As if We Needed Further Proof...

...that corporations and their money mean more to elected representatives than the health and safety of their constituents, Food Democracy Now reports that the Monsanto Protection Act has been passed by the Senate. Anthony Gucciardi from InfoWars breaks it down for us:

"Monsanto would have complete immunity from federal courts when it comes to their ability to act against any new Monsanto GMO crops that are suspected to be endangering the public or the environment (or considered to be planted illegally by the USDA). "

No, this is NOT a joke. And, sadly enough, this is not the first time that corporate interests have won out over individual interests in Congress. Basically, this act is going to make Monsanto exempt from prosecution in the very-likely case that one of their GMOs causes public and/or environmental damage. 

It's up to the President at this point to do the right thing and veto this ludicrous example of government corruption. 

UPDATE 3/28/13: Well, the President let us down, and no one is happy about it. 

If you're still confused about the whole GMO thing, check out Shad Enkilterra's GMO article in the Winter 2013 issue of Ingredients Magazine.

Traditional Holiday Meals from Around the World

Here in the states we tend to take our Holiday turkeys and hams for granted. What's a holiday meal without traditional trappings like cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes? Little do we know that Holiday meals from around the world are made up of all sorts of delicious and surprising things!

(Click pic to embiggen. Chart courtesy of Confused.com)

Sad News!

According to Salt Lake Tribune, our friends at Morgan Valley Lamb will be closing up shop. Morgan Valley has been providing Utah with fresh, organically raised lamb for over a decade. The land on which their herd grazes is being sold by the family that owns it, so the Gillmor's have to leave. Did you know that 600,000 acres of Utah farmland was lost just in the five years between 2002 and 2007. Morgan Valley's parcel of 10,000 acres seems like a tiny portion of that, but it represents a disturbing trend that should be of greater concern to the public. Check out this story in Issue 8 for more about it.

Going Green!

I don't know about y'all, but every January I start in on the usual new year's resolutions: exercise more, eat less and healthier, etc. In previous years such "resolutions" have been quickly forgotten in the hullabaloo of daily life, but 2012 is going to be different. I've realized over the years that big changes are daunting and scary, but small changes are easier to accept and incorporate.

In my search for healthier diet choices, I came across this article on KSL about making smoothies. This is such an awesome idea! My neighbor actually introduced me to incorporating spinach into my smoothies some time ago, but using other leafy greens never occurred to me. So smart, so healthy and so easy, there's pretty much no reason why spinach and other iron-rich greens can't be blended into any fruit smoothie. Think of it as homemade V8 Splash, only more delicious and less expensive.

So, cheers to the new year with health-packed, delicious smoothies!

Recipe of the Day: Ginger Stir Fry

It's cold outside, so all I want to do is curl up by the fire with something warm and tasty. In my search for appropriate tastiness, I stumbled upon this recipe:

Ginger Stir Fry
Serves 6, takes approx 40 minutes

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger (divided)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (divided)
1 small head broccoli florets
1/2 cup snow peas
3/4 cup julienned carrots
1/2 cup halved green beans
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tablespoon salt

To prepare, start by combining cornstarch, garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Stir until cornstarch is disolved. Use this mixture to coat snow peas, broccoli, carrots, and green beans before cooking.

Heat the remaining oil in wok over medium heat. Toss in coated veggies and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly so as not to let them burn. Add soy sauce, water, onion, remaining ginger and salt. Cook until veggies are crisp yet tender.

Melinda's Mint Hot Chocolate

There is finally snow on the ground in Salt Lake! I was starting to think that it wasn't going to happen, but here it is! Warm up tonight with this deceptively simple hot chocolate recipe, courtesy of my mom:

Melinda's Mint Hot Chocolate

Gather:
1 bag mint tea
1 packet hot cocoa mix
Marshmallows (optional, but why not?!)
water

Concoct:
Boil water and steep the tea in a mug for five to eight minutes. Add hot cocoa packet and stir to combine. Top with marshmallows, drink and enjoy!

Welcome to Ingredients Magazine!

Hello! Welcome to Ingredients Magazine's Blog. Here's what you need to know about us:

Ingredients Magazine is an online publication that gives voice to local farmers and ranchers, independent grocery stores and the local food scene in Salt Lake City, Utah. We launched our first issue in June 2011, and just published Issue Number 7 at the beginning of January 2012 after a major overhaul of the magazine's design. Check it out at IngredientsMagazineSLC.com.

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