March 29, 2010

Just wondering?

What happens to all the recalled meat? 


WASHINGTON, March 9, 2010 - Windsor Foods, a firm with operations in Lampasas, Texas, and Oakland, Miss., is recalling approximately 1.7 million pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) beef taquito and chicken quesadilla products that may be contaminated with Salmonella. The packages of beef taquito and chicken quesadilla products contain as an ingredient the specific Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), which was previously recalled, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

Look carefully my friends....that's 1.7 million pounds in one day for one recall!

March 27, 2010

Does your 6 year old know what these are?

Are these potatoes or tomatoes*?

WOW! This is scary stuff. None of the first grader's asked on the hit TV show Food Revolution (Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution) knew that these were tomatoes but they all knew ketchup.**  Is ketchup food?

What types of children are we raising that eat only finger foods and high fructose corn syrup?

Here's something to chew on: a Spanish exchange student's impression of America - "they eat with their fingers and drink with straws."  And she was talking about the high school students.  Think about it!   Cheesburgers and french fries while sipping their frozen coffee concoctions.  Is a french fry a vegetable?

*Tomatoes from our garden. No fertilizer, bug spray or other nonsense.  Can't wait for this year's garden.

**Ingredients of (the King of Ketchup - oh yeah! You know the one I mean): TOMATO CONCENTRATE FROM RED RIPE TOMATOES, DISTILLED VINEGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, SALT, SPICE, ONION POWDER, NATURAL FLAVORINGS

p.s. Even a one year old can use a fork and they love it!

March 24, 2010

My hero! Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution


Jamie Oliver's food revolution.

March 22, 2010

Protein blocker eases smoking-related lung inflammation in mice*


Although the five mice that were recently removed from our kitchen cabinets didn't show any signs of cigarette contra band one can never be entirely certain. Yes, they were gnawing on some pretty weird stuff: bright orange rubber spatula, unused sponges (guess they are worried about cross contamination in the kitchen) and the usual peanut butter (that was their demise). But not once did I find a cigarette butt hastily extinguished, a hand made ash tray by the wee mice or a cigarette lighter.

*When will these mice learn that smoking is bad for them!
When conducting the research, do they ask the mice to smoke 30 feet from the entrance to the labs so there is no second hand smoke?

March 21, 2010

MasterChef - Reality TV Show Audition

Posted while listening to my favorite radio station using head phones so I can block out "my reality world."

So my BFF (in texting that translates to Best Friend Forever) forwarded an application to an audition for a new reality TV show with Chef Gordon Ramsay to be held in my home town called MasterChef. The casting headline reads: MASTER CHEF GORDON RAMSAY AND THE PRODUCERS OF THE BIGGEST LOSER ARE NOW CASTING AMATEUR CHEFS FOR A NEW INSPIRATIONAL COOKING SHOW!

We spent countless cell phone minutes debating and discussing the merits of what "I would plate" and more importantly "what I would wear" since my goal is to host a cooking cable television show. She politely reminded me that hopefully I would meet interesting people throughout the process and although the application asked if I could turn my life over to a Hollywood production crew for five weeks I probably wouldn't have to make that commitment today so I should fill out the application, wait in the cold and "plate my dish" for the production staff like the other 500 contestants. In completing the application, I once again needed her advice. "Several questions have came up that I'm not so sure I want to share with the rest of the world."

March 8, 2010

Overweight Children Needed for Research Study

OVERWEIGHT CHILDREN NEEDED FOR RESEARCH STUDY.~~ Are you looking for a way to help your child struggling with weight to eat healthy foods?~ Consider participating in the PowerUp research study!~ This study, run by a parent at Children's Hospital Boston, will evaluate the efficacy of two heart healthy diets in the treatment of adolescents with some heart disease risk factors associated with being overweight, such as high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, and cholesterol problems.