February Wellness News - American Heart Month

Monthly Events

 American Heart Month

International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month
International Boost Self-esteem Month
International Expect Success Month
Library Lovers Month
National African American History Month
National Children's Dental Health Month
National Time Management Month
Spunky Old Broad Month
Youth Leadership Month
Dog Training Education Month
National Pet Dental Health Month
Responsible Pet Owners Month
Bake for Family Fun Month
Canned Food Month
Chocolate Month
February is Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month
National Grapefruit Month
Great American Pies Month
National Cherry Month
National Snack Food Month
National Wise Health Consumer Month
North Carolina Sweet Potato Month
National Hot Breakfast Month
Potato Lovers Month
Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month

Weekly

1-7 Women's Heart Week

4-10 Burn Awareness Week

4-10 Feeding Tube Awareness Week

5-9 International Networking Week

5-9 Pride in Foodservice Week

7-12 Solo Diners Eat Out Weekend

7-14 Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week

11-17 Children of Alcoholics Week

13-15 World AG Expo

14-21 Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia Care Staff Education Week

16-25 Date Fruit Week

25-3/2 National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Daily Event
Sunday	1	Freedom Day, National Baked Alaska Day, International Day of Black Women in The Arts, Ice Cream For Breakfast Day
Monday	2	Groundhog Day, Hedgehog Day, National Tater Tot Day, Crêpe Day, Heavenly Hash Day
Tuesday	3	National Carrot Cake Day
Wednesday	4	Homemade Soup Day, World Cancer Day, Medjool Date Day, National Hemp Day
Thursday	5	National Weatherperson Day, World Nutella Day, National Girls & Women in Sports Day
Friday	6	National Frozen Yogurt Day, Massachusetts 6th State Canadian Maple Syrup Day
Saturday	7	Wear Red Day, National Fettuccine Alfredo Day
Sunday	8	National Molasses Bar Day
Monday	9	National Pizza Day, National Toothache Day, Cut the Cord Day, Bagel & Lox Day, Super Bowl, Autism Sunday, Popcorn Day
Tuesday	10	National Cream Cheese Brownie Day, World Pulses Day
Wednesday	11	National Shut-in Visitation Day, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, National Peppermint Patty Day
Thursday	12	National Plum Pudding Day, Lincoln’s Birthday
Friday	13	National Tortellini Day, National Cheddar Day, National Crab Rangoon Day, Giving Hearts Day
Saturday	14	Valentine's Day,  Ash Wednesday, Natl Donor Day, Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day, Library Lovers Day, Oregon 33rd State, Arizona 48th State,  National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day
Sunday	15	National Gumdrop Day
Monday	16	National Almond Day, National Caregivers Day, No one Eats Alone Day, National Buna Day
Tuesday	17	President's Day, World Human Spirit Day, National Cafe Au Lait Day, Random Act of Kindness, National Cabbage Day
Wednesday	18	Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day, National Drink Wine Day
Thursday	19	National Chocolate Mint Day
Friday	20	World Day of Social Justice, National Cherry Pie Day, Love Your Pet Day, National Muffin Day
Saturday	21	National Sticky Bun Day, National Grain-Free Day, Caregivers Day
Sunday	22	National Margarita Day, National Cook a Sweet Potato Day
Monday	23	National Banana Bread Day,  National Dog Biscuit Day, Tootsie Roll Day
Tuesday	24	National Tortilla Chip Day, National Dance Day, STAND UP to Bullying Day, World Bartender Day
Wednesday	25	National Chocolate Covered Nut Day, National Clam Chowder Day
Thursday	26	World Pistachio Day, National Personal Chef Day
Friday	27	National Kahlua Day, National Strawberry Day, World NGO Day
Saturday	28	National Tooth Fairy Day, National Chocolate Souffle Day
Sunday	29

 

 

	Months
	January	July
	February	August
	March	September
	April	October
	May	November
	June	December

 

June Wellness News

 

Monthly Events

Men's Health Month
Atlantic, Caribbean, & Gulf Hurricane Season (6/1-11/30)
Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season (5/15–11/30)
National Aphasia Awareness Month
Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month
Migraine and Headache Awareness Month
Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month
Fireworks Safety Month (6/1-7/4)
National Safety Month
Caribbean-American Heritage Month 
Great Outdoors Month
Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month
National Pet Preparedness Month  
National Oceans Month  
National Rivers Month
June Dairy Month
Dairy Alternative Month
National Candy Month
National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month
National Frozen Yogurt Month
California Avocado Month
Georgia Blueberry Month
National Iced Tea Month
National Mango Month
National Papaya Month
National Soul Food Month
Sorghum Month
National Steakhouse Month
Turkey Lovers Month
Sports America Kids Month
Potty Training Awareness Month
National Camping Month

Weekly Events
1-30 National Lemonade Days
1-8 National Fishing and Boating Week
9-15 Men's Health Week
16-22 Learning Disabilities Week
22-28 Lightning Safety Week
24-30 National Mosquito Control Awareness Week

 Daily Events

 

1       Kentucky 15th State; Tennessee 16th State; National Olive Day; National Hazelnut Cake Day; National Heimlich Maneuver Day; World Milk Day; Global Day of Parents; National Cancer Survivors Day

2       MyPlate Anniversary; National Rotisserie Chicken Day; National Rocky Road Day

3       National Egg Day; National Chocolate Macaroon Day; World Bicycle Day

4       National Cheese Day; National Cognac Day

5       UN World Environment Day; National Veggie Burger Day; National Gingerbread Day 

6       National Applesauce Cake Day; National Drive-In Movie Day; National Gardening Exercise Day; Horseradish Day

7       Chocolate Ice Cream Day; World Food Safety Day

8       World Ocean Day; National Best Friends Day; National Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day; National Get Outdoors Day

9       Donald Duck Debut; National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day 

10    National Black Cow Day; National Herbs and Spices Day; National Iced Tea Day; National Egg Roll Day

11    Corn on the Cob Day; National Making Life Beautiful Day; National German Chocolate Cake Day

12    National Peanut Butter Cookie Day;  International Falafel Day

13    Kitchen Klutzes of America Day; National Weed Your Garden Day

14    (World) Blood Donor Day; Flag Day; Army Birthday; National Bourbon Day; National Strawberry Shortcake Day; Cucumber Day; Family Fitness and Health Day

15    Nature Photography Day; Arkansas 25th State; National Lobster Day; National Smile Power Day; Prune Day;  Father's Day; National Turkey Lovers’ Day

16    National Fudge Day; Cracker Jack Day

17    National Eat Your Vegetables Day; National Apple Strudel Day; National Cherry Tart Day;  UN World Day to Combat Desertification & Drought  

18    Intl Picnic Day; Intl Sushi Day; Sustainable Gastronomy Day

19    World Sickle Cell Day; National Martini Day; National Garfield the Cat Day

20    National Ice Cream Soda Day, National Vanilla Milkshake Day; West Virginia, 35th State; UN World Refugee Day

21    Summer Solstice; Peaches & Cream Day; New Hampshire 9th state; International Day of Yoga

22    National Onion Rings Day; National Chocolate Éclair Day; World Rainforest Day

23    Public Service Day; National Pink Day; National Hydration Day; National Pecan Sandies Day

24    Celebration of the Senses; National Pralines Day

25    Strawberry Parfait Day; National Catfish Day; National Parchment Cooking Day  

26    National Chocolate Pudding Day; International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking; Great American Backyard Campout; National Coconut Day

27    National HIV Testing Day; National Orange Blossom Day; National PTSD Awareness Day; National Onion Day; National Ice Cream Cake Day; Intl Pineapple Day; National Food Truck Day

28 National Tapioca Day; National Columnists' Day

29    National Almond Buttercrunch Day; National Camera Day; National Waffle Iron Day

30    Jake's Birthday; Social Media Day; National Meteor Watch Day; California Avocado Day;  National Bomb Pop Day 

	Months
	January	July
	February	August
	March	September
	April	October
	May	November
	June	December

 

Unlock the World of Pomegranates

How To Select
Select pomegranates that are plump, round, and heavy for their size.

How to Store
Whole pomegranates can be stored in a cool, dry area in the refrigerator for about 1 month or up to 2 months.

Nutrition Benefits
It is low in fat, saturated fat-free, cholesterol-free, and sodium-free and is an excellent source of fiber, vitamins C and K, and a good source of potassium, folate, and copper.

POM SALSA

by POM Wonderful
Visit POM for the Recipe

Pomegranate Breakfast Parfait
by @Jar_Of_Lemons  

How to Grow Pomegranate

Resources and References
1. POM Wonderful: Website
2. Wikipedia: Pomegranate

3. Healthy Pomegranate Recipes, EatingWell

. 

   

Turkey and Food Safety

Turkey and Food Safety

Salmonella and Food

You may know that Salmonella can contaminate poultry and eggs, but it also sneaks into many other foods. Learn what you can do to make your food safer to eat.

Salmonella is a bacteria that commonly causes foodborne illness, sometimes called “food poisoning.” The CDC estimates That It causes 1 million foodborne illnesses annually in the United States. During the past few years, outbreaks of Salmonella illness have been linked to contaminated cucumbers, chicken, eggs, pistachios, raw tuna, sprouts, and many other foods.

Five Facts That May Surprise You

Don’t let Salmonella make you or your loved ones sick. Learn these five facts – and tips for lowering your chance of getting a Salmonella infection.

Do I have a Salmonella infection?

Contact your doctor or healthcare provider if you have:
Diarrhea and a fever over 101.5°F.
Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving.
Bloody stools.
Prolonged vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down.
Signs of dehydration, such as:
Making very little urine.
Dry mouth and throat.
Dizziness when standing up.

You can get a Salmonella infection from a variety of foods. Salmonella can be found in many foods, including beef, poultry, eggs, fruits, pork, sprouts, vegetables, and even processed foods, such as nuts, frozen pot pies, chicken nuggets, and stuffed chicken entrees. When you eat food that is contaminated with Salmonella, it can make you sick. Contaminated foods usually look and smell normal, so knowing how to prevent Salmonella infection is important.

Salmonella illness is more common in the summer. Warmer weather and unrefrigerated foods create ideal conditions for Salmonella to grow. Be sure to refrigerate or freeze perishables (foods likely to spoil or go bad quickly), prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours. Chill them within 1 hour if the temperature is 90°F or hotter.

Salmonella illness can be serious and is more dangerous for certain people. Symptoms of infection usually appear 6–48 hours after eating a contaminated food but can take much longer. These symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. The illness usually lasts 4–7 days without antibiotic treatment. Some people may have severe diarrhea and need to be hospitalized. Anyone can get a Salmonella infection, but some groups are more likely to develop a serious illness: older adults, children younger than 5, and people with immune systems weakened from medical conditions, such as diabetes, liver or kidney disease, and cancer or their treatment.

Salmonella causes far more illnesses than you might suspect. For every one case of Salmonella illness confirmed by laboratory tests, there are about 30 more cases that are not. Most people who get food poisoning usually do not go to the doctor or submit a sample to a laboratory, so we never learn what germ made them sick.

To avoid Salmonella, you should not eat raw eggs or eggs with runny whites or yolks. Salmonella can contaminate eggs, even perfectly normal-looking ones. But these eggs can make you sick, especially if they are raw or lightly cooked. Eggs are safe when you cook and handle them properly.   Check Your Steps

Remember to follow the Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill guidelines to help keep you and your family safe from food poisoning. Be especially careful when preparing food for young children, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, and older adults.

Clean
Wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling uncooked eggs or raw meat, poultry, and seafood and their juices.

Wash utensils, cutting boards, dishes, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before you prepare the next item.

Don’t wash raw poultry, meat, and eggs before cooking. Germs can spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces.

Sanitize food contact surfaces with a freshly made solution of one tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in one gallon of water.

Separate
Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from other foods in your grocery cart and refrigerator.

Keep eggs in the original carton and store them in the main part of the refrigerator, not in the door.

Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods, such as salads and deli meat.

Use separate cutting boards and plates for produce and for raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.

Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs.

Cook
Use a food thermometer to ensure that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature:
145°F for beef, veal, lamb, and fish (let the meat rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)
145°F for pork and ham (let the meat rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)
160°F for ground beef, ground pork, ground veal, and ground lamb
160°F for egg dishes
165°F for poultry (chicken, turkey, duck), including ground chicken and ground turkey
165°F for casseroles
Microwave food to 165°F or above.

Chill
Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or colder.
Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours (or 1 hour if the temperature is 90°F or hotter).

Cashew Chronicles. From Farm to Table

Cashew Chronicles. From Farm to Table

Cashews are a good source of protein, copper, magnesium, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and heart-friendly unsaturated fats.

Nutrition Information

Recipes and Serving Suggestions

1. Taste of Home, Cashew Recipes

2. Snack: eat alone; mix with other nuts and/or dried fruits
3. Add cashews to sauteed vegetables or salad greens
4. Sauté cashews with shrimp, beef, or chicken
5. Add to hot cereals
6. Roast cashews
7. Use cashew butter to make a sauce for fish, vegetables, tofu, or rice.

Nutritional Analysis Services

Ensure accurate, cost-effective nutritional analysis for your recipes with an extensive research database and 40 years of experience. An excellent service for the Recipe Bloggers, Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, and Recipe Websites. Your readers will enjoy and benefit from the Nutrition information.

For more information, visit Dietitians-Online Nutritional Analysis Services

Contact:
Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, FAND
recipenews@gmail.com
954-294-6300

National Stuffing Day: Vegan Cornbread Stuffing, A classic Thanksgiving side—made fully plant-based. Food Safety

Vegan Cornbread Stuffing 

A classic Thanksgiving side—made entirely plant-based. Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, this familiar holiday favorite is now completely vegan. The deep cornbread flavor anchors the dish, while poultry seasoning (which contains no poultry!) delivers that nostalgic Thanksgiving aroma without chicken broth or turkey stock.

This high-fiber recipe is perfect for serving a crowd, and the cornbread can be made ahead for easy holiday prep.

Vegan Cornbread. 
Servings: 12

Yield: 6 cups

Nutrition Profile:

Nut-Free Dairy-Free High-Fiber Vegan Vegetarian Egg-Free Low-Calorie

Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp water

• 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal

• 1 ¼ cups whole-grain cornmeal

• ¾ cup white whole-wheat flour

• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• ¾ cup unsweetened plain soymilk

• 3 Tbsp avocado or canola oil

Stuffing

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 ½ cups chopped onion

• 1 ½ cups chopped celery

• 1 ½ tsp poultry seasoning

• ½ tsp ground pepper

• 5 cups crumbled day-old Vegan Cornbread

• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

---

Instructions

Make the Cornbread

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, stir together water and flaxseed meal; let sit 3–5 minutes to thicken.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

4. In another bowl, whisk soymilk, oil, and the flax mixture. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

5. Pour batter into the baking dish and smooth the top.

6. Bake 25–30 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Loosely cover and let sit 1 day to dry slightly (ideal for stuffing).

---

Make the Stuffing

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

3. Remove from heat; stir in poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.

4. Add crumbled cornbread and broth, mixing gently to moisten.

5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.

6. Cover and bake 25 minutes.

7. Uncover and bake another 20–25 minutes, or until the top is golden and crisp.

To make ahead

Store Vegan Cornbread, well-wrapped, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Fillers

Almost anything can serve as stuffing. Many popular Anglo-American stuffings contain bread or cereals, usually with vegetables, herbs, spices, and eggs. Middle Eastern vegetable stuffings may be based on seasoned rice, on minced meat, or a combination. Other stuffings may contain only vegetables and herbs. Some stuffing types include sausage meat, while vegetarian stuffing sometimes contains tofu. Roast pork is often accompanied by sage and onion stuffing in England; roast poultry in a Christmas dinner may be stuffed with sweet chestnuts. Oysters are used in one traditional stuffing for Thanksgiving. These may also be combined with mashed potatoes for heavy stuffing. Fruits and dried fruits can be added to stuffing, including apples, apricots, dried prunes, and raisins. In England, a stuffing is sometimes made of minced pork shoulder seasoned with various ingredients, such as sage, onion, bread, chestnuts, dried apricots, dried cranberries, etc. The stuffing mixture may be cooked separately and served as a side dish. This may still be called stuffing, or it may be called dressing.

Food Safety

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that cooking animals with a body cavity filled with stuffing can present potential food safety issues. These can occur because when the meat reaches a safe temperature, the stuffing inside can still harbor bacteria (and if the meat is cooked until the stuffing reaches a safe temperature, the meat may be overcooked). For turkeys, the USDA recommends cooking stuffing/dressing separately from the bird and not buying pre-stuffed birds. (Stuffing is never recommended for turkeys to be fried, grilled, microwaved, or smoked). The turkey's internal temperature must reach a safe minimum of 165 °F. Check the temperature in the thigh, the innermost part of the wing, and the thickest part of the breast.

Resources
1. Stuffing, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2. Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes, EatingWell

Ways to Use Less Stuff

The purpose of  "Use Less Stuff" is to raise awareness of the garbage produced in America between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. The estimated extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage.

Through education and collaboration with many individuals and organizations worldwide, Just-Use-Less aims to share the message of common sense, timeless wisdom, and gratitude for what we have been given. Just Use Less.

Ways to Use Less Stuff During the Holidays and Any Time

Plan meals using portion control to minimize waste. Recommendations: Food/Drink Portion Per Person Turkey  3 ounces, without bone Stuffing  1/4 cup Sweet Potato Casserole  1/3 - 1/2 cup Green Beans  1/2 cup Cranberry relish  2 to 3 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie  1/8 - 1/10 of a 9" pie

After a party, put leftovers in plastic containers or bags and send them home with guests, or donate to food banks.

Bring your own camera instead of using disposable cameras.

Cancel mail-order catalogs you no longer use.

Bring your own shopping bags.

Consolidate your purchases into one bag rather than getting a new bag at each store.

Plan your shopping in advance. Save money on fuel by making fewer trips to the stores. Avoid last-minute shopping when you won’t have time to make careful gift choices.

Consider giving gift certificates or making a donation to a favorite charity in your friend/family's name.

Give homemade food or something you’ve made yourself from reused items.

Shop for gifts at antique stores, estate sales, or flea markets since one person’s trash is another’s treasure.

When buying electronics, remember to buy rechargeable batteries to go with them.

Send e-greetings to family, friends, and business associates who are online. Did you know about 2.65 billion Christmas cards are sold annually in the US?

Get a tree that can be planted or mulched afterward, or buy an artificial one.

Compost your food waste. Fruits and vegetables and their peels, pits, and seeds are perfect for composting, a great natural fertilizer.

Resources

Keep America Beautiful believes each of us holds an obligation to preserve and protect our environment. Through our everyday choices and actions, we collectively have a huge impact on our world. Keep America Beautiful follows a practical approach that unites citizens, businesses, and government to find solutions for preventing litter, reducing waste, and beautifying communities.