When I found out that potatoes are loaded with pesticides, I have resorted to eating only organic potatoes now. Because potatoes are root vegetables, they soak in more chemicals then other produce. Over 40 toxic pesticides are used on potatoes and most of these pesticides are linked to chronic side effects such as cancer, disruption in endocrine and reproductive system.
Conventional potatoes can be really cheap at maybe a few dollars for a 5 pound bag. So when I saw these organic potatoes at Raley’s (Nob Hill) for only $3.50 per bag, it was a bargain. I usually get my organic potatoes from Trader Joe’s, but even their russet potatoes were at $4 per bag.
The best thing of all is that these potatoes taste so much better then Trader Joe’s variety. The bag stated “russet potatoes”, but it was much smaller and the skin was lighter too. Almost reminded me of those Yukon Gold potatoes. The skin was also very thin and not that bad to eat either.
These potatoes are almost sweet and has just the right texture. I usually steam my potatoes to make salad. Tuna, chicken or beans is a good addition to potato salad. I also like to add them to Thai curry, bean soups, or baked with Italian herbs. Or just steam and eat with Dijon mustard. It’s a much healthier snack then potato chips!
Back in 2008, I voted for Prop 1A in California’s ballot. It was for building a high speed rail in California. The proposition would authorizing $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for building a high speed rail project.
The years went by and I have not heard anything more of it. But now it was recently reported that California will receive $2.25 billion in federal economic stimulus funds to develop a high-speed rail line.
The high speed train will run from Anaheim to San Francisco. The projected cost is about $42 billion and trains would be traveling with speeds up to 450 miles in no more than 2 hours, 40 minutes. Other extensions to San Diego and Sacramento are planned.
This is what the train will look like. I wish the color combination was different. Maybe silver and white. Photo from Wired magazine.
There will also be 13 other rail corridors planned which includes a Midwest line from Chicago to St. Louis. And also one in Florida running from Tampa to Orlando. What I want is a rail train that runs from Miami to Washington, D.C. I think high speed rail would be great for commuters and other travelers too.
I can imagine this would make traveling much easier for many people. Especially for the tourist who want to visit California. Imagine visiting the beaches of San Diego in the morning and then crossing the Golden Gate by evening. The only thing I have to get used to is not being able to see the beautiful scenery California has to offer. From the valley and farmlands to the coastal view. And at this fast speed, it’ll would seem like life is just passing by in an instant.
I saw this documentary “Food, Inc” a while back and couldn’t really get it out of my mind. Directed by Robert Kenner and narrated by Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser.
When we walk in our supermarket aisle, we rarely think about where and how the food got here. But his film will make you think twice. Beware, there are scenes with factory farm cows that is very disturbing. But it does make you not want to eat another hamburger again.
This film explores the corporate side of farming in the U.S. They mention Monsanto and their need to genetically modify seeds (soybean and more).
Monsanto have now increased their seed prices and many farmers are not happy. Now the Obama administration is looking into it. the New York Times reported recently, “The Justice Department began an antitrust investigation of the seed industry last year, with an apparent focus on Monsanto, which controls much of the market for the expensive bioengineered traits that make crops resistant to insect pests and herbicides.”
Monsanto isn’t just doing this in the U.S. but abroad too. They even want small farmers in South America and Mexico to use and rely on their seeds. And the villagers can’t win this battle, as the corn become cross pollinated and eventually end up as part of Monsanto’s GMO plant.
A great idea is to plant heirloom variety seeds saved by gardeners. My mom usually gets her seeds from other gardening friends. Especially seeds for eggplants and hot chili pepper. Seeds of Change is another great place to get organic non-GMO seeds.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I didn’t wear much green, except for my fabric floral headband that had some green (maybe turquoise) in it. So no pitching me here.
One of my favorite childhood memories was spent looking for four-leaf clovers on sunny afternoons with friends. And I usually ended up finding the most. It was probably because others gave up after a while, so the patches of clover was all for me. Sometimes I would even find 5 leaf clovers too.
These were the same type of clovers I remember as a child. Double the four leaf clover is double the luck! Photo from flickr
So what do the leaves symbolize?
Each leaf is for FAITH, HOPE, LOVE and LUCK!
And if you find a 5 leaf clover, the superstition is extra good luck and attracting money.
I really never gave too much thought to the symbolism of the four leaf clover. Besides childhood fun and also seeing who would be the first to find the good luck clover. And being a kid, having good luck meant finding a quarter on the side walk. Which then meant buying and sharing 10 cent boxes of candies.
But at this age, I don’t think I’ll have much patience for finding any 4 leaf clover. It’s probably because I would be more interested in pulling weeds instead.
Here is more info on the story behind the 4 leaf clover:
“In Irish tradition the Shamrock or 3-leaf Clover represents the Holy Trinity: one leaf for the Father, one for the Son and one for the Holy Spirit. When a Shamrock is found with the fourth leaf, it represents God’s Grace.
Just a few days of sunshine and we’re already eating popsicles out here in California. But these are not ordinary fruit bars, they are made from superfruits such as acai, blueberry and pomegranate.
Dreyer’s new fruit bars are made with real fruit and are a great source of antioxidants which helps fight free radicals. Superfruits have been hitting the market for years. They include fruits that are high in vitamin C and are consider to be antioxidants. It’s rare to see them made into popsicles, when they are usually sold as health supplements or juices.
These fruit bars don’t just sound good, but are good for you! It is sweet, but is also tart and tangy too. I especially prefer the acai and blueberry over the pomegranate. I assume you can whip up some of these fruit bars yourself if you can get your hands on some acai berries.
Grow Your Own Drugs: Easy Recipes for Natural Remedies and Beauty Fixes by James Wong.
In his book, James share many homemade and economical recipes for both health and beauty fixes.
James Wong likes to think of herbs as your very own pharmacy (although few would think this). As mentioned by Wong from The Times Online:
“The problem, Wong believes, is that there’s a big cultural dividing line between conventional medicine, which is thought of as effective, proven and serious, and herbal medicine, which has the reputation of being a bit flaky.”
James also goes to explain that up to 50 per cent of over-the-counter medicines are based on chemicals that are extracted from plants. Aspirin, though now synthetic, was originally derived from willow, meadowsweet and the shrub spirea. Morphine-based painkillers are based on opium from poppies. And the birth control pill was originally isolated from the Mexican wild yam. The World Health Organization estimates that 80 per cent of the world’s population still rely on plant-based medicine as their way of health care.
Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda is also gaining more popularity in the west as more people look into alternative therapy.
Vines are some of my favorite plants, and if the vines have beautiful fragrant flowers and edible fruits, then it’s even better.
Schisandra or Chinese magnolia vine is a twining climber plant with both. The plant is native to the Russian far east and northern China. It is similar in appearance to a clematis and can easily grow 10 to 20 feet in a season.
The leaves have been described to be slightly heart shaped with a citrus lemon scent. The fragrant white flowers appear in spring and by autumn produce bright clusters of red fruits. The leaves also turn a beautiful yellow in the fall.
These bright red berries remind me coffee berries and grapes at the same time. I would love to try growing one of these vines. They could start to bear fruit in 3 years. Photo from Fair Life.
Backyard Gardener’s website listed the following requirements for successful planting.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 to 9
Light Range: Part Shade to Full Sun
pH Range: 5.5 to 6.5
Soil Range: Sandy Loam to Clay Loam
Water Range: Normal to Moist
Since I am in Zone 9, this plant would do well. I mainly want to harvest them for the berries. As the dried berries are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Sea buckthorn sounds more like a sea creature. But it’s really a beneficial plant originating from the mountainous regions of Russia and China. It is a winter hardy, deciduous shrub with bright orange berries. The plant is mature for harvesting purposes at 4-5 years.
This branch is brimming with berries. Photo from Z Natural Foods. They are also known as Seaberry, Siberian pineapple, or Alpine Sandthorn.
Sea buckthorn oil and powder is commonly used in skincare and soaps. It can also be taken internally as herbal medicine. The oil is full of are vitamins A (derived from -carotene), vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (-tocopherol). If taken internally, it is full of antioxidants and is good for your intestinal tract too.
Sea buckthorn oil is mainly used to promote the healing of skin such as burns and eczema. It also helps improve skin condition, especially with dryness and wrinkles. Sea buckthorn oil reminds me of other good oils such as Rose hip and carrot seed oil.
Last summer I saw real sea buckthorn bush at the International Fruit Orchard. I don’t remember if there was any fruit at all. Next time I visit, I will have to take a photo of it and try sampling some of the berries.
ln Europe the fruit is made into sauces or jellies and as a base of liqueurs. The juice is sour and has an orange passionfruit like flavor when sweetened. Blended with other fruits, or by itself, it makes a delicious juice. It is also used widely in Europe and Asia as a healing oil and for other medicinal purposes. - Raintree Nursery
They are suppose to grow well on fairly bad or sandy soil. If possible, I would like to grow some of these at my mom’s backyard garden too. Across much of northern China, and in other countries, it is grown to prevent soil erosion. And it is also used in food and medical preparations.
Sasktchewan, Canada also has cultivated sea buckthorn that was originally brought over from from Siberia in the 1930s. Sea buckthorn oil from Saskatchewan yields a high quality product.
Regular facial soaps have been known to be drying and harsh, but not when you add skin loving botanical ingredients. In addition to the naturally occurring gylcerin in each handmade soap, there is also rich shea butter, grounded rose hip and colloidal oatmeal.
All these ingredients are a “dream” in natural skincare. The rose hip powder is full of Vitamin C and carotene. Oatmeal naturally helps soothe and relieve minor skin irritations. Both the rose hip and oatmeal are finely grounded and makes for a smooth bar with gentle exfoliation. In addition, the shea butter helps with extra skin moisturizing qualities.
Pure shea butter has been known to help with fading scars, treating eczema and psoriasis. Dry lips and skin also benefit from the application of shea butter. And it also help deal with stretch marks and uneven skin tone as well. This list really goes on and on.
The rose shea dream facial soap is scented with rose fragrance, to remind you of a stroll in a blooming summer rose garden.
Ingredients: Oils of olive, palm, safflower, coconut, Shea butter, rice bran and grapeseed oil. Distilled water, sodium hydroxide, rosehip powder, colloidal oatmeal, and rose garden fragrance oil.
In his book, James share many homemade and economical recipes for both health and beauty fixes.
The leaves have been described to be slightly heart shaped with a citrus lemon scent. The fragrant white flowers appear in spring and by autumn produce bright clusters of red fruits. The leaves also turn a beautiful yellow in the fall.
This branch is brimming with berries. Photo from
Pure shea butter has been known to help with fading scars, treating eczema and psoriasis. Dry lips and skin also benefit from the application of shea butter. And it also help deal with stretch marks and uneven skin tone as well. This list really goes on and on.