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the health jeanne

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Have You Tried Chia Seeds?

Have you ever tried chia seeds? They are tiny and packed with nutrition, and are becoming quite popular.

Chia seeds are tiny black seeds from the plant Salvia hispanica, which is related to the mint. Chia seeds date back to the Aztec and Mayans times and were found primarily in Mexico; they were prized for their ability to provide sustainable energy and used for medicinal and nutritional benefits. In the 1990s, American scientists took note of this nutritional powerhouse and now chia is grown in Argentina, Peru, Mexico and Bolivia and is now widely available. So, you may want to add this superfood to your healthy food list.

These seeds are filled with fiber, antioxidants, healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and more. You may find chia seeds in your favorite muffins, energy bars, and breakfast cereals.

My favorite bar is Greenwise Chocolate Cherry Flavored Chia Bars. This bar contains low sugar and sodium and contains 11 percent fiber. It is the perfect snack following an exercise class!

Chia seeds contain large amounts of essential fatty acids: 64 percent of omega-3 and 19 percent of omega-6. The omega-3 fatty acids help raise HDL cholesterol, or “good” cholesterol, which is a healthy factor.

There are different types of chia seeds: black, white, milled, and pre-hydrated. Its best to choose whole, organic ones to protect the omega-3s and vitamins. Also, they have a longer shelf life.

You can add chia seeds to cereals and smoothies. Or, add some to your baked goods to give them a healthy boost.

You can find chia seeds at the grocery store, as well as a health food store and online. Or, if you prefer, shop the aisle of nutritional snacks. You’ll likely find chia bars there.

Hoping you enjoy the mild-nut-like flavor of chia seeds. They are tiny and tasty, and they just may become your favorite, too!

The Supermarket Gourmet

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by Buck Reed

Chili Nation

The exact origins of chili are muddled at best. The only sure thing is that it is an American dish that is only made in Mexico for tourists. In most Mexican culture, chili con carne is considered a vile dish served and eaten in the United States, from California to New York. So, I do not believe anyone would dispute our claim that this is an American dish.

Chili can find its origins all the way back to the 1600s, where a nun, Sister Mary of Agreda of Spain, said she ministered to the American Indians, who never even met her. She never left Spain, but it is said that she would go into lifeless trances for days, in which she claims she brought spiritual guidance to a faraway land. The Indians of North America called her spirit “The lady in Blue.” She is credited with being the first person to write out a recipe using antelope meat, onions, spices, chilis, and tomatoes. Every great dish should have a mystical element in its history. If we only could have worked in how Excalibur was used to chop the meat in the first chili.

Chili eventually found it’s way to the New World, and firmly found its place in the cattle drives of the 1850s. Dried beef was mixed with dried chilis and spices and formed into bricks that could easily travel and be rehydrated into a hot meal on the long drives. By the 1860s, the Texas penal system adopted chili to feed the inmates a cheap meal. Criminals would actually rate a jail house by the quality of the chili they served.

By the 1880s, Latino women would sell bowls of homemade chili, kept warm over mesquite fires from brightly colored carts. These women were dubbed “Chili Queens” and were considered a must-have for both a quick lunch or a late-night meal after a night of drinking. By the 1930s, they were put out of business due to poor health standards. A resurgence of the Chili Queens started in the 1980s, when San Antonio began doing historic reenactments, with a festival dedicated to them held in May.

The Chili Queens were quickly replaced by chili houses all through Texas, as well as the surrounding states. As this was the Depression, nearly every town had an establishment, and chili, being a cheap dish to produce, got many people through the hardest times. In these one-room houses, with little more than a counter and some stools, a bowl of chili was served with all the crackers you could eat.

Cincinnati made its mark on chili in 1922, when Athanas Kiradjieff, also known as Tom, made a chili with Greek spices and served it over spaghetti. Five-way chili is served layered with cheese, onions, and kidney beans, and served with a side of hot dogs.

If you want proof that Chicago is the home of dirty politics, you can look no further than its treatment of chili and its origins. First, they spell it with two “L’s” to more closely resemble Illinois. And in a shameful and immoral move, Illinois State Senator Karen Harasa introduced Resolution No. 89 in the Illinois General Assembly, which proclaimed Illinois to be known as “The Chilli Capital of the Civilized World.” Texans are still pretty angry about that one.

On The Wild Side

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christine-macabeeGardening for Wildlife

Christine Schoene Maccabee

On just one occasion, I had the pleasure of witnessing the profound beauty of hundreds of Monarch butterflies on their migratory path to Mexico. It was the first September of my new life here in the Catoctins, and my unmowed fields were bursting with flowering goldenrod. The goldenrod, being as it is a critical late season source of nectar and pollen for butterflies and bees, served as a magnet to hundreds—perhaps thousands—of Monarchs that year in my field. It was a sight to stir the heart, orange-winged beauties flitting gracefully from flower to flower, the entire meadow in motion. It was a living body of pulsating color.

For two days, the butterflies stayed and fed. I remember looking out every morning to see them, but by the third morning, they were gone. The valley seemed strangely empty, too still, and I felt a loss, a sadness, though I was satisfied that they were well fed, fueled up, so to speak, for their long journey south. Since then, I have not seen so many at one time, though every summer lone individuals come and go, some feeding and leaving eggs on my milkweed leaves. I have read since then that Monarchs are mostly loners, only congregating at certain ideal places to feed and perhaps mate. Still, I worry.

By now, everyone knows or should know about the problem with extreme habitat loss for the Monarch butterfly. Children are learning about it in school, and I have seen innumerable articles about it in newspapers and magazines. National Wildlife Federation magazine’s April issue covered both the problems of and the solutions to the imperiled Monarch Migration. Most damaging have been  invasive logging in Mexico, where Monarch’s winter over, and the massive conversion of precious grasslands into monocultures of corn and soybeans in the heartland of our country. Then there is  the overuse of herbicides, which are used widely by farmers  to kill off native plants that all butterflies, and bees,  require for food and/or egg laying.

As we all know, information is critical to solving problems. Now that we understand how and why our natural areas are becoming devastated, we can all begin to do something to remedy the situation. Anyone who has even the slightest amount of yard space can begin gardening for wildlife this spring. Gardening is one way to get the kids out of the house, and our hands in the dirt. After all, humans are part of the wild world, too! It is very rejuvenating, and I believe it is a basic need, even for those who say they don’t have a green thumb.

When I think of all the homeowners in this area who would much prefer not to mow their lawns every weekend, to them I say  “Plant wildflowers!” Backyard, and even front yard gardeners, are our heroes of today. Trees are great, and important, too; however, food for our bees and butterflies, even moths, is critical if we are to have a healthy planet. I have seen the loss of large moth populations in our county due to pesticide use, and I am greatly saddened to no longer see any more large, magnificent ones such as Cecropias or Lunas. If you happen to see one, please let me know.

When I first moved here to my eleven-plus acres in the Catoctins, I already had a vast interest in all things wild, particularly native plants. So, when a large garden area was plowed up, there was no mulching or pulling of weeds that first year. Instead, I let things come back and began to investigate, and discriminate. Much to my surprise, the 200-year-old hay field was full of seeds, simply waiting for someone to recognize them. I now have areas of wild aster (four varieties), milkweed in many places (critical habitat for the Monarch), clovers of many varieties (which the bees thrive on), jewel weed, teasel, wine berries galore, several varieties of goldenrod (which is not the dreaded pollen producer that some have wrongly accused), St. John’s Wort, violets, and so on. I also have many wild edibles and medicinals, which I use for teas and for eating. None of these are store bought, but simply waiting for my discerning eye to discover.

So I say, “Get curious!” and get a good identification book. Children are naturally curious, so dig up some yard and begin to examine what’s there. However, many people do not have the time or interest for this approach, so another way to grow native plants is to buy them at one of the many nurseries, which are now selling more and more native plants. I have seen many yards transformed into what I call an oasis of goodness, with flowers and vegetables, integrated in practical, even artistic ways.

Here’s a small list of native plants good for pollinators: coneflowers, bee balm or wild Bergamot, goldenrod, Joe-Pye weed, butterfly weed (orange flowers), red or white clovers, sunflowers, wild evening primrose, lilies, wild phlox, dandelions, and many others, including certain shrubs and trees.

I always say, if there is only one thing I do in my lifetime for the Good, it will be to grow and preserve habitat for wildlife on my eleven-plus acres. You can do the same no matter how much or how little land you have! Every little bit helps. All the information you need is out there; so, this spring, have a wild adventure and explore the potential in your soil.

For more information on how to get a wildflower garden going or to identify plants for you, call Christine at 301-271-2307 or write her at songbirdschant@gmail.com.