Mr. Potato Head Celebrates his Birthday with an Important Health Message

Mr. Potato Head is a beloved American toy, who has been around for 59 years. He has gone through many changes, but over the last few years, he has become involved in physical fitness and healthy eating. In this birthday video, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head share their admiration for the Let’s Move and Kid’s Eat Right campaigns. They discuss cutting back on salt, butter and sour cream and increasing their physical activity.

Mr. Potato Head Celebrates his Birthday
with an Important Health Message

 

History

Mr. Potato Head was invented by George Lerner in 1949 and first manufactured and distributed by Hasbro in 1952. Mr. Potato Head made his debut on April 30, 1952 as the first toy advertised directly to children on television. Before this, all toy advertising was directed to parents. This commercial revolutionized marketing. Over one million kits were sold in the first year.

In 1952, the original Mr. Potato Head kit provided separate plastic parts to be stuck into a real potato or other vegetables. By 1964, due to government regulations, Hasbro was forced to include a plastic potato "body" in its kits. This change was due to choking hazards and sharp pieces.

     Special Appearances
            and Awards

1987. Mr. Potato Head gives up his pipe to Surgeon General C. Everett Koop in Washington, D.C. and became the "Spokesspud" for the American Cancer Society's annual "Great American Smokeout" campaign.

May 1, 1992. Mr. Potato Head turns 40 years old and receives the President's Council for Physical Fitness award at the third annual Great American Workout.

1995. Mr. Potato Head made his Hollywood debut with a leading role in the Disney/Pixar movie, Toy Story.

1996. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head joined the League of Women Voters and their "Get out the Vote" campaign.

1997 Mr. Potato Head became the "spokesspud" for Burger King’s new French fries campaign.

1999. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head starred in Toy Story 2.

March 24, 2000. Mr. Potato Head is inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame.

February 12, 2002. Mr. Potato Head rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

2002. On his 50th birthday, Mr. Potato Head is awarded his own official AARP card.

2002. The Rhode Island Legislature gave approval to feature Mr. Potato Head on a state auto license plate in order to raise money for charity.

2005. Mr. Potato Head became the national “spokesspud” for the United States Potato Board.

2010. Mr. Potato Head appeared in Toy Story 3.

2011 Hasbro unveils a new, noticeably thinner Mr. Potato Head at the 2011 International Toy Fair convention in New York City.

Vintage Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head Commercial

 

Toy Story 2 Bloopers with

Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head

Resources.

Hasbro, Inc. is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of toys, games and other family entertainment. Hasbro is the manufacturer of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. Hasbro has a long tradition of supporting children worldwide through a variety of philanthropic programs.  Their mission is to assist children in triumphing over their life obstacles and to bring the joy of play into their lives.  Visit Hasbro Community Relations to learn about the many programs Hasbro supports.

To learn more about the history of Mr. Potato Head, visit " The Mr. Potato Head® Collector's Page". The World's Largest Resource For Mr. Potato Head Information and History.

April 28th. World Day for Safety and Health at Work

The 2011 World Day for Safety and Health at Work focuses on the implementation of an Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS) as a tool for continual improvement in the prevention of workplace incidents and accidents.

On Apr 28, 1970 (signed into law in 1971) was the founding of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Safety in Restaurants

Slips and Falls

Foodborne Disease OSHA Standards

Control and Prevention

Control of foodborne diseases is based on avoidance of contaminated food, destruction of contaminants, and prevention of further spread of contaminants. Prevention is dependent upon proper cooking and storing practices, and personal hygiene of food handlers.

The quality of food, and controls used to prevent foodborne diseases, are primarily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local public health authorities. These diseases may be occupationally related if they affect the food processors (e.g., poultry processing workers), food preparers and servers (e.g., cooks, waiters), or workers who are provided food at the worksite.

Section 5(a)(1) of the OSHA Act, often referred to as the General Duty Clause, requires employers to "furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees". Section 5(a)(2) requires employers to "comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act".

Safety Orientation for Healthcare

The OSHA Safety Orientation for Healthcare materials show employees how to protect themselves from some of the most common hazards. For more information on these materials please contact National Safety Compliance at 1.877.922.7233 or visit http://www.osha-safety-training.net/.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
40 Year History
 

National Office
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20210

National Pretzel Day joins National Dance Week

In 2003, Pennsylvania Governor, Ed Rendell declares April 26 National Pretzel Day to acknowledge the importance of the pretzel to the state's history and economy.

Enjoy a pretzel while getting some exercise
Alex Wong from FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance"
choreographed a Pretzel Dance for Auntie Anne's in
honor of National Pretzel Day and National Dance Week.

A Brief History Of The Pretzel,
presented by Synder's of Hanover

Auntie Anne's Donates Pretzels
to Hunger Relief Organizations

A Look at Pretzel Commercials

Over the Last 39 Years

In 1971, the use of the word "Salt", did not have the negative effects it has today

 - as seen in the Mister Salty Pretzel's commercial below.

Today, the popular advertisement words

are Sustainability or Renewable.

 



Red Hat Society Day, April 25, 2011

Red Hat Society Day (RHS) is an international social organization founded in 1998 for women approaching the age of 50 and beyond. The society is the largest women’s social group in the world with over 70,000 members in the United States and 25 other countries.

The members are dedicated to making the world a better place by actively promoting and supporting fun, friendship, freedom, fulfillment and fitness for each individual, as well as demonstrating the value and contributions of women to society at large.

Mission Statement
The RHS is a global society that connects, supports and encourages women in their pursuit of fun, friendship, freedom, fulfillment and fitness.
  *Fun. To celebrate life at every age and stage.
  *Friendship. To solidify and support the expansion of the bonds of sisterhood.
  *Freedom. To discover and explore new interests and renew abandoned ones.
  *Fulfillment. To realize our personal potential.
  *Fitness. To embrace healthy, life-lengthening lifestyles.

By maintaining a thriving social networking community, and offering a variety of services and group experiences, the Red Hat Society supports and encourages Members to get the most out of life.

To learn more about the Red Hat Society, visit their website at www.redhatsociety.com

The Easter Egg

The Easter Egg

Where did the colored Easter eggs come from? The egg is a symbol of new life, rebirth and the celebration of spring. The early Christians describes the egg as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus.

After a long hard winter with small amounts of food, an egg for Easter was quite a treasure. Later, Christians abstained from eating meat during Lent. Easter was the first chance to enjoy eggs and meat after the long abstinence.

Chicken egg versus the Chocolate Easter Egg
A medium-size chicken egg is only 70 calories and rich in protein. Check the chocolate eggs below and compare.

Nutrition Label Blooper

Reference: Lindt's Bugs and Bees

Earth Day. What are we doing to help our planet?

April 22, 1970 was the first Earth Day and it awakened almost 20 million Americans from all walks of life to launch the modern environmental movement. From that first earth day came the passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other environmental laws. Today the Earth Day Network (EDN) works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

A Billion Acts of Green®
Earth Day Network has chosen A Billion Acts of Green® as the theme for Earth Day 2011. A Billion Acts of Green®–the largest environmental service campaign in the world–inspires and rewards simple individual acts and larger organizational initiatives that further the goal of measurably reducing carbon emissions and supporting sustainability. The goal is to register one billion actions in advance of the global Earth Summit in Rio in 2012.

Earth Day 2011

YouTube has a wide range of resources, from the young, older, news, family, scientist, schools, communities, governments and industry describing how they are making a difference and how we can make a difference in saving our Earth.

Earth Song
performed by Michael Jackson

 

Green Mom

Cost of Food

Americans have been spending less and less on what we eat. But those savings come with a high cost: obesity, diabetes, and big health care bills. Here's a look at how our diet has changed over the last 50 years, and what we can do to make it better.

The girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes


Reasons to Believe: Lightbulbs

The Energy [R]evolution is Greenpeace's plan to save the planet from catastrophic climate change. Susan Sarandon narrates the 'Reasons to Believe'. This video explains why energy efficiency is so important and also so easily achieved, just by small changes such as a switch from traditional lightbulbs to more energy efficient ones. In the one minute you will spend watching this film solar energy could power a country the size of Portugal for one week. In one minute. We need an Energy [R]evolution. Learn more at Greenpeace. 

Oceans - Disney Nature Series
2010 Movie Trailer

Earth Day - The Tiniest Things Matter

Recycle Guys

Lima Bean Respect Day

 

Lima beans are fresh in summer, though they are most commonly found dried, canned or frozen, all year long. Lima beans are also known as "Butter Beans"  in many parts of the United States.

There are warnings to avoid raw lima beans because they contain linamarin (also called cyanogens), which releases a cyanide compound when the seed coat is opened," according to Fruits and Veggies Matter. Linamarin is deactivated during cooking.

Nutrition Information

Modified Recipe

The original recipe can be found at Good Morning America at the following link:

Baby Limas, Green and Yellow Beans, and Teardrop Tomatoes
with Mint Vinaigrette from Emeril Lagasse,
"Farm to Fork: Cooking Local, Eating Fresh"

The recipe needed very little modification, but with a few changes we were able to lower the calories, fat, sodium and sugar content. Excellent source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate and a good source of iron and calcium. 

The Delaware Department of Agriculture presents
a Food for Thought video on Lima Beans.

Lima Beans: Educational Resources

The following resources can be found at the USDA and Snap Education.

Butter Beans and Lima Beans (PDF)
University of Florida. Sarasota County Extension.
Explores the difference between butter beans and lima beans.
Also provides nutritional information and recipes.

Kentucky Lima Beans (PDF)
Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.
Information about selection, storage, preparation and a recipe.

L is for Lima Beans (PDF)

University of California. Alameda County Cooperative Extension.

Materials for young children, includes fun lima bean facts, nutrition information and the “Lima Bean Limbo” activity.



National Garlic Day Flavor Enhancer, Medicinal or Bad Breath April 19th

Garlic comes from the lily family and is the edible bulb from a plant. It is used as a spice to enhance the flavor of foods and in medicine, Garlic claims have been made to cure heart disease, cancer, colds, hair loss, bug repellant and many other medical conditions.

The medical research on the safety and effectiveness of garlic has been limited, flawed, inconclusive or failed to prove its curative powers in most of the claims made.

The following conditions have been rated based on the scientific evidence available as to the effectiveness of Garlic as a treatment. From Medline, a service to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services. Go to Medline for a complete listing of the findings presented.

Ratings
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;

B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.

High Cholesterol (Rate B). Multiple studies in humans have reported small reductions in total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins ("bad cholesterol") over short periods of time (4 to 12 weeks). It is not clear if there are benefits after this amount of time. Effects on high-density lipoproteins ("good cholesterol") are not clear. This remains an area of controversy. Well-designed and longer studies are needed in this area.

Anti-fungal, applied to the skin (Rate C). Several studies describe the application of garlic to the skin to treat fungal infections, including yeast infections. Garlic can cause severe burns and rash when applied to the skin of sensitive individuals.

Anti-platelet effects, blood thinning (Rate C).   Garlic has been associated with several cases of bleeding, therapy should be applied with caution (particularly in patients using other agents that may precipitate bleeding).

Atherosclerosis, hardening" of the arteries (Rate C).   Preliminary research in humans suggests that deposits of cholesterol in blood vessels may not grow as quickly in people who take garlic. It is not clear if this is due to the ability of garlic to lower cholesterol levels, or to other effects of garlic.

Cancer (Rate C).  Preliminary human studies suggest that regular consumption of garlic (particularly unprocessed garlic) may reduce the risk of developing several types of cancer including gastric and colorectal malignancies. Some studies use multi-ingredient products so it is difficult to determine if garlic alone may play a beneficial role. Further well designed human clinical trials are needed to conclude whether eating garlic or taking garlic supplements may prevent or treat cancer.

High blood pressure (Rate C).  Numerous human studies report that garlic can lower blood pressure by a small amount, but larger, well-designed studies are needed to confirm this possible effect.

Tick repellant (Rate C).  In early study, self-reports of tick bites were significantly less in people receiving garlic over a placebo "sugar" pill. Further well designed study is needed to confirm these results.

Upper respiratory tract infection (Rate C).  Preliminary reports suggest that garlic may reduce the severity of upper respiratory tract infections. However, this has not been demonstrated in well-designed human studies.

Diabetes (Rate D).  Animal studies suggest that garlic may lower blood sugar and increase the release of insulin, but studies in humans do not confirm this effect.

Does fresh-cut garlic really
reduce the risk of heart disease?

Why go to the market,
when you can grow garlic in your garden.

The Symbols of the Passover Seder

Passover is spelled using the foods symbolic of the seder table.
P = Z'roa (Shank bone)
A = Maror and Hazeret
SS = Charoset
O = Baytzah
V = Roasted Beets
E = Matzo
R = Karpas (Vegetable)

Shalom Sesame
Khalikidan's Passover Seder
Khalikidan and her family came to Israel from Ethiopia.
Join her family for a Passover seder, and
share Khalikidan's excitement in reciting the four questions.

The Symbols of the Passover Seder

 

Passover is a holiday rich in symbols retelling the story of the Jewish people's exodus from Egypt. The seder is a ceremonial dinner observed on the first night of Passover, and in many homes on the second night as well. The seder table is set with a seder plate, salt water, matzo, kosher wine, Cup of Elijah, Miriam's Cup, and a copy of the Haggadah for each guest.

Matzo

Matzo is an unleavened bread made solely from flour and water and is not allowed to rise. Matzo symbolizes freedom. As the Jewish people fled Egypt there was no time to wait for the bread to rise. A plate of three whole matzahs are stacked and separated from each other by cloths or napkins. The middle matzo is broken in half and put aside for the afikoman.

The afikoman is eaten as a dessert. The person leading the seder will hide the afikoman and ask all the children to find it. Children will receive toys or other gifts as a reward for returning the afikoman.

The top and other half of the middle matzo is used for the hamotzi (blessing over bread), and the bottom matzo is used for the korech (Hillel sandwich).

Haggadah. The book containing the story of the Exodus and the ritual of the Seder. It is read at the Passover Seder.

Many of the symbols are displayed on the seder plate, which is the centerpiece of the seder table.

 
Karpas (Vegetable). This part of the seder plate dates back to a first and second century tradition in Jerusalem. At the beginning of the seder a vegetable, usually lettuce, radish or parsley is dipped in salt water and eaten. It is said the salt water represents the tears our ancestors shed during their years of enslavement.

Z'roa (Shank bone). The roasted shank bone of a lamb reminds us of when the Jewish people marked the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a lamb as a signal that death should pass over them. The shank bone also reminds us of the sacrificial lamb killed and eaten during the days when the Temple stood. In modern times, some Jewish families will use a poultry neck instead. Vegetarians will often replace the shank bone with a roasted beet, which has the color of blood and is shaped like a bone, but is not derived from an animal.

Baytzah (Hard Boiled Egg). There are two interpretations of the symbolism of the hard boiled egg. One is an ancient fertility symbol. The other is a symbol of mourning for the loss of the two Temples, the first of which was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. and the second of which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E. Hard boiled eggs were traditionally the food of mourners and became symbolic for the loss of these sacred sites.

Charoset. A mixture of chopped apples, nuts, wine and spices representing the mortar the Jewish slaves used to build structures for the Egyptian Pharaoh.

Maror (Bitter Herbs) reminds us of the slavery the Jewish people endured in Egypt. Horseradish, either the root or a prepared paste is often used.

Hazeret (Bitter Vegetable) also symbolizes the bitterness of slavery. Romaine lettuce is usually used. When hazeret is not represented on the seder plate some families will put a small bowl of salt water in its place.

Elijah's cup is placed at the center of the table. After the seder meal there is a custom to pour a cup of wine, the "Cup of Elijah," and open the front door of the home. According to tradition, at this moment our homes are graced by the presence of Elijah the Prophet.

Miriam's Cup is a new ritual object that is placed on the seder table beside the Cup of Elijah. Miriam's Cup is filled with water close to the beginning of the seder. It serves as a symbol of Miriam's Well, which was the source of water for the jewish people in the desert. Putting a Miriam's Cup on your table is a way of making your seder more inclusive. It lets people know that the words of girls and boys, women and men, are welcome. It is also a way of drawing attention to the importance of Miriam and the other women of the Exodus story - women who have sometimes been overlooked. It is said, "If it wasn't for the righteousness of women of that generation we would not have been redeemed from Egypt"

To our Family and Friends, we wish you a Happy Passover.

The Health Benefits of Laughter

Having a good laugh usually makes us feel good about ourselves.
This can be a factor in motivating a person to lose weight.

I Love to Laugh

Babies Laughing

A research published in the International Journal of Obesity discovered laughter can be beneficial in weight control.

Laughing helps burn calories by increasing the heart rate by 10 to 20 percent: The metabolism increases as well, meaning you will burn more calories at rest once you have stopped laughing.

Scientists calculated 15 minutes of laughter a day will burn 10 to 40 calories, depending on a person’s weight and the intensity of the laughter.

Laughter can relieve physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, which promotes an overall sense of well-being.

Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which may benefit the cardiovascular system.

Laughter may benefit people with diabetes. One study showed after watching a comedy, the group had lower blood sugar levels than they did after listening to a boring lecture.

Don’t laugh just to lose weight. Laugh because it feels great,
because it is healthy for you and
because we take ourselves too seriously.
It’s time to lighten up.

“Laughter is the best medicine.”