I’m going to do something totally against my character and keep my verbiage at a minimum today. No sighs of relief, please. I can hear them through my cable connection.

This is well worth watching and it’s only about 5 minutes long. We’re building friendships and communicating with each other from all over the world — here’s some music to go with it.

Turn up your speakers and enjoy. This is well worth your time. In fact, it will give you chills and make your day. Click below, sit back and celebrate life.

Stand By Me . . .

Namasté,
Melissa

Yes, I admit it. I bought some dried goji berries. I’m a nutritionist, I have to know what they taste like, don’t I? Despite all the health claims, I think I’ll pass from now on. In fact, I’m going to pass on the whole noni, goji, mangosteen thing. And rainforest acai as well. While I’m all for healthy food, this frenzied “miracle cure” marketing blitz for exotic fruit is a bit over-the-top. Everyone is selling the stuff in one form or another — it’s becoming the Amway of the produce world. Plus, it’s very expensive!

I’m also working on eating local and pilfering the rainforest or ransacking the Himalayas isn’t exactly within my 100 mile radius. Although I stray from my range (I even stray from my state), I want to at least try to stick to food grown in the USA. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always do it (coffee from East Aftrica?). But it is on my radar and as soon as my own personal organic farmers start harvesting their crops, I’ll be eating very local once again. Other than my coffee, coconut milk, avocados, cinnamon, Thai chiles — hey, I’m trying.

How do I do this? I’m already off task.

This post is for Miles, who asked me about dried vs fresh fruit. Is one better than the other? Good question. Miles also puts up with much silliness from the women commenters on his blog. I feel like we owe him one, so here goes.

I make a habit of eating both, but when buying dried fruit, I choose organic sources with no added sugar. If it is certified organic, it cannot contain sulfur or other chemical preservatives which are often used to increase shelf life. Preservatives also keep the fruit from darkening as it ages, so organic choices may not look as “pretty” as the chemically laced ones, but I’m okay with that.

Depending on what you read, dried fruit can either be more nutritious or less nutritious than fresh fruit. What does that mean? It depends on the fruit and the drying method, but in general, what you lose is moisture and not so much nutritional content. Calories and sugar are far more concentrated, so you have to be careful not to over-eat the dried stuff.

Using my professional quality food scale, I determined that 26 rather large raisins equaled 1 ounce. Those 26 raisins fit in the palm of my hand and were about 85 calories worth. It’s very easy to scarf down a handful of raisins.

Raisins are dried grapes.

Eight grapes equals 1 ounce, which is about 25 calories — one cup is about 85-95 calories. So, do I want 1 ounce of raisins for 85 calories or 1 cup of grapes? The calories and the sugar are concentrated in dried fruit. It’s the same amount of each per unit, but it is much easier to eat 6 dried apricots or a handful of raisins than it is to eat the fresh versions. You don’t realize how much you’re eating. It’s unlikely that you’d eat 6 fresh apricots in one sitting, probably more like one or two. But this illustrates how you can over-do the calories and sugar with too much dried fruit.

Now, on to the nutritional piece. I’ve heard it both ways. Dried fruit has more iron. Fresh fruit has more vitamin C. Dried fruit more antioxidants (but wait, vitamin C is an antioxidant). Raisins have more calcium and protein than grapes. How can that be? Wait, there’s protein in grapes?

It’s all confusing.

The bottom line (in my mind — for whatever that’s worth) is that both are nutritious and should be part of a healthy eating plan. I do prefer fresh fruit for the most part, but dried is perfect for certain uses. I dried lots of fruit and enjoyed the benefits while hiking the Colorado Trail last summer. There’s no way I would have lugged around a bag of fresh apples with me, but I ate dried organic apples daily while on the trail (check the link for apple nutrition and dehydrating tips). There are some nutrient losses with processing, but low-heat dehydrating doesn’t alter the nutritional content all that much. It simply pulls a good part of the moisture out, making the finished product more stable. Some moisture remains, that’s why dried fruit is chewy.

I often use the USDA National Nutrient Database for research. Check here to see the nutritional value of 100 grams of raisins and here to compare the nutritional value of 100 grams of grapes. If you want to read a scholarly article on fresh verses dried fruit, check here. It’s interesting reading — if you’re a total dork like me. Otherwise, skip it and trust me that both are healthy (especially organic). Just keep in mind there’s a calorie and sugar difference in a handful of raisins and a handful of grapes.

Go forth and eat fruit (fresh or dried)!
Melissa

All clean.

Now, pass me a cup of my favorite breakfast blend, please. Don’t forget the full-fat coconut milk.

Yes, I had a cup of coffee this morning. Yeah! Actually, it was half coffee and half coconut milk and it was divine.

I’ve been on my spring detox/cleanse for well over two weeks now and other than a couple of itty-bitty exceptions, I stuck with it the whole time. Okay, okay, so I had a piece of bacon at Easter brunch. If it’s any consolation, I regretted it five minutes later. Sort of. Well, not really, but at least I didn’t eat any more or have anything other than fresh fruit and a scrambled egg (from an organic, spa-pastured chicken). I rarely eat bacon during my normal life, why would I fall prey to it now? I don’t know, the smell maybe.

Other than the bacon, a few sips of a wonderful red wine and some home made chicken broth I used for a soup base, I didn’t stray from a diet of organic fresh fruits, vegetables, brown rice, and pastured eggs. I feel refreshed, energized and ready to keep at it with some minor modifications. Honestly, my friends, this is the way to stimulate the body’s natural defenses, boost immunity, normalize weight, clear the brain fog and increase strength and vitality. Not only that, but it puts you on track to renew your resolution to live a healthier lifestyle. Each time I do a cleanse I wonder why I ever stray from this type of clean living. That was a rhetorical question as I do know why. Because I enjoy a glass of wine while reconnecting with old friends. I want to try my own version of Cid’s chocolate macaroons or Miles’ chorizo sausage with potatoes or Shirley’s flourless peanut butter cookies. That’s why.

So, the question is, how do we find a healthy balance between a sincere quest for better health and what goes on in real life?

I’m lucky — I have celiac disease, which makes is easier for me to make healthy choices. No fast food, no junk food, very little processed food. It’s not hard to live a gluten-free lifestyle if you stick to whole, fresh food and learn the simple art of preparing it. I take that back, it’s not always simple to prepare a simple meal. But it’s fun to experiment and the essence of good cooking is starting with good ingredients.

I have learned that the most nourishing foods for me are also the tastiest and most pleasurable to cook with. Thankfully I’m not limited to what’s in the produce section at my local market. I have my farmer friends at Grant Family Farms who carefully grow, harvest and deliver produce that has transformed my cooking. It’s a privilege of which I am most grateful. Not only does this food assure my wellbeing, it also contributes to my value system.

Blah, blah, blah. How do I get off on these tangents? On to a summation of my detox/cleanse.

The benefits
• To start with, I like feeling good, both physically and mentally, and a periodic cleanse is a perfect way to renew that commitment to myself. My wellbeing is my responsibility and I like to be reminded to take it seriously.
• Increased energy throughout the day. No energy slumps in the afternoon.
• Higher quality sleep, a lack of which is my downfall. After about 10 days of cleansing, my sleep quality gradually increases and now I’m sleeping a full eight or nine hours with maybe one brief stir during the night. Uninterrupted sleep is SO important to good health. Eliminating foods that interrupt that pattern and nourishing the body with foods that enhance rest and rejuvenation is part of my goal with this — and it works!
• My favorite jeans fit again. Yeah! Okay, so vanity does play a role here, but it’s not all about that. I lost 5 pounds and feel better about myself, but it’s also a lot easier to stand on your hands and do arm balances in yoga when you weigh less. In my case, I’m more likely to “work out” in ways that strengthen my bones and enhance my health if I lighten my load. I don’t like going to the gym and working out with weights, but I do understand the need for weight-bearing exercise. I use my own weight as my weights. Does that make sense? There’s a tipping point with what I’m able to “lift,” so losing a few pounds makes a big difference. My type of cleansing is a good way to lose weight in a healthy and lasting manner.
• My liver and its buddies (pancreas, gallbladder, intestines, etc.) are very happy.
• My skin is clear. I have DH (dermititis herpetiformis), which is the skin manifestation of celiac disease so my skin is sensitive to all kinds of things. Detoxing clears it up.
• No more carb cravings. None, honestly. I don’t care about sweets. Right now, anyway, which shows me how much they play a role in my biochemistry.
• This is a perfect time for me to play with some foods I think I might be sensitive to. I’ve in essence been on an elimination diet for almost 3 weeks, now I’ll slowly introduce a couple of foods I’m suspicious of and see how I do.
• I’m doing my own version of genetic nutritioneering, or modifying the expression of inherited traits. Cleansing gets me back on track with improving my genetic odds. Celiac disease is genetically predisposed as are some of the associated conditions that can go with it. I’ll spare you the details, but I have some autoimmune risks that I want to diminish and some age-related diseases I want to totally avoid.
• Whether you’re male or female, hormonal balance is key to good health and vitality. Cleansing helps normalize those ups and downs. With the right foods, your attitude improves and mood swings diminish. Plus, you age more gracefully. Detox, don’t botox.
• My hair looks healthier. Seriously, it even seems like it grew faster the past month.
• I have a tendency to have some joint and connective tissue aches and pains and food makes a huge difference in my range of motion. I’m more bendy, twisty and pain-free. It’s amazing.
• Bottom line? I feel healthy, revitalized and ready to take on my spring and summer outdoor activities. Plus, did I mention my favorite jeans fit again!

The pitfalls
• It takes time and commitment to understand the mix of nutrients necessary to sustain your body while detoxing. My activity level required a little more protein than I was getting the first few days of my cleanse — I had to make adjustments.
• Occasional dizziness, irritability and a couple of mild headaches the first few days. Those are detox symptoms, but like I mentioned above with the protein, some of that is caused by low blood sugar, so I tweaked my meals accordingly.
• Not drinking enough water. I had to constantly remind myself to increase fluid intake.
• The detox tea (although it was herbal and contained no caffeine) made me restless and affected my sleep if I drank it in the evening.
• I ate only foods that I prepared and for some people, this can be too time consuming and difficult to figure out. Plus, it gets boring.

Symptoms and problems vary greatly depending on the general health of the person doing the cleanse. Consult your health care provider before embarking on a detox program. If you’re interested the progression of this series of posts, please refer to the following: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6 and part 7.

Go forth and cleanse your body of icky things!
Melissa
P.S. I took the above photo last summer on my 240 mile trek of the first half of the Colorado Trail.

I love duck eggs. They’re becoming the answer to all my problems (other than my dwindling bank account, the fact that my favorite jeans are too tight, and the 18 inches of snow in my yard).

If nothing else, they’ve raised my gluten-free baking to a whole new (and quite stellar) level. Check here for more detailed information on duck eggs. And if you’re a egg protein scientist and you happen to stumble across this blog, please contact me. I’m interested in why duck eggs seem to be a perfect match for gluten-free baking. It must be the amino acid composition.

Dave — world renowned quirky (seriously quirky) but brilliant molecular bio-scientist from Montana — why do duck eggs work better than chicken eggs when combined with non-gluten grains?

*Dave (Dr. Sands) is committed to the development of nutrient-dense agricultural food sources for human consumption. He also has an academic and personal interest in nutrition, alternative grains (gluten-free), humanitarian aid, sustainability, local agriculture and poetry. In his spare time he plays with airborne bacteria capable of ice nucleation. Remember, I said quirky. Seriously quirky.

But I digress, which is common. Back to duck eggs and sweet potatoes.

Melissa’s sweet potato pie cookies

1 & 1/4 cup Pamela’s GF baking mix (or your choice of GF flour blends)
1/4 cup Earth Balance or butter softened to room temperature (next time I’m trying coconut oil, which is a favorite of mine)
1 duck egg (or 1 extra large chicken egg or 2 small ones)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup baked, cooled, and mashed sweet potato (like you would with banana bread)
2/3 cup chopped pecans

Whisk duck egg (or chicken eggs) in small bowl until well blended. Mix all ingredients (including egg) together in a large bowl and spoon onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in center (or upper center) of 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Watch carefully — my oven baked them to a nice golden brown on both top and bottom in about 14 minutes. These are like muffins or scones made into cookies. I made this up, so you’ve been forewarned — but they were really good. Must be the duck eggs.

I’m actually starting to get a bit snooty about my gluten-free baking. I’m thinking Martha Stewart should be seriously worried. Everything I’ve baked lately has come out perfect, absolutely perfect. Or close to it. Okay, close to it according to my standards.

Oh-oh, what if my duck egg supplier disappears? I’m addicted, I could be in trouble without these “golden” eggs.

Support your local farmer, help them succeed. If you live in northern Colorado check out Grant Family Farms and join their CSA program. Someone’s baking may depend on it.

Hurry, go do it now.

Whew,
Melissa

These photos were taken TODAY, Friday, March 27th — springtime in the Colorado Rockies. Fairbanks loves it and although I’m definitely a winter girl, I was all ready to work out in the yard this weekend. So much for that.

Just so you can see how much snow fell yesterday — this is a picnic table and a couple of my summer flower pots ready for plants. I should know better. At the beginning of this week we had some 75 degree teaser days. I fell for it.

Frozen composter — and it’s a big one.

I guess I’ll put away the gardening tools and throw my skis back on my car.

In gratitude to the snow gods,
Melissa
P.S. I’ll be back to food posts Monday, starting with sweet potato pie cookies.

Aaaahhh, nothing like a few days in the mountains to boost the spirit, clear the mind, and cleanse the soul. No politics, no stock market, no economic doom and gloom, no work, no worries. My perspective always changes when I’m outside, enjoying life, and doing something physical. Throw in some fresh powder, expansive views, lasting friendships, a little dark chocolate, and a glass of good red wine at the end of the day and nothing else matters.

Life is good.

I’ll get back to nutrition, food, and recipes in a few days, but for now, here’s a short photo essay of my trip to Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico, Land of Enchantment and my old stomping grounds. Soul nourishment at its finest.

Not fifteen minutes ago when I started on this post, my intention was to simply pick out some photos and let them do the talking. I should have known better. Blah, blah, blah — I’m never at a loss for words.

When the snow’s good (which it was), there are lots of opportunities at Taos for hiking up to some great ridge skiing. Oster, Fabian, Stauffenberg, and Treskow are runs immortalizing members of the German Nazi resistance during WWII. Ernie Blake founded Taos Ski Valley in 1955 after leaving Nazi Germany in 1938. He chose to name four of the ski area’s most challenging runs in honor of these German heroes. It’s a fascinating story — read here for a more detailed version.

This is me and my favorite French chef, Claude, standing outside the Hotel St. Bernard. I used to work with him years ago at the St. Bernard, which, along with owner Jean Mayer, happens to be the heart and soul of Taos Ski Valley. Claude and I are God parents to one of Jean’s sons. As I said, nothing like lifelong friends to lift your spirits and enrich your life.

Taos Ski Patrol avalanche dogs extraordinaire — Tigger, Riley, and Hattie — off duty, chasing sticks, and having fun. Life is good for them, too.

Go forth and renew your spirit!
Melissa

March is National Nutrition Month.

You all knew that, right?

Aren’t there festive parades scheduled for your city? Here in Colorado we have prune parties and turnip green galas planned throughout the month. You can catch me (Miss Eggplant) blowing kisses and tossing Brussels sprouts from a horse-drawn vegetable cart during this Saturday’s National Nutrition Month parade through downtown Denver. It’s a big deal.

Okay, so no one’s ever heard of it.

Well — now you know, so let’s start celebrating.

I took the above photo yesterday while on my weekly trip to the market. Yes, weekly now that I’m on a serious budget and am protecting myself from overspending on bok choy. Most women go shoe shopping when times get tough, I head for the organic veggie isle at my local market, Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers. Seriously, doesn’t this produce look beautiful? I love this Natural Grocer and they’ve provided me with everything I’ve needed while I’ve been in mourning the past few months, waiting for my favorite farmers to start delivering my organic veggies and fruit again.

When that happens, look for weekly nutrition tips, recipes, and information as we go through the growing season. I’m planning to post about whatever the bounty is for that week, including ways to use every bit of it. No wasting. I’m planning some good stuff for that 26 week period. Stay tuned — and join a CSA.

In the meantime, since it is National Nutrition Month, check this past post I did listing my top tips for healthy eating. And for the latest information on how to avoid pesticides, check out the Environmental Working Group’s data on pesticides and human health. They also have a handy little shopper’s guide you can download and take with you so you know which fruits and vegetables are the highest and lowest in pesticides. Organic is usually the best choice, but when we have to pick and choose for financial reasons this list will help you make the best choices. They also explain in detail why you should care about pesticides in your food.

Go forth and celebrate National Nutrition Month with me!
Melissa

Before I even start in on this, please be aware that Lindt Chocolate is NOT gluten-free (thank you to Jill at heythattastesgood for tipping me off about that). Okay, one more time, Lindt Chocolate is not gluten-free, news that came straight from the lips of a kind lady at Lindt customer service. This post is about some interesting aspects of the business side of the company, not about their products.

If you want fun, nutritional information about chocolate, check out this post I did on the health benefits. As always, check directly with the company if you have questions regarding ingredients.

Onward . . .

Lindt Chocolate USA has a sweet way of going green. That famous gold Easter bunny is hopping on the environmental bandwagon. Lindt USA, which is located in Stratham, New Hampshire, is teaming up with the local power plant on a project to convert cocoa bean shells, a by-product of chocolate processing, into green fuel. Very cool.

As Thomas Linemayr, Lindt USA’s CEO said recently, “Not only would it be a quick, local solution for disposing of a by-product, but it would afford us another opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint…”

Lindt USA is also a committed partner with Autism Speaks, an organization bringing awareness, fundraising, science, and advocacy efforts together on behalf of children with autism. Lindt is donating a percentage of sales to this noble cause.

As many of you may know, a gluten-free/casein-free diet often helps in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder, hence my interest in the autism community. According to Autism Speaks, one in every 150 children will be diagnosed with the condition this year alone, making it the fastest growing serious developmental issue in the US.

Big, sweet kudos to Lindt USA for their concern for the environment and their support for autism research — even if their chocolate is off limits to those of us on a GF diet. Sniff, sniff.

I’m on a no-sugar binge right now so I’m going to resist experimenting with these delightful looking truffles pictured above, but here’s the recipe if you want to give it a try. Keep in mind, the chocolate indicated in the recipe is Lindt and contains gluten. Just substitute with a gluten-free version. Let me know how they turn out. Wait, on second thought, not while I’m on my no-sugar jag. Oh well, tell me anyway, I want to know. I can handle it.

Go forth and enjoy life (stinky economy or not).
Melissa

I don’t feel all that great right now (too many cookies), but I’m so thrilled with the outcome that I didn’t want to put off writing this post. I’ve been chain-eating the best gluten-free, mesquite, duck egg, chocolate-chip, pecan cookies ever made. Granted, there’s probably no one in the universe who’s ever made these before, but seriously — these cookies are prize winners. Maybe not Food Network winners, but they aren’t losers and that’s something to celebrate in the world of gluten-free baking. Actually, I take that back. These are Food Network winners, worthy of the James Beard Best Eccentric Cookie Award. Nigella Lawson would swoon over these.

Ugh, but I haven’t eaten any cookies in ages and I kept testing them (over and over) just to make sure I wasn’t experiencing some sort of gustatory hallucination.

Either the gluten-free god has a crush on me, I’m in a good karma phase, or it’s the duck eggs. Remember the post I did about the Grant Family Farm Bird Spa? If you missed it, you must read it as these duck eggs are wonderful, especially for gluten-free baking. Seriously, I’m in love with them, head-over-heels in love. They add texture and “depth” to gluten-free baking. It’s that gluten-imparting quality that you can’t really describe, but you know when it’s missing. I’ve made muffins, cookies, and breakfast bread using duck eggs and each time I was thrilled with the outcome. Duck eggs rock!

Adding to the eccentricity of these cookies is mesquite flour. You can’t believe how wonderful this stuff is. I wish I had a scratch and sniff blog, you’d be delirious with one whiff. I’d have you hooked and coming back for more in no time.

Mesquite has a sweet, chocolatey, coffee, cinnamony taste. Or something like that. I can’t quite pin-point it, but it smells absolutely divine. It gives baked goods a nice cinnamon color — it’s beautiful flour. Plus, mesquite is high in fiber and protein (especially lysine, but I’ll spare you the details) and is a good source of calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium. It also helps balance blood sugar levels. (Of course, that whole balancing your blood sugar thing doesn’t work as well when you add a bunch of sugar to the recipe. There’s only so much this little pod can do.) Ground mesquite pods were a staple for Native Americans and indigenous people of the southwest.

It’s not necessary to have duck eggs and mesquite flour on hand to make these cookies, but I’m thinking that’s a good part of what made them sooo good.

Melissa’s gluten-free mesquite chocolate chip duck egg cookies

*This recipe makes about 5 or 6 dozen cookies depending on how big you make them. Store in refrigerator for 1 week or freeze for a couple of months. Gluten-free baked goods don’t last as long.

1 cup Earth Balance Butter (room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar (organic cane sugar)
1/3 cup brown sugar (organic brown sugar)
2 duck eggs (or 2 large chicken eggs, room temperature and whisked well)
1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups multi-purpose flour blend *
1/4 cup mesquite flour (please seen my comments on mesquite below) *
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 365 to 375 degrees (depending on the “hotness” of your oven). Place rack in center of oven. Lightly grease cookie sheet.
2. In medium-sized bowl – add both flours, baking soda, and salt and whisk to mix (whisking also aerates the dry ingredients). Set aside.
3. Beat shortening and both sugars on medium speed. Add vanilla and whisked eggs and beat until well-mixed and fluffy.
4. Add flour and mix on medium speed until well blended.
5. Add chocolate chips and nuts and hand-stir to blend.
6. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet a couple of inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes (it could take any where from 8 to 12 minutes depending on your oven, so watch carefully). Cookies should be golden brown color. Cool and store in airtight container in refrigerator or freezer.

* I used to make up my own basic flour blend back in my early days of GF baking, but there are so many good options available now that I no longer bother. I used Authentic Foods Multi Blend Flour, which is similar to the foundation blend I used to make myself. It’s made up mainly of brown rice and sweet rice flours. It does contain a little corn starch, so if you have issues with corn, you might want to try something different.

* The mesquite flour I use is an organic version from Casa de Fruta. It’s an expensive treat, but luckily you don’t need much. A little goes a long way and it stores well (I keep all my flour in the refrigerator). They suggest adding 2 tablespoons to each cup of regular flour, but I find that to be just a touch too much. I like a very subtle mesquite taste — it can quickly become overpowering. I measured out 3 tablespoons of mesquite into my 1/4th cup measuring cup and topped it off with the basic flour blend, making it 3 T in my 2 & 1/4th cup total. Does that make sense?

When using gluten-free flour (or any flour, I suppose), make sure you measure correctly. Rather than ramble on about this, I’m going to send you over to Carol Fenster’s website for detailed instructions on measuring. Carol lives here in Denver, is a sweetheart of a cookbook writer, and is the queen of gluten-free baking. Take it from her, she knows what she’s talking about.

Go forth and create!
Melissa

Actually, Kathleen Merrigan is the new Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, not the new organic sheriff. Regardless of the title, there is real hope in this agency choice. It looks like Food Democracy Now’s “Sustainable Dozen” petition drive to influence positive change at the USDA has paid off.

Following up on my organic food post of a couple of days ago, I felt this information was important to share with you. Kathleen Merrigan is currently the director of the Agriculture, Food, and Environment Program at Tufts University near Boston. As a staff member on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, she was instrumental in developing the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, which created national standards for organic food. She also served as administrator of the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service from 1999 to 2001, overseeing the agency’s organic food program.

Right now there are lots of loopholes in food standards, a lack of uniformity in marketing and label claims, and consumer confusion over food definitions (grass-fed, natural, raised without antibiotics, etc.). Hopefully Kathleen can help clarify standards, promote sustainable food systems, support organic farmers, and fight the good food fight. Go Kathleen!

Stay tuned, more to come on food policy, hope and change.
Melissa