I live in an area that does not fluoridate its water supply. I recently started buying fluoridated bottled “baby” water from a bottled water delivery company. Will drinking this water provide my 13-month-old with adequate fluoride? Since she is now on whole milk, she only drinks a small bottle of water with a little juice [...]
Over the past two to three years, I have been taking Depakote for seizures. Since then, I’ve gained about 30 pounds. I’m eating a low fat diet, and I exercise three times a week, but I still cannot get this weight off. My gynecologist said that most women on Depakote have weight problems. Both my [...]
Recently, I discovered a vitamin called pycnogenol. The advertisement claims it helps with symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Is it safe and effective? Pycnogenol is a pine tree derivative. It contains bioflavonoids and is thus an antioxidant. It is not, however, a suitable treatment for many of the serious diseases some claim it can alleviate. [...]
Lettuce crops (Lactuca sativa) have been growing in popularity over recent years and for good reason. Yes, they are relatively easy to grow and they are high in mineral, vitamin and fiber content. Yes, they can get a little pricey in the store, from season to season. But I think the real reason for their [...]
Shortly after my move to Southern California from Pennsylvania, I encountered a first class salsa bar. Brightly colored canisters offered exotic hot peppers, fresh lemon slivers and three varieties of homemade salsa. The first salsa was filled with chunks of tomato and onion, the second gave an aroma of cilantro and the third was green! [...]
Ingredients: 12 fresh tomatillos 2 C very ripe tomatoes, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 4oz can of chopped green chiles 1 T cilantro, chopped 1 T oregano 2 T wine vinegar 1 T extra virgin olive oil 12 tomatillos salt & pepper Husk and wash tomatillos. Do not remove seeds. Place in blender and Puree. [...]
Ingredients: 2 anaheim chile peppers 12 fresh tomatillos 2 serrano chile peppers, cut in half ½ C coarsely chopped onion 1 garlic clove, minced ¼ C coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1 t extra virgin olive oil 2 t lime juice ¼ t salt Place Anaheim chiles on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 5 inches [...]
Springtime! Visions of strawberries, snow peas, tomatoes and other delights accompany me as I prepare the soil and begin planting. My anticipation is tempered, however, by the realization that I must plan now to protect my plants and crops throughout the growing season. Gardeners are often filled with enthusiasm for growing, but find themselves disheartened [...]
Gardeners are looking for new plants every year. Here are new flowers and vegetables. The varieties are listed al-phabetically by class, with the seed source listed in parentheses after the description. The designation “R” means a retail seed company from which gardeners may purchase seed directly by mail order or also in stores that carry [...]
John Chapman was the real name of Johnny Appleseed. In the early 1800′s, from western Pennsylvania through Ohio and into Indiana he planted what was literally a boat load of apple seeds. Where is someone like that when you need a good Secretary of Agriculture? Fortunately, the question of what varieties of apples can be [...]
