Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 134, Number 32, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 6 August 2015 — Page 4

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Advance News • Thursday, August 6, 2015

Skunked out: the black and white truth

You may remember several weeks back when I mentioned I was walking one dog on a leash in the front yard while the other three had the run of the fenced-in back yard. That's because Duncan, the rescue collie, was convinced there was something living under the phed and instead of tending to his business all he did was circle the shed barking like crazy until I finally called him in. Ten minutes later he'd be clawing me, because he still had to take care of doggy matters that he hadn't attended to. He'd then circle the shed barking like a fool until he came back in and ten minutes later he would... You get it. Well, now I'll be walking all four dogs on leashes in the front yard for a few days until the dust settles. Or the smell. The other night Toby, the other collie, and I were watching TV downstairs by ourselves while my wife Jennie and three dogs (did I mention we're dog-sitting our daughter'^

Thinking about health: the calories in your sandwich

by Trldy Lieberman ' Rural Health News Not long ago my husband showed up with a sandwich for lunch that he bought at a local supermarket. I thought it was going to be our usual: turkey and provolone with lettuce on a hard roll, always plenty for both of us. At $6.50, how could you go wrong? The sandwich now cost $9.50 and was piled high with turkey and cheese on a roll that was much bigger than what we were used to. In short, it was awful—enough meat and cheese for four people on squishy bread that tasted more like a morning sweet roll. But the bigger serving probably looked like a good deal to a lot of people who thought only about size relative to cost and nothing about size or cost relative to calories. After surgery on the sandwich, the two of us ate some of it and saved slices of the meat and cheese for later. My guess is most buyers would have eaten the whole thing believing they were getting great value for the money. Maybe they were, but they were also getting at least half the calories most of them needed for the day. Take the calories we consume at breakfast and dinner plus a bunch of Cokes and other sweet drinks we sip through the day, and that sandwich likely would put people well over their ideal daily caloric intake. Too many calories leads to obesity and serious health

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wmmmmmmmmmmmm U County Road Seven By Frank Ramirez

dog while she travels?) went to bed at a normal hour. Toby and I were watching my blu-ray of the third season of Sherlock, the BBC snow about Sherlock Holmes, the one where Watson gets married. I'd seen the episode in question only eight or nine times. Anyway, the two of us staggered upstairs from the basement, and Toby asked to go out. I let him. I grabbed some trash in the kitchen and took it out to the garage. Just a few seconds later I heard a strange, strangled bark, turned on the light, and looked out into backyard. Wha-? Toby was lying flat on his stomach, his

complications. The picture isn't pretty. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese and more than one-third are obese. If we connect the dots, we see more and more of this mon-ey-for-value proposition in the foods we buy away from home, which prompts us to consume more calories than we need. An average American eats about one-quarter of his or her calories from chain restaurants, says Margo Wootan, the national nutrition director for the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest. Think about how many times you want a Coke in the afternoon. I do, but I won't pay for a 16 or 20-ounce soda. It's way more than I can drink, and for me a waste of calories at any price. But if it seems like we're getting more for less money, people will probably drink more. Would our collective behavior change if the food we eat outside our kitchens came with calorie labels that clued us in om what exactly we were consuming? The Affordable Care Act called for supermarkets, movie theaters, convenience stores and restaurant chains with more than 20 outlets to post the calories for the items they sell. The Food and Drug Administration issued regulations late last year, but the final rules have been delayed until the end of 2016. In the meantime, several localities like New York City and Philadelphia now require calorie labeling. What prompted me to take a second look at what seems a sensible public health measure was a post I read recently on

Microwave blanching to preserve garden harvest

I am writing this at the end of another incredible Elkhart 4*FF r tfair) we are so'bYessed with cotnmunity participation and support. I have had several wonderful conversations with many of you and answered many food preservation questions. I know that gardens are working overtime now that they have had the warmth from the sun. When it comes to food preservation one of the fastest ways to preserve is freezing. I have learned and practiced using the microwave to not only blanch vegetables but to steam or cook them. When freezing vegetables, you need to blanch them to stop or inactivate the enzymes and to preserve the vitamin and mineral content of vegetables stored in the freezer. When vegetables are not blanched, they become tough, lose their food value, change to an unattractive color, and are just not tasty. If you are a gardener or have access to vegetables, plan to harvest young tender vegetables as they reach their peak of flavor rather than trying to preserve the whole crop at one time. Even for those of you who go to

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head in an odd position. Then he staggered up and walked to the door. I let him in. It was immediately obvious what had happened. Toby got skunked. Hmmm. So what do you think? Maybe Duncan was right about something living under the shed. I didn't have to calT Jennie to help. She could smell it. We put Toby in the tub, found the special shampoo, and got him good and washed. I started spraying the house with the special spray solution anywhere I thought Toby might have walked from the door to the tub. I then rushed the other three dogs to their kennels (normally they sleep around the house), and soon Toby joined them, wet and not stinking. But wet. I said wet, and there's nothing like the smell of wet dog. Although skunk is worse any old day. Then I got to laying out bowls of vinegar to absorb the background haze of skunk, while Jennie brought vinegar in a pot to a

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rtKKf ana Nutrition By Mary Ann Lienhart Cross

the u-pick market or purchase large quantities to freeze, the microwave is the answer when it comes to blanching. I encourage you to work with the specific amounts that I suggest. If you have several batches to blanch, microwave the first while you clean and trim the second. Your kitchen will still be cool and the small batches will be more uniform and easier to handle than a steamy kettle full of hot water for blanching the conventional way. Start by cleaning the vegetables thoroughly. Let the vegetables soak in cold water for a few minutes. Plan to add some table salt to the water so any critters that may be hiding in the vegetables will crawl out and surface. Cut the vegetables into small, uniformly-sized pieces. If possible, slice in one-inch lengths or cut or break into flowerets. Place pieces in casserole dish with sug-

gested amount of water, and cover. Microwave on HIGH following the times in the remainder of my column until vegetables are

boil. Soon it smelled like Easter. Or at least Easter the way I remembered it You know - when you put those coloring pellets in the boiling vinegar so you could decorate the eggs? Actually, I still don't know if that's a skunk living under our shed or what, and I'm not going to stick my nose down there to check. When Toby got skunked Jennie let him sleep it off in his kennel and then he got the run of the house like normal. If I got skunked I might have to sleep outdoors on the porch! Anyway, here's a little poem. The chips fall in place and kerplunk! This thing's not as hard as we thunk. Like a bad horror feature Just bark at this creature And spraaaaay! You've been stunked by a skunk! Frank Ramirez is the Senior Pastor of the Union Center Church of the Brethren.

the blog of the Incidental Economist where Aaron Carroll, one of the editors-in-chief and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Indiana, argued that a systematic review of all the studies done in the few localities where labeling exists showed "Although current evidence does not support a significant impact on calories ordered," labeling is a "relatively low-cost education strategy that may lead consumers to purchase slightly fewer calories." I phoned Wootan, who said the studies and the conclusions were based on very small numbers of participants. Dietary changes can make a big difference. "The whole obesity epidemic can be explained by 100 to 150 calories more than people need on average per day," she said. It boils down to choices like the one we made not to eat the overstuffed sandwich at one sitting. My neighborhood Chipotle says a burrito could have 450 calories or 1,025 depending on what you put on it. The order taker said salsas had fewer calories than cheese and sour cream. Chicken, she said, was the most popular meat. Apparently customers believe that calorie-wise it's better to eat chicken than the beef or pork options. But chicken with sour cream and cheese could pack more of a caloric hit than pork camitas with salsa. That's why calorie labeling is an important step toward sensible eating and better health.

vibrant in color, or pliable but crisp. /■.lfaxt, pluqge vegetables immediately into ic3 cofd water to coot completely. This stops further cooking; then drain thoroughly. This is a great place to use a clean kitchen towel to absorb all the moisture. For large quantities, you might want to choose the loose-pack method. For this, spread the pieces on a baking sheet with sides, and freeze. Once the pieces are frozen solid, pack in bags or boxes and seal. Pack small amounts tightly into freezer bags, boxes or pouches, leaving half-inch airspace at the top of the package and seal. Remember to label plainly with the name of vegetable and date. Frozen blanched vegetables will keep best for 9 to 12 months at zero degrees. For yellow or green beans, work with one pound, which is about four cups. Cut or break into 1" or 2" pieces. In a 2-quart covered casserole dish, add 1/4 cup water and beans. Microwave on HIGH 2-1 /2 to 3-1 /2 minutes, stirring twice during the cooking process. -> For broccoli, cut 1 bunch into 1" pieces. Place in a 2-quart covered microwave safe casserole dish with 1/2 cup water and heat on HIGH for 3 to 5 minutes. Brussels sprouts can be placed in a 2 quart covered,casserole with 1 cup water and cooked on HIGH for 4-5 minutes, stirring once. For an information sheet on how to blanch in the microwave visit our office website at www.extension.purdue.edu / elkhart.

The Wakarusa Chamber of Commerce invites you to celebrate the start of

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Join us for a NoxifaWood Ice Cream Social

August 10 at 7 p.m. in Wakarusa Town Square

Meet the team, staff and the state finalist band, The Red Regiment, as well as the state finalist cheerleaders. Come out and enjoy free ice cream and cookies as we all show our community support and get ready for an exciting fall season. In case of inclement weather, we will meet in the North Wood Middle School gym. If you have any questions, you may call Dr. Abd atß62-2504.

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