We learned this the hard way...
In a double boiler dissolve and heat 2 cups sugar and 3 cups water. If you like thick syrup, add more sugar, or less if you like thin. Make sure it’s all the way dissolved and very hot. Fold in the flowers. Put on the lid. Turn down heat so that bottom pan is just boiling - you don’t want any steam to escape from the top pan at this point (if you can help it). Let it cook for another ten minutes. Take off heat. Let cool. Put it in a jar.
Ta-dah. You’re done. You could strain out the flowers if you wanted. I recommend keeping the syrup in the fridge. I bet you could use any edible flower instead of/in addition to violets, but I haven’t tried it.
Gulkhan - rose petal syrup
From: (-K.RAGHUNANDAN)
A delicious, medicinally effective recipe using rose petals, is simple to prepare. Called “Gulkhan” in India, this is used as a flavoring in sweet dishes and is also eaten as such or with butter. Among its virtues are a nice flavor, mild sweet taste, good for reducing boils, keep skin and blood circulation clean.
Procedure: Peel fresh petals of 1 Rose flower, spread them in a container. Sprinkle a spoon of sugar. Repeat this process each day until, the quantity is about 250 grams (or to fill a 10 oz jar). Choose only pink/red variety of rose which has a fine flavor. Over a period of 10-20 days the petals dry out and the sugar layer melts to form a syrup. At this stage, take out the entire contents and make a paste (use mortar pestle). Put this mixture in a jar with a lid. The GULKHAN is now ready to use.
Mint syrup
From Trey Jackson,
Here’s an Iranian mint syrup; it doesn’t use a huge amount of mint —so dry some to make tea with too. I don’t know about canning it, but it lasts well in the fridge for up to a year. Actually we use those German ale bottles with the ceramic “corks”.
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 lemon juiced
6 large sprigs of mint (4-5” in length)
Stir sugar and water over medium heat to boil until sugar dissolves. Add vinegar and lemon juice and return to steady boil. Boil over medium heat 15-18 minutes (skimming as required). Wash and drain the sprigs of mint and add to the boiling syrup. boil one minutes. Take off heat and let cool to room temperature. Store in closed container in refrigerator. One traditional way to use this is to dip leaves of lettuce in it and eat. It is also good to drink: use a little bit in a glass of cold soda water.
4.6.3 Miscellaneous sweets
From (Waldek Trafidlo)
When I was a kid in Poland years ago my neighbor would prepare a rose petal spread by simply grinding rose petals with sugar, adjusting the proportions to taste as she went. I believe it required some days for the taste to settle but even during preparation it had a wonderful, “elegant” taste. She would often use in baking, also to sweeten and flavour tea.
4.6.4 Edible flowers
Best of the herbal forums: http://www.henriettesherbal.com/archives/best/1996/pansies.html
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/faqs/culi-4-5-butter.html
4.5 Herb butter
* Herb butter
Herb Butter
From Henriette:
1 part butter (room temperature)
1 part oil (room temperature)
2-5 parts water (room temperature) (optional)
either finely chopped fresh herbs, or crushed dry herbs, to taste
salt?
Blend butter and oil together, add finely chopped herbs to taste, add water in drops (like you add oil when you make mayonnaise).
Can’t say if you need to add some salt to this recipe, but I’m used to it, as Finnish butter always contains salt.
My favorite herbs to add to this: parsley, or lovage, or celeriac leaves, or fresh black currant leaves (Ribes nigrum) - Yum! Don’t restrict yourself to garden-grown herbs, there’s lots of good stuff growing in the woods and fields. And let your taste buds decide.
I make a larger batch and freeze what I won’t use right away - if you add water this will only keep for about a week or so in the fridge.
Basil herb butter
From “Susan K. Wehe”
On using basil: mix with chives, parsley and butter to form an herb butter. Different basils create different tastes.
1/2 lb margarine
1 TLB chives
1 TLB parsley
1 TLB basil
It will take weeks to copy all that is here, these are the indexes:
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/faqs/culi-cont.html
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/faqs/medi-cont.html
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/articles/index.html
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/blog/
The next link, deals with medicine/herbs, past what I would suggest to anyone, still there are items worth thinking about in some of the articles.
http://www.herbological.com/herblog/
About herbs, growing and using, nice site:
http://www.myherbalnotebook.com/
http://desertmedicinewoman.blogspot.com/
Sunday, November 16, 2008
let thy food be thy medicine
Here’s a brief article I recently wrote for the community gardens newsletter. Enjoy!
Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine
Darcey French
Certified Clinical Herbalist, Clinical Nutritionist, Presidio Gardener
The father of Medicine, Hippocrates said, “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” As a lover of plants, both wild and domestic, I’ve learned that some of our most common food plants can be amazing medicines. Here is just a small selection of in-season vegetables, and their lesser known medicinal uses.
Carrot (Daucus carota)
The freshly grated root of the common garden carrot makes a wonderful poultice for nasty sores and ulcers that just won’t heal; painful, festering, and don’t form a scab, i.e. bedsores, cold sores, diabetic ulcers, and persistent boils or cysts. The carrot poultice stimulates the body’s natural healing processes (granulation), cleanses, cools inflammation and reduces the pain. William Cook, a doctor and herbalist in the 1800’s said, “Sores in which it seems impossible to arouse a healing process by ordinary means will usually improve at once under this application. The raw carrots are not to be continued after full vital action in the part has been established.” To make a poultice, grate a fresh carrot and lay it on cloth in a layer about ¼ - ½ inch thick. Lay the cloth carrot side down on the affected area, and wrap the cloth/carrot with another cloth or loose ace bandage to hold it in place. Leave on for 20-30 min. Poultices are most effective when applied several times a day, use a fresh carrot for each application.
Beet (Beta vulgaris)
Beets have long been used in Europe as a liver cleansing and blood building food medicine. Beets contain betaine, a potent nutrient that helps to breakdown homocysteine (a major contributor to cardiovascular disease), and increases liver production of glutathione and superoxide dismutase. These antioxidants are vital to healthy liver function and are considered preventative for cancer. Beet juice or raw beet is helpful for constipation, but start with small doses (1 oz of juice), otherwise it may cause diarrhea. Rich in iron and blood building nutrients, beets are a good food for menstruating women who tend to get pale, dizzy, and weak during menses.
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)
Many people have heard of drinking raw cabbage juice for gastrointestinal ulcers, it was a prime remedy used the by the ancient Romans for gangrene, war wounds and more, and is an excellent drawing agent for skin infections. A cabbage leaf poultice stimulates circulation and is used in mastitis, arthritis, bruises and sprains, sore throats, and lung congestion. Take a whole cabbage leaf, bruise with a jar or rolling pin, lay on the affected area, and cover with a cloth or ace bandage, leave on for 20-30 minutes, until the leaf becomes warm.
Garlic (Allium sativum)
Garlic is well known for its beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease like lowering LDL cholesterol levels and hypertension. But garlic is so much more! Garlic is one of my personal favorite food medicines for fighting off all sorts of winter illnesses and infections. If I feel like I’m coming down with anything at all (sore throat, sniffles, influenza, cough, UTI) I often reach for some fresh garlic. The easiest way is to crush a quarter clove, smother in honey, taken by the teaspoon every hour. Garlic can be hard on the stomach so I usually suggest taking fresh garlic with food. One of my favorite flu-season recipes is a syrup made with equal portions of honey, garlic and ginger juice (use a juicer for this). The secret to this recipe though, is to bury your jar of syrup in the earth for 17 days. This recipe was passed down to me from my teacher, who learned it from an elder Yogi from India. It keeps well in the fridge for the winter season (3-4 months), and is much easier on the stomach than fresh garlic. Mix in salad dressings, marinades, or take plain in hot water. Garlic is also an excellent remedy for infections on the skin. Never use fresh garlic directly on your skin though, as it will burn and blister. Chopped garlic can be steeped in warm water, wine or vinegar (overnight and strained) and used to wash infected wounds.
This is just a smattering of the many medicinal uses for plants we grow as vegetables in our gardens. As with any herbal medicine, you should always do your own research or consult with someone knowledgeable about the use and safety of botanical medicines. It is prudent to seek the advice of a health practitioner if symptoms do not improve or get worse.
Questions or comments? Feel free to e-mail me @ shamana.flora@gmail.com.
References:
University of Maryland Medical Center, Betaine.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/betaine-000287.htm
Welcome.
Do join in, or come and read when you can.
http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/11/recipe-for-farinata-with-rosemary-and.html
Recipe for Farinata with Rosemary and Pepper (Italian Chickpea Flatbread or Pancake)
FarinataThis slightly crispy chickpea flatbread called Farinata comes from the region of Italy called Liguria, and it’s something I’ve been wanting to try for a long time. It’s made by combining water, olive oil, and chickpea flour, letting it rest, seasoning with herbs and black pepper, and then baking in an ultra-hot oven, and this same combination of ingredients is called Socca in France and Cecina or Torta de Ceci in other parts of Italy. Since the batter is made entirely with chickpea flour, it’s gluten free and extremely low-glycemic, perfect for a South Beach Dieter who’s been wanting a crunchy snack.
I’ve been to Italy, but not to Liguria, so I have no idea if my way of making this is authentic. The farinata I’ve seen on other blogs looks much more yellow, and I’m wondering if the chickpea flour in Italy may be a bit different, but this version was delicious and it’s definitely something I’ll be making again. This delicious flatbread with rosemary is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, now managed by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once, and hosted by Heather from Diary of a Fanatic Foodie this week. Here is more information about WHB if you’d like to participate.
Finding the Chickpea Flour may be tricky if you don’t live in a big city. I’d check European, Indian, or Middle Eastern markets, or you can follow that link and buy it from Amazon.com. (Full disclaimer, Kalyn’s Kitchen earns a few cents on the dollar when you buy things I’ve linked to, so thanks to anyone who does.)
Most recipes I saw said the flour/water/olive oil combination should rest for a while before it’s cooked. I let it rest overnight the first time and only 3 hours the second time, and didn’t see too much difference in the end result. After the thin batter had rested, I mixed in finely chopped rosemary.
I didn’t have a cast iron griddle like this is cooked on in Italy, so I preheated my pan in the 450F oven before I poured the batter in, then ground black pepper over the top. This pan is 9” X 13” but if you’re using the oven I think the pan could be a little larger. (Thanks to a sharp commenter for noticing I didn’t mention that!)
Here’s the cooked farinata, which I cut into cracker-shaped pieces. Since then I’ve read that it’s cooked on round pans in Italy and cut into irregular shaped pieces. I’ve been thinking of buying a round cast-iron frying pan, which seems like it would be perfect for cooking this. I’m also thinking that I made it too thick, after reading about it on other blogs. Stay tuned for more Farinata experiments!
Farinata (Italian Chickpea Flatbread)
(Inspired by recipes from Beyond Salmon and Lucullian Delights.)
1 cup chickpea flour
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp. salt
2 T olive oil (plus 1 T more for greasing pan)
1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary (or use a smaller amount of dried rosemary, ground in a mortar and pestle or pounded with something heavy)
coarse ground black pepper
Mix together chickpea flour and salt, mix in water and olive oil and let the batter rest several hours or longer. (Some recipes recommend sifting the flour and salt together, but I just whisked the water into it.)
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450F, then preheat the pan for about 10 minutes. (I cooked this in a small toaster oven which doesn’t get hotter than 450F. If your oven goes higher, I would use a higher temperature.) Finely chop 1 T fresh rosemary (or grind a smaller amount of dried rosemary) and whisk into batter. Remove pan from oven, pour in about 1 T olive oil and spread around, then pour in batter. Grind a generous amount of black pepper over batter.
Bake the farinata until it’s starting to crisp and brown around the edges, about 20-25 minutes. This is meant to be served warm, but I thought it was also delicious cold, when it become slightly crisp like a cracker.
South Beach Suggestions:
Since chickpeas are such a perfect low-glycemic ingredient, this delightful snack is perfect for any phase of the South Beach Diet. If you like South Beach Diet friendly hummus, I’m guessing you will like this too. (Edit - Thanks to a reader named Mare who reminded me in the comments that this would be a great vehicle for delivering hummus to your mouth too!)
More Versions of Farinata from Around the Web:
Farinata from Beyond Salmon
Chickpea Farinata with Onions and Black Pepper from Lucullian Delights
Farinata from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once
Farinata from Viaggi and Sappori
Fa-ri-na-ta from Creampuffs in Venice
(Find more Farinata Recipes using Food Blog Search.)
All your comments about Arizona are making me a little homesick. I lived in Phoenix for 20 years before moving over here to Fresno. My dad grew up here and always bragged that you could grow anything in this valley. It’s true! It’s like living in a gigantic garden with all the vineyards and orchards. Even Fresno State U has a full square mile of farms right in the middle of town, and you can buy school-grown food over at the farm store. They have the best sausage, “slim-jim” wannabes and ice cream!
We’re soon going to be moving back to our mobile home in the foothills where it’s so dark you can see every star in the sky and you can hear the coyotes and owls, and watch the bluebirds and scrub jays flit from tree to ground. And the gambrel quails will run across the ground and in the spring their adorable babies will follow them in a queue. And Fresno is just down the hill.
I can’t wait to move back. The park owner has rules about growing stuff but we are hoping he’ll give us a small waiver if we don’t use any more water than we normally do. If not, we can do container gardening and grow herbs. Let me know if you want to see pictures of the park.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2132428/posts
Time spent on benefits choices could save money (surviving socialism)
Seattle Post Intelligencer ^ | 10-24-08 | MICHELLE SINGLETARY
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2008 6:35:44 PM by RKBA Democrat
WHILE YOU’RE CAUGHT UP in watching the stock market ricochet or worrying about the current market value of your home, don’t forget the mundane matters of your personal finances.
My danger time was the month of January, dull and bored after Christmas excitement, that was my “I wanta work with color and texture period”.**
LOL Me too!
Kudzu?! Yuck! For some reason, our county is not inundated like others. Maybe the salt in the air? Who knows? I don’t care why—that stuff is EVIL!
I’ve read that’s it’s edible. Not gonna try it—no sir—talk about nightmares! Horrible ones with things writhing in your belly and... Unuh. LOL
Thanks.
Heavenly Father, please put Your healing Hand on granny’s body and strengthen her arms, and enable her to enjoy comfort, as she is Your faithful servant. By the power of the Holy Spirit, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
FDA to open China offices after product scares
Posted on Monday, November 17, 2008 at 10:18am
BEIJING – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will open three offices in China this week in an unprecedented effort to improve the safety of exports headed to America amid recurring product safety scares. The new FDA offices, which are the first outside of the United States, will increase effectiveness in protecting for American and Chinese consumers, according to the office of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. Full Story
CLENBUTEROL FOOD POISONING - CHINA
*************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: 17 Nov 2008
Source: Epoch Times [edited]
http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/china/china-outbreak—clenbuterol-food-poisoning-7256.html
Clenbuterol food poisoning was reported in
Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. Since 10 Nov
2008, 70 employees of the Zhongmao Plastics
Products company in Jiaxing have been diagnosed.
A pork dish served at the Zhongmao cafeteria
lunch meal was identified as the source.
A Chinese hospital doctor, Hao Jun (alias),
confirmed to The Epoch Times that the patients
shared similar and obvious symptoms: palpitation,
nausea, vomiting, dizziness, chest tightness,
uneasiness, shaking, trembling, weakness, and instability.
Hao said, “Some patients have been seen at the
hospital. More than 20 patients suffered from
severe poisoning. Others were seen at other
hospitals. Most patients have been released.
Those who were in critical condition have also
been stabilized, although the side effects are yet to be observed.”
Dr. Hao Jun indicated that clenbuterol is an
asthma medicine. It will speed up the catabolism
of fat in pigs if used in pig feed. It will also
enhance the lean meat and muscle in pigs. It is
heat stable and will not decompose until it’s
heated to over 172 C. Therefore, cooking will not
eliminate clenbuterol toxicity. It will
accumulate in the human body through ingestion.
Long term consumption will lead to malignant
tumors and pose particular danger to patients who
have high blood pressure or diabetes. If the
intake is excessive, the poisoning can be life-threatening.
Dr. Hao mentioned that because one of his
relatives owns a pig feed company, he was made
aware of the “secret” about pig feed additives.
Clenbuterol added to feed will not only shorten
the growth time but also increase the sale price.
Growth hormone is also added. Poison chemicals
such as arsenic have also been added to enhance
the redness and shine of the pork skin and hair.
Some might even add tranquilizers or sleeping
pills to make pigs sleep. Long term consumption
of pork adulterated with these feeds might lead
to retardation. The hormones and chemicals could
also endanger lives and lead to many illnesses.
“It is not realistic to expect the public [to] be
cautious. The critical point is the monitoring
mechanism of the government,” Dr. Hao expressed,
“The government’s response has always been the
same: “The case is being investigated, and
sanction is warranted.” However, it always ends
with no action. Therefore, those who committed
the crime have nothing to fear. I believe there’s
some sort of collusion and conflict of interest
between the business and the officials.”
Pork containing clenbuterol often has a bright red skin with very little fat.
According to partial data, since 1998, there have
been at least 18 clenbuterol food poisoning cases
in China. More than 1700 people have been poisoned, with one confirmed death.
Between 8-18 Oct 2008, there were 3 food
poisonings confirmed caused by clenbuterol in pork meals in Guangdong Province.
During September 2006, a series of food borne
illnesses occurred in Shanghai and sickened more
than 300 people. These were confirmed to be
related to meals with pork or pig intestines
containing clenbuterol. In June of the same year,
employees of a hotel in Foshan suffered from
clenbuterol food poisoning. Also, hundreds of
workers in a glass factory in Guangdong Province
were poisoned by meals containing clenbuterol in May 2006.
Hao Jun emphasized, “Considering the infant
formula food borne illness [melamine poisoning],
and the massive incidences of poor food quality
and safety, problems in China’s processed foods are increasingly worrisome.”
[Byline: Xin Fei]
—
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via
ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org
[It is well known that clenbuterol is a metabolic
stimulator resulting in a lower fat level. It is
illegal to use in livestock in the US.
Clenbuterol is also used as a bronchodilator in
human patients and illegally used as a weight loss stimulant in humans.
Although the mechanism is not understood,
clenbuterol in swine can and does seem to cause problems in humans. - Mod.TG]
[ProMED-mail would like to thank Dr. Angela Huang
huang.songen@gmail.com for submitting a similar
article translated from Chinese.
In a report on food safety by the Institute for
Agricultural Sciences of Viet Nam, discusses the
use of beta agonists in swine feed. This
document mentions that only a small amount of
clenbuterol is excreted and metabolized, with the
majority of the drug remaining in muscles and
organs (liver and kidney). Humans, when using
food processed from these animals show the same
manifestations as if they had directly inhaled a
treatment dose of clenbuterol with increased
heart rate leading to coronary arteriectasia
(arterial distension) , bronchoectasia
(irreversible local bronchial dilitation), and a
concommitant stimulation of insulin release and
glycolysis.
http://iasvn.org/uploads/files/bai15-food%20safety_0827160350.pdf
Symptoms compatible with the description provided in the above newswire.
Of note, a similar incident occurred in Hong Kong
in 1998 involving 9 people eating pork lungs that
were found to have concentrations of
clenbuterol ranging between 1 and 24 micrograms
per kilogram. (see Pork, contaminated,
clenbuterol - China (Hong Kong) 19980505.0876).
For a map of China, see
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/china_pol01.jpg
For the interactive HealthMap/ProMED map of China
with links to other recent ProMED postings on
events in China and neighboring countries, see
http://healthmap.org/promed/en?v=36.5,103.9,4
selected references:
1 Martinez-Navarro JF, Food poisoning related to
consumption of illicit beta-agonist in liver, Lancet 336 (1990), p. 1311.
2. Brambilla G, Loizzo A, Fontana L et al., Food
poisoning following consumption of
clenbuterol-treated veal in Italy, J Am Med Assoc 278 (1997), p. 635.
3 Brambilla G, Cenci T, Franconi F., Clinical
and pharmacological profile in a clembuterol
epidemic poisoning of contaminated beef meat in
Italy, Toxicol Lett 114 (2000), pp. 47–53.
4. Ramos F, silveira I, Silva JM, Barbosa J, Cruz
C, Martins J, Neves C, Alves C.Proposed
guidelines for clenbuterol food poisoning. Am J
Med. 1 September 2004. 117(5): 362-362
- Mod.MPP]
[see also:
1998
BOTULISM, INFUSED OLIVE OIL - UNITED KINGDOM: (ENGLAND), RISK, RECALL
*********************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Thu 13 Nov 2008
Source: EDP24 [edited]
http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED13%20Nov%202008%2012%3A44%3A31%3A877
A Norfolk manufacturer is recalling bottles of olive oil because they
could contain potentially lethal bacteria. Seymours of Norfolk has
discovered a technical fault that may have led to some products
containing a small amount of water, which could lead to the growth of
dangerous bacteria causing botulism.
There have only been 33 recorded cases of food-borne botulism in
England and Wales during the last 25 years, with 26 of these cases
being linked to a single outbreak caused by contaminated hazelnut yoghurt.
Seymours, which is based in Bakers Road, Norwich, supplies farm shops
and delicatessens in Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire, London,
Sheffield, and Stratford-upon-Avon and has recalled 7 varieties of
infused olive oil products. The affected varieties are rosemary,
thyme, basil, garlic, lime, lemon, and chilli in 250 mL glass bottles
and from the cask.
The bottles being recalled have a ‘best before date’ prior to and
including March 2009. Other Seymours of Norfolk products are not
affected. Anyone who has bought any of the products listed is asked
to return it to the shop where they purchased it to receive a refund
or a bottle of olive oil and vinegar.
[Byline: Anne Gould]
—
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
promed@promedmail.org
[The following discussion is taken from a previous ProMED-mail
posting (Botulism, bottled garlic - Denmark (03): discussion 20030209.0342):
Infused oils have previously been implicated in botulism outbreaks in
the USA and worldwide (1-4). An acidification step in the preparation
of infused oil may be necessary to prevent the potential production
of botulism toxins.
As a result of previous outbreaks in Vancouver, BC (Canada) and in
the state of New York (USA), the Food and Drug Administration Food
Code now requires 2 barriers in the destruction of spores and in the
prevention of toxin production in a commercial product of this type
(reduced oxygen packaging): 1) destruction of the spores by heat
(thermal processing) 2) inhibition of toxin production by altering
the food through acidification, controlling aw (water activity), the
use of salt and preservatives or refrigeration. Also, it is because
some single barriers can result in a product unacceptable to
consumers that multiple barriers are used. The common 2nd barrier in
infused oil of this kind is acidification via phosphoric or citric
acid, for example. The pH of the final product should be 4.6 or less.
1. Morse DL, Pickard LK, Guzewich JJ, et al: Garlic-in-oil associated
botulism: episode leads to product modification. Am J Pub Health
1990; 80: 1372-3 (available at
http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/80/11/1372
2. Solomon H, Kautter DA, Rhodehamel EJ, et al: Evaluation of
unacidified products bottled in oil for outgrowth and toxin
production by _Clostridium botulinum_. J Food Protect 1990; 54: 648-9
(abstract available at
http://www.onefish.org/servlet/CDSServlet?status=ND0yNDMxNDcudG9ybGliSVBFMjk1NzMmNj1lbiYzMz1kb2N1bWVudHMmMzc9aW5mbw~~
3. Solomon HM, Kautter DA: Outgrowth and toxin production by
_Clostridium botulinum_ in bottled chopped garlic. J Food Protect
1988; 51: 862-5.
4. St. Louis ME, et al: Botulism from chopped garlic: delayed
recognition of a major outbreak. Ann Intern Med 1988; 108: 363-368
(abstract available at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3341673
- Mod.LL
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of England is available at
http://healthmap.org/promed/en?g=2641455&v=53,-1,6 - CopyEd.MJ]
[see also:
Botulism, precooked commercial food - France 20080911.2843
Botulism, canned truffle sauce - Italy: alert, recall 20080602.1760
Botulism, foie gras - France: risk, recall 20080102.0016
2007
Thank you, I think that I have had two extra years, due to the Freeper prayers that have continued for me.
For everyone of them, I am thankful.
[Smile]
You are welcome, anytime.
With the instructions, were photos of kudzu, LOL, and it makes me laugh, to think I paid good money for it, 30 or more years ago and it would not grow here.
The only thing that grows like that here, is bermuda /crabgrass...
Years ago, someone sent Art Bell, seeds that they said had plans to take over the world........Art made a big production of it and vowed to keep them safe and not share them with anyone.
I suspect that they were kudzu.
I have worked with honeysuckle vines, they were old ones and I soaked and used them and was pleased with the results, but then I did not mind the different colors, etc.
After about 20 years, pieces of it would break off, and LOL, now I have a small basket/reminder of visiting Myrt, on the day she cut down all her honeysuckle, from the trellis.
I am on dial up and a lot of photos will jam me up, often to a crash point, but one I would like to see.
Isn’t life odd?
My first memories of California, is at Aunt Corene’s place on a Firebaugh farm..
I remember her feeding us pheasants, from the crops, they were a pest to the plants, and frog legs, this was in the 1930’s.
She was married to Jim Matthews, their children are still in the area.
Arizona, now that was where you drove through, late at night, to escape the heat.
And then the doctor told Bill to move to Arizona and we did.
I would not be able to live in a town, have tried once in the past 38 years and I lasted 3 months and went back to my mountain.
I have had a family of quail, for the 30 years that I have owned this place, they sleep in the big Mulberry tree, that is about 15 or 20 foot from the mobile.
They will even go to bed, if you are sitting in its shade.
Papa sits on the fence post, till the babies and ladies are bedded down, then he joins them....and you hear the babies all murmuring “daddy is home”. Then silence, until morning and Papa leaves to make sure all is safe.
Guinea Hens and Quail are fun, the males raise the babies and teach them the ways of the world.
You can sit your watch, by watching them, they will follow the same route, eating the bugs, on a timed and routed plan.
1. GE Recalls to Inspect and Repair Wall Ovens Due to Fire and Burn Hazards (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09046.html)
2. Lithium-Ion Batteries Used with Bicycle Lights Recalled By DiNotte Lighting Due to Burn Hazard (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09045.html)
Excuse me if this has already been posted, but I found some interesting information available for free download. It is a 12-part series called Canner’s Corner: Enjoying Summer’s Bounty, and it’s available from the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service. It has guidelines for safely canning or freezing food and includes recipes.
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