Thank you, Dr. Henry, for that paper on toxic GM-effects on goats. Corn & soybean & canola & cottonseed are genetically modified, the Republic Magazine stated that other grains are safe: "Other than corn, no GM grains are sold on the market. Look for 100-percent wheat pasta, couscous, rice, quinoa, oats, barley, sorghum, and dried beans (except soybeans). Most GM ingredients are products made from the “Big Four:” corn, soybeans, canola, and cottonseed. Sugar beets and 50% of Hawaii papaya are genetically modified." **** from Straw: That's why I buy sugar-cane products, rather than sugar made from beets. I fed my kid those Pepperidge Farm cookies (made from cottonseed oil) and she broke out in rashes and scratched herself bloody. I ate those cookies and had the worst hayfever: runny nose & sneezing. Went shopping yesterday: They had strawberries for $2.50 versus organic strawberries for $3.45. I sniffed both: the organic strawberries was more fragrant, versus the regular with a slight chemical scent. After sniffing both for several times, my nose was in pain (I stuck my nose too close). I realized that it's the pesticides sprayed on that inflamed my nose. My nose burned for hours afterwards Two years ago I tasted grape at the store, and had a tummy ache. Strawberries is known for the most pesticides I'm very sadden by UK’s Daily Mail report that an estimated 125,000 farmers in India have committed suicide because of crop failure and massive debt since planting GM seeds. Recent Center for Human Rights and Global Justice report: "Indian farmers bought genetically modified Bollgard Bt cotton seeds from the Gates Foundation-backed Monsanto corporation ... 85 percent of cotton grown in India being Monsanto-controlled Bt cotton by 2009. However, the seeds were expensive, and spiralling prices (coupled with planting restrictions from the multinationals selling the seeds) led farmers to hefty loans. Almost 300,000 cotton workers have committed suicide to date, some of them by drinking the same insecticides they were sold by multinationals." From Straw: Years ago I watched a documentary film "Seeds of deception" where Mexican agriculture scientists voiced concern with GM seeds corrupting the bio-diversity of local seeds, which are well-adapted to drought and adverse local conditions. Dr. Frank Lipman, from http://www.drfranklipman.com/basic-questions-on-gmos/ stated, "The major benefit of all commercial GMO’s is that they are bred to either tolerate direct application of herbicides and/or have the ability to produce their own pesticides. They have not been bred to increase yield, become drought tolerant, improve nutrition or to have any other benefit to the consumer. So at present they have no health benefit, their benefits are purely economic." *** From Straw: It's about power, money, and control. Politics and economic factors are factors, besides ill health. The vindictive dirt-throwing, defamation attacks against international scientists, and bullying tactics of big corporations made me more sick than the ill-effects of GM-foods. We are saved from our wheat being genetically-modified, thanks to the farmers voicing concerns that our wheat can't be exported, if genetically modified. More from Dr. Lipman: "In Europe, over 175 regions and over 4500 municipalities have declared themselves GM-free zones. And in 2009, Germany along with France, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Austria, Poland and Romania banned Monsanto’s MON 810 GM corn because of its documented dangers to biodiversity and human health. Additionally, states in Australia, regions in New Zealand and Brazil and the countries like Venezuela, Zambia, Sudan, Angola and others, all want to be GM-free.The balanced reporting of the press in Europe of the dangers of GMO’s made a significant contribution to the decision to reject GMO’s. Below link is a detailed list from Republic Magazine on which foods are GM-tainted: Here is a link that might be useful: List of GM foods vs. non-GM This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Sat, Mar 1, 14 at 15:06

I have a small farm with a gluten free bakery and sell at the local farmers market. Nothing I make has corn syrup, artificial flavors or colors, or weird chemicals. I estimate that of all the visitors we get at the market, 20% buy from me and they are not all celiacs or have a true wheat allergy. Some of my customers have jumped on the bandwagon, so to speak, of the GF fad. They include those with autistic children, or arthritis, cirrhosis, IBS, lupus, or chemotherapy reactions. Many have other allergies that I also create tasty treats without - dairy, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts. Others just say they feel better and I do agree that they are probably looking at what junk they have been eating and are making changes overall to their diet. That is a good thing and we little local farmers are benefiting from that - not the conglomerates. Some people just buy from me because it all tastes good, and don't care if it is GF or not. As for the GF stuff on the shelves that the major food mfg are producing they are using just different chemicals than their regular chemically enhanced wheat based stuff. Truly most are awful. But, having been working on baking GF for 5 years, I have developed quite a few treats that taste good and are equivalent to their wheat counterparts. Because I can eat wheat, what I make has to taste like it does and believe me I have thrown out lots of inedible GF baked goods. However, white GF bread will never, ever taste like Wonder Bread, but there are good tasting white breads while the sourdough and quasi-rye GF breads do taste quite similar to wheat/rye breads and waffles and pancakes are very close, especially when you add pecans. There are also many treats that have been out there for many years that never had wheat in them anyway and are just now being labeled as GF - Pavlova and meringues, Brazilian butter cookies (Maizena), and all candy and fudge. etc. I have a theory that the wheat I ate as a kid in the 40's and 50's was not what is growing in the fields today. Hybridization, chemical fertilization, tinkering with GMO's, and a raft of questionable long term effects of pesticides and herbicides have produced a wheat that is not at all what it once was and genetically has been proven to be just that - not "wheat". Something I tell people who ask what gluten free means is, "All those lovely vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, and cheese you are buying at the farmers market do not contain gluten so you are already buying gluten free without knowing it. But, when you add bread, cupcakes, muffins, pizza, pasta, sub rolls, beer, and the famous Southern biscuits with breaded fried chicken, you are consuming wheat and that contains the gluten that some people are avoiding by eating gluten-free." I do hope people are becoming more conscious of gluten free eating, if nothing more than to be aware of how much junk is on the grocery shelves and in the restaurant's and fast foods' meals. Gluten free eating out is impossible as there is a lot of cross contamination with wheat in restaurant kitchens - residual on pans and in bowls, and even floating in the air, so it is just not safe for those with celiac disease. Nancy Annie - you will never have a good brownie that is made from black beans. It is just not a good substitute and beans belong in soup and tacos, not treats. My recipe uses cornstarch instead of wheat or beans so try this - GF Fudgey Brownie Recipe Altered from the recipe in the book Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz Line 8"sq pan with sprayed foil or parchment with overhang on both sides to lift out. Micro 6Tblsp butter with 12oz chocolate chips for 2 min, stir with wooden spoon and micro another 1 or 2 min until partially melted. Stir with spoon to complete the melting - do not over micro or it will be stiff and off tasting. Stir in 3/4 C sugar, 1tsp vanilla extract. Then, beat in 3 eggs just to incorporated. In a bowl mix together 1/3C cornstarch, 1/4C unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2tsp cinnamon, 1/2tsp salt. (I also add a couple shakes of fine black pepper because I like that tang with all my chocolate treats.) Stir dry ingredients into wet, about 2 minutes, using a wooden spoon not a hand mixer. Option: Add 1C coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts. Bake 350F 20 minutes and check with toothpick - if it looks wet continue baking checking at 5 min intervals until toothpick is mostly dry but don't over bake or they will be hard. Touching the top with fingertips to test does not work with this recipe as it is not springy like cake. Let cool in pan on a rack, then lift out to cool completely before cutting (using a pizza cutter makes nicer edges than a knife). Nancy

For your parents who grill, maybe some grill spice mixes from Penzeys. They have quite the selection. For baked good and gourmet treats, I order from Zingerman's Deli, which is an Ann Arbor MI institution. They have a variety of baskets. They are pricey but good. I love the assorted cheese boxes, but I don't know who does that well. Zingermans has all kinds of gourmet cheese, but it is so expensive! Being an MSU grad, I order a cheese box from MSU's Dairy. Nothing too inspired, but good stuff nonetheless.

>I will never have a front loader again. I don't know what was worse, having to wash the clothes multiple times to get them clean - I guarantee you that wastes more water than just cleaning them in a top loader from the get-go - or having to finagle that dang rubber seal off and clean up all the mold and mildew it collects. I've been using front load washers since 1997. I never have to wash things multiple times, and I've never gotten signs of mold in any of my washers. Sounds like some use and care errors were at play here.