juan0505

Fresh Cut Flower But even flower lovers can get frustrated when the bloom goes offthe rose too soon. It doesn't have to be that way."A cut flower can definitely continue blooming," said KurtSchroeder from the Society of American Florists. "You should expecta bouquet of cut flowers to last seven days - a week - in yourhome." You can keep the mojo in your marigolds longer with a few simpletricks. First, get cut stems out of the heat and into water as soonas possible. Don't leave your bouquet on a kitchen counter or in ahot car.What's next? Schroeder says it's just three words: "Clean, cleanand clean." Cleaning means everything. Wash your vase thoroughly. Clean dirtand debris from flower stems, and make a fresh cut at the bottom.Remember to remove lower leaves before placing in water. "Leave the rest of the foliage on. That actually helps to take upthe water into the flower head, and acts as a beautiful naturalfiller," said Schroeder. Finally, measure and use flower food. Read the directions to makesure your flowers are getting as much of the nutrients as theyneed. All that's left is to sit back and enjoy."It's very cheery. The fragrance is always very nice to have. It'svery pleasing," said Cathy.
2008-06-04 10:15:43

Fruits Vegetables When it comes to our health, we truly are what we eat. Yet morethan 70 percent of Americans don't eat enough fruits andvegetables, nutrient-rich foods that will keep weight off, as wellasprevent cancer and other diseases. Your mother's admonition to "eat more fruits and vegetables" ismore important than ever. Research shows that phytochemicals, foundprimarily in fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, help the bodydefend itself against damage. Researchers believe eating foods withthese compounds may help prevent diseases including diabetes,hypertension and heart disease. They also prevent formation ofcancer-promoting carcinogens and boost immune function. Unfortunately, most Americans' diets are low in nutrients, but highin calories. A diet consisting primarily of nutrient-sparse foods,including ice cream, french fries and hot dogs, requires one toconsume more high calorie foods to get the vitamins and mineralstheir bodies require. As a result, most Americans are overfed butundernourished. The solution is a diet of primarily nutrient-dense foods. Thesefoods are high in one or more nutrients while also low in calories.The widest variety of nutrient-dense foods is foundamong freshfruits and vegetables. Creating a nutrient-dense diet for you and your family is simple:Add color. The key to eating by color is to understand that eachfruit or vegetable, whether it's blue, red or green, is made up ofa different combination of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, watermelon and redbell peppers, are loaded with lycopene, which helps rid the body ofharmful bacteria that cause gene damage. People who have a highamount of lycopene in their diet are less susceptible to heart andlung disease and many forms of cancer. One of the most beneficial nutrients found in orange foods,including carrots, sweet potatoes and mangoes, is beta carotene. Inaddition to preventing cataracts and improving night vision,beta-carotene also helps stem cardiovascular disease and cancer. Orange/yellow foods, such as pineapples, oranges and yellow bellpeppers, are rich in vitamin C and manganese to boost the body'simmune system, strengthen blood vessels, and promote healthy skinand gums. Vitamin C also combats infection. Yellow corn, avocados and other yellow/green foods are high inpotassium and protein. These foods help reduce the risk of becomingafflicted with osteoporosis, kidney stones, and high bloodpressure. Chock-full of vitamin A, calcium and folic acid, green fruits andvegetables, including broccoli, romaine lettuce and Brusselssprouts, are excellent sources of energy and cancer-fightingnutrients. White foods, such as garlic and members of the onion family, arehigh in allicin, a phytochemical that lowers cholesterol andreduces blood pressure. A leading antibacterial food, garlicbattles health problems from the ordinary cold to cancerous tumors. Blueberries rank first in antioxidant properties when compared with40 other fruits and vegetables. Purple/blue food items, includingeggplant and prunes, contain anthocyanin, which helps in preventingblood clots and delaying the aging of cells in the body. In many ways, your health is determined by the vitamins andminerals you put into your body through the foods you eat. Yourmost reliable sources for those vitamins and minerals needed tosustain long-term health are fresh fruits and vegetables. Tina Musselman, RD, CCN, is the Bariatric Program Coordinator andregistered dietitian at St. James Hospital and Health Centers. St.James is a member of the Southland Health Alliance. For moreinformation on the alliance, go to its Web site atwww.southlandhealth.org.
2008-06-04 10:16:07

spicy vegetable Communal eating is also an integral part of the culture. First,you're brought a big enamel tray covered with flat rounds ofinjera, a spongy, slightly sour bread pocked with bubbles, like anunflipped pancake. Traditionally it's made with teff (an iron-richEthiopian grass that's forbidden for commercial export) but Australian injera is more yeasty and a mix of flours, such ascornflour and red sorghum, is used instead. Ethiopians eat injeratwo or three times a day. It's incredibly delicious but too muchand you will waddle out stuffed. Each dish is up-ended onto the injera and then you get down anddirty: tear off a piece from the edge, wrap it around a chunk ofcurry, and start scoffing. The etiquette is to eat with your righthand (although, in Melbourne forks are OK) and stick to the food infront of you - reaching across to nab a choice piece of lamb isapparently uncool behaviour. Typical meaty dishes include richly flavoured wots (spicy stews oflamb, beef or chicken served with a boiled egg), tibs (sauteed lambor beef cooked up with a generous scattering of green peppers andonion), and kitfo (just-cooked beef seasoned with the killer-hotchilli mitmitta). Ethiopian cuisine is also great for vegans and vegetarians. Theowner of Harambe in Footscray, Dershaye Tessema, explains that mostEthiopians are Orthodox Christian and "vegetarian specialists", asthe religious practice is to exclude animal products from theirdiet every Wednesday and Friday (the butchers close in Eritrea andEthiopia on these days) and during fasting periods such as Easter."Our mothers are very, very good (at cooking) the vegie dishes,"says Tessema. A traditional spread (called a "beyaynetu", a combo of about six to10 vegetarian dishes) features slow-cooked pulses (black-eyed andsplit peas, lentils, chickpeas), plus braised vegie dishes, such ascabbage and carrots, green beans, sweet potato, and silverbeet andtomatoes, each dish differently spiced and deliciously buttery. Spiced butter is the crux of Ethiopian cooking. "Butter is soimportant. It's like cheese is to the Italians," says Degal. "InEthiopia, butter is used for almost anything. For healing people,for cooking, as a gift when people get married, during times ofmourning, at funerals. Any sort of social gathering." The process is to mix unsalted, unclarified butter with aromatickoseret leaves, korerima (an intense variety of cardamom) andsometimes fenugreek and garlic, skimming the fat continuously fromthe top. "Our food without butter would not be possible to make,"says Vittorio Silvestro from The Abyssinian, in Kensington. Animalbutter (from cow's milk) is used for meaty dishes and spicedvegetable ghee is used for vegetarian dishes. "It's cholesterolfree and lighter and makes the food -- vegetarian," says Silvestro."Some people drink butter," adds Tessema.
2008-06-04 10:15:56