The rainy season missed the Central Coast this year. We'll see what it will do to yields and prices. I have been fortunate to find fresh berries at the Farmers Markets, or gifts from friends and neighbors. This year I planted a blueberry and raspberry vine in the backyard. The lettuce seeds are providing leaves for small side salads and 2 of my 3 tomato plants survived. 

We have been eating the sweetest oranges for the past month and should have them for a few more months. The fig tree has new leaves and in 2015 it provided the first fruit (all of 2) and last year a few more. It is so interesting how the fruit grows at the end of the branch. It is a miniature fig. I like figs but two people can't eat that much fruit. I am blessed that my fruit trees don't all ripen at once. The stone fruit in June-July and the Apple in Sept-Oct. 

I think this small garden will survive some short trips as we like so many others are ready to venture out of town this year. 

No recipes today as I hope you trust yourselves to combine ingredients for new food experiences without lots of fuzzy directions. I am always surprised when asked for recipes for foods that seem to be internal combinations. Or I just spent so much time in the kitchen with my grandmothers that their steps and actions became emblazoned on my memory. I did make Easter Bread last week. Mine is my regular yeast bread recipe with additional butter (1/2 cup) and eggs (4) and instead of water I use milk. Add 1 cup  combination of fruit cake fruit diced and white raisins plus 1/2 cup slivered almonds, almond extract. We eat it warm with butter, hard boiled Easter eggs and coffee. A light breakfast before our main meal of either Salmon or Lamb. This year it was Lamb Kabobs made by my friend Irene. 

​Buen Provecho!

Accidentally posted this under food safety.... Cross posting health and safety. 

​What would happen if you treated your body as well as you do your car?
 
If you cared for your car like you care for yourself, what type of miles per gallon would you get? Or, would your auto move at all? Take this 10-question CAR CARE TEST and then compare the human equivalent (HEQ) for your body.

1. Do you recharge your car’s battery if it runs low?

HEQ: Do you get enough sleep?

1. Do you refill your car’s gas tank when it is empty?

HEQ: Do you eat meals/snacks at regularly-spaced times throughout the day?

       3.  Do you use the right type of fuel for your car?
HEQ: Do you eat the right variety of foods from each food group?

4.   Do you make sure your car’s radiator has enough water?
HEQ: Do you drink about 8 cups of liquid a day – mostly from water, juice and milk?

      5.   Do you read the owner’s manual to get the best performance from your car?
HEQ: Do you take advantage of opportunities to learn more about healthy eating and other healthy lifestyle choices since we did not come with a manual? Check out this blog and the monthly zoom meeting  otherswww.choosemyplate.gov, www.eatright.org, 

6.Do you clean your car’s body so it doesn’t rust out?
HEQ: Do you brush and floss your teeth daily?

7.Do you limit your passengers to a number your car’s structure can handle?
HEQ: Do you keep you weight at a healthy level?

8.If smoke poured from your car, would it concern you?
HEQ: Do YOU smoke?

9.Do you give your car regular tune-ups?
HEQ: Do you participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity most days?

10.Do you keep proper pressure in your tires?
HEQ: Do you keep your stress at a healthy level?
 
Sometimes there seem to be a lot of similarities between our cars and our bodies. There are, however, two major differences:

1. It’s easier to replace damaged parts on our cars.
2. We can trade our cars in for a newer model every few years. We have to live with our bodies forever.

Perhaps, after reading this, you feel it’s time for a tune-up to get back on track. Start your engine, rev up your motor and begin caring for your body as carefully as you do your car!
 
source was www.ianr.unl.edu/ianr/lanco/family/ftmar00.htm and is no longer available online. New info on health from this organization is found at https://food.unl.edu/
Revised and brought to you by Dr. Elsa Ramirez-Brisson at Food FUNdamentals
 
           

Warmer days and more time outside! My favorite place to eat is out doors. This quick note especially for folks in warmer areas is to keep cold foods below 40  F and hot foods above 135  F.  These temps allow food to remain without ice or heat for 4 hours if the ambient temperature is below 70 degrees F once the temperatures go above 70 degrees caution is very important and ice and heat should be used. Last thing we want to happen is to spend the week after a fun outing or dinner al fresco with food poisoning.  Foods with acidic ingredients such as lemons, oranges, vinegar and others can provide some protection. 

Always transport food to outing in insulated containers and don't leave in your vehicle. Cook what you are going to eat and don't stack up large piles of cooked foods to the side of a grill, remember bacteria are much tougher than we are  and many can survive with (Aerobic) or without oxygen (Anaerobic) and they can be deadly especially for young children, pregnant women, older individuals as well as persons with immune compromised conditions.
Add a food thermometer to your picnic basket and don't let anyone tease you, they may thank you some day! Oops I need to pack them more often as well!
 

​

Food Safety is 24/7 and 365 days a year a responsibility for everyone at home, at work and at play.  The link on the bottom is  a great resource  all year and especially now as we are slowly returnng to more activities after the longest year on earth!

Prayers and good thoughts to all the families and friends of all the persons who lost their lives to COVID-19

Remembeer the most important food safety activity is
WASH YOUR HANDS AND STAY HOME WHEN YOU ARE SICK! At Food FUNdmentals we will continue using masks, max ventilation, and only 2 students per testing session. 

FOOD FUNDAMENTALS NEXT POST WILL BE A LINK FOR A FREE HOME FOOD SAFETY COURSE LINK.

This blog is dedicated to frequent questions from students and professionals about how to translate the retail food safety rules to non-commercial locations. Actually the food code is great and I use it in all aspects of my life. The realilty is that home appliances and our homes are not as tough or water tight as a professional kitchen. 

I would say that the most common question I get is how long can I keep .......? It will take several posts to cover this topic because we have the safety issue and then there is the quality and aesthetic issues. To get you started visit this web site on Home Food Safety: http://www.eatright.org/HFS%20Downloads and kids love this site! ​http://www.fightbac.org/