DadTalk

Food Recall Dry Milk Products

Food sellers are recalling milk products because of possible salmonella contamination, reports the Food and Drug Administration. The voluntary effort is an extension of an earlier recall, which includes flavored whey proteins, instant nonfat dried milk, fruit stabilizers and thickeners from the Minnesota-based Plainview Milk Products Cooperative.

The recall was sparked after the USDA found salmonella in Dairyshake powder. The FDA subsequently found food equipment at the Plainview plant contaminated with salmonella.

In response to the recalls, Dunkin’ Donuts announced it would stop serving hot chocolate and Dunkaccino drinks because it received the mixes from the Plainview Coop, reports WebMD. Contamination was not found in Dunkin’ Donut prod ducts.

Additional

Companies Recall Products Linked to Milk Processor

The Magnifying Glass

My wife is on one of her jewelry-making jags. While Anne always has made necklaces, bracelets and earrings using beads, her new love is pearls.

After signing up for a class at Scottsdale Community College, Anne realized she needed a magnifying glass. As you can see, Lael loves mommy’s new toy.

Mexican Bird of Paradise

Nothing quite matches the orange intensity of the Mexican Bird of Paradise, which grows well in the Arizona desert. This one is at our community garden plot near Scottsdale Community Garden.

FDA Panel Wants Lower Acetaminophen Doses

Almost two years ago to the date, I wrote about how acetaminophen (the primary ingredient in Tylenol) nearly killed me. I was suffering from something known as rhabdomyolysis, which is the breakdown of muscle tissue. In my case, the condition was probably triggered by flu, dehydration and extreme physical activity.

While in the hospital, the doctors offered me a painkiller laced with acetaminophen to help me sleep. My symptoms worsened throughout the night.

I complained to the medical crew about the reaction, and they told me it was simply not possible. Although my hospitalization occurred on 2003, I didn’t write about the incident until 2006 because that’s when reports of high doses of acetaminophen causing liver damage finally came out.

Fast forward two years: a panel of health advisers are asking the Food and Drug Administration to “lower the maximum dose of over-the-counter acetaminophen,” reports HealthDay. The panel recommends dropping the 1,000-milligram pill in favor of a 650 milligram maximum.

The health panel also recommends a ban on far more potent prescription drugs Percocet and Vicodin, reports The New York Times. The drugs combine a narcotic with the acetaminophen.

The reason for the recommendation? High doses of acetaminophen can cause severe liver damage and even death. Besides repeatedly popping more of the pills in their mouths than they should, Americans often don’t realize cold remedies and other products contain acetaminophen. This can result in accidental overdoses.

Whether the FDA will follow the panel’s recommendation is anyone’s guess.

Okra: Gooey yet Beautiful

My daughter, Lael, loves okra. In one sitting, she’ll polish off two bowls of the gooey stuff as long as I microwave, steam or fry it and put on a dash of margarine.

What many people don’t know, is that okra is a handsome plant with attractive flowers. After all, okra is related to hibiscus.

Grapes of Math

A gardener next door to me grows grapes primarily for looks and shade over a garden arch. Who gets to eat the thousands of luscious fruits? The birds, of course!

Tall. Really Tall

I wanted to give readers an idea just how tall the sunflowers have grown at my community garden. I thought the best way would be to lie down on the ground and shoot up, but there was no way to accomplish this feat without killing the okra or watermelon plants.

So while this picture reveals some height, consider that I had to chop out the bottom three feet of the plant from the picture!

A Day Out on Goldwater Lake

On Father’s Day, I took the family up to Goldwater Lake for some hiking, kayaking and grilled burgers. The lake, which is near Prescott, Arizona, is perfect for young children and only costs a couple bucks to park.

Like last year, Lael didn’t want to stay out on the lake for more than a few minutes. Unlike last year, my wife, Anne there to take our daughter off my hands. At least Anne was able to shoot a few cute photos.

Seth and I enjoyed time together in the kayak, exploring coves and watching dragonflies skirt the water’s surface. We even saw ponies on the trail.

After eating, we walked to the far side of the small lake where Seth and Lael played in the water. After a while, we started collecting rocks for grandma, who has a penchant for such things.

The trip made for a great Father’s Day that was more about family than just dad.

Why You Must Eat That Chocolate Chip Cookie

Food scientists have known for years that they can create food junkies simply by combining a little fat, sugar and salt. Add another addictive ingredient such as chocolate and you have the namesake cookie that is almost impossible to resist.

The cookie is so potent that former Food and Drug Administration chief Dr. David Kessler decided to write “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite,” which is reviewed in The New York Times.

Restaurants and food makers long have been taking advantage of our human weaknesses. Writes The Times:

Growing Up Without Dad

My dad died when I was 9. For most of my life, I would have denied that his death had any real impact on my development.

After all, I was a fiercely self-sufficient young boy with a strong sense of awareness at a very young age. On the day my dad died, I mentally took on the role of “oldest male” in the house and never really saw his death as a negative. I suppose that’s strange, but I’ve always been the type who rises to meet adversity.

Of course, there was a touch of silliness to it. I didn’t get a job as my grandfather did when his dad died. I didn’t take over the role of raising my brother. And in actuality, I didn’t know squat.

But, I did grow up a lot on the day my dad died from an embolism caused by a metal plate used to mend a broken leg. My sense of responsibility was immediate and immutable. In many ways, I acted as adult-like as my immature mind could muster.

It wasn’t until my kids were born that I started to realize something had been lost. Consider:

Dad Talks on Iowa Public Radio

I’ve never been on the radio before, but when I got the email from Iowa Public Radio to be a guest, I jumped at the chance.

I’m not entirely sure why the news producer thought I’m one of the funny dad bloggers – I tend to be a bit sober as far as writers go – but I recently had done a post about my daughter cutting her own hair. Certainly, I’m not as funny as massively popular Danny Evans of Dad Gone Mad, who was the other guest.

I’m glad the audience couldn’t see me while I was on air. I couldn’t stop smiling! Is that a normal reaction to being on radio?

At one point I was incoherent, and at another I was dropped from the show, but neither incident put a damper on my mood.

If you want to listen, go here. Danny and I are on during the last half hour of the show.

The Amazing San Diego Zoo

One of the pleasures of visiting the San Diego Zoo is that an amateur can take amazing shots of wildlife (and of course of your own kids.)

DadTalk Opens Swim School for 2

A few months after Seth was born, my wife insisted that I be the one to give him baths. Anne simply couldn’t cope with our son’s abject fear of water. I don’t mean your normal, garden variety fear, but top-of-his-lungs screaming. (Water fear runs strong in both parents’ families.)

The worst reaction usually came about when even the slightest drop of water slid down the side of his face, usually when washing his hair. My boy equally freaked out if a single H2O molecule entered an ear.

Within a few days of my taking over bathing duties, Seth calmed down enough to tolerate baths. A few weeks later, Seth kind of enjoyed baths. Within a few more weeks, Seth loved baths to the point I couldn’t get him out of the water. My boy was fine as long as the water stayed away from his face.

Children Trade in Chicken Nuggets for Soup and Carrots, Study Finds

Children are drinking less cola and eating fewer chicken nuggets, French fires and hot dogs at restaurants, reports The New York Times. Consumption of soup, grilled chicken sandwiches, yogurt and carrots is, amazingly, up.

The economic downturn and new offerings by restaurants were cited in a new study as reasons for the sudden change in childhood eating habits, which coincides with childhood obesity levels reaching a plateau, according to another study. At the same time, it’s important to note that children are still eating plenty of fast junk food.

While eating habits may be changing somewhat, living close to fast food chains does not seem to contribute to childhood obesity, reports Inside Indiana Business on an Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis study.

While living near a McDonald’s had little effect on weight, living near recreational amenities does seem to lower body mass indexes in children:

The IUPUI researchers also report that residing near certain recreational amenities – fitness areas, kickball diamonds, and volleyball courts – lowers children’s body mass indexes (adjusted for normal childhood growth). The researchers estimated that locating one of these facilities near the home of an overweight 8-year-old boy could lower his weight by three to six pounds.

We Love San Diego

Despite Seth’s burns, we decided to go ahead with our San Diego/La Jolla vacation, even though the doctor said Seth was not allowed to get ocean water or sun on his injuries. Plus, I had to change his dressings each night.

Because the air was pleasantly cool and the water relatively cold, Seth’s injuries did not pose much of a distraction. Even Lael didn’t get her upper body all that wet because the sea was too bracing.

While there, we did the usual touristy things: eating out at overly expensive restaurants, frolicking at the beach, spending a day at the fabulous San Diego Zoo (more on that in another post) and touring the Air & Flight Museum.

The day after the trip, the doctor told us Seth’s burns, which were a pleasant pink color, no longer needed to be dressed. (We still need to apply lotion several times a day.)

In the top photo, Seth and Lael play at different beaches. Below, Seth and Lael at the Air and Space Museum. Below this text, a crab guards its little crevice. In the bottom photo, a happily exhausted Lael fell asleep after her sturdy little body finally gave out.

What Our Garden Is Producing

Perhaps more than any vegetable, cucumbers represent what’s wrong with fresh produce today.

When we lived in California, we could get all types of (expensive) cucumbers at the farmer’s markets – pickling, Armenian, Japanese, lemon, English and Mediterranean – nearly year round. More importantly, the cucumbers were fresh, with firm rather than rubbery skins.

Then we moved to Chicago, where the farmers market had great, yet even more expensive cucumbers for only a few months a year. And then we moved to Arizona, where finding a decent farmer’s market, much less a cucumber, became still more problematic.

Enter my community garden plot, which I began this spring. As you can see from the picture, cucumbers are no longer a problem. This year, I decided to grow two varieties: Japanese and lemon, the latter which are in the white bowl.

About Those High Gas Prices…

You may have noticed I’ve been somewhat quiet about financial stories lately. In large part, that’s because the media is doing a much better covering the economic crises than it had during the housing bubble.

But the other reason has to do with a sort of disillusionment with America’s financial system. You see, I’ve come to understand that intentionally or not, the entire economic system is designed to help the wealthy far more than the average working Joe.

Rather than launch a dissertation, I’m going to keep this simple with two seemingly unconnected stories. The first story touches an issue near and dear to our hearts: gas prices have risen 41 days in a row, reports The New York Times.

As I’m sure you’re aware, high gas prices can have a severe impact on household spending. Besides pumping more bucks straight into your gas tank, consumer prices on all sorts of products usually rise. In January, Americans were spending $600 million a day on gas. Today, gas costs consumers about $1 billion a day.

But here’s how I suspect most Americans see it:

Storm

My garden provides a nice view of the McDowell Mountains where I live. In this photo, a mid-May storm works it’s way down from northern Arizona.

10-Foot Tall Sunflowers

Several months ago, I obtained a community garden plot a few miles south of us. I meant to post pictures as it evolved, but I’ve been waaaay to busy.

For fun, Seth helped me plant some decorative sunflowers I bought for him and Lael. I know the package said up to 10 feet tall, but well, wow. At least they provide sun protection in the hot Arizona sun and may prolong the summer growing season.

For about a week now, we’ve been enjoying cucumbers, but the real haul is going to come in a couple weeks. Today I was able to harvest some green beans and some corn. Ha-Ogen melons should be ready soon, too.

Pictures on the jump: The open sunflowers are the edible seed variety and the greenish fruit is actually a delicate squash. Armenian/Japanese and lemon cucumbers take over the middle part of the garden. A long view of the garden reveals the 20X30 foot plot.

Hollyhocks

A much more experienced gardener than myself lets Hollyhocks run wild around the perimeter of his plot.