09.29.05
In the Pink
Any of you out there without a blog who want to post a picture, let me know.
09.28.05
Caffeine and Kids
I’ve been wondering about the effects of caffeine on kids a lot lately. I keep seeing kids somewhere between ages 10 and 16, ordering coffee drinks at local coffee houses, and chugging “energy drinks”. I can’t imagine how that much caffeine can be good for anyone, let alone young people who still have a lot of growing to do.
I wonder what it does to their brains? I know it has messed with mine since starting to drink it regularly at about age 19.
The Accidental Heodnist seems to be wondering about similar things. Check out her post.
09.23.05
A Little Friend
When I sat down at my computer a few minutes ago, I discovered a little friend sitting on my shoulder.
(It’s about the length of my index finger.)
I freaked out for a minute, all the while trying to make sure that I didn’t hurt it. I “put” it on the floor and ran and got a glass (no comments on the hard water stains, please). I scooped it up before Cleo found it, and took it outside to where I think it came from.
It promptly ran away, underneath a potted plant. I hope it is able to find its gecko family again.
09.22.05
An Attack on Organic Standards
I got an email from my CSA farmer today. She doesn’t usually send out emails other than what’s happening at the farm, so I took special notice. I’m glad I did.
Apparently agribusiness groups, such as the Farm Bureau, big food corporations like Kraft, biotech companies such as Monsanto, right-wing think tanks, and industry-friendly government agencies are working with the federal government to try and undermine organic standards and get the USDA to allow conventional chemical-intensive and factory farm practices on organic farms. Unless strict organic standards are maintained, the organic label loses any meaning.
Kelly also included a link to the Organic Consumers Association, which has links to more information on what is happening and how to write your Senator. Please help us take action!
09.20.05
Warm Fuzzies… Literally
Some days it DOES feel good to be alive. I thought y’all might like to see this.
09.19.05
Cookbooks ‘R Us
I found Gluten Free Girl’s blog today via… well, I can’t remember how. It’s nice to read about people who have similar concerns and issues regarding food. I admit that my allergies are nothing compared to hers, but they are mine just the same, and I’m trying to deal with them.
Gluten Free Girl reminded me of the Zuni Cafe Cookbook, so I headed over to the Phoenix Public Library (Tempe didn’t have it) after work. I have a wee bit of a cookbook obsession after working in culinary retail for 7 years:
and I ended up with the following books:
The Food Allergy News Cookbook
The Gluten-Free Gourmet
The Beginner’s Kosher Cookbook
Totally Dairy-Free Cooking
Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook
I’ll be posting my reviews of the books as I read through them. A little preview: The Food Allergy News Cookbook is questionable at best.
09.15.05
Ubiquitous Corn
I found out a couple of months ago that I am allergic to corn. At first, my reaction was: “Oh, okay. No more corn tortillas or corn bread.” And then I started learning more about corn and corn products, and started to supplement my daily reading with the ingredient lists on packaged foods. The resulting journey has been more difficult than I first thought it would be.
A I started reading up on corn, I discovered how prevalent corn products are in American food. Corn products are used as sweeteners, anti-caking or thickening agents (e.g. cornstarch), binders, and filler for vitamins and such. I’ve even found corn products of several types in cough drops, energy products like Gatorade and Emer’gen-C. The more I read, the fewer prepared foods I can eat.
The obvious things I can’t eat are things like cornbread and corn tortilla chips. The less obvious are things like Coca-cola (current US formula uses high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)) and other main stream brands of soda, Nabisco Wheat Thins (cornstarch AND corn syrup), mass market confectioner’s sugar (uses cornstarch as an method of preventing caking), quite a few of the mainstream “”nutrition” bars use HFCS, and the list goes on. The Accidental Hedonist has a good list of products that contain HFCS, if you’re interested.
The other problem that I am discovering, is that a lot of the sugars that are used in prepared foods are derived from corn. I used to think that fructose was derived from fruit. Not so. Appparently, the fructose found in much of American foods is derived from corn. Manufacturers have to list fructose on the list of ingredients, but they are not required to indicate the source. I have contacted two companies thus far, Ricola and Alacer Corporation (makers of Emer’gen-C dietary supplements), that use fructose derived from corn syrup. I have only found one product that specifically indicated that the fructose in their product is not derived from corn (it’s a prepared tea that I saw at Trader Joe’s. I don’t remember the brand.). Maltose, dextrose, and maltodextrin are all commonly derived from corn.
The “easy” answer to my problems is to not eat any prepared foods at all. Well, I’d love to be good and make everything I eat from scratch, but sometimes that just isn’t feasible. With my schedule, I am sometimes lucky if I get to throw something in the microwave and wolf it down before I have to leave the house again. One day this will change, I hope, but for now it is what it is.
09.12.05
A Rose in September
An old rose species. Taken at the Huntington Gardens, San Marino, CA, September 3, 2005.
09.09.05
A Call For Help
A friend posted on my gardening forum today, about the Katrina evacuee family that she is hosting here in Phoenix. The family is the cousin of her son-in-law who got a bit of money from another family member to travel to Phoenix, after she was stranded in Mississippi. Because they are not staying at the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum (they weren’t evacuated to the Superdome), they are not getting all of the free new clothes and supplies that are being donated to the Salvation Army. (More here.)
I’m calling on folks reading my blog for some help getting this family outfitted for the next couple of months. The mom, a size 14, is looking for suits appropriate for work. She used to work at the Hyatt in NOLA, and is hoping that the Hyatt in Scottsdale can help her out with work there. The daughter is 6. I don’t know much about 6-year olds, so I’m trying to get more details, like size, etc.
I’m trying to coordinate gathering gift cards for Target and/or donations of gently used or new clothing. I’m hoping for gift cards as well, so that they can buy toiletries, socks, underwear, etc., themselves, instead of receiving the wrong sizes, well-intentioned as the donation may be.
They are also looking for transportation and housing. They have a place to stay for now, but they would like to find more permanent housing. If you have any leads, please let me know.
Thanks to everyone for their support.
Eva
