About soup swap... What it was? What it be? Why it be? There's nothing more comforting than to sit by the fire sipping on something warm. Soup is the comfort food that translates in many different and diverse cultures and is usually made to be shared. I remember having soup that my mom made every Christmas and New Year's eve that I automatically associate it as a standard staple of those holiday meals. Whether hearty, smooth, chunky or creamy, hot or cold, it warmed the cockels of my heart. On January 24, 2010, the California Heights Farmers Market will be conducting its first soup swap which is intended to be an annual tradition. It would be a great opportunity to showcase your favorite soup recipes and sample and learn of new ones to add to your repertoire. For more information about the California Heights Farmers Market Soup Swap, please visit The Long Beach Sunday Market website.

Imagine being born in a cramped room without enough space to move forward, move backwards, or even turn around. Imagine from childhood being raised in a most strict diciplinary regiment where you are proded with electrical shocks everytime someone wants you to do anything for them. Imagine standing in your own feces day in and day out because there is not enough room to clean up after anyone. Imagine being ordered to stand up when you no longer have the strength in your legs even though you are constantly proded with an electric wand. Imagine, as a young adult, being hung by your ankles upside down to be skinned and butchered while you are still alive. This is no concentration camp. It is big business. Sadly, this is the fate that most farm animals meet who are born into corporate captivity; accounting for approximately 10 billion animals. We wouldn't want to be treated this way; we wouldn't want our pets to be treated this way; we shouldn't let anything be treated this way, even farm animals that are raised for food consumption. The fact is that this is the situation in factory farms owned by the big four of the meat packing industry. It is a process hidden from us becuase we've stopped asking the questions regarding the sources of our food. The meats that we buy now comes in nicely packged containers where the beef is bright red on top and brown when we turn them over. The cattle raised for our consumption, that were then grass fed, are now fed corn to make them bulkier faster. Corn is very disruptive to the cows stomaches so much so that they have to be constantly fed antibiotics to prevent from dying. Corn and other grains also develop highly acidic stomaches in these aminmals which creates a perfectt cultivation condition for microbial bacterias that are harmful to us. Through the constant feeding of antibitoics to these animals, the development of a antibiotic-resistant bacterias increases rendering "mircale drugs" useless. It is these practices, by the commercial meat industry, that are responsible for the E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria outbreaks. Please understand that E. coli is not bad in itself; it would be similar to saying that all humans are bad. There are bad bacterias and good bacterias, as it is in the human gene pool. E. coli 0157:H7 is one of those bad bacterias that is harmful and causes food bourne illnesses to humans. For beef, E. coli is a surface bacteria that can be erradicated through the cooking process; which is why it is perfectly okay to eat a rare steak where the outside of the meat is seared while the inside is still red. However when meat is grounded up and made into hamburger meat, the surface area becomes mixed with internal areas which is why it is never safe to eat undercooked hamburgers. Additionally, grass fed cattle are much lower in fat, especially saturated fat, than grain fed cattle, and provides more Omega-3s and vitamin E (up to 4 times more). The downside to meats from grass fed cattle is the slight off flavor and odor that most people find undesirable. This, by no means, is intended to be a dictative editorial but more so as a dissimination of information to assist in developing better understanding of how the food industry affects our lives and our health. It is a way to enlighten those who are in the dark so that we all can have insights to the decisions and paths that we choose with a clear view of where each path leads. For those who would like to learn more, I will be posting more articles related to this subject. You can also check out other websites such as The Food Revolution, The Humane Society, and Food Inc. Here's to a beautiful and healthier tomorrow!

During the past year, I've learned quite a lot more from various people about food and have shared great meals with them. The magic that food enacted this past year is that it brought us all together in such a mutually comfortable atmosphere that we soon forgot our problems and differences. Once in this atmosphere, we've reveled in the splendor of flavors and explored the taste sensations of other cultures. We've been awakened by our own eyes, noses, and taste buds to determine and solidify our own likes and dislikes, without the use of technology and without justification. All in all, we celebrated "Us"!

During the past year I've gotten involved with various passionate people that want to make a difference in the community as well as the entire world, and I have been blessed with their friendships and their enthusiasms. In my involvement with these radical thinkers, I too have sensed the increased passion within me for helping others to make this world a better place. Together, we celebrated the lives of others!

This coming year, I will turn another chapter in my life called "The Big Five Oh" and anticipate the new challenges that await me. I'm eager with anticipation and excitement for what I'm about to face but more so for where it will lead. I sense an abundance of exciting opportunities and possibilities that will only help develop my true character and better define me as the person that I truly am. I face this new chapter with traditional and radical thinking both as a learner and as a teacher; and forge on with the commitment to join in the cause to help end world hunger through education and volunteer work. This is the promise that the New Year brings and the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I eagerly welcome its arrival.