Food Items

HAPPY Thanksgiving!This is the day that we reflect on all that we have and give thanks. Caring neighbors, the natural beauty of our landscape, terrific schools and a healthy local economy are a few of the things we are fortunate to enjoy in our area.The children of Glenelg Country School Lower School got into the spirit of Thanksgiving on Tuesday and yesterday when they presented their annual Thanksgiving program. The show was directed by music teacher Eline Reis, who was assisted by Erika Cincotta.

The circus comes to Fort Meade tomorrow.The Carson and Barnes 5-Ring Wild Animal Circus is one of the biggest under a tent, with more than 100 exotic animals and performers from Italy, Russia, Argentina, China and Peru.The circus will begin setting up 8 a.m. at Smallwood Hall on Williams Road, using elephants to do the heavy lifting.The circus midway will open at 4 p.m. with games, a snake show and elephant and camel rides. Saturday's midway show will begin at 1 p.m.Performances are at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. tomorrow, and Saturday's shows are at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.Midway activities cost 25 cents to $3.Tickets to the show are $8 in advance or $10.50 at the door for adults and $4 in advance and $6 at the door for children ages 2 to 11. Children under 2 are admitted free.

The thought of children going to bed hungry troubled Jamie Ridgely.So the 10-year-old Manchester Elementary student decided to tackle the problem.Over the past two weeks -- with the help of neighbors and schoolmates -- Jamie has collected more than 640 food items for Carroll County Food Sunday."

Q: How can one be sure that food items and products claiming to be organic actually are?A: Items claiming to be organic should be substantiated by certification. The best proof for the consumer is to ask your store manager if the store requires documents of certification for organic-labeled items.Fresh Fields spokesperson, Cathy Ordan, says that this certification process is approved by an authorized third party and the requirements may vary from state to state. The paper of certification must pledge that the item has not been made synthetically or used any ingredients that have been farmed with pesticides for a period of at least three years.

There are lots of tales this week of teachers, students, parents and community people who are making a difference by going the extra mile for worthwhile causes.It's only fitting that we recognize these people and their efforts.*Hats off to West Middle School in Westminster for completing a successful food drive for the hungry last week.The drive was organized by resource teacher Barbara Bankard and her seventh grade Extended Enrichment students.More than 3,000 food items were collected by sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students between Oct. 12 and Oct. 30.All the items were donated to Carroll County Food Sunday, where they will be distributed to needy county residents.

Editor's note: This is the first in a new monthly series comparing food prices collected at four major county grocery chains with regional and national figures.Food prices for the Baltimore region -- which includes Carroll -- have increased 1.4 percent since November, the Consumer Price Index shows.From November to January, the percentage increases for four food groups were:* Cereal and bakery products -- 2.7 percent.* Meat, poultry, fish and eggs -- 1.9 percent.* Dairy products -- 1.2 percent.

Take a close look through the cavalcade of your junk mail and bills this week.You're about to get a notice from the U.S. Postal Service that has the potential to make Christmas Eve and the last day to file tax returns seem like "easy street" to mail carriers.The postal service will deliver notices to every postal customer in Maryland and Delaware -- about 1.5 million delivery points -- with this request: Leave donations of non-perishable food items by your doorsteps and mail boxes between Feb. 10 and 15.Organizers have set a goal of bagging 225,000 food items during the six days.

Getting control of your food dollars takes planning."The more time you spend in the grocery store, the more money you will spend," says Jeanne-Marie Holly, a home economist for the University of Maryland cooperative extension service in Baltimore County.Organizing your shopping list around at least one week's worth of menus, and preferably two, is the best way to stay within your budget and out of the store.Once you've established a framework, you can compare prices, shop for specials and substitute cheaper items, Ms. Holly says.

Getting control of your food dollars takes planning."The more time you spend in the grocery store, the more money you will spend," says Jeanne-Marie Holly, a home economist for the University of Maryland cooperative extension service in Baltimore County.Organizing your shopping list around at least one week's worth of menus, and preferably two, is the best way to stay within your budget and out of the store.Once you've established a framework, you can compare prices, shop for specials and substitute cheaper items, Ms. Holly says.

A Sacramento software company has released a new program designed to help you track your nutritional intake and give reports for evaluating eating habits.ProSlim from K-Soft Ware is not a diet program. By entering in the foods you eat, the computer calculates the nutritional content of the foods and stores it for recall in the form of graphs and itemized lists. The database of food items includes raw and prepared foods, fast foods, snacks and candy.Pro-Slim currently is available for IBM-PC compatibles, but the Macintosh version is in the works.

A group of students at Atholton High School thinks a healthier spin on a spicy restaurant favorite will get their classmates excited about school lunch. The six students in Liela Razik's culinary classes won the right to have their recipe for a spicy buffalo chicken wrap served in cafeterias throughout the Howard County school system this fall. "We realized we can make something that tastes great," said Mary Geiser, an 18-year-old senior member of the winning team. Geiser and her teammates served the meal to 150 students and received rave reviews before submitting the recipe for the competition.

Carrot and celery sticks. Garden salad topped with grilled chicken. Hummus and organic iced teas. This isn't the kind of fare typically found at convenience stores. But consumers are seeing more fresh fruits and vegetables in convenience store cases right next to the traditional munchies like preservative-packed desserts and bags of salty snacks. Demand for healthy food options continues to grow, along with concerns about trans fat and rising obesity rates. In response, even convenience stores are offering healthier, on-the-go food items.

Recently some of our frozen meat and seafood was confiscated at the airport in Los Cabos, Mexico. How can we find out what food items are allowed from the United States and in what form? The following information comes from the office of the Mexican secretary of agriculture: If you are transporting meat across the border, it should be frozen and kept in its original packaging so that it can be identified, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture stamp clearly visible. You are allowed a maximum of 15 kilograms (33 pounds)

Baltimore: Training City to participate in biological exercise Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley announced yesterday that the city, along with Anne Arundel, Howard, Harford and Baltimore counties, will conduct a biological training exercise this month. State agencies and hospitals will participate. Called Harbor Base III, it will be the third full-scale biological exercise in the city since 2003. A statement from the city Health Department says the drill is to help improve coordination between hospitals, communication between rescue and police agencies and examine how public and private agencies work together in a crisis.

FORT WORTH, Texas - Meadowbrook Elementary fifth-grader Mercedes Strawther nibbled on the salty, rectangular block of white cheese and decided she didn't like it because it was "gushy and nasty." Thumbs down, she marked on her evaluation sheet. Hugo Roman, 10, liked the charbroiled-flavor burger he tried because it "tastes like Burger King." With their taste buds on loan to the U.S. Agriculture Department, students judged - on color, smell and taste - a dozen other food items last week.

Sam's Creek Church of the Brethren will hold its 20th annual holiday bazaar from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. tomorrow in Baile Hall next to the sanctuary. Handcrafted gifts, decorations, tree ornaments and everyday household items will be featured. Baskets, metalware, baby accessories and country-theme items will be available. Baked goods and produce, plants and a light lunch also will be featured. The church is at 2736 Marston Road (Route 407). Information: 410-848-0687; 410-635-2772 (day of the event)

A citywide food drive will begin in September and culminate the next month on the second anniversary of the death of former city councilwoman and homeless activist Bea Gaddy, City Council President Sheila Dixon announced yesterday. "It takes an army to fill Bea's shoes," Dixon said. Collection sites for nonperishable food items will be set up in various places, such as churches, supermarkets, and fire and police stations. Starting collection dates will vary from site to site in September.

IT IS TIME for the Linthicum Community Fair, when people come together to enjoy the outdoors while watching a parade, entertainment and demonstrations. Children can play games and adults enjoy crafts, and of course lots of food is offered. The fair is Saturday and begins with a parade at 9:30 a.m. Marching bands, cheerleaders, Scout troops, about 15 floats and a few surprise entrants will assemble at Linthicum Middle School on Andover Road and proceed down Hammonds Ferry Road to the fairgrounds at Maple Road.

U.S. Foodservice officials said yesterday they will buy Lady Baltimore Foods Inc. of Kansas City, Kan. - a move that will expand the food distributor's reach in the Midwest. "It's a transaction which we've been eyeing for sometime," said Robert Gillison, vice president and treasurer of Columbia-based U.S. Foodservice. "It really only made sense for us after the acquisition of Alliant, because Alliant has operations in Kansas and Missouri. That gave us the capability to serve Lady Baltimore customers."

IN OUR BOOMING economy, it is difficult for many of us to imagine not having a pantry stocked with food. For our families, having "nothing to eat" translates into "nothing appealing to eat." But that is not the meaning for some Pasadena neighbors looking at empty pantry shelves, especially during the holiday season. Several years ago, members of the Pasadena Business Association came up with an idea to help fill pantry shelves and kick off the holiday season - with a parade. From that humble beginning, the annual PBA Caring and Sharing Thanksgiving Parade was born.