A couple of weeks ago, we received an invitation to attend a dedication ceremony today for a local middle school's outdoor classroom. The invitation included a charming original drawing by one of the students. We were invited because I, with my husband's help, taught a photography workshop to the school's sixth grade science classes last spring...109 students in six sessions a day for five days. The workshop included a photo safari in the outdoor classroom, where students shot nature pictures.
We also donated a bat house to the cause...a bat house built by 4-H'ers that we won as a door prize several years ago at our insurance provider's annual dinner, but that we never got around to using; and my Master Gardener husband donated several butterfly bushes.
It was a very nice dedication ceremony, honoring the Boy Scouts, along with others, who worked hard during this past summer building a concrete walking path, wooden bridge, and classroom benches that make "Ecology Acre" a pleasant learning space. The ceremony included 5th and 6th grade students singing the National Anthem, and reading original nature poems. It was all very touching, and I feel privileged that we were invited to be part of it.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Thumbs Down to Yellow Dyes #5 and #6
Several years ago, after many episodes of hives, vomiting, diarrhea, and one episode of near-anaphylactic shock, I was diagnosed as having an allergy to yellow dye additives (both #5 and #6). My allergist prescribed Epinephren, in the form of an EpiPen, in case I had another attack.
I learned that I need to read package labels carefully, because yellow dye is in an endless list of processed foods. It's in cheese, and cheese doodles, and orange colored candies. It's in soft drinks, and cake mixes, and packaged baked goods. It's in vanilla puddings, and ice creams, and yogurts. I even found it listed on a container of chocolate flavored yogurt! Why on earth would chocolate flavored yogurt need yellow dye?
Last night, a TV news segment pointed to a British study showing that food preservatives and dyes may contribute to hyperactivity in children (a U.S. expert disagrees, saying there's no definitive link). Now, I realize that the operative word here is "may," but mothers - and their children - who were interviewed said that decreasing or eliminating foods with additives, such as dyes, alleviated symptoms.
By being constantly vigilant, I've avoided allergy attacks for several years now. So I appeal to food manufacturers to find safer methods for preserving and coloring foods.
I learned that I need to read package labels carefully, because yellow dye is in an endless list of processed foods. It's in cheese, and cheese doodles, and orange colored candies. It's in soft drinks, and cake mixes, and packaged baked goods. It's in vanilla puddings, and ice creams, and yogurts. I even found it listed on a container of chocolate flavored yogurt! Why on earth would chocolate flavored yogurt need yellow dye?
Last night, a TV news segment pointed to a British study showing that food preservatives and dyes may contribute to hyperactivity in children (a U.S. expert disagrees, saying there's no definitive link). Now, I realize that the operative word here is "may," but mothers - and their children - who were interviewed said that decreasing or eliminating foods with additives, such as dyes, alleviated symptoms.
By being constantly vigilant, I've avoided allergy attacks for several years now. So I appeal to food manufacturers to find safer methods for preserving and coloring foods.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Water, Water Everywhere
The meteorologist on our favorite TV news channel declared that the 48-degree low temp yesterday at the capital city of our state was the coldest of all the major cities in the continental U.S. The high for the day was only predicted to reach 58 degrees. That was enough to inspire me to dig my winter sweaters out of storage today.
Last Saturday, in anticipation of colder weather, we decided to fill the hot tub. We usually have the tub filled by the first week of October, but the weather has been so uncharacteristically warm that we decided to wait a while.
Filling the hot tub was an adventure this year. After my husband ran the hose to the tub, we turned on the radio and sat down to enjoy our favorite team play SEC football. Since our team was winning handily, he got bored and nodded off, and I completely forgot about the tub.
Toward the end of the game, I got up to put a load of clothes in the washer, looked into the room where the hot tub is, and (you guessed it) saw that it was overflowing. Half of the floor was flooded. We scurried to bail the tub, and then my husband used a large sponge to sop water off the floor. No harm was done - that floor is practically indestructible - but it did create a little excitement for a while. Next year, I bet we'll remember to set a timer when we begin filling the tub!
It felt so-o-o good to sink into that steamy water after we got home last night from the catfish dinner, hosted by our local insurance providers. I was chilled to the bone from being out in the wind and rain. It was worth going to the dinner, though, since we won a door prize...two very pretty ceramic pumpkins that will look nice gracing one of the tables during Thanksgiving dinner. It sort of made up for the hot tub disaster.
Last Saturday, in anticipation of colder weather, we decided to fill the hot tub. We usually have the tub filled by the first week of October, but the weather has been so uncharacteristically warm that we decided to wait a while.
Filling the hot tub was an adventure this year. After my husband ran the hose to the tub, we turned on the radio and sat down to enjoy our favorite team play SEC football. Since our team was winning handily, he got bored and nodded off, and I completely forgot about the tub.
Toward the end of the game, I got up to put a load of clothes in the washer, looked into the room where the hot tub is, and (you guessed it) saw that it was overflowing. Half of the floor was flooded. We scurried to bail the tub, and then my husband used a large sponge to sop water off the floor. No harm was done - that floor is practically indestructible - but it did create a little excitement for a while. Next year, I bet we'll remember to set a timer when we begin filling the tub!
It felt so-o-o good to sink into that steamy water after we got home last night from the catfish dinner, hosted by our local insurance providers. I was chilled to the bone from being out in the wind and rain. It was worth going to the dinner, though, since we won a door prize...two very pretty ceramic pumpkins that will look nice gracing one of the tables during Thanksgiving dinner. It sort of made up for the hot tub disaster.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Anytime Vegetable Soup
Up until today, the weather in our southern town has been uncommonly warm. But today is rainy and cool. Predictions are that the temp will only reach about 58 degrees. I know...in some places, 58 degrees sounds positively balmy, but not here in the south.
The minute the weather turns cool, we're ready at our house to drag out the soup recipes. The following one is versatile and diet-friendly. For those who prefer a heartier soup, just add potatoes or macaroni. For those who don't like cabbage, or mushrooms, or any of the other ingredients, leave them out. Without potatoes or macaroni, the calories in this soup are negligible.
1 46-ounce can tomato juice
46 ounces water
6 envelopes beef bouillon
1 celery stick, cut up
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 cups shredded cabbage
3 zucchini, sliced
1 cup canned cut green beans, drained
4 carrots, peeled and chunked (or equivalent of baby carrots)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped, or equivalent of garlic in a jar
Salt and pepper to taste
Put everything in a large pot, cover and cook until vegetables are tender (we like to simmer it about an hour). About 20 to 30 minutes before soup is done, season with 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. basil, and 1 tsp. oregano. This soup improves with age.
The minute the weather turns cool, we're ready at our house to drag out the soup recipes. The following one is versatile and diet-friendly. For those who prefer a heartier soup, just add potatoes or macaroni. For those who don't like cabbage, or mushrooms, or any of the other ingredients, leave them out. Without potatoes or macaroni, the calories in this soup are negligible.
Anytime Vegetable Soup
1 46-ounce can tomato juice
46 ounces water
6 envelopes beef bouillon
1 celery stick, cut up
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 cups shredded cabbage
3 zucchini, sliced
1 cup canned cut green beans, drained
4 carrots, peeled and chunked (or equivalent of baby carrots)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped, or equivalent of garlic in a jar
Salt and pepper to taste
Put everything in a large pot, cover and cook until vegetables are tender (we like to simmer it about an hour). About 20 to 30 minutes before soup is done, season with 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. basil, and 1 tsp. oregano. This soup improves with age.
Monday, October 22, 2007
To Cook, or Not to Cook?
Each week, we sit down and plan the menu for the next week's meals. That way, we can note the ingredients we need to pick up during grocery shopping time.
Before we start menu planning, though, we check the calendar to see how many days are covered by food-related events around town. Tonight, for example, there's a catfish/chicken dinner, hosted by our local insurance providers. On Friday, the Master Gardener group, of which my husband is a member, will hold it's annual potluck picnic.
Last week, we were given tickets to a pancake supper fundraiser, and the week before that, the County Extension Homemakers (Mother and I are both members) had a potluck lunch.
Often, banks, businesses, and organizations around here host free picnic-style meals for the community as part of their advertising campaigns. The meals range from the standard hamburger and hot dog fare (frequently served on a flying disc with advertising on it), to barbequed chicken with trimmings.
Since this is a small town, we have connections in some way or another to most of the businesses and organizations, so we feel quite comfortable in accepting their hospitality and good grub. We're grateful, too, because it means we don't have to cook on those days.
Before we start menu planning, though, we check the calendar to see how many days are covered by food-related events around town. Tonight, for example, there's a catfish/chicken dinner, hosted by our local insurance providers. On Friday, the Master Gardener group, of which my husband is a member, will hold it's annual potluck picnic.
Last week, we were given tickets to a pancake supper fundraiser, and the week before that, the County Extension Homemakers (Mother and I are both members) had a potluck lunch.
Often, banks, businesses, and organizations around here host free picnic-style meals for the community as part of their advertising campaigns. The meals range from the standard hamburger and hot dog fare (frequently served on a flying disc with advertising on it), to barbequed chicken with trimmings.
Since this is a small town, we have connections in some way or another to most of the businesses and organizations, so we feel quite comfortable in accepting their hospitality and good grub. We're grateful, too, because it means we don't have to cook on those days.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
A Recipe For MyFavorite Sunday Meal
Today, we enjoyed my favorite Sunday meal...pork loin, prepared in a slow-cooker, along with carrots and onions, and served with mashed potatoes and gravy. For diet-friendly gravy, we thicken canned chicken broth with a corn starch and water mixture, rather than using the fatty drippings from the pork roast.
What makes the pork so delicious is adding seasoning salt and an envelope of Golden Onion Soup mix to the meat and vegetables, along with some water for moisture (a half cup to a cup, depending on the size of the pork loin and the size of your slow-cooker. A little more water can be added if the cooker seems to be going dry).
Golden Onion Soup mix has a chicken base that helps tenderize and bring out the flavor of the pork. It works great in beef stew, too. And we love it (with seasoning salt) sprinkled over packaged frozen California Blend - a mix of cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots - and steamed with a little water in the microwave. We use a Corning Ware dish with a lid for this.
We make our own seasoning salt from a recipe we got many years ago from our state's Cooperative Extension Service. We think it has a much better flavor than purchased blends. Here's the recipe:
GOURMET SALT
1 and 1/2 cups table salt or sea salt
2 teaspoons finely crushed thyme leaves
2 teaspoons garlic salt
3 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons curry powder
4 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder.
Mix ingredients together, and store in a jar.
What makes the pork so delicious is adding seasoning salt and an envelope of Golden Onion Soup mix to the meat and vegetables, along with some water for moisture (a half cup to a cup, depending on the size of the pork loin and the size of your slow-cooker. A little more water can be added if the cooker seems to be going dry).
Golden Onion Soup mix has a chicken base that helps tenderize and bring out the flavor of the pork. It works great in beef stew, too. And we love it (with seasoning salt) sprinkled over packaged frozen California Blend - a mix of cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots - and steamed with a little water in the microwave. We use a Corning Ware dish with a lid for this.
We make our own seasoning salt from a recipe we got many years ago from our state's Cooperative Extension Service. We think it has a much better flavor than purchased blends. Here's the recipe:
GOURMET SALT
1 and 1/2 cups table salt or sea salt
2 teaspoons finely crushed thyme leaves
2 teaspoons garlic salt
3 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons curry powder
4 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder.
Mix ingredients together, and store in a jar.
Visiting Dignitaries
Yesterday was a nice, sunny, clear-blue-day for listening to the governor of our state speak as part of Founder's Day ceremonies at my alma mater. It was a nice, predictable speech, very complimentary of the college.
Not everyone is, but I am fond of seeing and hearing the bagpipers and drummers lead the cap-and-gowned 2007 senior class, faculty, staff, and others to the outdoor staging area. I enjoy the concert chorale, too. I don't even mind sitting through the awards ceremonies, honoring alumni who have distinguished themselves in various fields of endeavor. I am not one of them, but I applaud those who have risen to greater-than-average heights in their careers.
I was particularly interested in seeing the governor yesterday, because his wife is coming to town this week on a book tour. She'll be at our local art gallery, where I serve on the visual arts committee. If I should be lucky enough to speak with the First Lady, I want to be able to say I saw her husband at the Founder's Day ceremonies. Never mind that he didn't see me.
Not everyone is, but I am fond of seeing and hearing the bagpipers and drummers lead the cap-and-gowned 2007 senior class, faculty, staff, and others to the outdoor staging area. I enjoy the concert chorale, too. I don't even mind sitting through the awards ceremonies, honoring alumni who have distinguished themselves in various fields of endeavor. I am not one of them, but I applaud those who have risen to greater-than-average heights in their careers.
I was particularly interested in seeing the governor yesterday, because his wife is coming to town this week on a book tour. She'll be at our local art gallery, where I serve on the visual arts committee. If I should be lucky enough to speak with the First Lady, I want to be able to say I saw her husband at the Founder's Day ceremonies. Never mind that he didn't see me.
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