Tasty Tips from Tina - January 2009
January 29, 2009
I hope everyone had a nice holiday. Other than eating too much, working too hard and spending too much money, ours was great! I had actually gotten to the point where I would look at food and think I couldn’t eat another bite…don’t worry, I did.
The New Year is supposed to bring hope, a clean slate if you will. Well, it’s the second week and my diet has gone to hell in a hand basket. Plus living with Ron hasn’t helped either. He has been very successful with Gretchen at Well Fit and has lost over 50 pounds. Well pin a rose on his nose. It’s not that I am not proud of how hard he has worked to take the weight off and keep it off but if I have to hear one more time, “Well Gretchen says…” Let’s face it, anyone who has seen Gretchen knows she was blessed with great genes. I was blessed too, only my jeans are a bigger size. I was going to take this opportunity to share a healthy recipe, maybe something like tofu dipped in lemon juice but I decided to go a different route. January is National Soup Month so I am going to share a recipe for Maryland Crap Soup that a dear friend that I work with shared with me.
Maryland Crab Soup
January 29, 2009
Combine in a large crock pot
1 small bag of frozen corn
1 small bag of frozen cut green beans
1 small bag of frozen peas or lima beans
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 carrots sliced
3 stalks of celery diced
2 large cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup Worchester Sauce
2 tbs. Old Bay
1 large box of chicken broth
Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4
Add 16 oz. of crab claw meat about ? hour before serving
Note: you can add a few drops of hot sauce for extra zip
Italian Sausage-Potato Soup
January 29, 2009
5 lbs of potatoes, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender, drain
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 stick butter
3 to 4 cups of milk
1 tsp dried parsley
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
While boiling the potatoes, brown sausage in large skillet but do not drain. Add onion to the sausage and simmer about 10 minutes. Add butter to drained potatoes. Add sausage to potatoes. Add milk, salt, pepper and parsley. Continue to simmer for 30-40 minutes on low heat. Just before serving add cheese.
The Scoop on Poop
January 29, 2009
Last month our discussion centered on worms - intestinal parasites that look like a worm as adults and reproduce to make eggs. These eggs can be identified on a fecal flotation by mixing stool with special solutions. The eggs will float in a test tube, and a drop of the liquid is placed on a slide. Then the eggs can be identified with a microscope. This test can be performed in the office but is more commonly sent to an outside laboratory so another test can be done on the same sample. (see paragraph 5)
A negative (no eggs seen) test doesn’t always mean no parasites. This can be caused by several factors such as low egg numbers that aren’t seen, intermittent shedding, poor / decomposed stool sample, parasite life cycle, or human error. Two common single-celled intestinal parasites that don’t look like a “worm” are Coccidia and Giardia. Coccidia is more commonly found in puppies and kittens. It is acquired from a contaminated environment. The organism is ingested from infected dirt or stool. If the hair coat is contaminated from feces, a pet can acquire it as well by self-grooming. Typical signs are bloody diarrhea, bloating and decreased appetite. Giardia is a microscopic parasite acquired from the environment which can be the ground, feces, or even water supply that has run-off or fecal contamination (pond or stream water). Wild animals can shed this parasite. Dogs, cats and people can all be infected from contaminated water. Signs are diarrhea, vomiting and cramping (especially in people) Giardia can be difficult to find because of intermittent shedding and the presence of low numbers of organisms. Sending fecal samples to an outside laboratory can help. In addition to a microscopic exam, they can do an ELISA, which stands for Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay, to check for evidence of the parasite without actually seeing it under the microscope. This gives a more in-depth fecal result.Good basic hygiene helps prevent the possible spread of these zoonoses (diseases that can be spread from animals to people). Cleaning up feces in the environment helps to prevent re-infestation in addition to cleaning a pet’s hair coat. There is an ongoing threat of infection from exposure to the outdoors. Multiple deworming of pets, especially puppies and kittens, or newly acquired cats or dogs can control an unseen parasite problem.(see schedule below) Most oral heartworm preventives also prevent many intestinal parasites as well. Cats and dogs are at risk of getting heartworm disease (from mosquito bites) and intestinal parasites. The monthly dose of medicines help to prevent infection of the blood-borne heartworms and intestinal parasites. No one treatment or prevention can treat for all of the types of intestinal parasites that pets can acquire. Regular stool exams will help test for parasites which can be easily treated once identified. Since we share our environment with wildlife, domesticated animals and pets, parasite problems are an existing threat. However, regular screening, treatment and prevention can help make everyone rest easier protecting pets and their people.
DEWORM SCHEDULES
Puppies……..treat every two weeks until 3 months of age then every month until 3 to 6 months old
Adult dogs………..surveillance checking 1 to 2 fecals a year is recommended. Treat the mother when pups are treated.
Newly acquired dogs…….treat immediately and repeat in 2 weeks.
Kittens……….treat every 2 weeks until 9 weeks old, then every month until 6 months old.
Adult cats……..surveillance with fecals tested once to twice yearly. Treat mothers with their kittens. Treat regularly if at risk (outdoor cats who hunt).
Newly acquired cats…..treat immediately and repeat in 2 weeks.
Information for this article taken from A Veterinary Guide to Intestinal Parasites and Treatment by Bayer Healthcare LLC
Letters to the Publisher - January 2009
January 29, 2009
Thurmont Times:
Love the change in the paper. Your honesty and concern for the citizen’s opinions of the town are appreciated. I think you also realize that more people than just the ones that live in the town boundaries are affected by things in Thurmont. Keep up the good work!
Kim Beavan
Thank you Times for Christmas tips and recipes. Tina’s appetizers were new additions for our family get together’s. A new twist to our old traditions! Keep them coming.
Pamela Hahn
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