Mountain Valley View Farm is absolutely thrilled to announce that we have received the license for our commercial kitchen! The Mountain Valley View Farm Kitchen in located inside our Getaway Studio and is officially licensed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to produce small batches of artisan foods and sell them directly to you!

Our artisan Mixes in a Jar are a quick and convenient way to bring home that fresh, made-from-scratch quality you are longing for. They take all the difficulty out of making your own cookies and soups from scratch, with all the ingredients provided for you and quick, easy-to-follow instructions that make your time in the kitchen a breeze. Mixes in a Jar also make fabulous gifts for any holiday or event, and are affordable enough to buy for everyone on your Christmas list. Perfect for busy moms, newlyweds, and even to make mealtimes easier on yourself, these quick mixes are wonderful any time.

Currently, Mountain Valley View Farm offers the following Mixes in a Jar: Oatmeal Cookie, Friendship Soup, and Love Soup. We will be adding more delicious cookie and soup mixes to our line of artisan foods in the upcoming months, so please check back with us regularly. All of our artisan foods are made in small batches and use the best quality ingredients, so give us a call at 509-928-1800! Delivery may be available for a reasonable fee, or we can schedule a time for you to drop by the farm to pick up some wonderful, homemade cookie and soup mixes!

You can find our delicious, handmade artisan foods at the Spokane Public Market year-round, and seasonally at other area farmers’ markets.

Spokane Public Market
32 W. 2nd Ave
Spokane, WA 99210
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wed – Fri

You may also purchase directly at the farm, located at:
4301 South Chapman Rd
Greenacres, WA 99016

Mountain Valley View Farm is thrilled to announce that we have received the license for our commercial kitchen! The Mountain Valley View Farm Kitchen in located inside our Getaway Studio and is officially licensed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to produce small batches of artisan foods and sell them directly to you!

Our canned goods and jams are a quick and convenient way to bring home that fresh, made-from-scratch quality you are longing for. All of our jams are handmade the old-fashioned way in small batches so you know you are getting that wonderful homemade taste. We sell both traditional canned jams and freezer jams. Freezer jam is a quick and easy way to preserve fruit that does not involve cooking, so it tastes closer to fresh fruit than a traditional jam. Keeping it in the freezer gives you fresh fruit flavor all year long.

Mountain Valley View Farm offers three flavors of canned jam: huckleberry, raspberry, and strawberry; and three flavors of freezer jam: blueberry, cherry, and strawberry. Both types of jam are made from organic fruit grown on our farm, except for the wild huckleberries, which are handpicked fresh in the mountains. Huckleberry picking is a cherished Northwest tradition, and we are delighted to offer some of the most outstanding wild huckleberry jam you will ever taste. You will love all of our jams, which are simply bursting with delicious flavor and nutrition, so give us a call at 509-928-1800! Delivery may be available for a reasonable fee, or we can schedule a time for you to drop by the farm to pick up some wonderful, homemade jam!

You can find our delicious, handmade artisan foods year-round at the Spokane Public Market, and at other local farmers’ markets seasonally.

Spokane Public Market
32 W. 2nd Ave
Spokane, WA 99210
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wed – Fri

You may also purchase directly at the farm, located at:
4301 South Chapman Rd
Greenacres, WA 99016

Mountain Valley View Farm is thrilled to announce that we have received the license for our commercial kitchen! The Mountain Valley View Farm Kitchen in located inside our Getaway Studio and is officially licensed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to produce small batches of artisan foods and sell them directly to you!

Our artisan baked goods are a quick and convenient way to bring home that fresh, made-from-scratch quality you are longing for. All of our artisan foods are handmade by the Hood family in small batches so you know you are getting that wonderful homemade taste. Karen Jean Matsko Hood is the versatile and innovative author of the Cookbook Delights series and has appeared on Good Morning Northwest many times to demonstrate her delicious recipes. Treat yourself to Mountain Valley View Farm’s sweet baked goods, including breads, dessert bars, cakes, cookies, cupcakes and pies. Homemade treats like these also make fantastic gifts for any occasion, and will make a great hit at your next party or potluck. Relax and Mountain Valley View Farm take care of the hard work–you’ll be better able to enjoy yourself, and your guests will be wowed by our baked goods!

Right now we are baking up some rich, moist pound cake, melt-in-your-mouth snickerdoodles, and delicious fig cupcakes, so give us a call at 509-928-1800! Delivery may be available for a reasonable fee, or we can schedule a time for you to drop by the farm to pick up some wonderful, homemade items from our bakery!

You can find our delicious, homemade baked goods year-round the Spokane Public Market, and seasonally at other local farmers’ markets.

Spokane Public Market
32 W. 2nd Ave
Spokane, WA 99210
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wed – Fri

You may also purchase directly at the farm, located at:
4301 South Chapman Rd
Greenacres, WA 99016

Mountain Valley View Farm is thrilled to announce that we have received the license for our commercial kitchen! The Mountain Valley View Farm Kitchen in located inside our Getaway Studio and is officially licensed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to produce small batches of artisan foods and sell them directly to you! Our artisan foods are a quick and convenient way to bring home that fresh, made-from-scratch quality you are longing for.

All of our artisan foods are handmade by the Hood family in small batches so you know you are getting that wonderful homemade taste. Karen Jean Matsko Hood is the versatile and innovative author of the Cookbook Delights series and has appeared on Good Morning Northwest many times to demonstrate her delicious recipes. Her many years of experience in the kitchen translate to amazing dishes that you can take home to delight your family.

Mountain Valley View Farm has the following refrigerated items for sale: old-fashioned apple butter, crepes, lemon curd, and pizza crust. We also sell a variety of baked goods, jams, and gift mixes in a jar. All of our food is made with the highest quality ingredients, including organic produce from our farm whenever possible. You are guaranteed to love our fresh, homemade artisan foods, so give us a call at 509-928-1800! Delivery may be available for a reasonable fee, or we can schedule a time for you to drop by the farm.

You can find our delicious, handmade artisan foods year-round at the Spokane Public Market and seasonally at other local farmers’ markets.

Spokane Public Market
32 W. 2nd Ave
Spokane, WA 99210
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.    Wed – Fri

You may also purchase directly at the farm, located at:

4301 South Chapman Rd
Greenacres, WA 99016

Please click on the above image to view the flyer in a larger, easy-t0-read format.

Cooking with Karen is pleased to announce the Fall 2011 cooking classes. Classes are held Tuesday evenings from 5-7 pm throughout October and November, and cover a variety of topics from basic beginner’s techniques to preparing a full Thanksgiving feast. Class sizes are small to ensure hands-on experience and a personal touch, so sign up soon to reserve a space before the classes are all full! Groups are welcome, and in the future we will also be offering cooking classes geared specifically toward children, in which family participation will be encouraged.

Karen Jean Matsko Hood is the mother of 16 foster and adopted children of different ethnic backgrounds, and as such has a great deal of experience cooking for large groups as well as cooking a variety of international cuisines. She especially enjoys designing her own recipes and preparing creative menus with international, regional, and holiday themes. She is also the author of the popular Cookbook Delights series and has appeared multiple times on Good Morning Northwest to demonstrate her recipes. Karen’s love of cooking makes her an enthusiastic teacher, and she loves to share her knowledge and skill with others.

Cooking with Karen provides a unique, affordable opportunity to learn a new skill in a fun, relaxed environment with a knowledgeable and supportive teacher. When possible, organic ingredients from our farm are used in class recipes so that you can be assured the food is not only delicious, but healthy and good for the environment as well.

For full details of Fall classes, please click on the flyer above. Cooking classes are held in the Getaway Studio Dining Room at Mountain Valley View Farm, located at:

4229 S. Chapman Rd
Greenacres, WA 99016

You can also call 509-924-3550 for more information or to reserve a spot in one of the upcoming cooking classes.

At Mountain Valley View Farm Dairy, located in the Spokane Valley of Washington State, we have chosen Nubian goats to build the foundation herd for our Spokane dairy.  We love the easygoing temperament and friendly personality of the Nubian.  Also the Nubian goat milk makes delicious cheese, and we love making small batches of Artisan goat cheese for our Spokane and regional customers.

Goat milk is a natural choice for anyone looking for ease of digestion, maximum nutrition, and excellent health from dairy products.  It has more easily digestible short and middle chain fats and protein solids than cow milk and may be enjoyed by many people with lactose sensitivities since it does not contain the alpha S1 casein protein (the #1 allergen in dairy products).  The increased digestibility of protein is important for infants and children.  In addition, goat milk is 13% higher in calcium with 25% more vitamin B6 and 47% more vitamin A.  It is also higher in minerals than cow milk with fewer calories – and the natural buffering qualities of goat milk make it beneficial for people with ulcers and other stomach problems.

Goat milk is considered to be “naturally homogenized” and from a health standpoint, this is deemed much easier to digest than mechanically homogenized milk.  At Mountain Valley View Farm Dairy, we will eventually be licensed to sell both raw and pasteurized goat milk but there will be no need to homogenize.

All goat milk products at Mountain Valley View Farm Dairy are free of any recombinant growth hormones – these types of hormones have never been developed for dairy goats.  Unlike cows, a bovine animal, growth hormones do not increase goat milk production.  We do not use any type of hormones in our feed at Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc. here in Spokane Valley, Washington.

Leading U.S. goat milk products from Mountain Valley View Farm Dairy, located in Spokane Valley, Washington, are free of antibiotics.  Seventy-two percent of the milk used throughout the world is from goats.  Maybe they are onto something that the United States is missing.

Goats are Good for the Planet

We love our Nubian goats and they are better for our planet.  Contrary to popular belief, goats are picky eaters.  Goats are browsers not grazers.  They eat the dry brush that causes fires and they eradicate poison oak.  Goats do not like to eat food off the ground and will not eat soiled feed.  In addition goats only drink fresh water.

Because they are light on their feet and because they are smaller, goats leave a smaller carbon “hoof print” and are the perfect addition to any biodynamic farm.

Goats actually help to aerate the soil where they browse and make it more supple for the natural habitat to grow.  At Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc., we appreciate their fertilizer help in our garden, and they are great at mowing the fresh spring grass.  We just need to keep them from away from our flowers.

Goat milk is as close to perfect food as possible in nature.  Its chemical structure is amazingly similar to mother’s milk.  It is a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids without the heavy fat content and catarrh (mucus) producing materials of cow milk.

Goat Milk and Digestibility

Goat milk offers superior digestibility to cow milk, due to the following factors:

1. Size of fat globules: The fat globules of goat milk are finer than those of cow milk, allowing for a greater surface-to-volume ratio for enzymatic attack.  This enables the fat of goat milk to be broken down and digested more easily.
2. Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT): Goat milk has more MCTs than cow milk.  Lipases attack the ester linkages of the shorter-chain fatty acids more readily, enabling more rapid digestion.  MCTs are metabolically unique in that they can be absorbed by a simpler mechanism than other fatty acids.  MCTs, which are higher in goat milk than cow milk, have a unique ability to provide energy to the human metabolism, as well as an ability to lower, inhibit, and dissolve cholesterol deposits.
3. Curd strength:  Goat milk casein forms a less tough and more friable curd than the casein of cow milk.  This means the digestive enzymes can break it down more rapidly. Alpha-S1 casein is the main casein in cow milk and this contributes to the firmer curd; goat milk contains low levels of alpha-S1 casein.

Goat Milk and Lactose Intolerance

Great news for those who are lactose intolerant!  The lactase enzyme provides for the digestion of lactose, or milk sugar. Persons who do not possess this enzyme are lactose-intolerant.  Goat milk contains less lactose than cow milk, and people can generally tolerate goat milk better than cow milk.  Goat milk also makes great ice cream.  We have many Spokane people request our goat milk for their lactose intolerant child/children or family member.

Goat Milk and Allergies

Great news for those who suffer from milk allergies!  Whether goat milk can be tolerated better than cow milk will depend on the specific protein involved in the allergy.  Most people with a cow milk protein allergy are allergic to b-lactoglobulin.  This protein is also present in goat milk and does not offer these people an alternative.  It is worth, however, trying goat milk as an alternative to cow milk, in consultation with your doctor.

Goat Milk and Respiratory Complaints

Drinking goat milk results in the production of less mucus than when drinking cow milk.  This can provide relief to people suffering from respiratory complaints.

Flavor

Fresh goat milk from Mountain Valley View Farm Dairy has a delicious, mildly tangy flavor.  This flavor is due to the presence of short-chain fatty acids: capric, caprylic, and dcaproic acid.  Fresh, correctly treated goat milk usually has a very neutral flavor and is delicious served fresh and ice cold for a refreshing drink.  Support your local Spokane Valley, Washington, dairy serving Inland Northwest customers with locally produced milk.

Composition

The composition of goat milk does not differ greatly from that of cow milk.  Both kinds contain about 13% dry solids.  Milk sugar, also known as lactose, is the main constituent of goat milk.  The other main ingredients of goat milk are milk fat, protein, and minerals.  One hundred milliliters of goat or cow milk has a calorific value of about 280kJ (67 kcal).  The composition of the milk depends largely on the breed of goat and the season.  In the summer at Mountain Valley View Farm Dairy, the milk yield is high and the fat and protein contents are low.  Conversely, in the winter the milk yield is low and the fat and protein contents are higher.

Lactose

Lactose is a form of sugar found in milk.  Lactose is the most prevalent carbohydrate present in milk.  The lactose content of goat milk is about 10% lower than that of cow milk.  This fact is good news for those want to lower their sugar and carbohydrate intake to improve their overall health.

Milk Protein

Milk protein is comprised of about 80% caseins and 20% whey proteins.  This is applicable to both cow milk and goat milk.  The caseins are present in the form of micelles: these are large aggregates of protein and calcium phosphate.  The number of small micelles is much greater in goat milk than cow milk.

Milk Fat

All fats are not the same.  The fatty-acid composition of goat milk exhibits substantial differences from that of cow milk.  Goat milk fat contains a considerable amount of short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids.  The seasonal variation in the fatty-acid composition is lower than that of cow milk.  This is due to the relatively consistent diet fed to goats.  Goat milk contains a far larger number of small fat globules than cow milk.  This type of milk fat is easier to digest.

Cholesterol

Goat milk has a cholesterol content of between 10 and 15 mg/100 g milk (depending on the fat content), comparable to the levels in cow milk.  Goat milk has a lower amount of cholesterol than cow’s milk for those wanting to lower their cholesterol levels.

Vitamins

Goat milk contains more vitamin A and D than cow milk.  The folic acid and vitamin B12 content is lower than that of cow milk.  Current research has put more value on increasing vitamin A and D in our daily diet, and Mountain Valley View Farm Dairy goat milk is an excellent source for these vitamins.

Minerals

The composition of minerals in goat milk and cow milk are different in a few ways.  The potassium, copper, and manganese content of goat milk are a little higher than those in cow milk.  Goat milk contains a little less zinc than cow milk.

Goat Cheese Health Benefits

When compared to cow milk products, goat cheese is lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol.  It also provides more calcium and fewer carbohydrates than comparable cow milk cheeses.  Even though goat cheese has fewer calories, it has a full, rich, and creamy flavor.  Our goat cheeses are all-natural and contain no hormones, additives or preservatives.  Try the many wonderful cheeses at Mountain Valley View Farm Dairy.  We are proud of our healthy goat milk products.

Please ask to be placed on our waiting list for our small batch Artisan cheese, which can be made as soon as we receive our WSDA Grade A license from Washington state.  We cannot make or sell cheese to the public until we receive our license.  The good news is that we can test recipes on our family so by the time we have our license we will have perfected the best recipe and technique.

Why Is a Lactose Intolerant Person Able to Have Goat Milk Products?

Most people who are allergic to cow milk or who are lactose intolerant can safely use goat dairy products.  The superior digestibility of goat milk products is primarily due to shorter fatty acid chains and smaller fat molecules than those that occur in cow milk.  Forty-seven percent of the worldwide human population is allergic to cow milk in one way or another, while only 3% have any allergic reaction to goat milk.  Therefore, most people with cow milk allergies or lactose intolerance can usually tolerate goat milk.  In addition, most goat cheeses are made with a culture that converts the lactose to lactic acid, which is much more easily digested.

One of the more significant differences from cow milk is found in the composition and structure of fat in goat milk.  The average size of goat milk fat globules is about 2 micrometers, as compared to 2½ – 3½ micrometers for cow milk fat.  These smaller sized fat globules provide a better dispersion and a more homogeneous mixture of fat in the milk.  Research indicates that there is more involved to the creaming ability of milk than merely physical size of the fat globules.  It appears that their clustering is favored by the presence of an agglutinin in milk, which is lacking in goat milk, therefore creating a poor creaming ability, especially at lower temperatures.

The natural homogenization of goat milk is, from a human health standpoint, much better than the mechanically homogenized cow milk product.  When fat globules are forcibly broken up by mechanical means, it allows an enzyme associated with milk fat, known as xanthine oxidase, to become free and penetrate the intestinal wall.  Once xanthine oxidase gets through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream, it is capable of creating scar damage to the heart and arteries, which in turn may stimulate the body to release cholesterol into the blood in an attempt to lay a protective fatty material on the scarred areas.  This can lead to arteriosclerosis.  It should be noted that this effect is not a problem with natural (unhomogenized) cow milk.  In unhomogenized milk, this enzyme is normally excreted from the body without much absorption.

Please note that Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc. is working very hard to become a licensed WSDA Grade A Dairy!  We are currently following all their guidelines to produce safe goat milk and goat milk products.  We are following the law here at Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc., and we will not sell any goat milk until our WSDA license is finalized and approved.  In the meantime, we are making and testing various cheese recipes for our family.  When our license is finalized we will know exactly which is the best recipe to sell to our customers.

Please pre-order Goat Milk from Mountain Valley View Farm Dairy

We will not sell any goat milk, raw or pasteurized, until we officially receive our WSDA Grade A Dairy license.  Until then, we are keeping a waiting list of all future customers so we can evaluate the volume of milk and goat cheese we will need to produce for our waiting customers once we have our license.

Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.
Located in the Spokane Valley of beautiful Washington State
Your source for Northwest Farm-Fresh Foods Shipped Worldwide!

4301 South Chapman Road
Greenacres, Washington 99016-8732 USA
Phone (509) 928-1800 | Fax (509) 922-9949
www.mountainvalleyviewfarm.com
www.mountainvalleyviewfarmstore.com
Email: sales@mountainvalleyviewfarm.com
Blog with us at www.mountainvalleyviewfarmblog.com
Mountain Valley View Farm Hours:
Monday – Saturday (Pacific Time) 8:00 a.m. – Noon
Closed Noon – 1:00 p.m. Daily
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)

Other farm hours by advance appointment only.
Please call (509) 928-1800 to schedule an appointment.

Getaway Studio Dining Room
Phone (509) 928-8900

Directions to Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.
From I-90 East or West

Take the Sullivan Exit (291B) – South for about 3 miles
Turn left on Saltese (east)
Continue straight for .5 miles (east)
Turn right at South Chapman Road (south)
Keep going south (.9 miles)
The farm will be on the left hand side of the road – 4301 Chapman Road

Please visit all our farm sites:

Blog Sites:

www.cookingwithkarenblog.com
www.getawaystudioblog.com
www.mountainvalleyviewfarmblog.com

Joomla Sites:

www.mountainvalleyviewfarm.com

Flash Sites:

www.cookingwithkaren.com
www.getawaystudiobedandbreakfast.com
www.getawaystudiodiningroom.com

OS Commerce Sites:

www.cookingwithkarenstore.com
www.getawaystudiostore.com
www.mountainvalleyviewfarmstore.com

We ask that you bookmark these sites and share with your friends.  Also check back often, as we will be adding more products and information.

We look forward to hearing from you.

We also invite you to make a reservation at Getaway Studio Dining Room
& Bed and Breakfast located on the Farm

4301 South Chapman Road, Greenacres, WA 99016–8732  USA
Phone: (509) 928-1800 | Fax: (509) 922-9949
Email: sales@mountainvalleyviewfarm.com |  Blog:www.mountainvalleyviewfarmblog.com
Websites: www.mountainvalleyviewfarm.com |  Store:www.mountainvalleyviewfarmstore.com

Everyone involved with a school schedule has probably by now settled into a routine.  It always takes a while to get logistics set up for any family involved with a new school year.  Our school-age patients are a little short on numbers at the very start and end of each new school year.  Once people develop their unique program, it becomes necessary to negotiate, with relative comfort, a successful program for week after week that they can soon relax, exhale, and follow the plan.

At our home, that is a typed daily transport schedule for the 2011-2012 school year.  Each child is listed on a daily time roster, who transports who, and to where, and by when.  And, with multiple children in multiple schools, the schedule can at first seem hectic and confusing.  However, with larger numbers of children, the demand for a clear plan becomes more and more necessary.

With the importance of scheduling, comes the exceptions:  doctor’s appointments, orthodontic’s and dentist’s appointments, eye doctors, etc.  Schedules are made to be broken, or so it seems.  Time outside school can also be educational, as can transport.  Hours of education can be added to a child’s education while being transported.  Siblings or drivers can quiz each other on spelling, multiplication, tables, etc.  Think of it, if just one concept was studied on each trip.

I once told a teacher, who was perturbed with me for taking my child out of school,  that I was taking my daughter out of school on an educational outing and I said, “I think education is more important than school.”  I would not recommend that comment to anyone, since teachers do operate most effectively with everyone present.  My point, however, is if a child must be removed from school, have it be a learning experience.  Ask them to report one thing that they learned by questioning their doctor, orthodontist, dentist, eye doctor, etc., about something they may not have learned in school.  All professionals have much to offer in terms of education.  If you must take off school, then make it an educational outing.  Ask good questions.  The quality of one’s life is measured by the quality of one’s questions.  Ask thoughtful questions and…

Keep smiling!

Dr. James G. Hood

*~ * ~ * ~ *

Dental Care Associates of Spokane Valley, P.S.
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Welcomes Patients
from Age 2 to 102!

James G. Hood, D.D.S., M.A.
507 North Sullivan Road, Suite A-1
Spokane Valley, WA 99037-8576  USA
Phone: (509) 928-9100  |  Fax: (509) 928-0414
Email: drhood@drhood.com

Websites: www.drhood.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalley.com
Blogs: www.drjamesghoodblog.com
www.dentalhealthandnutritionblog.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalleyblog.com
www.jamesandkarenhoodfoundationblog.org
www.sjogrensblog.org
Online Store: www.dentalhealthandnutritionstore.com

by The Daily Meal
Source: Yahoo

… Plus the few that are

One of the most attractive qualities of fresh herbs is their intense fragrance and flavor, especially with just-picked ones. Unfortunately, as the cold weather approaches, snipping some fresh mint and basil leaves from the garden is no longer an option.

With that comes the inevitable question: Is it worth buying dried herbs when you don’t have access to fresh ones? Well, it depends. Some herbs work better dried whereas some are definitely not worth your money.

To figure out which is which, we turned to Bruce Bromberg, owner/chef of Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, who feels very passionately about the subject. What gets him the most? “Dried basil is my number one offender! While the dehydrated versions of rosemary, oregano, and even dill still possess some of their better half’s best qualities and characteristics, basil, once dried, misses the mark.”

As he explains, when herbs are dried, they lose their water content and oils, which also means some of their brightness, especially for leafy herbs like basil. Dried herbs come in handy though when you don’t have access to fresh ones (like in the colder months) and for dishes that have longer cooking times. While some herbs, like oregano, benefit from drying, others, like mint, definitely don’t.

When substituting dried herbs for fresh in a recipe, Bromberg says that as a general rule with leafy herbs like basil and parsley, “I go with a 2-1 ratio and sometimes a little less. For other herbs, like rosemary, I go with a 1-1 ratio.” What to do if you have leftover herbs that you aren’t going to use? Instead of letting them go bad in the fridge, he recommends drying them yourself by placing them on a rack in a warm spot for a few days.

To find out more about which herbs you should buy dried over fresh, check out what Bromberg has to say on the matter.

Basil

Leafier herbs tend to lose more of their characteristics when dried and, according to Bromberg, that means taking away “what’s so special about basil, the freshness and brightness of it.” He explains, “When basil is dried, it loses a lot of its flavor (not to say that it’s obsolete) and just doesn’t stand up the same way as fresh basil does.”

While certain dried herbs work well in recipes, Bromberg says, “In no way can dried basil stand up to the fresh version. Can you imagine a fresh Caprese Salad sprinkled with dried basil or a pasta with ripe Roma tomatoes and dried basil? I think not.”

Mint

Mint is definitely not an herb Bromberg recommends buying dried. Why? “It loses brightness when dried and the flavors are much more muted,” he explains. “Some dried mints can even take on a hint of bitterness, which the fresh version does not have.”

Parsley

When it comes to parsley, Bromberg is on the fence. Since they dry their own herbs at the restaurant, he says it depends on the dried parsley you’re using. But one thing is for sure: dried parsley translates better than basil. As he explains it, “Parsley has an earthy quality that stands out through the drying process and still translates — it has a very distinct, pungent flavor.” Try using it to flavor chicken, similar to how you would use dried rosemary or thyme.

Rosemary

Rosemary is an example of an herb that isn’t leafy like parsley or basil. Because of this, it dries very well and can add different layers of flavor to a dish. But be warned: “A little goes a long way with dried rosemary though, so you have to be careful to not overdo it,” Bromberg says.

Dill

“Dried dill actually works pretty well,” says Bromberg, but it also depends on what you’re using it for. He explains that fresh dill provides a softer flavor, but the dried version works well if you’re seasoning deviled eggs or salmon.

Oregano

Commonly used to top pizzas or in tomato sauces, oregano is an herb that works well in the dried form. Bromberg explains that the flavors are more recognizable dried than they are fresh and make a bigger impact in the dish.

Thyme

Like oregano, thyme also works well dried and has a recognizable flavor. Dried herbs work well in dishes with longer cooking times, and thyme works as a great seasoning for roasted chicken.

by Devon Jarvis, SELF
Source: Yahoo

Learn which of these common, everyday items you should stay away from!

Eliminate It: Antimicrobial Chemicals

Triclosan, the chemical used in hundreds of germ-fighting products, may damage the liver and disrupt thyroid hormones. These products contribute to drug resistance, and people using antimicrobial soap get sick as often as regular suds users, a review in the American Journal of Public Health finds. Toss triclosan. Gotta sanitize? Opt for alcohol-based gels.

Eliminate It: Cigarettes

Tobacco smoke contains ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde and 50 chemicals known to cause cancer. “Plus, smoking damages your lungs, kidneys and liver, the body’s detoxifiers, which protect you from other chemical exposures,” notes consumer advocate Debra Lynn Dadd, author of Toxic Free.

Eliminate It: Oil-Based Paints

“Fresh” paint smell signals volatile organic compounds, solvents that can trigger breathing issues, headaches and dizziness, and that research links to reproductive problems and birth defects, says Gina Solomon, M.D., senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in San Francisco. Low- or no-VOC paints from brands such as Benjamin Moore have a similar texture but less toxicity.

Eliminate It: Room Fresheners

“Essentially, they’re air pollution,” Dadd argues. Up to 20 percent of all people (and 34 percent of asthmatics) say they’ve had headaches, trouble breathing or other problems after inhaling room sprays, says researcher Anne Steinemann, Ph.D., professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle. To get smells out of soft materials like sofas, Dadd advises, spritz on straight vodka from an atomizer.

Regulate It: Canned Food

BPA, the synthetic estrogen linked to cancer and abnormal brain development, is in the lining of most food and beverage cans, and it can leach out. Whether the food is organic doesn’t matter, USDA tests show. When possible, buy fresh or frozen items; there’s no BPA in plastic freezer bags, says Sarah Janssen, M.D., senior scientist at the NRDC.

Regulate It: Household Cleaners

Using chlorine bleach, cleaning sprays and disinfectants more than once a week is linked to asthma, says the author of a 2010 Spanish review of studies. Dr. Solomon adds, “There is a role for strong cleaning agents if used with care.” Save them for serious mold and mildew, and never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia, because the combo produces toxic fumes. Wear gloves, open the windows, and dilute every cup of bleach you use in 10 cups of water.

Regulate It: Plasticware

Memorize the numbers 3, 6 and 7. These recycling codes mean plastic may have BPA, Dr. Landrigan says. Instead, store food in glass or plastic with codes 4, 5 and 12. But no plastic is “microwave safe.” The claim means a container won’t melt, not that chemicals won’t seep into your dinner.

Regulate It: Scented Stuff

“The word fragrance on a label may stand in for hundreds of chemicals,” Dr. Solomon says, including phthalates and musks, endocrine disrupters that have been linked to reproductive dysfunction. The laundry room is a good place to cut back. Seek out unscented detergents and dryer sheets, as coating clothes with chemicals means you’re exposed all day, all over your skin.

Tolerate It: Aspartame

Despite Internet rumors, a National Cancer Institute study of nearly 500,000 people discerned no link between consuming this sweetener and developing leukemia, lymphoma or brain cancers. Nor is it tied to multiple sclerosis or lupus. (But remember, most soda cans do contain BPA.)

Tolerate It: Cotton

Even though conventional cotton farmers use high levels of potentially planet-harming pesticides, there’s no evidence that simply wearing the fabric harms consumers, testing by the Bremen Cotton Exchange in Germany reveals. As for tampons, they expose us to 13,000 to 240,000 times fewer dioxins than our everyday diet does, according to a report in Environmental Health Perspectives. Be confident choosing any brand that works for you, organic or not.

Tolerate It: Fluoride Toothpaste

The debate over water fluoridation shouldn’t have you questioning your Crest. The feds have advised utilities to lower the amount of fluoride allowed in tap water, due to studies linking fluoridation with bone fractures and stiffness; however, both environmentalists and dentists agree that fluoride toothpaste is safe and necessary for everyone older than 2. Check the label for a paste without triclosan—some brands add it, supposedly to prevent germs, plaque or gingivitis.

Tolerate It: Nonstick Pans

The EPA is working to phase out perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), used in making Teflon coating. Nonstick cookware, however, doesn’t expose you to PFOA, even when you subject it to extreme heat, confirms a study in Food Additives & Contaminants. Scratched parts are fine, too, so flip your flapjacks fearlessly.

Karen’s Collectors Cottage, Inc. & Art Gallery is at the Spokane County Interstate Fair! We invite you to visit our booth (Bay 1, Booth 269 – west end, center section) for a fantastic selection of fiction and nonfiction books, cookbooks, poetry, cards, bookmarks, custom art, gift baskets and more!

Mention that you saw this post on a blog and receive 10% off anything in our booth.