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Resources for Becoming More Self-Sustainable

08/30/2012 in Around the Home, Emergency Preparedness, Food, Gardening, Health, Herbs, How To, Natural Building, Outdoor Skills, Plants, Preserving Food, Simple Skills, What Matters Most by Evelyn | No comments

With the way things have been going it’s difficult to know whether we will be forced into becoming more self-sustainable or if we will form regional groups on our own and just instinctively begin taking matters into our own hands. In either event I still think it’s a good idea to start making the shift our of consumer driven ways and getting more into functioning as small communities. I was watching PBS Explorer channel the other night and was quite impressed with the work many had done to make spaces in urban and suburban places more community oriented. You can buy the DVD of the four-part series, “Designing Healthy Communities”, and get some good ideas.

Here is a list of resources to help you get started on thinking, living and working towards making your life more rich and remarkable:

Magazines

GRIT

BackHome

Mother Earth News

Gardening Books

Four Season Harvest and The Winter Harvest Handbook by Eliot Coleman

Year-Round Vegetable Gardener by Niki Jabour

Gaia’s Garden: a guide to home-scale permaculture by Toby Hemenway

Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison

Seed to Seed: seed saving and growing techniques for vegetable gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth

Homegrown Whole Grains: grow, harvest, and cook wheat, barley, oats, rice, corn and more by Sara Pitzer

The Earth Sheltered Solar Greenhouse Book by Mike Oehler

Chicken and Goat Raising Books

Free-Range Chicken Gardens: how to create a beautiful, chicken-friendly yard by Jessi Bloom

Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow

Storey’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: breed, care, dairying, marketing by Jerry Belanger

Food Storage Books

Root Cellaring: natural cold storage of fruits & vegetables by Mike Bubel

A Guide to Canning, Freezing, Curing & Smoking Meat, Fish & Game by Wilbur F. Eastman

Food Drying Techniques by Carol W. Costenbader

Water Conservation Books

The Toilet Papers: recycling waste and conserving water by Sim Van der Ryn

Water Storage: tanks, cisterns, aquifers and ponds for domestic supply, fire and emergency use by Art Ludwig

Builder’s Greywater Guide: Installation of Greywater Systems in New Construction & Remodeling by Art Ludwig

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands (vol.1): guiding principles to welcome rain into your life and landscape by Brad Lancaster

Alternative House Building Books & DVD

The Fifty Dollar and Up Underground House Book by Mike Oehler

Earthbag Building: the tools, tricks and techniques (natural building series) by Kaki Hunter

Basic Earthbag Building DVD by Owen Geiger

Building with Cob: a step-by-step guide by Adam Weismann

The Cob Builders Handbook: you can hand-sculpt your own home by Becky Bee

Rocket Mass Heaters: super-efficient woodstoves YOU can build by Ianto Evans

The Hand-sculpted House: a practical and philosophical guide to building a cob cottage by Ianto Evans

Earthship: how to build your own (vol.1) by Michael Reynolds

Homesteading for Beginner’s DVD

Earth Oven Books

Build Your Own Earth Oven: a low-cost wood-fired mud oven by Kiko Denzer

The Bread Builders: hearth loaves and masonry ovens by Daniel Wing

Creating Community Books and DVD

Designing Healthy Communities DVD

Creating Cohousing: building sustainable communities by Kathryn McCamant

Pocket Neighborhoods: creating small-scale community in a large-scale world by Ross Chapin

Finding Community: how to join an ecovillage or intentional community by Diana Leafe Christian

Creating a Life Together: practical tools to grow ecovillages and intentional communities by Diana leave Christian

EcoVillage at Ithaca: pioneering a sustainable culture by Liz Walker

Herbal Remedy Books

Homegrown Herbs: a complete guide to growing, using, and enjoying more than 100 herbs by Tammi Hartung

Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: a beginner’s guide of 33 healing herbs to know, grow and use by Rosemary Gladstar

Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health: 175 teas, oils, salves, tinctures, and other natural remedies for the entire family by Rosemary Gladstar

The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook: a home manual by James Green

Herbal Antibiotcs: natural alternatives for treating drug-resistant bacteria by Stephen Harrod Buhner

Medicinal Herbalism: the science principles and practices of herbal medicine by David Hoffmann

Edible and Medicinal Plants Field Guides

A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: of Eastern and Central North America by Steven Foster

The Forager’s Harvest: a guide to identifying, harvesting, and preparing edible wild plants by Samuel Thayer

The Forager’s Harvest DVD set includes all of the plants discussed in The Forager’s Harvest book (above)

Nature’s Garden: a guide to identifying, harvesting, and preparing edible wild plants by Samuel Thayer

Edible Wild Plants: wild foods from dirt to plate by John Kallas

Botany in a Day: the patterns and method of plant identification by Thomas J. Elpel

Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in the Wild by Steve Brill

Wilderness and Survival Books

When All Hell Breaks Loose: stuff you need to survive when disaster strikes by Cody Lundin

Field Guide to Living with the Earth by Tom Brown Jr.

Field Guide to Wilderness Survival by Tom Brown Jr.

Field Guide to the Forgotten Wilderness by Tom Brown Jr.

Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking by Tom Brown Jr.

Green Beret Survival Manuel: essential strategies for shelter, water, food and fire, told and medicine, navigation and signa by Mykel Hawke

Special Forces Survival Handbook: the portable guide to getting out alive by Mykel Hawke

Survive! Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere by Les Stroud

Deerskin into Buckskins: how to tan with natural materials a field guide for hunters and gathers by Matt Richards

Some Online Resources

CoGenra Solar – they sell solar panels that combine hot water. This is brilliant because solar panels lose efficiency when the temperature of them gets too hot in the sun. By having water flowing through them helps to keep them cooler and much more efficient! This is brilliant!!!

Cornell University Online Courses – for Aspiring, New, & Experienced Farmers {Northeast Beginning Farmers Project}

Peak Moment TV – Janaia has some wonderful interviews and video’s from which to glean a lot of great ideas on living more lightly.

Episode 301: Winter Gardening with Joe Gardener interviewing Eliot Coleman – wonderful video and be sure to explore their website Growing a greener World for many useful ideas and tips.

Eliot Coleman Keynote at VABF 2011 – an excellent 90 minute video of Eliot Coleman discussing winter gardening and harvesting, followed with a Q&A. The first 10 minutes is difficult to hear but afterwards they’ve gotten the mic fixed and the sound is fine.

Landscape and Human Health Laboratory University of Illinois – terrific site discusses how landscape 9or lack thereof) impacts human health physically and emotionally.

Shoals Creek Village - a newly planned ecovillage in western NC opens its arms to Farmers and Artisans.

New Earth Living – a blog about the Aurora Pocket Neighborhood in Ithaca, NY, an EPA Climate Showcase Community.

“I AM” via GaiamTV.com – I AM is an engaging documentary about Tom Shadyac, a Hollywood director with fame and fortune, and a serious bike accident that turned his world upside down. Seeking answers, Shadyac talks with some of today’s most revolutionary minds, asking them two essential questions: What’s wrong with the world? And what can we do to fix it? Start a 10-day Free Trial and watch this excellent documentary!

Green Bronx Machine: Growing Our Way Into A New Economy – this is the best video out there! So moving and inspirational!!! Watch South Bronx teacher Stephen Ritz give his standing ovation talk at TEDxManhattan. His students have gone from 40% attendance to over 90% – all from his edible food walls.

Sustainable Gardening Ideas for A Better Community – an excellent video by Shawna Coronado of www.shawnacoronad… she and a panel of organic gardeners speaking at Google Chicago on her dramatic and life-changing experience in the natural environment and the sustainable personal health and economically viable community benefits of gardening. Watch to learn some great ideas and get tips on how a garden can change lives.

America’s First Public Food Forest – an article of what I believe we need more of.

Desert Harvesters - is a non-profit, volunteer-run, grassroots effort based in Tucson, Arizona striving to promote, celebrate, and enhance local food security and production by encouraging the planting of indigenous, food-bearing shade trees (such as the Velvet mesquite or Prosopis velutina) in water-harvesting earthworks, and then educating the public on how to harvest and process the bounty.

Maine Primitive Skills School – another school that teaches the things we should already know.

Cody Lundin’s YouTube Channel – a variety of video’s on topics relating to survival and simplifying. Cody Lundin’s website has courses and more information.

Alderleaf Wilderness College: a center for traditional ecological knowledge – their site has a lot of information on a variety of topics as well as classes.

Survival Topics – some interesting information on various topics involving survival techniques many of which could and would be used if the grid goes down.

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Taking a Stand on Organic Regulations Again: Organic Fraud

07/12/2012 in Cooking, Food, Making A Living, News, Old Ways, Reviews, Things that Suck, What Matters Most by Evelyn | No comments

How refreshing it was to watch (see video below) Michael Potter, Chairman and President of Eden Foods, in his testimony before the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). Many are too young to remember that back in the early 1990s there was quite a bit of concern and protest going on in the health food stores and among the organic food co-op’s. The fear back  was that the USDA and the now NOSB would ruin the organics industry in some manner.

Prior to the USDA taking over organic regulation it was actually quite difficult for growers and farmers to meet the very strict organic regulations. While we weren’t certain back then how the new takeover would change the entire industry we did end up seeing the change happen within a relatively few years and it wasn’t good.

Large corporations who have purchased most of the our nation’s organic food industry and farms include: Coca-Cola, Cargill, General Mills, Kraft and M&M Mars, Kellogg’s, and Heinz, to name a few.

With the change in who regulates organics also meant the demise of thousands of small family owned organic farms. Stoneyfield Farms is one perfect example of how a wonderful food product can change virtually overnight and become nothing more than just another average commercial yogurt producer whose product is no longer truly organic, not to mention the fact that the product tastes disgusting as a result.

About 43 years ago, Michael Potter founded Eden Organics, back in the days when the word and label “organic” actually meant that something was super pure and truly natural. During those days, carrageenan, which is a seaweed-derived thickener that has a controversial health record, was not considered organic and was not allowed in a certified organic product. Also on the list of not organic ingredients was synthetic inositol, an ingredient manufactured using chemical processes. Today, those ingredients are permissible in labeled certified organic products. Worse yet is that GMO foods and ingredients are also allowed in labeled certified organic products.

For those of us who remember what food tasted like before the takeover all I can say is what is being sold and labeled today as organic is nothing more than a joke, the entire regulation and certification is shameful. Since the late 1970s I had gone out of my way and spent extra money for organic foods and products. Since 1999, I stopped wasting my time and money. What I’ve done instead is search out local small farms and individuals who practice the old methods and standards of organic. I have trusted their word for years, over the now meaningless certified organic label.

Once again, a few days after the most recent review on May 22, 2012, the NOSB board voted to keep carrageenan on the increasing list of non-organic ingredients which can be used in foods and products with the “certified organic” label.

It is beyond me how any regulatory body can approve known non-organic ingredients to be included in products with a certified organic label. I suppose the only real way we can get the organic industry back to the wholesomeness it was prized for is to stop buying certified organic foods and products altogether, if there is no profits to be made they will stop making phony organic certificates and claims.

To make matters worse, the onslaught of GMO seed is potentially contaminating not only the environment but organic seed and crops as well through cross-pollination. In my mind, the fact that GM soy can and is allowed to be fed to animals in certified organic feedlots is a huge step back in our evolution of maintaining a clean source of food for those who demand better.

Michael Potter says…

“The board is stacked. Either they don’t have a clue, or their interest in making money is more important than their interest in maintaining the integrity of organics.”

Michael Potter refuses to place the certified-organic label on Eden’s product, claiming it a fraud.

I am delighted that Eden Organics is speaking out about this. They are the only larger organic company that I am aware of that farms by the old regulations. Of course there are many beyond organic small farms dotting the county and I encourage you to seek them out through Local Harvest.

Previous posts on the concern and safety of our food:

Growing Flax: a story of beauty, prosperity and ruin

The Trail of Corn: going where no man or woman has gone before

GM Canola Found Growing Along Roadsides

FDA Says GM Salmon, Trout, Tilapia Safe for Human Consumption

Organic Certification: is it all it’s cracked up to be?

Sustainable Beyond Organic Meats: we ARE what the animal eats

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Cherry-Balsamic Halibut

05/29/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, Recipe by Evelyn | 1 comment

This recipe is from Vital Choice Seafood, the only place we get fresh seafood. In this recipe, Halibut or Cod can be used. We personally prefer Alaskan Halibut because it has a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth tender texture and has a mildly sweet flavor. One thing we enjoy most is the lack of fishy smell and taste from all the fish we get at Vital Choice, they are superior to all others we’ve tried. Our favorite pick is their Wild Pacific Seafood Medley (yes, it includes the Alaskan Halibut).

Some of our other favorite fresh fish recipes:

Tip: This recipe works well with cod or halibut, and with most any dried fruit.

Prep Time 10 min / Cooking Time 10 min

Cherry-Balsamic Halibut Recipe

  • 1/4 cup dried organic tart cherries (we get these are Vital Choice too, amazing quality!)
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
  • 1/4 cup organic white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • 4 Alaskan cod or halibut fillets (4 to 6 oz each), thawed
  • Sea salt and organic pepper, to taste

Combine dried fruit, onion, and balsamic vinegar in a small microwaveable bowl. Cover and microwave on medium setting for 1 minute. (Or, heat ingredients in a small saucepan until very warm but not hot, and no more.) Remove from microwave (or saucepan) and stir in pine nuts; let sit, covered, while fish is cooking.

Fill a 12-inch skillet with water to a depth of 1-inch and bring to a boil. Rinse fish under cold water; place fillets in steamer basket. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn off heat. Place steamer basket into skillet; return liquid to a boil. Cover loosely and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Cook just until fish is opaque throughout. Remove fillets to serving plates; top with fruit.

Serves 4

Serve with a spinach salad, rice pilaf, or whole wheat couscous.

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Our Favorite Pick: Wild Pacific Seafood Medley

03/07/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, Reviews by Evelyn | No comments

Curt and I enjoy sharing the things we have found to be the best. Both of us had pretty much stopped eating fish because the flavor was always off and the texture was always too soft and sometimes even mushy – yuck! As of five years ago that came to a screeching halt when I discovered, by accident, Vital Choice Seafood & Organics.

First, I have to tell you that I am so picky about the quality of my food that if it doesn’t taste and smell like I just went out and gathered it myself, I would rather not eat it.

One of our favorite picks at Vital Choice Seafood & Organics is what they call a “sampler” and the one we buy most often is called “Wild Pacific Seafood Medley” (see image). What we enjoy most about this sampler is the assortment of fish it contains, whoever put this pack together was brilliant. The portions are just right and the variety is sure to please. Plus, there is a substantial savings versus the cost of buying the items separately!



The Wild Pacific Seafood Medley Contains:

  • Sockeye Salmon – 6 oz skinless/boneless portion
  • King Salmon – 6 oz skinless/boneless portion
  • Silver Salmon – 6 oz skin-on/boneless portion
  • Sockeye Salmon Burger – 4 oz patty
  • Hot-Smoked Sockeye – 6 oz skin-on/boneless portion
  • Pacific Albacore Tuna – 6 oz of small, skinless/boneless medallions
  • Alaska Halibut – 6 oz skinless/boneless portion
  • Oven-Ready Smoked Sablefish – 4 oz skin-on/boneless portion
  • Wild Organic Blueberries – 1 lb bag (approx. 3.5 cups)
  • Organic Marinade Mix – 0.75 oz sample pack

The addition of the Organic Wild Blueberries is a real treat too. To this day, I have not found wild blueberries that taste like the ones I used to gather myself on a remote mountaintop in PA. Well, I should say, I had never found any until I opened my first purchase of this sampler; I couldn’t believe it, these small berries tasted exactly like the ones I gathered myself at the peak of ripeness. The same rich blueberry flavor bursting in my mouth was simply amazing! Whether eaten straight from the bag or tossed in a smoothie, they are perfect.

Vital Choice Seafood & Organics is also recommended by leading doctors, be sure to check out the “Doctor’s Favorites” packs they have put together too: Christiane Northrup, Dr. Lipman, Dr. Perricone, Dr. Jonny Bowden, Dr. Crinnion, and Andrew Weil, MD.

Some of our favorite recipes for cooking the fish in this sampler:

Herb-Crusted Grilled Wild Salmon

Grilled Wild Alaska Halibut on Tabouli

Thyme-Crusted Sablefish

Sablefish with Shallot Vinaigrette and Herb Salad

**you have no idea how difficult it is writing this post, my mouth is watering!**

Other Information About Fish and Cooking Fish

I have written other posts on wild seafood that you may also find useful; Buying Salmon:Differences Between Wild vs. Farmed and Can Cooking Harm the Beneficial Omega 3s & 6s When Cooking Fish.

Enjoy!

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Gift: Chocolate Dipped Strawberries for Easter

03/05/2012 in Dessert, Food, Fun Stuff, Gifts by Evelyn | No comments

Ultimate Easter Chocolate Covered Strawberries. The strawberries are hand-dipped in an assortment of delicious milk, decadent dark, and heavenly white Belgian chocolates.

Easter Berries are delicately rolled in an Easter theme topping of sprinkles, and artfully decorated in a signature purple and yellow confection drizzle. Each assortment is carefully packaged in a beautiful gift box and delivered fresh, right to your special someone’s home or office. Each boxed set of chocolate dipped strawberries includes 12 delicious strawberries.

Click on the berries to purchase…

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Gifts: Easter Spring Berries Chocolate Butterflies

03/03/2012 in Dessert, Food, Fun Stuff, Gifts by Evelyn | No comments

Spring Chocolate Covered Strawberries. These fresh strawberries are hand dipped in an assortment of delicious milk, decadent dark, and heavenly white Belgian chocolates.

Spring Berries are artfully decorated with Butterflies and a signature pink, yellow, and purple confection drizzle. Each assortment is carefully packaged in a beautiful gift box and delivered fresh, right to your special someones home or office.

Choose from: 1/2 dozen, 1 dozen or 2 dozen assortment in our classic single, double or triple dip options.

Click on the Berries to purchase… 

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Can Pregnant Women and Nursing Mom’s Eat Fish? Yes!

02/25/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, News, Reviews, What Matters Most by Evelyn | No comments

Vital Choice: Healthy Moms & Baby PackFew subjects elicit more emotion than the safety of food eaten by pregnant or nursing women and its impacts—good or bad—on their children. And that’s how it should be, given the vulnerability of fetuses and infants, and the importance of optimal brain development to childhood and lifelong capacities and outcomes. But some of what we’ve heard over the years is not withstanding the test of time.

Take the case of pregnant and nursing women who are advised not to eat fish, all of the studies published on this subject find that children’s brains benefit when their mothers do eat more fish during pregnancy and nursing, and that children are not harmed by the minuscule amounts of mercury in most ocean fish. This post dispels the myths and provides suggestions to keep both mother and baby healthy.

This is how Harvard public health researchers put it in a recent medical literature review (Mozaffarian D, Rimm EB et al. 2006):

“For major health outcomes among adults, based on the strength of the evidence and the potential magnitudes of effect, the benefits of fish intake exceed the potential risks.”

“For women of childbearing age, benefits of modest fish intake, excepting a few selected species, also outweigh risks.”

The few exceptions to which they refer to are: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish, which should be avoided by children and pregnant and nursing mothers.

Both Christiane Northrup, MD and Andrew Weil, M.D., stand out as a voices of reason within a misguided, drug-focused medical paradigm that downplays wellness and prevention. Dr. Weil wrote on this in the Huffington Post, titled “Pregnant? Eat Fish!”

Dr. Weil writes,

“Research now suggests that the benefit to a baby’s neurological health from omega-3s appears to far outweigh the potential for harm from small amounts of mercury in fish tissues.”

He goes on to cite the research backing this statement… findings we’ve reported, along with research explaining why the abundance of selenium in ocean fish renders the presence of traces of mercury virtually irrelevant to human health.  Continue reading “Can Pregnant Women and Nursing Mom’s Eat Fish? Yes!” »

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Does Cooking Harm the Beneficial Omega-3s & 6s in Fish

02/23/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, How To, News, Preserving Food by Evelyn | 2 comments

Cooked SalmonPopulations around the world that eat fish regularly live longer and have less chronic disease than populations that do not. Whether this is because fish displaces meat or because it has positive attributes of its own is not clear. Certainly, fish provides high-quality protein without the saturated fat present in commercially raised (feedlot) meat and poultry. It is the fatty fish from cold northern waters – also provide omega-3 fatty acids, the special, unsaturated fats our bodies need for optimum health. The cold water fish are; wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and bluefish.

Most Americans are deficient in omega-3s and as a result are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory disorders, and mental and emotional problems. Recent research suggests that supplementing the diet with omega-3 fatty acids not only can reduce these risks but can also help treat depression, bipolar disorder, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It’s the omega-3 fatty acids that are associated with many health benefits, including protection against heart disease and possibly stroke. New studies are identifying potential benefits for a wide range of conditions including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, not to mention the studies on fresh fish diets and how they delay Dementia, protect memory and ward-off Alzheimer’s.

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential nutrients for health. We need omega-3 fatty acids for numerous normal body functions, such as controlling blood clotting and building cell membranes in the brain, and since our bodies cannot make omega-3 fats, we must get them through food.  Continue reading “Does Cooking Harm the Beneficial Omega-3s & 6s in Fish” »

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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FDA Says GM Salmon, Trout, Tilapia Safe for Human Consumption

02/21/2012 in Animals & Pets, Cooking, Food, Health, News, Preserving Food, Reflections & Discoveries, Things that Suck, What Matters Most by Evelyn | 4 comments

Genetically Modified SalmonThe FDA has been considering approval of a genetically engineered (GE) salmon (and soon other popularly eaten fish to follow) for human consumption that grows at twice the rate of normal salmon. The GM salmon is a mere starter in the culinary revolution of GE animals for human consumption. The approval of GM salmon will pave the way for an ever-growing number of animals to be genetically engineered for human consumption.

The company responsible for the first Frankenfish for humans to eat is AquaBounty. AquaBounty has developed an advanced-hybrid (Genetically Modified) salmon, trout, and tilapia designed to grow faster and significantly larger than their conventional siblings. The tilapia that’s being developed is a modified version that has been developed so that it can digest protein more efficiently. The result is a giant fish that can grow up to five times the size of a non-transgenic tilapia, sounds real yummy and healthy, huh?! Just looking at the photo above is enough visual indication that GM salmon are hardly fit for eating!  Continue reading “FDA Says GM Salmon, Trout, Tilapia Safe for Human Consumption” »

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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Herb-Crusted Grilled Wild Salmon

02/18/2012 in Cooking, Food, Health, Herbs, Recipe by Evelyn | No comments

A well-known Nurse’s Health Study found that women who ate fish once per week cut their risk of stroke by 22 percent, while those who ate fish five or more times per week cut their risk by 52 percent.[1] Studies have also shown that 3 g per day of fish oil containing both EPA and DHA is cardioprotective because it makes platelets more slippery and decreases cellular inflammation.[2] The evidence that the omega-3 fats in wild cold water fish are heart healthy is so compelling that the American Heart Association now recommends that all adults consume fish at least twice per week. Fatty cold-water fish such as wild Alaskan salmon contains the most omega-3 fats.

The benefits of eating fresh wild fish have been confirmed over and over again, and they continue to make headlines. A recent review of 97 clinical studies on the effects of lipid-lowering agents (statins, fibrates, resins, niacin, and fish oils) showed that fish oils provided the greatest reductions in total mortality and cardiac morbidity.[3] See Top 8 Delicious Heart Healthy Foods.

The best place to get Wild Salmon fillets and Macadamia Nut Oil for this recipe is at, Vital Choice Seafood and Organics.

Vital Choice comes highly recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil, Christiane Northrup, M.D., Dr. Lipman, Dr. Perricone, Dr. Crinnion, and Dr. Jonny Bowden ~ and for good reason ~ Vital Choice is the best!

Herb-Crusted Grilled Salmon


You’ll need:

  • 2 (6 oz) skinless-boneless wild salmon fillets
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp organic dried rosemary
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons organic macadamia nut oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon organic black pepper

Directions:

Rinse thawed fish; pat dry with paper towels.

In the bowl of a food processor or a mini-chopper combine oregano, cilantro, green onion, garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Cover and process until chopped.

(Alternatively, use a knife to finely chop oregano, cilantro, green onion, and garlic. transfer to a shallow bowl. Stir in lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper.)

Generously coat both sides of salmon with the herb mixture.

Cook the salmon on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium-hot coals for 6 to 8 minutes or until the salmon just begins to flake easily with a fork.

To serve, cut each salmon piece in half.

Some of my other wild cold water fish recipes:

Sablefish with Shallot Vinaigrette Herb Salad

Grilled Wild Alaska Halibut on Tabouli

Thyme-Crusted Sablefish

References

  1. Iso, H., et. al., 2001. Intake of fish and omega-3 fatty acids and risk of stroke in women, JAMA, 285(3):304–12.
  2. Leaf, A., et al., 1988. Cardiovascular effect of n-3 fatty acids. NEJM, 318(9), 549–557; von Schaky, C., et al., 1999. The effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acids in coronary atherosclerosis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Internal Medicine, 130 (7), 554–562.
  3. Studer, M., et. al., 2005. Effect of different antilipidemic agents and diets on mortality: a systematic review, Arch Intern Med, 165(7):725–30.

Evelyn Vincent Evelyn Vincent

Native Plant Landscaper, Gardener, Labyrinth Design, Feng Shui Practitioner,  Aromatherapy / Essential Oils, Big Fan of Nature and Living Simply.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

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