Recycling in Duval and St Johns counties

Every once in a while my husband and I find ourselves asking each other about what is recyclable or not. We get our plastic numbers confused, as well as paper and cartons. Here is something that hopefully can help clarify our confusions. 

• The city only takes hard plastics. So, even if the filling of the package you just received in the mail is made of #1 plastic, that is non recyclable. The same goes for chip bags, plastic wrapping, plastic produce bags, box wrappers, cling wrap, and any other soft plastics.
• Whole Foods takes hard plastics such as yogurt (cream cheese, butter, cottage cheese) containers. I believe that is the only place in Duval County that recycles #3 plastics. 
• In St Johns County, households will now be able to recycle hard plastics #1 through #7.
• You can take all your household paper to the Paper Retriever bins (green/yellow bins), located all around the city. For locations and more info, go to: http://www.paperretriever.com/

For more info, check below for the city's guide, as well as the link for further clarification (it has pictures of everything)

Curbside Recycling

Single-family residents can recycle all of these  items curbside in their blue bin*:

• Plastic food, beverage, detergent bottles and jugs with narrow necks and screw-on tops that are labeled with a     or    .  Labels do not need to be removed.
  (Please place tops/lids in garbage; no butter tubs or similar items)
• Glass bottles and jars (green, brown, and clear; please place tops/lids in garbage; labels do not need to be removed)
• Metal and aluminum cans
• Newspapers and inserts (on rainy days, please hold until next collection day)
• Magazines, catalogs & telephone books
• Brown paper bags (can also be used to hold excess recyclables)
• Corrugated cardboard (flattened and cut in pieces 2' by 3' or smaller)
• No plastic bags, milk cartons, or juice boxes
• No motor oil, pool chemical, pesticide or fertilizer bottles 
• No shredded paper

http://www.coj.net/NR/rdonlyres/e45dqnjlnsofp73iswdp33f7hsggchhwalgzp3xxpyb4tv7up2iycw2ibe37r3fuey45orxq6uduqi5peqbec6bl7kc/recycle+flyer.pdf

''4,5,1,2...''

''...ALL THE REST IS BAD FOR YOU''

Whenever possible, do not buy anything in plastic. But if you must get something in a plastic container (water, yogurt, milk, vegetables, meat etc), remember this little mantra: ''4,5,1,2, all the rest is bad for you.''

• 3: contains phthalates, lead, BPA, dioxins, mercury, cadmium. Associated with carcinogens, hormone disruptors and adverse health effects
• 6: contains styrene (nervous system toxicant, associated with adverse effects on red blood cells, liver, kidneys and stomach in animal studies.
• 7: contains polycarbonates, which are made with BPA (bisphenol A)- a hormone disruptor linked to early onset of puberty, obesity, recurrent miscarriages, decreased sperm count, and associated with breast and prostate cancers.

4,5,1,2 are considered to be relatively safe. But since polycarbonate bottles were considered great just a few years ago, and I drank from them, and gave them to my kids to take to school... maybe I'll just stay on the safe side and try to use anything but plastic, in case one of these days they find something wrong with the other numbers. It's just a matter of studies, since they are done after the products are put on the market, instead of before.

FOOD FRAUD

''Heinz USA and Kraft Foods, two giant food makers with well- established internal controls, nevertheless fell victim to "Operation Rotten Tomato," a conspiracy in which the scion of a California farming dynasty was indicted this month. He was accused of disguising millions of pounds of moldy tomato paste as a higher- grade product and selling it to foodmakers.'' More on this at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/29/AR2010032903824.html?hpid=topnews

No trash this week!

That is correct. We actually managed to have no trash this week. Through recycling, composting, and giving all of the table scraps (that would have gone to the trash) to the dog. It really is possible to drastically minimize one's trash- I am surprised to find that myself. The dog, by the way, does not have any more allergies, almost no scratching, no smell, and his coat looks nice and shinny.

Natural and Organic: what's the difference anyway?

Unfortunately, natural does not mean natural anymore. Any vegetables, fruits and spices labeled as such have been grown with pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and many times treated with radiation "for safety". Also, nowadays, some of those vegetables are genetically engineered.
Any milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs etc with that name means it has hormones, antibiotics, plus the pesticides/fungicides/herbicides of their "natural" feed, which is genetically engineered corn and soy. The same goes for any natural, regular meat: raised with hormones and antibiotics, and fed ''natural'' corn and soy that is genetically engineered to withstand herbicides etc. Not to mention that the meat, if it is natural, definitely comes from factory farms. That means that the animals are raised and kept in confinement, under horrendous conditions, for their entire lives. Many of those animals are quite sick when they are slaughtered for our consumption. That includes farmed fish as well, as far as antibiotics are concerned. The meat of those animals can also be treated with ammonia, and/or ''zapped'' (irradiated),  but no one is required to put that on the labels, alongside the pretty farm pictures.
Organic, in the case of vegetables, means that no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides etc were used for their growth. Also they are not genetically engineered, which is important to know when you buy corn and soy products.
In the case of dairy and meat, it also means that the cows, for example, were not fed genetically engineered corn, and also were not given hormones and unnecessary antibiotics. You can assume, then, that those animals are generally healthier then their natural counterparts. But a lot of them still come from factory farms, which is not great as far as the health of the animals, and therefore our health, and the health of the planet, is concerned (more on that another time).
How to know what comes from where? Ask at the store. If they don't know the answer, ask them to ask the distributor, or the farm itself. If you don't have the time to do that at the store, call the store and ask. They need your business, so they will do anything to help you, their valued customer who sustains them with your hard-earned money. If the store is no good at giving you simple answers for questions such as ''where are these apples from and when were they picked'', go to a store where they can and care to find out for you. Also, every product has a label with a phone number. You can call that number, and ask questions; they will give you answers.
So, if you are still in doubt as to what to buy at the store... yes, always, always go with organic. Because that way you will always know, for sure and beyond any doubt, that you are not ingesting pesticides and other crazy chemicals.
If you buy organic packaged food, like sandwich bread, chips, tortillas, bars, cereals, granola, yogurt, cheese, milk, dried fruit, flour, oats, juices... make sure to read the label. You will be surprised to find many organic items with weird crazy non-organic ingredients in them. Stay away from those, and buy only stuff that you recognize as real, true organic food, and does not have an ounce of any whatever acid, dextrin or anything that you do not recognize in it but the food itself. Remember, food, food, food-not chemicals. Good luck in your shopping adventures!

CANS: JUST SAY NO!

I was talking to a dear friend just a day ago, and we were having a conversation about cans, and canned food. She told me how her mother was told by a nutritionist, as part of her cancer therapy, never to use canned food. Well, today I get back from work, and open up Vegetarian Times (April 2010 issue), just to find a whole article on not only BPA, but the presence of BPA in ALL canned food... they talk about how the FDA is supporting (pay attention to the wording here) efforts to reduce BPA exposure- especially for children. But ''supporting'' is not ''forbidding'' or even plain ''reducing''. As far as the presence of BPA is concerned, it is still there, and the only ones that can really reduce its exposure for our kids are... us. Mothers, parents, grown-ups, or anyone who does the shopping for their household. Our kids depend on us for their safety and well-being- their health, and ultimate happiness. We adults may be a lost cause, I know, but our kids deserve any and everything they can get for their future- they have a whole life ahead of them! Why not give them a good start? Take the time, throw away the cans and buy fresh food for your kids. They deserve it! If you must buy cans, the ONLY, I repeat the ONE and ONLY brand that puts out cans that do not have BPA is EDEN Organic. They have been BPA-free since 1999 (think about that for a moment: that means that the information has been out there for over a decade now).

Looking for more information on BPA and options to avoid it when shopping? Check out the article on Vegetarian Times (unfortunately I could not find it online, but I am sure there is plenty of info about BPA out there in cyberspace). Also, ''Slow Death by Rubber Duck'' has a whole section on this chemical.

By the way, canned food does include coffee, soda, canned drinks, canned tomatoes, tomato purees, pineapple chunks, beans, corn, peas, sweet potatoes, condensed milk... at least a lot of those items are available in the frozen form (not condensed milk, unfortunately...), but remember: when you eat fresh, you get all of the nutrients of of the food, not just the mere memory of that food! And that is what you want, isn't it? The taste of the food, and the nutrients that make us feel good day after day, for a long, long healthy life. It's worth taking the time. If not for you, for your little ones.

How to make cookies using buttermilk.

When you soak whole grains, their nutrients become more available and easier to digest. In the case of whole wheat flour, it also makes it softer, so that it tastes more like white flour. When you soak the flour in milk products such as buttermilk, yogurt, clabbered milk or even whey, their lactic acid helps to break down complex starches and difficult-to-digest proteins present in the grain. It also activates the enzyme phytase, which works to break down the phytic acid* found in the bran of grains.
This is a cookie recipe adapted from Sally Fallon's ''Nourishing Traditions''. 

• 1/2 cup buttermilk- the left-over milk that you have from making butter
• 1/2 cup softened butter or canola oil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups stone-ground whole wheat flour
• 1 cup Rapadura
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup walnuts, almonds or pecans, chopped

Blend buttermilk, butter (or oil), flour and salt. Place in a bowl, cover and leave at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. Beat in Rapadura and vanilla until the though is smooth. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by the spoonfuls on a baking stone (or cookie sheet), and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes.
Note: you can also use yogurt or clabbered milk instead of the buttermilk, and raisins instead of chocolate chips. You may also add cinnamon (1/2 tsp) or other spices to your taste. These cookies taste great, and don't have the heavy feel that you would expect from a typical whole-wheat treat. 
* More on phytic acid:
"All grains, nuts, and seeds contain phytic acid, an organic acid that blocks the absorption of minerals. Grains also contain enzyme inhibitors and irritating compounds that can inhibit digestion. Traditionally, grains were properly prepared by soaking and sprouting. Not only does this practice neutralize the negative effects of phytic acid, but it also increases the nutritional value of the grain. Proper preparation is especially important for breakfast cereals.'' 
Sally Fallon, Weston Price Foundation- http://www.westonaprice.org

How to Make Brown Rice

Brown rice is such a basic, versatile and nourishing food, that once you learn to cook it, you can make wholesome meals by simply adding just about anything to it. Beans, salads, sauteed vegetables, nuts, dried fruit, meats, chicken, fish... The possibilities are endless, and so will be your health and that of your family. A note of caution: most supermarket brown rice is colored white rice. Instead, head for the health food store bulk bins, where it will be cheaper, fresher, and of much better quality and variety, and pick your favorite brown rice: short, medium, long grain, or the fragrant brown Basmati rice.

Rinse 1 cup of rice in a bowl/pan with water, and pass it through a strainer.Put it in a pot with fresh, filtered water. The ratio for rice is always 2 to 1 (2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice). If you have enough time, let it sit, covered, for as much as 8 hours or overnight. This soaking will not only soften the rice, but it will make it more digestible as well. Especially for someone that is not used to eating brown rice, it will make it taste and feel ''lighter''. When you are ready to cook it, put a stamp-size piece of seaweed such as wakame or kombu, to add minerals to your rice- it will not add taste to it, no worries! You can also add salt and/or olive oil or butter to it. I add salt because I love it.

Bring to a boil, then turn fire to low and simmer for 1 hour. This is how the rice looks like when cooked, with the little seaweed in the middle. You can eat the seaweed as well if you wish, or compost it. If you don't have 1 hour to cook rice before dinner, you can cook it in the morning, or better yet, do what my mom used to do with our family, and now I do with mine: cook it for 1/2 hour in the morning, then finish cooking it right before dinner- that way it will be nice and hot.

Minimizing trash

This is the trash that a household of 4 produced in a week. Unfortunately, some items in this bag are un-recyclable. Those were the plastic windows of envelopes, plastic pasta bags, scotch tape, twist ties, bottle caps, beer caps, staples, dental floss containers, paper coated with plastic... if we had been able to find just a few items that came enclosed in paper, or a recyclable container instead of ''junk'' plastic, there would not have been almost any trash- at all! 

Most of the paper that comes in the mail can be recycled. There are yellow/green boxes all over over town now that allows for recycling of pretty much any kind of paper (except milk cartons). That takes care of a lot of junk mail and school stuff from the kids... also pasta boxes, cream cheese and butter paper boxes, soap boxes, flour and sugar bags, baking soda boxes... 

Food scraps, newspaper and brown paper can be composted... and your favorite pet, or your friend's favorite pet, can take care of a lot of the left over food as well....

There are many people out there seriously making an effort to minimize waste. Think about it: if it is not re-used or recycled, it goes to the landfill. And if it is plastic, it does not break down. Is this the legacy that we want to leave behind us? All it takes are a few decisions when shopping and storing. Do I really want all the vegetables that I buy wrapped in plastic? Is there another way to buy them? Can I store these left-overs in a glass container, or left-over pickle jar, instead of a ''ziploc'' bag? how about just a plate over a bowl of left-overs, instead of Saran-wrap (chockfull of BPA, by the way...) that cannot be re-cycled or even re-used? Simple solutions, all it takes is noticing. Yes, it may be overwhelming to notice all these things at first, but it is surprising to see how easily we can adapt to a new routine, just as we ''adapted'' to all the conveniences of the un-recyclable junk. That, by the way, includes junk food. Potato chips, chips, popcorn, pretzels, M&M's, Sneakers, Hershey's, Kisses... McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts... stuff that makes people sick and little kids fat, and then goes to the landfill to trash our environment. Total, complete waste, isn't it? So... if you do decide ''not to trash''... you will have made the difficult, but incredible choice to live in a planet and environment that is healthier for everyone- including ourselves and  children.

Garden, 10 days later...

HOW TO MAKE STOCK FROM CHICKEN FEET

Jewish tradition considers the addition of chicken feet the secret to successful broth. And, as they say in south america, ''good broth will resurrect the dead''.

Take the chicken feet, and throw them in boiling water for about 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure the water is boiling before you put the feet in, so that the meat retains its taste (if you put the feet in cold water and then heat it up, the juices will go into the water). Discard the water, and this is what you have. Cut the nails and black spots off. If the feet came with the skin on, peel it off- sometimes the black spots come off with the skin, but sometimes you do have to cut them off. You can give the skins to your dog, but not the nails. How to know if your feet came with the skin or not? If they did come with skin, the skin will look a bit like snake skin after the first boiling. You can see in the picture that the feet do have some skin in them.

When you are done cleaning the feet, rinse them and place them in a pot with cold water and onions, celery and carrots. I don't measure the water, but just make sure that the feet and vegetables are covered by it. Here I used a 1/2 onion, scallions, and white carrots. I also put in pepper corns, a bit of seaweed and a bay leaf. You can put whatever herbs you'd like. Bring to a boil, partially cover and simmer on low heat for about 4 hours. You can use the stock as is, or remove the lid and let it simmer for another hour or two, in order to reduce the stock a bit. Drain, and save the feet for your dog, or your best friend's dog.

This is the stock after 4 hours of simmering with a lid ajar. It smells wonderful, and has a rich golden color. It tastes very rich, so I usually combine it with water for soup bases, but you can definitely use it as is.

This is just to show how much stock you get out of a few chicken feet. There is a third container as well, it just didn't look as pretty as these two :)

New Discovery!

I was browsing the Local Harvest site, and found this farm right here in Jacksonville! The cool thing about them is that they seem to have not only milk, cheeses and creams, but also cleaning and laundry products! I will definitely check them out!
http://www.meadowgreenfarms.com/

KELLY SLATER ON NUTRITION

"I have a basic rule of thumb with food: If I can't pronounce any ingredients—if there's any propyl-anything, or whatever—I won't eat it or put it on my body."

Apple sauce and maltodextrin

There you are, at the store, choosing the best possible apple sauce for yourself or your children. You look for organic, which must be good because that means it was organically grown, and therefore has no pesticides. Then you notice that some sauces are more expensive than others. What is going on? My instinct is to go with, of course, the cheapest one, so I grab it and check the label. It lists "maltodextrin" as one of its ingredients. Since I don't recognize what "maltowhatever" is, I think "this has no sugar, it's fine". 


But you see, "maltodextrin", as well as "glucose", "dextrose", "maltose", "xanthan gum", ''sorbitol", "mannitol", "fructose'', ''high-fructose corn syrup'', ''citric acid'', ''lactic acid''...''modified starch'', ''unmodified starch''... MSG... they are all made from corn molecules. Chemists have actually learned to break corn down into molecules, and then rearrange them in order to form compounds. Whatever substances they need for the different products that you see in the supermarket shelves, they can make. Citric acid in apple juice and tomato sauce, maltodextrin in apple sauce, xantham gum in ice cream... 


Those are all artificial, processed, cheap food additives that create texture, volume, taste... whatever needs to be created so that you or I will buy packaged, processed food that without the additives would have no taste to start with. Anything made of corn (or soybeans, for that matter) is extremely cheap to make- because corn (and soy...) is subsidized by the U.S. government and produced in unbelievably huge amounts . So... when you add corn, or any corn derivative to your food- say, apple sauce... you make that food cheaper to create, and therefore make more profit on it when you sell it- even if at a lower price than your "better food" competitor down the aisle. Because more people will buy it, since most people don't even check the labels or, if they do, inore the words they don't know. Like when I first started to bake in America: oh, I don't know what this "flour" means... I don't have a dictionary to look it up... I'll just leave it out. 


So, if you wonder why one chopped tomato can costs double than the other, your answer will probably lie in the ingredient list. And this is not a difference between organic and non-organic that we are talking about here- this is within the organic realm! Just go to, say, Publix, and check out their cans/jars of tomato sauce. A lot of the organic stuff now has all those corn derivatives, and you will most likely not see the word "organic" next to them. That means that the corn is probably genetically modified and, even though you are paying double for "organic", you are still getting plenty of non-organic stuff with it. And then people wonder why so many big companies are getting into packaged organic food. People trust the word organic and don't even check the labels to see what else is in there. 


Best advice is: stay away from packaged food. It's expensive, it's not fresh. It's processed. if you must have it, check the labels very carefully and, as Kelly Slater says, ''don't eat anything that you cannot pronounce''

HOW TO COOK GREENS!

This is a style of cooking greens that we use in Brazil. We use it for collard greens, but you can use this to cook any other hardy greens, such as mustard greens, cabbage outer leaves, beet greens, chard, cauliflower greens, and even brussel sprout's outer leaves (photo). 

Start by piling the leaves one on top of the other, but not too many so it does not become too high (thick).

Roll it up...

Cut into thin slices- as thin as you can manage, but watch your fingers! Keep your fingers round, so that if the knife goes the wrong way, it will only hit your nail, not the tip of your fingers.

There it is! Chopped and ready to use! If you like garlic with your greens, slice it at this time.

Heat up bacon or olive oil in a (non-teflon) saute pan on medium high. If using garlic, saute it until lightly golden. Throw in the greens and salt to taste. Cook them, stirring, until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. They always turn out very tasty, and can be served as a side dish to virtually any meal. For softer greens, such as bok choi, chinese cabbage, napa cabbage, "braising greens" such as mizuna and spinach... cut the leaves a bit thicker.

HOW TO MAKE BUTTER!

"If you are afraid of butter, just use cream"- Julia Child

Start with cream, preferably from raw, grass-fed cow's milk. When you get the milk form the farm, you'll notice that the cream will have risen to the top of the milk. Pour out the cream as best as you can into a clear glass container (you'll still get a bit of milk, it's ok). Leave it in the fridge until you can see the cream on the top, a bit of milk on the bottom. Scoop out that cream, save the milk!

Place the cream in the Cuisinart (I tried using a mixer, it splattered all over the place, total mess) and turn it on until you start to see the cream take on a different consistency, just a few minutes. You can also place the cream in a jar and shake it until it "turns". Voilà, the butter! See how yellow it is? It's from all the grass the cows are eating, so cool! The white liquid is butter-milk!

Now we will separate the butter from the buttermilk. Pour everything from the Cuisinart into a strainer over a bowl, then save your buttermilk for baking. You can make pancakes with it, or Lefse, a Scandinavian bread that looks sort of like a crepe (check out James Beard's recipe).

When you sort of jiggle the strainer up and down and sideways (sort of roll it like a hoola-hoop) to pour out the buttermilk, you'll notice that the butter turns into a ball. You can leave it as is and eat it that way, but it will not last very long because it still has some buttermilk in it. If you want it to last longer, proceed to the next, final step.

Place the butter in a bowl, and cover it with ice-cold water. Squeeze the butter with your hands, or a fork, to "wash" the rest of the buttermilk out of the butter. When the water turns turvy, throw it out, and put in fresh ice water until the water stays clear when the butter is squeezed. Keep it all cold, though, or else you'll have butter all over your hands. Take the little ball, and place it in your favorite ramekin or whatever container you choose to show off your skills with!

Here it is, wonderful, super-tasty, beautiful yellow butter! 

To store your great butter, use a butter crock (this one made by Le Creuset), and keep it outside the fridge. It will keep your butter with a nice consistency, and surprisingly cool.

We learned the joys of room-temperature butter from the great Roger Oyster (a.k.a. "the chief"), who shocked the entire Grand Teton Music Festival by keeping his butter in the cabinet above the stove for an entire summer.

PECAN PIE- CORN SYRUP FREE!

This is the best Pecan Pie recipe- ever! I had tried a couple other recipes without corn syrup, but they did not taste that great. This one does, especially with the rum. And if you can manage to wait, it tastes even better the next day. 

Why corn-syrup free? Corn syrup comes from genetically modified corn... even if you can find an organic version, it is still a highly refined, artificial product.

http://www.eddyvandammeusa.com/2009/10/pecan-pie-corn-syrup-free/

Mrs. Rodden's Whole Wheat Bread.

This is a recipe from Mrs. Rodden, my son's 4th Grade teacher. She has been making this bread since she was 9 years old.


Take a large glass and fill it with very hot water from the tap.

Pour into a large mixing bowl.

Add 3 eggs, 4 Tbsp oil, 3 tsps sugar (or molasses), 4 - 5  Tbsp of wheat germ,about a tsp of salt, and 3 pkgs or 3 Tbsp active dry yeast.( optional-- add sunflower seeds or other whole nuts in the amount you wish. I usually use about 1/2 cup chopped) You can also enrich it with 1/4 cup dry milk and 3 Tbsp Malt powder.

Blend well with a whisk and begin blending in whole wheat flour until it is difficult to stir with the whisk but the dough is still very wet.

Begin folding in and kneading by hand unbleached flour until the dough reaches the state that it is elastic and does not stick to your hands.

Lightly coat the entire ball of dough with oil and cover and let rise for 1 hour in warm place ( I often heat oven to 250 for about 10 minutes then turn it off and place dough in the warm oven--especially in winter.)

Let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down and knead again. Form into loaves (will make 3 large loaves), or form into shapes for rolls or buns or a mixture of all.Cover and let rise again for 45 minutes. For soft crust--brush with milk before baking. For hard crust--brush with beaten egg and 1Tbsp water before baking. Bake at 350ºF for 40 to 50 minutes depending upon the size loaves--rolls usually take 15-20 at same temperature. This bread is hearty, but will slice thin for sandwiches and also makes yummy garlic bread and French toast.

Garden

Got a garden plot going this weekend! Made it with Cyprus, 6X4, and raised it to 16''. Set it in a spot that gets more than 4 hours of sun a day- unheard of in our shady garden. Compost from our vegetables mixed with some good dirt from the garden (worms, worms, worms), then newspapers, then leaves... then a mixture of top soil and organic chicken manure compost. Planted a few lettuces, bok-choi, parsley, zucchini and our old rosemary that had been in a pot. Flowers courtesy of Eli. Keeping the tomato on a separate pot, so it will not suck the nutrients out of the dirt from the other veggies. We'll see how it goes...

I have 6 of these from the farm, and could not figure out what they were!

Turns out they are Pomelos...

Homogenization is a process that breaks down butterfat globules so they do not rise to the top. Homogenized milk has been linked to heart disease.

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Average butterfat content from old-fashioned cows at the turn of the century was over 4% (or more than 50% of calories). Today butterfat comprises less than 3% (or less than 35% of calories). Worse, consumers have been duped into believing that low-fat and skim milk products are good for them. Only by marketing low-fat and skim milk as a health food can the modern dairy industry get rid of its excess poor-quality, low-fat milk from modern high-production herds. Butterfat contains vitamins A and D needed for assimilation of calcium and protein in the water fraction of the milk. Without them protein and calcium are more difficult to utilize and possibly toxic. Butterfat is rich in short- and medium chain fatty acids which protect against disease and stimulate the immune system. It contains glyco-spingolipids which prevent intestinal distress and conjugated linoleic acid which has strong anticancer properties.

Use only milk with "Cream on the Top."

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Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Calves fed pasteurized milk do poorly and many die before maturity. Raw milk sours naturally but pasteurized milk turns putrid; processors must remove slime and pus from pasteurized milk by a process of centrifugal clarification. Inspection of dairy herds for disease is not required for pasteurized milk. Pasteurization was instituted in the 1920s to combat TB, infant diarrhea, undulant fever and other diseases caused by poor animal nutrition and dirty production methods. But times have changed and modern stainless steel tanks, milking machines, refrigerated trucks and inspection methods make pasteurization absolutely unnecessary for public protection. And pasteurization does not always kill the bacteria for Johne’s disease suspected of causing Crohn's disease in humans with which most confinement cows are infected. Much commercial milk is now ultra-pasteurized to get rid of heat-resistant bacteria and give it a longer shelf life. Ultra-pasteurization is a violent process that takes milk from a chilled temperature to above the boiling point in less than two seconds. Clean raw milk from certified healthy cows is available commercially in several states and may be bought directly from the farm in many more. (Sources are listed onwww.realmilk.com.)

Demand access in all states to clean, raw milk. Boycott processed milk!

Congress Gets Fed a New Taste of Food Safety

March 8, 2010--Washington DC—The National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA), along with a host of area restaurants and caterers who source food from local farmers, plans a buffet reception for federal legislators on March 10, 4:00 - 6:30pm Room SD-106, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC.  Citing potential destruction of small farms as the unintended consequence of proposed federal food safety bills, the national advocacy group is bringing to Congress its message that small farms produce the safest food.

The buffet will cap off the fourth annual Farm Food Voices lobby day (10:00am-3:00pm). This year, Main Event Caterers is coordinating food from a number of fine dining restaurants around the metro area, including Nora's, Sonoma, Woodberry Kitchen, Poste Brasserie, Restaurant 3, Alchemy Caterers, Coppi's Organic, Lavender Moon Cupcakery, Suburban Trading Company and Food Matters. The lavish buffet will be served up to Senators, Congressmen and their staffs, with a request to spare small farms more legal hurdles.
"Small farms produce the safest food available, without regulation. Small farms are also  increasing at about 13,000 a year, according to the USDA," says Deborah Stockton, Executive Director of NICFA.  “The current Administration that wants to ‘rebuild’ rural America, is pushing food bills that will do the opposite.  Just like family farms brought us out of the Great Depression, they can bring us out of the food safety problem and this recession, if they are allowed to thrive.”

NICFA asserts that federal agencies do not enforce measures already on the books to ensure food safety in the industrial food system. 

“Do we really want to give sweeping new powers to agencies that do not do their jobs?” asks Stockton.  “The main threats to food safety – by the government’s own admission - are centralized production, centralized processing and long distance transportation. The food safety bills will actually increase these risk factors by consolidating agriculture into fewer, larger industrial farms  through enormous regulatory burdens that small farms cannot endure.  There is not a history of food borne illness from farmers’ markets.”

Mrs. West Virginia International is also making a lobby day appearance at her representatives offices and the buffet. Beauty Queen, Mrs. Alexandra Booth will vie for the title of Mrs. America International with Local Food as her platform.

Advocates for the bills claim that exemptions in the bills will protect small farms. Consumers and farmers from around the country however, contend that the exemptions are insufficient and questionable, and they will ask legislators to reconsider these bills.

For more information on the Capitol Hill local-foods reception see http://www.nicfa.com.
CONTACT:  Deborah Stockton 434.295.7176 Email: nicfa@earthlink.net

WWOOF USA

Here is a cool organization to get involved with...  thanks Marci for sending this!

http://www.wwoofusa.org/

Genetically Modified Produce (Huffington Post, 3/5/10)

Let's put a rumor to rest. No, the 5-digit PLU codes on produce do not tell you what is genetically modified or natural. This urban legend has circulated long enough, even on the best of websites. It's time to take it down.

The 4-digit PLU codes on the sometimes-pain-in-the-neck labels glued to apples, for example, tell the checkout lady which is a small Fuji (4129) and which is a Honeycrisp (3283). She'll know what to charge you and the inventory elves will know what's what. If there's a 5-digit code starting with 9, then it's organic.

These numbers, organized by the Produce Marketing Association, have nothing to do with you. According to Kathy Means, Association Vice President of Public Relations and Government Affairs, this is an optional convention for retailers and their supplier and is not designed as a communication tool for customers. If you want to know which items are organic, look for the word Organic; and stop squinting at tiny codes.

GMO codes are hypothetical

Those that run PLU-universe figured that someday some retailer might want to distinguish between a GMO and a non-GMO for price or inventory purposes. So they created a convention of 5 digits starting with an 8, just in case it catches on. But it hasn't. No one uses that number 8 as far as we can tell. And why would they? Most Americans say they would avoid GMOs if they were labeled.

Some seed companies don't even want gardeners to know which seed is genetically modified. One company that sells zucchini seeds outfitted with virus genes announced that they would refuse to sell seed packets in Vermont, since the state legislature requires GM seeds to be labeled.

Shopping Guide helps you avoid GMOs

Where does that leave you—if you happen to be one of those finicky eaters who values your immune and reproductive systems, and don't want your kids to end up with the organ damage common among GMO-fed lab animals?

Fortunately, we've got you covered. Go to www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com and peruse the long lists of non-GMO and GMO brands by category. Download a two-page version, order the pocket guide, or even equip your iPhone with the new app "ShopNoGMO".

Although a list of non-GMO brands won't help you figure out if your produce is genetically modified, the great news is that there are only 4 GMO veggies or fruits at this point: papaya, but only from Hawaii and no where else; some zucchini and yellow squash, and some corn on the cob. For these, unless it says organic or boasts a non-GMO sign in the store, eating them is a gamble. It could be GMO.

If you're not sure if GMOs are bad for you, we've got you covered there too. Visit www.HealthierEating.org, and read, listen, or watch, and find out why more and more doctors and medical organizations are prescribing non-GMO diets to all patients.

International bestselling author and filmmaker Jeffrey M. Smith is the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology. His first book, Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating, is the world's bestselling and #1 rated book on GMOs. His second, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, documents 65 health risks of the GM foods Americans eat everyday. Both are distributed by Chelsea Green Publishing. To help you choose healthier, non-GMO brands, use the Non-GMO Shopping Guide.

Coffee...

Where to start?... was it the longing for the way I drank coffee at home in Brasil? I guess it did start with it, because I went online and purchased the cone and the pot from Melitta over a year ago. Then, a few weeks ago, I was reading "Slow Death by Rubber Duck"... have not been able, as of yet, to enter the chapter on "coffee"-makers. That is right- think about it: what are they made of inside? Plastic, plastic, plastic. And the water heats up in that stuff. What kind of plastic is it? BPA? Other substances, perhaps? Why heat up water in plastic with electricity, anyway? Why not just heat it up with fire, and then pour it on the coffee, the way people have been doing for ages- and still are in Brasil, as far as I know. And let it slowly drip... and get that wonderful flavor and aroma? Coffee is a beautiful thing, when done right. All you need is a little of it, and you are so, so happy, first thing in the day...

French Bread

Trying to come up with the perfect every-day bread. Tried the James Beard "Continental" bread (his version of the French bread), half white/half whole wheat... it was good, and easy to make. Plus got a great arm work-out kneading it. Not committing yet, though.

Perfect Egg Yolk

This is an egg yolk from a chicken that wonders around the farm and eats stuff from the ground. The only way to truly know that your egg is from free-range or free-roaming chickens... is to go and see the farm for yourself. Many free-range chickens spend their whole lives in coops. Those coops have tiny open areas for chickens to step out if they wish, and so qualify for free range/roaming as far as regulations go. To me, that is just like telling someone that they are free to roam when all they can do is step onto their house porch.