Thanks and Happy New Year!

Today we say goodbye to another year. I hope it was a good one for you.

In my own little bubble, there was some happy and some sad, some difficulties and some easing up...but as one who puts her faith in God, I can say with confidence that in all things I am blessed. The God of the Universe is my Father and, whatever I go through, He is there with me.  I hope you can say the same.

This year was my first year with a bona fide blog. It has been great fun, and I look forward to another year of learning and sharing my thoughts on food & other stuff.

Looking back over the year, what did my readers find most interesting? Here are the top five posts...

#5 - A Common Sense Look At GMOs

#4 - A Diabolical Substitute

#3 - What Happened To My GOOD Food?

#2 - The Great Soy Deception

AND...

#1 - The Truth About Eggs


Thanks for reading!

God Bless & have a very happy new year!

The End Is Near

Every year about this time I fall into a pondering mood. I think about the year-- how it's gone, what I've done, what I haven't done, what I wish I'd done... what I wish I hadn't done.  Well, you get the point. It's something about a period of time coming to an end. Blocking our life off into 12 month intervals gives us a wonderful opportunity for regular restarts. We don't get do-overs, but we do get restarts. 

So, as I ponder my life, I think about the resolutions I made at the beginning of the year and how I've done with them. Usually I find myself disappointed. Life has a way of taking over and trumping all our plans. But sometimes there is at least a measure of success. This year I made two resolutions: (1) de-clutter my life, and (2) read through the Bible.  

As I look around the room in which I sit writing this post, I can honestly say I have failed in the first resolution. There are little piles of books and papers and junk on nearly every surface. And, this is my kitchen counter...I figure it's worth a picture to make my point.

As far as the read-through-the-Bible resolution goes, I made it about half way.

So did I fail?

Hardly. In my efforts to accomplish something, I have succeeded in accomplishing something. 

Even though I didn't completely de-clutter, I have (though it may not look like it to the naked eye) reduced the clutter from what it was before I started. I have thrown out and given away things I don't need, and I have reset my thinking in such a way that I look at "stuff" differently. In my resolution of January 1, 2012, I have started something that will (obviously) take more than a year to complete. But that's okay. De-cluttering is an ongoing project, and I am confident that one day I will look around and be able to say I have accomplished my goal. 

No, I didn't read through the entire Bible in one year. But I started a habit of reading my Bible every morning, something I wasn't doing nearly enough of before my resolution. I can hardly call that failure, now can I? And if I completely read through God's Word every two (or even three) years, how can I not be better off for it? 

Indeed, the end is near...the end of another year. But the exciting part is, so is the beginning--another chance for a restart. That's what I love most about January. As I ponder this past year, I will think about what I can do in my own little space to make the next one better.

I hope you had a blessed 2012.  May God's love and grace shine upon you in 2013.

Happy New Year!

To Stick or Not To Stick?...that is the question

Well, it's that time of year again...cold weather (for many of us, anyway), holiday shopping...and flu season. This year, it seems, flu season has come early. And with flu season comes that sticky question...should I get a flu shot?

I don't know about you, but the more I read about the politicization of the CDC, the FDA, the NIH, the WHO, and just about every other government organization that is supposed to have our best health interests at heart, the less confidence I have that they actually do. In today's news, the medical experts actually said on TV, "THIS time, they have the flu vaccine right." Really? This time? What about last time, when we were all supposed to be good little citizens and run out and get vaccinated? They didn't have it right last time? They were injecting people full of useless vaccine because that's all they had? Better a useless vaccination than no vaccination at all?

But this time we should just trust them, because this time they have it right.

In a 2005 book entitled Evidence of Harm, the author, David Kirby, concludes that the advisory panels that review and make recommendations on whether or not new vaccines should be approved are heavily compromised.  For instance, in respect to childhood vaccinations, which for a long time contained an additive called Thimerasol (a preservative containing mercury), he quoted Congressman Dan Burton, who was presiding over a June 15, 2000, Government Reform Committee hearing. It was one of several during 2000 and 2001 called in answer to a growing suspicion by the public that vaccinations might be connected to certain childhood disorders such as autism, ADD and other neurological conditions. Burton had discovered that, "many advisory panel members had received research grants from drug companies, either for themselves or their academic institutions. Others got plum speaking honoraria, travel funds, or other benefits. Incredibly, some of these 'independent' experts owned stock in the companies whose products were under review." In an even harsher assessment, he writes, "..an 'old boys' network' of vaccine advisers was rotating between the CDC and FDA, at times serving simultaneously." Congressman Burton concluded, "The entire process has been polluted and the public trust has been violated...No individual who stands to gain financially from the decisions regarding vaccines that may be mandated for use should be participating in the discussion or policy making for vaccines." He was exactly right. However, his efforts to bring these shameful practices to light and ultimately to an end were evidently fruitless because they're still going on.

Even today we continue to see the same kind of contemptible collusion in practically every area of medical research, from cancer studies to the fluoride debate to the immunization question. Regular people like you and me expect our government research to be "for the people," when in fact it turns out to be for the lobbyists who keep the politicians' pockets padded. It is the worst betrayal to discover that the government has known that something is harmful to its citizens for a very long time, yet has refused to do anything to correct it because to do so would cause difficulties for the industry they protect.

Behind the veil of smiling health professionals lurks a medical industrial complex whose sole purpose is to create new drugs and then convince a population of consumers through deceptive marketing that we need them. I'm not saying that drug companies are evil -- they are merely self-interested. What bothers me most is that the doctors and health professionals, for the most part, have become the tools of the drug-makers. There are very few doctors anymore who know anything about true healing. They are merely surgeons and drug dispensers. So when we get sick, their first course of action is to find a corresponding drug to manage our symptoms.

So what about the flu shot. Is it safe?

Even after all the research and the FDA's concurrence that mercury is toxic above 0.025 mcg per kilogram of weight (1995 NIH study published in their journal, Environmental Health Perspectives), it is still allowed in vaccinations as a preservative...in staggeringly high levels. If I've done my math right, that makes the recommended maximum 2.27 micrograms for a 200 pound adult. There is currently 24.5 mcg of mercury in a 0.5 mL dose of the vaccine brand AFLURIA flu vaccine. That same 0.5 mL dose given to a 40-pound child will contain 54 times the maximum recommended dose of mercury. Children with compromised immune systems are especially at risk for neurological injury from doses this high.

Have you ever read the list of ingredients for the flu shot? I highly recommend you do before submitting yourself or your child to the needle.

If you are pregnant, DO NOT get a flu shot that contains mercury. The flu vaccine that is packaged in individual doses does not contain any preservative. It may have other toxins in it, but at least not mercury. Mercury is known to pass from mother to fetus.

Until medical research becomes independent of the pharmaceutical industry, we are not going to have an honest evaluation of the health risks of any drug, including immunizations.  Personally, I don't plan to get a flu shot-- first, because I'm currently avoiding toxins. But secondly, because I can't remember the last time I got the flu. I'm certainly not going to run out and get a flu shot because the CDC tells me I should. Last year, the University of Minnesota published a study that suggested flu shots protected adults against getting the flu only 59% of the time and "showed no evidence of protection" for children or the elderly.

This year, a Canadian study concludes that getting a flu shot helps reduce heart attacks and stroke...so, I guess, even if you still get the flu, at least you'll have a better chance of not getting a heart attack!

The bottom line is, most people are able to withstand an attack of the flu if they are relatively healthy to begin with. And once recovered, the body has formed antibodies that will help protect you the next time. Remember, the CDC and the FDA are in the pockets of the flu vaccine manufacturers. They will use fear of illness to convince you to use their product. And if that doesn't work, they'll fund a study to show some dubious benefit to reel you in. The best gift of all is the force of law. Will the government eventually make flu immunizations mandatory? It's already happening in some hospitals. But today, at least, we still have a choice.

To stick? or not to stick? I'm putting my money on a strong immune system.

...Besides, I never did like needles.

For the Love of Bacon

Bacon was one of the first foods I ever loved. And ice cream. Followed closely by potatoes. But there were actually family stories that included the following statement, "The only thing Cathy would eat was bacon and ice cream." Bacon was always first. I still love bacon, though I have added a few more things to my list of "likes."

My mom cooked with pork quite a bit while I was growing up. We ate ham and pork steaks and pork roasts and pork hocks (smoked with pinto beans...yum!) and, of course, bacon. Pork is a forbidden food in some cultures--mainly Jewish--since being outlawed by God back in the Old Testament days. Now, when God outlaws something, there's always a good reason. Maybe, because knowledge was so limited and nobody understood bacteria and other microscopic critters, it was pointless to try to explain the reasons why pork was bad. Kinda like a kid who asks his parents why they're not supposed to do something, and they ask "why?"...and Mom and Day say, "because I said so."  In his book, Jordan S. Rubin, author of The Maker's Diet, pointed out that the Jewish people were spared many of the diseases that plagued their neighbors, probably because of their very strict diet. Rubin does not eat pork and recommends against it.

But what about today? In our era of enlightenment, can we overcome many of the problems with pork by the way we prepare and store it? Can it be a safe meat? This question has been bumping around in my mind for the last year or so.

In the Fall 2012 Wise Traditions issue (a Weston A. Price Foundation publication), there was a long and informative article called "Save Your Bacon," by Kaayla Daniel, PHD, CCN, that provides some excellent information about the healthiness of bacon and pork in general. (Daniel is the author of The Whole Soy Story, which is packed full of research about the dangers and misperceptions of soy.)

Here are some surprises:

• Half the fat in bacon is monounsaturated, mostly consisting of the same oleic acid found in olive oil
• Pork fat contains a novel form of phosphatidylcholine that possesses antioxidant activity superior to vitamin E
• Bacon fat from pastured pigs contains fat-soluble vitamin D
• Although lard (pork fat) has no vitamin A in it, when added to a vitamin A deficient lab rat's diet, that deficiency was notably reversed.

Another interesting point was made in this article about cooked fresh pork. In a recent Weston A. Price Foundation study, eating a cooked pork chop caused the normal blood of healthy volunteers to "clump up in a pathological way." Marinating fresh pork cuts in vinegar, lemon juice or a salt cure appears to eliminate whatever toxin or allergen responsible for the blood clumping from cooked pork. This tip, all by itself, makes me feel better about eating pork!

Now lets talk about everyone's major concern when it comes to bacon -- nitrates and nitrites. Simply put, nitrites and nitrates are chemical constructions. Nitrite is one molecule of nitrogen and two molecules of oxygen. Nitrate is one molecule of nitrogen and three molecules of oxygen. Nitrites per the National Academy of Sciences do not directly harm us. Nitrates and nitrites are part of nature's cycle and are found in plants, animals, and water. We need not fear them. According to some estimates, people normally consume more nitrates from vegetables (80 to 90 percent) than from cured meats.

The culprit is not the nitrates and nitrites but nitrosamines, their carcinogenic byproduct. Nitrosamines can form when nitrates are subjected to high temperatures. For this reason nitrates are no longer used to cure bacon, as bacon is typically fried at very high heat, often to oblivion...at least in my kitchen. Furthermore, some of the nitrosamine problems in pork are quite possibly related to the meat itself or to the shortcut methods used to cure it. "Ready-made" sources of nitrosamines are present in many other places not connected to cured meats. According to Daniels' article, these can include "soy protein isolates, nonfat dry milk, and other products that have undergone spray-drying processes...some types of beer, cigarettes, nipples of baby bottles and the rubber used with braces in orthodontics." In addition, liquid smoke, of the kind used in processing factory-style bacon and other smoked meats, is quite possibly more carcinogenic than cigarette smoke concentrate, according to some studies being done by the European Food Safety Authority.

The point is, traditional methods of preparing food (curing among them) are not the problem. It is when food manufacturers substitute highly processed and unnatural alternatives for the longer, more patient methods of food preservation that health problems arise.

Another byproduct of nitrates and nitrites is nitric oxide. When nitrates and nitrites lose their extra oxygen molecules, they become the very healthy and necessary compound called nitric oxide (or nitrogen oxide), or NO--one molecule of nitrogen, one molecule of oxygen.  NO is what's called a "signaling" molecule in the body because it can literally communicate with other molecules. Nitric oxide plays an important role in lowering blood pressure and triglyceride levels. It improves blood flow and benefits the immune system. Nitric oxide is formed in cured meats when bacteria breaks down the nitrates and nitrites. In the human body, nitric oxide forms when nitrates interact with antioxidants. Vegetables containing nitrites are often packaged with their own antioxidants to make this important conversion. A diet high in antioxidants will provide the same benefit with cured meat consumption.

You may be asking yourself about now, if nitrites are no big deal...maybe even healthy, why is everybody afraid of them? I have to tell you, I certainly was until I tackled the research for this post. I'm not sure I can answer that question except perhaps with the same reasoning that everyone believes fat is bad. There is a certain mob-mentality, if you will, that sometimes attaches itself to an idea and before you know it takes on a life of its own, oblivious to reason or common sense. It becomes entrenched in the common mindset and, in time, indistinguishable from an actual fact. This seems to be the case with nitrites. 

And, once a food component takes on a negative image, the food industry goes into action to come up with a "safe" alternative. Problem is, they rarely go to the trouble to make SURE it's safe. With the onset of the "nitrites are bad" theory, meat manufacturers have given us a product called "uncured" bacon--bacon, they say, made without nitrites. Except for one very important thing-- it's not true.

There's no such thing as "uncured" bacon. The distinction is whether the bacon is cured using the traditional method of nitrite salts or the newfangled "natural" method of substituting celery powder or celery juice for the nitrite salt. The truth is, nitrite is nitrite, whether it comes from a natural source like celery, or whether it's made in a lab. What makes nitrite salts a better alternative is that they can be precisely measured to insure the proper amount for curing a particular cut of meat. On the other hand, celery powder goes through a conversion process to produce nitrite. It is certainly possible to measure the celery powder, but it is completely impossible to know how much nitrite that batch of celery powder will produce. Without that precise measurement, you may get much more nitrite in the the meat than recommended--or much less. Either scenario is cause for concern. 

The key to eating bacon, or any pork meat, confidently is in the way the pig is raised and fed, as with any animal we eat; because what the animal eats will ultimately find its way to us, when we eat it. 

Since Mark and I both love pork, I have been searching for a farm that raises its pigs in a truly pig-natural environment. Here's my criteria:  no soy, no hormones or antibiotics, and the freedom for the pigs to root around the way wild pigs would for whatever they root around for in the wild--roots, I suppose--for at least part of the year when weather permits. I have actually found a fairly local farm that raises their pigs just this way, but now that I know what I know about nitrites and the unpredictability of celery salt in curing bacon, I've been hesitating to make a purchase. I'm sure the farmer's wife (with whom I've been communicating by email) think's I'm a nutcase by now. I even had the audacity to send her an excerpt from the bacon article about traditional curing methods. (Cheeky, I know.)

How do you convince someone--a business, or even a person--that an established practice (like substituting nitrite salts with "natural" celery salts) has been wrong all this time and should be dropped in favor of the old ways? I can tell you that the established nutrition world does not have a corner on entrenchment! Now, if I can find traditionally raised pork with traditionally cured bacon--THAT will be the jackpot.

In the meantime I will put up with the celery-cured bacon if that's what it takes to get wholesome meat. And, no, I will not give up my bacon... don't even think about it!

Can there be fig without Newton?

One of my favorite cookies of all time is the modest Fig Newton. I've always liked them, and they've been around forever...well, since before I was born, at least. In fact the Fig Newton entered American life in the year 1891 in Newton, Massachusetts. There was a time (not so long ago) I could eat a half package of Fig Newtons by myself. And call it lunch! They were the “health food” of cookies. Of course, now that I see the proverbial "Matrix" for what it is, I don't eat these little monsters any more-- even the "organic" ones.

But up until this week, I had never tasted a fresh real fig fruit. I didn't really know what they looked or felt like or how big they were. For all I knew, figs were globs of blackish seedy tar-like goop, hanging on a tree, wrapped in cookie dough. So there I was at the grocery store doing my weekly shopping when I saw them--right in with the fruit, piled up in little plastic baskets. And without more than a second's consideration, I grabbed one, stuck it in my cart, and took the mysterious little fruits home.

The Fig has an interesting history. It is native to the Middle East and one of the oldest fruits recognized by mankind. It’s mentioned in the Bible more than once and in Sumerian stone tablets dating back to 2500 B.C. Figs share the distinction of being Cleopatra’s favorite fruit and the tree from which our first parents got their first tenuous clothing (fig leaves are big leaves). The Spaniards brought the fig to the New World in 1520 and now they grow it in California. As a matter of fact, California is currently the third largest producer. There are hundreds of varieties of fig, but you’ll be lucky to see more than a few of those in the grocery store, the Black Mission Fig being one of the most common. The fig tree bears fruit twice a year, once in the early summer (a smaller crop) and again in late fall…which is why they are now in season.

Nutritionally, figs pack a pretty big punch. Although they are high in sugar, particularly when dried, they are loaded with minerals. Dried figs are higher in calcium per serving than milk. They are also a good source of potassium, trace minerals, and fiber and contain some vitamin B-6. Finally, they are a good source of phytonutrients and anti-oxidants. Health benefit claims for this fruit include improved bone density (due to all the great minerals), protection from macular degeneration, protection against post-menopausal breast cancer, and improved serum cholesterol levels—all things that would benefit a woman of my…let’s just say, maturity.

Imagining the scrumptious taste of fig bars, I tried my first taste of fresh fig. I was underwhelmed. Fresh figs are a very fragile fruit and give you only a day or so to use them, which is why they’re most often dried. So out came the iPad and soon I was looking at articles on “how to serve figs.” My guinea pig husband was served a salad of fresh greens, fresh figs, walnuts, and pear vinaigrette dressing for dinner. The walnuts helped. I decided to broil the last half-dozen or so and put them in the fridge to eat over the next couple days.

All the articles I've read about figs have praised their fabulous taste with words like “luscious” and “sweet honeyed taste” and “full of flavor.” Not my experience. Perhaps my figs were overripe, or maybe my expectations were based on the more condensed taste of dried figs (or Fig Newtons)…but such is the nature of trying new things. Sometimes we’re wowed from the start, and sometimes it takes a few tries to find our groove. For me, the jury’s still out. But I know I’ll be shopping for dried figs next. And, who knows—maybe I’ll give the fresh ones another chance. After all, figs have been around a long time. They deserve more respect than one feeble attempt to like them. Don’t you agree?

So, what about you? Have you tried figs yet? Do you have a favorite fig recipe using either fresh or dried figs (natural ingredients only)?

More fig information, if you're interested...

California Figs

Fig fruit nutrition facts

Organic Black Mission Figs Nutrition

Health Benefits of Figs

What "extrusion" does to food (as in Fig Newtons)

The Common Fig (Wikipedia)

Preparing for the Worst

Last week, the Northeast experienced one of the worst natural disasters of the century—Hurricane Sandy. Over two million people lost their electricity; many lost their homes and belongings…some lost their lives. whole neighborhoods were wiped out, and damage is in the billions of dollars. My heart goes out to them as they struggle, not to rebuild—that will come later, but to merely survive.

And yet, I can’t help but question why there are so many who find themselves out of food and water after barely one week. Of course, those who are homeless will be in that situation. No matter how much food and water you stock for an emergency, if the storm demolishes your home, those stores are gone as well. But what about the others?

If the story of Hurricane Katrina taught us nothing else, it should have taught us that government can never respond as promised in the aftermath of a widespread catastrophe. Those who expect white knights in FEMA trucks to show up on their doorstep with food, water, and blankets as soon as the winds die down will be gravely disappointed. Damaged infrastructure shows no favoritism. If your vehicle can’t get out, their vehicle can’t get in. And the red tape of bureaucracy strangles efficiency. The bigger it is, the slower it moves...I think that's some kind of natural law.

This week, the country has yet another practical example of the importance of personal responsibility and preparedness.

I lived almost two decades in California before moving to Minnesota. One of the natural disasters common to that state is earthquakes. The small private school at which I worked as a secretary sat less than a mile from the San Andreas Fault, and as part of our annual activities, we engaged in disaster preparedness. Students were required, as part of their school supplies, to bring in a backpack the first week of school filled with certain specific items. The school itself maintained several 50-gallon barrels filled with blankets, first aid items, food, bottled water, and other items deemed necessary to sustain students and teachers who may not be able to go home in the event of a major earthquake for several days to a week. We never had to rely on this preparation, thank God. But, as a school, we took it seriously.

Now, as a private person? Well, I didn't do too well. My family had food in the pantry, but probably not even a one-month supply. Water? Whatever came out of the faucet was pretty much it. You see, I took for granted that even in a major quake, we’d somehow manage.

That kind of mindset is common to a society whose faith in the “system” is based on an incredibly false perception that the government can efficiently step in and save the day when disaster strikes. That misplaced faith is quickly shattered by reality. We’re watching this unfold as devastated East Coasters are crying into the TV cameras, “We need food! We need water! We’re going to die!”…after only three days.

I am loathe to judge any of them, because until fairly recently, I would have been in the same spot. Minnesota doesn’t have to worry about earthquakes. We don’t have hurricanes. Occasionally we get a tornado, but damage from tornadoes (at least in our part of the country) is isolated and “manageable”—as disasters go. Sometimes we get snowed in, but around here, that doesn’t last more than a couple days at most. My sense of being prepared for a possible disaster was pretty weak.

Lately, though, I’m beginning to understand that disasters come in all flavors. New York and New Jersey were struck by a disaster they could see coming, as it were. Perhaps they never believed it could be as bad as it was. Perhaps they put too much confidence in the government. What about the disasters we don’t see coming. The world we live in is unpredictable--there are rumors of war and threats of terrorism in the news every day. Nuclear threats. EMP threats. Threats of economic upheaval. The life we know could change in an instant. Yet we live our lives as though tomorrow will always be the same as today. The technical term for this is the “Normalcy Bias.” It is normalcy bias that keeps us from preparing for the unimaginable…even when we’re warned in advance. 

For various reasons, being prepared for “the worst” may never be possible. Not everybody can afford a backup power generator for their home or a year’s supply of food. But there are some things everyone—yes, even the less fortunate—can do. Here is a short list.

• Keep at least two weeks of water stored (at least 2 quarts per day per person)--more if you can manage it. Anyone can do this. Bottled water (which I don’t recommend for daily use, but emergencies are different) is relatively inexpensive and can be purchased over time. 
• Keep at least two weeks of emergency food storage. This should be food you can eat without power (i.e. doesn’t need cooking), like tuna, canned fruits and vegetables, nut butters and crackers, nuts, dried fruit, jerky, etc. Don’t forget paper towels, wet wipes and plastic bags (for cleaning up). 
• Keep a first aid kit. You can get a standard first aid kit at any drug store for as little as $15 or $20. 
• If you rely on prescription drugs, make sure you have a one-month emergency supply—put it with your first aid kit so it’s handy. 
• Keep an oil lamp or two (with extra oil) or long-lasting candles & matches. 
• Keep a cash stash—at least $100, more if you can manage it. You may not be able to access an ATM for awhile. 
• If you own a car, try to keep your gas tank at least half full all the time. 

A few simple precautions can make the difference between riding out a catastrophe and unbearable misery.

These days I keep my pantry stocked with food and water. I hope you do, too. We're even talking about buying a generator for the house...next year. (Normalcy bias.)

As I write this post, I think of the many folks still suffering from the devastation of Sandy, and my thoughts and prayers go out to them. But wishing them well is not going to keep them warm or fed. (James 2:14-16)

On that note, here are two of my favorite charities, both of which are involved in helping the victims of Hurricane Sandy. 

I encourage you to share with me the blessing of giving to one of these or a charity of your choice.

Mercury One 

Salvation Army

More information on preparedness

Fundamental Transformation of the Republic

As some may recall, when Barack Obama was running for president in 2008, he promised to “fundamentally transform” our country. Many cheered, but few asked what that meant…exactly. Some were concerned because they understood that “fundamentally transforming” a country means changing its very foundations. Further, it assumes there’s something “fundamentally” wrong with the original foundations.

I contend that we are already fundamentally transformed, and have been for some time. 

I know... what am I doing talking about politics on a food blog? Well, this is the “other stuff” that I occasionally can’t resist…and I promise, the next post will be about food. Please check back next week.

Those of you who know a little bit about American History may recall that our Founders gave us a Republic with a federal system in which the States were sovereign and very limited powers were assigned to the federal government—the States retaining all the rest to themselves and the People (see the 10th Amendment). Those limited authorized powers can be found in Article 1, Section 8 of our Constitution, and I highly recommend that every American read it periodically.

You will notice in that fairly short list of powers there is no authority for such federal programs as the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, FEMA, HUD, the FCC, the FTC, the EEOC, the FDIC, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, or a host of other agencies that have evolved over the last 100 years to create the bloated system we know as the Federal Government. Check this site out for an itemized list of federal departments and agencies. And yet it continues to push the limits of its authority, congress after congress, year after year, law after law.

America is being crushed under the weight of our federal government. Our current president believes that the role of government is to manage the lives of its people. Unfortunately, most of our elected officials agree. Not only have we had presidents over the years issuing unconstitutional executive orders and empowering their administrative departments to impose upon the citizenry unconstitutional and burdensome regulation, but Congress, regardless of which Party is in power, continually passes unconstitutional laws…and to top it off, we have a Judiciary that doesn't even understand the Constitution it has sworn to uphold. So much for checks and balances. 

Our problem is not limited to Democrats or Republicans. It is systemic, and rooted in a general lack of understanding of the form of government under which the United States was formed. Americans, over the past fifty years or so, have grown to expect the government to take care of their needs. Many believe that the federal government has some kind of obligation to take care of them during a disaster, when they lose their job, when they get old, when they get sick. This thinking was foreign to our Founders, who believed that those things were the responsibility of individuals through self-reliance and acts of charity. Our Founders believed the role of government – federal or otherwise – was to ensure its individual citizens the liberty to pursue the life of their choosing, and laws should be designed only to prevent others from infringing upon ones right to do so. 

In the shadow of the oppression of Great Britain, the architects of our new government took pains to minimize the potential power of a centralized government. The United States was organized to give the States sovereign power limited only by its citizens, and the federal government very few specific limited powers over issues that affected all the states equally (the general welfare).

Somewhere along the way, that changed. The change was gradual, but it was fundamental. Today we have a federal government whose goal is to dictate every aspect of every American’s life—from education to health care to employment to housing. We can’t travel from one city to another without being searched and manhandled by a federal agent. The federal government has made it its business to provide health care to the masses and will fine you if you don’t comply...and call it a tax! States that stand up to the federal government are regularly sued by the Department of Justice.    

Not only have we lost many of our liberties, we’re also in grave economic danger. The nation is wallowing in debt. We have a $16 trillion deficit and a citizenry that believes it’s okay to continue to spend money on a host of federal programs and activities-- even if it means borrowing money from our adversary, China. The government says they have to raise our taxes so they can pay down the debt, but instead of paying down the debt, they find new ways to spend the new revenue. 

It’s time to wake up and remember our foundations. States must take back their sovereign reigns and force the federal government back into its cage—that cage is the Constitution. Believe it or not, the final arbiter of whether or not a law or federal activity is constitutional is not the Supreme Court—it is the State. Every state has the inherent right to determine the legitimacy of any federal law by virtue of the fact that it was the States that created the federal government and set its boundaries…not the other way around. A good resource to learn more about this is the book Nullification: How To Resist Federal Tyranny In The 21st Century, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.

As we approach another opportunity to elect those who will “rule” over us, I urge you to give careful consideration to the state of our Union. There are no perfect politicians, but we must choose among those available.

Choose carefully, because (as we've been told again and again) elections have consequences. America cannot survive long by taxing the wealthy to pay for social programs. We must, as a country, figure out how to wean ourselves off the social programs and go back to a People who believe in self-reliance. 

There is no government on the face of the earth that can take care of its people. That's God's domain.

Government's proper role is to provide an environment that promotes a stable, lawful society so that its citizens can care for their own needs, unencumbered. Government does not create wealth, it reduces wealth. It takes from those who produce by means of taxation. It does not "invest" money, it spends money--usually with little or no accountability on programs and services of its own making. The more money it takes from its citizens, the less prosperous the nation will be. The less prosperous the nation, the less tax revenue there is… Whether you’re the tax payer or the receiver of government services, it’s a vicious cycle doomed to ultimate failure (historic examples abound). A prosperous nation can only be had by limiting taxation to its smallest possible level. And that will never happen until the federal government returns to its constitutional boundaries.

So... go to the polls and vote. But first take off your blindfold and do your research. And then choose candidates who understand and support the fundamental foundations of our Constitutional Republic. 

God bless!  And may God bless America.

Super Easy Awesome Rosemary Beef & Rice

Rosemary Beef & Rice with Roasted Delecata Squash

Ingredients:

• Beef stew bone (grass-fed)
• Splash of organic apple cider vinegar
• Large organic fresh rosemary sprig
• 3 Lg. cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• Handful of fresh chives (or about 2 tsp. dry chives), or 1 small onion, quartered
• Salt & Pepper
• Sprouted organic rice* (brown or mixed)

Preparation:

• Take the stew bone out of the freezer and throw it into a large crock pot. Cover with water, add a splash of apple cider vinegar (pulls nutrients out of the bone) and cook on low overnight. 
• In the morning, add rosemary, chives, and garlic. Cover and continue to cook on low through the day. 
• About an hour before dinner time, turn off the crock pot, remove the stew bone into a large shallow bowl or glass casserole. Carefully remove the meat (which should be falling off the bone) shred it with a fork and put aside. Let the bones cool and then give them to your dog. 
• Strain the broth through a fine sieve, measure out two cups into a medium (2 – 3 qt. stainless steel pot) and put the remaining broth aside to cool. Add the shredded beef, 1 cup of sprouted rice*, a tsp. of salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. 
• Turn the heat to low, cover the beefy rice mixture and simmer according to the instructions for the rice you use. At the end of the cooking period, remove from heat, keep covered and let sit about ten to 15 minutes. 
• Stir and serve (sprinkle a little fresh minced parsley on top for color).

Total prep time – 20 to 30 minutes.

* For this recipe, I used a mix of TruRoots sprouted rice trio, organic wild rice, and organic jasmine white rice... but any rice will do-- keep it organic for good health.

I've made this recipe twice now. The first soup bone I used had much more meat on it. This time, not so much, but still enough to make a pretty meaty dish for two people-- with left-overs. The recipe lends itself to easy adjustment for any number of servings. Use enough broth for the standard rice recipe and add another half cup for moisture.

If you want a lot of broth, just use a bigger crock pot and more water to cook the bones. With my smallish pot, I ended up with about a quart of broth over and above the amount needed to make the rice dish-- it's going in the freezer for another day.

Why use sprouted rice? Sprouting (or germinating) the rice kernels releases dormant enzymes, softens the bran layer making it easier to digest, and neutralizes phytic acid in the grain. Phytic acid inhibits nutrient absorption, which is why it is referred to as an "anti-nutrient." Any grain or bean will be more healthful if it has first been sprouted... for all the same reasons.

The final comment I want to make on this recipe is that you will notice a layer of beef fat on your broth. Don't panic. Contrary to popular belief (based on...well, a popular belief), beef fat is not unhealthy. We've been sold a bill of goods, as they say, and made to believe that saturated fat is horrible and will harden our arteries, possibly before we finish our dinner.  As a matter of fact, it is quite healthy and should not be avoided. Beef fat is about 50 to 55 percent saturated fat, about 40 percent monounsaturated, and about 3 percent polyunsaturated. 

Saturated fats are important to cell and bone health, and they enhance the immune system. It is actually the polyunsaturated fats, the ones our health and nutrition "experts" keep telling us to eat, that contribute to a large number of disease conditions including (but not limited to) heart disease and cancer. One reason for this is their unstable nature. They go rancid quickly and break down under exposure to heat and air, releasing free radicals. Free radicals, as we all know, cause all kinds of mayhem in the human body and are to be avoided at all costs. Here is an interesting look at vegetable oils, many of which are high in polyunsaturated fat. You can also find a wealth of trustworthy information on the Weston A. Price Foundation's website regarding healthy fats and other nutrition topics.

A very important thing to keep in mind, though, is to make sure your meat is grass-fed (on clean, pesticide-free grass). Not all meat is created equal! Beef that is raised in a industrial feed lot will be saturated (pun intended) with antibiotics, growth hormones, and genetically modified grain loaded with toxins. Yes, you definitely want to avoid THAT kind of meat.

Enjoy!

A common sense look at GMOs, Prop 37, and personal responsibility

If you live in California…or even if you don’t… you've probably heard about Prop 37, a state initiative Californians are gearing up to vote on in November that will, for the first time in this country, address the issue of labeling GMO-containing food products. And, of course, GMO (for you cave-dwellers) means genetically modified organism.

There's a huge fight in progress on the issue, for obvious reasons-- there's simply no more room on food labels. And besides, Monsanto, the biggest genetic modifier in the business, is against it, along with every other major food and chemical manufacturer in this country... and they're spending lots and lots of money to convince everyone it's a bad idea. Granted, food manufacturers already have to disclose every molecule in their product, and then spell it out in actual English words. (Example from a milk carton: "Contains milk.") But this idea of disclosing whether or not a product contains a manipulated step-sister of an actual food...uh, we don't need to know about that...nope, not a problem...it's exactly the same...just buy it and don't think about it too much.

May I draw your attention to the rink. 

In this corner, we have the Supporters--the Pro-Prop 37 folks. Main argument:  Consumers have a right to know what's in their food. Label it already!

In this corner, we have the Opposition--the Anti-Prop 37 people. Main arguments:  (1) Labeling is expensive - it will increase the cost of food; (2) The Proposition is poorly worded and there are too many special interest exemptions; and (3) Law suits will abound - everybody will be suing manufacturers and grocery stores.  It will be a nightmare.

Now for some common sense.

No doubt all of this will occur if the proposition passes. Americans over the past 50 years or so have morphed into the most litigious society that ever lived. It's our way. We've become a nation of victims. The "lawsuit" argument falls on its face because Americans will always find something to file lawsuits about.

Now for the "special interest exemption" argument-- right off the bat, it’s exempting “certified organic” foods.  Not sure what that’s about, unless a label of “certified organic” already requires no GMO ingredients. According to BallotPedia.org, the bill

"Exempts foods that are: certified organic; unintentionally produced with genetically engineered material; made from animals fed or injected with genetically engineered material but not genetically engineered themselves; processed with or containing only small amounts of genetically engineered ingredients; administered for treatment of medical conditions; sold for immediate consumption such as in a restaurant; or alcoholic beverages."

Frankly, I agree with the "poorly worded" argument. Just the exemptions above have guaranteed that GMO ingredients will continue to be hidden in food even after expensive labeling takes effect. (I can hear it already..."It's not my fault - I didn't know there were GMO byproducts among the seventy-two ingredients.") The devil is in the details, as usual. 

Lawmakers these days seem incapable of writing simple, easy to interpret laws, probably due to the fact that if ordinary people could understand them, we wouldn't need lawyers. How hard is it to write a common sense regulation? “Foods with genetically modified ingredients must be labeled as such.” There, problem solved in 10 words.  

Let's tackle the "cost" argument. Yes, the new rules that result from passage of this initiative will raise the cost of food, but the question should be, “will the benefits of labeling outweigh the cost of labeling?” The answer to that question depends on whether or not you believe that eating food that has been genetically modified is dangerous to your health.

So let's look at that. What exactly are Monsanto and others doing to the plants that has so many worried? Dave Murphy, founder of Food Democracy Now!, explained the problem in a Huffington Post online article dated October 15. The "ag biotech" industry has genetically engineered two traits into GMO plants. One makes it herbicide tolerant, allowing the plant to survive massive doses of chemical herbicides. Those herbicides are then absorbed into the plant and eventually end up on your plate. The other genetic modification actually turns the plant itself into an insecticide with genetically engineered poison in every cell of the plant. When the bug eats the plant, it dies. (A little helping of insecticide, anyone?) And as usually happens when scientists attempt to play God, there are unintended consequences...things like super weeds and super bugs that become resistant to the engineered plant-- leaving us with all of the poison and none of the benefits. So what do they do? Repent and put things back the way God made them? Not on your life. Instead, they come up with an even more toxic solution.

The newest effort is a cryptically named variety called 2,4-D corn. This, from an April article, again in the Huffington Post, by Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety describes this new product:

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently deciding whether or not to approve an application by Dow Chemical for its controversial genetically engineered (GE) corn variety that is resistant to the hazardous herbicide 2,4-D. 2,4-D and the still more toxic 2,4,5-T formed Agent Orange, the defoliant used in the Vietnam War."

Are we beginning to understand why the big agricultural and chemical companies are opposing Prop 37? (Check out this list of donors.) We may as well be asking them to put a skull and crossbones on the label.

Prop 37 represents the first major bump in the road for the GMO industry, and they're doing everything they can to defeat it. The opposition trumpets that there’s “no proven health risk” to GMO food, but in all fairness, their buddies at the FDA signed off on genetic modification without ever requiring long-term testing for health risk. This is another fine example of who the FDA serves, and it isn't you or me. In what universe should anyone assume that a plant that has been saturated with a chemical herbicide or turned into an insecticide is somehow safe for people to consume? These are toxins designed to kill living things. And yet the FDA has assumed exactly that. From a FoodProductionDaily.com 2006 article, “The FDA has not found, and does not believe, that new plant varieties under development for food and feed use generally pose any safety or regulatory concerns.”

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the first long-term study using GMO corn by an independent (non-industry) research group has produced some troubling results. In a recent French study that fed Monsanto corn to rats over two years, a significant majority of the animals developed cancerous tumors and organ damage on fairly small amounts of it.

One of the biggest complaints we hear about the free market is that big business is evil and gets away with murder...and sometimes that's true (read about the Fluoride Deception). But when industrial sins are at their worst is when they are protected by government. Since the 20th century, it's become an even greater problem because most research is funded by either industry or government. In such an environment, deception thrives. Add to this an unfounded trust in government and research, and you get GMO food on your table and fluoride (one of the most poisonous substances in nature) in your drinking water.

So how do regular people fight against Industry and Government that are devoid of moral bearings? With initiatives, however imperfect, like Prop 37.

Common sense tells us that if genetically engineered products are good and safe, their inventors shouldn't be afraid to slap the little GMO seal on the front of the food label with pride. At the very least, genetic modification ought to join that growing group of allergens that must be disclosed on every processed food. I don't know about you, but I happen to be allergic to poison.

The bill isn't a cure-all for sure. A GMO labeling law would solve many of the difficulties we now face trying to source out the healthiest foods, but such laws can only do so much. They can't solve the problem of fraud. There will always be companies that disregard the laws of the land and market products with false information—“honey” made of corn syrup, “extra virgin olive oil” spiked with soy or corn oil, and “organic” products made from genetically modified soy bean components.

But a law requiring companies to disclose when they have fundamentally transformed a natural organism will at least give us all the opportunity to make a choice about what we will eat. We can't make intelligent choices without information.

As ever, it's up to us to read labels.  But even then, don’t expect “natural” from manufactured foods… even the ones you get from your local “health food” store. If you want pure food, the only way to be sure you're getting it is to buy from a farmer you know or grow it yourself. If a product has a label, it is processed to some degree and there is a chance it will have an ingredient in it that is less than desirable  Grocery markets are businesses, not your mother. They exist to act as a middle-man moving goods from the original manufacturer to the consumer while making a profit in the process. There are many markets who claim to provide all-natural food, such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. But even they will stock foods based on their definition of what's natural and healthy -- not yours.  Every trip to the market should be an exercise in caution. Ultimately we are responsible for the choices we make.

For MY money, labeling is worth the cost. The world will go on, and Monsanto is not likely to go out of business over it. There will be a ridiculous number of people that will continue to "drink the kool-aid" even when it's labeled ... I mean, really, have you seen the ingredients in Kool-aid?! People are still consuming soft drinks laden with high fructose corn syrup in spite of the fact that this ingredient, linked to obesity and diabetes among other ailments, is clearly listed on the container. People still eat cookies and margarine full of transfats, a substance linked to heart disease, even though the package is clearly labeled. And people will knowingly consume genetically modified foods because long-term effects are akin to mythology. The manufacturers and their marketing masters will continue to convince the majority that 2,4-D corn is just another "variety" for a long time to come.

But those of us who care about what we eat will have a better chance of avoiding the scary stuff.

Labeling is just plain honest behavior. Is that too much to ask? We shouldn't need a law to make it happen. But if you live in California, do us all a favor and vote YES on Prop 37. Maybe the rest of our States will wise up and follow your example.

Beware the Frankenfood Drinks

If your kids are in little league, watch out for the drug-pushers.  I’m not talking about illegal drug-pushers, though you should watch out for them too… I’m talking about the folks that are passing out free samples of synthetic food like this one (Muscle Milk).

The other day one of my coworkers who knows my affinity for natural foods brought me an interesting specimen...it was a bottle labeled "Muscle Milk" with the curious subtitle, "contains no milk." It was empty because his eight-year old son had consumed it all at softball practice. Where did he get it? Free sample bottles were given out to everyone at the practice. What's wrong with that, you may wonder? Muscle Milk is a protein drink designed to help weight trainers build muscle. Does anybody think it's a good idea for kids to gulp it down like chocolate milk? Apparently some folks do... for instance, the ones manufacturing it. Frankly, I question whether it's a good thing for weight-training adults to drink this stuff.

So what's in Muscle Milk anyway? 

"WATER, CALCIUM SODIUM CASEINATE AND/OR MILK PROTEIN ISOLATE, AND/OR MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, BLEND OF VEGETABLE OILS (SUNFLOWER AND CANOLA OILS), ALKALIZED COCOA POWDER [for the chocolate stuff] MALTODEXTRIN, CRYSTALLINE FRUCTOSE, POTASSIUM CITRATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CELLULOSE GUM AND GEL, SOY LECITHIN, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES, MONOSODIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, CARRAGEENAN, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, ASCORBIC ACID, SALT, FERRIC PYROPHOSPHATE, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SUCRALOSE, VITAMIN E PALMITATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHOLORIDE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE RIBOFLAVIN, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, FOLIC ACID, BIOTIN, POTASSIUM IODIDE, CHOLECALCIFEROL, CYANOCOBOLAMIN."  

(Forgive any typos that may have occurred in this list...even my spell-checker doesn't recognize most of these words!)  In layman's terms, this drink consists of water, sugars, cocoa powder and synthesized protein, vitamins, and minerals. Pardon me for a moment, but WHERE IS THE FOOD?! 

Here's another example... A couple months ago, a man stopped into my workplace and left us with ten or twelve little two-ounce bottles of 5-Hour Energy drinks... to try absolutely free.  Drug-pushing?  I don't very often watch commercials, thanks to the wonderful technology of DVRs that let you fast-forward through them all.  But this one snuck up on me and caught my attention. "Do you know what 2:30 in the afternoon feels like?" it asks. Well, if you're eating the Standard American Diet, you're probably dead on your feet by 2:30, as the ad implies.

We've been conditioned by the media, the government, and the medical establishment to believe that low-fat, high carb diets are the most healthy. Our meals are top-heavy with processed foods and high-fructose drinks (which, sorry to say, includes fruit juices).  And most Americans eat an enormous amount of sugar. Such a diet leaves the body malnourished and tired.

In his book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Dr. Weston Price documented what it takes to be strong and healthy (and have good teeth, to boot)-- in a nutshell, foods rich in fat-soluble vitamins (like vitamins A, D, and E). Native populations eating traditional foods were found to consume at least ten times the levels of fat-soluble vitamins of those eating western processed foods (p. 247). Here's one of many examples he witnessed ( in the high-altitude region of the Andes mountains near Cuzco), "The Indians of this region are able to carry all day two hundred to three hundred pounds, and to do this day after day. At several of the ports, these mountain Indians have been brought down to the coast to load and unload coffee and freight from the ships. Their strength is phenomenal." 

Unfortunately, foods rich in fat-soluble vitamins don't come from a bottle or a can or a box labeled "heart-healthy." They come from nature-- vegetables raised in good mineral-rich soil free of chemicals; meats raised as God intended in fields and pastures, not crammed into a barn, fed corn and meat byproducts and injected with hormones and antibiotics; dairy products that haven't been pasteurized to death. These foods are not cheap and they're not convenient, but they deliver (and they taste a lot better, too!)

Frankenfoods like Muscle Milk and 5-Hour Energy Drinks are counterfeits. Be careful about drinking them, and be especially careful about feeding them to your children. They aren't food. At best, they are fake (synthetic) vitamins laced with mild drugs (caffeine).

And when the pushers come and offer you a free sample... just say No, thank you.

The Value of Testing

What’s wrong with me? … a rhetorical question—please don’t answer, even if you think you know.

For the past year or so, I've felt that something is not quite right. I've been complaining of low energy, poor concentration, memory problems, and leg cramps, among other things. My quest to discover the cause of my less than stellar health has taken me in many directions. I've looked at mineral deficiencies, vitamin deficiencies, heavy metal toxicity, and even yeast overgrowth—all of which can display many of the same symptoms. Trying to clean out my body and balance my vitamin and mineral levels has often felt like a wild goose chase. The supplements I take every day would fill my mother’s old button box and be nearly as colorful! There have been improvements here and there, but things are still not quite right.

Finally, I have decided to seek the advice of a medical doctor—but not just any medical doctor. I wanted one who understands and appreciates the value of natural healing. It was my chiropractor who referred me  to a “wellness” practitioner I will call Dr. B, a young physician who is just starting her own practice. Dr. B is board certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Holistic Medicine. I made the appointment and went in to see her.

So far we've spent roughly two hours (over two appointments) discussing my state of health (an amount of time roughly equal to the actual face-time spent with all the other doctors I've seen over the past ten years or so). At the initial visit, Dr. B recommended that we actually do a blood test to see where my levels are with vitamins, minerals, and metal toxins...since those are the things I've been concerned about. What a novel idea! And last week I got the results.

To my surprise, my body is not reeking with heavy metal toxins, as I feared it was—in spite of my many mercury-laden fillings, though I did show a surprisingly high level of cadmium.  Surprising because cadmium toxicity is typically connected with smokers, and I've never smoked or spent a lot of time around smokers. My toxic load can be managed by a mild detox supplement that will help my body clear the unwanted metals gently over a few months. 

But the other surprise was that I am deficient in potassium.

  Dr. B:  Did you start on a multi-vitamin as I recommended?

  Me:  Yes! (smile)

  Dr. B:  How much potassium is in it?

  Me:  3 mg.

  Dr. B: That’s pathetic (paraphrased).

 (There’s more potassium than that in one bite of banana. Why do they bother?)

Let’s talk about potassium. This little mineral is critical to cell health. Potassium is one of the four electrolytes—it has electrical properties when dissolved in the blood, and is essential for conducting nerve impulses. Potassium assists in proper muscle contraction (hence the cramping when there’s not enough of it). It’s important for energy metabolism and regulates the transfer of nutrients through the cell membranes. In addition, potassium, in conjunction with sodium, helps to maintain fluid balance in the cells—potassium maintains fluid inside the cell walls while sodium controls fluid levels outside the cell walls.

Some of the symptoms of potassium deficiency are muscle cramps, fatigue, mental confusion, abnormally dry skin, bowel problems (both diarrhea and constipation), high cholesterol levels, low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and in extreme cases, heart attack.

So how did I get deficient in potassium? Probably by following a Candida-killing diet devoid of fruit. (This is what happens when we get our doctoring off the internet.) The good news is that correcting the deficiency is as simple as adding foods rich in potassium back into the diet.

The moral of the blog-post story is this: when it comes to health, don’t mess around. It’s tempting to think we know what we’re doing because we researched the topics thoroughly…and by thoroughly, I mean at least two whole articles off the web. My next lab test (coming up later this week) will screen for Candida yeast overgrowth. Do I really have a problem with it or have I mis-attributed my symptoms? I will find out, and when I do, my doctor and I will discuss a treatment plan that will tackle the problem effectively. In the meantime, I have reverted to a more balanced diet that includes fruit and other potassium-rich natural foods. 

And did I mention that dark chocolate is an excellent source of potassium?  (Sigh.) I’m feeling better already.

My "Farm In The City" Adventure

Sunday Mark and I attended an event called Farm In The City, hosted by a restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. We stumbled onto it by accident last year looking for a restaurant that served organic farm-fresh food. This was right about the time I began to morph into a natural food nut, a.k.a. "foodie." The event is described as "a large scale farm to table feast where guests can meet and connect with both local farmers and chefs." And we did! It was at this event that I discovered worm composting... I'll blog on it some day. We also met the wonderful people who own Northstar Bison in Wisconsin and learned about the finer points of raising and butchering grass-fed beef (and bison).

So when we learned that the event was in full swing again this year, we didn't hesitate to sign up, and it didn't disappoint. The meal consisted of seven courses, all expertly prepared and beautifully presented by some of the best chefs in the city-- and under $50 a person, unheard of for high-quality gourmet dining! We enjoyed dishes with elegant names like, "Sturgeon & Foie Gras Terrine" and "Stuffed Saddle of Hare." I felt like a taster on Iron Chef. Each dish was paired with a wine or spirit, and there was absolutely nothing that I didn't find absolutely delicious-- even the "Grand Marais Pickled Herring with caraway infused fermented beets, fingerling crisps, smoked roe and skyr" (whatever that is!).

Grand Marais Pickled Herring

Farm In The City highlights the use of locally grown produce and sustainable farming practices. But it does something even bigger... it gives back. This year all the proceeds went to Youth Farm & Market Project, an organization that teaches young people about urban farming. Bravo to the chefs and servers who donated their time and talents and to the vendors who donated the food supplies! 

The evening was a delight. We shared a table with eight total strangers, but we were talking and laughing like old friends before we knew it. There was even a brief moment of entertainment where the occupant of an apartment across the street mooned us all... though I didn't actually see it myself, thankfully. 

As much as I enjoyed the experience, the tiny servings and fancy presentation are a bit like going to a spa... it makes you feel pampered, but it's not reality. I can't imagine eating like that on a regular basis, even if I could afford it. Still, I'm glad there are chefs and prominent restaurants that are promoting the value of cooking with sustainable farm-fresh food. And I've discovered some new restaurants in town whose food I don't have to feel guilty eating. That's worth a lot these days.

I'm not a chef and I'll never be a fabulous cook -- simply because I don't want to put that much work into any meal. Nevertheless, it's surprising what you can create with a few simple ingredients. As often happens, I was rummaging through the fridge and freezer the next day for meal ideas. I pulled a soup bone out of the freezer and threw it in the crock pot for Tuesday's dinner. What I ended up with was a delicious savory beef and rice dish that I served with sauteed peppers from my CSA. Definitely not a gourmet meal, but hearty and wholesome, and every bit as good. (I'll share that recipe later this week.) 

I raise my glass to Farm In The City and to good cooking wherever it can be found... Bon appetit!