Have You Tried Straw Bale Gardening?

I have heard of hydroponic gardening and planting tomatoes and having them grow upside down, but until Linda told me about straw bale gardening, I had not heard of it. Straw bale gardening is for anyone who has difficulty bending over, tilling soil or weeding. It is also good for anyone with poor soil. Straw bale gardening makes all these issues easier and makes difficult chores like weeding obsolete. There are no weeds in straw bale gardening. It will completely change everything you thought you knew about gardening. Why haven't I heard of this before?

Bales of straw is the perfect container for growing vegetables. The hollow tubes are designed by Mother Nature to suck up and hold moisture. As the insides decompose, they provide a rich medium for vegetable growth. The hardest part of the process is getting the bales of hay from a farm or nursery to your backyard. Pick a nice sunny spot for your garden, then find a nice strong husband or neighbor to carry the bale into the yard. Two weeks prior to planting, condition the bales. This means wetting and fertilizing the bales for 10 days to start composting the inner straw. (stick your finger in the bales and they'll be hot and moist). An added feature is that you can build a trellis and greenhouse in one. Stick posts in the end of each row of bale, and run wire to make a trellis. You can drape a plastic tarp over the wire to create an instant greenhouse. As the plants begin to grow, the wire works like a vertical trellis. If you're planting seedlings, use your trowel to separate the straw in the shape of a hole and add some sterile planting mix to help cover the exposed roots. If you're planting seed, cover the bales with a layer of planting mix and sew into this seedbed. As the seeds germinate, they'll grow roots down into the bale itself. How easy is that? I hope someone tries this and tells me about it. Unfortunately I currently have no place in my yard to do this. All you do is lay a soaker hose over your bales, and you've pretty much eliminated all your work until harvest.

Joel Karsten is the guru of straw bale gardening. He's got a book, a blog, and a great website. Go to strawbalegardening.com for more information. Oh, did I mention that at the end of the growing season the bales of hay will continue to decompose and you will be left with a pile of wonderful, nutrient rich compost? This process of gardening is a win/win situation.

Can't We All Just Get Along?

Those famous words uttered by Rodney King years ago come to mind when I think of bikers and automobiles co-existing on the roads these days. At least in North County, bike riders are more ubiquitous than ever before, and many drivers like me, are scared to death of hitting them.

The reality is that many (not all) bike riders ride as if they own the road, especially when they ride in groups. Does the group give them a sense of power and protection? Maybe so. I have noticed them to be very aggressive, giving drivers the finger, yelling at drivers, and trying to intimidate drivers into getting out of their way. There are bike lanes and bike paths for the bikers. Cars have lanes to drive in, and bikers should not be in the car lanes. I know that when riding in certain areas I am extremely careful, as you never know what some of the bikers might do. Bikers often go through lights and turn when they're not supposed to, although they are supposed to follow the automobile rules of the road. Coast Highway 101 is one of the most dangerous roads to ride if you're a biker. Another dangerous area is El Camino Real near Leucadia Blvd. It seems that almost every month a biker is killed in one of these areas.

Can't we all just get along? Can't the bikers follow the rules of the road, stay in their lanes and obey traffic rules? Can't cars stay in their lanes, respect the bikers and not try to run them off the road? It's a lot better to follow these rules, than to end up dead. Bikers shouldn't try to challenge cars. They'll never win.

Is There Castoreum In Your Food?

Thanks, Linda, for introducing me to the website Earth911. This website will give you ideas about recycling, DIY projects for food, health, and less waste. They will give you some very useful information, as I found in a recent post on their website.

We all know about the interesting things that are in our foods these days, and the old adage to never eat anything that you can't pronounce. There's an ingredient out in the food world called Castoreum, and after I tell you what it is you will be reading labels to be sure it's not in your ice cream or vanilla flavoring. Castoreum is literally a secretion from the anal glans of a mature North American beaver. Beaver butt juice is a common ingredient in vanilla flavoring, so you might expect to find it in any product that is flavored with vanilla. Pudding and ice cream come to mind. Castoreum is FDA approved, and is listed as "natural flavoring" on most food labels.

So, consumer beware. Check labels carefully. Look for castoreum on the label, and proceed at your own risk. How it adds to the flavor of the product, I do not know. Just knowing that it's in something I'm eating would steer me away. No beaver butt juice for me!

Have You Eaten A Cronut?

I was in Los Angeles in February, and my mom, her friend Buff and I, ate lunch at Café Rockenwagner. It was a great lunch, and as we were too full for dessert, I just admired the beautiful pastries. On the counter was a covered platter with what looked like two donuts in it. I asked what they were, and I was told they were cronuts, a cross between a donut and a croissant. I was intrigued, so I investigated the cronut when I got back to my computer.

A cronut is the unique pastry creation of Chef Dominique Ansel in his New York pastry shop. Many describe it as a croissant-doughnut hybrid. He created it in May, 2013, and it has become a world wide phenomenon. It has become the most virally talked about dessert item in history. Chef Ansel quickly trademarked his creation, so any other similar item is not the real thing. It took Chef Ansel months to perfect his recipe, and making it is extremely labor intensive. Thus, a $5.00 price tag per cronut doesn't seem so steep. The cronut is proofed and then fried in grapeseed oil, then flavored in a variety of ways, like rolling in sugar, filling with crème, or topping with a glaze. The process takes up to three days. They must be eaten immediately as they have a short shelf life.

After I discovered that this sweet treat was definitely something that I wanted to try, I checked around San Diego to see where they might be available. I found that V.G.'s, Paris Baguette (inside Zion Market and H Market) and Azucar, a delicious Cuban bakery in Ocean Beach, all make their own version of cronuts. Remember, the original recipe is trademarked, so these cronuts are not quite like the original. If you go to any of these bakeries looking for cronuts, be sure to call ahead and see if they are available. They only make a few each day, and apparently sell out quickly. (prices for the San Diego knock off cronuts run $2-$3). Chef Dominique Ansel's pastry shop in New York has a line that forms around 5:30AM, waiting for them to open. I have yet to have a cronut, but plan to find one soon and try it. I will report back to you then and let you know if it's worth the calories. My guess is, it is.

It's Celiac Awareness Month

All you hear about these days is "I'm on a gluten free diet." Since it's Celiac awareness month, I thought it might be a good time to really find out what Celiac disease is, and why has it become so widespread. Below I have listed some information about the disease, and what the symptoms are. Many people on a gluten free diet feel they have an intolerance for gluten, so they stay away from wheat. I ran into an old friend of mine the other day. I commented on her 23 pound weight loss (which she did not need to lose)and she told me she was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Now that she has the disease under control, she still has a terrible time gaining weight. She did, however, tell me, that as soon as she started the gluten free diet, she was feeling great within a few days! And she'd been suffering for decades.

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms.

When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging or destroying villi—the tiny, fingerlike protrusions lining the small intestine. Villi normally allow nutrients from food to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream. Without healthy villi, a person becomes malnourished, no matter how much food one eats.

Celiac disease is both a disease of malabsorption—meaning nutrients are not absorbed properly—and an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. Celiac disease is also known as celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy. Celiac disease is genetic, meaning it runs in families. Sometimes the disease is triggered—or becomes active for the first time—after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress.

What are the symptoms of celiac disease?

Symptoms of celiac disease vary from person to person. Symptoms may occur in the digestive system or in other parts of the body. Digestive symptoms are more common in infants and young children and may include

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abdominal bloating and pain

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chronic diarrhea

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vomiting

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constipation

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pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool

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weight loss

Irritability is another common symptom in children. Malabsorption of nutrients during the years when nutrition is critical to a child's normal growth and development can result in other problems such as failure to thrive in infants, delayed growth and short stature, delayed puberty, and dental enamel defects of the permanent teeth.

Adults are less likely to have digestive symptoms and may instead have one or more of the following:

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unexplained iron-deficiency anemia

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fatigue

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bone or joint pain

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arthritis

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bone loss or osteoporosis

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depression or anxiety

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tingling numbness in the hands and feet

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seizures

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missed menstrual periods

•infertility or recurrent miscarriage

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canker sores inside the mouth

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an itchy skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis

People with celiac disease may have no symptoms but can still develop complications of the disease over time. Long-term complications include malnutrition—which can lead to anemia, osteoporosis, and miscarriage, among other problems—liver diseases, and cancers of the intestine.

About 1% of the population has Celiac disease, but alarmingly, 83% of the cases are undiagnosed. At the moment, the only treatment for Celiac disease is a 100% gluten free diet. If you go to the NFCA (National Foundation of Celiac Disease) website, you can find a 7 day gluten free menu. It's hard to stay on any restrictive diet, but restaurants and food manufacturers are making it easier today. You can easily dine on gluten free pasta and bread when you're out, and many health oriented food makers are going gluten free. Try Evol frozen burritos, bowls, wraps, and breakfast sandwiches for some great gluten free alternatives.

Garlic Butter Pizza Dough Rolls

One of the best reasons to go to certain Italian restaurants, is to enjoy the delicious pizza dough rolls that they serve before your meal. Pizza Nova and Nucci's are two restaurants in North County San Diego (Carlsbad and Solana Beach) where you can enjoy them. I always thought about buying the Trader Joe's pizza dough and making my own pizza dough rolls, and finally got around to it one Sunday night. We were having a dinner of leftover whole wheat penne pasta with Bolognese sauce. I decided to try the pizza dough rolls to serve with the leftovers. Winner! Ron loved the rolls, as did I. Here is the recipe I used.

Garlic Butter Pizza Dough Rolls

Ready to use pizza dough from Trader Joe's or any other ready to use pizza dough

Minced garlic (about 4 cloves) or already minced garlic from a jar (that's what I used)

olive oil

Melted butter

Chopped parsley

Salt

Thaw pizza dough. I used the whole wheat dough, but most people will probably prefer to use the pizza dough made with white flour. Cut the dough into 12 pieces, and roll into balls. Take a muffin tin, spray with release spray, and set a ball in each space. Place a small amount of garlic on top of ball, and press into the dough. You can also open up the dough a bit and put some minced garlic inside, cover with dough and press some more minced garlic on top, then use pastry brush to paint olive oil on top of dough. Cook rolls for approximately 17 minutes in 425 degree oven, or until golden brown. They should puff up like muffins. Remove from pan, and dip tops of each roll in melted butter, then sprinkle on parsley if desired, and a little bit of coarsely ground salt. That's it! I did not add the parsley, as Ron doesn't like parsley, but I think it adds nice color to the rolls. Photo is from shutterbean.com website

My goal was to eat just one roll, but I failed. I had to have a second. They are really good, and so simple. If you keep a package of the frozen dough in the freezer, you can enjoy them anytime, without a special trip to the grocery store. Enjoy.

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

This blog is just a hodgepodge of things I've been meaning to tell you. First, there's a relatively new ice cream in the supermarket called Blue Bunny. It's new to Southern California, but it's been around in other parts of the country, for years. I love the French Vanilla. It is so creamy and has a delicious vanilla taste. Try it sometime

Now I have some of my favorite new websites for you to check out. First, www.purewow.com is a lifestyle website, which includes fashion, beauty, travel, and recipes. I ran across it by accident and found an awesome recipe which I will share with you soon. My next favorite new site (new to me) is www.ted.com. The concept of the site and the organization is "ideas worth spreading." It is innovative and so interesting, to see how many people are thinking outside the box in trying to find solutions to every possible issue. It's not enough for people to just say no to ideas that are presented to them. If you don't like the way something is done, find another way. There are speeches, articles and videos by innovators, which I guarantee you will find stimulating. Third, I love www.history.com. You can find out the history of everything that ever happened in this world, and the history of many things. Want to know the history of the Brooklyn Bridge? They'll tell you all you want to know.

I love to learn. One of my two word phrases that I would have told my 16 year old self would be "learn everyday." I try to do this, and the history website is a great way to do it.

These are just a few things I've been meaning to share with you for quite some time, and have just now gotten around to it. There are so many interesting websites out there it's impossible to know or view them all. These are just a few of my new favorites.

Turning Points In History: Guttenberg Printing Press

My monthly study group through Brandeis University is something I really look forward to. I missed last month, but was there for the January lecture, pen and paper in hand. Johann Gutenberg, a goldsmith from Mainz, Germany, invented the printing press in 1455, after years of working on it secret. He soon took on a partner, Johann Fust, who turned out to be the big financial winner in this new discovery. Gutenberg was not a very good businessman, and Fust ended up profiting from the invention. Prior to this invention, the Chinese had developed block printing, a method that Gutenberg expanded.

Some scholars say that Gutenberg is the most important man of the 2nd millennium. The invention of a printing press with moveable type made the Renaissance, Reformation and the Scientific Revolution flourish. Martin Luther's message was broadly disseminated during the Protestant Reformation due to the printing press. During this time, 1/3 of all books were written by Martin Luther. Many religious pamphlets, indulgencies, and books endorsing a religious point of view were distributed by both Protestants and Catholics during the Reformation. Indulgencies were papers written by the Catholic Church to absolve people from sin, for a fee. The money was used to fund the crusades! All it took was enough money to buy the paper, and you were absolved.

Prior to the printing press, ideas were either spoken or remembered. Written text was for the elite, the few that could read Latin. Books were copied by scribes, and because of this, no two books were exactly alike. The shift from scrolls to codexes was a very significant change. With the printing press came an increase in speed and range of distribution of printed matter. Costs came down, and the masses began reading books printed in the vernacular, rather than Latin. The first public library opened in 1571 in Florence, and a large reading public followed.

Sadly, this invention, which made possible the dissemination of information to the masses, seems to be coming to an end. Recently I toured the UT newspaper in San Diego, and was told by our guide, that print media will be dead, or nearly dead, in 12-15 years. I will be sad to see newspapers, magazines and books disappear. You can always go to Mainz, Germany, where Project Gutenberg is located and see the interesting history of the printing press and how it influenced the world.

Know What's In Your Food

Jamie Oliver has been one of my favorite celebrity chefs for years. I love the way he cooks, and the way he has used his celebrity to improve school lunches around the world, among other things. One of his on going battles has been with the fast food industry, who use as much as 70% fillers in their "hamburger" meat. It's a stretch to call it hamburger, and after the video I saw today, I realize how important it is to know what's in your food and where it came from.

Jamie has worked tirelessly to demonstrate to parents and children exactly where their food comes from. He brings a cow to the demonstration, and draws in white chalk on the cow's hide to show the cost of the various cuts of meat. This is interesting to the crowd, as most people don't know what part of the cow is used. He draws all over the cow, and then announces that the hamburger meat for many fast food items comes from the leftovers: the fat, the sinew, the trimmings, the gristle with bits of meat attached. Jamie calls this "pink slime." In order to process this glob, it is spun in a centrifuge to break up the sinew. It is then "washed" with a mixture of ammonia and water, then drained. As much as 15% of a fast food burger might contain this mixture. That is the amount that the USDA will allow. By the way, ammonia is NOT listed as an ingredient in this mixture.

Burger King and Taco Bell stopped using this mixture in their meat awhile ago. McDonald's has finally stopped doing this too, thanks to the pressure of Jamie Oliver and his relentless pursuit of knowing what you are eating. The pink slime mixture stuff the butcher would typically throw away, but corporations discovered that using the leftovers would vastly reduce the cost of their burgers. Interestingly, McDonald's in the UK, Ireland and Latin America do not use the pink slime filler. They buy their beef from locally sourced farms, and use real beef in their burgers.

Progress in food education is slow. We need more advocates like Jamie that are willing to push for full disclosure so that the public knows exactly what it is getting. We also need more parents to get serious about what their children eat. We are raising a generation of overweight kids who will be sick with life threatening diseases like diabetes long before they should. Remember the documentary by Morgan Spurlock called "Fast Food Nation?" Morgan ate nothing but McDonald's for a month, and it nearly killed him. Let's all make an effort to know where our food comes from and what's in it.

Crock Pot Cooking

I use my crock pot about twice a month, for beef or chicken dishes, chile and other meals that require lengthy cooking. Well, I discovered that the crock pot can also be used for sweets, like fudge. Yes, fudge in the crock pot. This basic recipe will save you a fortune at See's, if fudge is your downfall. Try this, then add your own variations. I'm not a great lover of fudge, but I am going to try the same recipe using white chocolate chips. Now that I would really like. Give this recipe a try. I think you'll like it.

Slow Cooker Fudge

Ingredients

•2-1/2 cups Chocolate Chips, [Dark chocolate is best for health benefits. Ghirardelli is a good brand and works well with this recipe)

•1/4 cup coconut milk, canned

•1/4 cup raw mild honey

•Dash of sea salt

•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Fudge is perfect for the slow cooker because it doesn't scorch or burn.

Add chocolate chips, coconut milk, honey and salt, stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 2 hours without stirring. It's important that lid remain on during this 2 hours.

After 2 hours, turn the slow cooker off, uncover, add vanilla and stir ingredients to combine. Allow to cool in uncovered , until fudge has reached room temperature, three to four hours. Using a large spoon, stir vigorously for 5-10 minutes until it loses some the gloss.

Lightly spray a 1 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour fudge into dish, cover and refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Cut into 30 pieces.

Note: Canned coconut milk can be found in the Asian or organic sections of most grocery stores.

For variety, add chopped walnuts or pistachios.

Yield: Servings 30 | Serving Size = 1 piece of fudge | Calories: 114 g | Previous Points: 3 | Points Plus: 3 | Total Fat:

How The Life Of Hana Brady Changed Lives

She started a small holocaust museum in Tokyo, and through the course of many months, obtained artifacts from concentration camps to tell the story of the holocaust. The suitcase of Hana was one of the objects in the museum. Through letters to holocaust museums in Europe and the internet, this young Japanese teacher was able to recreate the life of Hana and her family.

Hana and her older brother George were sent to Terezin, in Czechoslovakia after both their parents were taken by the Nazis. Terezin was a model camp built by the Nazis, to show the world that what they were doing was only temporary, and the people were adequately housed and cared for. I visited Terezin in the late 1990's. It was nowhere anyone would want to be. Men and women were separated, and boys and girls were separated, so Hana, age 11, was separated from her brother George, and had no idea whether her parents were dead or alive. Terazin was built to house 5,000 people, but at its height, there were 50,000 people housed there. Many children and older people died from malnutrition or illness. There were, however, some amazing programs going on behind the backs of the Nazis. Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, a world famous artist before being taken to Terzain, ran a secret art school for the children. She felt that art allowed children to express their emotions. There were thousands of pictures produced by the children of Terazin. Some of them were buried on the grounds of the concentration camp, others were smuggled out of the camp and were hidden in and around Prague. Take a look at the two pictures I have posted done by some of the young children. In addition to an art school, there was a school, run by some of the adults. They did not want the children to be behind in their schoolwork when they got back home. There was also a secret magazine of boys, called Vadem, from 1942-1944. In it were short stories, poems and art work by some of the boys. Finally, there was a secret room in the barracks that the Jews turned into a synagogue. I find it so uplifting to think that in the most terrible of times, these people were continuing to live day to day, and plan for the future. What strength, what courage

Hana died at Auschwitz, but her brother George survived, and lives in Toronto today. Much of the story is told by George, who to this day, feels enormous guilt for not being able to take care of his sister.

George went to Tokyo to meet the teacher and the children who had taken such an interest in this story, and their meeting is so emotionally moving. The lives of these Japanese children have been changed forever with what they have learned about bigotry, understanding, and acceptance. Thanks to the story of Hana and George Brady, children all over the world will be educated in not only about what happened during this horrific time in history, but will pass it on to others so that the world never forgets.

More Restaurant Updates

From time to time I like to keep you posted on the comings and goings of restaurants in the San Diego area. I have a few things to tell you, so here goes. Lazy Dog Restaurant in Mission Valley is one I have not been to, but have been told by several people that it's a great, dog friendly restaurant. Everything is made from scratch, and I think they even have treats for the dogs. If you're ever in that area with your dog, check it out. In and Out Burgers is opening in Encinitas. It's a free standing building that should open some time in May. It is behind the Valero gas station and Oggi's, on Encinitas Blvd and the 5 freeway. Carnitas Snack Shack is coming to Del Mar this summer. It will open where The Counter used to be, in the Del Mar Highlands shopping center. It's great. Ironside, a seafood restaurant, has opened in Little Italy. I have not been there yet, but it looks like another good choice in an area loaded with good restaurants. One of my favorite restaurants Jamroc, closed a few months ago. In it's place will be another Bull Taco. Great location, on Coast Highway and Encinitas Blvd.

In Carlsbad, there are two new restaurants about to open, both in the Poinsettia center(Ralphs) at Poinsettia and Avenida Encinas. Right next to Pick up Stix, St. Tropez Bistro and Bakery will open soon. With a nice patio available, it will be great for morning coffee and a pastry. On the other side of the center, next to the cleaners, look for Jerry's Dogs to open soon. Ron can't wait. I hope they're good.

Green Tavern Bistro and Bar has opened in Carlsbad (old Hadley's property). It has a great menu, open for lunch and dinner, and seems to be off to a good start. I hope they are successful. One more item of interest. Check out www.provisions@food52.com. Thank you Debbie for telling me about it. It has so much good stuff for foodies and shoppers, lots of items you might not find elsewhere. If you know of a new restaurant that's opening that I might like to know about, please contact me. The next restaurant update will likely be in the fall. Happy eating.

My Personal Journal

I don't know if I'll ever get it. Maybe now, after our kids wanted to meet us in Irvine for lunch, and Ron and me had a long talk, I might finally get it. What IT is that I haven't gotten until just now is how stressful certain parts of probation have been for Ron. The mere thought of having to go through the process of requesting permission to leave the jurisdiction is painful. An ache in Ron's stomach, followed by several sleepless nights, wondering why his probation officer hasn't answered him immediately, followed by stress until he finally hears from her, or more likely, has to send another request or two to her. It's not a complicated process, and in the two years and seven months since Ron's release, she's never said "no" to a request, but that doesn't lessen the anxiety. I have not realized all this time the stress this simple event was causing. It's partly Ron's fault for not explaining to me long ago the anxiety he goes through each time he makes a request.

It seems perfectly rational for Ron NOT to feel any of these feelings, based on what's happened in the past, but he still does. As his friend Richard tells him, this is something that will probably never go away. Ron can understand intellectually that his thoughts are not rational, but that doesn't diminish the feelings he has.

I remember years ago when my kids were in high school. They had a curfew of 11:30. They might call and say they were on their way home, but would arrive later than expected. Those minutes that they were late were terribly stressful. I would get a stomach ache, anxiety would follow, as I would create a scenario in my mind as to what had happened. Dead in the street, car accident, or some other craziness would run through my mind. I have no idea why I thought any of this, as nothing bad had ever happened, but I couldn't stop the feelings. It's similar to what Ron is going through, and all I can say is this stress will stop on October 8 when he has no more dealings with a probation officer.

Knowing Ron, he will find something else to worry about, as that is his nature. I don't think one can change their nature. I'll have to ask Richard about that.

Nothing Says Spring Like a 90 Degree Day

While the south is reeling from tornadoes, and the northeast is still digging out from an unusually harsh winter, Southern California is enjoying weather that is the envy of everyone. The last week in April and we're experiencing September like heat, hot and dry. As I left the Y this morning at 9:45 it was 87 degrees! My first thought was to head for the beach. The waves looked awesome, but the water was still too cold for me. I hate wearing a wet suit, especially a long one, and usually wait until the water warms up to 67 degrees. That's when I can go in without a wetsuit, and after seeing how cold the water was today, I'll wait until early June.

Warm weather also means barbeques, and as I walked through Sprouts this morning and saw fresh corn for 25 cents each, I knew we would barbeque tonight. We did. Barbequed swordfish, fresh corn on the cob, and cooked carrots. A healthy, delicious meal. It made me hope summer is here early, but I know it's not. The weather is expected to cool off over the next few days, settling in at a comfortable 75 degrees. That's the amazing thing about living in Southern California. You either have good weather or great weather. Either way, today was another day in paradise.