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Entry bubble The Local Food Bank

By: Nancy | August 14, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

The shelves are bare. Everywhere.

That's the word coming in from emergency food pantries around the country. During this challenging economic time, they're feeling the combined effects of fewer donations and as much as a 25 percent increase in the number of people needing assistance. Even some who have been giving faithfully for years to their local food bank are now finding themselves in need.

filling a bag at the food bank Many of us hit a rough spot financially sometime in our lives. For me, that time was many years ago, right out of college. I had no car and little bus money, got my entertainment from watching neighborhood police raids, and knew exactly when they'd stock the "day old" bread and meat bins at my supermarket. Even years later, memories like that can keep a heart tender toward others who are struggling to get by.

Helping the neighbors can be as simple as buying a couple extra packages of beans or pasta or vegetables during those great supermarket 10 for $10 sales to donate to your nearest food bank or food drive. Or it can be a little more of a commitment, if you can set aside time to volunteer, stocking shelves or distributing groceries at your local food bank or at the food pantry of a nearby shelter, community center or place of worship.

If you're a gardener, many area food banks will welcome that extra load of tomatoes or monster zucchini that you've harvested.

What about where you are? What's your community doing to help neighbors in need?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: food   nancy   neighbor  

 

Entry bubble Keep Food Safe During a Power Outage

By: Joanne | July 29, 2008 | Category: Health

stainless steel refrigerator doorsI woke up this morning to a power outage. Naturally my first instinct was to panic – I can’t make coffee! Then I collected myself, found an electric bill and reported the outage to the power company and within an hour I was grinding coffee beans.

I’m lucky that I’m rarely without power and if it does go out, it’s only for a short time. What concerns me most during a power outage (after coffee) is the food in the refrigerator and freezer. Summertime is when you have to be the most careful about handling food – the heat, humidity and power outages caused by summer storms can all make your food bad, and worse, make you sick.

I know we all hate the idea of throwing food away – it’s so expensive these days and we hate to waste it. But remember it’s better to be safe than sorry. Salmonella and other food-borne illnesses are not to be taken lightly.

The good news is that it’s pretty easy to take care of your food for a short power outage, and there are steps you can take to save your food for a longer outage too. Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold enough for a couple of hours at least. A freezer that is half full will hold for up to 24 hours and a full freezer for 48 hours. When the power comes back on, use a thermometer to check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer. If the refrigerator is 40° F or colder, and the freezer is still colder than 40° F, the food is safe.

| View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: electricity   food   joanne   outage   power   safety  

 

Entry bubble Grow Your Own Food

By: Joanne | July 22, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

wet, red tomatoLast week I stared in disbelief at the grocery store cash register. With the way prices are rising, I feel like all my disposable income goes to gas and groceries. I’m sick of the price of food going up, up, up and all the while it seems like there is constantly some sort of warning or recall about certain foods in the grocery stores. I know that the USDA and FDA are doing their best to keep things safe for us, but I think that this is the nature of industrialized food production in our country.

That’s why I’ve been making an effort lately to grow my own food and buy locally produced foods when I can. Even if you don’t have a big garden, there’s still a lot that you can do. We’re entering the height of summer produce season, when our farmers markets are full of beautiful, fresh fruits and veggies.

Preserving your own food gives you control over safety, quality and overall tastiness of your food.

I canned pickled beets from the garden this weekend, and we’ve got 30 jars of wild black raspberry jelly and 10-15 raspberry pies and cobblers in the freezer. Do you know how wonderful it is to have a fresh-baked berry cobbler in January? I do : ) Sweet corn’s just coming into season and soon I’ll have a giant pot of corn chowder on the stove that I’ll freeze and we’ll enjoy all winter long. When my garden is overflowing with tomatoes I’ll make tomato sauce and can whole tomatoes.

See? There’s really not much to it, but giving it a little effort pays a delicious return later. Give it a try. In the long run, you’ll save money on groceries and have wholesome, convenient food at hand, too.

| View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: can   food   fruit   grocery   joanne   preserve   vegetable  

 

Entry bubble Food Recalls

By: Jake | June 16, 2008 | Category: Health

I had trouble remembering the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning that some raw red tomatoes had been linked with salmonella last week. When I asked for tomatoes on a sandwich, I got a blank look from the shop employee serving me. I wasn't alone though, the guy behind me asked for them as well. Tomatoes

It's important to note that the Food and Drug Administration has not recalled tomatoes, they have only issued a warning. You may remember that last year the FDA announced a company's recall for salad spinach, but so far they have only warned stores to remove certain types of tomatoes from the shelves while they determine where the contaminated tomatoes come from. The FDA is keeping a list of where they have found NO tomatoes associated with salmonella.

The FDA notes that there are a lot of misunderstandings surrounding food recalls. If there is a recall for these tomatoes (I'm wondering who would still have them on the shelves), the tomato grower (manufacturer, etc.) would make the recall. The FDA rarely recalls a product because it only has the authority to declare recalls in specific cases or products. For example if there is a health risk with infant formula and the manufacturer is unresponsive, the FDA can "order" a recall and determine the scope and extent of that recall.

What normally happens is that the FDA will notify a manufacturer about a product defect in writing. The manufacturer will voluntarily recall the product and provide reports on various aspects of the recall. If the manufacturer refuses, the FDA can take legal action against the company and may request a product recall on its own. Sometimes the manufacturer will find a product defect and will notify the FDA that it is conducting a recall.

Companies notify the FDA to comply with regulations and because it helps the company get the word out. You can get updates from the FDA about food recalls by email and RSS feed. Remember that the FDA only has jurisdiction over human food, pet and animal feed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has jurisdiction over meat, poultry products and eggs (they also have email updates). For information on other product recalls your best resource is Recalls.gov.

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: food   jake   pets   recalls   tomatoes  

 

Entry bubble Safe Summer Cook-outs

By: Colleen | June 04, 2008 | Category: Health

It's a good thing my Mom had me log all those hours watching the Frugal Gourmet as a kid. Last night's delight was a bowl of Special grillK and half a piece of leftover parmesan-crusted chicken. Move over, Rachel Ray.

Regardless of poor menu planning when cooking for myself, I do like to put together something a little more cohesive when gathering with friends and family.

Now that summer is here, it's time to cook-out! Few things beat being outdoors, firing up the grill, and chowing down on your summertime favorites with your crew.

When preparing meals for large groups, you do have to take special precautions. It's all too easy to undercook raw meat, or let perishable foods (like potato or macaroni salads which include mayonnaise) sit out unrefrigerated for too long.

Some tips for safe barbecuing:

  • Purchase a food thermometer to be sure meat has been cooked to the proper temperature.
  • Place cold food containers on ice while serving. Cover the dish when not in use.
  • Be aware of any guests with food allergies. Do not use the same surfaces to cook alternate meals. For example, if a guest is allergic to shellfish, be sure their meal is prepared somewhere other than where the fish is cooked.

My favorite cookout meal? Fresh from the farm corn on the cob, chicken covered in bbq sauce, and baked potato. What's yours?

Cook safely, and get ready for seconds!

| View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: colleen   cook   food   grill   group   safety   summer  

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