tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-278134232011-12-14T21:49:29.598-05:00Food MattersFood really does matter -- to everyone. Whether you are interested in eating well, preparing good food, growing food, cooking, dining, social implications of eating healthier meals -- and even the "politics" of food (did we say politics??? Wow!)-- there will be something tasty here for you. Welcome to our blog!Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.comBlogger221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1165611700828453922006-12-08T15:57:00.000-05:002006-12-08T16:01:40.840-05:00Organic Food Industry Makes Progress in 2006According to the OCA (Organic Consumers Association), significant progress was made in 2006 towards keeping organic labels meaningful -- and clear to the consumer.Working on several fronts (dairy farming, genetically modified foods, and factory farms), the OCA says "All of Aurora's, and much of Horizon's, "organic" milk is coming from industrial dairy Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1164999898104324552006-12-01T13:52:00.000-05:002006-12-01T14:04:58.146-05:00Is Organic Food Accessible for Everyone? This topic is an argument floated by folks who have concerns about the ability of the poor to eat properly and as well as folks with money to spare. The question has some validity -- but personally I believe that everyone can -- and should -- eat well, organically and locally. It might just take more work and planning.Tom Philpott's latest article in Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1164224486310641602006-11-22T14:26:00.000-05:002006-11-22T14:49:22.333-05:00Organic Food Delivered to Your Home!If you don't feel like going out to a store or restaurant, but still want great organic foods, what's the next best thing?Yes, you could thaw out a frozen (organic, of course) meal and cook it.Or, you could order your organic food delivered to your door!There is an abundance of sources for having your organic food delivered at home. On our web site, we will Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1164149452971252532006-11-21T17:49:00.000-05:002006-11-21T17:50:52.990-05:00Organic Farmer Goes to Congress!Jon Tester, an organic farmer from Montana, will be joining the ranks of U.S. Senators in January, thanks in part to the national Democratic sweep reflecting a hunger (oh, pardon the pun there. . . ) for change in the way things are done in our country.Tester says, in his thank-you message to supporters, "The message sent by Montanans in this election is clear: it Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1163799347519087812006-11-17T16:25:00.000-05:002006-11-17T16:36:12.163-05:00Organic turkeys and corporate turkeys. . . Soon it will be "turkey day" in the USA. Folks will gather with family and friends, to reflect upon what in life is good, and to offer thanks for all those gifts, usually around a table (or two) groaning with food.Maybe we could all step back from the table, though, to remember those who do not have enough to eat -- and to find ways to help. There Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1163026322561620572006-11-08T17:38:00.000-05:002006-11-08T17:52:41.973-05:00Is Organic Food Only For The Rich?According to an article published in today's Grist by author and sustainable farmer Tom Philpott, yes, maybe, but it doesn't have to be that way.I totally agree. My premise is that fresh healthy food is available -- and affordable -- for everyone, and I would like to help everyone learn how to access it, grow, cook, and eat great organic gourmet food. Philpott Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1162587403418445912006-11-03T15:45:00.000-05:002006-11-03T16:08:41.413-05:00What caused the e-coli outbreaks? As soon as people started getting sick from eating "organic" spinach, big agribusiness was eagerly pointing the finger at organic growers, claiming it was the manure (that is used as fertilizer in organic and biodynamic farming) to blame.The only problem with that is, it is not true.In an article written October 12th by Abrahan Paulos, titled You Can Thank Big Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1161978431034338622006-10-27T15:46:00.000-04:002006-10-27T15:47:47.716-04:00What does it take to get kids to eat right?With all the focus on the UK and the USA on childhood obesity (and their related diseases), it's time to find better ways to make healthy food attractive to kids.After all, we're asking them to give up things they really LIKE!It's not an easy job.Want something that will help?Author Christine Wood has discovered the "Rosetta Stone" for kid food in her Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1161890561183455882006-10-26T15:14:00.000-04:002006-10-26T15:23:41.040-04:00SmartFresh is a Dumb Idea. Just when you think it's safe to eat "healthy" food, we learn about some new thing the agribiz dummies have created to keep food "fresher" longer, thanks to the magic of chemistry.The only problem is, it's not really fresh -- and no one is sure it's really safe.Of COURSE they are going to say it's safe! What do you THINK they would say?"Yeah we put this nasty stuff onNancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1161380690878762752006-10-20T17:43:00.000-04:002006-10-20T17:44:50.893-04:00Organic Franks and SauerkrautIt has been such a long time since I have eaten "hot dogs" because they are so filled with nitrates and chemicals they were making me feel sick to my stomach after I ate one -- although as a kid I used to enjoy them a lot.It was with a lot of sadness that I stopped eating them -- my stomach just wouldn't cooperate!So, when I heard that one of our local farmers (Dines Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1160858176331836292006-10-14T16:27:00.000-04:002006-10-14T16:36:17.386-04:00More about those e-coli tainted veggies. . . After all the brou-ha-ha has died down about the tainted spinach and other veggies from the Salinas Valley, I think they are going to discover that the culprit is not organic farming after all, but agro-industry mass production systems that are easing up on their controls.It's so easy to point fingers when something bad happens -- and so hard to take Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1158960946493427822006-09-22T17:04:00.000-04:002006-09-22T17:36:30.760-04:00Yellow veggies and American Flatbread and cheeses and oh my! Today being the autumn equinox, it seemed fitting to recall some of the summer highlights that I will be taking with me into fall. There were a lot!First of all, this year we had another (late) cherry tomato blooming bravely in our window-well (I guess she just loves those dead leaves!). That's amazing. Some of the tomatoes in our Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1158355467512613132006-09-15T17:23:00.000-04:002006-09-15T17:24:27.526-04:00Is spinach safe now, or not?Just when you think it's safe (because you're eating such healthy food, right?) they come out and tell us not to eat the bagged spinach because of e coli bacteria!Well, folks, I have to say I'm not surprised.All along I have been advocating for eating locally, and growing your own fresh organic vegetables.One of the main problems with food that was picked and shipped Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1156530408435457532006-08-25T14:05:00.000-04:002006-08-25T14:28:44.966-04:00Corporate "Organic" Food? Is that Kosher?I was just reading Tom Philpott's article in Grist today, and thinking about what lies ahead for consumers. It doesn't look pretty!Tom's right. Just because large corporations like Whole Foods and WalMart can sell organic food (and hey, not all of the food they sell is going to be "kosher" organic -- you can count on that) -- doesn't make it a good Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1155934128096273562006-08-18T16:18:00.000-04:002006-08-18T17:36:44.916-04:00What Are the Top 10 Healthy Foods?According to a recent article from the Mayo Clinic, if you include all of the top ten healthy foods they list, you can reduce your chances of several types of cancer, heart disease, and a host of other ills.The good news is -- they are all foods that most people like, are easy to use in recipes, and are easy on the budget too.So . . . what are these super-foods, Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1154722969146312252006-08-04T16:21:00.000-04:002006-08-04T16:22:49.160-04:00Fresh organic home-made ice cream is coming up!For my birthday this year, my partner gave me a surprise: a brand new ice cream maker!I probably had mentioned casually that it would be fun to have one, so we could make our own -- and voila! Wishes came true :-)My partner is very thorough when buying appliances -- and checks all the reviews before even starting to shop; the overwhelming reports onNancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1154036699280740722006-07-27T17:44:00.000-04:002006-07-27T17:44:59.293-04:00What do you call a cow that is grass-fed? (Or. . . is it really?)The debate is heating up around how livestock is fed and pastured (or not) -- and what farmers and producers are allowed to say about that. I am reading articles almost daily -- on and offline -- on this topic. The practice and furor is raging, about both dairy cows and beef cattle.Here's the "meat" of it (if you will pardon a Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1153514237275241752006-07-21T16:27:00.000-04:002006-07-21T16:37:17.286-04:00Care what's in your food? You should! First, it was the water -- many communities successfully fought their state and local governments, to prevent them from adding fluoride to the public water supply. Now we're seeing it turn up in our food supply too.Elevated levels of fluoride are associated with bone fractures, thyroid function losses, IQ deficits, bone cancer, and Alzheimer's disease -- Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1152741205262174212006-07-12T17:52:00.000-04:002006-07-12T17:53:25.273-04:00Local Biodynamic Organic Food vs Corporate Agribusiness??A new book, Organic Inc., ventures into just the same territory that I've been wanting to write about for a while now.Organic, Inc. is not exactly the "story of food" but it truly is the tale of two different visions for how food is produced and made available to consumers. One (local biodynamic farming) is sustainable; the other (Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1151614887426910172006-06-29T16:52:00.000-04:002006-06-29T17:02:56.066-04:00Food News Is Everywhere!Everywhere I look these days I see articles about how government decisions at every level (state, local, and national) are affecting our health -- from water sources, to seed and crop production, to factory farming, food policies for our children's lunches at public schools, and so on.There must be an increasing awareness that these things are all linked together -- and Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1149876666247039452006-06-09T14:05:00.000-04:002006-06-09T14:12:01.450-04:00Ideal Bites is a place you are going to want to check out, if you don't already know about it.This is a very cool place for everything "green" -- and for people who love thinking about more than just consuming stuff. When I visited for the first time, it was like coming home to a place I'd never been -- and felt entirely welcome there. I bet you will too :-)There are tips for how to live in Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27813423.post-1149876252619489972006-06-09T14:00:00.000-04:002006-06-09T14:05:05.786-04:00Welcome to Food Matters! (Because, of course, it DOES -- to everyone. . . )As we get ready to launch this blog, I want to personally welcome you and invite you to share what matters most to YOU -- about good food, growing food, cooking food, eating food, staying healthy, and -- well, anything else about food, nutrition, dining, and so on, that's in your heart and on your mind.Why does food Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11590954490673808041noreply@blogger.com0