Of plastic in microwaves, & carrot custard
(4/7/05)
From the Jewish Talmud: Who is rich? One who is happy with what he has.
DANGER OF MICROWAVING IN PLASTIC CONTAINERS:
Johns Hopkins Medical Center has recently underscored the dangers of using plastics in the microwave. Our information comes from a physician reader of this blog, who sent it along from her family member, Dr Jody Bedore, who supervises materials management at the operating rooms of University of Chicago Medical Center.
Dioxins, which are carcinogenic molecules, can be released when you microwave in plastic containers or put plastic wrap over a dish that you are microwaving. This is especially true if there is fat in the food.
It is much safer to use a glass or ceramic container, even if that means that you must transfer the food from the plastic dish in which you had purchased it.
And I add: This is something that holistic practitioner Andrew Weil, MD has been saying for many years, but it is now being sanctioned by allopathic/mainstream medicine.
HELPFUL HINTS:
Even with using a spatula, do you have trouble getting all the good food out of a can? Particularly with solid foods such as cranberry sauce or tomato paste, here’s an idea. Open BOTH ends of the can, remove the top, & push the bottom of the can through the can.
Speaking of opening cans, my home health care aide, Margarita Recinos, has just taught me a valuable lesson. NEVER leave a can lid hanging from the can. Cut it off smoothly, even if doing so requires several passes through the opener. One of Margarita’s clients failed to remove a lid completely, & in the process of removing the food severed 2 veins in her wrist ….
Fill up your gas tank when the gauge tells you that the tank is half-empty. That gives you enough time to find the cheapest price.
Instead of BUYING identification tags for your electronic equipment, simply use the tabs that close bags of store-bought bread. (The reason they come in different colors is so the bakery can tell which day of the week the bread will be delivered to the stores.) You can use one color for each piece of equipment that shares one surge protector. OR, you can number each tag of any color. Either way, you’ll need to post a “cheat sheet” to identify the pieces of equipment, but this method is still much easier than trying to commit the whole problem to memory.
When you’re at the end of a tube of toothpaste, you’ll often find that you need the strength of 2 hands to get the last bit out. A simple trick is to apply the paste to your index finger as you hold the tube, & once you’ve put the tube down, apply the paste from your finger to your toothbrush.
RECIPE:
Eggs are so cheap during the spring. Why not take advantage of the price to make this hearty side dish? (Vegetarians will find it to be a fine entrée.) Even though there is a little sweetener & there are pie spices in this recipe, it turns out not to be cloying.
Carrot Custard:
Spray a 9x13” casserole dish like Pyrex® with cooking oil spray.
1 lb carrots (about 6 medium carrots), grated
Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
6 eggs
3 c milk
¼ c honey or maple syrup
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp ground allspice
Mix in a large bowl using a hand mixer set on low or an egg beater.
Stir in the carrots.
Pour into the casserole dish. Bake for 75-90 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Refrigerate for a few hours at least. Serve to 8.
From the Jewish Talmud: Who is rich? One who is happy with what he has.
DANGER OF MICROWAVING IN PLASTIC CONTAINERS:
Johns Hopkins Medical Center has recently underscored the dangers of using plastics in the microwave. Our information comes from a physician reader of this blog, who sent it along from her family member, Dr Jody Bedore, who supervises materials management at the operating rooms of University of Chicago Medical Center.
Dioxins, which are carcinogenic molecules, can be released when you microwave in plastic containers or put plastic wrap over a dish that you are microwaving. This is especially true if there is fat in the food.
It is much safer to use a glass or ceramic container, even if that means that you must transfer the food from the plastic dish in which you had purchased it.
And I add: This is something that holistic practitioner Andrew Weil, MD has been saying for many years, but it is now being sanctioned by allopathic/mainstream medicine.
HELPFUL HINTS:
Even with using a spatula, do you have trouble getting all the good food out of a can? Particularly with solid foods such as cranberry sauce or tomato paste, here’s an idea. Open BOTH ends of the can, remove the top, & push the bottom of the can through the can.
Speaking of opening cans, my home health care aide, Margarita Recinos, has just taught me a valuable lesson. NEVER leave a can lid hanging from the can. Cut it off smoothly, even if doing so requires several passes through the opener. One of Margarita’s clients failed to remove a lid completely, & in the process of removing the food severed 2 veins in her wrist ….
Fill up your gas tank when the gauge tells you that the tank is half-empty. That gives you enough time to find the cheapest price.
Instead of BUYING identification tags for your electronic equipment, simply use the tabs that close bags of store-bought bread. (The reason they come in different colors is so the bakery can tell which day of the week the bread will be delivered to the stores.) You can use one color for each piece of equipment that shares one surge protector. OR, you can number each tag of any color. Either way, you’ll need to post a “cheat sheet” to identify the pieces of equipment, but this method is still much easier than trying to commit the whole problem to memory.
When you’re at the end of a tube of toothpaste, you’ll often find that you need the strength of 2 hands to get the last bit out. A simple trick is to apply the paste to your index finger as you hold the tube, & once you’ve put the tube down, apply the paste from your finger to your toothbrush.
RECIPE:
Eggs are so cheap during the spring. Why not take advantage of the price to make this hearty side dish? (Vegetarians will find it to be a fine entrée.) Even though there is a little sweetener & there are pie spices in this recipe, it turns out not to be cloying.
Carrot Custard:
Spray a 9x13” casserole dish like Pyrex® with cooking oil spray.
1 lb carrots (about 6 medium carrots), grated
Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
6 eggs
3 c milk
¼ c honey or maple syrup
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp ground allspice
Mix in a large bowl using a hand mixer set on low or an egg beater.
Stir in the carrots.
Pour into the casserole dish. Bake for 75-90 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Refrigerate for a few hours at least. Serve to 8.
posted by THE PENNY ORCHID -- "Thrift with Flair" at 9:45 AM
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