Replies

US-CERT Current Activity

New Variant of Conficker/Downadup Worm Circulating

Original release date: February 23, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Last revised: February 23, 2009 at 5:02 pm

US-CERT is aware of public reports concerning a new variant of the
Conficker/Downadup worm, named Conficker B++. This variant propagates
itself via multiple methods, including exploitation of the previously
patched vulnerability addressed in MS08-067, password guessing, and
the infection of removable media. Most significantly, Conficker B++
implements a new backdoor with “auto-update” functionality, allowing
machines compromised by the new variant to have additional malicious
code installed on them. According to Microsoft, there is no indication
that systems infected with previous variants of Conficker can
automatically be re-infected with the B++ variant.

US-CERT strongly encourages users to review Microsoft Security
Bulletin MS08-067 and update unpatched systems as soon as possible.

Additionally, US-CERT recommends that users take the following
preventative measures to help mitigate the security risks:
* Install antivirus software, and keep the virus signatures up to
date.
* Review the Microsoft Malware Protection Center blog entry for
details regarding the worm.
* Review the Using Caution with USB Drives Cyber Security Tip for
more information on protecting removable media.

Relevant Url(s):
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST08-001.html

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-067.mspx

http://mtc.sri.com/Conficker/

http://blogs.technet.com/mmpc/archive/2009/02/20/updated-conficker-functionality.aspx

This entry is available at
http://www.us-cert.gov/current/index.html#new_variant_of_conficker_downadup

A page for writers, info and research, history Air Force and more.

http://www.resourceshelf.com/category/search-news/access-to-information/open-source-intelligence/

snipped from above link:

A new searchable index of hundreds of thousands of documents held by
the Air Force Historical Research Agency has been created by private
researchers and posted online.

http://www.airforcehistoryindex.org/

http://www.resourceshelf.com/category/source-file/resources/archives/

Archive for the ‘Archives and Special Collections’ Category

Footnote.com and The National Archives Launch Largest Interactive World War II Collection

and several others of interest.

http://www.resourceshelf.com/category/source-file/resources/e-books/

Archive for the ‘E-books’ Category

Briefly: Over 600 Health Science E-Book Titles To Be Launched By Elsevier On ScienceDirect and Other News
Monday, January 26th, 2009

-— ——
It’s called “The American Veterans’ and Servicemembers’ Survival Guide,” and it comes, unsurprisingly, from outside the system. It is a publication of the nonprofit advocacy group Veterans for America, available as a free download at veteransforamerica.org.

and others...

http://www.resourceshelf.com/category/source-file/resources/new-web-sites/

Archive for the ‘New Websites and Resources’ Category

New Web Tools and Resources Worth a Look
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

+ Jotcloud.com - Virtual Sticky Notes

Jotcloud is a extremely simple web service that is designed to let anyone jot down notes quickly on the web.

+ LeapFish.com - A New Search Portal

“The internet has grown more and more complex and more than often a search for something leads us to not only search the major engines of the web, but also the other major online destinations that hold our video information, image information, shopping information, news and much more. We believe some search goals require a more multi-dimensional approach to finding deep information that we usually end up hunting for or just never think of looking for in the first place. LeapFish searches everywhere and conveniently surprises you with relevant information that touches upon all angles of a great search in this day and age. We’ve created the first multi-dimensional information aggregator and search portal in the world. Our goal is to gather, organize and render the most relevant information from the internet’s most valuable destinations for each users search, in one single simple shot.”

See Also: LeapFish hopes for success in crowded field of metasearch (via SJ Mercury News)

+ Checkvist.com - Online Collaborative Outliner

Online collaborative outliner and task list manager.

Posted in New Websites and Resources, Search News

more.........

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/SciRefGuides/shadegarden.html

Science Reference Guides
Gardening in the Shade:
A Guide to Selected Resources

Science Reference Section
Science, Technology, and Business Division
Library of Congress

Photo of ferns and flowering plants.
SELECTED TITLES ... SUBJECT HEADINGS ...
SELECTED JOURNAL ARTICLES ... SELECTED INTERNET RESOURCES
Library of Congress Standard Disclaimer
SELECTED TITLES

Chatto, Beth. Beth Chatto’s woodland garden: shade-loving plants for year-round interest. London, Cassell Illustrated, c2002. 224 p.
SB434.7.C48 2002

Cramer, Harriet L. A garden in the shade. New York, Friedman/Fairfax Pub., c2000. 144 p.
Bibliography: p. 142.
SB434.7.C734 2000

Darke, Rick. The American woodland garden: capturing the spirit of the deciduous forest. Portland, OR, Timber Press, 2002. 377 p.
Bibliography: p. 361-364.
SB434.7.C734 2000SB439.6.D27 2002 SciRR

Druse, Kenneth. The natural shade garden. New York, Clarkson Potter, c1992. 280 p.
Bibliography: p. 269.
SB434.7.D78 1991

Fish, Margery. Gardening in the shade. Foreword by Graham Rice. Sterling, VA, Capital Books, 2000. 152 p. Originally published London, Collingridge, 1964. With new foreword.
SB434.7.F57 2000

Gillmore, Robert. The woodland garden. Dallas, TX, Taylor Pub. Co., c1996. 186 p.
SB439.6.G54 1996

Hawthorne, Linden. Gardening in shade. New York, DK Pub., 1999. 72 p.
SB434.7.H38 1999

Hodgson, Larry. Making the most of shade: how to plan, plant, and grow a fabulous garden that lights up the shadows. Emmaus, PA, Rodale, c2005. 407 p.
Bibliography: p. 390-392.
SB434.7.H64 2005 SciRR

Luebbermann, Mimi. Shade gardens. Minnetonka, MN, National Home Gardening Club, c1999. 170 p.
Bibliography: p. 164.
SB434.7.L84 1999

Schenk, George. The complete shade gardener. Portland, OR, Timber Press, 2002. 311 p.
Originally published Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
SB434.7.S33 2002

Sunset gardening with shade. Edited by Suzanne Normand Eyre. Menlo Park, CA, Sunset Pub. Corp., c1996. 112 p.
SB434.7.S86 1996

Taylor’s guide to shade gardening. Edited by Frances Tenenbaum. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1994. 501 p.
SB434.7.T4 1994 SciRR

Walters, James E., and Balbir Backhaus. Shade and color with water-conserving plants. Portland, OR, Timber Press, c1992. 165 p.
Bibliography: p. 141-142.
SB439.8.W35 1992

Wiley, Keith. Shade: planting solutions for shady gardens. Portland, OR, Timber Press, 2006. 176 p.
Not Yet in LC

Woodland gardens: shade gets chic. Edited by C. Colston Burrell. Brooklyn, NY, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, c1995. 111 p. (21st-century gardening series, handbook no. 145)
SB1.P6 1995

TOP OF PAGE
SUBJECT HEADINGS

Subject Headings used by the Library of Congress, under which books and articles on fragrant gardens can often be located include:

HIGHLY RELEVANT

GARDENING IN THE SHADE
SHADE-TOLERANT PLANTS

RELATED
WOODLAND GARDENING

MORE GENERAL
GARDENING Man leaning on a garden tool, surrounded by lush green plants.

TOP OF PAGE
SELECTED JOURNAL ARTICLES

Check, Erica. Pollinators in peril. Nature, v. 443, Oct. 26 2006: 893.
Q1.N2

Cox-Foster, Diana. Mysterious Bee-havior. Science, v. 315, Mar. 16 2007: 1473.
Q1.S35

Harrison, John F. Environmental physiology of the invasion of the Americas by Africanized honeybees. Integrative and comparative biology, v. 46, Dec. 2006: 1110-1122.
QL1.A448

Klein, Alexandra-Maria, and others. Importance of pollinators in changing landscapes for world crops. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological sciences, v. 274, Feb. 7 2007: 303-313.
QH301.P7415

Milius, Susan. Most bees live alone. Science news, v. 171, Jan. 6 2007: 11-13.
Q1.S76

Weinstock, George M., and others. Insights into social insects from the genome of the honeybee, Apis mellifera. Nature, v. 443, Oct. 26 2006: 931-949.
Q1.N2

TOP OF PAGE
SELECTED INTERNET RESOURCES

Bees and Pollination: a collection of links from Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/agnic/bee/

What’s the Buzz on Planting a Bee Garden, by Stephen Buchman, Tucson ARS
http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/na/bgardn.html

The Hive and the Honeybee: Selections from the E.F. Phillips Beekeeping Collection at Mann Library, Cornell University
http://bees.library.cornell.edu/

Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=53420300

Honeybee, from Great Plains Nature Center
http://www.gpnc.org/honeybee.htm

Honeybee Genome Project, at Baylor College of Medicine
http://www.hgsc.bcm.tmc.edu/projects/honeybee/

Honeybee Information, from Texas A&M University
http://honeybee.tamu.edu/

HoneyBeeNet, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Wayne Esaias’ site for learning about the effects of climate change on bees and ecosystems
http://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov

Mid-Atlantic Apiculture
A regional group focused on pest management crisis in beekeeping industry
http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/

The Pollinator Partnership
Learn more and get involved in pollinator protection
http://www.pollinator.org/

Project Budburst
A national phenology network field campaign for citizen scientists
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_science/budburst/

Status of Pollinators in North America, a publication from the Committee on the Status of Pollinators in North America, National Research Council
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11761

TOP OF PAGE

Compiled by Alison P Kelly, Science Reference, Library of Congress, and
Wayne Esaias, Ocean Sciences Branch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
April 2007

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/SciRefGuides/containergarden.html

Library of Congress Standard Disclaimer

Container Gardening

A Guide to Selected Resources
Science Reference Section
Science, Technology, and Business Division
Library of Congress

Jump to: SELECTED INTERNET RESOURCES
SELECTED BOOKS ON CONTAINER GARDENING

Gardening in containers: creative ideas from America’s best gardeners. Newtown, CT, Taunton Press, distributed by Publishers Group West, c2002. 170 p.
SB418.G377 2002 SciRR

Guerra, Michael. The edible container garden: growing fresh food in small spaces. New York, Simon & Schuster, c2000. 159 p.
Includes bibliograpical references.
SB324.4.G84 2000 SciRR

Joyce, David. The complete container garden. Pleasantville, NY, Reader’s Digest, 2003. 216 p.
SB418.J685 2003

McCreary, Rosemary. Container gardens: simple steps to beautiful potted plants. Alexandria, VA, Time-Life Books, 2000. 143 p
SB418.M29 2000

McGee & Stuckey’s the bountiful container: a container garden of vegetables, herbs, fruits and edible flowers. New York, Workman Pub., c2002. 432 p.
SB518.M32 2002

Ouellet, Kerstin P. Contain yourself: 101 fresh ideas for fantastic container gardens. Batavia, IL, Ball Pub., c2003. 299 p.
SB418.O93 2003

Stevens, David, and Jerry Harpur. Roof gardens, balconies and terraces. New York, Rizzoli, 1997. 160 p.
SB419.5.H37 1997

Swindells, Phillip. Container water gardens. Hauppauge, NY, Barron’s Educational Series, 2001. 64 p.
SB423.S923 2001

Taylor’s guide to container gardening. Edited by Roger Holmes. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1995. 453 p.
SB418.T39 1995

Webster, Vicki. Container gardening. 6th ed. Menlo Park, CA, Sunset Pub., c2004. 128 p.
Includes bibliographical references.
SB413.R47 R35 2004

TOP OF PAGE
SELECTED INTERNET RESOURCES

Container Gardening with Children, from Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Parents/gardening.html

Container Gardening for Wildlife, from the National Wildlife Federation
http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/container.cfm

Container Gardens, from Texas A&M University
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/floriculture/container-garden/lesson/index.html

Container Vegetable Gardening, from Arizona Cooperative Extension
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/vegetable/container.html

Container Vegetable Gardening, from Virginia Cooperative Extension
http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/articles/vegetables/contgrdn.html

Gardening in Raised Beds and Containers for Older Gardeners and Individuals With Physical Disabilities, by Diane Relf, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
http://www.hort.vt.edu/human/pub426020d.html

Guide to Container Gardening, from GardenGuides.com
http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandTechniques/container.htm

Eifen tuin & auto, creative gardens from Holland
http://www.autotuin.nl/cargarden.html

No Ground? Use Containers, from Journey to Forever
http://journeytoforever.org/garden_con.html

Drought-resistant Plants for Pots, from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/design/handbooks/potted/drought.html

Vegetable Gardening in Containers, from the Agriculture Program of Texas A&M
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/container/container.htm

Compiled by Alison P. Kelly, May, 2004

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/SciRefGuides/edibleplants.html

Edible Wild Plants

Allaire, Denise. Cuisinons nos plantes sauvages. Québec, Éditions de l’Aurore, c1977. 178 p.
TX823.A46

Angier, Bradford. Free for the eating. Harrisburg, PA, Stackpole Books, [1966]. 191 p.
QK98.5.A54

Angier, Bradford. Feasting free on wild edibles; a one-volume edition of Free for the eating and More free-for-the eating wild foods. Harrisburg, PA, Stackpole Books, [1972, c1969]. 285 p.
TX823.A48 1972

Beatty, Bill. [Wild plant cookbook] Bill & Bev Beatty’s wild plant cookbook. Happy Camp, CA, Naturegraph Publishers, c1987. 174 p.
TX823.B423 1987
Illustrations by Bev Beatty.

Beedell, Suzanne Mollie. Pick, cook and brew. London, Pelham, 1973. 224 p.
TX823.B43 1973b

Belt, Thomas Edwin. Wild plants for winemaking. Andover, Amateur Winemaker, 1974. 87 p.
TP548.2.B449

Boisvert, Clotilde. La cuisine des plantes sauvages. Paris, New York, Dargaud, c1984. 302 p.
TX823.B59 1984

Candela Bettelli, Enza. Andar per boschi. Milano, Il castello, [1977?] 223 p.
TX823.C28

Carlberg, Birgitta. Vilda växter : användning förr och nu. Stockholm, Wahlström & Widstrand, 1980. 177 p.
TT157.C25 1980

Croisier, Annie. La cueillette : 10 mois de l’année Paris, Retz, 1979. 191 p.
TX819.A1C76

Crowhurst, Adrienne. The weed cookbook. New York, Lancer Books, 1972. 190 p.
TX823.C68

Dow, Elaine. Pages from a weed woman’s journal of common wild plants : their histories and uses in flower arrangement, cooking, dyeing, landscaping, and drying : with recipes. Topsfield, MA (P.O. Box 224, Topsfield 01983), Historical Presentations, c1991. 183 p.
QK98.4.A1D69 1991
Illustrated by David Workman.

Duff, Gail. The countryside cookbook : recipes & remedies. New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1982. 191 p.
TX823.D78 1982
Illustrated by Linda Garland, with line illustrations by Roger Garland.

Eating on the wild side : the pharmacologic, ecologic, and social implications of using noncultigens. Edited by Nina L. Etkin. Tucson, University of Arizona Press, c1994. 305 p.
GN476.73.E27 1994

En me promenant dans la vallée des champs. Commission Nature plein air ; sous la direction de Gisèle Arseneault ; [membres collaborateurs, Louise Monette Bernard et al. ; illustrations, Nicole Boisvert]. [Toronto] : Guides du Canada ; [Montréal] : Guides catholiques du Canada, Secteur français, 1983. 121 p.
TX823.E53 1983

Freethy, Ron. From agar to zenry : a book of plant uses, names, and folklore. Dover, NH, Tanager Books, 1985. 152 p.
QK98.4.G7F74 1985
Illustrated by Carole Pugh.

Freitus, Joe. Wild preserves : illustrated recipes for over 100 natural jams and jellies. Boston, Stone Wall Press, c1977. 192 p.
TX612.J3F73

Freitus, Joe. The natural world cookbook : complete gourmet meals from wild edibles. Washington, DC, Stone Wall Press ; Brattleboro, VT, distributed by the S. Greene Press, c1980. 283 p.
TX823.F73
Illustrated by Salli Haberman.
Cover photo by Randy Hill ; edited and designed by Pamela B. Haran.

Gearing, Catherine. A field guide to wilderness living. Nashville, TN, Southern Pub. Association, 1973. 222 p.
SK606.G4
Cover painting and illustrations by Wayne Barber.

Genders, Roy. Edible wild plants : a guide to natural foods. New York, Van der Marck Editions, c1988. 208 p.
QK98.5.A1G46 1988

Gibbons, Euell. Stalking the good life; my love affair with nature. New York, D. McKay Co., 1971. 247 p.
QK98.5.G45
Illustrated by Freda Gibbons.

Harris, Ben Charles. Eat the weeds. New Canaan, CT, Keats Pub., 1995. 254 p.
QK98.5.A1H37 1995
Foreword by Rosemary Gladstar.

Harris, Ben Charles. Eat the weeds. Barre, MA, Barre Publishers, 1968 c1969. 223 p.
QK98.5.H3 1969

Heiss, Erich. Wildgemüse und Wildfrüchte : eine wertvolle Ergänzung und Aufwertung unserer heutigen Nahrung : Salate, Gemüse, Früchte, Gewürze, Heiltee, Haustee aus der freien Natur : zahlreiche Ratschläge für eine gesunde Lebensführung nach neuen Erkenntnissen und eigenen Erfahrungen. München, Herp, [1980?] 335 p.
QK98.5.A1H44 1980

Henderson, Robert K. The neighborhood forager : finding and preparing delicious wild foods anywhere. White River Junction, VT, Chelsea Green Pub., 2000. 226 p.
TX823.H423 2000

Hitchcock, Susan Tyler. Gather ye wild things : a forager’s year. Charlottesville, University Press of Virginia, 1995. 182 p.
QK98.5.A1H57 1995
Illustrations by G.B. McIntosh.

Hsieh, Jung-hua. Shih yung yeh hua. chuan wen Hsieh Jung-hua ; p`eng tiao Lin Ch`un-chiang. T`ai-pei : Tu chia ch`u pan she, Min kuo 80 [1991] (1995 printing) 120 p.
QK98.5.A1H75 1991

Ingmanson, Inger. Kan man äta sån’t? : en bok om ätliga växter. teckningar av Kajsa Sjödin. Stockholm, Rabén & Sjögren, 1978. 311 p.
QK98.5.A1I53

Kluger, Marilyn. The wild flavor : [delectable wild foods to be found in field and forest and cooked in country kitchens]. Los Angeles, J.P. Tarcher ; Boston, Distributed by Houghton Mifflin, 1984. 285 p.
[TX823.K47 1984]
Illustrated by Mary Azarian.

Krause, Steven A. [In search of the wild dewberry] Drinks from the wilds. Mechanicsburg, PA, Stackpole Books, 1996. 276 p.
TX815.K7 1996
Botanical drawings and descriptions by Robert W. Freckman.

Krochmal, Connie and Arnold Krochmal. A naturalist’s guide to cooking with wild plants. New York, Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co. 1975, c1974. 336 p.
TX823.K75 1975

Lánská, Dagmar. Plané rostliny v kuchni. Praha, Aventinum, 1990. 159 p.
TX823.L36 1990

Lyle, Katie Letcher. The wild berry book : romance, recipes & remedies. Minocqua, WI, NorthWord Press, c1994. 160 p.
QK98.5.A1L94 1994
Illustrations by Laurie Anderson Caple.

March, Kathryn G. and Andrew L. March. The wild plant companion : a fresh understanding of herbal food and medicine. Bailey, CO, Meridian Hill Publications, c1986. 166 p.
TX823.M274 1986

McCraken, Derwood. Mother Nature’s recipe book. Willits, CA, Oliver Press, 1975. 151 p.
TX823.M235

Michael, Pamela. All good things around us : a cookbook and guide to wild plants and herbs. New York, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, c1980. 240 p.
QK98.5.A1M52 1980
Illustrated by Christabel King.

Nicholson, Delaine. From field & forest : the guide to making wild jelly. Key Largo, FL, TerraNovaNet, c1996. 64 p.
TX612.J4N53 1996

Nyerges, Christopher. Guide to wild foods and useful plants. Chicago, IL, Chicago Review Press, c1999. 237 p.
QK98.5.A1N94 1999
Foreword by Ed Begley, Jr.

Nyerges, Christopher. Urban wilderness : a guidebook to resourceful city living. Culver City, CA, Peace Press, c1979. 224 p.
[TX147.N93]
Illustrated by Janice Fryling.

Ó Céirín, Cyril and Kit Ó Céirín Wild and free : cooking from nature. Dublin, O’Brien Press, 1978. 158 p.
TX369.O22
Illustrations by Cyril Ó Céirín.

Ozollapa, Skaidr te. Vesel gas dz veszinas noslpumi. R ga, Alberts XII, c1997. 326 p.
TX741.O96 1997

Runyon, Linda. Lawn food cook book : groceries in the backyard. Glens Falls, NY (Upper Sherman Ave., RD 3, Box 194, Glens Falls 12801), Williams Graphic Arts, c1985. 46 p.
TX837.R92 1985
Drawings by Linda Runyon.

Russell, Helen Ross. Foraging for dinner : collecting and cooking wild foods. Nashville, T. Nelson, 1975. 255 p.
TX823.R8
Illustrations by Doris Shilladay Ross and smoke prints by Robert S. Russell.

Saury, Bianca. Se nourrir, se guérir aux plantes sauvages. Bianca et Alain Saury ; préf. du dr Jean Valuet ; gouaches d’Alain Saury ; introd. d’Albert Delaval. [Paris] : Tchou, c1977. 267 p.
QK98.5.A1S28

Sherwood, Martha A. Collecting roots & herbs for fun & profit. Chicago, Produced by Greatlakes Living Press of WauRegan, IL, for Contemporary Books, c1978. 282 p.
SB107.S43 1978
Illustrated by Nancy J. Schneider.

Silverman, Maida. A city herbal : a guide to the lore, legend and usefulness of 34 plants that grow wild in the city. New York, Knopf, distributed by Random House, 1977. 181 p.
QK83.S58 1977
Written and illustrated by Maida Silverman.

Sykes, Tim and Barbara Sykes. The Forager’s second cookbook of wild plants. Houston, TX (PO Box 692110, Houston 77269-2110), Forager Pub., c1995. 83 p.
TX823.S993 1995

Thoreau, Henry David. Wild fruits : Thoreau’s rediscovered last manuscript. Edited and introduced by Bradley P. Dean. New York, W.W. Norton, 1999. 409 p.
QK98.5.T48 1999
Illustrations by Abigail Rorer.

Tobin, Jack P. A taste of the wild; cooking with the good things from nature’s garden, with recipes by Jack Tobin. Kansas City, MO, Hallmark Cards, 1974. 48 p.
TX823.T6
Illustrated by Merrily Johnson.

Vickers, Peggy. The free food cook book. Chatsworth, CA, Major Books, c1975. 192 p.
TX357.V52

Vincent, Paul. Le jardin du Bon Dieu : le livre des légumes et des épices sauvages. Paris, Editions France-Empire, c1984. 239 p.
QK98.5.A1V56 1984

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/selected-internet/cherryblossoms.html

Selected Internet Resources —

Cherry Blossoms

Science Reference Section
Science, Technology, and Business Division
Library of Congress

Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC ... More Cherry Blossoms ...
Flowering Cherry Information
CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN WASHINGTON DC

Cherry Blossoms, from the National Park Service; includes a history of the cherry trees in Washington, D.C. http://www.nps.gov/nacc/cherry/

Official Website of the National Cherry Blossom Festival
http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/cms/index.php?id=390

Washington Post Cherry Blossom Guide
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/cityguide/features/2008/cherry-blossom-festival/

TOP OF PAGE
MORE CHERRY BLOSSOMS

Annual Cherry Blossom Festival of Southern California
http://www.cherryblossomfestivalsocal.org

Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Cherry Watch and Sakura Matsuri Festival
http://www.bbg.org/exp/cherries/index.html

Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia
http://www.jasgp.org/cherryblossomfestival/

Cherry Blossom Spots in Japan, from japan-guide.com
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011_where.html

Hawaii Cherry Blossom Festival
http://www.cbfhawaii.com/56/

Macon Georgia Cherry Blossom Festival
http://www.cherryblossom.com/

Northern California Cherry Blossom festival
http://nccbf.org/home/

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
http://www.vancouvercherryblossomfestival.com/

TOP OF PAGE
FLOWERING CHERRY INFORMATION

Cherry, information from the Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS) of University of Florida IFAS Extension
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Cherry

PLANTS Database, from National Resources Conservation Service, USDA
http://plants.usda.gov/

Ornamental Cherry, Plum, Almond and Apricot, from Clemson University
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1018.htm

NASA Technical Reports on flowering cherries
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?Ns=ArchiveName%7C0&N=4294682589

Compiled by Alison P. Kelly, March, 2007; revised March, 2008.

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/SciRefGuides/solarovens.html

Solar Ovens and Solar Cooking: Selected Resources

* Technology and designs
* Cookbooks
* Online Resources
* For Kids

Library of Congress Standard Disclaimer

Photo: a cooking pot, in the middle of a cone shaped set of mirrors.
A parabolic solar cooker. Photo from the Planetary Engineering Group Earth Web site.

Cooking with the sun’s power is a fun way to use a renewable resource, and with excellent results. Food cooked in solar ovens retains its moisture and nutrients as it cooks slowly, and does not burn as with other types of heat. Many organizations are introducing solar cooking to the world’s less developed regions to prevent further deforestation in fuel-starved areas. They hope also to liberate the women and their children who must spend their days trying to gather fuel instead of working or going to school.

In more developed nations, solar cooking helps to decrease the use of fossil fuel and to keep the house cool in summer. Many are finding it a creative and practical way to produce delicious meals with less trouble than it takes to use a conventional range.

Designs for ovens and cookers abound. They range from very affordable home made models to those one can buy ready-made. Most of the cookbooks listed below also have an explanation of the different types of ovens as well as tips for the novice solar chef.
Technology and Designs

Radabaugh, Joseph. Heaven’s flame: a guidebook to solar cookers. Ashland, OR, Home Power, c1991. 80 p.
TS425.R33 1991

Solar cookers and ovens: technology options. New Delhi, Consortium on Rural Technology, 1982. 56 p.
TX831.S65 1982
Cookbooks

Anderson, Lorraine and Rick Palkovic. Cooking with sunshine:the complete guide to solar cooking with 150 easy sun-cooked recipes. Rev. and expanded ed. New York, Marlowe, c2006. 202 p.
TX835.5 .A64 2006

Barker, Jennifer Stein. The Morning Hill solar cookery book. Canyon City, OR, Morning Hill Associates, c1999.
100 p.
TX835.5 .B37 1999

Gurley, Virginia Heather. Solar cooking naturally. 4th ed. Sedona, AZ, SunLightWorks, 1999. 92 p.
TX835.5 .G87 1999

Halacy, Beth, and Dan Halacy. Cooking with the sun. La Fayette, CA, Morning Sun Press, 1992. 114 p.
TX835.5.H35 1992

Halacy, Beth, and Dan Halacy. The solar cookery book: everything under the sun. Culver City, CA, Peace Press, 1978. 108 p.
TX652.H32

Kofalk, Harriet. Solar cooking: a primer/cookbook. Summertown, TN, Book Pub. Co., c1995. 96 p.
TX835.5.K64 1995

Yaffe, Linda Frederick. Solar cooking for home and camp. Mechanicsburg, PA, Stackpole Books, c2007. 120 p.
TX835.5.Y34 2007
Table of contents online http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip079/2007003173.html.
Online Resources

Solar Cookers International
http://solarcookers.org/
Solar Cookers International (SCI) was established in 1987 to spread the use of solar ovens and cooking. Their programs educate policy makers, maintain an international exchange network through conferences and publications, and ,by bring solar cooking technology to areas of the world most in need of it. The site contains clear explanations of the benefits, types and best uses of solar ovens, as well as a list of cookbooks and commercially available ovens.

Solar Cooking Archive
http://www.solarcooking.org/
Sponsored by Solar Cookers International, the Archive contains a wealth of information, including newsletters, articles, discussion lists, plans for cookers, an international directory and more.

Baking in the Sun
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/RenewableEnergy/renewable_energy4.html
NASA’s Earth Observatory site

Solar Cooking Plans
http://solarcooking.org/plans/
Presents plans for building box, panel, and parabolic cookers, as well as a few other types of solar appliances.

Solar Ovens Society (SOS)
http://www.solarovens.org/
“ The SOS exists to promote solar cooking to the American public and to provide a way to partner with the over 2 billion people worldwide who lack adequate fuel for cooking their food.” They produce and ship cookers overseas, as well as offer them for sale. The site also includes a number of recipes.

Solar Household Energy, Inc.(SHE)
http://www.she-inc.org/
SHE’s mission is “to harness free enterprise for the introduction of solar cooking to improve quality of life and relieve stress on the environment.”

Solar Oven Development and Testing Project (Florida Solar Energy Project)
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/research/solarthermal/solar_cooker/index.htm
The Florida Solar Energy Center conducted a research project to improve the performance, reliability and cost-effectiveness of low-cost solar cookers for use in developing nations. This site presents results of the tests. Much of the information is detailed and technical in nature.

For Kids

Building a Solar Oven, Cooking with the Sun
http://www.re-energy.ca/t-i_solarheatbuild-1.shtml
This solar oven page is part of the re-energy.ca site, which offers learning kits which allows students in grades 7 through 12 to build working models of renewable energy technologies. It offers a plan for a solar oven, and tips on safety and testing it.

NASA’s Kids Features — Cooking With the SunPhoto: girl holding her pizza box solar oven.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/activities/A_Cooking_with_the_Sun_prt.htm
Make a solar oven and cook a snack using the power of the sun. Includes step by step instructions with photographs.

What Stores Energy Best?
http://www.solarnow.org/experiment.htm
Make a solar oven-like box to compare sand, salt, water and paper to see which substance can store energy the best.

This girl made a solar oven from a pizza box!
Photo: NASA Web site.

Compiled by MJ Cavallo
May, 2008

Muslim Sprayed Food with Fecal Matter (back)

February 24, 2009

Poisoning food with feces is detailed as a tactic in the Al-Qaeda manual found a few years ago by British intelligence.

Also, there are precedents, both involving Muslims, as does this story:

UK: Shop-owners sold chocolate cake sprinkled with human faeces

Man Caught On Tape Sprinkling Fecal Matter On Pastries

Fecal Jihad Update: ‘Man accused of waging spray war,’ from This Is Gloucestershire, February 24:

A man who is accused of waging a urine and faeces-spraying campaign at two supermarkets, a pub and a bookshop caused £700,000 damage, a court heard yesterday.

Sahnoun Daifallah, 42, is alleged to have squirted a brown, foul-smelling substance from a spray container at four businesses in Gloucestershire on May 14 and 16 last year.

The court heard the man from White City , Gloucester , visited the Air Balloon pub at around 12.45pm on May 14 where police were called after he asked a barmaid Susan Lawson-Bagent how much it would cost to rape her.

When officers arrived Daifallah had gone but he had left a trail of stench behind him which the prosecution say was his calling card.

Stephen Dent, prosecuting, told the jury: ‘He mixed up an evil potion of various biological ingredients including his own faeces and urine.

‘It was not until after he had left that staff started to notice a bad smell of excrement.

‘We say that this was his little calling card because he did not like the way he had been treated.’

Daifallah then moved on to Waterstone’s bookstore in Cirencester where it is alleged he sprayed the brown substance all over a toilet in the coffee shop.

Staff noticed the smell but it was not until after he had left the store that they discovered a 20-metre area of 38 shelves had been doused in the foul substance.

In total 706 books were contaminated, most of them in the children’s section.

On May 16 at around 11am Daifallah is said to have visited the Tesco store in Quedgeley.

Mr Dent said a customer saw Daifallah reach into his laptop bag and produce a jet of fluid over the frozen chips.

He allegedly moved on to the wine section where a member of staff saw a fine vapour come from bag and on to the wine, leaving brown fluid over the shelves....

Source: http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/025006.php

[This has happened several times, it is true that this is in the training manual for jihadi.

Now ask about our own recalls.

granny]

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/bread-machine-recipe-for-100-whole.html

Bread Machine Recipe for 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Oats, Bran, and Flax Seed

Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread I’ve spent the last few weeks on a quest to create South Beach Diet friendly bread using my Oster Bread Machine, and I finally have a recipe to share! Previously I’ve made South Beach friendly bread in the bread machine using a mix, but this time I wanted to make bread from scratch using all whole wheat flour, very minimal sugar, and a fair amount of fiber. The bread you see above is the winning recipe, after seven earlier versions and a lot of helpful suggestions from bloggers, relatives, and a parent from school!

My bread recipe started with white whole wheat flour, which is a whole grain flour made from a white variety of wheat. This flour can be substituted for white flour in many recipes. (Read more about White Whole Wheat flour on the King Arthur Flour site.)

You can use whole oatmeal, but I like the flavor of oats but not the look of oatmeal flakes in the bread, so I grind oatmeal in the food processor. (I keep this in the freezer and often use it in recipes instead of bread crumbs.)

Follow directions for your bread machine, but in my machine you add the liquid ingredients first. I combined the lukewarm water, agave nectar, olive oil, and a tiny bit of brown sugar before I put it in the machine. (I use the measuring spoon to stir, eliminating the need to dirty another spoon.)

I mixed white whole wheat flour, ground oatmeal, wheat bran, flaxseed meal, vital wheat gluten, dough enhancer, and salt in advance, so it was ready to pour in as soon as I added the liquid.

When you make bread in a machine, you need to watch during the first mixing and make sure the bread forms a ball like this. Depending on the humidity where you live, you may need to add more water or flour (one tablespoon at a time) during this initial mixing.

Bread Machine Recipe for 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Oats, Bran, and Flaxseed Meal
(Makes one loaf, about 1.5 pounds, recipe created by Kalyn.)

Dry ingredients - Mix in bowl:
2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup ground rolled oats (oatmeal ground in a food processor, or use 1 cup whole oatmeal)
1/3 cup wheat bran
2 T flaxseed meal
2 T vital wheat gluten
1 T dough enhancer
1 tsp. salt

Wet Ingredients and sweeteners - Mix in measuring cup:
1 1/3 cup lukewarm water
1 T olive oil
1 T agave nectar
2 tsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. yeast (I used Red Star Active Dry Yeast, not a special yeast for bread machines.)

Follow directions for your bread machine. In my Oster Bread Machine I put the liquid in first, followed by the dry ingredients I mixed in the bowl. Then I make a small well in the flour and put the yeast in that. I used the whole wheat setting on the machine.

Watch bread while it goes through the first mixing cycle, and if it doesn’t form a ball you may need to add either more flour or water, 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough should make a firm ball and be only slightly sticky.

If you’re going to be taking photos of the bread for your food blog, you may want to take the dough out of the machine right before the final rise and gently fold sides under to make a loaf with a smooth top. When I didn’t do that, I still had a tasty bread but the top wasn’t as well-shaped.

My bread machine takes 3 hours 40 minutes for the whole wheat cycle. Bread is delicious hot or cold, and also makes great toast.

South Beach Suggestions:
Bread like this with 100% whole wheat flour and other whole grains is a great choice for phase 2 or 3 of the South Beach Diet. I wrote an earlier post on Choosing the Right Bread for the South Beach Diet, which might be informative.

More Bread Recipes with White Whole Wheat Flour:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
White Whole Wheat and Oatmeal Irish Soda Bread from Kalyn’s Kitchen
100% Whole Wheat and Bran Bread from Kalyn’s Kitchen
No Knead 100% Whole Wheat Bread from Su Good Sweets
Whole Grain Sesame Flaxseed Bread from Apple Pie Patis and Pate
Favorite 100% Whole Wheat Bread from Cooking for Seven
(Want even more white whole wheat recipes? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)

[many hidden links]

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/09/south-beach-suggestions-south-beach.html

Recipe for Chicken and Shredded Cabbage Salad with Mustard and Celery Seed

Chicken Cabbage Salad If you come to my house and peer into the veggie crisper, you’d find green and red cabbage in there at least 90% of the time. I love the taste of raw cabbage, and this type of cabbage salad is something I never get tired of eating. How handy that cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, and therefore deemed one of the world’s healthiest foods! Chicken and cabbage salad is also a great way to use leftover rotisserie chicken if you’re like me and just have to buy those roasted chickens at Costco. The celery seeds in this are something my mother always put in coleslaw, and I always think of her whenever I use them. They’re possibly an ingredient that not everyone has in the spice rack, but they’re not expensive, and I think they add a lot to this type of salad.

Make the dressing by combining mayo, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, celery seed, onion powder, and salt or Vege-Sal.

Then dice chicken into cubes and mix in 1/2 cup dressing. Let chicken marinate in the dressing while you chop the cabbage.

Chicken and Shredded Cabbage Salad with Dijon and Celery Seeds
(Makes about 4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn on one of many occasions she had leftover rotisserie chicken and cabbage in the vegetable crisper.)

2 cups diced leftover chicken (or cook 2 boneless chicken breasts in chicken stock, cool and dice)
1 cup finely sliced red cabbage
3 cups finely sliced green cabbage
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Dressing:
3/4 cup mayo (I usually use a mixture of regular and light mayo, but do not use fat free!)
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 T Dijon mustard (or less if you’re not that fond of mustard)
1/2 tsp. onion powder (can also use 1 tsp. grated onion)
2 tsp. celery seeds
1/2 tsp. Vege-Sal (or use regular salt, but Vege-Sal is perfect in this)

Whisk together dressing ingredients. (If you have time to make the dressing ahead, it will help the flavors develop.) Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces, place in medium-sized plastic bowl, and stir in 1/2 cup of dressing mixture. Let chicken marinate in the dressing while you slice cabbage and green onions.

Thinly slice cabbage, then coarsely chop into smaller pieces. (I like to use this mandoline I got from a student, but you can chop the cabbage with a knife as well.) Slice green onions. Put sliced cabbage and onions into bowl with chicken and dressing. Add more dressing until salad is a moist as you prefer. (You may not need all the dressing.) Season to taste with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

South Beach Suggestions:
Salad like this is perfect for any phase of the South Beach Diet or any other low-glycemic eating plan. Light mayonnaise is best for South Beach, although mayonnaise is often made with soybean oil, which is considered a “good fat” for South Beach.

More Salads with Cabbage and Chicken:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Red Cabbage and Chicken Asian Salad with Tangy Cilantro Dressing from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Vietnamese Cabbage Salad with Chicken and Cilantro from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Warm Red Cabbage Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Chicken Salad Cabbage Cups from Kath Eats Real Food
Chicken Cabbage Salad with Feta from Anne’s Food
(Want even more chicken cabbage salad recipes? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/flourless-and-almost-sugar-free-cookies.html

Flourless and (almost) Sugar Free Cookies with Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Flourless and almost sugar-free cookiesValentine’s Day is next weekend, and I’ve been experimenting to create a chocolate cookie recipe that was sugar-free. After lots of tries that weren’t bad but not quite what I wanted, I decided it was worth using the tiniest bit of brown sugar to take the edge off the chocolate and add crispiness. These cookies only have 2 T brown sugar plus the small amount of sugar that’s in the peanut butter, so they really are *almost* sugar free. If your Valentine is someone who wants to avoid sugar, for the South Beach Diet or for health reasons, I guarantee these cookies will do the trick. I even tried them out on the teenage son of my contractor and he pronounced them “really good!”

I rarely use Splenda Brown Sugar Blend in a recipe because I’m so annoyed with the nutritional information on the package, listed in 1/2 teaspoons for a baking product! However, if you wanted even less sugar, you could use that to replace the brown sugar. For those who are wondering, I did try Agave Nectar instead of brown sugar in one of my experiments, but the cookies burned on the bottom. If anyone tries that and gets a better result, I’d love to hear about it.

Use a hand beater to mix together the cookies for best results. I used chunky peanut butter, but you could use plain peanut butter for a more elegant cookie. This dough is pretty stiff after you add the peanut butter, so you may need to scrape it off the beaters.

I scooped out dough with a small spoon, about 2 tsp. of dough per cookie, and rolled it into a ball. I was using my toaster oven, so I baked 12 cookies at a time for a total of 24 small cookies.

I used a fork to press down the cookies, necessary because they don’t spread out much. I baked these cookies on parchment, but if you don’t have any I don’t think it’s completely necessary.

Flourless and (almost) Sugar Free Cookies with Peanut Butter and Chocolate
(Makes 24 small cookies, recipe created by Kalyn)

2 eggs
1 cup Splenda granular sweetener
2 T Brown Sugar (or use 2 T Splenda Brown Sugar Blend or 1 T Splenda + 1 T brown sugar)
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla (I used Mexican vanilla)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 C natural peanut butter without added sugar, the brand I buy has only 1 gram sugar in 2 T (When I’m buying peanut butter to make cookies, I pour off all the oil that is on the top of the jar when you first open it. I recommend doing that so cookies don’t turn out too oily.)

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Cut parchment to fit baking sheet, or spray with non-stick spray.

In plastic bowl, add eggs, Splenda, Brown Sugar (or substitute described above), cocoa powder, baking powder, and vanilla. Use hand beater or stand mixer to beat together about 30 seconds. Add almond meal and beat 15-20 seconds. Add peanut butter and beat until well mixed., about 20 more seconds. Dough will be stiff, so scrape it off the beaters if needed.

Use a small spoon to measure out about 2 tsp. of dough and roll each cookie into a ball, then arrange cookies in rows on baking sheet. Leave enough room to smash down cookies with a fork when the baking sheet is full. Smash cookies to about 1/2 inch thick, then bake for 15-17 minutes, or until top feels firm and cookies look done. Let cool a few minutes before eating.

South Beach Suggestions:
Cookies like this with very minimal sugar are something I would make occasionally as a South Beach Diet friendly dessert. Everything used here is a low-glycemic ingredient, but the cookies are relatively high in fat, so this is probably a “once in a while treat” for the South Beach Diet.

More Cookies with Chocolate or Peanut Butter
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Flourless, Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies from Baking Bites
Gluten-Free Chocolate Biscotti Cookies from Karina’s Kitchen
John’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies from Gluten-Free Cooking School
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies from Andrea’s Recipes
(Want even more peanut butter chocolate cookie recipes? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/pressure-cooker-recipe-for-pinto-bean.html

Pressure Cooker Recipe for Pinto Bean and Ground Beef Stew with Cumin and Cilantro

Pressure Cooker Pinto Bean Stew This delightful stew with pinto beans, ground beef, and cilantro is something I had for lunch three days in a row recently, and I completely enjoyed it each time. If you’re not a pressure cooker convert, read after the recipe to see how the stew can be made in a regular pot on the stove, but obviously it’s much quicker in the pressure cooker. By the way, if anyone looked at that photo and thought about chili, there’s no chili powder in this, so it’s definitely not chili! Actually cilantro is the predominant flavor here, so if you’re one of those poor cilantro-impaired folks, maybe you’ll want to search for a different stew recipe!

Cilantro is my favorite herb, one I never get tired of even though I’ve featured it for Weekend Herb Blogging many times. This week the host is Cheryl from Gluten Free Goodness, so check with her Monday to see what other bloggers are cooking. Thanks also go to Haalo at Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once for doing a great job as new herb mistress!

One thing I love about the pressure cooker is how you can start with unsoaked beans and have a wonderful dish less than an hour later. This is the pinto beans after I pressure cooked them and drained off the liquid.

Since I was only going to pressure cook the soup a few minutes, after I sauteed the onions and garlic, I added the dried and ground herbs and sauteed for a few minutes to release the flavor.

Here’s how the stew looked in the pressure cooker before I put the lid on and pressure cooked for just 2 minutes, before letting pressure release slowly for about 15 minutes. You could also simmer on top of stove for about 45 minutes, adding a bit more liquid.

Pressure Cooker Recipe for Pinto Bean and Beef Soup with Cumin and Cilantro
(Makes about 6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn.)

I made this in my 3.7 quart Kuhn Rikor pressure cooker. You could use a slightly bigger model.

1 cup dried pinto beans, unsoaked (or can use 2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained)
about 2 T olive oil, divided (will depend on your pan)
1 lb. low-fat ground beef (I use ground beef with less than 10% fat)
1 tsp. Spike seasoning
1 onion, chopped
1 T minced garlic
2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1 T ground cumin
1 T dried cilantro (optional, but recommended)
3 cups homemade chicken stock (or can use 2 cans chicken broth and reduce slightly to 3 cups)
1 cup liquid from pressure cooking beans (or 1 cup water)
2 T tomato paste
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or more)
2 T fresh squeezed lime juice

Put 1 cup dried pinto beans in pressure cooker with 2 tsp. olive oil, add water to fill pressure cooker half full, lock lid, and pressure cook at high pressure 15 minutes. (Start to time after high pressure is reached.) Turn off heat and let pressure release naturally (about 15 minutes.) When all pressure is released, drain beans into colander, reserving 1 cup bean cooking liquid. (You can also use 2 cans pinto beans, rinsed well in a colander placed in the sink, then drained.)

While beans are cooking, heat 2 tsp. olive oil in large heavy frying pan, add ground beef and season with Spike seasoning, then saute until beef is well-browned, breaking apart with back of the turner as it cooks. When it’s well browned, remove beef to a bowl.

Heat 2 tsp. more olive oil in frying pan, then add onion and saute about 5 minutes, or until onion is starting to brown. Add minced garlic and saute 2 minutes more, then add Mexican oregano, cumin, and dried cilantro and saute about 2 minutes more.

When beans have finished cooking and been drained into a colander, add cooked ground beef to pressure cooker, followed by onion/garlic/herb mixture. Add chicken stock to frying pan and simmer a minute, scraping off any browned bits and adding that liquid to pressure cooker, along with 1 cup reserved bean cooking liquid (or water, if using canned beans.) Add beans, tomato paste and can of tomaotes to pressure cooker.

Lock lid and pressure cook for 2 minutes at high pressure. (Start to time after high pressure is reached.) Turn off heat and let pressure release naturally, about 15 minutes. When pressure is released, add sliced green onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and lime juice, turn heat on and cook with lid off for about 5 minutes. Serve hot, with additional chopped cilantro to add at the table if desired.

How to Cook in a regular soup pot on the stove:
For canned beans, rinse and drain as described above. To use dried beans, you will need to soak beans overnight, drain, add fresh water to cover by a few inches and simmer until beans are soft, about 45 minutes. Follow directions as above for browning meat, browning onions with garlic and herbs, and deglazing frying pan with chicken stock. Combine browned meat, onion mixture, chicken stock, water, cooked beans, tomato paste, and canned tomatoes in heavy soup pot, adding 1 cup more chicken stock for cooking in open pan. Simmer over low heat about 45 minutes, adding a bit more water if needed. When stew seems done, add green onion, chopped cilantro, and lime juice as above and cook a few more minutes.

South Beach Suggestions:
This stew with low-glycemic dried beans and low-fat ground beef is a great dish for any phase of the South Beach Diet.

More Soups or Stews with Cilantro:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Crockpot Black Bean Chili with Lime and Cilantro from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Black Bean and Rice Soup with Cilantro and Lime from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Chicken and Pinto Bean Soup with Lime and Cilantro from Kalyn’s Kitchen
New Mexican Slow Cooker Stew from Karina’s Kitchen
Pumpkin and Chorizo Soup with Cilantro from Closet Cooking
Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro from Christine Cooks
(Want even more soup or stew recipes with cilantro? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/12/gift-from-kitchen-rosemary-salt.html

We all know those amazing people who make incredible holiday treats like homemade candies and baked goods and give them out to friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Even back in the days when I was more interested in sugary treats, I was never one of those people. Still, even though I’m not a baker or a candy-maker, I do like to make something from the kitchen for Christmas. For many years now I’ve created interesting blends of herbs and spices to give as little holiday gifts.

All this week I’m going to be sharing holiday recipes for Holiday Cooking with Herbs, the special Weekend Herb Blogging event where we’re hoping food bloggers will share their recipes for special foods. For my own holiday recipes, I ‘m starting with three days of herb blends you can make to give as gifts.

My idea to make rosemary salt was inspired by a bottle of rosemary salt from Eatwell Farms I bought at the Ferry Building farmers market when I went to San Francisco this summer. All summer I ate it on tomatoes, grilled veggies, and chicken, and the first time I tasted it, I knew I wanted to try making some. This was simple to make, and I think it will be an unusual treat for the people I’m giving it to.

I used a relatively inexpensive variety of sea salt crystals from the grocery store, and dried cracked rosemary from Penzeys. If you don’t have cracked rosemary you’ll need to buzz your rosemary in the food processor for a couple of minutes so each of the dried rosemary leaves is broken into several pieces.

I’m making herb blends for people at my school, quite a few people, so I can’t afford jars for this. I simply put the rosemary salt into a small plastic bag and stapled on a note about how to use the salt, with a Kalyn’s Kitchen card (designed by the fabulous Rand, who also designed our Holiday Cooking with Herbs banner.)

Rosemary Salt
(makes about 4 cups)

3 cups sea salt crystals
1 1/2 cups dried rosemary (cracked rosemary is best)

(If you don’t have cracked rosemary, measure rosemary and put into food processor with steel blade attached. Process about 2 minutes, until rosemary is broken into small bits.)

Combine salt and rosemary in food processor and process with steel blade less than one minute, until salt and rosemary are well combined. Don’t process too long. You want this to still have a slightly chunky texture.

Suggested uses: Use sparingly, as you would regular salt. Sprinkle on fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, or avocado. An excellent seasoning for eggs, potatoes, butternut squash, or chicken. Delicious on any type of roasted or grilled vegetables.

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/12/more-kitchen-gifts-kalyns-herb-blend.html

Today I’m sharing my recipe for Kalyn’s Herb Blend, something I started making about ten years ago. At first I used the recipe for the American Heart Association Herb Seasoning, a great salt-free blend. Although my recipe has never strayed too far from theirs, I make this a little differently every year now, depending on what I have on hand and what new herbs I’ve become fond of. I’ve been giving this away for Christmas for years, and I’ve had people use it all and ask if they can buy more! This is my 2006 version, and now that I’m posting the recipe people can make their own after they’ve used it up.

From having made this for years, I’d say the essentials are the garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, parsley, savory, and pepper. You can add or subtract other herbs as desired. Create your own blend based on your favorites, and then name it after yourself and give it away for Christmas; I promise your friends will be very impressed.

At the risk of sounding like a food snob, I should say that a herb blend like this is not something I give my foodiest friends, who are more likely to want fresh herbs anyway. This is a good all purpose seasoning blend for people who cook a little, but who aren’t likely to have a cupboard full of different herbs and spices. There are probably more people in the world like that than there are foodies like me with nearly every spice or herb that Penzeys sells, so most of your friends will love this.

Those of you who have seen my spice rack loaded down with Penzeys bottles might have forgotten that I also have a big drawer full of spices from various places. This blend is a good way to use leftover spices that you have around.

You can give the herb blend away in jars or in small plastic bags. This year I have a lot of people to give them to, so I’ve opted for bags, with a Kalyn’s Kitchen card stapled on.

Kalyn’s 2006 Herb Blend
(makes about 5 cups; this recipe was originally adapted from the American Heart Association Herb Seasoning, and I never make it exactly the same way twice.)

1 1/2 cups garlic powder
3/4 cup onion powder
1/2 cup dried thyme
1/2 cup dried basil
1/2 cup dried parsley
1/4 cup ground savory
1/4 cup rubbed sage
1/4 cup white pepper
1/4 cup celery seed
1/4 cup dried oregano

Put all herbs in to food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse about 30 seconds, until herbs are well combined. Store in glass jar with tight lid.

Suggested uses: This herb blend adds great depth of flavor to meat-based soups, stews, pasta sauces, or casseroles. It’s excellent in meatloaf or to season ground beef when browning. Mix with olive oil and toss with vegetables before roasting. Add a small amount to any marinade or sauce for chicken, pork, or beef, or add to flour to use for dredging meat. Use a small amount to season gravy or stock.