Thursday's Thinking of Food-- Happy Animals

After a long hiatus, (constant nausea doesn't do much for wanting to think about food...), this weekly post about food is making a comeback!

November 2010- image via here

While reading the most recent Bon Appetit magazine last weekend I came across an article about a man named Patrick Martins, co-founder of Heritage Foods USA, or as the article dubbed him, "the heritage food hero."  He raises "happy animals"--and is on a mission to save heritage breeds of livestock and the family farms that raise them.

I love his answer about what makes a "happy animal": "It has room.  I think that's the biggest thing.  It can walk around.  No living creature should be forced to live in a box.  That should shoot through the heart of every American.  We live in a country that is wealthy, that is trying to improve itself, that is a moral beacon to the rest of the world.  We cannot keep animals in boxes.  Period."

Well said.  Hopefully we'll all think of this when purchasing the meat and dairy to feed our families with, and purchase organic, cage free, humanely-raised and slaughtered whenever possible.

And if you're in the market for a turkey this holiday season, my fellow Columbians, check out Earth Fare.  You can order your humanely raised, organic turkey now--and donate one to a family in need while you're at it--check with our local store for details.

And, I also found in Bon Appetit a recipe for Oatmeal Muffins that I just might have to try this holiday season...wish me luck!  (I have never had much--(who am I kidding, any)-- success with muffins, biscuits, or bread in the past, but I am determined!)

Anyone have any tips for successful bread/muffin/biscuit baking?  Are you as excited as I am for the impending holiday season!?

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Garbage Revolution

I was perusing this website to find a RuMe bag, after seeing them featured in the June 2010 Bon Appetit...

This one is my favorite, and it's only $5:

image via here

 {Can be used and re-used to store snacks, loose change, whatever- since they are dishwasher safe}

When I came across this website, promoting the new documentary film Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home. 

image via here

Click here to see what you can do to help reduce garbage, and how to host a screening of the video.

What do you do to reduce and re-use instead of creating more garbage?

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Thursday's Thinking of Food

Happy beautiful Thursday everyone! I hope everyone gets some sunshine and family time this Easter weekend--I am looking forward to a 3-day weekend, working in our vegetable garden, and sunning myself...it's supposed to be in the 80's and sunny all weekend in Columbia!

And here's your round-up of interesting food news this week:

image via here

I opened up my April Bon Appetit to find local rice producer Anson Mills--who sells their products at the All Local Farmers' Market every Saturday-- within the pages. Their Carolina Gold Rice is listed in Bon Appetit's top 5 exotic rices list. Kudos to them! The magazine describes the Carolina Gold Rice as a "true standout, with a plump, fluffy texture and a roasted aroma. Carolina Gold offers hauntingly buttery flavor..." Now that is a glowing review!

image via here

A friend who lives in Athens, GA sent me a link to the Athens Local Farmers' Market blog, and this post about accepting EBT cards--how forward-thinking and awesome of them! The Athens Farmers Market will now accept EBT cards on Tuesdays and Saturdays. (For those who may not know, the EBT card is the form of payment used by people who receive SNAP benefits, or modern-day "food stamps.") Great job on increasing access to healthy food. And thanks, Tiffany, for sharing the information.

image via here

High fructose corn syrup has been shown to be more addictive than sucrose, (regular table sugar), and cause higher incidences of obesity, a Princeton research study shows. There has already been criticism and speculation about the merits of the study by numerous sources, but read it and decide for yourself... Here's a Washington Post article about it from 2 days ago, and here's a blog post about it from the LA Times Health blog, Booster Shots.

image via here

And more news about junk food that you could probably predict...it's addictive. "Junk Food Jones is Wired in the Brain," as reported on NPR's Health blog, Shots. According to a Scripps Research Institute study done on rats, junk food is as addictive as drugs. So, this Easter weekend, lay off the HoHo's and chocolate bunnies...or you'll be fiending for more soon enough.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend everyone!

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