Truffula Tuft

Death by Fruit, a Halloween Poem

 

Death by Fruit

Kay Ryan

Only the crudest
of the vanitas set
ever thought you had to get
a skull into the picture
whether you needed
its tallowy color
near the grapes or not.
Others, stopping to consider
shapes and textures,
often discovered that
eggs or aubergines
went better, or leeks,
or a plate of string beans.
A skull is so dominant.
It takes so much
bunched up drapery,
such a ponderous
display of ornate cutlery,
just to make it less prominent.
The greatest masters
preferred the subtlest vanitas,
modestly trusting to fruit baskets
to whisper ashes to ashes,
relying on the poignant exactness
of oranges to release
like a citrus mist
the always fresh fact
of how hard we resist
how briefly we’re pleased.

How hard we resist, how briefly we're pleased. Hmm, that resonates.

I'm feeling gratitude for the trees I pass on my walk to work each day, changing their colors. They remind me that nothing is static and to appreciate this particular shade of golden yellow right now.

peace (don't eat too much candy!),
Jen

BPA in Your Beans

Mother Earth News had an eye-opening article this summer about the dangers of BPA  leaching into food and water. After researching it more I've stopped buying canned foods and you might want to consider doing the same.

Apparently the lining in most cans of food is a BPA based epoxy. This chemical has been linked to all kinds of health problems because it mimics the action of natural estrogen. Foreign estrogens (also known as xenoestrogens) can upset normal hormonal balance, stimulate the growth and development of reproductive tumors (breast, uterine, prostate), impair fertility, and disrupt pregnancy. It can cross the placenta to affect the fetus and get into breast milk. It has also been linked to hyperactivity in kids.

BPA is also found in many drinking containers (including SIGG bottles, more about this at the bottom of this post), bottle caps, plastic cutlery, plastic food storage containers, toys, dental sealants, some dental composites, water pipes, eyeglass lenses, and more. It is also in printer ink, newspapers and carbonless receipts. Most recycled paper contains BPA, including paper towels and paper used to contain food.

COCA COLA is not only defending BPA as safe but is lobbying and publicizing it's safety to prevent regulations restricting it's use.  And we believe that right?

Are you thinking "Oh hell, how am I going to make dinner without canned beans and tomato sauce? Is this one more thing I’m going to have to cook from scratch in all my copious amounts of free time?"?

Or "I'm trying to be healthy and drink more water but now my fancy expensive water bottle is poisoning me too?"

The Environmental Working Group tested 97 canned foods and found detectable levels of BPA in more than half of them. The highest concentrations were in canned meats, pasta and soups.

In September I wrote to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Eden Foods, Muir Glen, Amy's and EarthFare, asking if they had BPA in their cans. All but one (Eden Foods) replied that, yes, they did have BPA lined cans (Earthfare did not respond). Eden Food's beans do not have BPA in the cans, but their other products do.

Organic Grace has a list of several health food companies and their record on BPA in their cans. There are a few more starting to pop up with BPA free cans. Consumer pressure will really work here so I invite you to take action.

ACTION
Write to the companies that make the canned foods you usually buy and tell them you are concerned about BPA. Here are some contacts:
Amy's 
Whole Foods
Muir Glen 

Sample letter - copy or adapt freely:

Dear __________
There is an alarming article in the last issue of Mother Earth News, and another I just read from the Organic Consumers Association about high levels of BPA in canned foods. BPA is known to cause cancer and infertility and to disrupt pregnancy. I am very concerned about this. I have chosen your products in the past because of their healthy content but I will not buy canned foods from your company again until the BPA is taken out of the cans. Eden Foods has apparently found a way to can their beans without BPA. Perhaps you should follow their lead.
Sincerely, __________

WATER BOTTLES

I'm all for reusing things, but It's a good idea to discard water bottles that are scratched or clouded because most have BPA in them. SIGG is exchanging bottles purchased before August 2008 for new BPA free bottles. Details here. You must send yours back before 10/31/09.

peace,
Jennifer

Dawn Smith vs. CIGNA

Four years ago, Dawn Smith was diagnosed with a rare, but treatable brain tumor. CIGNA denied her

treatment for more than two years.

 

MoveOn.org took

up her cause and deluged them with calls and emails. Now they're changing their tune but still have never offered any explanation for all the previous denials or a guarantee that they'll approve the next step in her treatment.

Dawn came to Asheville on Saturday to tell her story. I didn't get to hear her but I wish I had. She set out from Atlanta five days ago for CIGNA's headquarters in Philadelphia to publicize her case. She's told her story in living rooms, coffee shops, and yesterday in front of a thousand-member congregation. She's sharing her journey on her blog  It Could Happen to Anyone.

MoveOn has created a petition to support Dawn and the many others like her that have been abused by big insurance companies. You can sign here

Read the blog and leave her a message of support. CIGNA was willing to reverse course when their actions were made public. Does that mean every person in a battle to get the health care they paid for has to have a blog and a speaking tour to get it?

Lots of opportunities for taking action on Health Care reform can be found at Universal Health Care ActionNetwork (a clearing house for many organization)

My preference is for a Single Payer plan. Learn more here

peace,
Jen

Basil and Sunflowers

 
Been extra busy. The garden is literally going to seed. I need to start collecting it for next year.

Can't keep up these days. But here are a few pics from recent weeks.

We had a pesto making party with the bountiful community garden basil. We processed armloads of it, as Susan demonstrates.

 

We pulled off the leaves and rinsed them, then chopped them up with garlic, nuts, lots of olive oil and salt. Had two food processors going.

Discovered that half pine nuts and half walnuts gave the best taste (IMHO).
Altogether we made 22 quart size ziplock bags full. Shared it with 10 families. I put several bags in the freezer. We've been eating it on everything.  

  

We had a small forest of giant sunflowers in the front garden this summer. They got to be 7' tall and made me smile everytime I saw them.

They have been tipping over lately as the seeds get bigger and the stalks get weaker, so I chopped them down today and set the heads to dry on the porch.

Connor hulled some to eat. They were big and tasty.

That's all for now. It's way past my bedtime.

Peace,
Jennifer