Food in America

I have been doing a lot of reading lately about the food in our country.  Watched Food Inc. and that really had me go from disliking meat to not being able to stomach it at all.  I was eating chicken and now can hardly get a bite down.  I remember to check labels on all proteins to see what country it came from... in recent news I've seen too much about the seafood products from China.  I won't buy anything from there in any food item.

Recently just read "Grow the Good Life, Why a Vegetable Garden Will Make You Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise" by Michele Owens.  Loved it!  Owens talks about her own experiences in garden gives mostly her opinion why you should do it versus buying from a store, and even throws in a few facts here and there to back up her opinions.  A quick and fun read that had me designing my dream garden.  Now I just have to find a yard with a little less shade and a lot more area to do what I want. I do know that next year instead of trying to plant corn and tomatoes in my garden they are going in my front flower bed where the sun actually shines!  The melons grew in the limited light but the tomatoes are just now getting ripe and I started those as seedlings in my front windowsill in the wee hours of April!  The cold chills at night here will finish my tomatoes off while they remain green.  And folks... I'm not a green tomato eater.  Sorry.

I've been growing an organic garden since I put my first one in when I was 21.  Ten years later I still get a decent crop of food without pesticides, herbicides, or artificial fertilizers. I did use some fertilizer in my garden last year because the soil in a home test came back completely neutral and it was a first time dig.  Never had a garden at this house so it was a necessity to amend the soil.  I've continued to kill weeks by pulling and scalding with boiling hot water left over from canning!  I use newspapers and leaves to create mulch and with much success!   Plus as they decompose I am finding a health touch of soil where clay only once existed.  The house was a foreclosure and the couple that owned it was older... they did not get out and garden much at all before losing the place and the weeds had taken over everything!!!  It is a work in progress on a limited budget as I am not working outside the home.  But progress is being made!

We see articles by well thought of people such as Dr. Mehmet Oz (of Oprah fame), published in Time, "The Oz Diet, No more myths..."  It was an interesting read.  And yes, we all really should know this information.  It's about the four food groups that were in the 1940s known as the "basic seven" and how we need to watch our intake of them in a balanced manner which is why we now have "MyPlate" instead of the food pyramid.  Not sure if the plate is more appealing and if it will help me eat healthier vs the pyramid, but the point is...we need to watch how much of what we consume.  So not only do we need to watch what we eat to balance our diets we need to watch what we eat so we don't eat things that will hurt our bodies chemically because they are artificial.

There are countless articles about food dyes, preservatives, etc... and how they affect us, our children, and the environment.  Sorry I don't find it healthy to eat a pudding colored bright blue when it is chocolate flavored and to find that all foods that pass through you for the next 24 hours or so are dyed that same blue.  Something doesn't seem right there!!!  It is not natural!  Which leads me into another article I think everyone should read.  The September 2011 Women's Health had an article titled "Frankenfish, The Scary Way our Food Supply is Being Screwed With." 

We have no clue what genetically modified foods will do to our bodies in the long run.  We do know that since they have been permitted into our food chain allergies have double in a ten year time span.  Now we are looking at the possibility of salmon being put through this process and served on our plates without our being made aware.  We need to know what we are eating.  Things need labels.  DNA is a crazy thing to mess with.  We know that the results while on the outside can be great... can also be bad.  Think two headed sheep!  Is GMO salmon safe to eat.  I don't know yet, no one does.  But I do know that I want to know if my fish is a GMO or not before I purchase it.  Just like when I check the ingredients on a box of processed food.  I want to know what chemicals are in there. 

I may be a far was off from being a scientist but I can make observations and put the information that is available together and come to a conclusion.  The efforts of American corporations to provide as much as possible as cost effectively as possible has become a greed factor at the expense of the health of American citizens.  We cannot continue in this direction or we will as many are foretelling ruin our food supply and cause starvation.  We won't have to wait for natural disasters to do this for us!  Eventually we will make it impossible to grow anything from seed because nothing will have seeds in them, or Monsanto will own them all and you as well if you continue to support all their efforts here and abroad. 

I know, I know.  I'm not quoting things specifically.  I'm basing it upon things I've read that I didn't keep in my possession but passed on, or that I saw online, or on television...  but still it is out there and these are all ideas, issues, companies, etc... that we keep hearing about on a regular basis.  What I'm asking of everyone is to make sure that they are informed consumers.  You don't necessarily have to choose green/organic because it is expensive.   But you can chose the companies you buy from based upon business practices.  The dollar you spend for each meal is your vote.  If big corporations have too much power in Congress as it appears they currently do since the USDA has no rights to deal with GMO foods...use your money to speak up.  Stop buying from companies that are not being ethically, morally, and socially, responsible.  We may not live to the day things go downhill faster then we can go up shit creek, but our children and grandchildren probably will.  Think about the legacy you will leave them.  Do you really want them to starve to death because you could only think of yourself now? 

Sorry if I come across a little harsh to those of you that are already trying to be responsible.  But I'm hoping that the rest of you get that little nudge to move in the correct direction!!! 

If you have a great article, book, video you think I would enjoy please let me know.  I devour all good reads and use them to inform my little world!

Baby Diapers

Many of you know of my gripes with diapers.  I have been a tried and true loyal fan of Pampers because they are the overall most dependable for leaks, fit, comfort, retain ability, even coupons/price!!!  I have tried Huggies several times and while they are cute they seem to run small for the poundage of my babies!  My youngest is under 14 pounds but those size one diapers are just too small already.  Forget about the newborns which my children were both born too large for from day one! 

I received some Huggies Umbilical Cord care diapers for my newborn and loved the idea.  Design looked good but when I utilized them I quickly found that my little boy would pee right out of the diapers and I was changing his clothes frequently.  Plus due to laying on his back the pee would run up his belly right into his umbilical cord that I was trying to protect and well create a potential germ issue! 

Huggies was generous when I complained about the quality of their product and they gave me a coupon for a free pack of diapers and a dollar off coupon for the next pack.  I got the free pack but I was not thrilled with them either.  I doubt I'll be using the other coupon.

In my search for being a greener mom that does not want to use cloth diapers outside of the home, I purchased a pack of the Seventh Generation diapers.  These are a good size 1 fit, they absorb almost as much as Pampers (should we really be leaving our children in diapers for the amount of time they can actually keep filling those diapers?!?), and they don't stick to his little boy parts as Pampers sometimes do.  I'm not sure what all goes into making Seventh Generation a better diaper but they are Chlorine free, fragrance and latex free too.  I'm please enough that I will buy more of these diapers when I have coupons because they are a little pricier than pampers.  Everything green is pricier!

I haven't tried Earth's Best brand out yet but I do have a pack in the baby room waiting its turn.  I'll keep you posted on them soon!  My hope is that I receive cloth diapers at my baby shower this coming weekend so I can use them at home.  I don't just look at things from a Green standpoint but also what works for a family and is practical too.  Who really wants to be lugging around cloth diapers to a zoo with the family? 

Any other brands out there you suggest?  I've tried Target, Walmart, and Luvs with the first baby and probably won't use again unless I have to.  My first child had allergic reactions to Walmart brand, Target just didn't beat Pampers, and Luvs was a lumpy fit for my active child. 

Remember Clearly Canadian?

Way back when... when I was a teenager I used to drink Clearly Canadian sparkling water beverages!  They were the highlight to my lunch at Band Camp those couple of summers too!  That and playing football with the cute drummers and "forgetting" what time it was to intentionally miss returning to practice!  I'm not sure when Clearly Canadian slipped off the shelves to never return but I have missed them since.  I did find a product the other day by Ocean Spray that reminds me of my old favorite.  I recommend drinking the Sparkling Pomegranate Blueberry water beverage if you want to be reminded of the past and to enjoy in the present.  I'll be purchasing the other flavors in the future to try as well. 

What food item did you enjoy as a kid, teen, adult... that you cannot find anymore?

Military Pay

Being that I was a past member of the military and had to rely on a steady paycheck... (don't we all?) I can feel their pain as they are being told that as of today they may not be getting paid for awhile!!!  Granted single soldiers may not have as many expenses as families and officers and high ranking enlisted have great paychecks... those that fall in between probably are living paycheck to paycheck like so many other Americans.  The difference is if my husband stopped getting paid from his employer, he could quit and find another job, file a claim in small claims court and get his money eventually.  If someone is in the military they don't get to quit just because they are not getting paid.

Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Tea Party, whatever party you belong to... if you are voting on the Government's budget today, do your job and get it done!!!  Perhaps you do not agree on all aspects of it but instead of bickering over how one group wants this many millions in cuts from here and there and this other group wants to double that... compromise. 

I highly doubt each of these Congressmen/women will take their pay and use it to pay the late payments fees for the military members that have to wait on their paychecks.  I highly doubt that those that are still getting paid are feeling the pain of those who will not.  Until that budget gets approved, all of Washington in charge of approving the budget should receive no paychecks either.  And if there is anything in the budget being argued about in regards to health benefits, etc... anything related to a benefit a government official may have in some shape or form... they should receive a freeze on those similar benefits. 

The lives of individuals should not be taken so carelessly.  Each person affected by the lack of approval of the budget may suffer negative consequenses that are hard to foresee at this present moment.  Responsibility as a Congressperson is not to be taken lightly and when you become a public official you are to represent the public not your political party!!! 

One Day to Go!!!

Still pregnant!  Yes, lol everyone keeps asking.  Tomorrow is the due date and baby apparently is comfy right where baby is!  My daughter is ready to have me play with her and she is getting tired of the belly being in the way all the time now, as am I!  Ultrasound yesterday went well.  Fluids are good, baby is at least 7lbs and some odd ounces.  I'm recently recovered from the flu and ready for the big day.  Even my husband has his hospital overnight bag packed!

My husband took two weeks off for vacation but at this rate he will be back to work before baby arrives!  At least we have some good family time together between now and baby arrival.  He has been a wonderful help with cleaning around the house, doing some lifting, driving me around to the grocery store and doctor appointments, whatever I ask of him.

I did insist that he attend school while on vacation because that is so important of course so he can get high grades and finish his bachelor's degree.  And I figure even if I went into labor while he was in school by the time I called him and he got home I will probably have just gotten a babysitter to the house for my daughter, my last minute items for the hospital bag packed, etc...

I worked so hard to make sure that I did not have big projects to take care of around baby arrival time that I am almost bored in the house.  Today my daughter wanted to look at all my jewelry in my jewelry box.  It was actually a good thing because after she dug everything out I was able to put it all back away neatly and with a few less pieces!  Spring cleaning I guess!  Working on some scrap booking I fell behind on.  Lots of reading fact, fiction, and everything passed on to me to borrow!  Still, it would be nice if the weather outside would cooperate and warm up to normal spring temps so I could go outside and do a little yard work or at the very least play on the swing set with Eliz!!!

So that's life in a few paragraphs.  I'll keep you posted as to how baby is whenever baby decides to arrive!  In the meantime enjoy the other posts about specific interests!

PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme

Hello everyone!  I joined Kraft First Taste awhile back and get some nifty coupons to try things for great discounts and/or free.  Love the program and how it helps me to find new ways to cook for the family.  The most recent item I received from the program is the new Cooking Creme that they have introduced.  I tried the Santa Fe flavor and found it to be just the right amount of creamy and spicy together.  Even my four year old that is not really into spicy yet loved it.  My husband really only eats chicken when he eats meat and this is what I tried it on.  I didn't even do anything special just cooked the chicken and just before taking it out of the pan I added the creme stirred it around until all the chicken was coated and the creme was warmed up.  When I can feed the whole family one item I am happy and dinner is a success!!!  Thanks to Philadelphia and their product line my family can have a healthy dinner that includes a little more variety!!!

Is Gov. Kasich for Real???

I am wondering how Gov. Kasich can justify the particular cuts he is making for in an attempt to balance the budget in Ohio.  Yes, he is not planning on raising taxes which makes a great many people happy, however, the local governments are going to probably have to raise taxes to make up for the difference in the budgets they will be working with.  I am all for cutting back where cutting back needs to take place.  I am sure that Ohio needs to cut back just as I can find small things to tweak in my monthly budget.  Meaning instead of buying Del Monte I buy Food Club.  There has to be ways the government can buy less for more!

I am frustrated by seeing more cuts to places like libraries.  Granted my community library is in a well off area of Columbiana County and we have not seen reduced hours, higher fees, etc...  But I attend Junior League meetings at Newport Library in Youngstown that has posted on its doors "Due to budget cuts we have reduced our hours..."  The people in most need of libraries are the communities such as those served by Newport Library and they do not have money for home Internet, extra library fees, etc...  The Youngstown Vindicator did state that the Youngstown library system is planning on increasing its hours again but how long can that be maintained with budgets being cut?

I am currently 100% unemployed and not qualifying for unemployment (that's a long story unto itself no thanks to a previous employer).  My husband makes "too" much money for us to qualify for anything but WIC and county medical for the children.  Thank God we have WIC and the local Way Station to help with food.  But I see that Gov. Kasich is cutting back on funding for the Department of Job and Family Services, Department of Health, Department of Mental Health, the Department of Aging, and the Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services.  Again, I am sure that cuts can be made such as use brand xyz's paper for copies instead of abc's more expensive brand.  But these are organizations that have a great impact on a population that is in need of help.  Not everyone tries to abuse the system and stay on the welfare programs forever.  Some people do not have a choice and must rely on programs that help those in need. 

Personally I am offended that in this Green age where we are seeing the direct affects of pollution to our world that there are cuts being made to the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation, Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources!!!  Hello, Gov. Kasich!!!  Once our natural resources are gone we are in trouble.  We are in even more trouble because we keep polluting the land we live on and we are not creating sustainability. Maybe we should make our cuts somewhere else like not permitting the Gov to have his house made into the Gov's mansion with all the fancy security systems that were already in place at the actual Gov's mansion.  Let's cut that waste from the budget because I am quite sure that Gov Kasich will not be giving back all that material used to secure his house once he is out of office.  He will come up with some claim that it costs more than it is worth to take it down.  Therefore his house will have a really nice security system that the taxpayers took care of for him.

Let's install solar panels in government locations, utilize wind power to fuel the needs of the Gov's mansion, etc...  Use the savings from those as our cuts in the budget.  I get it they do cost money up front and must be maintained over the course of their lifespan, but we will save money and resources in the long run.    A few pennies a month here and there add up to dollars.  It's what I am told to do by financial advisers on Oprah, the Today Show, and other television programs.  If it works for the average citizen there must be a way to utilize those same principles for a government. 

I just read a book, "Empty" by Suzanne Weyn, which I did borrow from the library, and it discusses a world that is at war not so far in the future over oil, the lack of it, the high cost of it, and all the things that can go wrong because of relying on a tried and true way of life instead of looking to innovate and find a new and better solution.  I think we are on the verge of making the same mistakes that the characters in the book made. 

Gov. Kasich think outside the box and come up with better solutions to the budget than just cutting programs that the rich do not need!!!  You rely on the middle class to support your ideals and budget proposals through their taxes and back breaking work, don't forget since they make up the majority... they can also vote you out in a very short time.  Make the choices that the people want, actually consult with them for their opinions, and never forget that you are not above the rest of us like a God you are appearing to be acting as.  This country is not a dictatorship, don't run Ohio as if it were.