For some folks this is a touchy subject so for starters I have never had an abortion and since government money does not go toward Planned Parenthood abortions I am not going to talk about that here, so don't go there!
When I first got out of college with my bachelors degree I did not have much job experience so I joined the Washington Conservation Corps, which at the time did not have health care options as it does now. I was kicked off my parents health care plan a week out of school (thanks for fixing that Obamacare). I was working 10 hour days of manual labor in heat and cold with not always ideal bathroom conditions. Due to our difficult working conditions and not drinking enough water I had developed a bladder and kidney infection that put me in the hospital. Luckily since I was broke the hospital wrote off my ER visit and so my finances were still somewhat safe from annihilation. My health was my meal ticket and rent! One day on a bathroom break passing through a grocery store restroom on the way to a job site I saw a pamphlet for free annual woman exams. I shoved it in my bag.
I was working for minimum wage, living alone with rent and eating lots of pasta, so I should total qualify. I took a chance on my next day off and walked into the Bellingham Planned Parenthood. I completed my paperwork and I qualified for one year of free women's health coverage, which included an annual exam, lab work and birthcontrol. I had my first exam and the doctors and nurses were friendly and made me very comfortable. They answered any questions I had with no judgement.
A few weeks later my lab work came back with abnormal results. I asked the doctor what that meant and she answered that it could mean anything from nothing to cancer. I panicked, of course! They calmly informed me that they were going to run a second test before jumping to conclusions. The results of the second lab work came back a week later normal with evidence of a yeast infection, which was no surprise after the antibiotics I had taken from my last hospital visit. Much relieved they gave me information to best treat the yeast infection and I was back to life as normal.
I am asking that if you don't like certain things about Planned Parenthood ask them to change. Better yet get involved and learn how they really operate, but do not defund them! Their free annual exams catch treatable diseases and cancers before they become deadly. By defunding them you are endangering women's lives! Please take a moment and look at the larger picture of what they really do for women and where government funding really goes.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
DIY Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt
Many folks have asked me for my yogurt recipe so here it is. First I must warn folks that I cook like I garden...somewhat haphazard. By that I mean I don't always measure everything out and I don't often use a thermometer. I built this recipe around the use of a Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker which I found on Amazon for $27. I find I make about one batch a week.
Fruit sauce
1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh fruit (chop up large fruit)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons corn starch
Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir until it thickens. More cornstarch may be added if a thicker consistency is desired. Set aside to cool and prepare your yogurt.
Yogurt
If you are using the Euro Cuisine Yogurt maker you will need one jar of whole milk for each jar of yogurt you plan to make. For example my model carries up to 7 jars so I add 7 jars of milk to a medium sauce pan. Put the milk on medium high and using a wire whisk stir until the milk starts to foam on top. Then remove the milk from the heat and let it cool to a lukewarm temperature.
Once the milk is lukewarm add 5 tablespoons of Nancy's Yogurt: Plain Whole Milk and whisk into the milk. The reason I use Nancy's is that it contains live bacteria cultures and you would be surprised how many yogurts out there are pasteurized to death once you start to look. You can find Nancy's at New Seasons, Whole Foods or any natural foods co-op.
By this time the fruit sauce has cooled. Begin spooning the fruit evenly into every jar but one. You will want to set one jar aside. This jar will be the plain yogurt that you will save as your culture for the next batch. Once the desired amount of fruit has been added to each jar take the well whisked milk mixture and pour it gently over the top of the fruit sauce and fill to the top. Also fill your one empty jar with your milk mixture.
Place all your jars into your yogurt maker without lids and turn it on. You will want your yogurt to set for a minimum of 8 hours. After 8 hours or more you can remove your jars gently pouring off any standing liquid then replace the lids and refrigerate.
Fruit sauce
1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh fruit (chop up large fruit)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons corn starch
Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir until it thickens. More cornstarch may be added if a thicker consistency is desired. Set aside to cool and prepare your yogurt.
Yogurt
If you are using the Euro Cuisine Yogurt maker you will need one jar of whole milk for each jar of yogurt you plan to make. For example my model carries up to 7 jars so I add 7 jars of milk to a medium sauce pan. Put the milk on medium high and using a wire whisk stir until the milk starts to foam on top. Then remove the milk from the heat and let it cool to a lukewarm temperature.
Once the milk is lukewarm add 5 tablespoons of Nancy's Yogurt: Plain Whole Milk and whisk into the milk. The reason I use Nancy's is that it contains live bacteria cultures and you would be surprised how many yogurts out there are pasteurized to death once you start to look. You can find Nancy's at New Seasons, Whole Foods or any natural foods co-op.
By this time the fruit sauce has cooled. Begin spooning the fruit evenly into every jar but one. You will want to set one jar aside. This jar will be the plain yogurt that you will save as your culture for the next batch. Once the desired amount of fruit has been added to each jar take the well whisked milk mixture and pour it gently over the top of the fruit sauce and fill to the top. Also fill your one empty jar with your milk mixture.
Place all your jars into your yogurt maker without lids and turn it on. You will want your yogurt to set for a minimum of 8 hours. After 8 hours or more you can remove your jars gently pouring off any standing liquid then replace the lids and refrigerate.
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