Got Comments?

This week Southwest Desert Blogger had readers from USA, Russia, Spain, Germany, and Latvia.  This month the blog had visitors from Canada, Australia, Brazil and the Netherlands in addition to the previously mentioned visitors this week.  A couple of days ago this blog's first reader comment, from JB, was received in response to the Dec. 3, 2011 post about the Omega Vert/ VRT350 HD juicer.  Thanks JB and congrat's on being the first comment ever received.  You can read JB's comment at the end of the Dec. 3 post.  JB, may you continue to provide feedback and be an inspiration to others.

I also want to send a sincere Southwest Desert "Howdy" to the reader who found this blog using search terms "Omega sucks" -- nice economy of words.  Couldn't have said it more succinctly myself.  Thanks for bringing a smile to the Southwest Desert. 

I will respond to the reader who searched using the question about whether one can juice apple and orange seeds with the Omega VRT350HD.  I am not sure of the official Omega line regarding apple and orange seeds, but I have juiced them with no problem.  I have seen lemon seeds, albeit a bit crushed sometimes, in the exit port pulp.  I usually remove apple and citrus seeds if they are visible.  Naturally, some escape my notice.  Other times I just do not care if some apple seeds get through as they are smaller than citrus seeds.  There is debate in the health community as to whether it is best to remove seeds.  Some may contain toxins.  Do your research and decide for yourself.  The amount of seeded fruit you juice might also figure into your decision.  I imagine the commercial juice producers do not de-seed their produce before juicing, but that is mere speculation, not to be construed as fact.

There was also a search for Omega 350 "too much foam".  I agree.  Your beer should have a head on it, not your juice.  

One last thing -- I didn't know that Seamonkey is a browser -- available in 24 languages.  How do you like Seamonkey?   I thought Sea Monkeys were little creatures that grew in water . . . What do you expect from a Southwest Desert dweller?

Awaiting your comments,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2012

An Invite

Got any invites lately?  Anyone invite you to dinner, a dance, a wedding?  I did get invited to a nice dinner at a fine home with an interesting host and hostess.  The food was organic.  There were exotic mushroom in the mixed vegetables and small black things that looked like little tiny pieces of cooked mushroom, but the hostess said it is fungus.
Mushrooms are flowering fungus (as are molds!), but this black product is just fungus.  Fungus are in the kingdom Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, bacteria.  Yeast, used in making wine, beer, and soy sauce, is fungi also.  Fungi have been used in the production of antibiotics and biological pesticides. Many species can be toxic to humans and other animals.  Kingdom Fungi contains approximately 1.5 million species.  Less than one-tenth of these have been formally classified.

Hostess gets the dried fungus and crumbles little pieces into the food.  I'm not sure if it needs to be re-hydrated first, or it re-hydrates itself while cooking.  The pieces were so little that I could not distinguish a specific taste.  The red (actually orange) lentils had a nice texture and a subtle hint of balsamic vinegar.  The quinoa was cooked to perfection.  Quinoa is all about texture, too.  After this meal and after-dinner conversation I slept better than I'd slept in a long time -- seven hours, maybe more.  I felt refreshed in the morning and went for a hike in the desert hills.  It was a wonderful day.

Now I'm sending you an invite.  You are invited to send your comments.  I am told I have the power to post your comments on my blog. I know that this month there have been readers from Germany, Denmark, and the USA.  Got comments?  What do you like about this blog?  What do you dislike?  How's the weather out there in Denmark?  Do you sleep well in those long summer days?  Do you folks in Germany have any cacti?  Any City Slickers in the USA out there?  NuYawkas?  Cali surfers?  [That Cali is short for California, not to be confused with Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction.]  Bible belters, corn belters, hip folk from Seattle, San Francisco, Manhattan?  Anyone up there in Maine?  Anyone down there in Texas, Florida, New Mexico?  Let me know you're out there.

Shoutin' out to all of you, and you're invited to shout on back.
Waitin' for your comments,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011