The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Top vegetarian restaurants in the nation

What are America’s best vegetarian restaurants? The Vegetarian Resource Group offers this list:

• Blind Faith Cafe, near Chicago

• The Chicago Diner

• Amitabul, Chicago

• Millennium, San Francisco

• Zen Palate, New York

• Candle 79, New York

• HanGawi Restaurant, New York

• New Harmony Vegetarian Restaurant, Philadelphia

• Singapore Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant, Philadelphia

• Kingdom of Vegetarians, Philadelphia

• Sublime Natural and Organic Restaurant and Bar, Fort Lauderdale

• Café Flora, Seattle

• Kaya’s Kitchen, New Jersey shore

• Twisted Tree Café, New Jersey

• Real Daily Food, Los Angeles

For information about vegetarian restaurants in your area, see the “Vegetarian Journal’s Guide to Natural Food Restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.”

If you’d like to add your favorite vegetarian restaurant to the Vegetarian Resource Group’s listing, click here.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How to peel a pomegranate

Recently, I took a trip to Sacramento.

My daughter-in-law is a farmer, and on her family’s farm they have pomegranate trees.

I was envious as I watched her lean over the sink and quickly and magically peel pomegranates.

Since she was too busy to keep me supplied, I had to figure it out for myself.

Here’s my method:

• Wash the pomegranate. Get out a sharp knife and a cutting board. Place a small bowl in the sink

• Put the knife on top of the pomegranate and cut it about one-third of the way down using the cutting board.

• Lean over the sink and hold the pomegranate as far away from you as you can. This prevents the staining of your clothes.

• Begin pulling the pomegranate apart. Let the white membrane and outside peel fall in the sink and direct the seeds into the small bowl.

• Clean out the sink.

• Enjoy the pomegranate seeds.

When I was a kid, I used to buy pomegranates instead of candy. Back then, pomegranates were only sold for a brief period of time each fall.

I thought my pomegranate-peeling method was so great, it was THE method.

However, I found these ideas as well, which include peeling the pomegranate under cold water to avoid staining clothing or using a hammer:

“How to Peel and Seed a Pomegranate” – metacafe

“How to Peel, Seed, and Juice pomegranates” – About.com

“How to Peel a Pomegranate” – eHow

“How to Peel a Pomegranate” – Mahalo

“Pomegranate” – Cooperative Extension, Utah State University

Pomegranates are high in antioxidants, another reason to enjoy the tasty fruit.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: Slim-Fast canned shakes recalled due to possible health risk

All Slim-Fast ready-to-drink products in cans are being recalled due to the possibility of bacterial contamination.

Unilever United States Inc. said the products may be contaminated with Bacillus cereus, a microorganism that may cause diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.

The recall involves all Slim-Fast ready-to-drink products in cans, regardless of flavor, Best-By date, lot code, or UPC number.

No other Slim-Fast products – such as powdered shakes, meal bars, or snack bars – are part of the recall.

See the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announcement for details, which includes a link that lists all ready-to-drink recalled products.

The company is in the process of identifying and correcting the production issue, and will resume production and shipment of the product when the issue has been addressed and corrected.

Consumers who have purchased any of the recalled products are urged to discard them immediately.

Call Unilever at 800-896-9479 for information or details on how to obtain a refund. The Consumer Services Center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

To learn about other recalls, see www.recalls.gov for details.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Winter garden still producing

Kale, collards, and some Swiss chard are still alive in my winter garden.

With two nights below freezing, I was surprised to see anything standing today.

The turnip seeds I planted didn’t do well. Some bugs or slugs have really chewed on the plants. I planted the seeds in September. Turnips are one of the few things you can plant that late here for a winter garden.

Different bugs loved the cabbages I planted. The leaves look like Swiss cheese.

I harvested a large bowl of kale and cut a couple of the cabbages.

We’ll see what the freezing weather does to the rest of the garden. Snow is predicted for Saturday night.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

California fall colors still bright

After taking 1,500 photos of fall colors in the Pacific Northwest, I thought I was done with fall colors.

However, on a recent trip to Sacramento, I was amazed that the fall colors were still blazing in November.

Here are the fall colors I saw, plus some harvest and farm photos. And, ah, yes, a picture of the Capitol Building and a California sunset.

Here we're not having fall weather, it's winter. Last night it was 27 degrees; tonight's prediction is 29 degrees.

I'm afraid my winter garden has frozen before I harvested it all. I'll report tomorrow.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What were your best and worst consumer experiences this week?

Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep?

Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week:

My best consumer experience: Good customer service at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

When I went to a Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts store in Sacramento with my daughter to buy some material, we received good customer service.

We were looking for broadcloth for two children’s costumes. A sales associate, who we were able to locate quite quickly, showed us where to find it. She also explained what broadcloth is and what fabrics were similar.

The woman who cut out fabric also was courteous. She also told us about her job, her interest in sewing, and when and where Jo-Ann’s was founded.

When we checked out, the cashier was friendly.

All in all, a good consumer experience.

My worst consumer experience: Confusion about a tip at a coffee shop

While my daughter was at work, I went to Temple coffee shop in Sacramento to work on my blogs.

The first day was fine. Nice staff, good atmosphere, excellent hours.

However, on the second day, I had problems about the tip.

Temple doesn’t accept credit cards, only debit cards. And they charge 35 cents for the use of a debit card.

The clerk handed me the device used for making charges and told me the green screen was about the tip. I didn’t understand what he meant. I knew he wanted me to decide about a tip, but I hadn’t seen the “green screen” tip option and I didn’t know how to use it.

I typed in my security code. “No, no, no,” he said, deleting the information. Then I figured out I was supposed to enter information on the size of the tip.

I usually don’t give tips to clerks who stand behind a counter, unless it’s a coffee shop I go to regularly. Since an issue was being made about the tip, I entered 50 cents and went on to the next screens to compete the transaction.

The clerk was snappy and unfriendly. Not a good consumer experience.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Happy Thanksgiving to you

 

Best wishes to you and your loved ones on Thanksgiving Day, if you celebrate this holiday. I hope that your Thanksgiving holiday is filled with fun and joy and many memories to cherish.

 

On Thanksgiving Day, many people give thanks for life’s treasures. I’m thankful for a loving family and good health. I also have a nice, warm home and enough food to eat. In addition, I'm thankful for being able to blog and be a consumer writer. I receive abundant amounts of joy in sharing information with baby boomer consumers.

 

If you’re feeling down during this holiday season or if you’re missing someone special, see the articles “10 Steps to Surviving the Holidays” and “How to Avoid Holiday Depression.”

 

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Giving to others on Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving is a time of love and joy, when we gather with family and friends to give thanks for our many blessings.

Although you may be busy with holiday preparations and money is tight for most of us, it’s a good time to remember, for those who are able, those who are less fortunate.

Here are some ideas for giving to others on Thanksgiving:

• Donate a Thanksgiving meal or food items to your local food bank.

• Visit older relatives or friends who are in nursing homes. If your relatives are far away, call a local nursing home and ask about residents who would be cheered by visitors.

• Make a donation to your local women’s shelter.

• Find out if you have any farms nearby that have community supported agriculture programs and join one. Consumers buy shares in the farm and in return receive boxes of produce during the growing season.

• Volunteer at a Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless and others in need in your community.

• Volunteer your time and vehicle to deliver meals or to drive people to community Thanksgiving dinners.

• Donate items or money to second-hand stores.

• Do research and find out ways you can help Native Americans in need.

• Organize a fund-raising effort at work to help those in need on Thanksgiving or donate if a program or project already is in place.

• Invite extra guests to your Thanksgiving dinner, people who are alone or neighbors who may have lost their jobs.

• Be sure to check out any organization you’re considering donating to at the Better Business Bureau Web site and the agency in your state that registers charities.

Have a joyous Thanksgiving Day and holiday.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Thanksgiving 2009: Facts and figures

Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving.

What’s happening in American on Thanksgiving 2009? Here's a rundown on the numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau.

117 million

Number of households across the nation – all potential gathering places for people to celebrate the holiday.

250 million

An estimate of turkeys raised in the U.S. in 2009. That’s down 8 percent from 2008. The turkeys produced in 2008 weighed 7.9 billion pounds and were valued at $4.5 billion.

Food

45.5 million

An estimate of turkeys Minnesota expected to raise in 2009. The top turkey state is followed by North Carolina – 37.5 million; Arkansas – 28 million; Missouri – 21 million; Virginia – 16.4 million; and California – 15 million. The six states account for about two-thirds of U.S. turkeys produced in 2009.

709 million pounds

The forecast for U.S. cranberry production in 2009. Wisconsin is expected to lead all states with 400 million pounds, followed by Massachusetts with 190 million. New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington are also will be large producers, growing from 16 million to 54 million pounds.

1.8 billion pounds

The total weight of sweet potatoes produced in 2008 by major states that grow them. North Carolina, with 874 million pounds, produced the most sweet potatoes followed by California with 437 million pounds and Mississippi with 335 million pounds.

1.1 billion pounds

Total production of pumpkins produced in the major pumpkin-producing states in 2008. Illinois led the country with 496 million pounds. California, Pennsylvania, and New York each produced at least 100 million pounds. The value of all pumpkins grown by major pumpkin-producing states was $141 million.

794,777 tons

The 2008 production of snap green beans in the major states that grow them. Of this total, Wisconsin led all states with 320,200 tons.

The turkey industry

$3.8 billion

Forecast 2009 receipts to farmers from turkey sales.

Price

$1.33

Retail cost per pound of a frozen whole turkey in December 2008.

Places with Thanksgiving names

Three

Number of places in the U.S. named after the holiday’s traditional main course. Turkey, Texas, was the most populous in 2008, with 456 residents, followed by Turkey Creek, La. – 361 – and Turkey, N.C. – 272. There are also nine townships around the country named Turkey, three in Kansas.

Five

Number of places and townships in the U.S. that are named Cranberry or some spelling variation of the berry (for example, Cranbury, N.J.). Cranberry township in Butler County, Pa., was the most populous of these places in 2008, with 27,194 residents. Cranberry township in Venango County, Pa., was next with a population of 6,795.

28

Number of places in the U.S. named Plymouth, as in Plymouth Rock, the landing site of the first Pilgrims. Plymouth, Minn., is the most populous, with 71,486 residents in 2008; Plymouth, Mass., had 55,705. Just one township in the U.S. is named "Pilgrim." Located in Dade County, Mo., its population was 128 in 2008. The population of Mayflower, Ark., was 2,231 in 2008.

Whatever your Thanksgiving traditions, I hope you have a day of love, peace, and joy.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: Gas grills being recalled due to fire and burn hazards

Perfect Flame SLG Series Gas Grills, about 663,000 in the United States and about 1,700 in Canada, are being recalled due to possible burn hazards to consumers.

Manufactured in China by Lucas Innovation Inc. and imported by L G Sourcing Inc., of North Wilkesboro, N.C., the grill’s burners can deteriorate causing irregular flames and the lids of some models can catch fire, posing fire and burn hazards to the consumer, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The firm has received about 40 reports of fires from the burners deteriorating and about 23 reports of the lids catching fire. The firm is aware of one report of an eye injury requiring surgery and 21 incidents of minor burns to the hands, arms, or face, according to the commission.

The recalled grills are SLG series "Perfect Flame" brand outdoor propane or natural gas grills. The grills are stainless steel and painted black or gray metal.

See the commission’s announcement for the model numbers involved in the recall. The model number can be found in the compartment under the cooking chamber. No other Perfect Flame model numbers are included in this recall.

The grills were sold at Lowe’s retail outlets nationwide from September 2005 through May 2009 for between $200 and $550 (U.S.) and in Canada from December 2007 through May 2009 for between $200 and $250 (Canada).

Consumers should immediately stop using the grills and contact L G Sourcing to receive free replacement burners and, depending on the model of the grill owned, a free replacement lid, the commission advises.

For additional information, contact the firm toll-free at 888-840-9590 anytime or visit www.lowes.com.

To learn about other consumer products that are being recalled, see www.recalls.gov.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist