November 2013 links

I'm thinking of this post as a time capsule, so trying to add an introduction that reminds you what was going on in the world at the time.

In November, both Somalia and Sardinia got hit with cyclones, but their disasters were dwarfed by the typhoon that devastated the Philippines.

Hawaii passed legislation against new GMO crops and legalized gay marriage. I somehow doubt those two topics are related, presumably GMOs cannot marry.

The 50th anniversary of JFK's death occurred. Apparently, people older than me all remember where they were when they first heard of it, but I was a year old, so don't remember squat. For people my age, I think the moments seared into our memories are John Lennon's death, the Challenger disaster, 911 and the Columbia disaster. I will also never forget the day my daughter was born and the day I met my husband in person (we met online first), but likely the rest of you don't share memories of the poignancy of THOSE dates with me. ;)

In November 2013, the first day of Hanukkah occurred on Thanksgiving. Apparently, this hardly ever happens and was a big hairy deal. Some news media tried to make a meme of calling it "Thanksgivukkah," but it never really caught on. Apparently, it will not occur again for another 80,000 years; maybe they'll have a better name for it by then.

In contrast, the exact moment you are reading this has NEVER happened before and will NEVER happen again, so THIS moment is much more unique than that! And here you are in this unique moment spending it with me.

I have some very kewl stuff to share with you...

my favorite posts
Ripening Tomatoes (quick tip)
Technically, Jeanie posted this well before November. But I took her advice and stored my tomatoes in paper bags, pulling them out as they ripened, and I had FRESH GARDEN-GROWN TOMATOES ON THANKSGIVING! Major kudos!
Maple Bacon Jam recipe
I've never even heard of such a thing! This was THE most delectable recipe I saw all month; I can't wait to try it. NOTE: Not for serving on Thanksgivukkah!
Acid Load and Type 2 Diabetes
In this "Dear Mark" episode, there's a great discussion of the research that distinguishes between the diets of those who will develop T2 diabetes and those who will not; low magnesium, low potassium, low vegetable consumption, low fruit consumption and surprisingly, low coffee consumption: all are correlated with T2 diabetes. I can tell you for SURE that high coffee consumption is not completely protective in and of itself!
The Fastest Way to Seed Pomegranate
Denise points out how much more frugal it is to seed them yourself rather than buy those little packets of arils. Personally, I bought the arils once this year and once last, and both times they tasted slightly fermented. Not BAD exactly, but I was wanting fresh pomegranate; if I'd wanted fermented, I'd have bought a pom wine!
$28 For a Roasting Chicken? Am I Crazy?
I love Kris's breakdown of the cost - in her family, even with sides, it came to less than $3/meal to buy a pastured bird from a local farmer. I know it drove me half mad to see prices like this and remember how just BEFORE the heart attack, I'd nabbed a 40 lb box of chicken leg quarters $0.29/lb again. And hubby about FREAKED when he realized organic bell peppers at the grocery are $4 EACH (I can get them cheaper at the farmer's market though, and cheaper still in my own garden!) Kris gives a great example of stretching the GOOD stuff instead of settling for grocery crap.
HOW TO CURE SIBO, Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth: Step #7 Heal hormones and immunity -- take adrenal support, liver support, antioxidants etc
I like this site for it's mixture of hard science and quirky humor; this is the seventh in their SIBO series which is all about healing the gut. This post specifically focuses on adrenal issues.

Note: if one of these is your site, you can grab an award here.

My favorite November meme:

What's the best stuff you've seen lately?