Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

It has a brighter aroma and flavor, but still similar to nutmeg. Mace actually keeps fresh while ground, whereas you want to keep your nutmegs whole in the nut form and grate as needed.

I use it in carrot souffle and any baked good, it can go either sweet or savory. I don't use as much of my spices in the summer. Summer is more for fresh herbs!

I, too, have been watching this issue with just a couple years away from school lunch days for public schools. Thing is, I've already gone a few rounds with our day care over meal quality. It's ended with me just packing lunches every day. The lunches are a bit of a curiosity, you know, even the teachers are wishing I would pack THEIR lunches, too.

I did a survey (unofficial) and had other parents send me a post link to their child's preschool/school menu. Here are the results (or, why I want to go to preschool in France).

As a blogger, it is hard to write the recipes and joy of food with the same gusto. Somewhere in my mind is lurking that image of the people in need. As someone who also writes on food issues, it is a challenging time to step up and write better work on food crisis and help people find solutions.

As an eater, we buy all of our meats direct from farmers, grassfed, so the costs are not increasing as much. Eggs have gone up, and we get these locally as well as milk, both are from pastured sources, so the increases are not as high.

I also buy veggies in season at the farmers market and our CSA. It went up about $40.00 this year due to gas prices, but not for the farming inputs. Most items are about the same cost at the market. It's a good time to have well-established locavore roots.

With grain prices up, they might start charging for that bread plate. The Bakers Association marched on Washington in protest. Whatever the cause, smaller portions are due for a comeback.

Wendell Berry's essays on food and agriculture are inspiring. He foretold the grim future of Big Ag over thirty years ago and was absolutely right. Worth a read. Also diving into Raj Patel's Stuffed and Starved on world food issues.

I wanted to thank everyone who posted their ideas and suggestions. Sounds like I will try mace in the fall!

Paula Deen???? I don't get it!!! Her incessant cackling, sticking her tongue into chocolate fountains, and please, stop with the y'alling.
The worst thing?... her recipes. Soooo bad.
She's Food Network's performing monkey and... they love her. Apparentley, so does the audience. Yeesh.
You can fool some of the people some of the time...but Paula Deen fools all of the people all of the time.

Paul Deen, please, just go away....and take Guy Fieri with you.

I love mace, it's so aromatic. It is my "secret ingredient" in my pound cakes. No one can figure out what it is...LOL.

http://www.austin360.com/food_drink/content/food_drink/stories/2008/05/0521discovery.html

Follow the link to read about a charter school in Austin that has rewritten an entire curriculum around gardening and eating local.

Jerzee: I hear you. I have a problem with Giada who is now "Boob Girl" in my household. Watch the early shows, then look at what's been filmed in the past 2 years. Food Network is trying to make her look sexy where ever she goes and wherever they film her. The center of the camera image is not on the dish she is preparing, but on her chest 100% of the time. And it's clear that they have a fisheye lens on her because her forehead has become enormous! OGM what would Julia say!!!