Rinse them well (even soak them a bit) to get rid of the salt and use them as a decorative mulch on top of the soil of your household plants. If they ever look tired or ugly you can scoop them off easily and recycle them with your yard waste (if you have that option), or put them in your own compost pile (washed, of course).

Also if you have the option, buy them plain (unsalted). Pistachios have a wonderful flavor that can be overwhelmed by the amount of salt some processors apply to them. I now buy them plain (yeah, of course, because of my parrots eating them also) and the taste is great!

You body should tell you by increased thirst if you are truly dehydrated, but if you get too far behind it takes some effort to catch up. If you are really down with available fluids you will note your urine appearing much darker as your body attempts to get rid of the wastes without losing too much water. Make the effort to drink a glass of water before such meals and another later one afterwards.

The other issue is the possibility you are reacting to something else in those meals like MSG. This also adds to the sodium count of the food but you might be reacting specifically to the MSG in an almost allergic reaction fashion (which can bend you mood for sure).

BTW, Pinch the skin on the back of your hand and then watch it return to flat orientation. It can be an indication of under hydration if the skin keeps a fold or returns slowly to appropriate flatness.

As far as I know, for health and safety reasons, shelters don't accept non-packaged food. Think about it: would you want to eat some random mashed potatoes in a tupperware that came from who knows where?

I guess you're all going to have to get disgustingly fat. Hindsight is 20/20, but maybe next year you should buy the same amount of food, only cook what you need, and then donate the uncooked items.

I have a food saver and it works great. It is very flexible about sizes of bag and control of suction. There is no warm up time and the bags are quite heavy. IIRC it has a jar system as well.

We loooove Gary West Meats - it's a Christmas favorite at my house. The BEST beef jerky, and buffalo and elk jerky if that's your thing. From Jacksonville, Oregon. www.garywest.com.

I am thinking that your internal flora may be messed up with whatever antibiotics may have been used before or after surgery to reduce possibility of infection. Try repopulating your gut with some good probiotics, Greek yogurt, acidophilus milk or more concentrated powder or capsule form Lactobacillus active cultures. With the powder form take a small amount in your mouth and swish it around with some liquid so that you spread it all the way down your esophagus to your stomach. I have done this when I have had oral sensitivity and canker sores, etc. and felt it helped. Get the right flora re-established and those compounds that are sticking around may be taken care of naturally.

You might want to hit the fiber also, oatmeal, etc. to give you some bulk to keep things moving and provide some matter to carry things through your GI system.

Maynard's is a British candy company that licenses in some of the Commonwealth countries. It isn't made or imported in the US to any large degree. It's sometimes available in British (or Canadian) specialty stores. Also, Smarties in Canada/UK are something entirely different (like M&Ms...sorta) than what Smarties are in the US (little fruit-flavored tablets).

There are stores out there that deal in British food - things like Golden Sauce, Cross & Blackwell condiments, HP Sauce, etc. You can order online:

http://www.britishfoodshop.com/maynards-candy.asp.

But you were looking for some place locally. You can try The British Pantry in Redmond:

http://www.thebritishpantryltd.com/#!the-place

Also, here's a cool Maynards TV spot from a couple of years ago that a friend of mine worked on in Toronto:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QEXbOejCRk

Sigh... I guess I'm the vegan here. While health is important, and I personally am grossed out by most animal products, ethics is the crux of the biscuit.

But like all ethical matters that adults in the real world face, it's messy.

I don't feel that using animal products is "wrong", "wrong" is a human concept that has no place in the real world. Life eats life. It's not a divine hierarchy and there is no entitlement, only luck and grit. When a kodiak, pit bull, alligator, bald eagle, wasp, E.coli, HIV, or prion kill and eat a human they aren't thinking about ethics or rank- to the extent that they're thinking at all they're thinking about surviving.

This is where it gets messy.

I do have the capacity to ascribe to the concepts of right, wrong, empathy, and sympathy. I don't care how ethically the animals were raised, at the end of the day they are slaughtered. (and honestly I've spent years working in "ethical foods" businesses and I have never met an omnivore who only eats ethically raised animal products, not saying they don't exist, but...)
Even though other animals lack the brains to give a shit about me, I know that they don't want to die and I empathize with that and I've found that consumption of other animals is unnecessary to my survival.

I feel that it is unethical, in part, because it causes unnecessary suffering, and while suffering is inevitable I do have some power to choose whether I contribute to suffering or not. The choice to to exercise that power or not is the gist of ethics, right?

But really where can one buy grass-fed shoes? Is there a market for free range concrete?
Factory style animal husbandry is a huge industry deeply entrenched into almost every facet of our society. You gotta do something with all that blood- there is no such thing as as a pure vegan or even a conscientious omnivore in western society.

Here's the other part of the ethics:
You also gotta do something with all that shit, tons and tons of shit every day, shit, I can't stress how much shit there is. Seriously there is sooo much shit. Then there's the methane (from farts, food animals fart a lot) and carbon dioxide. Then the fresh water to grow enough plants and provide enough water to grow animals we like to eat.
No matter how much you loves your animals, let them roam free, and feed them the healthiest grass. No matter how much sea you have in your blood. There is no way to raise or catch enough animals to feed the current or future human population of the earth without destroying the earth.
Here in 'merica we're having the constant conversation about petroleum fucking things up something awful: bikes, cars, mass transit, biofuel, foreign oil, blah blah blah. But we don't even look at the elephant in the room
(hint; the elephant is a cow)
Caring about the environment is an ethical issue right?

So... animal husbandry: it's cruel and it's killing the earth*

*Not a judgement on any one person, everyone is cruel and kills the earth a lil' every now and then, we were born into this but we can try to change it, right?

When we lived in Coeur d'Alene we made a brothy soup with nettles or fiddle-heads and morels. We also made a cream soup with nettles and morels. we cut the morels cross-wise to make and interesting garnish. Always cook morels thoughly!

Almost all the farmers at farmers markets can supply you with boxes of seconds; just ask. Sometimes they'll have a stash the same day, or can take your request for the following week.
And for supplies, I suggest McLendon's Hardware stores. There are a handful of them, but none in Seattle proper.
Pickling is a great way to get into savory canning without having to switch to pressure canning techniques, although maybe you're already comfortable with that since you're doing tomatoes. Duris Cucumber Farm in Puyallup is an amazing source for spices and ingredients; there are so many variations on cucumber pickles. Pickled onions are nice as a flavoring ingredient in salads and sandwiches; Mexican pickled carrots are delicious, too. Fruit mustards (mostardas) are great, particularly as a side to meat dishes. Onion jam is another good one; caramelized onions are good under pretty much any circumstances. Apple butter and apple sauce are just around the corner, local cranberries show up in October, and then you can make some quince paste (membrillo) in November. Hello, cheese plates!
With sauerkraut, you're getting into a whole different world of food preservation, at least if you want to do traditional lactobacillus kraut. A fair amount can go wrong here; make sure to do plenty of hard core science/food safety research about Ph before digging in.

No, you definitely eat fat while on the Paleo diet - good fat like olive oil. Paleo and Atkins (at least the induction phase) are ketogenic diets that limit foods that are high on the glycemic index. Paleo disallows dairy, legumes, soy, sugar, artificial sweeteners, and most fruit (at least at first). A lot of bodybuilders do Paleo, or eat that way most of the time. I believe the induction phase for Atkins allows small quantities of dairy and fruit. Both diets allow some caffeine. Neither diet is cool with alcohol. Paleo is more protein-centric, with an emphasis on fish and chicken.

I'm not a scientist, but I think the jury's still out on Paleo. Not enough research has been done on the lasting effects of a diet like that, from what I've seen. Atkins cites some studies that show the production of good cholesterol is increased with his diet plan, but he's not exactly an unbiased source. Again, I think the jury's still out. Scientists, please correct me if that's wrong.

As for being a fad, if you can stick to a diet plan, and it works for your particular body, great. The people I've seen who've stuck with Atkins and Paleo in the long term pretty much ate that way already prior to those diets becoming fads with trademarked names. I've done Paleo before out of curiosity, and what I learned from it is that I don't have an intolerance to gluten or dairy (i.e. no sensitivities when I reintroduced them). That's not the case for some people. Also, fake sugars taste crazy sweet to me now. Apart from that, Paleo didn't exactly rock my world. It's a rather boring way to eat, all told.

Well, I'm going to give you more information than you probably want.  Fortunately, I'm definitely not including photos of these ugly pests!

According to WSU, there are three insects that attack blackberries: 1. Raspberry Crown Borer: found in canes; 2. Raspberry Mite: a tiny (1/50") sausage-shaped yellow mite found in berries; and 3. Spotted wing Drosophilia (SWD), found in the fruit.

Without seeing the infected fruit I can't say for certain, but most likely from your description, I'd bet it's Spotted wing Drosophilia (SWD).

Here's some general info to help identify the pest according to  WSU Hortsense:  "This exotic pest has recently been found in California, Oregon, Washington, and Florida, as well as in Hawaii. It resembles other Drosophila species (fruit flies or vinegar flies) in appearance, but unlike other members of the family which attack only overripe, damaged or decaying fruit, SWD attacks healthy fruit as it ripens on the plant. Adult SWD flies are about 1/8 inch long, with red eyes and a yellow-brown body. . . . Eggs are laid beneath the skin of ripening fruit."  

To identify:  "Scars left by oviposition (process of laying eggs) may appear as indented, soft spots on the fruit surface.  Small white- or cream colored larvae hatch within a few days and feed in the fruit, causing the fruit to soften and collapse around the feeding sifte.  At maturity, the larvae may be up to 1/8 inch long.  They may pupate inside or outside the fruit."

WSU and other universities are actively studying ways to control SWD, especially for commercial growers.  WSU Master Gardeners state, "SWD is considered a serious threat to fruit and berry crops including cherry, peach, nectarine, plum, plout, thin-skinned grape, raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry" and more.  Yes, another pest to worry about!

So, what to do if you see berries with SWD?  Do not compost it. Instead, destroy infested fruit by burying it 18" deep, crushing, or bagging and discarding in the garbage.  If you have any bushes in your yard, the above links have advice for controlling the pest in backyard gardens.

Although I'm giving you lots of info, I would not stop picking berries.  Just check them over carefully and if you see something suspicious, don't add it to the pie!

Southern BC is clearly in the same bioregion as Seattle and Portland - witness the flora, fauna, native art and pre-European history. That makes it "local" by some definitions. There are no rules defining what is "local." Where customs is not an obstacle, BC products can be a good choice. For example, I love a coffee roaster called Oso Negro in Nelson BC for their community impact (and flavor).

My preference would be to buy from farmers and producers that I know, trust and want to support. Most of them are in or near Seattle, but there are exceptions and that's OK.

Although it's best to buy "mostly local," I also like the concept of supporting some artisan, sustainable foods that are community based, but not local to us. An example might be a Basque sheep cheese that has been supporting a local community for generations. Check out Rooted Foods for more on this idea.

If you bring it to a boil and keep it boiling for several minutes you should be time. Next time try to freeze it before you forget about it! :)

I like to boil mine down to a concentrate and then make stock ice cubes. They reconstitute nicely in 1 cup of boiling water.

I don't know about the specific items you mention but I do know that manufacturers make changes to the product and the packaging per whatever individual deal they can get with the big retailers. This applies to home electronics as well as foodstuffs.

Vizio, and other manufacturers makes a line of TVs just for Walmart for example. They are near identical to the ones you can get at a higher end retailers but have some cheaper components and slightly different model numbers. Costco has manufacturers make all sorts of stuff bigger and cheaper. My mini-wheats from Costco are definitely different from the ones I get from the Greenwood market.

Walmart and other huge retailers have immense buying power. If manufacturers wish to sell their products through them they need to make their products conform with whatever price break point the retailers are willing to go with. If they need to cut costs at the expense of quality they will do it.

There is a food truck on campus (Red Square) that serves rice based breakfasts starting around 7:00a.m.

I'm sure you could get plain rice from them, they have some crazy-good sounding options like rice, eggs, and sausage gravy.

Asparagus season is in the spring, and it's summer. However- you can still find it at Ballard Market, several farmers markets, and probably Safeway since they don't carry local produce so seasons don't mean shit. Just be aware that it's going to be woody and stringy right now. Mmm.

What, you don't want to pay $4 at Trader Joes for a small box of quinoa...?

In my experience, it is always cheapest in the bulk sections at Madison Market or even Whole Foods.

Sugarpill at 900 e. pine on Cap Hill has some amazing herbs and salts and whatnot, and if she doesn't have it, she knows where to find it.

I've seen it at Top Foods, but that was way the hell out in Lakeland Hills. Still, the Top Foods nearer the city may have it as well, or other Haggen stores.

Quinoa salad! Into a bowl of cooked/cooled quinoa toss chopped pepperoncini, kalamata olives, tomatoes, cucumber and black beans along with a quick vinaigrette. Tastes great at room temp and bonus - your veggie and gluten-free friends will love you for it.

The other day I made one with just lemon zest, lemon juice, a little olive oil, fresh basil and slivered almonds. Yum!

Peanut butter has a very high fat percentage (primarily in the form of oil) and as such has a low water percentage. Usually less than 2%. It's this low hydration that prevents bacteria and fungi from growing and, in turn, prevents spoilage.

However, natural oxidation can make peanut butter go rancid by breaking down the long hydrocarbon chains that make up the oils. This usually takes a long time (6-12 months) and high natural levels of the antioxidant vitamin E help slow the process. It usually takes many months. It's not really bad to eat rancid peanut butter I should add, but why would you?

It is the same thing that happens to olive oil if you expose it to air for too long, but olive oil goes off much quicker.

So, no. You don't generally need to refrigerate your peanut butter, but if you do, it will last a bit longer and won't separate as readily (this happens much more rapidly to the 'natural' kinds), if you care that is. Also, if you get lots of crumbs and stuff in the jar and leave it, those little pieces could become islands for mold at room temp.

Yes! I'm poor and I only eat delicious food that is also organic, friendly, etc—but I do all the cooking myself. It's the only way.

So: Buy brown rice and other other grains (quinoa, cornmeal, bulgar, flours) in bulks. Buy legumes (lentils, beans, split peas) in bulk. Buy big (family-size) bags of onions, carrots and celery and invest in lots of spices (tumeric, cumin, paprika, cayenne, curry, salts. (This last part will cost money but you'll have them forever). Eat less meat (I eat it maybe once a week and don't miss it). Spend all your leftover money on good cheese and greens and fruit. If you have a windowsill, grow your own herbs (get pots from Goodwill) and get a pea-patch from the city to grow cheap veggies.

Find recipes for old-world peasant food like the Italians, eastern europeans, Indians, etc, once ate: homemade pizzas, pastas, polentas, soups, stews, dals, curries, breads, muffins, scones. And start planning your dinner parties!

Sugar glue:

http://www.ehow.com/how_6358243_make-sugar-glue-egg-whites.html

Another version without egg whites:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4685237_make-edible-glue.html

Or you can buy stuff called "gumpaste" and use that.

I know I've bought tempeh from QFC on Broadway and pike. I discovered QFC's often have this hidden 'natural food' section somewhere by the yoghurt or deli meats. Most of the Tofu, and meat or cheese substitutes are sequestered there. I pretty sure Madison Market sells it too, however that is more Central district I suppose.

Both Arosa and Besalu are great ideas. But I have the best cuz it's cheaper, better and in the right neighborhood!

Go to Eltana's bagels on 12th (around Pine) and get some dozens of bagels with some shmeer. If you get there early they will be coming out of the oven and you better get extras cuz you will eat half of them on the way to the office.

Trust me on this. You will not find a better bagel and bagels are great because as much as I am a sugar/butter lover, this is a better way to start the day.

Did you give me the mushroom yet?

Homemade iced tea works really well.

Here's another mix that I like. Add the following to a tall glass:

1. A tablespoon of lemon.
2. A few shakes of cinnamon.
3. A few dashes of nutmeg.
4. A teaspoon (not heaping) of raw sugar.
5. Fill glass 3/4 full with cold water.
6. Stir.
7. Fill to the brim with ice.

Kind of like a lemony horchata without all the starch. Balance to your own preferred taste.

Another good mix is a few squeezes of lemon or lime and some mottled mint leaves in a tall glass of ice-water. The mint and citrus add enough taste that you don't really need to sweeten it up.

Uwajimaya and Ranch 99 (up north on Aurora) both definitely have them.
Maybe at the HT Oaktree Market too?

carrots are weird little things. you know how there's a darker center of the carrot? that's vascular tissue and some structural cells. the outer lighter part? storage for sugar - this is the part that tastes deelicious.

things i suspect that are going on:

1. some farmer's market carrots are called 'cored' carrots because that center is so bad and tough you must discard it before eating the rest. lots of folks don't know about this. they're like carrot varietal sneaker bombs.

2. carrots in the grocery store, like most things in the grocery store, are bred to produce something beautiful instead of something that is tasty (see: tomatoes). big, straight carrots are grown in an environment that doesn't stockpile sugars well. keeping carrots unrefrigerated, in bags, and machine-washed all contribute to aerobic conditions or bacterial growth, things that decrease sugar content before they get to your mouth. older carrots have more time to use their stored sugars or develop bacteria that will.

here's what i think you should do.

avoid the regular old carrots. every grocery store sells them - the variety is imperator - and they're bred for size, not flavor. try to find any carrot that's not regular old. you'll probably have the most luck with nantes.

buy carrots that are cold and from somewhere nearby. dig for the ones on the dark, cold bottom of the display, especially if they still have their greens.

don't ever buy bagged carrots. (p.s. - baby carrots are just the same giant, tasteless carrots cut up. i know. i cried when i found that out, too).

if you buy carrots at the farmer's market, ask for samples and ask if they're cored. also try to go for shorter, chubbier carrots. i like to think those guys invested more energy in producing sugars than producing length. i don't have literature to back this up, but it hasn't failed me.

good luck!

Whole Foods sells it, the larger stores even have it in their bulk foods section.
Happy baking!