RECALL: Roman Shades and Blinds Can Strangle Kids

Lowe’s Stores are recalling about 11 million Roman shades and roll-up blinds after reports that two young children nearly strangled in the window coverings, the Consumer Product  Safety Commission announced today.

The newest recall comes nearly a year after government safety officials declared a voluntary industry-wide recall of more than 50 million shades and blinds following reports of five child deaths and 16 injuries since 2006 caused when kids' heads and necks became caught in the cords or the space between the shades and the cords.
The latest recall includes about 6 million Roman shades and about 5 million roll-up blinds.

CPSC officials said consumers should stop using the recalled Roman shades and roll-up blinds immediately and contact the Window Covering Safety Council for free repair kits by calling (800) 506-4636 or by visiting www.windowcoverings.org.

Source: msnbc

Suffering from Outdoor Deprivation Disorder

Americans are suffering from an acute case of “outdoor deprivation disorder,” and the effects on physical and mental health are rising fast. Children aged 8 to 18 today spend more time than ever using electronic media indoors — seven and a half hours a day, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation — and less time in outdoor unstructured activity. In response to the No Child Left Behind law, 30 percent of kindergarten classrooms have eliminated recess to make more room for academics.
The resulting lack of physical activity and a growing disconnect with the natural environment have been linked in a host of studies to obesity and obesity-related diseases in children and adults, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, as well as vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis, stress, depression, attention deficit disorder and myopia.
As obvious as it is, getting outside and start moving around is the solution. Even the White House is getting involved to promote more outdoor activities. This year President Obama started the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, aiming not just to counter sedentary lifestyles but also to reacquaint Americans with the farms, ranches, rivers, forests, national and local parks, fishing holes and beaches that provide opportunities for people “to stay active and healthy.”

Source: NYTimes

A More Powerful FDA to Control Food Safety

Great news coming from Washington! The Senate passed a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s food safety system on Tuesday, after tainted eggs, peanut butter and spinach sickened thousands of people in the last few years and led major food makers to join consumer advocates in demanding stronger government oversight.
The legislation will strengthen the FDA, giving it more focus on food safety. The bill is intended to keep unsafe foods from reaching markets and restaurants, where they can make people sick — a change from the current practice, which mainly involves cracking down after outbreaks occur.

Source: NYTimes

Nana's Creole Pecan Bar

Check out this recipe of Pecan Bars. It is the winner of the 2010 Eating Well contest. Yummm....the only thing I'll substitute is the flour. I'll use whole wheat instead. Enjoy!

Nana's Creole Pecan Cake Bars
Recipe by Jeanine Dinsmore Elk Grove, California
Makes: 4 dozen bars

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature (see Tip)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 cups chopped pecans
• 1 cup raisins, preferably golden
• 1 cup finely chopped pitted dates

Preheat oven to 300°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a large (17-by-12-inch) baking sheet with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Add eggs one at a time and beat until creamy. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
Add half the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until well combined. Add cinnamon and nutmeg; stir until blended into the mixture completely. Add pecans, raisins and dates to the rest of the flour mixture. (Coating the dried fruit and nuts helps distribute them in the mix.) Stir the flour-coated fruit and nuts into the batter. Do not overstir. Evenly spread the batter into the prepared baking pan with a spatula. (Coat the spatula with cooking spray, if necessary, to make spreading easier.)
Bake for 45 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the sides. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 45 minutes.  Invert onto a large cutting board and remove the parchment. Cut into 48 squares.

Per bar: 132 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrate; 9 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 43 mg sodium; 90 mg potassium.

Tip: To bring an egg to room temperature, set it on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge it (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.

Source: Shine, Eating Well