Thursday, January 17, 2008

How much pesticide are you eating?


I am not so great about washing every fruit and vegetable I eat. I somehow assume that I can handle a few germs or ickies that are lurking. Foodnews.org makes it easy on us by charting the highest to lowest pesticide loads for each fruit and vegetable. Peaches are number 1 (the worst for pesticides) while onions are the best and close to pesticide free. This chart will determine which items might need special produce wash beyond the plain water rinse. OR, just be sure to buy organic (almost always a better option.)

The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies

RANK

FRUIT OR VEGGIE

SCORE

1 (worst)

Peaches

100 (highest pesticide load)

2

Apples

96

3

Sweet Bell Peppers

86

4

Celery

85

5

Nectarines

84

6

Strawberries

83

7

Cherries

75

8

Lettuce

69

9

Grapes - Imported

68

10

Pears

65

11

Spinach

60

12

Potatoes

58

13

Carrots

57

14

Green Beans

55

15

Hot Peppers

53

16

Cucumbers

52

17

Raspberries

47

18

Plums

46

19

Oranges

46

20

Grapes-Domestic

46

21

Cauliflower

39

22

Tangerine

38

23

Mushrooms

37

24

Cantaloupe

34

25

Lemon

31

26

Honeydew Melon

31

27

Grapefruit

31

28

Winter Squash

31

29

Tomatoes

30

30

Sweet Potatoes

30

31

Watermelon

25

32

Blueberries

24

33

Papaya

21

34

Eggplant

19

35

Broccoli

18

36

Cabbage

17

37

Bananas

16

38

Kiwi

14

39

Asparagus

11

40

Sweet Peas-Frozen

11

41

Mango

9

42

Pineapples

7

43

Sweet Corn-Frozen

2

44

Avocado

1

45 (best)

Onions

1 (lowest pesticide load)

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Fish Ranch

Growing up in the East Bay (in relation to San Francisco) I was always so confused by this exit off the freeway in Berkeley called "Fish Ranch Road." Now I know that Berkeley in its activist ways was just warning us of the trouble to come. 60 minutes featured the grim future of Blue fin Tuna. The fattier the better, these big blues have become a commodity and is featured in your local GROSS-ery stores. Sushi is big business. Even the Mitsubishi's are in the sushi biz, buying up boatloads of blue fins as they come into shore.
Basically, fish are even falling victim to factory farming. The insatiable need for this fish at sushi restaurants has created a demand that can no longer be met. Now, "fish ranches" have been developed to keep the fish fattened up with sardines, then reeled in to be flash frozen in -75 degree Fahrenheit, sawed up into chunks and served up for $.50 at some crap sushi restaurants.
Just wait friends, soon enough meat and fish and animal products will come at a premium, not .5o cents for 2 slices of a fish's body on vinegar/sugar rice. I will keep hoping for that day to come....I suppose I should write it down in light of THE SECRET.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The joy of Chocolate Chips


I cannot tell you how addicted I have become to the chocolate chip. I pretty much can't settle on a dessert that doesn't incorporate my little brown friend. My husband and I have discovered a ridiculous recipe for "chewy granola bars" in Vegetarian Times Magazine. There are a few details I have added just in case you are allergic to nuts or cannot find some ingredients on the list. So FAR from healthy, these granola bars will grab and run away FAST with your willpower. You have been warned, but please ignore it.

CHEWY GRANOLA BARS


Vegetarian Times Issue: July 1, 2007 p.78 — Member Rating: 1111
These treats will be just as tender and chewy at the end of the vacation as they were at the start (if they last that long).
Ingredient List

Makes 25 squares

* 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
* 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
* 1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
* 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots (I like dried cherries better)
* 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (if you can't find mini just use regular)
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (eew, I don't add these, I am not fond of walnuts)
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1/2 cup maple syrup
* 1/2 cup almond butter (if you are allergic to nuts, use soynut butter)
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 2 large egg whites (USE EGG REPLACER, you will NEVER know the difference)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt in bowl. Stir in apricots, chocolate chips and walnuts.
3. Beat brown sugar, maple syrup, almond butter, oil and egg whites with electric beater until smooth. Stir in oat mixture.
4. Spread mixture in prepared baking dish, and pat down firmly. Sprinkle top with remaining salt. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until firm. Cool 20 minutes before slicing into bars. Unmold, and store in airtight container.

Nutritional Information

Per SQUARE: Calories: 202, Protein: 4g, Total fat: 8.5g, Carbs: 29g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 97mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 14g