White House Apple Cider Vinegar

Well my beets are almost ready to pick and I want to pickle some.  I emailed White House to see if I can safely use their Apple Cider Vinegar. 

This is what I said: 

Could you please let me know if you use any kind of citric acid or any other corn derivative in your apple cider vinegar?  You can go here to see if any of your ingredients maybe made from corn:  http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php

This is about me:  http://cornallergyaid.blogspot.com/

I will post their response when I receive it.

The response:  They say the apple cider vinegar is made from just apples and water.  No other ingredients. 

I think I will have to try it.

Going on an overnighter with corn allergy!

What to pack?  My husband and I are going to pickup his father and bring him back to the house for a few days.  We are driving 5 hours to his house then staying overnight to bring him back to our house the next day.  What do I pack? 

Air mattress with pump, sheets, blankets and pillows so I won’t be contaminated by his laundry soap or fabric softener.  He will let us use his bed, but I am scared of that now. 

Food:  When I cook millet and quinoa I have been making extra and freezing it in quart size freezer bags, since it takes just as long to make one batch as it does to make a few.  I figure I am saving money on electric this way.  I took 1 of each, a home canned jar of pinto beans, small container of cottage cheese, 1 pack of chicken hot dogs, a bag of lettuce, a small container of Braggs vinegar, hard boiled eggs, salt, pepper, coffee, percolator, Stanley thermos filled with coffee for the trip up and back, a jug of water, coffee mug, and large glass for water.  I also took along an old pint size cottage cheese container with the lid for a food bowl, while we were on the road.  After I ate from it I could just put the lid on to toss or clean later.   Of course don’t forget a fork! 

For personal hygiene:  Bar soap in plastic container, shampoo, crystal deodorant, and razor, damp wash cloth in Ziploc bag, toothbrush, toothpaste, and towel.  Then there is a change of clothes and night clothes, and a pair of tennis shoes in case it’s cold.  Then I had to remember a baseball hat to keep my hair back with the window down and sunglasses. 

Basic Meal:  Lettuce, cold quinoa, or millet, 2 sliced hot dogs, cottage cheese, sliced or chopped egg, sprinkled with a little vinegar, and salt and pepper

I forgot the dog!  Don't forget the dog food and food and water bowls!


 

Vodka and Wine (Corn Free Alcohol?)

There was a recent post on the forum where someone made the statement: " I might be able to sub out whiskey for borbon"

Sorry whiskey and bourbon are out.  They are both made from corn.  Bourbon is aged whiskey from KY.  Scotch is made from corn too.  There are a few potato vodkas.  Check the bottles at the store.  If they say grain it could be wheat or corn.  They will say potato or grape.  Ciroc Vodka made from grapes.  I found this web site:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vodkas   Vikingfjord, Chopin, Luksusowa are brands I have seen people post here.  I have had an issue with vodka.  Not sure exactly what it is.  For me I do better with Ciroc, so I am thinking it might just be potatoes.  I do fine with sweet potatoes, different species than white potatoes.  I am growing white potatoes this year so I will be able to put my finger on whether I am truly allergic to them or not. 

As for wine I get away with Gallo Sauvignon Blanc, or Merlo.  I also try organic brands of wine.  I have tried other reds.  Sorry I haven't kept track of the brands I have drunk.  I do know that most drink wine from other countries because they are less likely to add sulfites.  Sulfites are natural occurring in wine, some manufactures add additional.  Some people are sensitive to sulfites.  Of all the things I am allergic to I don't believe sulfites are one of them. 

Where is the corn?

You can go by a list of corn ingredients, but they don't list corn if it is in a minute amount.  They don't list citric acid or lactic acid that was used to wash produce and meat.  They don't list the corn starch they powder the packaging with.  They don't list that the plastic was actually made from corn.  Recycled cardboard usually contains corn in some manner.  You have to ask your honey supplier if they feed corn syrup to their honey bees, because the bees can then cross contaminate their honey.  Some ingredients can be made from corn or from other sources.  We have to question where the ingredient came from.

I wish we could get corn listed on the label.

Food from the garden!

The garden survived the frost and is flourishing!  I picked a canner full of spinach.  It blanched down to like 4 cups.  Not as much as it seemed, but I now have it in the freezer to help me get through the winter. 

I am eating lettuce, and spinach with every meal.  My breakfast salad has cottage cheese, and sliced eggs.  For lunch and dinner I add some cold quinoa or millet, plus cheese, raisins, and maybe some sliced chicken hot dogs.  My dressing is diluted apple cider vinegar, and honey.  I started drinking my cold Sam's choice organic coffee with beet sugar on ice.  It gives me a little boost to go back out and work in the garden some more.  :-)

I have been canning pint jars of pinto beans.  I eat the pinto beans on millet or quinoa with sour cream, chopped onion and shredded cheese with some beef hot dogs.  I have also put this on a bed of chopped lettuce. 

I started picking radishes and turnips this last week.  I have been getting small heads of broccoli for a few weeks.  My beets have a few weeks yet.  The green beans are a couple inches tall.  The brussel sprouts are a couple feet tall.  The potatoes are blooming.  Never grew potatoes before.  I read that you should water them more when they are blooming.  I don't remember what it said about when they will be ready.  The peas are blooming and developing pods.  Tomatoes are blooming.  The nasturtiums and marigolds are growing.  I can't wait until they flower.  The 5 cabbages are getting bigger.  1 has a huge head.  Never grew cabbage.  I read that when the head is firm it will be ready.  Hope I figure out when that is before it bolts.  The onions are about the size of a quarter.  The cucumbers, zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe should flower in the next couple of weeks.  The yellow squash is just coming up.  Carrots were just planted with more spinach and beets.  There are beets, spinach, turnips and radishes growing in all stages of age so I will be able to continue to harvest them through the summer.  I am planning on putting in more broccoli, and brussel sprouts in the middle of July to harvest in October.  I have to start seeds June 1st, so I can plant them in the garden in July.  I am also planning for winter squash and sweet potatoes for fall harvesting too.

Garden update - Frost May 4th!

My garden is doing well, but we may get frost tonight!  What the heck?  Last day of frost for my area is April 15th.  Its May 4th!  The bell peppers are just now starting to flower after being frosted a month ago.  I put in watermelon and cantaloupe last weekend.  I guess I am going to have to cover the tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, bell peppers, watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini, cucumbers, and the green beans, which are just coming up, ugh!

Update May 5th, 2011:  It frosted.  The grass was crunchy, and there was frost on the top of my car.  I am going to take the covers off the garden at 9 am, since the frost advisory went until 9 am.