I got an email from a friend and former co-worker, Beth, that was very disturbing. It is a story all about BPA (the bad stuff in many plastics) that are found in our blenders and food processors. Here is the link.
So what are you to do if you can't just run out and buy all new stuff? Here are my recommendations:
* Keep the plastics out of the dishwasher, the heating in high temps begins the release of the toxins.
* Only blend/process cold stuff.
* Blend and process and remove food immediately to avoid prolonged exposure, store in glass or ceramic.
* Never reheat in your food processor chamber.
Sometimes it seems inescapable. You try and try and still find these toxins in the things that are closest to our foods. My mother in law bought me a kitchen aid food processor 2 years ago for Christmas. I love it and was so bummed to see it on the "bad" list. But, like many, I can't afford to run out and buy all new stuff right now. So, I will use the one I have but I will no longer be throwing hot food into my processor.
Showing posts with label cookware. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cookware. Show all posts
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Greetings....from Yuma
Yes you read that right, Yuma. We are here meeting my dad and family for my sister's baseball tournament. My mother in law also drove out to visit and see the kids. It is 8:50 pm and both kids are happily tucked away and alseep. Now why is this a big deal? Well for one, my 2 year old missed her nap. My son already had routine issues and needs structure, of which we have had none today. We been in the car and then at a ball field and then back to the hotel and then to Red Lobster and now back at the hotel and everyone is settled with nary a tantrum. Simply amazing for this family. My son was around lots of people, many whom he does not know and he was busy greeting people on the ball field. We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table at Red Lobster that could accomodate all 10 of us and he handled it with no qualms, even though it was actually close to his bedtime. And, Red Lobster actually really impressed me tonight. I called the waiter over to discuss their menu and see what they had that was GFCF (which appeared to be nothing). Once I mentioned food issues he immediately said his manager had to be involved from this point and she could walk us through what options we had and would clear an area of the grill to be sanitized for Matthew's food. We ordered grilled chicken and a plain garden salad no croutons. Matthew had a BLAST at dinner. He was chatting nonstop and not one tantrum or sensory overload meltdown, none. I still don't know if I believe it! So, kudos to Red Lobster. Shows you how often we get out to eat, like never. We did run through In and Out for a hamburger patty and fries since they are safe but the child still ate a whole chicken breast and salad on top of that. What a pleasant change from some of our previous overnight outings. Now albeit he is alseep on the king bed in the bedroom while my husband and I "cuddle" on the pull out sofa sleeper in the living room next to my daughter's pack and play (which she is probably too big for but hey, its working for the moment). But all in all, a successful day, now my back will be a whole other topic tomorrow morning....
On to the topic of cooking apparatus. I am so pleased that one of my dearest friends (since Jr. high school) piped up with answers to some of our compelling cookware questions. She is an attorney who moonlighted at Sur La Table (in her free time, lol) at some point in time, somewhere around my wedding if I remember correctly. I appreciate the prompt info and will pass it on here:
*********************************
The question was about non-stick cookware and there was a question about the Calphalon products with their "electronic bath".
Answer from Elan: Hi there. Just wanted to add my 2 cents. Previously, I worked at Sur La Table, and through them got a lot of cooking education particularly on products. So I thought I would just share this about the Calphalon. There are two versions, the non-stick which is covered with Teflon (or it's equivalent); there is also the non-stick, which is more acurately called stick resistant, which is an iodized aluminum. That's the one with the electronic bath. That product doesn't contain a Teflon cooking surface, and if you aren't careful, things will actually stick to it like any other pan. Of course, there are different opinions on cooking on alumninum or not, but we will leave that for another post. Personally, I love my All Clad and my stainless lined copper pots and threw out my Calphalon, when I learned that it was only stick resistant and a lot of work to clean.
This question was about a griddle or grill that was not covered in Teflon.
Answer from Elan: Ok, so I don't know what kind of grill and/or griddle you have, but I can tell you what you should get after reading your post. Le Crueset. They have a two burner grill on one side, griddle on the other. It's cast iron, but won't need seasoning because it's covered in enamel. Once you switch to enamel covered case iron, you will love it. All the best of cast iron, but the cleaning ease of All Clad. The enamel makes it soooo very easy to clean and elimanates the need for "seasoning." After four years at Sur La Table, I can almost recommend cooking implements for every occasion.
************************************************
OK so now we know what will be on many holiday wish lists this year, including mine. Thanks Elan, love the info and please keep it coming about safe and efficient cookware and products. You can be our resident cookware afficianado (among other things). Although hopefully I won't be needing any legal advice anytime soon so we'll stick with the cooking stuff, ok? And I am so glad to hear the All Clad is a keeper, my pocket book thanks you!
Well, off to a lovely night sleep on this sofa bed. But, looking forward to what tomorrow brings for us all!! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.....
On to the topic of cooking apparatus. I am so pleased that one of my dearest friends (since Jr. high school) piped up with answers to some of our compelling cookware questions. She is an attorney who moonlighted at Sur La Table (in her free time, lol) at some point in time, somewhere around my wedding if I remember correctly. I appreciate the prompt info and will pass it on here:
*********************************
The question was about non-stick cookware and there was a question about the Calphalon products with their "electronic bath".
Answer from Elan: Hi there. Just wanted to add my 2 cents. Previously, I worked at Sur La Table, and through them got a lot of cooking education particularly on products. So I thought I would just share this about the Calphalon. There are two versions, the non-stick which is covered with Teflon (or it's equivalent); there is also the non-stick, which is more acurately called stick resistant, which is an iodized aluminum. That's the one with the electronic bath. That product doesn't contain a Teflon cooking surface, and if you aren't careful, things will actually stick to it like any other pan. Of course, there are different opinions on cooking on alumninum or not, but we will leave that for another post. Personally, I love my All Clad and my stainless lined copper pots and threw out my Calphalon, when I learned that it was only stick resistant and a lot of work to clean.
This question was about a griddle or grill that was not covered in Teflon.
Answer from Elan: Ok, so I don't know what kind of grill and/or griddle you have, but I can tell you what you should get after reading your post. Le Crueset. They have a two burner grill on one side, griddle on the other. It's cast iron, but won't need seasoning because it's covered in enamel. Once you switch to enamel covered case iron, you will love it. All the best of cast iron, but the cleaning ease of All Clad. The enamel makes it soooo very easy to clean and elimanates the need for "seasoning." After four years at Sur La Table, I can almost recommend cooking implements for every occasion.
************************************************
OK so now we know what will be on many holiday wish lists this year, including mine. Thanks Elan, love the info and please keep it coming about safe and efficient cookware and products. You can be our resident cookware afficianado (among other things). Although hopefully I won't be needing any legal advice anytime soon so we'll stick with the cooking stuff, ok? And I am so glad to hear the All Clad is a keeper, my pocket book thanks you!
Well, off to a lovely night sleep on this sofa bed. But, looking forward to what tomorrow brings for us all!! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.....
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
More on cooking....
One thing I forgot to add about Teflon was that the additive of PFOA is now found in nearly ALL human samples (including cord blood). It does not biodegrade and is excreted only slowly.
The guy who gave this lecture was Stuart Freedenfield, MD, Medical Director for Stockton Family Practice in Stockton NJ. He was very straightforward and presented a pretty dismal case really about our environment. But, all you can do is make the changes slowly, as feasible in your own family.
He recommends the following cookware instead of Teflon:
Stainless Steel
Cast Iron
Ceramic Titanium
Porcelain Enameled Iron
Anodized Aluminum (unless your child has heavy metals, then you may want to be cautious with this)
I personally use All-Clad and it does have aluminum core with stainless steel on the outside. I believe this to be safe as what is touching your food is the stainless. If someone has different data, please share. Although I really don't want to replace my pans, I love them and they were a wedding gift. But, I guess I would rather know....
Another option is glass although I have not seen those pots and pans around in a looong time, like circa 1980. Remember the commercials where you got to see the water boil? Maybe we could find some at garage sales, lol.
Also, see my earlier posts on plastics....more bad news though. Per the class at DAN!, no plastic is smart plastic. Gulp....So, we have been using our Corelle plates for the kids instead of their Spiderman and Princess melamine coated junk or even the Tupperware stuff. I know, this has been a rough week for my kitchen. He advocated using the Kleen Kanteens with the sippy adapters instead of plastic sippy cups. You can order them online or at REI. He does go on to say "Avoid PVC containing plastics. The following are OK to use:"
Clear wrap, not saran
Glad Cling Wrap
Hefy One-zip slider bags
Hefty Baggies
Ziplock and Gladlock bags and containers
Rubbermaid Chuggable bottles or the Stainless Steel Kleen Kanteens and visit http://www.newbornfree.com/ for baby bottles.
Never microwave in plastic, ever. Do you know what "microwave safe" means? It means the plastic will not melt in the microwave. It does not tell you a thing about what is leeching into your food. And, you don't even want to heat something on class or ceramic and then put that onto a plastic plate (oops). Heat and plastic should not mix. Yes, there will be a run on pyrex sets with the lids here in Gilbert as I need to stock up apparantly. Speaking of microwaves, you should only heat in the microwave, never cook. 'Nuking something for 30 seconds is very different from cooking a casserole in there. You should not be using the microwave to cook.
On to Shari's question about baking sheets. My future plans include using parchment paper to bake on. But, I did a quick internet search and did see stainless cookie sheets.
This guy also covered controlling pests, water in your home both drinking and showering, sleepwear, organic foods, etc. I will be covering more as I do more searching and can provide more data for you.
I am so morose, I have to get rid of my wonderful griddle that goes on my stove AND my electric griddle and my George Foreman grill!!! I actually used my All Clad pans this morning to make pancakes, it just wasn't the same. But, I will adapt! I will find a new source and will post it here when I do. We just have to look at some of the older ways of doing things, like glass and cast iron (unless you have a smooth top stove like I do - it came with the house, not my choice....). Glass good, plastic bad. It gets more challenging with a 5 and 2 year old dropping things around here, which is why I love Corelle. I am running to the outlet for more this week as a matter of fact. We can do this, we can get rid of this stuff that is not benefiting our health and can make the changes that will give our kids a healthier future. Most of our toxic exposure comes from our homes so we clean that up and our kids will be so much better even when they do get the exposure out in the community. The less toxic burden, the more efficient their immune systems can be. If you have a child on the spectrum this is even more important for them but also remember, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You probably are doing a huge favor to yourself and their siblings by cleaning these things up too, even if you are not symptomatic like your child may be....
Next up - meat and how it is packaged and more on going organic......but I need to run before this post becomes a novel. Stay tuned.....
The guy who gave this lecture was Stuart Freedenfield, MD, Medical Director for Stockton Family Practice in Stockton NJ. He was very straightforward and presented a pretty dismal case really about our environment. But, all you can do is make the changes slowly, as feasible in your own family.
He recommends the following cookware instead of Teflon:
Stainless Steel
Cast Iron
Ceramic Titanium
Porcelain Enameled Iron
Anodized Aluminum (unless your child has heavy metals, then you may want to be cautious with this)
I personally use All-Clad and it does have aluminum core with stainless steel on the outside. I believe this to be safe as what is touching your food is the stainless. If someone has different data, please share. Although I really don't want to replace my pans, I love them and they were a wedding gift. But, I guess I would rather know....
Another option is glass although I have not seen those pots and pans around in a looong time, like circa 1980. Remember the commercials where you got to see the water boil? Maybe we could find some at garage sales, lol.
Also, see my earlier posts on plastics....more bad news though. Per the class at DAN!, no plastic is smart plastic. Gulp....So, we have been using our Corelle plates for the kids instead of their Spiderman and Princess melamine coated junk or even the Tupperware stuff. I know, this has been a rough week for my kitchen. He advocated using the Kleen Kanteens with the sippy adapters instead of plastic sippy cups. You can order them online or at REI. He does go on to say "Avoid PVC containing plastics. The following are OK to use:"
Clear wrap, not saran
Glad Cling Wrap
Hefy One-zip slider bags
Hefty Baggies
Ziplock and Gladlock bags and containers
Rubbermaid Chuggable bottles or the Stainless Steel Kleen Kanteens and visit http://www.newbornfree.com/ for baby bottles.
Never microwave in plastic, ever. Do you know what "microwave safe" means? It means the plastic will not melt in the microwave. It does not tell you a thing about what is leeching into your food. And, you don't even want to heat something on class or ceramic and then put that onto a plastic plate (oops). Heat and plastic should not mix. Yes, there will be a run on pyrex sets with the lids here in Gilbert as I need to stock up apparantly. Speaking of microwaves, you should only heat in the microwave, never cook. 'Nuking something for 30 seconds is very different from cooking a casserole in there. You should not be using the microwave to cook.
On to Shari's question about baking sheets. My future plans include using parchment paper to bake on. But, I did a quick internet search and did see stainless cookie sheets.
This guy also covered controlling pests, water in your home both drinking and showering, sleepwear, organic foods, etc. I will be covering more as I do more searching and can provide more data for you.
I am so morose, I have to get rid of my wonderful griddle that goes on my stove AND my electric griddle and my George Foreman grill!!! I actually used my All Clad pans this morning to make pancakes, it just wasn't the same. But, I will adapt! I will find a new source and will post it here when I do. We just have to look at some of the older ways of doing things, like glass and cast iron (unless you have a smooth top stove like I do - it came with the house, not my choice....). Glass good, plastic bad. It gets more challenging with a 5 and 2 year old dropping things around here, which is why I love Corelle. I am running to the outlet for more this week as a matter of fact. We can do this, we can get rid of this stuff that is not benefiting our health and can make the changes that will give our kids a healthier future. Most of our toxic exposure comes from our homes so we clean that up and our kids will be so much better even when they do get the exposure out in the community. The less toxic burden, the more efficient their immune systems can be. If you have a child on the spectrum this is even more important for them but also remember, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You probably are doing a huge favor to yourself and their siblings by cleaning these things up too, even if you are not symptomatic like your child may be....
Next up - meat and how it is packaged and more on going organic......but I need to run before this post becomes a novel. Stay tuned.....
Monday, November 3, 2008
Farewell my friend.....
So I have to say goodbye to my good friend, my George Foreman grill. At the DAN! conference I took the "Protecting your child from a toxic world" talk on Friday night. One of the things that was discussed was Teflon. Teflon is bad, period. George Foreman grill has Teflon so out you go. I knew that you really didn't want to overheat Teflon. Teflon has PFOA a chemical used to keep the food from sticking. The EPA classifies PFOA as a likely carcinogen which affects the liver, thyroid and immune system. And with children on the Autism spectrum less able to detox naturally, that is a very bad thing. Reducing their overall toxic load is imperative. And, it certainly will be better for us all. I am currently looking for a replacement that does not have the Teflon coated plates. If anyone knows of such a product, please pass it on....
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