Reusng those bulk bags

I got somethings in bulk and get some nice bags from Earth Fare  that have the zip type tops.  I usually have a bag in my reusable bag I got from them so I get the same things again.  BUT sometimes I forget to put it back in the bag... so I have a few sitting around.  I also work at a warehouse club were I get some good deals on things like berries. You know when they have too many and more coming in at the height of the season. So I got some strawberries and thought I freeze some for later.  I saw my bags and thought ok it might have a little bit of the sugar in them but then it won't hurt the strawberries. Why not?  I also have a raspberry and  blueberry bag.

Cast Iron

Guess what I am doing today?? LOL just ignore the bottom of the oven there... I know I have to clean it. But the cast iron skillet on the left on top is a new one. Why waste the energy for one pan.  I decided to season all my cast iron pans. Re-season so to speak. Is that a word??

I did clean the new pan cause I work at a store and know how dusty a store can be... by habit I used salt to remove the dirt with a wet dishcloth.  Then I air dried. The old pans where already seasoned but then you should re-season them once in awhile.

I used some lard (make sure it is a rendered type of lard) to spread all over the pan. I did the handle too; cause of a spill once that had me doing a work out to get the burnt something off the handle. sigh.. Learning by mistakes.

I left them in the oven after the timer went off just cause I thought it might not be a bad idea with all those extra pans in there... then wipe off the oil on the top of the pans..

re-seasoned pans.

I love  pan seared  steaks.  Well it was a Rachael Ray hint (by the way the link doesn't take you to the Rachael Ray site but to another link I found from pinerest)

Some of the pans I got from family.  My grandmother cook many things in the cast iron skittles.  I do have a griddle that is cast iron and I used that for pancakes and grilled cheese.

Sneaky....

After reading an article on Care2 8 Healthy Swaps You haven't heard of  I tried the tip of using some shaved zucchini instead of pasta.  And to use spinach as pasta...Ok so my MO was to sneak it in the finished product and that way my family gets to try it but keep a little bit of it familiar.  I did this years ago when I was married.  When the reports kept saying we should stop drinking whole milk and drink 2%.  I slowly added 2% to whole milk so that family would get used to the taste. (oh yea I am that old...LOL) When Miss Animal Rights decided to become vegetarian I would sneak some TVP into our meat dishes to make them healthier...


Plus who am I kidding I think I have to train my taste buds too.  Cause you know you expect it to taste the way you think it will taste... LIKE pasta...  


I used to sneak spinach into stews and things.  Now that they are grown they do it too... but when they asked what is that green stuff I would say; umm I think it is parsley, oregano... maybe basil or something like that.  I used frozen spinach and put just a little in.  It looked like spices... ;) 


I have been  trying to eat less processed foods and I feel great less bloated.  I think I will keep this up!! 

So tonight I tried some sauce that I put in some shaved zucchini and some frozen spinach.  The zucchini seemed like tasteless... I thought it was onion most of the time so I guess I won't replace the pasta with either I will still do that: add some to the sauce and eat less pasta...  Boasting the veggie power to my pasta sauce.

Love it Free Glass Straws

It was one of those nights, reading the stupid stuff on Facebook, scrolling down kinda in a burr of half reading it half not. I then see a magazine I liked... that had a post on Glass Dharma giving away free straws!

Be one of the first 1000 people in April to write an essay Titled : “I love my glass straws”.  




Here is my essay:

I love Glass Straws Because

   I love glass straws! It's a very creative idea to help reduce and reuse. How can you beat that? You have 2 out of the eco-friendly three Rs. And knowing the fact you can't recycle the plastic straw then it is a win win product. Walking the walk talking the talk of being green. NO more of these plastic straws and those static charged paper liners. Plus supporting a green company.

 Who could not love glass straws! It is a reward to our littlest environmentalists that do the right thing but keeps fun in reusing. Plus the fun factor is also important to keep the young mind interested in keeping up recycling, reducing and reusing! A perfect gift for your eco-friendly person on your gift list. Hint hint, to all my family reading this.... However my daughter shouldn't be reading this... I know she likes the color straws.... Even as a grown women I know she would love these. I know her mom does!!!

So head over to Glass Dharma and get your free glass straw!!

Eat well

I swear you can find anything on the web.... I am not sure how I got here but I found a site called Eat Well. From there site they describe their site: Eat Well Guide® is a free online directory for anyone in search of fresh, locally grown and sustainably produced food in the United States and Canada.

The stores that are in my area that are certified organic... Stores you know that they are labeled "health food stores". They didn't have the newest in the area Earth Fare. which if you have a local Earth Fare you have to sign up for the site and emails and you will get some great coupons. I have gotten free apples, tomatoes, ground beef and bacon. And chicken for a dollar a pound!! Love that store...

Of course there was the local Chipole Mexican Grill  that we have learned uses meat and products that has no antibiotics or added hormones. Using organic and local produce when they can...


BUT I was shocked to see Eat and Park! Yep Eat and Park! They won the Glynwood Harvest Award for Connecting Communities, Farmers and Food. They also use sustainable seafood. Hormone free dairy products and 20 percent is local produce and meat when they can. I live in the frozen northeast so I understand that statement. You can't grow anything in the icy winter.

Good for your hair recipes

Rinses

Lemon juice
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of water
Makes hair shine

Beer
For body and softness - doesn't matter if it is stale!

Rum
Light conditioning.


Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup vinegar 2 cups of water
For shine and bounce

Tomato Juice
1 cup tomato juice
Removes odors

Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon
1 cup of water
Removes the sprays and gels.



Highlighting Rinse
2 cups water
Chamomile tea
Steep Chamomile tea and cool

Darken Hair Rinse
5 cinnamon sticks
2 cups of water
Put broken sticks into boiling water.
Steep until cool
Strain before using.

Deep Conditioning
Dry Hair
Coconut oil, banana, avocado, Mayonnaise

Normal Hair
Mayonnaise, egg, olive oil, Plain yogurt

Oily Hair
Mayonnaise with lemon juice added,
Plain yogurt with lemon juice added,
mashed Cantaloupe

Plant Bottles!

The heinz ketchup bottle is becoming Green!!!
Heinz press release  where the company that will make 120 million PlantBottle™ packages in 2011.... they plan on production to start soon and the bottle hitting the shelves in June!! I just wonder if they will do this for the ketchup made without the high fructose syrup... the organic or the Simply Heinz ketchup.... That would be great the organic ketchup in a plantbottle....

They also state on their site that they use NO genetic-modification, that just traditional breeding techniques.  But as many gardeners will tell you that tomatoes are hearty plants.... for the most part.  Plus they have had years and years to get this right! They started making ketchup in 1876....

Really how can you turn down a sassy label like that? Unless you want the labels that says things like Take me to your Burger.... I never saw a french fry I didn't like  or I'm your secret ingredient!!

Spring get here Soon!!

I am running out of berries!! I had to gasp buy some raspberries from the store for my muffins..

I used that last of the tomatoes not to long ago for the chili. Oh the tomatoes taste so fresh when I freeze them and then use them in cooking.... takes me back to summer threw my taste buds!

Bummer thing is that I am running out of the wonderful veggies from the freezer and now spring needs to get here so I can do it all over again!!

The National Center for Home Food Preservation
is where I find out what to do for my freezing of my garden and farmers market finds (you know: to freeze it before it goes bad!!!)  

Fever!!

Cabin fever is spending like wild fire at work and now gasp to my family........... Snow again with 2-5 inches today, 2-5 more tonight and a wind chill of -2 degrees... oh yea Cabin fever time....

Restlessness, moodiness, cranky and just one big downer lately.  I was talking at work with a couple of the ladies I work with and I replied that I felt like I had PMS multiplied 10 times!!!! Then I heard them go OMG Yes....  wow  gee I am sorry if I have been really cranky... nope, they replied that they felt that way too. like on edge and moody..Like extra strong PMS....

Plus it seems that I really have lost my appetite not sure if it is part cold, or my cabin fever or the quit smoking thing.... but I really am having problems with eating to much right now... I eat and feel bloated or things don't taste right.... I still finding my new tastes from the lack of smoking pickling my tonne.... plus trying not to go there.... helps that I banded smoking in my house and tell myself - "You don't want to go outside and freeze!!" when I feel like giving in....... I also found that I am adding more heat to things like tacos, so maybe it is that cold isn't gone 100%......... that is helping make  things tasting bland....


Can the snow and the cold winds bring this horrible fever to the mass of the frozen northeastern Ohio??  Or is this a man made disaster...Or hormonal scramble with the all these females in the same area? Like when our hormones talk to each other and we all get that time of the month together??

I saw get a blog and whine and bitch about it and you will feel a little better.........Oh I just remember I bought some steak at the store...... Maybe a "grilled" steak will help the fever......... yumm with ton of grilled onions... and a baked sweet potato...

Healthy Junk food!!

SO just so you know I love oxymorons!!  Healthy what??? Healthy food dressed up as Junk food is more like the truth!

Have you seen the new ad program for Baby Carrots? Where they have some very overt sexual innuendos and the fact is that is said during the video..... Don't watch around young ones:

Baby Carrots | Eat 'Em Like Junk Food | Indulge


But they have some cool new Junk food package that you can download and place your "boring" carrots into to get your young one to eat... Like Junk food....

So will changing the outer package to a junk food looking package make kids want it more?  Using stupid stints help sell the food? Or insulting the mother of little ones by using very overt sexual innuendos in a commercial help sell carrots??? Oh yes .... baby carrots....

Last I heard about baby carrots there was a group that wanted the labeling off baby carrots to be stopped for the fact was they are not baby carrots.  They used to be the carrots that where too short, crooked or broken carrots....... so a smart farmer decided to peel them down to a uniform smaller size.  OK so there is no truth to the rumor that they are soaked in chlorine.  Check out Snopes!

BUT the truth is now they are breed for the sweetness and size that kids love!! So the group trying to get the name changed was a mood point I believe cause they can be "baby" as in size.  Yea some of us farmers know the spring weeding vegetables are young and tender.  That is what they believe is baby carrots.  I say hey my girls love those carrots as young one so I love those carrots!! I used to tell her dad that hey it worth the extra money cause she eats the baby carrots but not the regular carrots! And still does!!  I thought that it had to be a mother trying to get her children interested in good food.... you know like the fact that pizza was a invention to get the kids lunch and use up the bread from the night before.

 So now we have a company or is that a group well they call themselves :a bunch of carrot farmers... really more like a very creative marketing person!! But hey I think that this might take off! Junk food packaging on healthy food?  Hey they started with cheese and drink boxes...  What can they do that to next???  What would you love if they junk food-ised packaging for? 

What's cooking?

Get rid of your Teflon pans when they start to flake!  The pans themselves warn of  high heat with pet birds in the room... that you can kill a pet bird with the overheating of a teflon pan. Of course they down play that the teflon can  make humans sick. But the fact is some of us humans can get sick from overheating the teflon pans themselves and the reaction is flu like systems. You could be having a reaction to the chemicals but think you are just coming down with the flu....Or that the flaking of the coating can and most times is ingested by anyone who eats the food cooked in the pan.  Even DuPont officials found (back in 1986) that the telfon will stay in our bloodstream for up to 2 years. Tests found telfon in all subjects.

What cook ware is concerned green? The basic stainless steel, cooper, Ceramic,  cast iron and  hard anodized pans .  

Stainless steel we know doesn't have the non-stick bonus we want... but is great for things like heating up vegetables and soups.  As long as you don't let them go dry and burn.  Same with the copper pans. Most of the time the copper pans are lined with stainless steel. My mom got us a cooper pan cooking set for my wedding present and I have a most of the pieces left........ Over twenty years old!  Sauce pan, dutch oven and a saute pan with the matching lids.


Cast iron is the pans that are heavy start out as a shinny gray pan and turns into a dull  jet black pan.  The one benefit from this pan is the pan does effect your food, you get some iron from the pan.  I use a cast iron pan quite a bit for the vegetarian meals so Miss Animal Rights can get her iron....Ok so we all can get some iron.... You need to season them after purchasing. Which is adding a thin  layer of oil and cooking at a low temp for hours.  The down fall and Miss Animals Rights hate for the pan, is you need to use oil and watch closely. You see  things can stick to the pan.  The secret is let it brown and cook thoroughly before turning over.... Great for the recipes that we brown the food first then finish cooking in the oven. Because the pan can take the heat! 


Hard anodized is a process that uses electro-chemical interaction to harden the pan. It basically oxidizes the surface of the aluminum, forming aluminum oxide. It's not a coating. It is part of the pan. This keeps the pan from flaking or peeling plus making it non stick for ease in cooking and clean up. This reaction process is  used on the satellites and race cars.

There area couple points that might make you not want to purchase hard anodized pans. First is cost. They do cost more than traditional pans   Bad news for those on a diet;  they don't  well with the non stick  sprays, you need to use oil or butter instead, most times you only need a little . Plus they are not dishwasher friendly.  I know really it is so strange that something so green can't be used in something green like a dishwasher... but I don't have a dishwasher so I got that covered... But there is talk about dishwasher safe hard anodized pans, they might have some on line somewhere but I know I haven't seen them in the stores...  I got some hard anodized pans and really thin they are worth the money.  I am not eating the flakes of Teflon and my food isn't sticking.  


My Dad use to tell me all the time you get what you pay for. I think I got what I paid for ...

 

Reading a Nutrition Label

Many people I work with seem to think that it is too confusing to figure out the nutrition label.

First thing that is great about a nutrition label is at the bottom you will see a chart of the calories you should be eating per day.  Most women are in the 2000 to 1800 calories per day.  The older we get the less we should eat, but if you are a active or athletic type you need more to burn more calories when very active.  So I look at the first column the 2000 calorie counts.  


The sneaky thing about calories and food labels is the top part. That where you see the serving size.  Like on some convenient packs that you get from a machine the serving size may say 1 1/2 or even 2 or more.  Like some multi-grain crackers a co-worker asked me if it was a healthy snack.  She was asking how to read the label.  It was low in sodium and saturated fat.  It did have sugar but still had under 25% carbohydrates. Better than the candy we have in there.

Carbohydrates are not bad. Really they break down slower and help keep you going between meals.  But this is where many people think they should cut to low numbers.  The fact is if it is refined flour you should eat less of, adding more whole grains to your meals. This helps you keep going threw the day..

    Plus many things that are carbohydrates have natural sugars.   Fruit based foods will have more grams of  natural sugar like applesauce. We just get the no sugar added applesauce.  The label doesn't get to tell you either if it is natural sugars or added sugar. 

Potato chips for example. Serving size is 16 chips with 150 calories, 14% sodium, 2% saturated fat and 2 grams of sugar and protein.  Not bad but then really are potato chips healthy???

I do look at the label. Most of the time I look to talk myself out of the purchase. I talk myself out of things that are high in sodium. That wonderful bloating effect us women get is helped by high sodium foods. I try to keep it below 25% as I have heard is a good number to limit yourself on many of the nutrients items  listed.  Because I do snack during the day and try to have a fruit snack once a day, no fat;  no sodium to worry about. 

I also heard that looking for cereal you want more than 2 grams of fiber, less than 5 grams of added sugar, and less than 2 grams of fat. Many of the "healthy" breakfast cereals still have over 9 grams of sugar but claim to help you lose weight or keep you healthy.  But if it has added dried fruit it will be higher sugar because of the natural sugar in the berries. But then I eat oatmeal and try to keep away from prepared breakfast cereals.  

The truth is I read the ingredients the most.  I check for high fructose corn syrup, refined white flour (sometimes stated as enriched flour) and where the products are on the label. For the top of the ingredients list is the most used.  So if you see on a label list wheat flour, and then see sugar at the bottom of the list you know that a little sugar was added. AND as a baker I know that sometimes you need to add sugar to the batter or no one will eat it. 
I have cut high fructose corn syrup, refined and bleached flour from our foods.  I try to eat more natural things like fresh fruits and vegetables.  With getting some frozen for the vegetables and fruit when out of season. That have listed on the ingredients list: the fruit or vegetable and nothing else. 

Plus at the bottom of this list of ingredients is a list of allergic ingredients. So if you or your family has any allergies to food products they are listed at the bottom.  Many times will state if they are made in the same area as certain things. For those who are highly allergic  to certain things. The growing number of peanut allergies in children fall under that warning. If it is made in the same building or area the product was made  they note that as; may contain: XXX

The label on this blog is from a cup of soup. One of those heat and eat soups. Serving size is 1 cup but the cup holds 2 cups (serving per container:2) so if you eat this soup for lunch at work you have consumed 50% fat, 52% sodium and  560 calories for the day.  Not what you thought when first looking at the label right?

SO it is a good idea to read the labels but also the ingredient list.  

Natural Tomato Fertilizers

Talking about my tomato plants a co-worker asked me what fertilizer I used. I said nothing just the compost I planted them in. She told me that's why they didn't do very good last year, you need fertilizer cause tomatoes need a lot of nutrients.  So have you seen the prices of organic fertilizer? WOW. So I thought I find a recipe online.

But really didn't think it would be this easy!  Gardening tips ideas dot com.... tells me that hair helps my plants grow. Well with  us long hair women and all the animals  living here that is easily done.... It's the keratin, a protein in hair that helps the plant. Plus tomatoes need some nitrogen, carbon  and calcium. Egg shells and coffee grounds are good too.  Easy! Well I don't eat a lot of eggs here but can keep them for the tomatoes......

  I also added coffee grounds and tea leaves to the topsoil that we used for earth day wild flower plants for the kids, to make it easier to handle. My containers have inch of rocks for draining. Then I have about 4 inches of top soil then the compost black gold for the bedding of my seeds.  The few things I planted early; like my herbs, I didn't use new compost and they are not growing.... guess I learned I need to add some fresh compost the hard way

I have added some leaves as a ground cover  I found under the patio table to help keep the moisture in.  But I thought I want to make sure these are a healthy crop.

So I just kept looking for ideas on helping my tomatoes.

I also learned that adding a tablespoon Epsom salts to a gallon of water helps add nitrogen.  Wow I have some Epsom salts for muscle aches....  I have some buckets for rain water they are about 3/4 full.  I did use some water from the hose to let it air out like you do with fish tanks. Oh if I still had a fish tank I could use the water that would be tossed to water the plants also.  But I will add a couple tablespoons of Epsom salts and see how that goes. 

If you have bugs that are eating the stem cover the stem with a toilet paper roll and it will protect the stem. It will also add to the soil because it decomposes!  Win win!



 

Rainy Day Fun

Yea it's raining here but hey maybe it will end before the cook-out in my backyard. Oh well it's a day to remember the brave men and women that gave their lives for our country not just a cook-out day...

So I am on line reading my email and surfing the net.

I land on Planet Green (yea who would think that would happen?? LOL)
 I find the craziest things sometimes. But tomato haikus?

So I had to make up one of my own Humm maybe I should have put this blog on my recipe blog:  The Sassy Semi-Vegetarian!!

Simple summer treat
Sliced ripe tomatoes on plate
Present as side dish

My parents, grandparents, and even my daughters' fathers' family did this is the heart of summer for a side dish. Nothing tastes so good on a hot summer day. For extra zing you can drizzle some Italian dressing over the tomatoes and chill before serving. 

Miss Animals Rights wrote her own tomato haiku but doesn't want it here on my blog. Oh well be that way....... LOL. This is the young woman that loves to eat tomatoes like a apple, whole!

Oh no!!   Another haiku?

Eating tomatoes whole
Enjoy the taste of summer
Fresh juicy goodness

Ok I have to stop... I like writing  haikus- one more crazy fact about me....

Ahhh Spring!

I was playing ball with the dog and noticed something fluttering around my raspberry bush. I am very impatience with waiting for the berries!!! But I see this beautiful butterfly. The wings look so brighter in the sun but this picture didn't do it justice!

It fluttered around and even was still there after I ran in to get ny camera.  The dog was so good when I told him to sit while I waited for the butterfly to land. He got a treat for that....  

So the berries are many but still white and small.  Can't wait for the red berries...  told I was very impatient 
!

Goodwill deals!

My new favorite drink is lemonade.
I squeeze a lemon into some water and ice. Then I add about a tablespoon of sugar. And shake just like they do at the carnivals!
I even do some orange shakes like that too. Very refreshing on a hot spring day.... Yea it's around 88 degrees and it is still spring...
I went to goodwill the other day I and I found a old fashion glass juicer.  I get more juice that way... and if you notice there is a pouring spout on the side...... Very happy with my find.

It was only a $1.00!

Plus I got another loaf pan seeing how we always seem to need another. 

I am Having Nightmares!

So if you live in Ohio you have seen the video that is giving me nightmares. It been on the news. I saw it first on line last night from reading the newspaper online. Cleveland.com. It was a undercover video of a Ohio dairy. A guy undercover for group called Mercy for Animals shot the video.

I am telling I have seen animals butchered, helped my grandmother pluck feathers and more. She used to tell me that I should respect these animals for they give their lives for us to eat. Or they give of themselves so we have food, their milk or eggs. But  OMG! But this video really had me shocked. If you think you want to watch it you can find it here. Warning it is so disgusting the way they treated these animals.

Really I had nightmares! I dreamed that I was one of those animals but I was still a woman. And was treated like that as they abused me and my family. I guess I do have to wonder if someone can be that sadistic and cruel to an animal how do they treat people???? Gee if I didn't like PETA I send them my dream as a idea for a controversial commercial they like to do.

But even after one of my co-workers freaking out asking someone "please, please change the channel I can't watch this" today at lunch. Something good is coming out of the video. The guy that did the "bragging" of abuse is now in jail. He is charged with 12 counts of cruelty to animals. Farm animal abuse is a misdemeanor in Ohio, punishable by 90-days in jail. 12 times 90, might not be enough!The owner released a statement saying he knew nothing of this treatment and plan to cooperate with the authority's on the investigation and are planning a  internal investigation. But I read that he is in the video also......  I just saw on the late news a company and  I didn't catch the name is now canceling their contract with the farm due to this video..  I tried  to google it but I just got links to the video on tons of newspapers and TV stations around the world! 


But talk in the lunch room turn to how could someone tape that and not say anything, or do anything... I agreed.  I will not let Miss Animal Rights see it......... She the type that crys at movies when animals get hurt. I can't let her see this video. She really doesn't want to anyway! I wish I never did!

 

Helpful plants for the garden

Banana peels and lemons are good compost for roses. Bury them around your rose bush. It is said they will help your rose smell stronger. Onions planted near rose are said to be sweeter. In turn the rose smell stronger. Plant parsley near by for the same effect.

Plant basil to keep away fruit flies. Perfect for in the kitchen. In the garden it repels many pests like aphids, mites, and mosquitoes.

Three sister planting. A Native American way that is corn, beans and squash. The corn acts a the "pole" for the beans and the squash (watermelon, cantaloupe or cucumber) acts a ground cover to keep in the water.

Mints are said to help repel many pests. But you might want to use containers for the mint they love to take over your garden. I am doing the container gardening so no problem for me.

Marigolds (also help keep the soil free of pests) and garlic are smells pests don't like. I just pick up some at Home Depo for 99 cents for 6!

Rue helps keep pests away from roses fruit trees and raspberries; humm I have to get some for my raspberry bush. Plus keeps away cats and other thieves from your garden.

Peas help your soil by adding nitrogen and can grow well by anything.

So glad my family has gardens!

And the fact I can get many wonderful things at the farmers market!

A new study came out and it has proven that a pesticide is linked to ADHD; known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  The fact that they didn't study the children diet was the most convincing part.  They found the  pesticide byproduct in their urine! Out  of all the children tested;  they found 95 percent had at least one byproduct in their urine.  And many were diagnosed with ADHD. They are twice at risk for the condition with higher levels of the pesticide. The urine was collected by the CDC. 

These pesticides, known as organophosphates,have been tested before on farm workers.  They have been banned from termite extermination and lawn control by the EPA. 

Found on the CNN Health site the facts of the percent of the exposure: Quote:  28 percent of frozen blueberries, 20 percent of celery, and 25 percent of strawberries contained traces of one type of organophosphate. Other types of organophosphates were found in 27 percent of green beans, 17 percent of peaches, and 8 percent of broccoli. :Unquote. Scary!

Even more scary is when researching this blog I found that the USDA Agricultural Chemical Use Program was shut down in 1990 and they have testing the effects of pesticides for years and really when was anything going to be done to protect us consumers?  They were testing around 120 different kinds of fruits, vegetables and crops.

Read more at Suite101: Pesticide-Testing Program Killed by USDA: Industry and Universities Doing Research Protest Shutdown


These pesticides work  by attacking the nervous system of pests. SO it can have the same effect on mammals.  Our elderly, disabled and  children are more at risk to the effect because of the sensitive immune systems.

How do we reduce the exposure of the pesticide? First thing is to eat more organic and locally grow fruits and vegetables.  But I know that is sometimes hard to do! the cost is more expensive. The EPA suggests washing and peeling fruits and vegetables using a vegetable brush to clean hard skinned vegetables also helps remove the residue.

I heard that!!

The other day while shopping after work I heard a young man tell the woman with him, "Oh no we can't get this.  It has high fructose corn syrup."  I was getting something close to them  not right next to them.  As the couple picked up a few more things the woman said, "Dang almost everything here has high fructose corn syrup!"  I had just started to walk by them when she said that. I smiled and replied "wait til you get to the salad dressing isle."   They smiled, shook their heads  and walked away..... 

Today at work at the warehouse club, I heard a older gentleman tell his wife, "Did you check for
high fructose corn syrup on the label?" He began to read the ingredient label looking for
high fructose corn syrup.  The older woman with him said "Gee honey if it isn't listed near the top it isn't in there." I laughed and told her, "You got that right!."   But the gentlemen reminded me that the fake sugar is sometimes at the bottom.  Oh yea that is true!  I should know that for all fake sugar stuff gives me migraines!

I think this is great that more and more people are understanding that  high fructose corn syrup
while yes might not be "all that bad for you, used in moderation" as their commercials tell us.  That reading labels and seeing what is in our food is a growing tread....  

Guess more people are hearing that  Princeton University released a  study that proved  the link between high fructose corn syrup and obesity.

I keep telling Tech that.  I tell him to let Miss Animal Rights cook for him.  He has lost weight! Not much  but he did lose some weight. 

Miss Animal Rights and I are tiny women.  AND we have lost inches on our waist lines from cutting out most of the high fructose corn syrup and making many things from scratch.  So ketchup is one of the things we have that still has  high fructose corn syrup.  We got a huge bottle and still have it.  We really don't eat too many things that need ketchup!  Wow my little girl has grown up! LOL. She use to have to have ketchup with many things when she was little.

I know that there is ketchup  out there that is high fructose corn syrup free but I will buy it next time I need it.  But that huge bottle is still over half full.... guess it might be a while before that happens.

Now I have to get rid of my soda addiction.  It is kinds crazy.  I open a can.  Drink half then tell myself this isn't good for you, pour it down the drain  and recycle the can.   Plus it is something I can get in the machines at work.