Java News

Meyer Lemon Risotto

February, March, not much is growing this time of year, and usually the weather is blustery and rather gray. That is, except for the citrus. All over Sacramento, and most of California, orange, grapefruit, and lemon trees are laden with bright fruit. Meyer lemons in particular are well suited for home landscapes, which is why so many people have their own backyard tree. Supposedly they don't orchard well, but if they are spaced out enough, as in one in my backyard and one in yours, they're fine. The fruit is a cross between an orange and lemon, so the peel is a little more orangey than a regular lemon, and the juice is not nearly as tart. The peel itself is also mild. Sometimes we look out into the backyard to find that some critter has eaten all of the peel off of a few Meyer lemons, leaving whole globes of lemon segments naked.

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Manhattan Clam Chowder

According to food historian and blogger Janet Clarkson, the very first printed recipe for chowder appeared in the Boston Evening Post in 1751. Written as a poem, it described a stew with onions, pork, fish, herbs, and biscuits (hard tack, I think). Over the years "chowdah" evolved into a dairy-based stew in New England, and during the late 1800s the first tomato-based chowders showed up on the menu at Delmonico's in New York, perhaps influenced by Portuguese immigrants who often put clams together with pork and tomato sauce.

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'Tis the Season for Flower Girl Dresses and Children's Formal Wear


Spring is just around the corner, which means it's the season for children's formal wear. Weddings call for flower girl dresses and boy's tuxedos, as well as for First Communion dresses and boy's suits.

Fashionistas love to try on new buzzwords & trendy terms like they’re going out of style. Statement outfits ~ Does your clothing speak louder than words? Calling something “couture” doesn’t make it high class or pricy. Yet the word pops up everywhere! from discount Web sites to Rodeo Drive. Smoldering ~ Your hat is hot. Your T-shirt is hotter. You are about to combust. We get it. Concept store? Aren’t all stores supposed to have a concept? Just checking. It's only a matter of time before Geek-chics conquer fashion.

Fashionista choosing organic t-shirts!

It is not a secret now that the demand for organic cotton clothing is rising quickly. People are willing to buy more natural clothing to themselves to prevent from harmful chemicals that are used at several textile processes.

However, there are also some clever people who are trying to make more money on using this weakness of people. I mean how will you trust that the t-shirt you purchased is really organic? There are 3 common usages of organic cotton.

a) You use the normal/conventional cotton and claim that it was organic. If people believes you then you will make %30 more profit with the exact same garments. So please carefully check the labels of the clothing before you buy and also try to buy from big brands!

b) You get the organic cotton. Made the fabric from it and dye it like you do with the normal cotton. In the end you will have a harmful and chemical fabric which is not organic but "made from organic cotton".

c) You get the organic cotton and dye it with dyestuff that is allowed by the organic certification companies and follow their guidelines. This is costly and the final fabric, t-shirt price will be higher but this is ofcourse healtier. In the end your organic fabric will not be harmful! In that case you can also say the term "organic t-shirt" easily.

Confusing right? Try to stay away from "made in India" and "made in China" organic cotton products for now. USA and Turkey is offering much better quality and trusted business at the moment. I will try to explain the details in my next article on fromorganic.com web site.