food. nutrition · Uncategorized

Would You Rob a Bank to Buy a Bag of Candy?

  One of the extreme statements you might see floating around the internet  is something along the lines of “sugar is addictive” or going even further, “Sugar is addictive as cocaine!”.  I’m not going to write that we should all be shoveling sugar by the spoonful, despite Mary Poppins’ advice about taking medicine.  I’m also not one to… Continue reading Would You Rob a Bank to Buy a Bag of Candy?

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Dirty Boots and the Basics of Beef

When you visit a cattle ranch, even if it’s in North Carolina,  you need to plan to wear boots.  The short, cute leather boots I was wearing when I visited Ridgefield Farm in Brasstown, North Carolina were probably not the best choice.  To make matters worse, the unseasonably warm fall weather compounded by the drought made it very dry and… Continue reading Dirty Boots and the Basics of Beef

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Tools of a Tomato Titan – Toothbrush and Tweezers

Who are your heroes? A politician, a celebrity, an author, an athlete, a religious figure?  For many Western North Carolina tomato growers,  their hero is an unassuming tomato researcher by the name of Dr. Randolph(“Randy”) Gardner https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/staff/rgardner/.  About three years ago I interviewed local tomato grower, William Shelton of Shelton Family Farm in Whittier, NC.http://buildupdietitians.blogspot.com/search?q=shelton#!/2014/07/farmer-story-1-walking-through-fields.html… Continue reading Tools of a Tomato Titan – Toothbrush and Tweezers

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It’s Flowers not Flour

  Flowers Foods may be a name that’s unfamiliar to you, but this is the company that markets Nature’s Own breads and owns bakery brands and products such as Tastykake, Cobblestone Bread Co., Wonder and Sunbeam bread,  and the more recently acquired, Dave’s Killer Breads.  In total, Flowers Foods owns more than 20 brands and operates 49 bakeries across the United… Continue reading It’s Flowers not Flour

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Roots and Branches: On Crackers and the Zombie Apocalypse

Ana Mitchell “Cracker Queen” and boxes of Roots and Branches Crackers   When you’ve operated a successful restaurant in Asbury Park, New Jersey patronized by the famous,  including Bruce Springsteen, and then decide to sell it, what’s your next business move?  Once Clark and Ana Mitchell sold the Twisted Root Cafe in New Jersey,  their… Continue reading Roots and Branches: On Crackers and the Zombie Apocalypse

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Food Recollections: On Coconut Cake and a Grape Nehi

Many of us have probably read journalist and food activist, Michael Pollan’s famous quote, “Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.” But how did (depending on your age) our parents,  grandparents or great-grandparents really eat?  I had this idea to interview some seniors to ask that question.  You’ll be happy to learn that if your parent… Continue reading Food Recollections: On Coconut Cake and a Grape Nehi