Can you spot GMO foods? (Genetically Modified Organism)

I thought this was an interesting article on how to avoid GMO foods (which make up at least 70% of all foods in the grocery store).

Quick reference for being able to determine if your produce is organic, conventional or GMO:

Look at Produce Stickers

Those little stickers on fruit and vegetables contain different PLU codes depending on whether the fruit was conventionally grown, organically grown or genetically engineered. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers, organically grown fruit five numbers prefaced by the number 9, and GM fruit five numbers prefaced by the number 8.

For example:

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  Conventionally grown PLU: 1022

  
  


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  Organically grown PLU: 91022

  
  


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  Genetically modified PLU: 81022
  

  
  

In terms of fruit, another strategy is to avoid hybrid varieties, which are fruits that have been altered by humans. Typically hybrid fruits contain more sugar than regular varieties so they taste sweeter and can be picked out because generally they don't contain seeds (seedless watermelon, seedless grapes, etc.). Although there are also seeded hybrid varieties, avoiding seedless fruits is one of the more prominent ways to avoid hybrid fruits.

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Keep raw food raw!

I just learned that the FDA, USDA and California Almond Board have announced that beginning in September of 2007 all almonds will have to be pasteurized...even organic. After this pasteurization the almonds can still be labeled as raw. This is direct deception to the public. I personally prefer raw nuts of all kinds to the cooked ones. The raw almond (as well as all other nuts) have valuable oils in them that oxidize faster once the nut is pasteurized or rather cooked. This causes the nut to have a shorter shelf life and less health benefits.

Is the FDA just trying to find a way to up the sell of almonds by making then go bad faster so that you have to buy them more often? They say that there have been some cases of salmonella regarding raw almonds...well, it has happened with raw veggies as well. So, is all of our fresh produce going to be removed from the market because it too will have to be pasteurized? This doesn't seem fair or logical. Then the deception that will be occurring afterwards is completely offensive. These cooked nuts should never again be allowed to be marketed as being raw because that is something that they will never again be.

This is going into effect for Canada, Mexico and America. Here is a link to sign a petition to halt this effort: Almond pasteurization is Wrong. Please take the time to go there and sign this as it is only a matter of time before all of our healthy choices for foods are removed by the very agencies that are supposed to protect us.

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Syria is a demon cat

Well, I tried to avoid actually believing that Syria was truly "bad". This morning my Mexican let me know beyond the shadow of a doubt that she truly is. When he went in to feed the little heifer and her brood he quickly found out that the little entity has quite a temper...and a taste for plastic. Syria had knocked down everything from the shelves in the closet to the point where her little ones can no longer even get into the closet. She also proceeded to chew open the bags of powdered milk and buttermilk that I have for making milk baths. This particular batch was not food grade (I hope the kittens don't get sick). She has spread the powder all over the floor. Her little ones have no choice but to try to hide out under my drafting table to avoid her wrath and the remnants of her tantrums.

Poor little kittens...it must be awful to know that your mother is a demon.

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Bite me!

I just had to do a quick post for one of my favorite authors, Eric Wilson. He just recently returned from a trip to Israel where he has been doing research for his upcoming book series on Vampires. In case you don't know, Eric Wilson is a Christian and writes Christian fiction...some of the best, I might add! His works are right up there with Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, in my opinion. At any rate, his newest book , Jerusalem's Undead Book I of the Trilogy, is scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2008. So, if you're into Vampires check it out! If you're a Christian and into Vampires this is going to have to be a must have for you! By the way, it's not a sin to be interested in this type of stuff...so; don't let anybody tell you that it is (that's another post in itself)! After all, Christ's blood was poured out for our sins to the point of His death...this very blood we are commanded to drink in remembrance of Him while taking communion...and the best of all...He still lives even after all of that. I am not trying to say that Jesus is a vampire...just that there are similarities in the aspect of life after death and the symbolism of blood. I personally want to applaud Eric for going into a topic that is mostly frowned upon by most main-stream believers. Bravo to him for having the faith and ambition to clear a way for Christian creativity in writing about what would seem to be an off-basis topic to most believers.

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Syria...the demon cat?

I don't think that Syria liked the idea of us giving away her kittens this weekend. Though we only were able to find a home for one of them she was still a holy terror! I doubt this had anything to do with her dwindling brood. We left her out of the "kitten room" a.k.a. my craft room almost all day on Saturday while her offspring were kept in a rather large and roomy kitty carrier (yes, it is big...my fat cat, my little love and my little love's sister can all fit into it at the same time). While Syria was tasting freedom she may have ultimately sealed her fate at being given away with the rest of the tiny ones. You see, during the 6-8 hours that she was out and free she got into a bit of trouble. First, while I was making breakfast she decided to jump up on the counter and eat some of the plated eggs that were awaiting fresh warm buttermilk biscuits to emerge from the oven. She did this while I was standing right there! What nerve this little beast has! At least my other kitties are smart enough to not try this while I am in the room. After this, she proceeded to tear open a bag containing a loaf of bread (not one that I had made...just a quicky for making Philly Cheese Steaks earlier in the week). She got bread all over the kitchen and the recently vacuumed carpet. The bread had already molded; so, it wasn't an actual loss except that again she went up on the counter and got into something.

Thinking that one kitty couldn't possibly get into any more trouble, I took a bit of a nap. I was, after all, a bit tired after my NAET treatment. When I awoke I found that she had gotten into my sourdough starter. That little fiend! I guess I should be grateful that she didn't actually step into it. She simply stepped onto it and pushed my rubber banded paper towel covering into it. She then pulled out the paper towel and proceeded to eat out the middle of it...all, again, on the kitchen counter. She left starter everywhere!

By now her butt should be hurting enough to keep her out of further trouble...wouldn't you think? Well, she decided that she wanted more of the moldy bread she had torn up earlier and dug into the trash and pulled it out and tore it up some more! Ya know what? That was the last straw...she got put back into the "kitty room" and hasn't seen the rest of the house since.

So, knowing now that nothing is safe in the kitchen, it has been decided that next Saturday (when we go to my sister's house for Part II of Kitty Elimination Free Kitty Drive) that Syria will accompany her remaining fuzz balls and join them in their fate of being relinquished to complete strangers to whom we will entrust their complete care.

I guess I should be thankful that she didn't pee on my bed like my former "demon cat" Baby. We are still keeping Syria's son Nos and my three kitties...so we will still have a house full of cats. And since the dog isn't going anywhere, we will continue to have a mud puppy in the back yard (with all the rain we've had it doesn't look like Klaus, our German Shepard, will be clean for quite a while).

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I really am on the right track...honest

I just wanted to show that I truly am trying to make better choices as far as food is concerned. I, for the second time, have made butter. This butter tastes far better than any you can get from the store. It is made from raw cream from grass fed Texas Jersey cows. My Mexican loves it...this is a picture of my second batch (the first one didn't last long enough to be immortalized):

I am also including a picture of my sweet sourdough starter. (My pro-biotic starter is resting in the fridge.) This particular starter, who's name is SDS2 (SDS1 is the pro-biotic), is a sweet starter because it is feed not only with whole wheat flour and raw whole milk but also sugar. I know, "what about your diet", you ask. See, that's the good thing about sourdough, the yeast eats the sugar and digests it so that when it actually gets to your body it no longer is the same substance. The same goes for the flour and milk. The yeast creates beneficial bacteria that actually make breads and some sweets good for you. I do have a wheat allergy; but, I have found that sourdough/fermented breads and sweets do not have an effect on me. Just remember, not all sourdough bread is fermented...in order to reach fermentation of the whole loaf the dough must rest or proof for at least 8 hours. This is so that all of the flour and goodies that have been added to the starter have a chance to be ingested and digested by the yeast and happy bacteria. It truly makes for a good loaf of bread...and the occasional cookie. This picture is the same starter that I have kept going since my previous posts on fermented cookies and sourdough pro-biotic pancakes (you can see those posts here). Here is what it looks like playing in its room:

Notice how nice and bubbly it is. This lets you know that the yeast is active and giving off adequate gas.

Once I get SDS1 re-activated I will post a picture of him.

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Suicide takes thought!

I speak from experience regarding thoughts of suicide. Most people don't just do it on the spur of the moment...at least not people who aren't depressed. Depression alters your view of life and the circumstances that surround that life. I say this to make a point that this particular post doesn't come lightly from me...I'm just trying to make light of a different aspect of living and dying.

So, I've made a choice to eat better and to take better care of myself. How am I doing? Not too good. I have failed miserably this week. But, I have made some observations that should help me in the future. Previously I had mentioned that I don't take the time to enjoy my food (if you're reading this on my blogger page then you will need to see a previous post here... look for the other Reese's picture). When food looks like crap it is easier to avoid it...even when you think you really want it. As is the case today. So, just who has been messing with my Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? Here is what they looked like coming out of the package today:

This isn't very appetizing, is it? So, I have decided that since these treats are going to continue to not look as good as they once did that starting next week I will not partake of their sweetness anymore! If I'm going to eat something ugly on purpose it better be because it is actually going to do something beneficial for me rather than leading me to an early grave. I did have to think about this for a few moments before I quickly ate the ugly confections. The more I thought about them, after consuming them, I realized that eating these things was just as bad as when I used to contemplate suicide. Though I may not be putting a blade to my wrist I am putting stuff in my body that is slowly poisoning it.

So, suicide is in a way just like eating badly. It will kill you. I decided a few years ago that I wasn't going to allow "me" to kill myself; but, allowing stuff like this to be eaten is still doing just that. This has to stop not just in though but in my actions as well. I may not be thinking of how to kill myself...but what I am still doing is doing the job just the same. Just like suicide is the easy way to escape difficult situations that seem to have no resolution so too is eating poorly. In order to live life to the fullest one must be able to enjoy the fullness that is offered. One cannot enjoy said fullness if they are ill of health...or mind. In order to make sure that I am as healthy as I can be I must be responsible for what I put into my body. So...with that said, I will return to my diet of eliminating sugar and most grains.

I have asked God's help and I know He is helping me. First off, the food (if it can even really be labeled as such) looks ugly and second off...it is starting to taste ugly as well. It has seemed that the past few weeks the only food that truly tastes good is what I make at home. I know I won't even be able to use some of my "non-stick" pans for much longer because I am beginning to smell the toxic chemicals that are in them when they are heated. Now, only if God would give me the energy to work out and actually burn off some of this extra "fluff" that I have gained over the past few years. I guess, it's one step at a time. He's making me more aware of the importance of what I put into my body. I know the importance of taking care of my body...hopefully the next step will be having the energy to do it. I know I feel better when I eat better. Perhaps once I am eating better regularly I will also have the energy to take care of the outer layers along with the inner?

With that said, it is back to the fermented breads and desserts (if any) and healthy all around cooking. I wish I liked more veggies...the few that I do like get old after a while. You can only eat green beans for so long before they too start looking ugly! I'll have to culture more Kefir too...I ran out the other day and can really feel the differance. When I drink it for breakfast it gives me energy and fills me up until lunch time. I've missed it the past couple days...and my skin has taken advantage of the situation going crazy with the ungodly amounts of sugar I have consumed to propogate all of the yeast that naturally occurs on the skin's surface to the limits of where the yeast has taken over the task of making my skin appear ugly. Sugar = acne; though, this acne is all over and not just on my face.

You know, I have had a headache for the past few days. Do you think that my body was banging my head against a brick wall without my knowledge because of what I have knowingly been feeding it? I feel like banging the same wall because of my lack of self control and responsibility. Bad Angie! (I can't really blame Andy or Danny for this one...you know the old Bad Andy Domino's commercials.

As far as Danny goes, it is his fault and he knows it...I'm just taking responsibility for it this time because he won't change!)

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Pinja Nillow

I was never a believer in the Pillow Ninja until last night. I was always of the mind that I was the one in control of myself getting out of bed in the morning. I was wrong. I have a bruise to prove it! The pillow Ninja beat me up this morning because I had to get up for work and then proceeded to holler at me until the time I left for work. He wouldn't even let me sleep before I had to get up...which is why lysdexia got the better of me for the title of this post. I don't know exactly what time the actual attack began but I will try to walk you through what happened.

At some point in the night the Maja decided he wanted under the covers. I knew he was there but didn't want to move. He proceeded to head butt my arm in an attempt to get the covers loosened from my hand. He did this pretty hard...I was fully expecting to awaken this morning with a bruise on my arm. The bruise did happen...just not on my arm; it's on my nose. When Maja realized that I was going to continue throwing him across the bed to get his wet kitty nose away from me he decided to flop down on my pillow. Now, when Maja lays down he more so throws himself down...imagine a little disgusted kitty "humph" going along with that. He threw himself down on my pillow and hit the headboard of the bed. So now imagine the disgusted little kitty "humph" and a forceful "whack". I was completely awake; but, this is not what got me conscious. When Mr. Thang threw himself down he threw out his hind leg and kicked me in the nose...with claws extended! Can someone say "ouch"? Well, if you can't I more than made up for your lacking ability.

Needless to say, when I woke up this morning I was quite tired and didn't feel too well. And my nose hurt. I surmised that the Pillow Ninja had struck because my little love wouldn't do something like that to me. No, not the little Maja. So, Pillow Ninja it is. I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that the Pillow Ninja is also related to Rico the closet monster. Why would he not be? Better yet, maybe Rico is the Pillow Ninja just trying to spice up his life with a change of identity. Maybe the Pillow Ninja used Rico as his secret identity to gain access to people's homes? Maybe this is just the beginnings of knowledge at finding the Hidden House Mafia that is surely lurking in nearly everybody's home. Rico, in the Mafia? No! Who would have thunk it? Hummmmmm. Could that explain the holes in my socks????

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my little love's sister

I don't usually say too much about Maja's sister; so, I thought I'd do a post for her. Not like, you know, she's ever going to go online and find this or anything. Mali was attacked a while back by our little brood meisterin Syria (the mommy of all the fatherless kitties).

When Syria was still with kittens she had a severe "B" complex. At that time Mali was a really laid back kitty who let all the other kitties have their way and would just walk off rather than cause any trouble. Well, Syria grabbed her butt one day and ripped out two paws full of hair. Poor Mali...she had a bald spot right beside her tail that was about the size of a quarter. Thankfully, though, the skin wasn't broken.

Syria had her offspring and has been sequestered in my would-be craft room since their arrival. During this time Syria's only son who didn't get adopted during the last free kitty spree decided to play with Mali. He got a bit rough and ripped open the exposed skin on Mali's back side. It took quite a while for this wound to heal as it was quite large and Mali is not the lazy type. Having learned that she didn't want to be any kitty's little whipping post she has taken it upon herself to make Nos's (short for Nostral, because he has a really big nose) life miserable. He is, after all, the one who truly hurt her. She has left a few scratches across his nose...but, all in all seems to live to scare the ever living crap out of him. He spends every day hiding under the couch or one of our chairs just waiting for her to leave him alone.

I know, this post was supposed to be about Mali. Well, it still is. I've said or rather typed all of this just to say that she finally knows who she is as a cat and will not allow any of the other kitties to beat her up any more. She also has found that she really likes empty laundry baskets; but, doesn't necessarily like to be pictured in them.

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My little love

I just had to make a quick post about my "little love". His name is Maja...if you're one of the two who read this then you have read about him before. He is my Bombay cat who loves eating metal and chewing on pencils. I snapped a picture of him the other night and was really shocked at how beautifully his eyes came out in the picture. Orange doesn't even begin to come close to describing their color. See for yourself in this picture :) He was a little miffed at me for taking it.

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Free Kittens

The four little additions to our family that popped out about six weeks ago are well on their way to finding new homes. It has been decided that this weekend will be the great quest to find them new accommodations. They have been in my craft room since the day they were birthed. This has made it quite difficult to complete the set up process of all of my crafty things. We did get the carpet up and the new floor down; but, the carpet in the closet is still there and crying to be torn out...well, the room is crying for it at least.

So, with that said, anybody want a free kitten?

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