Brummet's Conscious Blog

Fields of Barley * Written By: Author Dale Phillip enjoys researching different foods and their histories. Growing up in the Midwest, her family frequently enjoyed soups with pearl barley added, but she gleaned a lot from her findings about this versatile grain. As an avid baker, she has started adding flakes to her muffin recipes and using cooked pearl barley instead of rice. Dale invites you to visit her many articles on the history of Food and Drink, and her blog: http://myfriendlyu.blogspot.com Barley, which is a member of the grass family, was one of the first cultivated grains, primarily in Eurasia and Israel, dating back 10,000 years. It lends itself to temperate climates and numerous soils, is hearty and versatile. There are literally hundreds of varieties flourishing worldwide. The first records and archeological digs have unearthed wild barley growing along the Sea of Galilee, as well as along the Nile River in Egypt. But not confined to just several regions, it was als...

Olives - Small in Size, Big in Nutrition * By Dale Phillip:  Author, Dale Phillip eats them daily right from the jar, cooks with them, uses olive oil exclusively (except in cookies) and makes them a part of her daily salad. While she is an equal opportunity olive lover, she confesses that the jumbo green pimento-stuffed are her favourite. In secret, she spreads gobs of green tapenade on crackers and swoons. She lives in California and of course supports her state's olive industry. And has been known to visit an olive bar now and then. Please enjoy her many other articles on Food and Drink, and visit her blog: http://myfriendlyu.blogspot.com/ Although olives were grown in ancient Asia and Africa, the country of Spain likes to claim top honours in its discovering this fruit. However, evidence of olive cultivation can be traced as far back as 5,000 B.C. in Mediterranean countries, which embraced this glorious delicacy, Picture an ancient Greek or Roman scribe pouring ...