Dr. Zhimin Xu of Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge has new promising research on the health benefits of black rice.

He stated, “Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants.”

Anthocyanin antioxidants are commonly found in such foods that are red, purple, or blue in color.  Such as strawberries, grapes, red onion, and more.

These antioxidants have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

The only black rice I’m familiar with is Japonica Black rice and Chinese Black rice. We usually refer to them as purple rice. And it’s best cooked as rice pudding or other desserts.

Photo from The Prepared Pantry.

My favorite black rice is from Lotus Foods - Forbidden Black Rice. Here’s more info on their black rice:

This medium-size heirloom rice is treasured for its delicious roasted nutty taste, soft texture and beautiful deep purple color. Extremely high in a class of flavonoid antioxidants called anthocyanins, Forbidden Rice® is also rich in iron and, according to Chinese herbal medicine, considered to be a blood tonifier.

This rice provides the richest nutritional value, providing a higher level of vitamins, minerals and fiber of any bran rice, as well as a comprehensive range of amino acids, proteins, vegetable fats and essential trace elements needed by the body.”

Other than the health benefits, Dr. Xu’s research also show that pigments in black rice bran can produce a variety of colors, ranging from pink to black.

Which makes it a great alternative to artificial food colorings. As studies have linked artificial colorants to health problems as well as behavioral problems in children.

These are black rice grown in Bali. Photo from Kuan Yin.

Dr. Xu said that farmers are interested in growing black rice in Louisiana. He would like to see more people in the U.S. embrace its use. And I think they should as it’s much better than eating refined breads or potatoes.

After learning about this new information, I will be including more black rice into my diet too.

I was thinking it was a fox, but exactly what type of fox I wasn’t sure.

Then M told me these are probably a desert fox due to it’s large ears. As large ears help to radiate body heat and help them keep cool.

And he’s right, they are fennec fox found in the desert of North Africa.

There are many type of desert foxes, but the cutest and smallest one of them all is fennec fox.

Fennec foxes are found in the Saharan desert. The term fennec comes from Arabic meaning fox. They live in underground sandy dens with up to ten other fennec foxes. Being nocturnal helps them stay cool when hunting at night.

It’s a luxe life for the fennec fox! Photo from Pier 1 Imports.

Some more info about fennec fox from National Geographic:

“They also have long, thick hair that insulates them during cold nights and protects them from hot sun during the day.

Even the fox’s feet are hairy, which helps them perform like snowshoes and protects them from extremely hot sand.

The fox’s feet are also effective shovels for frequent digging—fennec foxes live in underground dens.”

Like many other foxes, their fur is in high demand.

The Fennec Fox is classified as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List. It is not endangered but it’s trade has to be controlled. Humans hunt them even though they do no pose any harm, such as effecting livestock.

This is a photo of a 10 month old fennec fox. Looks like they are ready to put him up for adoption on the “exotic” animal trade.

I guess that’s better than being skinned for your fur. Although I’m sure he would prefer to run wild with other fennecs in the Sahara Desert.

Instead of wanting an exotic pet like the fennec fox, maybe find a Chihuahua (dog) or cat at your local animal shelter. They are about the same size and really need a home. I’ve seen many cats and dogs that have the same “foxy” face as fennecs. Especially if they have the cream or white color fur.

I am thinking after people see the ad from Pier 1 Imports, it would only encourage people to want them as family pets. That would be fine only if the fennec foxes are in danger and need a loving home.

Photo from Wikipedia.

In Chinese medicine, lotus root is believed to improve appetite. Lotus roots is rich in iron, vitamins B and C.

I’ve always loved eating water lotus roots prepared as desserts. Usually mixed with black beans and coconut milk.

To prepare them all you have to do is wash it well. Scrape or peel off the skin. In this case, I just scraped it off with a knife. When sliced, the little air holes make for an interesting pattern. Reminds me of honeycomb cereal.

Once it’s sliced, you want to prevent them from turning brown. Just soak the slices in water with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice.

You can eat them raw as healthy snacks. The texture of lotus root reminds me of water chestnut. They are crunchy, but a bit bland. Tossing them into a salad would be a good idea.

I turned these sliced ones into lotus root chips. I don’t have a recipe, but it’s really easy to do.

Just mix some rice flour, water, sea salt, and black pepper together in a dish. Then dip the slices into the mixture. Toss a few into the frying pan. I like to fry with either rice bran oil or grape seed oil.

I guess you can say it’s like making tempera. They were truly the best tasting tempura I’ve ever had!

Next time around I will try making steam lotus root dessert.

Many parts of the plant is edible, including the leaves, stem, and seed pods. I am still waiting for the Asian market to start selling some fresh lotus seed pods soon.

We’ve always refer to them as Japanese pumpkins. The correct name is Kabocha squash, and it’s a type of winter squash.

The Kabocha squash took only four months to start producing. The seeds came from the squash she purchased at the market. I am always surprised to find that seeds from market produce can grow just as nicely in the garden.

My mom thinks they are one of the most easy to grow pumpkins. She just loves growing pumpkins and has three varieties in her garden.

One of which is almost white in color and grew by accident. But then it became a favorite for it’s taste. Her pumpkin varieties are known to be very creamy, nutty, and sweet. And the Kabocha fits right into the list.

The inside is bright orange. All that color is good for you! It is rich in beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin B1 and B2 and more.

The outside skin is edible. It’s not as tough as other pumpkin skin and is probably really nutritious too.

In Lao dishes, it’s best added to chicken or bamboo soup. I like to eat them plain. With other pumpkins I usually have to eat with honey. But not the Kabocha!

It’s suppose to be really good as tempura. I have not tried that yet. But I think tempura anything is good! Especially tempera sweet potato.

Here’s some interesting history about how it got the name Kabocha via Wikipedia.

“The kabocha, however, was introduced to Japan by Portuguese sailors in 1541, who brought it with them from Cambodia. The Portuguese name for the pumpkin, abóbora was shortened by the Japanese to kabocha.”

I think kabocha sounds more closer to Cambodia (as the country is also referred to as Kampuchea) then abobora.

I picked these up at Trader Joe’s. Grown in the U.S.A. and only $1.79 per pound. I love finding little surprises like this at Trader Joe’s.

I soak all my fruits and vegetables in a bowl of water and vinegar. They are delicate little grapes, so you have to be gentle when handling them.

Champagne grapes are seedless and easy to eat. They are slightly crunchy and tart, but is soon replaced with intense sweetness. Even the wrinkly ones are good too. It’s like eating raisins off the vine.

Here’s some more interesting info about Champagne grapes:

Actually a variety called Zante Currant or Black Corinth, (named for the Greek city where they were grown more than 2,000 years ago), Champagne Grapes were reintroduced to the food service industry in the early 1980’s when mini-vegetables were becoming popular.” - Melissa’s Specialty Produce.

Maybe the miniature fruit craze will come back. I’ve already spotted some baby kiwis earlier this year.

Such tiny grapes that packed in sweetness! They are completely fun to eat too. I just take a small cluster and pull out the tiny grapes from the stems with my mouth. No need to pluck them out by out!

These would make great additions to salads, ice cream, or even cupcakes. But they are good eaten fresh right off the bunch.

I can imagine these would be good as frozen grapes. It would make an all natural icy dessert.

You can usually tell if it’s hp soap by the little bubbles around the surface. This is noticeable even when I made sure to fill the mold all the way with soap. Hot process soap is tricky in that sense.

Ingredients: Olive oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, palm oil, distilled water, seabuckthorn oil, rice bran oil, green tea powder, and green tea melon fragrance. Because they are half circle bars, they fit well in the palm of my hands.

The last Seabuckthorn soap I made was was nice and I added lots of good ingredients. Including red palm oil, which gave it the deep golden color.

For this version, I just kept it simple. Except I also added green tea powder. Green tea is making it’s mark in many cosmetic products due to it’s benefits to skincare.

The benefits of green tea in skincare include:

Rich in vitamins C and E.

Soothing to your skin.

Antioxidant powers protect it from unfriendly environmental factors and free radicals.

I’ve been using the Seabuckthorn & Green Tea as facial soap (as well as the jasmine soap too). I have so many different types of soap, I just switch back and forth every couple of days.

So far, so good!

I like all things Sea Buckthorn as it is known to help improve skin condition, especially with dryness and wrinkles. It also leaves your skin feeling very pampered and moisturized too.

At least nine people in California and Nevada fell ill with typhoid fever. An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed a link between an ongoing attack of Salmonella typhi infections and the frozen mamey fruit pulp products.

These are fresh mamey sold at markets throughout the tropics. Photo from flickr.

Mamey is a popular fruit in tropical countries. They are also known as sapote. People would make juices or smoothies with mamey.

I didn’t even know they have frozen mamey pulp for sale in the U.S. The only mamey I’ve had are made into ice cream by a local company. Lucky I didn’t get sick from eating them. From now on, I’ll have to be extra careful about eating imported tropical fruits.

The mamey are sold under the brands The La Nuestra of Montalvan Sales Inc. in Ontario, California and the Goya brand by Goya Foods Inc. of Secaucus, N.J. Both companies have voluntarily recalled the product. The mamey comes from the same supplier in Guatemala.

The FDA is working with CDC and state partners to investigate the outbreak. The FDA continues to take samples of imported frozen mamey pulp at the borders to prevent contaminated product from entering the United States.

Symptoms of Typhoid fever from Mayo Clinic:

Although children with typhoid fever sometimes become sick suddenly, signs and symptoms are more likely to develop gradually — often appearing one to three weeks after exposure to the disease.

First week of illness. Once signs and symptoms do appear, you’re likely to experience:

* Fever, often as high as 103 or 104 F (39.4 or 40 C)
* Headache
* Weakness and fatigue
* Sore throat
* Abdominal pain
* Diarrhea or constipation
* Rash

It is scary to think of eating things raw these days. Unless you wash and cook it well. And I don’t know how the “raw food” people do it.

Even with the frozen sapotes (imported from Vietnam), I wash them well with hot water. And occasionally steam blast them too. All this before eating it.

More info:

Both the Goya and La Nuestra products are sold frozen. The Goya product is sold in 14-ounce packages in retail stores nationwide. All production lot codes are being recalled. The UPC is 041331090803.

The La Nuestra brand mamey pulp comes in a 14-ounce plastic package. All lot numbers are affected by this recall; however, packages produced prior to May 2009 are not identified with a lot number and are subject to this recall as well. The UPC is 7-56869-10008-4. - The Medical News.

Note: This outbreak of Salmonella Typhi is not related to the current outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis linked to eggs in their shells.

Just a few months ago when I got a gold crown to fix a damaged tooth, it cost me about $600. And that’s with dental insurance. The price they quoted without dental insurance would be $900.

But just step across the border to Mexico at a DentiCenter office and the cost is $250. That’s a huge price difference!

DentiCenter is a small but growing chain of full-service dental centers sitting along the U.S. border of California, Arizona and Texas. The 6 offices are located in Mexico but 97% of its patients come from the U.S.

Vacation in Baja and vist the dentist too. Photo from The Travelers Journal.

I would probably go to the office in Baja, Mexico and visit the beautiful beaches and cove. Then it wouldn’t be so bad to visit the dentist, as long as you get a short vacation out of it.

The idea of traveling abroad for medical care is becoming common. There are even medical tourism companies that cater to just that idea. Especially in Thailand and India.

DentiCenter is one that caters to dental care. The center is founded by Dr. Juan Eng, a USC-trained periodontist from the Baja peninsula. They have been in business for 20 years now. DentiCenter’s services includes free transportation for all patients a convenient shuttle to and from the Mexico-U.S. border.

DentiCenter has many things going for it. As noted by CNNMoney.com:

To attract American clients, Eng set out to make his practice mirror their experience in the U.S. His office in Tijuana, just a few hundred yards from the San Ysidro border at the edge of San Diego, is modern and immaculately clean, with nine bright, comfortable exam rooms. It looks and feels like a typical U.S. dental office — except that the staff is Mexican and bilingual.

Dr. Eng is able to charge less by bringing in many of the services in-house such as manufacturing (crowns, bridges, veneers and dentures). They also process claims as well as run their own pharmacy.

To further save money, DentiCenter’s specialists earn about 1/3 of what U.S. dentist net (which according to the American Dental Association is about $200K annually).

Analyst believe business like DentiCenter will be good as the demand for low cost dental care is growing. Of course we wouldn’t have to travel to Mexico, if dentists in the U.S. could just charge less. I’m sure they would still do fine.

News Source CNNMoney.com

Micke Grove Zoo is located in Lodi, just next to Stockton. It’s a small friendly town surrounded by vineyards. Ripe grapes were hanging left and right. And it looked like they were about to be harvested soon. I usually think of Napa Valley when I think of vineyards. But Lodi has some nice vineyards of their own too.

The last time we visited the place there was a lonely seal swimming in a pool. The swimming pool is gone and the seal has been replaced by lorikeets. They are pretty birds, but made so much noise.

I spotted these two Lorikeets enjoying a bath. Must be nice to enjoy a bird bath without having to worry about predators (such as cats!).

One lorikeet enjoys hanging out on M’s back. I think he likes the red trimming on the shirt - matching fashion move.

After all the noise with the lorikeets, it was nice to find a quiet place near the bamboos.

My favorite zoo animal is the Chilean Pudu. Here is one Pudu with little horns on his head. They are the world’s smallest deers. And very cute! I remember seeing them on PBS Nature episode about the Andes Mountain.

We ended our day at the zoo by stopping at the rose garden. Most of all, I was glad it was very cool and breezy for an August zoo day.

For people with children, they also have “Fun Town” with rides just like at the fair.

This sign was at the entrance of Fun Town. Sorry, no pets allowed!

In June of 2008, hybrid car manufactures such as Toyota and Honda started to lower the prices of the car’s replacement batteries.

2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. Image from Wiki Commons.

For Honda, the cost of its batteries went from $3,400 (excluding installation) to as low as $1,968 on an Insight. And as high as $2,440 on an Accord hybrid. Toyota also reduce their battery prices, which is at $3,000 (excluding installation), down from $5,500 on the original Prius.

That would seem to be good news to many hybrid owners that will need to replace their batteries soon. That was two years ago.

But now there is another issue with the battery. The LA Times reported recently in August that Honda mailed out letters to more than 100,000 owners of 2006, 2007 and 2008 Civics in the U.S. and Canada. The letter stated the batteries “may deteriorate and eventually fail” earlier then expected. The company states a software fix would solve the problem.

Some Honda Civic hybrid owners got the software update for the car’s computer and noticed something was wrong. The update instead hindered the car’s gas mileage and acceleration. It basically turned their Civic hybrid into a regular Civic and not pulling in the extra mileage.

And now the California Air Resources Board is looking into Honda’s software update to see it it violates any vehicle emissions.

This does not look good for Honda. And many customers say they prefer a replacement of new batteries as their car is still under warranty. The dealership and Honda may see that as spending more money. But if they want to remain a reputable company, they may have to do just that.

I do hope Honda does the right thing and fix their problems. They are a good company and one of the first car companies to think green.

And Toyota is not far behind in making a green revolution with their Prius. The more green cars out there, the better!