Hi Sweeties! Coming up for air here to check in with you and to share my cooking exploits of this morning. Feeling very domestic. One of the “benefits” of impending surgery and subsequent rehab is you have the ultimate incentive to get ducks in a row. So I’ve been madly filing, tidying, organizing, prepping . . . and as of this a.m., that extends to food.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t intend to (and really can’t) put up all the meals we’ll need for almost 8 weeks post-surgery (for that, I’m relying on the kindness of friends and family), but I can do little things – things with more of an eye toward when I’m cleared for activity and can cook again. Because then it’ll be late-fall and I will be mourning the end of the summer bounty from my CSA.

Like zucchini. Holy moly, there’s been a lot of zucchini in our share lately. And if we were a family of 3 zucchini lovers, well, maybe I’d feel easier about it. But as it is, it’s me who’ll eat it. So what’ve I done?

The other night I prepped these zucchini fries, and let me tell you, they were AMAZING. L. tried one but wouldn’t eat it. D. was out that night and so I ate a whole tray-full myself for dinner. They’re heavenly. I had plain panko crumbs and Italian seasoning blend in the pantry, so I made up my own zesty coating – that’s what I’d recommend ’cause then you can tailor it to your tastes. Just fantastic, although a bit time-consuming.

And this morning I’ve grated 18 cups of zucchini! I used 6 in a double-batch of scrumptious zucchini muffins (eating one now as a snack as I type). I have 24 big muffins (most will get tossed in the freezer once cool – you can take them out one at a time or in a group to serve a crowd) and 4 bags (3 c. each) of grated zucchini in the freezer. I can use these in soups, cookies, or more muffins later in the fall. Let’s just say I’m feeling a lot of affection toward my food processor.

For those of you with gardens or abundant CSA shares, tell us all what you do with your zucchini-overload in the comments! There may be more next week . . . .

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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In yesterday’s post, I told you about the SSI/BCF study re BPA in food, and about the 60% decrease in the body burden the families realized when they stopped using canned goods. It caught your attention, right? You’re concerned, no?

Think about that - sixty percent! Over a lifetime, that could amount to lot less disease. It’s a no-brainer: get BPA out of canned food, get BPA out of people.

So what are America’s top canned food manufacturers doing to get rid of BPA in their products?

The Breast Cancer Fund wants to find out and push these companies to protect our health. Would you be willing to take a minute to ask Campbell Soup Co., Del Monte Foods and General Mills (maker of Progresso, Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen) what they’re doing to get BPA out of their food packaging and out of our bodies? It’s a fill-in form, so easy and can be very effective.

Let’s band together to reduce all Americans’ BPA levels by going straight to the makers of canned foods and asking them to stop using BPA.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Most of you know I’m all about eating fresh foods, limiting your chemical exposures, yada yada yada. You know I don’t use canned goods anymore at home.  Well, listen to this one. The good people at the Silent Spring Institute, along with the Breast Cancer Fund, last week released a small study that showed that food packaging is the major source of exposure to BPA and DEHP in children and adults, and that a fresh food diet reduces levels of these chemicals by half, after just three days. Yowza.

To reduce your exposure to BPA and DEHP, try cooking at home with fresh foods and making some very basic changes in the kitchen, such as avoiding canned foods, choosing glass and stainless steel food and beverage containers, and not microwaving in plastic. You might also want to consider eating fewer meals out, and dining at places that use more fresh ingredients. I know it might be hard . . . trust me, years ago I had to break my daughter of a vicious Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup habit . . . . it takes time, and it takes imagination, but it can. be. done. And should.

Visit those sites for more information on the study, along with more practical tips on how to reduce your exposure, including this handy wallet card you can take to the market with you. And tell your friends. And if you’re inclined, call your legislators. These results aren’t just dramatic, they should serve as a call to action. Many lawmakers agree that BPA doesn’t belong in canned food or baby bottles, and the companies that make these products should be prepared to come up with safe alternatives – quickly. The study findings suggest that if manufacturers voluntarily reformulated their packaging to remove BPA and phthalates, or better yet, if these chemicals were banned from food packaging altogether, a large portion of the population would experience an immediate reduction in the levels of these chemicals in their bodies. And that’s never a bad thing.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I’ve been gone from here for a while . . . and some of you have taken notice. “What’s up with you?” come the emails, the questions at school, the texts and phone calls.

It’s all been good, friends. There’s no crisis, no health emergency. My mammo was clear, my cholesterol rocks.

No, it’s this: I’ve been taking some time away to evaluate the blog, my involvement with the blog and what I want to do (or not do) with the blog. I’ve also been committed to my Move Into March challenge and to healthy eating, and I’ve lost the 7 lbs. I gained thanks to my arthritis and my vacation. I have been able, for the first time in 2 years, to exercise standing up. I feel great, I’m enjoying myself. I’ve been reading lots, and prepping very simple, very healthful food.

“So what about RECIPES???” “The well is dry!!!” come other emails . . . I love love love that you all depend on the recipes – that this blog serves you so well! I may try posting once a week or so – try to strike a happy medium for us all, but truthfully, I’m really quite preoccupied with thinking up ways to better integrate my passion for healthy living, my love of food and cooking and face-to-face, real-life connections with people like you.

As Tama Kieves says, “If you feel lost, you’re on your way to the miraculous.” I’ll admit it – I have no idea what’s going on yet.  But hang with me, will you? What’s yet to come might be even better than we all could have imagined!

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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We just came home from an all-inclusive beach resort and although we had a great time, I’m overstuffed.

From a food perspective, being at a place like this was fascinating. I’ve read David Kessler and Brian Wansink and they both talk about how the availability and quantity of food affect how much we eat . . . and I got that, but I didn’t GET THAT until I was faced with unlimited bacon, cheesy panini, cookies, etc. etc. etc.

Case in point: Our favorite pool was by a giant restaurant where they had a breakfast buffet every morning. And the buffet ran until around 11 a.m. And we get up early, so by 10:30 or so, the family is hungry again. Did I go in and get a plate of fruit to bring back to the pool? Sometimes I did, but mostly for the afternoon snack. What I more often got was a plate of croissants. Usually an assortment of plain and chocolate. To eat at 10:30 by the pool. What?!

And in the p.m.? Well, that buffet closed mid-afternoon, so if we missed last call, I’d go around the corner and get a little pizza for us to nosh on. Or some nachos. Or a bag of popcorn (think movie-theater-style, ain’t no air-poppin’ at this ranch). Unbelievably calorie-dense food.

Was it delicious? Some of it was pretty good. Was it great to be able to feed myself and my family without any thought to acquisition and preparation of ingredients? Definitely. Was I sick of it by the end? Undeniably. Even L., queen of the 4 p.m. pizza-pie w/bacon, was craving simple, whole and healthful by the time the week was over.

What’s my plan now? Well, it’s March 1st-eve, and I’m getting back on track and motivated with a challenge. That’s right, people, ACCOUNTABILITY. Check out my “Move Into March” challenge on Social Workout. Join up. Work out. Be happier.

Who’s in?

Image: posterize / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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It’s the dead of winter here in the Northeast, and maybe, just maybe you’re tiring of root vegetables?  Eating locally is one thing, constant deprivation is another.  Pooped out on parsnips? Need some green leafies?  Fresh fruits?  What to do?

I will admit to spending a fortune on organic blueberries and raspberries in the last few weeks (see yesterday’s “What I Ate” post) . . . they’re super-delicious and refreshing on salads and cereal, or just swimming in non-fat kefir “soup” with cinnamon.  And I do buy organic salad greens and baby spinach all year ’round.  A Semi-Sweet reader recently asked me: “What about buying produce from other (read: warm!) countries? Is that safe?”  Well Sweeties, you ask, I answer!

Generally, it seems that a pesticide is a pesticide is a pesticide – no matter where your produce is coming from, if it’s conventionally grown (as opposed to organic), it’ll have some pesticide residue, which we’d probably all like to avoid.  Even the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide lumps domestic and imported produce together – only where there is “an extreme difference in the score of a food’s imported and domestic versions,” (as with imported grapes), do they note that in the ranking.

That said, on the EWG’s own site, they do mention that:

in a study of Costa Rican farmers growing produce for the U.S. market, Dr. Ryan Galt of the University of California at Davis found that 12 of 15 pesticides used on squash, and 5 of 47 on chayote [a gourd veg that's eaten like potatoes] were not registered for use on foods in the U.S. FDA inspection tests did not cover 71 percent of the chemicals used on squash and 61 percent used on chayote. (Galt 2009).  Some of these chemicals, notably  n-methyl carbamates, were highly toxic.  Galt found that U.S. agencies made little effort to determine which pesticides were being used  in Costa Rica and that  Costa Rican farmers had little access to Spanish language information about U.S. pesticide standards.  Between 1996 and 2006, 1.6 percent of domestic crops violated pesticide safety standards in FDA inspections, while imported crops earned violations at 2.25 times that rate (FDA 2008).

Hmmm . . . that’s not OK.

So what’s the bottom line? Should you forego fruits and veggies if they’re not organic or domestically grown?  No.  By all means, eat your fruits and vegetables! The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure. Even the EWG stresses this.  Use tools like EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to reduce your exposures as much as possible – did you know that you can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and instead eating the least contaminated produce?

What do I do at my house?  My choices go in this order: domestically grown organic (and the more local, the better), foreign-grown organic, domestically grown conventional, foreign-grown conventional.  I generally stay away from conventional produce that’s listed on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list.  That includes NOT buying conventional strawberries for my strawberry-lovin’ daughter, which right now is a major sticking point in our house.  The kid can eat a pound in a sitting, and I feel like that with quantities like that, my growing kid should be eating organic only – that said, I did break down and buy a pound of conventional the other day because she was literally crying about not having had them for a couple of months . . . what can I say? I went soft.

You’ll be happy to know that I held my ground and did not give into the request for Ice Breakers Sugar Free Sours.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Hi Sweeties! I have an update on the slow cooker/lead front.  I have received emails from both Rival:

Jarden Consumer Solutions (JCS), the distributor of [the product in question] is very focused on the materials that are used in the manufacture of its products. JCS goes to great lengths to ensure that its products meet or exceed all applicable laws and regulations as well as industry standards, such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations.  Likewise, JCS is diligent in is efforts to ensure that its products are compliant with applicable regulations regarding the presence of lead.

JCS tests for lead and other toxic metals on its products to ensure they are safe for consumers. In addition, we periodically use accredited third party lab testing to reveal that our slow cooker stoneware is far below the U.S. FDA and California Regulation Prop 65 requirements for extractable lead and cadmium in ceramic wares, thus supporting our results.

And All-Clad:

All of our slow cooker inserts are lead free.  The non-stick insert is made of cast aluminum.

I haven’t received a reply email from Cuisinart.

If we choose to believe All-Clad and Rival, looks like you’re good to go if you own one of those.  You might feel an edge if you have an All-Clad as they’re saying the crock is “lead free” rather than that it contains “acceptable” amounts of lead.  If you’re still nervous, you can always send your slow cooker insert off to an independent lab for testing.  What am I going to do?  Most likely, go back to using my Crock Pot.  I’m always skeptical about companies and profit-motives, but there’s a point for me where I have to let go and have trust.  If I followed every hunch and suspicion out to its end-point, I’d make myself a crazy woman.

The one thing I will say is that I like the thoroughness of the reply from JCS.  The reply from All-Clad leaves me a little cold – I like the “lead free” aspect, but their reference to the cast-aluminum insert is because I inquired about what the cast-aluminum is coated with to make it non-stick.  As you know, I don’t use non-stick cookware because of health concerns.  They completely ignored this and didn’t answer the question.

I might go so far as to buy a new slow cooker – mine (as are most) was manufactured in China, and you’ll remember that in recent years there’ve been issues w/Chinese exports containing nasties that aren’t allowed in products here . . . . I think that companies have been more diligent about independent testing since that news broke.  I purchased this Crock Pot many years ago, maybe it’s more suspect?  That’s about as extreme a measure as I’m willing to take right now.

What’re you going to do?

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I write today with some potentially distressing news.  I have heard a rumor that the ceramic liner of your slow cooker might contain unacceptable amounts of lead . . . and that it could potentially be leaching into whatever you’re slow-cooking.  Now let me stress that this is, as yet, unsubstantiated.  At the end of last week, another mother at pickup approached me and asked me if I knew anything about this – I was shocked (maybe I shouldn’t be?)!

I did a significant amount of poking around on the ‘net on Friday night and really came up dry.  Apparently in ’04, a consumer reporter in Utah tested slow cooker liners for lead. Too much lead was found in some of the ceramic liners. It’s unclear which brands might’ve contained unacceptable amounts of lead. Most of the information I can find online smacks of rumor and so I’m not sure what to believe.  I have seen some indication that Hamilton Beach slow cookers are safe – indeed, the company’s FAQ assures customers that:

Hamilton Beach specifications applicable to all slow cookers and their components (including the earthenware crocks) prohibits the product from containing any measurable amounts of lead. Furthermore, the factories that manufacture the earthenware crocks for Hamilton Beach are certified ceramic production facilities whose ceramic ware is deemed to satisfy FDA heavy metal requirements. Hamilton Beach takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the earthenware crocks accompanying our slow cookers provide safe and satisfactory service to our consumers.

Of course, I don’t have a Hamilton Beach, I have a Rival Crock-Pot, and there is no such reassurance on their site.

So here’s what I’ve done.  I emailed Rival, All-Clad and Cuisinart and asked them about this issue.  In addition, I posted the question on the Chowhound Cookware board.  I’ll update you when I get more info.

What am I doing for now? I’m taking a break from my Crock-Pot.  I have a feeling this is a lot of hype, but I’m not certain yet, so why risk it?  Tonight’s a usual Crock-Pot night for us, but instead I’m going to do a quick cabbage recipe and grill up some chicken sausages . . . using my lead-free cast-iron skillet.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Are you a fan of Semi-Sweet on Facebook and Twitter?  If you’re not, you should be – you’ll have access to all manner of “bonus content,” including links to interesting health- and nutrition-related articles, delicious-looking recipes I find, news about goings-on around town, and many days, updates on what I’m eating (you might find something new to try!).  A couple of days ago, I posted some tips for making it through the holidays while still fitting into your skinny jeans, and also about baking cookies.  And a few people commented – surprised comments like “Hey, idiot! The two are incompatible!”

Well I argue they’re not.  I’d describe my diet this time of year as “Robbing Peter to Pay Paul” – that is, I sacrifice calories in certain areas so that I can indulge in others, while still avoiding holiday weight gain.  And I also exercise that oh, so elusive word – “moderation.”  So when L. and I baked the Candy Cane Kiss cookies I’m about to tell you about, I had one.  And no BLT’s (batter licks or tastes) while in process.  And the rest of my day was filled with wholesome, low-calorie, healthful foods (but for those few pretzels I had at a board meeting, natch).  You. Can. Do. This. Too.

OK, lecture over – on to the fun stuff!

It’s the official start of one of my favorite holiday pass-times . . . baking cookies.  L. and I kicked off bake-a-palooza 2010 with a great Candy Cane Kiss cookie baking session and they came out beautifully.  This is an easy recipe that’s great to do with kids – if you have those around the house, too.  If you want to make extras, this recipe doubles great, and you can freeze the cookies to eat/give away later.  Just make sure they’re fully cooled, and then use a 9×13 plastic container with a lid (ours are Rubbermaid), and if you’re anal like me, you might want to invest in some super-duper big Ziplocs to put around the containers.  No freezer burn’s going to penetrate your goodies, no-siree.  Wanna see a slideshow of our efforts?  Check it out now, but beware, there’s music.

I’ve laid in my ingredients to do a boat-load of my now-famous rugelach (every faux-Jew’s gotta have a rugelach recipe in her repertoire), some dog biscuits for doggies-not-ours, walnut snowballs (L’s favorite and mine too), sugar cookie cutouts, and probably something with pecans, because I somehow ended up with two bags of them.

I’ll keep you posted as I go along!

© 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Those of you who’ve been reading me for a while probably saw the list of 10 for ’10 that I published back in January.  How’re you doing on those?  Specifically, have you worked to reduce your canned-goods exposure?  You know you don’t want to consume more BPA than you have to.  If you’re still cracking cans regularly, I have a challenge for you . . . can you go one week without using anything that comes in a can?  This includes soft drinks, people, if you drink those (which you shouldn’t, but maybe that’s your vice?).  Read on for tips ‘n’ tricks and decide whether you’re man- or woman-enough to commit . . . .

5 sweet tips for reducing your canned-goods use:

1. Gather an arsenal of recipes that don’t require canned foods. Many of the recipes here on Semi-Sweet don’t call for canned goods . . . and there are a billion on the ‘net.  Plan your menus for the week on the weekend and shop accordingly.  See also, number 2 below.  
2. Plan ahead to have more fresh fruit and veg on hand.  Again, planning your meals for the week in advance can help with this.  You might also want to consider buying a Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA share.  And when you can’t get to the market, frozen fruits and vegetables are a great alternative to canned.  Always have some fan-favorites on hand.
3. Make soup from scratch. Take a little extra time on the weekend and prepare a big vat o’ soup – pop extra servings in the freezer or eat off the vat all week.  Indulge your kid’s chicken-noodle obsession by floating her favorite noodles (pre-cooked) in low-sodium chicken broth (from a box, people!) or better yet, use your own homemade stock.
4. Go with dried beans. Canned beans are über-convenient, but cooking dried is cheaper and pretty simple, with a little forethought. Check out my post here.  Remember, you can freeze your home-cooked beans so they’ll be just as convenient as canned.
5. Seek safer packaging. Look for tomato paste in glass jars, stock in a box, tomatoes in glass jars or tetra packs.  Choose soups, juices and other foods packaged in cardboard cartons made of layers of aluminum and polyethylene plastic (labeled with a number 2 recycling code).  Choose plastic, or even better, glass bottles for beverages. If you don’t already have one, get yourself a re-usable water bottle – stainless steel is best.

Do you have a need to read?  The EWG provides a boat-load of information on BPA exposure from canned foods. 

What’s the hardest canned-good for you to give up?  I’ll start – I love tinned sardines in mustard sauce.  I don’t eat them every week (lots of salt), but once in a while I love them on toast.  Little unusual, I know, but I’ve not seen an alternative packed in glass .  . . .

© 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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