Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today

Thanks, Ruth. I printed it out and bookmarked the page. Very useful information.

You are welcome and I am glad you printed it out, for it is the first really detailed information of what we should watch for that I have found.

Most stop at the terrorist wearing bulky clothes in the summer.

Las Vegas has had a bunch of men wearing women’s clothes and wigs for their crime sprees.

I think a 6’6” black man, wearing a blond frizzy wig would be a scare enough, without the gun.

http://www.fluwiki.info/pmwiki.php?n=Consequences.SideDishes

Apple Onion Sauerkraut (Kathy in FL)

* 1 lb sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
* 1 red delicious apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped (for the heck of it you can also try using canned apples or even the equivalent in chunky applesauce)
* 1/4 onion, finely chopped
* 1/4 cup Dark Corn Syrup
* 1 Tbsp pork drippings or Mazola® Oil
* 1 1/2 tsp sugar
* 1/2 tsp cinnamon

In medium bowl, combine sauerkraut, apple, onion, corn syrup, drippings, sugar and cinnamon; spoon into shallow casserole. Bake in 350°F oven 30 minutes, stirring once.

Apple Whipped Sweet Potatoes (Kathy in FL)

* 3 cups sliced, peeled Apples (or canned)
* 3 cups cubed, peeled sweet potatoes (or canned)
* 1 1/2 c. Apple Juice or Cider (from bottled)
* 1/4 t. salt
* 1/2 t. cinnamon
* 1/4 t. nutmeg
* 1/4 t. ginger
* 1 t. margarine (or equivalent of choice)
* 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 2 cups miniature marshmallows
* 1/3 cup chopped pecans, optional

Note: if you start with canned apples and sweet potatoes, the initial cooking time will be drastically reduced.

Place Apples, sweet potatoes and Apple Juice in 3-quart saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Add salt, spices, margarine and sugar to Apple mixture. Mash with mixer or by hand until potatoes are smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the marshmallows. Spread hot mixture evenly in shallow 1 1/2-quart oven-proof serving dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup marshmallows and pecans. Bake at 350 degrees F about 15 minutes or until marshmallows are melted and lightly browned. Serve hot. Yield: 6 servings

Asian Spaghetti (Kathy in FL)

* 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
* 1/2 pound spaghetti, uncooked
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
* 1 scallion or green onion, trimmed and thinly sliced (or substitute dried chopped onion)

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil on high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and spaghetti. Boil according to package directions until al dente. Drain. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in small skillet on medium heat. Add sesame seeds. Saute 2 minutes, or until brown. Toss spaghetti with soy sauce, sesame seeds and scallion. Serve immediately.

BAKED BARLEY (Kathy in FL)

* 1 c barley
* 1 onion, chopped fine
* 2 c vegetable stock

Mix barley and onion with 1 cup boiling stock in pan or casserole with tight fitting cover. Bake in 300 degree F oven for 45 minutes. Add second cup of hot stock and continue baking 30 to 40 minutes or until barley is soft and mixture is almost dry. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Variation(s): Add 2 tablespoons minced parsley; 1/2 to 1 teaspoons of your favorite herbs.

BAKED POTATO IN A CAN (Kathy in FL)

In the mood for a great baked potato while sitting around the ole camp fire? Here is a quick and easy way to make them. Remove the entire top of a soda can. Smear the whole potato with butter (and any other seasoning you like). Slip the raw potato into the soda can; cover top with aluminum foil and place the can onto the hot coals of your campfire. They bake in the can just as they would in the oven!

BARLEY MUSHROOM SKILLET (Kathy in FL)

* 1 cup pearl barley
* 1 can fat-free chicken broth, about 14 1/2 ounces
* 2 cups water
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 3 cups sliced mushrooms (use canned from grocery store)
* 1 clove minced garlic (or equivalent dried, minced garlic)
* 1 small onion, diced (or equivalent dried, chopped onion)
* 3/4 teaspoon lemon pepper (in the seasoning aisle of the grocery store)
* 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
* salt to taste

Place barley on jelly roll pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until light golden brown. Combine water and broth in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat then add toasted barley. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes or until barley is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain, reserve broth for breadmaking or other cooking. Set barley aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute mushrooms, garlic, onion 5 - 7 minutes or until tender. Add barley, lemon pepper, and basil. Cook and stir until heated through. Add salt to taste. Serves 4.

BETHLEHEM CAMP SQUASH CASSEROLE (Kathy in FL)

* 2 cans squash, drained
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 stack crackers, crushed
* 1 sm. onion, chopped
* 1 tsp. pepper
* salt to taste
* 1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, grated

Combine all ingredients and pour into greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Bucks Potatoes (Kathy in FL)

* potatoes (or use sliced or cubed canned potatoes)
* red onion
* olive oil
* pepper
* garlic powder
* butter

Cube desired amounts of potatoes and place in foil. Cover with finally sliced red onion, then drizzle with olive oil and a few pats of butter. I then season with pepper and some garlic salt and let the fire have a go.

CAMP ONION RINGS (Kathy in FL)

* 1 large Vidalia onion
* 1 package pancake add water batter
* butter flavored Crisco stick

Peel then slice onion into desired ring sizes. Mix batter with water, thinner than what you¡¯d use for pancakes. Heat Crisco over camp stove. Coat rings with batter. Fry to golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Notes: Can add salt or pepper to batter mix, as pancake batter is sweet, particularly with Vidalia onions. Can also use seasoned salt, essence of emeril, lemon or cayenne pepper to red or white bermuda onions for spicier rings.

Campfire French Fries (Kathy in FL)

* 4 potatoes, cut into strips
* 1 - 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
* 1 tbsp. margarine
* 2 tbsp. bacon bits
* salt & pepper

Place potato strips on a large square of heavy duty foil, dull side out. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cheese. Shake a bit to coat. Dot with margarine and sprinkle with bacon bits. Seal the foil, leaving a steam vent on top. Grill over hot coals turning several times until potatoes are tender; about 30 - 40 minutes.

Corn Pudding (flourbug)

* 2 eggs (reconstituted powdered, frozen or eggbeaters)
* 8 oz canned butter or butter flavored Crisco
* 1 cup reconstituted powdered sour cream
* 2 cans cream corn
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
* Dry ingredients (such as ham, onions, green onions, cheddar cheese, sausage, bacon bits, sun dried tomatoes, jalapenos)

Heat oven to 350. In large bowl stir together eggs, butter, sour cream, cream corn, sugar, and corn muffin mix. Now add in whatever dry ingredients you have handy, the more the better. Add in enough and it becomes a dinner casserole. This will come out very soft, like a steamed pudding. Substitute cans of kernel corn for the cream corn and the texture will be more like cornbread.

Cranberry Couscous (Kathy in FL)

[Possible idea for thermos cooking. Just replace “thermos” for “cozy.” ]

In a quart freezer bag put:

* 1 cup couscous
* 1/3 cup Craisins
* 2 Tbl dried onion
* 2 tsp chicken bullion
* Pepper to taste, salt, if desired.

Also take: 1 Tbl or 1 packet olive oil

In camp pour 1 ½ cups boiling water and add the oil. Stir well and put in a cozy for 5 minutes. Would work well with either a 5 ounce can or 7 ounce pouch of chicken added with the boiling water. Serves 1–2.

Curried Fruit Medley (Kathy in FL)

[This is not just a side dish, it can also be used as a nontraditional breakfast dish.]

* 1 (29 oz.) can sliced peaches
* 2 (15 oz.) cans pineapple chunks
* 1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries
* 1 c. packed brown sugar
* 1 t. curry powder
* 1/4 c. butter (or use your equivalent of choice)

Drain all fruit (and save liquid for another use or to drink), and place in a 9 x 13 - inch baking dish. Combine brown sugar and curry powder and stir well. Sprinkle over fruit and dot with the butter. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. You can also cook this on top of the stove in a sauce pot. I’ve found baking gives the fruit a better texture though.

Drunkin Swamp Puppies (Kathy in FL)

* 1 can drained, rinsed, and chopped Hearts of Palm
* 1 pkg (approx 10 oz) Hushpuppy Mix
* 1 small finely minced onion (or equivalent in dried chopped onion)
* 1 12-oz can beer at room temperature (or equal parts water)
* 1/2 tsp Everglades Seasoning
* 1 egg white (optional, if you want them extra fluffy)

Heat oil for deep fat frying to approx. 375 degrees F. Forget what it says on the package, and combine listed ingredients. Spoon drop into hot oil, one at at a time making sure they dont lump up together. Fry until evenly browned. Using slotted spoon, remove from grease and drain on paper towels. Yields 20.

Fiesta Potatoes (Kathy in FL)

* 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
* 1/2 cup Chunky Salsa
* 1/4 cup milk (from canned or powder)
* 5 medium potatoes, cooked and sliced 1/4 in thick (or equivalent in rehydrated potato slices)

MIX soup, salsa and milk in skillet. Add potatoes. Heat through.

Fried Tomato Pones (Kathy in FL)

* 2 c Peeled, seeded, and diced green or ripe tomatoes
* Salt and pepper
* 1 c Cornmeal
* Bacon drippings or corn oil, for frying

Place tomatoes in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Combine tomatoes with cornmeal and form with hands into 8 pones, or patties. Heat bacon drippings in a large skillet, over med-high heat. Fry pones for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden. NOTE: a nice variation on this recipe is to combine tomato mixture with 1/4 C thinly sliced green onions before forming into cakes and frying.

GRILLED GREEN BEANS (Kathy in FL)

* 1 lb can of green beans
* 1 sm onion, chopped
* 2 tomatoes, sliced
* 1/4 c margarine
* 3 ts prepared mustard with Horseradish
* 1 ts salt
* 1 tb brown sugar
* 1/8 ts pepper

Drain green beans and place on large square of heavy duty foil. Put chopped onions and tomato slices over beans. Mix together remaining ingredients until well blended. Spoon over beans and fold foil tightly. Cook 30 to 35 minutes over medium hot coals.

Homemade Baked Potato Chips (Kathy in FL)

[Here’s one for the salty snack lover.]

* Cooking oil spray, preferably canola
* 2 medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes, about 3/4 pounds total, scrubbed
* Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375° F. For easy cleanup, line two large baking sheets with foil. Spray lightly with oil, then use a paper towel to spread it all over the bottom and remove any excess. Slice the potatoes crosswise, about 1/8-inch thick. Place on the baking sheets in one layer. Spray the tops lightly with the oil. Pat off any excess with a paper towel. Place in oven on two racks and bake, switching racks halfway through, until brown and crispy, about 30 minutes. (Some of the slices may brown more quickly than others. If that happens, just remove them and continue baking the others.) Gently remove the chips from the pans and place on paper towels. Add salt while still warm. Chips may be served immediately, or allowed to rest while making the remainder of the dinner. Leftovers, if there are any, stay crispy if wrapped loosely in foil and stored in the refrigerator. Bring them back to room temperature before serving.

Notes: Do not attempt to use a waxy or boiling potato for this dish. They contain too much moisture. I usually use the Yukon gold, which is a cross between baking and boiling potatoes, since that is what I always have on hand. The only other choice is the russet baking potato. If desired, you may add other seasonings when you add the salt. This recipe may be made in any amount desired.

Hummus Wraps (Kathy in FL)

* 2 oz prepared hummus
* 10 large pitted black olives
* 5 peperoncini peppers (or any peppers canned or otherwise of your choice)
* 2 slices of onion
* 1 large pita (or fry bread or something similar you have made yourself)
* olive oil
* salt
* pepper

Cut two thin slices off an onion, and cut them into quarters. Cut the olives in half lengthwise. Chop the peperoncini peppers. Brush olive oil on both sides of a pita and heat on the griddle. Once the pita is hot and soft, remove from griddle. Spread hummus down the center of the pita. Distribute the onions, olives and peppers evenly across the hummus. Season with salt and pepper. Fold one side, then the other, over the middle and wrap the bottom half with foil.

Impossibly Easy Zucchini Pie (Irene)

* 1 cup chopped zucchini
* 1 cup chopped tomato
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 2/3 cup Reduced Fat Bisquick® mix
* 3/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
* 2 eggs or 1/2 cup fat-free cholesterol-free egg product
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 400° F. Lightly grease bottom and side of pie plate, 9×1 1/4 inches. Sprinkle zucchini, tomato, onion and cheese evenly in pie plate. Stir together remaining ingredients with fork until blended. Pour evenly into pie plate. Bake about 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes.

Mashed Potato Pancakes (Kathy in FL)

* 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 3 potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed (or use equivalent in instant potato flakes)
* 1 onion, chopped (or use equivalent in dried chopped onion)
* 2 eggs (or use egg substitute of your choice ¡ª see posts above)
* 1 cup milk (or use canned or powdered milk or other fresh milk substitute)
* 1/4 cup light corn syrup
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2 tablespoons shortening for frying

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir in mashed potatoes and onion until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and milk, and stir lightly into potato mixture. Stir in corn syrup and nutmeg, mixing well. Heat a large griddle to medium-high heat. Coat with shortening and spoon potato mixture onto griddle in 12 equal portions. Fry until brown on both sides. Serve hot. Makes 12 pancakes

Mexican Hominy (Kathy in FL)

* One can hominy, drained (rinse, if water is available - cuts saltiness)
* 4 oz Velveeta cheese
* 1/8 to 1/4 cup salsa (you could start hoarding packets from Taco Bell!)

Heat all together till cheese is melted and mixture hot. Serves 2

MOCK BAKED POTATOES (Kathy in FL)

* Heavy duty aluminum foil boats, 2 large (6 to 7 inches) or 3 medium (5 inches)
* 2 cups prepared instant mashed potatoes
* 1 can (14¨C1/2 ounces) whole potatoes, drained, coarsely mashed

Mix the potatoes together. Spray the foil boats with cooking spray. Spoon the potato mixture into the foil boats. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Oriental Peas (Kathy in FL)

* 1 can peas
* 2 cans sliced water chestnuts, drained
* 2 cans bean sprouts, drained
* 2 (4 oz.) cans mushrooms drained
* 2 can cream of mushroom soup
* 2 sm. Cans French fried onions

Combine peas, water chestnuts, bean sprouts and mushrooms in bowl, mixing well. Stir in soup. Spoon into a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Top with onions. Bake for 5 more minutes

Pumpkin Chips (Kathy in FL)

Preheat your deep-frying oil to 375 degrees F. Peel a pie pumpkin. Using a food processor, mandolin slicer, or rotary slicer, slice the pumpkin into thin slices, not more than 1/8-inch thick. Fry the chips a few at a time. Drain on paper towels. Salt to taste.

Pumpkin Fritter Recipe (Kathy in FL)

You deep fry these fritters just as you would French fries.

* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 tablespoon salt
* 1 tablespoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1 cup milk (from canned or powdered)
* 2 large eggs (or equivalent of your choice)
* 3 cups grated, raw pumpkin
* 1 cup drained canned corn kernels

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Add the milk and eggs and stir until mixed. Add the pumpkin and corn kernels. In a deep fryer or heavy pan, heat enough vegetable oil for deep frying. The oil should be very hot, 375 degrees. Drop three or four large spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Let them cook for three or four minutes, turning once, or until they just start to brown. Remove them to dry on paper towels. Serve immediately drizzled with maple syrup.

http://www.fluwiki.info/pmwiki.php?n=Consequences.MeatChickenFish

A very large page of recipes for the Main Dish.

http://www.fluwiki.info/pmwiki.php?n=Consequences.AppetizersSnacks

Nachos (flourbug)

* 1 bag chips
* 1 can of refried beans, heated
* ground meat with taco seasonings (optional)
* 1 can diced tomatoes, drained, or salsa
* black olives, to taste
* nacho cheese, to taste
* reconstituted powdered sour cream
* fresh or dried chives, sliced green onions, or cilantro (optional)

Empty the chips onto a big platter. Top with hot refried beans. Add the ground meat with taco seasonings (skip if you want to go vegetarian). Top that with the diced tomatoes or salsa. Sprinkle with black olives. Top with nacho cheese. Top with reconstituted powdered sour cream. If you have fresh or dried chives, sliced green onions, or cilantro, sprinkle on top.

Nachos Supreme (Kathy in OR)

Place chips (I used baked multi grain) on a plate for each individual Top with re-fried beans that have been heated and mixed with spicy bean dip Add some drained diced tomatoes, a sprinkle of drained whole corn, a smattering of diced green chiles and some sliced olives (if you like them). Top this off with cheese. Velveeta, canned cheese chip dip, Kraft canned cheese are ideas if you are out of power, otherwise use grated cheese. Down the road if power is out and the chips are past their pull date I’m thinking one could play around with seasoned flat bread.

Another thing you could do is if you have flour tortillas that are just about out of date, bake them or fry them after cutting into eighths and use them as “chips.” (Kathy in FL)

O, that tortilla idea is a good one! I do that all of the time. Try putting a little sprinkle of cayenne over them before baking… yum. Also, you can brush them with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and/or Italian seasoning. Good stuff. (RipleyRules)

Colorful Fried Pasta Snacks with Variations (Kathy in FL)

* 2 cups uncooked colored twist pasta
* 1 quart corn oil (approximately)
* 1/4 cup granulated or confectioners’ sugar
* 1 tablespoon grated lemon or orange peel
* 1/8 teaspoon salt

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Spread in a single layer on wax paper-lined cookie sheet and dry for 20 minutes. Pour corn oil into electric skillet, filling no more than one-third full. Heat to 375 degrees F. Carefully add pasta to hot oil, a few at a time. Fry for about 1 minute, turning once, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all pasta is fried, adding oil as needed. In a medium bowl, stir sugar, lemon peel and salt until well mixed. Toss pasta with sugar mixture until coated. Store in tightly covered container. Makes 3 cups.

Chili Fried Pasta Snacks: Follow recipe for Fried Pasta Snacks. Omit sugar and lemon peel. Use 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Lemon Pepper Fried Pasta Snacks: Follow recipe for Fried Pasta Snacks. Omit sugar. Use 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.

Parmesan Fried Pasta Snacks: Follow recipe for Fried Pasta Snacks. Omit sugar and lemon peel. Mix together 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Cheesy Crab Dip (Kathy in FL)

* 1 (6 oz.) roll processed garlic cheese, diced
* 1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
* 1 (6 oz.) can crabmeat, drained
* 2 T. sherry (optional)

Combine all ingredients and heat until cheese melts. Keep warm while serving with flatbread, chips, crackers, etc.

Fiesta Dip (Kathy in FL)

* 1 (15 oz.) can tamales
* 1 (16 oz.) can chili without beans
* 1 cup salsa
* 2 (5 oz.) jars sharp processed cheese spread
* 1 cup finely chopped onion (or equivalent in dried chopped onion)

Mash tamales with fork. In saucepan, combine all ingredients and heat to mix. Serve hot with crackers or chips or flat bread or tortillas, etc.

Hot Rich Crab Dip (Kathy in FL)

* 1 (10 oz.) can cheddar cheese soup
* 1 (16 oz.) pkg. cubed process cheese
* 1 (6 oz.) can crabmeat, drained and flaked
* 1 (16 oz) jar of salsa

Combine soup and processed cheese. Heat until the two cheses melt together. Add crabmeat and salsa and mix well. Serve with flat bread, tortillas, chips, etc.

Indian Corn Dip (Kathy in FL)

* 1/2 onion, chopped (or equivalent in dried chopped onion)
* 1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
* 1 (12 oz.) jar taco sauce
* 1/4 cup water (or use the liquid drained from corn)
* Optional: 1 pint or so of canned, cooked ground beef

In skillet, mix corn, taco sauce, and water. (Also add the canned ground beef at this point). Simmer mixture for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with flat bread, chips, etc.

Mexican Cheese Dip (Kathy in FL)

* 1 (16 oz.) can of canned cheese
* 1 (5 oz.) can of evaporated milk
* 1 t. cumin
* 1 T. chili powder
* 1 (10 oz.) can tomatoes and green chilies

Melt cheese with evaporated milk. Add remaining ingredients to the cheese mixture. Mix well and heat through. Serve with flat bread, tortillas, etc.

La Cucarcha (Kathy in FL)

* 1 (12 oz.) pkg chorizo sausage, sliced and chopped
* 1 (16 oz.) box Velveeta like processed cheese, cubed
* 1 (15 oz.) can stewed tomatoes

Saute chorizo, cook and drain. Melt cheese with the tomatoes, stirring constantly over medium heat (or use a double boiler) until smooth and well mixed. Combine the chorizo with the cheese mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed. Serve with flatbread, tortillas, chips, etc.

http://www.fluwiki.info/pmwiki.php?n=Consequences.Substitutions

Substitutions from Grandmother’s Recipe File (Kathy in FL)

* 1 t. baking powder = 1/4 t. baking soda + 1/2 t. cream of tartar
* 1 c. granulated sugar = 1 c. packed brown sugar OR 1 c. corn syrup - 1/4 c. liquid in the recipe OR 1 c. molasses - 1/4 c. liquid in the recipe OR 1 c. honey - 1/4 c. liquid in the recipe
* 1 c. sweet milk = 1 c. sour milk + 1/2 t. soda
* 1 c. sour milk = 1 c. sweet milk + 1 T. of vinegor or lemon juice
* 1 c. buttermilk = 1 c. sour milk or 1 c. yogurt
* 1 c. light cream = 7/8 c. skim milk + 3 T. butter
* 1 c. heavy cream = 3/4 c. skim milk + 1/3 c. butter
* 1 c. sour cream = 7/8 c. sour milk + 3 T. butter
* 1 c. bread crumbs + 3/4 c. cracker crumbs
* 1 t. lemon juice = 1/2 t. vinegar

Brown Sugar (Kathy in FL)

* 2 tablespoon molasses
* 1 cup granulated sugar

Add molasses to sugar and stir with a fork. Store brown sugar in an airtight container to keep it soft.

Boullion (TT in Ada OK)

Next time you have roast beef, get a really large one. Add whatever you like. I use very little or no salt, pepper, garlic, onion—or just add an inexpensive pkg of dried onion soup. Cover with water and put on a tight lid or cover with foil. Check to keep liquid over meat. When well done, and meat is falling apart, ladle out your supper. Cut or tear what’s left over into blender sized chunks and return to broth. Cover and refrigerate over night. Skim off fat which will all rise to top. I save this and portion it out into the broth which I freeze. When there’s enough to can, I can the broth. Pull out the meat and squeeze out the moisture in a towel or by pressing in a colander—put this juice in the broth, it’s the yummiest part. Puree the meat, and onions, carrots, etc., if you’ve added any. Spread this on a lightly greased cookie sheet and dry at about 130 degrees F in the oven with the door propped open with a wooden spoon. A range fan or better yet an electric one on a stool to blow across the top of the oven door really speeds this up. Stir and tear it apart about every 1 - 3 hours until it is drier than jerky, almost or at the crumbly and crisp stage. Chop this to powder in the blender, or save as jerked out chunks. If ground to a powder, you can put it in a sterile jar in the cupboard and it will last a couple of months at least. A teaspoon in a cup of boiled water will stir up to a really good broth for a sick person. Add to liquid for cooking vegetables or rice or beans. Sprinkle into a can of vegetables if there’s no heat source to cook for a nutritious meal in a real crisis. Jerked-out chunks can be soaked over night and then add veggies and cook for beef-based soup. This works with boiled, boned chicken or turkey, also.

Butter - How to make butter go further (Kathy in FL)

You can’t use this for baking, but if you are trying to come up with a way to make your butter go further for spreading then you might want to try this. For every cup of butter, mix it with 1/2 cup of olive oil.

Another variation is for every cup of butter, mix with 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup flaxseed oil. I prefer the flavor of just using the butter and olive oil, but the flaxseed is supposed to have the essential omega fats for brain function.

BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTE (Kathy in FL)

* 1 cup water
* 1/3 cup powdered milk
* 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

Stir together and give the vinegar or lemon juice a moment or two to “sour” the milk.

Cheese Substitute - Day Cheese (Kathy in FL)

Mix 2 2/3 cups of instant dried milk to about 4 cups of water in a double boiler. If it foams, skim it off or let it settle. Turn on the oven and add a little bit of lemon juice or about 2 T. of vinegar. Trick here is you have to keep stirring the milk to keep it from scorching. DO NOT bring to a boil, you want it just under a boil. Your milk should “curdle” so that you have a mostly clear liquid (whey) and a soft curd. If that isn’t happening try adding a little more lemon juice or another tablespoon of vinegar. Once it has curdled, turn the heat off and pour the stuff into a wire strainer. The whey will run off. There was a little bit of a language barrier between me and the lady giving me this recipe. She said that you could use the whey for other things … but she was talking so fast and using words I didn’t know, so you will have to look up that one on your own. Once the whey is drained off the curds, rinse with cold water to remove the last of the whey.

Season with salt … or salt and pepper if desired. You can eat it “as is” or use it in pasta recipes.

Cheese Substitute - Quick Soft Pressed Cheese (Kathy in FL)

* 2 c. boiling water
* 1–1/2 c. dry milk powder
* 3 T. vegetable oil
* 1 c. buttermilk
* 3–4 T. fresh lemon juice

Blend water, milk and oil, allowing foam to settle slightly. If colored cheese is desired, add ½ tablet cheese coloring (or cake decorating paste color) while blending. Pour into hot saucepan coated with a nonstick spray and heat to at least 160 degrees. Add lemon juice and continue to stir until mixture curdles. Pour into a cheesecloth lined colander. Rinse curds with warm water, then salt to taste. Place cheese in cloth between two plates or spoon into a cheese press. Apply weight and let sit for ½ hour or longer, depending on how firm you want the cheese to be. Remove from plates or cheese press, rinse, wrap in plastic and refrigerate. Use within one month or freeze. This cheese can be sliced, grated, or crumbled. For Smoky Cheese, add ½ t. Liquid Smoke flavoring and ½ to 1 t. salt after rinsing curds.

Cheese Substitute - Soft Cottage Cheese (Kathy in FL)

* 1 1/2 cups non-instant dry milk
* 2 cups hot water
* 4–5 Tbls. white vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Blend water and dry milk powder and pour into Pam’d saucepan (or use a non-stick one) over low heat. Sprinkle vinegar or lemon juice slowly around edges while stirring, just until milk curdles, separating into curds and whey. Rinse in hot, then cold water, press out liquid, and salt if desired.

COFFEE SUBSTITUTES (Kathy in FL)

RYE COFFEE: Place 2 cups of Rye seed grain on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven until the grain become nicely browned. Cool and grind coarsely in any hand mill or coffee grinder. Make coffee as usual only use the Rye Grain substitute.

SOY COFFEE: Roast 2 cups of Soy Beans, (cleaned and picked through for debris) on a cookie sheet at 200 degrees F until they are the nice, dark brown color of roasted coffee. This will take several hours. Grind them medium fine with a coffee grinder or your blender to release the flavor. Tightly store in a cool place to retain the unique flavor. Boil about 1 quart of water and add 1/2 cup of the grounded beans, adding a dash of salt. Simmer for about 25 minutes or longer for stronger flavor. This Soy Coffee can be reheated the next day.

Dried Eggs as Egg Substitutes

Note on dried eggs-—I baked a pound cake and it turned out good but did not rise like my normal cake. It is a heavy cake butter and sour cream. Read in Peggy Layton’s book she has a pound cake and she calls for 1 cup of dried eggs. So last night I made brownies and I used instead of one egg, powdered eggs to amount to 3 eggs and it worked good. So it seems for baking it will take more than you would think. (Love Texas)

What I found was that on items that call for a lot of eggs, I needed to increase the powdered eggs … because the powdered egg measurement appeared to be for a “small” egg and most of us use medium to extra large eggs any more. Recipes that only used the egg as a binding agent or similar did just fine. At least in my experience. (Kathy in FL)

Egg Substitute 1 (Kathy in FL)

* 6 egg whites (or the equivalent from powdered egg whites)
* 1/4 c. instant nonfat dry milk powder
* 2 t. water
* 2 t. oil
* 1/4 ground turmeric

Combine all ingredients in blender and process for 30 seconds. Use immediately or refrigerate. Note: I’m not sure how much equals one egg, but would think that it would be similar to the measurements on the artificial liquid eggs that you can buy at the grocery store.

EGG SUBSTITUTE 2 (Kathy in FL) (from WaltonFeed site)

For each egg needed, place in blender:

* 1 heaping tablespoon of whole organic flax seed, blended until it becomes a fine meal
* Add 1/4 cup cold water and blend 2–3 minutes until thickened and has the consistency of eggs

Each 1/4 cup of flax seed mixture will replace one egg in baking.

Fat Substitute (for Baking) (I’m-workin’-on-it)

You can substitute white beans for fats in baking. They do change the end product some. I haven’t tried it myself but know someone who has and she said her family didn’t know the difference.

Method 1: Cover beans with water and cook until very soft. Mash until consistency of shortening (use blender). Replace in recipes cup for cup. Example: Recipe calls for 1 cup margarine - use 1 cup mashed beans. Liquid may be added to adjust the consistency. Mashed beans do not keep long in the fridge, so freeze them.

Method 2: Grind beans in your wheat grinder. Store in air-tight container. Replace fat in the recipe cup for cup as above. You will need to add liquid since the ground beans will be part of the dry ingredients.

FLOUR SUBSTITUTES (Kathy in FL)

In standard recipes, one of the following may be substituted for one cup of wheat flour:

* 1 cup corn flour
* 3/4 cup coarse cornmeal
* 7/8 cup rice flour
* 1 scant cup fine cornmeal
* 5/8 cup potato flour

There are some problems in the use of substitutes for wheat flour. The following suggestions will improve the eating quality of the final product:

1. Rice flour and cornmeal tend to have a grainy texture. A smoother texture may be obtained by mixing the rice flour or cornmeal with the liquid called for in the recipe, bringing this mixture to a boil, and cooling it before adding the other ingredients.
2. Soy flour must always be used in combination with another flour, not as the only flour in a recipe. It has no gluten, and by itself has an unappealing taste.
3. When using other than wheat flour in baking, longer and slower baking time is required. This is particularly true when the product is made without milk and eggs.
4. Because they have little or no gluten, substitutes for wheat flour do not make satisfactory yeast breads.
5. Muffins or biscuits, when made with other than wheat flour, are of better texture if baked in small sizes.
6. Dryness is common characteristic of cakes made with flours other than wheat flours. Moisture may be preserved by frosting or storing cakes in closed containers.

Garlic Butter Substitute (Kathy in FL)

* 1 lb or so of margarine substitute (see recipe for margarine substitute using powdered milk & oil)
* 1 head of garlic, minced
* salt
* ground black pepper

Let “butter” stand at room temperature until soft, if you have stored it in the fridge. Meanwhile, clean and mince an entire head of garlic. Put the “butter” and the garlic into a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Blend well with the back of a spoon or a rigid spatula.

You can also half, quarter, etc. this recipe quite easily depending on the amount of garlic “butter” you want. If you don’t have fresh garlic, try reconstituting dried, minced garlic. Another variation would be to roast a head of garlic and then use that to make the garlic “butter.”

This stuff works wonders with cornbread, fry bread, skillet cakes, etc. Also worked pretty well on plain, cooked pasta.

Margarine Substitute Using Powdered Milk (Kathy in FL)

* roughly 1/2 cup powdered milk
* roughly 1 1/2 cups of chosen cooking oil
* 2/3 cups of water
* couple of drops of yellow food coloring if desired

Mix water and food coloring with powdered milk until completely dissolved. Drizzle the cooking oil into the milk/water mixture and whisk as you drizzle. You need a nice, even incorporation of the oil. If your mixture is still too soft for your preference, you can mix in a little additional powdered milk. You can also add just a little bit of salt if you desire.

Notes: Found this and tried it using several different types of cooking oil (olive, canola, corn, etc.) and they all worked equally well. It was actually the method of incorporating that made a bigger difference. Use a small whisk and really whisk the oil in (incorporating) as you drizzle it into the water/milk mixture.

I added some butter flavor flakes (Molly McButter) and a little bit of salt to the margarine substitute. Since it was in liquid form, I put it in a spray margarine bottle and used it that way. (Hillbilly Bill)

Other Margarine Substitutes (Kathy in FL)

You can substitute applesauce or prune baby food in many recipes where they require margarine.

Marshmallow Substitute (for rice crispie squares, etc.) (Kathy in FL)

For the marshmallow part of the equation … instead of marshmallows use canned “Fluff” or mallow cream.

Milk Gravy (Kathy in FL)

* 1 cup powdered milk, mixed with 3 cups water
* 1 tablespoon margarine
* 3 heaping tablespoons flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the water and powdered milk together. Add the flour and salt. Cook over medium heat until the gravy is thickened. Add the margarine and stir until smooth.

NUT AND SEED MILK (Kathy in FL)

* 1/2 c. sunflower seeds
* 1/4 c. walnuts
* 1/4 c. almonds
* 1 c. pure water

In an electric blender or food processor, blend ingredients until smooth.

Oil Substitute (lauraB)

Applesauce works great as an oil substitute also.

Powdered/Confectioner Sugar (Kathy in FL)

For powdered or confectioners’ sugar, just place granulated sugar in a processor and process until it is the consistency you want.

Sour Cream Substitute (Kathy in FL)

To make SOUR CREAM, add one tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to one cup (8 fluid ounces) of undiluted evaporated milk and allow it to stand for five minutes.

Whipped Evaporated Milk (Kathy in FL)

* 1 cup evaporated milk
* 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Thoroughly chill evaporated milk. Add lemon juice and whip until stiff. Sweeten and flavor as desired. Makes 3 cups.

Whipped Topping Substitute (RipleyRules)

In the absence of power, and, therefore, refrigeration, this could obviously only be done during the winter. ;)

* 1/2 c instant nonfat dry milk
* 1/2 c icewater
* 2 tsp sugar
* 1/2 tsp vanilla

Chill small bowl and beaters. Combine milk powder with water in bowl. Beat until stiff, adding sugar gradually. Add vanilla. Serve. Makes about 2 c.

Whipped Topping (Kathy in FL)

* 6 tablespoons powdered milk
* 1 cup water
* 2 teaspoons gelatin
* 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla

Dissolve the milk and gelatin in boiling water. Add sugar, stir, and chill in the refrigerator until it gels. Beat the mixture until it looks like whipped cream. Add vanilla and whip again.

Whipped Topping Substitute (Kathy in FL)

* 1/3 cup Carnation Instant Nonfat Dry Milk
* 1/3 cup ice cold water (might be an issue if the power is out in the middle of summer)
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chill bowl and beaters of electric mixer in freezer for 15 minutes. (This part might be difficult if the power is out. I didn’t put mine in the freezer and it did take longer for things to get fluffy, but they did fluff eventually). In chilled mixing bowl, combine powdered milk, ice water, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until peaks form. (Note: I used a whisk to simulate that the power might be off. Took longer of course, but it did work.) Serves 4.

Yogurt - Home Made Yogurt (Kathy in FL) (from waltonfeed site)

* 3 3/4 cup tap water
* 1 2/3 cups instant non-fat dry milk powder
* 2 to 4 tablespoons plain store-bought yogurt (with active yogurt cultures)

Combine the water and dry milk powder. Heat it to 180 degrees. Cool it to 110 degrees F. Mix in the store bought yogurt. Incubate in a warm place for 4 to 8 hours. This is quite cryptic, for more detailed information, read on. Each cook develops her own way of preparing home made yogurt through trial and error. I am going to describe my method, followed by some other common methods and ideas. But first there are a few things you need to know. Yogurt is cultured from acidophilous bacteria, which you can sometimes buy in powdered form at the health food store. I have never actually seen it, but I’ve heard tell about it. Yogurt can also be cultured from store-bought yogurt which contains “active yogurt cultures” or live bacteria. Read the label and it will tell you if the yogurt contains active cultures or not.

I always use prepared yogurt as my culture. I buy a large container of plain store brand yogurt from the store. I bring it home and scoop it into a couple of icecube trays. Then I freeze it. When it is completely frozen, I take the frozen yogurt cubes and pack them in a plastic freezer bag. Each time I make yogurt, I use one cube as the starter. You can use your own yogurt as a starter too, but eventually it loses it’s power due to the introduction of foreign bacteria, usually after using it about 3 or 4 times. I like to use a new frozen yogurt cube each time I prepare yogurt. I’ve had my best results this way.

When making yogurt with powdered milk, it is good to use more dry milk powder than you would to just make fluid milk. For instance, normally I would use 1 1/3 cups of dry milk powder to make a quart of milk. When I reconstitute milk for yogurt, I add an extra 1/3 cup of dry milk powder, using 1 2/3 cups of dry milk powder for a quart of yogurt. This makes the yogurt thicker and also higher in calcium. Even when preparing yogurt from fluid milk, the results are better if you add a little extra powdered milk for thickness.

To begin, I get out my double boiler. I measure the water (3 3/4 cups) in the top of the double boiler and whisk in the powdered milk (1 2/3 cups). Then I put the lid on top and let it sit for several minutes over the bottom of the double boiler (which is filled with water), heating at medium high heat. Every now and then I check the milk. The water below the milk is boiling. When it looks like the milk is almost ready to boil, I take it off the stove. You can use a candy thermometer if you like. The temperature should be at least 180 degrees F. The reason you heat the milk is to kill off any bacteria which could interfere with the yogurt starter. The few times I have made yogurt without heating the milk first, I wound up with runny yogurt. My best results come when I heat the milk first.

You could heat the milk directly on the stove if you liked. I don’t do this because I have scorched the milk many times this way. Instead, I prefer my double boiler method. Next I take the top of the double boiler, containing the hot milk, out of the bottom, and set it on my washing machine to cool. The washing machine is metal, so it cools the pan down faster. The pan has to cool down to 110 degrees. This is when the bottom of the pan is comfortably warm when you place your hand on it. If the yogurt is too hot, it won’t work, the heat will kill the starter.

While the milk is heating, I take out a large mouth quart size canning jar and place a frozen yogurt cube in it. By the time the milk is cooled down, the starter cube will be thawed. When the milk is cool enough, pour about 1/3 of it into the canning jar over the starter yogurt. Stir it up with a wire whisk or a fork to mix it up completely. The starter yogurt should be totally combined with the milk. Pour in the rest of the cooled milk and stir again. Put a lid on it and shake it up to make sure it is all liquified together. Now it is time to incubate the yogurt.

I do this in my electric oven. I set the stove dial half way between off and two hundred degrees, or at approximately 100 degrees F. The light which signifies the oven is on, pops on for a moment, and then pops off when the temperature is reached. I set my jar of yogurt in the oven and leave it for between 4 and 8 hours, usually overnight, or while I’m out for the day. I take out the yogurt when it is thick and done. It works every time. My yogurt has a very mild flavor, which the kids like better than the sour stuff we used to get from the store.

There are many other ways to incubate yogurt. It should rest undisturbed while it incubates. Some people pour the warm milk combined with the starter, into a large preheated thermos and let it sit overnight. Other folks set the yogurt on top of a warm radiator, or close to a wood stove, or in a gas stove with the pilot operating, or on a heating pad set on low. Sometimes I have placed the jar in a pan filled with warm water, to keep the temperature even. This worked pretty well when I incubated the yogurt next to the wood stove. It kept the yogurt at a uniform temperature, even with occasional drafts from the front door opening and closing. The heating-pad method is supposed to be pretty reliable. You set it on low and then cover the heating pad with a towel, place the yogurt on top of it, and put a large bowl or stew pot upside down over the yogurt. This makes a little tent which keeps the heat in. I don’t have a heating pad, and have never actually used this method myself, but a good friend swears by it. Another friend uses a medium sized picnic cooler to incubate her yogurt. She places the jars inside the cooler and then add two jars filled with hot tap water, to keep the temperature warm enough. After 4 hours, check the yogurt to see if it is thick enough. If it isn’t then refill the water jars with more hot water, return them to the cooler, and let the yogurt sit another 4 hours. When I tried this method, it worked very well. It took a full 8 hours, but the yogurt was perfect, and I liked not having my oven tied up during the day. Also, there was little danger of getting the yogurt too hot while it incubated, and drafts weren’t a problem because of the closed nature of the cooler.

After the yogurt is thick, place it in the fridge. It will stay sweet and fresh for about a week. You may prepare more than one jar at a time if you like. I just included the method for a quart because this is the size canning jar I use. Narrow mouth canning jars would probably work too, but I prefer the wide mouth ones because it is easier to stick a measuring cup or ladle down inside of it, to scoop the yogurt out. I usually prepare two quart jars at a time. The prepared yogurt is good mixed with jelly, fresh or canned fruit, served with granola for breakfast, or substituted for sour cream in many recipes like stroganoffs. It is also nice pureed in fruit smoothie blender drinks, or stirred into gelatin or popsicles before freezing them. It can also be stirred half and half with regular mayonnaise to make a very tasty low fat mayonnaise. This mixture can be used in just about any recipe which calls for mayonnaise.

Yogurt from Powdered Milk (sak)

I make yogurt with powdered milk all the time and in my experience it does not need to be heated before making. I mix about 5–1/2 oz powder with a quart of water and the starter then let it incubate. I think the process the milk goes thru to get powdered does the same thing that heating regular milk before making yogurt does.

MELAMINE, MILK PRODUCTS - CHINA (02)
************************************
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: Mon 25 Jan 2010
Source: Bangkok Post, Agence France-Presse (AFP) report [edited]
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/166430/more-tainted-milk-products-found-in-china-shops

More tainted milk products found in China

Melamine-laced milk products have been found [again] on sale in China,
state media said on Monday [25 Jan 2010], more than a year after the
chemical was blamed for 6 deaths in a huge scandal over contaminated
dairy goods.

Authorities in the southwestern province of Guizhou found that
products made by 3 food companies contained illegally high levels of
the toxic substance, the China Daily said.

It quoted a former dairy industry official as saying it was likely
more tainted goods remained in supermarkets despite a major recall
after the 2008 scandal, which highlighted China’s persistent product
safety problems.

The suspect products in Guizhou have been pulled from stores, the
China Daily said, adding that the firms involved blamed milk powder
bought from suppliers.

The report illustrated the apparent continued threat from tainted
dairy goods long after the 2008 scandal when it was revealed that the
industrial chemical — which can, in large quantities, cause kidney
failure and death — was being abused by food producers.

At that time, melamine was found to have been added to milk to give
the appearance of a higher protein content and was blamed for killing
6 infants and making nearly 300 000 others sick, according to official
figures.

The scare led to foodstuffs containing dairy products being taken off
shelves around the world. A total of 21 people were reportedly
convicted of wrongdoing, with 2 executed and others sentenced to jail
terms. But other cases have since surfaced.

Earlier this month [January 2010], the state press revealed that
Shanghai Panda Dairy had been shut down again over melamine-tainted
milk products [see ProMED ref. below]. The company had been
blacklisted and closed over the 2008 scandal but was allowed to
reopen. 3 Chinese executives with the company could face trial as
early as next month [February 2010] on charges of making and selling
hazardous foods, a spokesman in the Shanghai prosecutors’ office has
said.

The China Daily said the products found in Guizhou were made in March
and April of 2009, months after the government declared an all-clear.

The 3 companies involved, in separate locations across north and east
China, were Zibo Lusaier Dairy Company, Tieling Wuzhou Food Company,
and the Laoting Kaida Refrigeration Plant, it said.

It said the goods included “popsicles” [see image in link at end]
produced by 2 of the companies but gave no other specifics.

Staff at the Guizhou provincial health department denied the report
when contacted by AFP. Ling Hu, a spokeswoman with the Guizhou
provincial government, said officials there were looking into the
allegations but declined further comment. AFP could not immediately
reach officials at the 3 companies.

The China Daily quoted Wang Dingmian, former chairman of the Guangdong
Provincial Dairy Association in southern China, as suggesting
“leftover” tainted dairy goods were likely still circulating despite
the earlier recall.

“The problems were not totally solved. From this point, it’s
inevitable to see new problems popping out,” he said.

—
Communicated by:
PRO/MBDS
promed-mbds@promedmail.org

[Melamine is an organic base chemical most commonly found in the form
of white crystals rich in nitrogen. It is widely used in plastics,
adhesives, countertops, dishware, and whiteboards. Symptoms and signs
of melamine poisoning are irritability, blood in urine, little or no
urine, signs of kidney infection, and high blood pressure. Melamine
causes kidney stones and other urinary tract problems in lab animals.
It also causes kidney failure and death (see
http://www.who.int/csr/media/faq/QAmelamine/en/index.html

In 2007, melamine was found in wheat gluten and rice protein
concentrate exported from China and used in the manufacture of pet
food in the United States. This caused the death of a large number of
dogs and cats due to kidney failure (see prior ProMED-mail post Pet
food fatalities, pets - USA, Canada, Mexico (03): melamine
20070330.1099).

According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
regulations the presence of melamine is considered adulteration.
Adulterated foods are not acceptable for marketing or consumption. In
China, where adulteration has occurred, melamine has also been added
to increase the nitrogen content of the milk (its apparent protein
content) after water was added to raw milk to increase its volume.

According to the report from the Ministry of Health of China dated 22
Sep 2008, there had been more than 53 000 cases identified, of which
13 000 were hospitalized, and 104 infants were in serious condition.

In January 2009, a court in China sentenced 2 men to death for their
role in making and selling milk tainted with melamine. At least 6
children died and nearly 300 000 fell ill after drinking the toxic
dairy products in 2008 (see prior PRO/MBDS post Infant kidney stones -
China (06): WHO, timeline 20080922.2990).

From the newswire above, melamine-laced milk products produced in
March and April of 2009 have been found for sale in shops in Guizhou
and 3 companies there are allegedly involved in making and selling
these hazardous foods. - Mod.SCM]

[In general the melamine has been added to powdered milk products,
including such things as powdered infant formula to be mixed at the
home.

The solubility of melamine in water is 3.1 grams of melamine per liter
of water at 20 deg C [68 deg F], so it is possible to add it to liquid
products.

While melamine can be added to liquid milk products, melamine is not
naturally found in milk and does not pass through a
cow/sheep/goat/horse into the liquid milk. - Mod.TG]

[Photo of popsicles:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mao5Dx-uUHk/SmDNWg0d97I/AAAAAAAABjA/Egses1Wyr_E/s400/popsicles.bmp
- Mod.JW]

For a map of China with provinces, 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
ProMED-mail and PRO/MBDS postings in Guizhou, China and surrounding
areas, see http://healthmap.org/r/00b1
Mod.SCM]

[see also:
Melamine, milk products - China 20100105.0048
2008

Melamine contaminated food products (09): worldwide ex China 20081130.3770
Melamine - USA (02): traces in infant formula 20081127.3738
Melamine contaminated food products (08): worldwide ex China 20081120.3658
Melamine - USA: alert 20081116.3619
Melamine contamination, animal feed (04): China 20081114.3598
Melamine contaminated food products (07): worldwide ex China 20081114.3587
Melamine contaminated food products (06): worldwide ex China 20081105.3480
Melamine contamination, animal feed (03): China 20081031.3433
Melamine contaminated food products (05): worldwide ex China 20081030.3425
Melamine contaminated food products (04): Worldwide ex China 20081027.3391
Melamine contamination, animal feed (02): China 20081020.3326
Melamine contaminated food products (03): Worldwide ex China 20081020.3324
Melamine contaminated food products (02): Worldwide ex China 20081004.3129
Melamine contaminated food products - Worldwide ex China 20081002.3107
Melamine contamination, animal feed: RFI 20081001.3097
Infant kidney stones - China (03): melamine 20080917.29151
Infant kidney stones - China (02): Gansu, milk, melamine 20080912.2856
2007

Fish mortality - South Africa: melamine?, RFI 20070612.1919
Contaminated pet food - China: melamine 20070430.1403
Pet food fatalities, pets - USA, Canada, Mexico (03): melamine 20070330.1099]
........................................scm/tg/mj/jw

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Here are several fun projects for Valentine’s Day,

~ Hedgie’s Valentine Mailbox
http://www.janbrett.com/hedgies_valentine_mailbox.htm

~ Valentines Day coloring Place Mat
http://www.janbrett.com/place_mats/valentines_coloring_place_mat.htm

~ Hedgie’s Valentine’s Day Coloring Pages
http://www.janbrett.com/hedgies_valentine_chocolates_main.htm

~ Valentine’s Day Party Napkin Holder
http://www.janbrett.com/valentines_day_napkin_holder.htm

~ Printed Valentines Day Card
http://www.janbrett.com/pdfcards/pdfcardgenerator_valentines.htm

~ Email Postcards
http://www.janbrett.com/vcards/gbrowse.php?cat_id=8

~ Hedgie’s Valentine for You
http://www.janbrett.com/hedgies_valentine_for_you.htm

~ Hedgie’s Valintine’s Day Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/valentine_coloring_page.htm

~ I Love my Mom Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/i_love_my_mom.htm

~ I Love my Teacher Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/i_love_my_teacher.htm

~ I Love my Dad Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/i_love_my_dad.htm

~ I Love my Students Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/i_love_my_students.htm

~ Personalize your own Valentine’s Day Transfers
http://www.janbrett.com/valentine_letters/form.html

It’s a pleasure to be in touch.

Sincerely,

Jan Brett

This message contains the following:

1. Children’s Greeting Cards with Bracelets Recalled Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10128.html

2. Children’s Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Recalled by New Mode Sportswear Due to Strangulation Hazard http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10129.html

3. Children’s Jackets with Drawstrings Recalled by GTM Sportswear Due to Strangulation Hazard http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10130.html

4. Children’s Toy Jewelry Sets Recalled by Playmates Toys; Charms Violate the Total Lead Standard http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10131.html

Weekly Harvest Newsletter

Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - February 3, 2010

Weekly sustainable agriculture news and resources gleaned from the Internet by NCAT staff for the ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service Web site. The Weekly Harvest Newsletter is also available online (http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/archives.html#wh).

Share The Harvest: Please forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues who might be interested in the latest sustainable agriculture news, funding opportunities, and events.

News & Resources
* Organic EQIP Initiative Information Available from ATTRA
* New Farm to School Manual Available
* Organic Survey Results to be Released
* Take Action on Food Safety Legislation
* Iowa Study Looks at Economic Impact of Local Foods
* Book Available on Growing Vegetables in the Rockies

Funding Opportunities
* Oregon Specialty Crop Grant
* Mantis Community and Youth Gardens Award
* Crops at Risk Program

Coming Events
* ACEEE Forum on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture
* North Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society Winter Conference
* Food Safety for Market Farms

News & Resources

Organic EQIP Initiative Information Available from ATTRA
http://attra.ncat.org/eqip/
The sign-up for the FY2010 Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative has begun. The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is taking applications and the deadline for applications will be March 12, 2010. For FY 2010, applications will be treated as two separate ranking pools, one for transitioning farmers and ranchers without any current certified organic production, and one for existing certified organic producers who are either adding new transitional production or adopting new conservation measures on existing organic production. In both cases, those in these special funding pools will be competing only against others in the special pool rather than in the much, much larger general EQIP pool. ATTRA will keep up-to-date resources for this program on its Organic EQIP page.

New Farm to School Manual Available
http://www.okfarmtoschool.com/resources/fts-distro-foodsafetymanual/index.htm
The new Farm to School (FTS) Tips, Tools & Guidelines for Food Distribution & Food Safety manual is intended to provide information, insight and useful tools for farmers and school food service directors interested in FTS program participation, distribution and food safety. The manual also includes information on two new tools for use by farmers and school food service directors in Oklahoma. The first tool is a distribution-cost template to help producers understand the true costs of produce delivery and determine ‘farm gate’ values for their crops. The template will help farmers choose the optimal delivery methods for their FTS produce. The second tool is a produce calculator to help farmers determine the amount of produce to deliver for a school nutrition program and to figure the cost per serving of produce. Both calculators are downloadable at http://www.okfarmtoschool.com

Organic Survey Results to be Released
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/Notices/01_26_2010.asp
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will release the results of the Organic Production Survey on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 3 p.m. ET. The survey, which is a follow-up to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, is USDA’s first-ever, wide-scale survey of organic producers. NASS will publish state- and national-level data on organic farm numbers and acreage, sales, production, marketing practices and more.

Take Action on Food Safety Legislation
http://sustainableagriculture.net/category/food-safety/
While we all cheer this Administration’s emerging emphasis on local and regional food production, let’s not forget that the Food Safety Modernization Act (S 510) now on its way to the Senate floor could erect a formidable barrier to those markets for many small and moderate sized farms. The Act would considerably ramp up FDA regulation on farms that even minimally process their crops and sell them to restaurants, food coops, groceries, schools or to wholesale markets. One of the best ideas for improving this legislation has been introduced by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The Stabenow Amendment is called the Growing Safe Food Act (S. 2758) and it would create a national food safety training and technical assistance program. If you value safe, local, and healthy food, please call your Senators and encourage them to co-sponsor the Growing Safe Food Act.
Related ATTRA Publication: Food Safety Act Background and Resources
http://attra.ncat.org/food_safety.html

Iowa Study Looks at Economic Impact of Local Foods
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2010/012710_swiowa.html
Increased demand in metropolitan areas for locally grown food could have a positive impact on neighboring rural economies in southwest Iowa, according to a new report from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Iowa State University economist David Swenson worked with the Leopold Center, two local food councils and the Southwest Iowa Food and Farming Initiative (SWIFFI) to conduct an analysis for 10 counties in southwest Iowa. Results showed that a modest increase in fruit and vegetable production could bring an additional $2.67 million in labor income and the equivalent of 45 farm-level jobs to the region. Swenson’s report, ‘The Economic Impact of Fruit and Vegetable Production in Southwest Iowa Considering Local and Nearby Metropolitan Markets,’ is available on the Leopold Center Web site (http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/marketing_files/swiowa.html).

Book Available on Growing Vegetables in the Rockies
http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=7987
Growing vegetables in the Rockies is challenging for many reasons, but Montana horticulturists Bob Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough have written a new book that explains how to do it. The ‘Guide to Rocky Mountain Vegetable Gardening’ is the couple’s fifth book in five years, the latest edition in the Cool Springs Press vegetable gardening series and the only vegetable guide designed specifically for the tough zones of the Rocky Mountain states, said Gough, a professor of horticulture and associate dean for academic programs in the College of Agriculture at Montana State University. The 320-page book advises beginning to intermediate gardeners how to plant and harvest more than 40 types of vegetables in the region that includes Montana, Colorado, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

More Breaking News (http://attra.ncat.org/news/)

Funding Opportunities

Oregon Specialty Crop Grant
http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/news/091230specialty.shtml
The Oregon Department of Agriculture is now accepting grant proposals for project funding as part of a federal program for specialty crops. Approximately $1 million is available to agriculture industry associations, producer groups, commodity commissions, and local government agencies in Oregon. ODA is requesting one- to two-page concept papers from applicants describing their proposed projects.
Proposals are due February 16, 2010.

Mantis Community and Youth Gardens Award
http://www.kidsgardening.org/grants/mantis.asp
Each year, Mantis presents the Mantis Awards for charitable and educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life in their host communities. National Gardening Association selects 25 outstanding applicants to receive Mantis tiller/cultivators. Any nonprofit garden program may apply. In the past, winners have included schools, churches, correctional facilities, parks departments, youth camps, community gardens, and many others.
Proposals are due March 1, 2010.

Crops at Risk (CAR) Program
http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/cropsatrisk.cfm?pg=1
The goal of the CAR program is to enhance the development and implementation of innovative, ecologically based sustainable Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems. Preferably, this should involve a diversity of tactics and approaches for a single or specific food or fiber commodity in commercial production for pre- and/or post-harvest systems. The program addresses either a major acreage or high value crop commodity such as key fruits and vegetables. The primary emphasis is on crop productivity and profitability, while addressing critical environmental quality and human health issues. The CAR program provides funds for integrated multifunctional/multidisciplinary research, education, and extension projects for crops with high priority IPM needs as identified by stakeholders. Projects should contribute to the goals of the National Road Map for Integrated Pest Management.
Proposals are due March 22, 2010.

More Funding Opportunities (http://attra.ncat.org/funding/)

Coming Events

ACEEE Forum on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture
http://www.aceee.org/conf/10ag/index.htm
February 7-10, 2010
Madison, Wisconsin
In order to expand the dialogue about the role of energy efficiency in agriculture, ACEEE is organizing its third conference to explore this subject, the Forum on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture. The ‘Ag Forum’ is a successful tool for bringing together a diverse group of participants — in some cases, groups without prior relationships — to raise awareness, share information, form new collaborations, and establish new visions regarding policy and program opportunities to increase energy efficiency on farms and ranches, and in rural communities.

North Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society Winter Conference
http://www.npsas.org/events.html#2010WC
February 9-11, 2010
Watertown, South Dakota
This conference will feature workshops, entertainment, and exhibitors. Guest speakers will include:
Tom Stearns — High Mowing Organic Seeds
Dr. Paul Dettloff, DVM
Karl Schmidt — Glacial Lakes Permaculture
Dwayne Beck — Dakota Lakes Research Farm

Food Safety for Market Farms
http://michaelfieldsaginst.org/work/education/workshops/index.shtml
February 10, 2010
East Troy, Wisconsin
Get practical information and useful tips on helping ensure the safety and quality of the fresh fruits and vegetables you take to market at this day-long workshop. Receive the latest updates and useful resources to help you navigate state and federal food safety programs and regulations in this session geared toward small-scale fresh produce growers.

More Events (http://attra.ncat.org/calendar)

New & Updated Publications

Organic System Plans: Livestock Production
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/11/30/organic_system_plans_livestock_productio

Aquaculture Enterprises: Considerations and Strategies
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/11/18/aquaculture_enterprises_considerations_a_1

Building Sustainable Places
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/11/11/building_sustainable_places

Question of the Week

What are some resources that can help me decide how many seeds I should buy based on the number of CSA shares?
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/question.php/2010/02/01/what_are_some_resources_that_can_help_me

Ask a Sustainable Agriculture Expert

Submit questions to our professional staff online
http://attra.ncat.org/ask.php

ATTRA Spanish Newsletter

Subscribe to Cosecha Mensual (http://attra.ncat.org/espanol/boletin.php)
(Monthly Harvest), ATTRA’s Spanish-language e-newsletter

Subscribe to the Weekly Harvest
(http://visitor.roving.com/optin.jsp?m=1011223551022&ea=)

Comments? Questions? Go to http://www.attra.ncat.org/management/contact.html.

Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews Archives Available Online
(http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/archives.html)
Digital versions of recent Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews newsletters are available online. ATTRAnews is the newsletter of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
(http://attra.ncat.org/)

ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service (http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/index.html). Visit the NCAT Web site (http://www.ncat.org/sarc_current.php) for more information on our sustainable agriculture projects.

TrimBack lists coupon codes for a wide variety of popular retailers. These can help you save even more money.

Coupon codes are simple to use. You just need to copy and paste the code during the order process. Discounts will be given automatically. Coupon codes are a great way to save!

http://www.trimback.com

[From Kim Komando’s ‘site of the day’ email.

komando.com for computer help

Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD) -

Call
for papers on Urban Agriculture

JAFSCD welcomes research or policy briefs, and case studies (up to 2,500 words)
and full articles (up to 8,500 words) on best community-development practices related

to:
Urban livestock management and regulation
Urban market gardening and backyard gardening
Marketing and value-adding
Waste management and reuse
Urban farming by immigrant or other special populations
Farming on the fringe

Professor Mike Hamm: Great potential for urban agriculture in Detroit

Hamm works with Kathryn Colasanti, a graduate student who analyzed Detroit’s publically-owned
space. Colasanti’s study focused on open land where buildings had already been torn
down. She didn’t include parks or right of ways.

Colasanti discovered about nine square miles of empty available land within the
city limits. If her study included land with abandoned buildings, that space would
be doubled or tripled, Hamm said. Hamm and Colasanti determined with just 2,000
acres Detroit could produce up to 75 percent of the vegetables needs and about 50
percent of the fruit needs for 900,000 people.

[Granny Note:

A parcel of land one mile square, is considered to be 640 acres, 9 sq miles would equal 5,760 acres and be 3 times what they need.

Wouldn’t some of those abandoned buildings make huge greenhouses?

granny]

Seattle City website declares - 2010 The Year of Urban Agriculture

“2010: The Year of Urban Agriculture” was organized by Seattle Department of Neighborhoods,
Department of Planning and Development, and the Seattle City Council.

The site includes:
City Initiatives & Programs:
Street Use Permits: Gardening in Planting Strips
Seattle’s P-Patch Program
What’s new at P-Patch
P-Patch Program Evaluation (2009)
Seattle’s Market Gardening program
Vegetable gardens crop up in Seattle parking strips
The Seattle City Council is working to increase availability of affordable, locally
grown food. One approach: allowing folks to grow vegetable gardens in parking strips
- the no man’s land between sidewalk and curb.

Mapping and Characterizing Urban Agriculture with Satellite Imagery - Lisbon, Portugal

The city of Lisbon, Portugal, has historically expanded towards areas occupied by
farms, orchards, and olive groves, thus integrating some rural character. This process
was complemented by the influx of immigrants from the rural countryside or from
abroad who had farming habits. While until recently this land use activity was perceived
as marginal and simply tolerated by public officials, there are now municipal plans
to expand it, organize it, and integrate it in the city planning process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael Levenston
City Farmer - Canada’s Office of Urban Agriculture
1978-2010

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm199682.htm

Global Commodities Inc. Issues Allergy Alert On Undeclared Sulfites In Aahu Barah Brand Dry Apricot
Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:39:00 -0600

Global Commodities Inc. of Hicksville, NY is recalling its 0.50 lbs. packages of Aahu Barah brand Dry Apricot food treats because they contain undeclared Sulfites. People who have allergies to Sulfites run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2443122/posts

Yellowstone might go on first stage alert soon.
USGS ^ | 2/10/2010 | Myself

Posted on 02/02/2010 7:06:54 PM PST by Steve Van Doorn

Since January 17, 2010 Yellowstone has had the second largest swarm ever recorded. The swarms have been steady at about 10 miles in depth and they have subsided a few days ago.

Seed shortages could imperil home gardens
MSNBC ^ | 2/1/10 | AP

Posted on Wednesday, February 03, 2010 3:39:18 AM by Daisyjane69

DES MOINES, Iowa - Dreaming of biting into a garden-fresh cucumber sandwich this summer? Better order your seeds now.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2443277/posts?page=14#14

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm199796.htm

Pierino Frozen Foods Inc. Issues an Allergy Alert on Undeclared Eggs in Its Jumbo Shells with Cheese
Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:15:00 -0600

Pierino Frozen Foods Inc. of Lincoln Park, Michigan is recalling its 24 oz. packages of Pierino Frozen Foods’ “Jumbo Shells with Cheese” because they contain undeclared eggs. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

Safesheath CSG Coronary Sinus Guide Hemostatic Introducer System with Infusion Sideport by Thomas Medical

Audience: Interventional cardiology healthcare professionals

FDA and Thomas Medical Products Inc. notified healthcare professionals of a Class I Recall of certain lots of the product, tube-like devices placed into blood vessels to insert pacing or defibrillator wires and catheters into blood vessels. The sheath tip may break off and separate while the sheath is inside a blood vessel. If this occurs, the sheath tip could move through the blood vessel into organs such as the lungs and heart or, less commonly, into arteries. From there, the broken tip could cause a blockage anywhere, including the brain or heart, leading to permanent injury, such as a stroke or heart attack, or even death.

Any adverse events that may be related to use should be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program online [at www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm], by phone 1-800-332-1088, or by returning the postage-paid FDA form 3500 [which may be downloaded from the MedWatch “Download Forms” page] by mail [to address on the pre-addressed form] or fax [1-800-FDA-0178].

Read the complete MedWatch 2010 Safety summary, including a link to the FDA recall notice, at:

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm199927.htm

Interesting reading on that Yellowstone thread. We thought about going there for our honeymoon, but ended up somewhere else. Been meaning to get out there, but have never made it. Maybe some day we’ll get out there. I hope things settle down soon. I’d be a nervous wreck if I lived near there.

Haifa Smoked Fish Inc. Issues An Allert On Uneviscerated Whole Schmaltz Herring
Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:45:00 -0600

Haifa Smoked Fish, located in Queens, New York, is recalling Haifa brand vacuum packaged Whole Schmaltz Herring with the lot number 20, because the product was found to be uneviscerated.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm199917.htm

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2010
Release #10-133

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Schylling Associates to Pay a $200,000 Civil Penalty for Violation of Lead Paint Ban and for Failure to Report

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Schylling Associates Inc., of Rowley, Mass. has agreed to pay a $200,000 civil penalty.

The penalty settlement (pdf), which has been provisionally accepted by the Commission, resolves staff allegations that the company violated the federal lead paint ban regarding toys with surface paints containing lead above the 600 parts per million (ppm) legal limit applicable at the time, and failed to immediately report to CPSC information about the non-compliant toys.

In 1978, a federal ban was established that prohibited toys and other children’s articles from having more than 600 ppm (by weight) in paints or surface coatings. The regulatory limit was reduced to 90 ppm on August 14, 2009, as a result of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

The settlement resolves the following allegations:

* Schylling imported up to 66,000 units of non-compliant spinning top toys with Thomas and Friends, Curious George and Circus graphics between June 2001 and June 2002, and distributed them to its retail business customers for sale to consumers.

* Schylling imported as many as 10,200 units of non-compliant tin pail toys with Thomas and Friends, Curious George and Primary Colors graphics from late January 2002 through March 2002, and distributed about 4,700 of them to its retail customers for sale to consumers.

* Schylling also imported as many as 3,600 units of non-compliant Winnie-the-Pooh style spinning top toys between April and May 2003, and distributed them to its retail customers for sale to consumers.

* Although it eventually reported about these toys to CPSC in 2007, Schylling knew or should have known by 2002 that most of the toys did not comply with the lead paint ban, and it failed to report this information to the government in a timely manner.

Instead of notifying CPSC immediately, in 2002 Schylling conducted a unilateral recall of the distributed pails by seeking their return from affected retail business customers.

Within weeks of being notified of each of these violations in 2007, CPSC announced the firm’s voluntary recall of the products first in August and for additional toys in November of that year.

“Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers have a legal obligation to ensure that no banned products are introduced into or distributed in the U.S. marketplace, and to inform CPSC as soon as they become aware of information that must be reported under our laws. We will continue to penalize companies that do not follow these basic requirements,” said CPSC Chairman, Inez Tenenbaum.

In agreeing to the settlement, Schylling denies that it violated federal law, as alleged by CPSC staff.

To see this release on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled products, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10133.html