[nw_arizona_granny]

Are you listening to the second hour of Rush Limbaugh?

When he came back from the half hour break, he had a caller, a nice woman, who praised him and asked about that bed Rush advertises, she and her husband both have back problems.

She said she was saving her money to buy one.

Rush said “I will tell you what I am going to do, I am going to give you one, because you will need your money to buy canned goods, the way Obama is going on.”

Of course she thanked him.

“No, don’t hang up, I will tell you what else I am going to do,
no, I am not giving you a heater, as the way Obama is going, you won’t have the electric. I am going to give you a can opener, a manual can opener, for all those cans of food that you are going to buy with the money you have saved for the bed, for you will need it.”

I was setting here thinking “Rush, you just started a run on canned goods.”

Remember when Johnny Carson told a little joke about a shortage of toilet paper and the whole country rushed out and stocked up on it, cause Johnny said there was a shortage.

And that is a true story, for I heard it all and went to the store to late to stock up.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://web.mac.com/jwesolek/iWeb/cre8it/Blog/Blog.html

How To . . .
Transfer Colored Pencil Designs to Ultrasuede Tags
Monday, March 9, 2009
Making beautiful Ultrasuede Tags with colored pencil transfers
read more... | 3 Comments

Colored Pencil Transfer
to Ultrasuede!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Colored Pencil transfers on Ultrasuede are Ultra gorgeous . . .
read more... | 11 Comments

Transfers with Colored Pencil
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Sheer Heaven will transfer a watercolor pencil drawing . . .
read more... | 6 Comments

The Bewitching Hour. . .
Idea Processing
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Dawn is a time for quietly creating . . .
read more... | 12 Comments

How much is too much?
Monday, March 2, 2009
Thoughts on too much, too little, and the acceptance of both . . .
read more... | 28 Comments

Tooting Their Horns . . .
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Some absolutely fabulous design work done by students like you
read more... | 12 Comments

[nw_arizona_granny]

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/lb_breadmaker.html

Basic White Bread

1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons powdered milk
2 TBSP oil (l usually use canola)
1 tsp salt
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp yeast

Just use the standard wet on the bottom dry on top mixing process. This is delicious with butter and honey while it is still hot.

Grain & Honey Bread

3/4 cup warm water
2 TBSP honey (liquid or melted)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP lemon juice
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (mixed grain flower is OK too)
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tsps granulated yeast

Put the salt in the breadmaker first, then add all other ingredients except the yeast, oats and flour. Add the oats and flour. Make a small hole at the top of the dry ingredients for the yeast. Bake as usual.

Cheesy Buttermilk Bread

This yields a moist and tasty loaf. It also stores very well, but you’ll probably finish it before that even matters!

1 and 1/8 cups buttermilk
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
.75 cup extra sharp chedder (grated)
3 cups bread flour
1.5 tsps bread machine yeast

Prepare as usual. All wet ingredients first, then the cheese, then dry ingredients, and the yeast on top.

Oat Bread

Use natural rolled oats. Just put them in a pot with boiling water, and then let them soak until they cool off. Then add the other ingredients and proceed as usual.

1 cup rolled oats
11 fl.oz. water
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp yeast

Baking bread is a wonderfully delicious way to add great nutrition to you family’s diet. Give the recipes a try and add some flavour to your meals.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.nationalterroralert.com/updates/2009/03/10/emergency-this-book-will-save-your-life/

Emergency This Book Will Save Your Life
Submitted by national on Tuesday, 10 March 2009No Comment

Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life, a new book by author Neil Strauss was released today. The book follows the “lessons learned” by Strauss as he spent several years researching individual emergency preparedness and what to do in a worst-case scenario.

Terrorist attacks. Natural disasters. Domestic crackdowns. Economic collapse. Riots. Wars. Disease. Starvation.

What can you do when when there is no one to turn to, no one to help…. You’re on your own in a major crisis or emergency?

You can learn to be self-sufficient and survive without the system.

**I’ve started to look at the world through apocalypse eyes.** So begins Neil Strauss’s harrowing new book: his first full-length worksince the international bestseller The Game, and one of the most original-and provocative-narratives of the year.

After the last few years of violence and terror, of ethnic and religious hatred, of tsunamis and hurricanes–and now of world financial meltdown–Strauss, like most of his generation, came to the sobering realization that, even in America, anything can happen. But rather than watch helplessly, he decided to do something about it. And so he spent three years traveling through a country that’s lost its sense of safety, equipping himself with the tools necessary to save himself and his loved ones from an uncertain future.

It’s one man’s story of a dangerous world–and how to stay alive in it.

I’ll review the book within the next couple of weeks and possibly give away a few copies in an upcoming promotion on the Homeland Security Response Network site.

We’ve also added a discussion in the forum.
Available at Amazon.com

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Public-Safety-Canada-956031.html

[This article has many hidden links in it...granny]

Public Safety Canada

Is Your Family Prepared?-GetPrepared.ca

Mar 02, 2009 10:15 ET
Minister Launches New Advertising on Emergency Preparedness

OTTAWA, ONTARIO—(Marketwire - March 2, 2009) -

NOTE TO EDITORS: A video, audio clips and photos are included with this release.

Core news facts:

- New television and Internet advertising about emergency preparedness was unveiled today by the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety.

- The advertising supports the “72 hours...Is Your Family Prepared?” social marketing campaign, designed to improve Canada’s readiness to prepare for and respond to an emergency by mobilizing families to take three practical steps:

- Know the risks in their area

- Make a family emergency plan

- Get a family emergency kit

- The television ad works backwards in time to show a family successfully coping through 72 hours of an emergency situation, thanks to having prepared an emergency kit.

- Minister Van Loan presented the television ads to a group of 60 emergency management specialists and first responders being trained at the Canadian Emergency Management College.

Quotes

The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety: “Preparing for an emergency is a responsibility we all share. Having a plan and an emergency kit to cope with the first 72 hours of an emergency can make a world of difference in keeping a family safe and comfortable, and helps first responders to focus their resources on those in urgent need.” Click for Audio File.

Louise Geoffrion, Program Manager, Canadian Red Cross: “We always try to get the message out that everyone has to be prepared. In the case of an emergency, everybody has a role to play. That’s why we train people in first aid and CPR and tell people to have an emergency kit. Being prepared yourself could mean saving the life of a loved one.” Click for Audio File.

Les Johnson, Director of Client Services, St. John Ambulance: “Many of the things we take for granted such as drug stores and bank machines might be closed in an emergency so it’s absolutely vital to have a back-up plan just in case. And knowing that emergency supplies are on hand and in one place gives you peace of mind and a sense of security.” Click for Audio File.

Rick Larabie, Ottawa Fire Chief / Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs:

“First responders are trained to be prepared for any kind of emergency. But it always helps when people take steps on their own to stay informed and safe so that emergency workers can focus on those who need help quickly and urgently. Doing your part to prepare yourself, your home and your families helps all of us to help you.” Click for Audio File.

A emergency prepardness guide is available here

A shopping list of emergency kit items is available here

Background:

Since the “72 Hours...Is Your Family Prepared?” campaign was launched in November 2006, over one million people have visited the www.GetPrepared.ca website, and more than 2.5 million Emergency Preparedness Guides have been distributed throughout Canada; even more have been accessed through 1-800 O Canada or downloaded from the website.

In this campaign, Public Safety Canada works with the Canadian Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, The Salvation Army, police and fire chiefs, provinces and territories and others with a shared interest in seeing Canadians better prepared and able to recover more quickly from natural or human-induced emergencies.

The campaign has successfully encouraged more Canadians to take action to prepare. One in five Canadians who saw the 72 Hours advertising from last year say they took action as a direct result of seeing the ads.

Despite a number of weather-related emergencies in recent years, most Canadians are still not well-prepared to sustain themselves for the first 72 hours of an emergency.

For example, given the gap that exists between those who believe they have a kit (43 percent) and those whose kits contain all the recommended basic items (estimated at 8 percent), further effort is required to raise awareness of appropriate kit contents.

For more information, please contact
Public Safety Canada
Media Relations
613-991-0657

Back

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[nw_arizona_granny]

The Simple Dollar

Active, Passive, and Portfolio Frugality: Where Should One Start?

Posted: 10 Mar 2009 01:00 PM PDT

One of the most common ideas expressed in personal finance books is distinguishing between three different kinds of income:

Active income is earned through your active effort - in other words, the money you make from your job. Your paycheck is active income. Income from any side businesses you have is active income. Incidental earnings, like finding money on the street, is active income, too, since you actually had to contribute effort to receive it at all.

Passive income is income that you receive without continual active effort. Income from a rental property is passive income. Book royalties are passive income. A website you set up once, put ads on, and walked away from is passive income.

Portfolio income is income that you receive from your financial investments. Interest from your savings account is portfolio income, as are dividends from your stock holdings or income from selling an investment.

What intrigues me about this division of incomes is that it lines up well with different types of frugality.

First of all, there’s active frugality. Active frugality results from continuous effort and continuous choices to save money. Using a shopping list at the grocery store is active frugality - you have to make up a shopping list each time, but you’re rewarded with the money you save on the shopping trip.

On the other hand, passive frugality is the result of simply not doing something. Choosing to continue to use a crock pot with a broken lid handle is an example of passive frugality. Wearing well-worn socks is another example. Driving your car until it completely breaks down is yet another example. Simply put, you can save a lot of money by simply using things until they’re completely used up.

A third type of frugality is what I’d call portfolio frugality. Portfolio frugality happens when you make an initial investment of time or money into something that will pay dividends slowly over a long time. Installing energy efficient lighting in your home is a form of portfolio frugality. Putting in a programmable thermostat is portfolio frugality. Putting a black cover over the windows in an unused room is portfolio frugality.

From where I sit, most of the negative reputation that frugality gets comes from active frugality (”it seems like a lot of work to save a little money”) and excessive passive frugality (”what kind of cheapskate has holes in their socks?”). Those forms of frugality tend to run more against the grain of mainstream society and meet more resistance from others.

Thus, if you’re getting started on frugality, I recommend trying out portfolio frugality and a few basic pieces of passive frugality. Do things like swapping your light bulbs out, installing a programmable thermostat, and waiting another year or two to upgrade your computer or cell phone.

As you get more and more used to the pleasures of saving money, you can continue to push things until you find your comfort level. Try out higher levels of passive frugality (can’t you get a few more miles out of those socks?) and dabble in active frugality, too (why not make a grocery list before you go? How about cutting out those stops at the fast food restaurant?). Eventually, you’ll find your own comfort level, where you see yourself saving plenty of money but not behaving in a way that makes you feel “cheap.”

Personally, I really enjoy seeking out “portfolio frugality” options. I love doing things up front that continually save me money over the long haul without my active intervention or without any real change in my quality of life.

My Weekly Personal Finance Routine

Posted: 10 Mar 2009 07:00 AM PDT

net worth workoutAlmost as soon as my review of Susan Feitelberg’s The Net Worth Workout was posted, several readers wrote to me with great interest about my own weekly personal finance routine. One came from Alex:

How exactly do you fill an hour and a half each week working on your personal finances? I only need to spend a few minutes. Isn’t an hour and a half kind of a waste of time?

I should point out here that I actually spend a lot more than an hour and a half a week thinking about personal finance - after all, I spend a lot of time doing research explicitly for this site. I spend my weekly personal finance session focusing entirely on my own financial situation, although it quite often produces a good handful of ideas for The Simple Dollar.

So, how do I fill this hour and a half each week?

I make sure all my bills are paid. This involves going through all of the mail received in the last week, pulling out the bills, and paying them using online banking. I also pay several bills by checking their balances online on the first Sunday of the month and paying those with online banking.

I check all of my accounts just to make sure they’re in good standing. This usually involves logging onto a small handful of websites and checking my statements and recent transactions there.

On the first Sunday of each month, I prepare a monthly personal finance statement. This usually takes about an hour or so, since it requires collecting a lot of data from various places, organizing it, and doing a lot of comparisons to earlier months (mostly for my own interest).

I read prospectuses for the index funds I’m invested in or considering investing in. Lately, I’ve been reading a big pile of prospectuses from Vanguard. This way, I gain a strong understanding of what their funds are actually indexing and whether or not I want to invest in them myself.

I do research for upcoming major purchases. Lately, this has mostly involved research into automobiles. I take down a lot of notes, then compile them into useful “talking points” for the decision my wife and I are making.

I engage my wife in discussions on some of these issues. We talk about our goals. We talk about how our investments and income are doing. We talk about our plans for big upcoming purchases. We talk about our dreams, too, and about how they’re constantly evolving and growing and changing.

Each week, I try to learn about something new. Sometimes it’s a skill that could be useful for saving money. Other times, it might be learning about how a specific type of investment works. Quite often, the things I learn about here translate directly into Simple Dollar posts, but I do this learning for my own personal growth and I’d do it regardless of whether or not I was writing The Simple Dollar.

This stuff easily fills an hour and a half. In fact, the “hour and a half” is usually just the length of my children’s nap. If they nap for longer, I dig a little deeper and keep reading.

Because of this routine, I feel myself understanding more and more about some of the nuances of how to manage money. I’m more in touch with my risk tolerance, for one, and my knowledge about specific investments seems to be growing by leaps and bounds.

Why not give it a try? You don’t need to spend an hour and a half - just set aside a half an hour each weekend to do this and grow it from there if you feel it’s appropriate.

http://www.thesimpledollar.com

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.livingonadime.com/newsletter/text-newsletter031009.txt

How to Prepare For Financial Emergencies

The best way to survive unemployment or any financial challenge is
to be prepared ahead of time. Many of us prepare for all kinds of
emergencies — keeping an emergency supply of food, first aid kits
and other emergency supplies. Here in Kansas, we keep one room
prepared where we can go in case a tornado hits. But few of us
prepare for something that is almost guaranteed to hit every one of
us at some time— unemployment.

I hope that today’s ideas will inspire you to prepare for a
financial emergency that is sure to happen at some point in your
life in the same way you prepare for other emergencies.

As hard as it was at the time, I can honestly say that I’m glad I
had the various experiences that I had with unemployment. I really
wouldn’t be the person I am now if I hadn’t. At the time, you
wonder why God is allowing these things to happen in your life and
think it is so unfair but, years later, you find out many of these
things taught you something that really helped you in the long run.

If my husband hadn’t been laid off the first time, we wouldn’t had
started a business he loved. That business enabled him to be at
home with the kids and me. I restarted that same business years
later, which helped me save my home and helped us avoid living out
on the streets. In fact, this web site wouldn’t exist if it hadn’t
been for the job losses I experienced in my life and the things I
learned from them.

The best way to rid yourself of fear and panic is to be prepared
for a situation. I love the story of Joseph in the Bible (Gen. 41)
where God told Joseph that there was a famine coming. What did
Joseph do? Well, he didn’t pay any attention to the news of the
day, nor did he worry about what others were saying. He also didn’t
just sit there knowing that tough times were coming and say, “Que
Sera Sera, what will be, will be”.

He started preparing— preparing in a big way. Maybe we don’t have
grain elevators to fill like he did (Well, on second thought lots
of people in Kansas do :) ), but we can take practical steps now to
prepare in case a “famine” should come in our lives.

I am so tired of listening to people moaning and groaning about
what is going to happen to the world financially. Stop complaining
about it! Take the time and energy you are wasting pointing out how
awful things are and do something constructive about it in your life.

*******************************

Sale Of The Week
Winning The Credit Card Game
$5.00 this week!
(expires March 16th.)

Are you struggling with credit card debt? Do you sometimes wonder
if it will ever go away?

We got out of debt by being smarter with our credit cards. Learn
how we did it in the new “Winning The Credit Card Game” e-book!

Learn More at
http://www.livingonadime.com/ebooks/credit-card-game.html

*******************************

Here are a few things you can do to insulate yourself against
potential financial emergencies:

* Get rid of credit card debt. I know I sound like a broken
record, but credit card debt is something that can make or
break you when money is tight. Once we had a gas card and
furniture card, both of which were maxed out for a total of
$500. The thing that hurt us the most when we had a job layoff
was that credit card debt. We could have paid most of our
bills with a part time job, but each month we had to make
that credit card payment. It almost broke us— and our debt
was nothing compared to some others.

Don’t take this lightly. You can lose everything just because
of that debt. I don’t care what you need to do. Get serious
and aggressive about paying if off. Visit our web site and
refer to our books where we give you thousands of ideas about
how to do it.

* It may seem impossible but stop buying on credit now. Lots
and lots of people don’t buy on credit and do just fine. You
can too. If you don’t have cash to pay for something, live
without it until you can save enough for it. We can live
without most things that we think we can’t live without. My
daughter and I have each gone through a winter without a
refrigerator until we had the money to buy one. It was a pain
keeping the frozen stuff in the cold garage, but we survived.

* Pay off your mortgage. If you are barely making your house
payment, you may have to consider buying a less expensive
house in order to accomplish that goal. The thing that saved
me more than once was never buying a house I couldn’t
reasonably afford. Also, except for a couple of years after
losing a lot of money on one house sale, I have had my house
paid off since I was in my middle 30’s. You can usually make
enough money for minimal food and utilities in tough times,
but it is the house payment that can make or break you. Pay
it off and you won’t have to worry about that anymore.

During the depression, the people who survived the best were
the ones who had their homes paid for and had no debt.

* Save. It’s a toss up when it comes to deciding whether to
save first and then pay your mortgage or visa versa. For me,
having my mortgage paid lifted more of a burden from me.
Additionally, the interest I made on my savings was so much
less than the interest I paid on my mortgage that I was
better off getting rid of my house payment.

Different people feel differently about their situations so
do what is most comfortable for you. The most ideal thing, of
course, is to pay your house off and have a small nest egg.

Don’t panic when you hear the word “savings”. It is so easy
to think “there is no way I can save” but even if you save
only $5 a week, that is something. Most people waste
significantly more than that each day. I found out that having
even an extra $25 helped because it could buy an awful lot of
bread and bologna to feed us.

* Stop worrying about things like college funds until you can
get your finances under control. Those are nice to have but
they aren’t as big a necessity as most people think,
especially when you’re trying not to lose your home. If your
child wants to go to college, he can go to a community
college, get a scholarship or even work to pay his own way
(What a concept).

* Learn useful skills. Learn how to do basic sewing, home
repair, car repair, cooking and yard work. Learn to grow a
garden. You may not have a need to do these things now, but
someday you could find yourself thinking “I wish I knew how
to ____, because it would save me so much money.” Teach your
children life skills as well.

* This last suggestion may seem a little odd but install a wood
burning stove in your home if you don’t have one. For those
of you in colder climates, this can save significant money on
your heating bill.

When we were in our toughest times, I don’t know what I would
have done if I hadn’t had a wood burning stove to heat my home
(or at least part of my home). The heating bill would have
eaten me alive, but I could always find free wood. Even when
I had to have the heater on to keep the pipes from freezing,
I could keep it low enough to save me huge amounts of money.

There are so many things in our lives that we have no control over.
Life happens, but there are some things we can prepare for and
unemployment is one of them.

Get serious with your money and stop being foolish with it. God
didn’t give us prosperity solely to satisfy our “wants”. It is
important to use it wisely, to provide for your needs in good times
and bad. Use the money you have to build a strong foundation for
you family so, when the storms come, your family will be safe and
can ride it out better.

Don’t be selfish, spending too much of your money on things that
give you instant gratifications and pleasure for the moment. Yes,
you do enjoy that big screen TV, that golf game or those expensive
shoes and purses, but what will you feel like further down the road
when you have lost your job and have no clue on how you are going
to save your home or feed your kids?

People who aren’t prepared react very badly to losing their jobs.
They play the blame game. It’s the fault of the boss, the company,
the government, the bank or these hard economic times. We play the
blame game when we are caught doing something foolish or wrong. You
may say, “but I did nothing wrong by losing my job.” No but did you
do something foolish by failing to prepare in case you did lose it?

I’m not saying any of this to judge or condemn anyone. You know
your own circumstances. I’m just telling you this to try and open
your eyes to the importance of being prepared, and not just because
of what is going on now. Unexpected things happen all the time, but
the more prepared we are, the better equipped we are to handle any
financial challenge that presents itself.

*******************************

From A Reader:

“Thank you SO much for the bread baking “secrets” and recipes! I
have a bread maker but have always been intrigued/inspired to do it
the old fashioned way!”

“One of the goals I have this summer for myself and preteen
daughters is to learn and practice making bread this way! It is a
daunting task when you first think about trying, so your tips were
just what I needed to calm my nerves!”

“I have ALL of your books and they all are underlined, highlighted,
and marked with post-it notes! Thank you for the time and sacrifice
you have put into them! They have literally changed the way our
household runs now!”

-Heather C.
Wichita, KS

Learn More about the Living On A Dime books, including the Dining
On A Dime cookbook at http://www.livingonadime.com/ordering.htm

*******************************

The Living On A Dime Newsletter Is Published By:

Kellam Media and Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 844, Andover, KS 67002

[nw_arizona_granny]

Wheat Berry Pudding

Makes 8 servings, about 1/2 cup each
Ingredients

1 cup wheat berries (see Note)
2 tablespoons plus 3 cups low-fat milk, divided
1 cinnamon stick
1 strip orange zest (½ by 2 inches)
Pinch of salt
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup low-fat maple yogurt (optional)
eating well Wheat Berry Pudding Ingredients Cont.

eating well Wheat Berry Pudding Instructions

1. Sort through wheat berries carefully; discard any stones. Rinse well. Place in a large heavy saucepan and add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, adding more water if necessary, until the wheat berries are tender, about 1 hour. Drain well.
2. Place the wheat berries and 2 tablespoons milk in a food processor. Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until most of the wheat berries are coarsely chopped (some may remain whole).
3. Combine the chopped wheat berries, the remaining 3 cups milk, cinnamon stick, orange zest and salt in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the mixture is very thick, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the cinnamon stick and orange zest. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla.
4. Serve warm or chilled, sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with a dollop of maple yogurt, if desired. (Stir in more milk if the pudding gets too thick as it stands.)
eating well Wheat Berry Pudding Instructions Cont.

eating well Wheat Berry Pudding Tips

Cover and refrigerate the cooked wheat berries (Step 1) for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Cover and refrigerate the pudding for up to 2 days.

Note: Wheat berries of any variety (hard, soft, spring or winter) can be used interchangeably. Labeling is inconsistent—you may find them labeled “hard red winter wheat” without the words “wheat berries.” Find them in natural-foods markets and online at kingarthurflour.com. Some recipes instruct soaking overnight, but we found it unnecessary.

To cook: Sort through wheat berries carefully, discarding any stones, and rinse with water. Bring 4 cups water or broth and 1 cup wheat berries to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, but still a little chewy, about 1 hour. Drain.
eating well Wheat Berry Pudding Tips Cont.

eating well Wheat Berry Pudding Nutrition Information

Per serving: 182 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 35 g carbohydrate; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 71 mg sodium; 43 mg potassium.
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 starch. 1/2 low-fat milk, 1 other carbohydrates

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/print/index.php?r=3835

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/gnocchi_chard_white_beans.html

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

Makes 6 servings
Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi (see Tip)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup water
6 cups chopped chard leaves (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
eating well Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans Ingredients Cont.

eating well Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.
eating well Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans Instructions Cont.

eating well Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans Tips

Tip: Look for shelf-stable gnocchi near other pasta in the Italian section of most supermarkets.
eating well Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans Tips Cont.

eating well Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans Nutrition Information

Per serving: 325 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 55 g carbohydrate; 14 g protein; 6 g fiber; 616 mg sodium; 360 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (50% daily value), Vitamin C (40% dv), Calcium & Iron (19% dv).
3 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 fat

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/print/index.php?r=962

Pineapple Coffee Cake

Makes 9 servings
Ingredients

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups diced fresh or canned pineapple chunks, blotted dry and coarsely chopped
¼ cup chopped pecans
eating well Pineapple Coffee Cake Ingredients Cont.

eating well Pineapple Coffee Cake Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Whisk egg, yogurt, oil and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just blended. (Do not overmix.) Fold in pineapple. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Combine pecans and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the batter.
5. Bake the cake until the top is golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Variations
This quick coffee cake can be made with a variety of fruit. Try rhubarb, blueberries or peaches. If using frozen fruit, increase the baking time by 10 to 15 minutes.
eating well Pineapple Coffee Cake Instructions Cont.

eating well Pineapple Coffee Cake Nutrition Information

Per serving: 253 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono); 24 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 476 mg sodium; 94 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (23% daily value).
2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 1/2 other carbohydrate, 2 fat

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.eatingwell.com/printpage.php?fkid=126&tid=5133

10 Secrets to Cooking Healthier

10 Principles of Healthy Cooking

Featured: 5 Quick Dinners That Pack in the Produce
Easy ways to make your everyday meals healthier and tastier.

By Jessie Price & the Editors of EatingWell

Healthy Recipes to Try

If your eating habits are anything like those of most Americans and you are looking for the simplest advice possible we would tell you to eat more vegetables, fruits and whole grains and less of just about everything else. But if you’re ready for just a bit more guidance, our 10 principles of healthy cooking will get you started:

1. Use smart fats. Not all fat is bad. Opt for unsaturated (e.g., olive oil) over saturated fats such as butter. But still use them in moderation because all fats are loaded with calories.

2. Go unrefined. Pick whole grains over refined grains. Whole grains like brown rice and bulgur have their bran intact and thus have more fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and other nutrients.

3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Most people don’t get enough! Aim for 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Pick produce in a variety of colors to get a range of antioxidants and vitamins. A serving size is 1 /2 to 1 cup depending on the fruit or vegetable.

4. It’s not all about the meat. Meat is a great source of protein but it’s also a big source of saturated fat in many people’s diets. So eat small amounts of lean meat, fish and poultry. Fill up the rest of your plate with healthy vegetables and whole grains.

5. Choose low-fat dairy. Dairy products like milk, sour cream and yogurt are a good source of calcium. Replacing whole-milk dairy products with low-fat or nonfat is an easy way to cut saturated fat in your diet.

6. Keep portions reasonable. Even though we would all like a magic bullet for weight control, it really boils down to calories. One of the easiest ways to manage calorie intake is by eating healthy portions.

7. Use sweeteners judiciously. Sugars of any kind, whether corn syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup, add significant calories without any nutritive value.

8. Keep an eye on sodium. Whether you have high blood pressure or not, it’s wise to watch your sodium intake. The USDA’s dietary guidelines for Americans recommend consuming less than 2,300 mg (about 1 teaspoon salt) daily.

9. Go for the flavor. Enhance food with bold flavors from healthy ingredients like fresh herbs, spices and citrus. When your food has great flavor, there’s no reason to feel deprived.

10. Be mindful and enjoy. Make conscious food decisions rather than grabbing for what is most convenient. Make sure it is something delicious and savor it. When you enjoy what you eat, you feel satisfied.
Healthy Recipes to Try

* Healthy Comfort Food Recipes Made Healthy
* Healthy Recipe Makeovers
* 25 Ultra-Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes

Related Articles

* Healthy Cooking 101
* Portion-Control Savvy
* EatingWell Video Getting Good Fats
* EatingWell Video Tips for Reducing Sodium in Cooking

[nw_arizona_granny]

HEPATITIS B AND C, INSULIN INJECTIONS - USA: (TEXAS)
************************************************
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: Tue 10 Mar 2009
Source: wibw.com, Associated Press (AP) report [edited]
http://www.wibw.com/nationalnews/headlines/41040692.html

16 patients have hepatitis in Army needle scare

---

Army officials say 16 patients exposed to a mismanaged insulin needle
program at a military hospital in Texas have tested positive for
hepatitis B or C [virus infection]. The patients at the William
Beaumont Army Medical Center were among more than 2000 diabetics who
may have been exposed to blood-borne illnesses because multiple
patients were given injections from the same insulin pen. Officials
at the Army hospital at Fort Bliss have said it’s unclear if the
patients contracted hepatitis from the injections that were performed
from August 2007 to January 2009.

—
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Brent Barrett

[Such unfortunate incidents could be avoided by the routine use of
profiled single-dose syringes.

Fort Bliss is located at El Paso, Texas, and can be located using the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the USA at
http://healthmap.org/r/006f . - Mod.CP]
...................................cp/mj/mpp

[nw_arizona_granny]

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To your health,

- Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

P.S. Don’t miss out on our NaturalNews DrugWatch database: It reveals the side effects and herbal interactions of more than 540 popular brand name drugs. Click the photo below to visit it right now, or click: http://www.naturalnews.com/DrugWatch_Home.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

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Regards,

- Mike Adams

The Health Ranger

Editor,

http://www.NaturalNews.com

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Lattice Frames In the garden, latticework is assembled into trellises to form an attractive armature for climbers such as roses, clematis, and morning glories. Indoors, these crisscrossed strips of lath look just as fitting when they are used to make jaunty frames for pressed flowers. Suspend them from chains, and display alone or in casual groupings. Use a flat-front picture frame as a base. Cut two strips of standard lath 3 inches longer than the frame's height; then cut two that are equal to the frame's width from one inside corner to the other. 1. Attach all four pieces to frame with wood glue or hot glue, keeping the pieces flush against one another. 2. Cut two more strips of lath 3 inches wider than the width of the frame, and glue in place horizontally over the first layer. For diagonal corners, cut four strips to 5 1/2 inches each, and attach at 45-degree angles at each corner. Paint if desired, or leave wood natural, and attach cup hooks to hang.

Copyright 2008 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.