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'Tis
the season for healthful giving
December 01, 05
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
It’s the season of giving, and it’s time again
to figure out what you’ll buy the people on your list.
Here’s my list of suggestions, ranging in price from
a little to a lot. What they have in common is that they’re
special or fun, they’re practical, and they support
a health-supporting lifestyle.
You might even want to put some of these ideas on your own
list.
* From the farm: a subscription to a CSA – community
supported agriculture – farm. Here’s how it works:
You pay a local farmer a predetermined amount of money upfront.
In return, you get a portion of the harvest throughout the
growing season. Online information and lists of CSA farms
in North Carolina are available at the N.C. State University
Cooperative Extension web site: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/csafarms.html
as well as through the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
at
http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/.
By joining a CSA farm, you are supporting a local, small,
family farm – usually organic – and Earth-friendly
farming practices. Some farms grow herbs and flowers in addition
to vegetables and fruit. Now’s the time to subscribe
for next spring. Costs vary but expect to spend several hundred
dollars for about 32 weeks of produce.
* For the fireside: a few good books for young and old. Great
choices include “Hungry Planet: What the World Eats”
by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio (Ten Speed Press,
2005, $40 hardcover). The authors in photos and essays document
what families around the world eat, including a photo of each
family with a week’s worth of groceries.
The foodie in your life may appreciate a copy of Harold McGee’s
“On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen”
(Scribner, revised 2004, $40 hardcover). It’s a comprehensive
guide to everything you always wanted to know about foods,
drawing from history, folklore and science, including the
chemistry of flavor and how ingredients in recipes interact.
For kids, I recommend Mollie Katzen’s latest kids cookbook,
“Salad People and More Real Recipes: A New Cookbook
for Preschoolers and Up” (Tricycle Press, 2005, $17.95
hardcover). This is another of Mollie’s very sweet cookbooks,
featuring her own illustrations and kid-tested, healthful
recipes.
* For the kitchen: Consider a few well-chosen appliances.
If they’ll help you cook more healthful meals at home
in less time – or more conveniently – they’re
worth it. For example, many people swear by their rice cookers.
They allow you to steam rice while you’re away doing
something else rather than watching the stovetop to ensure
the rice doesn’t boil over. Prices range from $30 to
$300, depending upon capacity and quality.
I discussed new generation pressure cookers in a recent column.
A top-of-the-line Kuhn Rikon 7 liter cooker runs just under
$200. I found a special on a 3.5 liter model, no shipping
cost, plus a copy of one of Lorna Sass’s pressure cooker
cookbooks, for $99 at FactoryDirect2you.com. You can find
good deals on other brands online as well.
When it comes to food gifts – always welcome –
skip the salami and cheese and go for high quality fresh fruit
baskets, dried fruits, figs, nuts, and elegant bottles of
olive oil.
If there’s someone on your list you know is interested
in yoga, Pilates, or starting a fitness routine at home or
at the office, a new exercise mat in a funky color or a couple
of dumbbells can be a really nice gift.
As for other gifts and stocking stuffers, how about a jump
rope, resistance bands, gift certificates to a neighborhood
natural foods store, all-fruit preserves, black, green, oolong
or herbal teas, cloth napkins and placemats, or a donation
on behalf of a friend or loved one to your local food bank?
With a little thought, your gifts can support someone’s
health while they spread the joy this holiday season.
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