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Sorry, sorry, sorry for not posting more regularly....no! no, apologies....life is life...we get busy so we do what we can. But, I am sorry. I've come across sooooooooo much it's almost mind-blowing regarding the laws, Mansanto is entrenched in our current administration, and things are changing faster than you could sear a steak!!
Please, everyone try and get a copy of the New Food Safety Law and study it! I think we should be able to get a free copy from the US government web site. If it costs anything to get a copy, it's well worth it. I'm going to try and get me a copy soon! We need to know what we are up against to be able to become REAL FOOD advocates. Also, we need to do as much investigation as we can to be able to educate our family and friends as to how Mansanto is QUICKLY changing what the food industry is really about, how that affects our immediate health and access to food and what we can do about it. In the meantime, here is a great link that can help you navigate through the FRANKENFOOD INDUSTRY. Remember, it's not just about "organic" any more. That term itself can be VERY misleading. Learn what is happening to our foods. Even if you have stepped up your diligence to make truly good food choices, others need to be educated. It's the whole world food chain that is under attack by the greedy. Europe has kicked Mansanto OUT!! It's time we did the same! http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/ For the VERY brave: http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/Products/DVDsCDs/index.cfm Bon Apetit!
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I've already told ya'll a bunch, I'm not a cook. Of course, if you follow my blog, you know that I'm referring to me, Elaine Parny, and not Chef Roland. :)
Well, I thought I would at least try to produce something for the wonderful holiday meal our family had, hosted by my brother Scott Jones & his wife, Chrity Calhoun-Miller-Jones. It was a great time had by all and we each contributed, in our own way, to the fine dinner that we had to celebrate the occasion. Even though I'm not in the kitchen much doesn't mean I don't like to be there. I just wait until no one is around to watch me struggle. I always love to sit down and go through cookbooks and I'm hoping to learn enough someday to do some "food writing". I did select two recipes to attempt for the holiday. One not so healthy but a fun experiment and very flavorful: It was Blackberry Jellies, a very sugary candy made by cooking down blackberries. I'm being very selective as to how much and when I have a little of that! The other recipe is a curried butternut squash soup, and it was a hit! We don't have a food processor at our house, so I simply mashed the heck out of the cooked down squash with a potatoe masher and then whisked the devil out of it until I achieved the consistency I wanted. (I have my own techniques). Hope your holidays were blessed and memorable. Now, it's time to look at seed catalogs and dream of that garden we want to get in this year! Remember, heirloom seeds reproduce and are not genetically modified. Whew!! The holidays "roared in" and "roared out". It was fun but I'm ready for a holiday from the holidays. I try so hard to keep up with having something fresh to "chew" on here at Food For Thought. If you've read any of my previous posts, you probably know that I strongly encourage all food consumers to take a personal initiative to educate yourself and those in your own circles and to take every opportunity to engage the food production industry with your own food activism. I came across a good site that offers those kinds of opportunities. I hope you'll give it a look and pick a link that you can give some attention. It's the voice, vote and dollar of the food consuming public that will change the quality of food that we are offered in the general marketplace. Remember, many people do not have the education or the means to affect such a change. If any of us are blessed to be in a position where we can say or do something, I think it becomes our responsibility to do so, otherwise, we will continue to become a failing nation of underachievers and malcontents and poisoned/poor quality food could be a significant contributing factor. (Poorly nourished children have a full range of mental/physical maladies due to improper nutrition.) Better food = better health.
The "seeds" we plant today are the "harvest" of tomorrow! http://my.cspinet.org/site/PageServer Bon Apetit! Often, fresh nutritional food is spoken of as "fresh from the garden". I want to bring to your attention that there's food in "them there woods". On one of our trips to France, I have a fond memory of going out looking for chestnut trees on the side of the road with my husband, Chef Roland, and his parents. It was a wonderful experience for all of us and a great reason to go for an outing. They are in their late 80's and you could tell they really enjoyed being our guides to a choice spot and that they were able to "pass down" part of their food culture to me, their American daughter-in-law who had never harvested chestnuts in the wild. It was beyond a Kodak moment. After we located and gleened the chestnuts from a quaint country French farm road, we took them home where Chef Roland's mother cooked up a scrumptious chestnut soup for part of our evening meal. That experience beat out anything else France had to offer! Since I've not been diligent to post anything for the holidays, I will make this my contribution because ,really, it's about family and memories. So, I've posted a link for a nice chestnut recipe. Unfortunately, they are a little expensive in the store. However, you can contact the Missouri Department of conservation and purchase a bundle of chestnut trees for a nominal cost and start your own chestnut orchard!!
http://frenchfood.about.com/od/soupsandstews/r/chestnut.htm Merry Christmas & Bon Appetit! Many of you have probably seen that dorky commercial that involves a person eating something and that food item becomes animated and starts thrashing it's ingestor. I hate that commercial, it's UGLY! But, it is true, your food can hurt you. Many people suffer from food allergies, digestive issues and other possibly related illnesses. It's imperative that every food consumer understands that they have a responsibility to themselves and those that they serve, know safe food handling and practice those proceedures. You can save a life and it might be yours!
Okay, now that I've provided you with my public service announcement....I want you to take the time to really read over the following information on the link I provide you today. It's one thing to practice your own safety standards but, "who's minding the store", so to speak. If the food is entering the market already contaminated and the public is non the wiser, what then??? There SHOULD BE REAL SAFEGUARDS in place but, maybe that's just being naive. Who is REALLY protecting our food market safety? What is being done? What is not working? Who even cares? Food consumers, nowadays, must be knowlegable and proactive, otherwise, we're fair game for exploitation and fraud. And, I personally, do not believe the NEW FOOD SAFETY bill is just about protecting us, the consumers. When you can, get a copy and read the thing. The people who signed it into law probably DIDN'T read it at all!! Bon Apetit! http://www.grain.org/article/entries/4230-food-safety-for-whom-corporate-wealth-versus-people-s-health In this "new world" that we live in, it seems everything is suspect and calls for reevaluation. I've seen some articles where people are even asking for the dismantling of the Food and Drug Administration. The link I'm posting today gives good cause for that question to be raised. There is the possibility, it's just the proverbial "tip of the iceberg". It stands to reason that if greed and corruption can influence other regulatory agencies, why would the FDA be exempt?
I also believe that this link will demonstrate, once again, that it's really up to the consumers to do their own research to route out the truth, as best as possible. If we simply rely on the media or one source of information, we are probably going to end up with only a slanted side of the story that has a spin on it to protect whomever is giving the biased information. If a food controversy is followed over time, as well, the more factual story will eventually emerge. So, I'll use this opportunity to once again encourage you all to investigate, develop your own personal food choices and get proactive by contacting your representatives and any other entities where you can voice your own concerns because every voice counts! Remember: Food IS Political !! Bon Apetit! http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=374233 Whether you want to admit it, or not, food is a science. Yes, I know it is also an art and a sociological event and cultural and all those other things that we can get so passionate about. But, it doesn't change the fact that you are messing with science when you are cooking. I'm sure there some cooks out there who just have a natural born instinct as to what to do in the kitchen. I am NOT one of those people, I told ya'll that in the beginning. But, I do want to share a couple of links with you that I think really give good information as to why you get some of the results that you do with your cooking projects. A little education never hurt anyone, right?
The first link is the one that initially caught my attention today and I searched for the link that takes you to my personally favorite cooking show, America's Test Kitchen. The teacher in me loves when things get explained and both of these links do that well. 1) http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/holidays/christmas/holiday-baking-tips-recipes#fbIndex1 2)http://www.americastestkitchen.com/ Bon Apetit! Something I feel like I've known most of my adult life is that eating fresh food from your own garden is simply the best. Unfortunately, that's not how I have lived my life. Convenience, poor habits and temptation have been key factors in my developing unhealthy eating habits. I also believe what others, and myself, have believed to be "good food" has been a misnomer. When I was very young, I thought eating a whole bowl of artificial whipped cream was "eating good", at least until my mother gave me the opportunity to sit down and have the whole bowl to myself. Suffice to say, my concept of "all the whipped cream I could eat" was no longer on my list of "good foods to eat". Personal food culture, which can involve alot of different factors, including our emmotions, usually dictates what our eating habits and good food concepts are going to be. I posted a good 'common sense' article link today that I think gives a down-to-earth assesment of common sense eating.
http://www.positivelypositive.com/2011/10/19/the-basics-of-eating-well/ Bon Apetit! Alot of people are totally unaware of the controversy regarding raw milk vs. pasturized milk. Raw milk is illegal, just like cocaine, marijuana, and so on. So, why? Is it true that pasturized milk is the better, best and the only acceptable way to drink milk. Many people think not and it's very important for you to do your own research and find out why this controversy exists. Some people believe that pasturization destroys the nutritional integrity of milk and we, in fact, need the nutrients that are being destroyed for optimal health. I've included a very interesting article about some mothers who took action regarding the issue of raw milk being illegal.
http://www.naturalnews.com/034027_raw_milk_protest.html Bon Apetit! I found another one so I can't resist passing it on so that I can do my part to educate others as to the controversies regarding GMO's.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/why-arent-g-m-o-foods-labeled/?ref=geneticallymodifiedfood Bon Apetit! |
Elaine ParnyWhen Roland and I met, I was one of those people who opened the box or can and warmed up the family meal. After our marriage in 2005, I truely began to appreciate what food is really about, not only that it can taste very good, and be nutritious, but that it can be a celebration of who you are and the people that you share it with. Archives
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