Archive for the ‘Food-Nutrition-Health’ Category

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Sourdough

Monday, April 11th, 2011

by Catherine Haug

(photo, right, from Wikipedia)

Sourdough loaves

ESP has scheduled an event on Sourdough,for our regular May 18, 2011 gathering. As a lead-in to that event, here’s some information to tempt your taste buds and culinary yearnings. And remember to bring a glass or ceramic jar (NOT metal) to the event, for a bit of free starter!

For a printable version of this post, see The EssentiaList: Sourdough (pdf).

Long before the invention of bakers’ yeast, sourdough was used as leavening for all kinds of baked goods including those pancakes and biscuits made famous by Western movies &  TV shows (e.g., Wagon Train, Rawhide). But perhaps the oldest and most well-known food made from sourdough was bread. (more…)

Posted in Fermentation, Culturing & Curing, Food-Nutrition-Health | 1 Comment »

Cabbage, Coleslaw and Sauerkraut

Sunday, April 10th, 2011

by Catherine Haug

(originally published April 8, 2010; updated April 10, 2011 with new information).

It’s spring and we are planning our summer gardens. One of the veggies sure to be included is cabbage, both for its nutritional value and its ability to grow in the cool seasons, plus keep well in winter storage.

As summer approaches, we long for leisurely summer picnics or camp-outs, and all the wonderful food treats that are staples of such events, including coleslaw. And during the fall and winter we make sauerkraut from fall, or late cabbage, as a tasty and nutritious food, and also as a way to preserve the cabbage. (more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, Gardening | 5 Comments »

The Power of Herbs & Spices in Cooking

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

by Catherine Haug, April 4, 2011

You probably already use a few herbs and spices when you cook or bake. Most kitchens have at least a few of these, and many of us grow some herbs in our gardens. But there are a plethora of herbs and spices available that provide not only wonderful flavors, but also health benefits as well.

Check out this informative article on Mercola’s website: Healing Herbs, and How to Use Them in Your Cooking. He discusses: (more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, Remedies | 1 Comment »

Got Food?

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

Editorial note: The following article, submitted April 5, 2011, was originally entered as a “comment” to our post: Upcoming Food Shortages: Why and How to Prepare, Apr 2, 2011.

Got Food?

by Robert Seymour

“You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find…
You get what you need” (1)

At a time when per capita global food production and national food self sufficiency ratios are shrinking, a hungry world is set to grow by another 1.6 billion people in the next fifteen years.  This is like adding another China to the world population. China has now replaced Japan as the second largest economy and has become the number one importer of oil after the United States.  As economic pressure on already scarce natural resources intensifies, the availability of locally grown food will be worth its weight in gold. (more…)

Posted in Agriculture, Community, Ecology, Energy, Food-Nutrition-Health, Gardening, Home & Ranch | Comments Closed

Upcoming Food Shortages: Why and How to Prepare

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

D. Bates Garden in August

by Catherine Haug, April 2, 2011

(photo by Don Bates)

One of the topics which brought our ESP community together back in 2009, was the rising cost of fuel and anticipated food shortages on grocers shelves. While those stimuli relaxed for awhile, they are still present, and some predict they could get out of hand this summer.

We continue to focus on food and food availability; last month our gathering topic was Garden Season Extenders by Don Bates, and this month will be Gardening Tips by Julian Cunningham.

Check out this inspiring March 30, 2011 article from Counter Currents blog: Garden As If Your Life Depended On It, Because It Will, by Ellen LaConte. (more…)

Posted in Agriculture, Community, Food-Nutrition-Health, Gardening | 2 Comments »

Just How Healthful is your Favorite Breakfast Cereal?

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Breakfast of Champions

by Catherine Haug, March 29, 2011

(photo, right, from Wikipedia)

Do you, like most Americans, believe that a bowl of boxed breakfast cereal provides a good nutritious breakfast? If so, you might be in for a shock.

Unless it’s certified Organic, did you know that cornflakes are made from corn intended as animal feed, and is likely GMO?

Have you ever looked at a grain of wheat or kernel of corn? Do they look anything like a flake of Wheaties or Cornflakes. Does a grain of oat look like the round tube of Cheerios? No. So, how do they turn a grain into a flake or a round tube, and what is the nutritional consequence?

Some cereals are “fortified” to increase the nutritional value on the label. But what is used to fortify them?

Side note: It isn’t just cereals that are questionable as healthful foods. Consider the recent article in Main St blog: 16 Foods With Scary Surprises concerning allowed contaminants (maggots, rhodent hair, feces, etc.) in certain processed foods.

(more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO | Comments Closed

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