Told You So

Some people think I am crazy for paying a little bit more for things I know don't contain BPA or phthalates. Well, check this out!

Chemical used in plastics may affect newborn size

Thu, Jun 25, 2009 (HealthDay News) -- As if expectant mothers don't have enough to worry about, new research suggests that a woman's exposure to phthalates, a chemical compound found in many plastics, may be linked to low birth weight in infants.

The report, to be published in the upcoming issue of The Journal of Pediatrics, found notable levels of the compound -- which is used to make hard plastics soft and flexible -- in the cord blood and first stools of more than 70 percent of infants included in the study. Higher levels of phthalates were found among those born with a low birth weight.

Low birth weight is a risk factor for children and the leading cause of death in those under 5 years of age. Cardiovascular and other diseases in adulthood have also been associated with low birth weight, according to information provided in a journal news release.

"The results showed that phthalate exposure was ubiquitous in these newborns, and that prenatal phthalate exposure might be an environmental risk factor for low birth weight in infants," study leader Dr. Renshan Ge, of the international Population Council, said in the news release.

Although the researchers did not find a direct link, the study adds more to the pile of evidence against phthalate exposure, which has already been associated with damage to endocrine function. Phthalates are found in many common household items, including food packaging, toys and shampoo.

The study, conducted by researchers from the International Population Council, and Fudan University and Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, looked at 201 babies and their mothers between 2005 and 2006. Eighty-eight of the newborns had low birth weight.

-- Kevin McKeever

story seen here

Please Try This

OK- I don't have a picture for this and I should, but this dish was really, really good and pretty easy to make. The ingredients seem a little strange and while you are making it- you wonder if it was such a good idea to waste your time putting together such different ingredients. But the result is great. The mint really adds a fresh and unique flavor. It's not the healthiest meal, but this is totally worth all the calories. Here is the recipe I got from Epicurious with changes that I made based on reviews...

Pasta with Lemon Cream and Prosciutto

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 3 large shallots, minced
• 1 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 3 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1.5 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (cut this in half if serving to kids)
  
• 2 cups frozen green peas, thawed (we skipped this green step, but some people substituted asparagus)
  
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 16 ounces penne pasta

• 12 thin slices prosciutto
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add broth. Simmer over medium-high heat until mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Add cream, lemon peel, orange peel, and cayenne. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add peas; simmer just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in mint and lemon juice. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return pasta to pot. Toss pasta with sauce to coat.

Divide pasta among plates or bowls. Drape prosciutto slices atop pasta and serve, passing Parmesan separately.

*sigh*

He is my favorite musician- he introduced me to music and my husband. It still makes me so sad that I will never get to hear any new music from Jeff.

I Want To Go To There

The World Beard and Moustache Championships were held yesterday in Anchorage, Alaska. Does this not sound like the most awesome event of all time? You could pay $20 for a general admission ticket or get VIP tickets for $40 and "sit among the contestants". I love any event that treats bearded men as celebrities simply because they have beards! The website says the event will "feature competition in a variety of categories that include everything from the delicate Dali moustache to the outrageous full beard freestyle."

And for entertainment (as if this isn't enough?), "the newly formed Australian beard team, is bringing its own band to Anchorage-- The Beards - to play "songs about beards, for people with beards" .

Story seen on NPR.

SNL Short

We were watching SNL on Tivo tonight. They had a special on Saturday night with alot of digital shorts from over the years. I forgot about this one. It's one of my all-time favorites.

Dulce de Awesome

Have you ever tried to make Dulce de Leche? It is the easiest and most awesome tasting thing ever! It was in a pie that Chris made me and he decided that everything in the pie must be made from scratch including the dulce de leche. This just seemed like it would be a daunting task, but it was probably the easiest part of the pie. I highly recommend making this and putting it over some vanilla ice cream or just taking a spoon and eating all by its lonesome.

You will need: Can of condensed milk, hammer, and a nail.


What you do: Make two holes on the top of the can of condensed mild with the hammer and nail.


Place the condensed milk can in a pot of boiling water for 4 hours, making sure to replenish the water if it starts to evaporate.


And that's it! Done! And you should come out with something that looks like this...

Yummmmmm!

My First Herb Garden

I have wanted to grow my own herbs for years now, but I have never had the space to do it. As luck would have it, Nancy has the perfect little empty plot of garden space in her front yard and she so graciously gave me permission to use it! I decided to buy both seeds and already sprouting herbs and see what works best. I got some rosemary, basil, and thyme that was already well on its way and got seeds for cilantro, more basil, and some peppers. I planted the seeds a week ago and would you believe I already seem some little baby herbs starting to emerge! I will have to wait and see on the peppers though- as they take a little longer.

The whole thing is a bit experimental, but I have already used some of "my" herbs. It is so satisfying to walk out into your front yard and pluck some basil right off the plant whenever you need it.