Don’t you just LOVE grilling out? We do, and we love this awesome yummy recipe!

Makes: 6 servings

Prep: 15 minutes

Marinate: 2 hours

Grill: 8 minutes

6 boneless pork top loin chops, cut 3/4 inch thick

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup lime juice

2 fresh serrano or jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon cumin seed, crushed

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped

2 green onions, sliced

2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons jalapeno jelly

Trim fat from chops. Place chops in a plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For marinade, in a small bowl combine onion, lime juice, serrano peppers, sesame oil, and cumin seed. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade for salsa. Pour the remaining marinade over chops; seal bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.

For salsa, in a medium bowl combine the 2 tablespoons marinade, the tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, cilantro, and honey. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Drain chops, reserving marinade. Transfer the marinade to a small saucepan. Add the jalapeno jelly to marinade; cook and stir until mixture boils. Set aside.

Grill chops on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 8 to 11 minutes or until chops are slightly pink in center and juices run clear, turning once and brushing occasionally with jelly mixture the last 5 minutes of grilling. (Or, broil on the unheated rack of a broiler pan 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once and brushing occasionally with jelly mixture the last 5 minutes of broiling.) Serve the chops with salsa.

Servings Per Recipe 6 servings Calories211 Total Fat (g)10 Saturated Fat (g)3, Cholesterol (mg)51, Sodium (mg)46, Carbohydrate (g)14, Fiber (g)1, Protein (g)17, Vitamin A (DV%)?, Vitamin C (DV%)27, Calcium (DV%)1, Iron (DV%)?, Vegetables (d.e.)1, Lean Meat (d.e.)1.5, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Many will argue that some of the best Rock music hails from New York City, though over the years it has been the norm that  most rock music was blazing out from the west coast.  Lately though, one can say these days the New York Rock  Scene is back in full force. One band that’s jammin’ the pulse of New York City Rock is KILLCODE, made up of all born and bred New Yorkers with the exception of one, Chas who hails from PA.  KILLCODE is hittin’ the scene hard and ready to share their high energy with Rock-n-Roll lovin’ crowds out on the road.

KILLCODE is made up of Tom Morrissey on vox, Chas on guitar/vox, Erric Bonesmith on bass/ vox, Pat Harrington on guitar/ vox, and Rob Noxious laying down the beat on drums.

I got some time with Tom on the phone the other night, the guys were just heading into rehearsal working on their new album with producer Stacey O’Dell and getting ready to start up on the armed forces entertainment tour of africa and the middle east. While Tom told me the band is not politically driven they would do anything to show their support for the guys and girls puttin’ it all on the line overseas. “None of us have served, but all of us have family that have, so this is the least we can do to show our support of what these soldiers are doing for our country”    “We are playing a send off show at the Mercury Lounge in NYC on May 7th to kick this off”  The guys have been jammin’ together for over 2 and half years now and all have been playing in bands since as long as they can remember. After knowing of each other from playing in other bands and admiring talents they decided to get together and create KILLCODE. Never after any certain style or sound, these guys are just kickin’ out what they love, Rock and Roll.  I asked what influences they have and while some may be at different ends of the spectrum it is clear to see they all share the same influences in what they take away from each artist/band they dig. Playing in your face, loud high energy music that has a solid “meat and potatoes” type of dish served up with it’s heavy hittin’ dual guitars and driven bass line and drums, some have billed these guys as “southern heavy rockers”. I asked Tom what his take on that was and he said “Were just playing Anthem Outlaw music filled with high energy hooks and substance, sure we all have influences in southern rock so if that comes out and becomes us, we embrace it”

KILLCODE is all about connecting with fans and living the rock and roll lifestyle, which to them they’re living in the heart of it all; New York City, with some of the best clubs in town to play and best bars to hang at, these guys all work day jobs that allow them the time they need to put their passion into the band. You can often find them hangin’ at Duff’s in Brooklyn which in their opinion is the essence of what Rock and Roll is all about. “Jimmy Duff supports bands like no other and there is no place on earth like the welcoming feeling of Duff’s”

Tom told me the guys are still out on the streets doing the grass roots way of promoting by hanging out with the fans at the clubs, still printing posters, hanging flyers around town, but at the same time, tech savvy enough to embrace the social networking scene and use it to connect with the fans and keep everyone informed of what is going on. These guys are so in tune to digital media they even create videos they post on their FB page to keep fans on top of what they are doing and make ’em feel like part of the process. “The videos are actually awesome for us to watch back and learn from, we might see some things that are going down in practice that we might want to elaborate on or change all together”

In early 2009, KILLCODE released their debut EP, “To Die For”, After successfully completing an east coast run as main support for FUEL, they released a second EP “Taking It All “.   KILLCODE has also been headlining and selling out some considerable venues including the Mercury Lounge, Gramercy/Blender Theater and The Bowery Ballroom in NYC in addition to being offered main support slots for both FILTER and Powerman 5000.  Currently KillCode is about to sign with Extreme Management Group (Suffocation, Origin, Malevolent Creation, Decrepit Birth, etc) and are in the process of recording their  first full length album with producer Stacy O’Dell.

Their song “Breaking Away” was  featured in the new movie /inspirational documentary “Dressed”- which opened  February 4th at a  Sold Out Show at Chelsea Clearview Cinemas.   The guys are focused on getting ready for the AFE (American Armed Forces Entertainment) tour that will keep them busy during the month of May and then ready to hit the US and tour again, because hey “thats Rock-N-Roll”!  Check out the KILLCODE FB page to stay on top of where you can catch a KILLCODE show out on the road, who knows maybe you’ll even catch these guys out on the motorcycle rally scene. Don’t feel like waiting to catch them live, go grab some KILLCODE on itunes.

lets get grilling!!

Makes: 6 servings

Prep: 20 minutes

Grill: 6 minutes

• 6 4-inch diameter fresh portobello mushrooms (about 1-1/4 lbs.), stems removed

•2 medium yellow or red tomatoes

•3 tablespoons olive oil

•Salt

•Freshly ground black pepper

•6 ounces dried spinach fettuccine or spaghetti

•1/4 cup olive oil

•2 tablespoons lemon juice

•1 teaspoon snipped fresh oregano

•1/2 teaspoon salt

•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

•2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano or 1/4 cup snipped fresh basil

1.  Using a teaspoon, gently scrape gills out of the bottom of the mushroom caps. Lightly rinse mushroom caps. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut tomatoes in half; remove seeds and stem.

2.  Brush top and underside of the mushrooms and all sides of tomatoes with the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle the mushrooms and tomatoes lightly with salt and pepper.

3. For a charcoal grill, grill mushroom caps and tomato halves, cut sides up, on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender, turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place mushroom caps and tomato halves on the grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.) Remove from grill.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; return to pot.

5. For dressing, coarsely chop the grilled tomatoes. In a blender or food processor combine the tomatoes, the 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, the 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Drizzle pasta with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Keep warm.

6. To serve, place mushroom caps on serving plates. Divide pasta among mushrooms. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Sprinkle with additional snipped fresh herbs. Makes 6 servings.

Servings Per Recipe 6 servings Calories284 Total Fat (g)18 Saturated Fat (g)2, Monounsaturated Fat (g)12, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2, Cholesterol (mg)0, Sodium (mg)324, Carbohydrate (g)26, Total Sugar (g)3, Fiber (g)2, Protein (g)7, Vitamin C (DV%)15, Calcium (DV%)4, Iron (DV%)11, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Our Buddy and savvy fashion designer of AnGrY GiRL GEaR has yet found another handmade GEm… check it out

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Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays).

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children’s League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans’ organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their “Buddy” Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

Last Saturday, I attended “Healthy Pet Day” hosted by Healthy Pet Products, a natural pet store in McCandless, Pa., owned by Toni Shelaske. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical at first. I envisioned purse puppies and pet psychics. Blinged-out collars and pets in costumes. I foresaw all manner of expensive, needless items for pampered, Paris Hilton-style pooches.Don’t get me wrong. I am a self-professed crazy cat lady. I have two fur balls, one of which is the worst behaved cat on the planet – Blizzard, a recently rescued stray. The second is the most miserable, cranky cat on Earth – Boots, adopted five years ago from a local shelter, and whose behavior took a turn when Blizzard arrived in December.

Yes, I’ve been known to indulge and spoil them. They are my babies. I want them to be healthy and live long and happy lives. But still, they are animals. I only have so much discretionary income, and they already get pretty much whatever they want including prime spots on the bed. So the $20 all-natural cat food, dietary supplements and acupuncture might be pushing it a tad.

But as I listened to some very educated pet professionals and to those who asked heartfelt questions about their beloved pets’ health problems, I began to discover some important parallels between pet health and people health. It should come as no surprise. After all, they are living, breathing creatures with little hearts and lungs, whose bodies function much the same way as ours do. We actually have a lot in common with our canine and feline friends, particularly when it comes to nutrition and health.

 It all started to make sense when I heard Dr. Douglas Knueven, a holistic veterinarian, and owner of Beaver Animal Clinic. Dr. Doug received his veterinary degree from Ohio State University in 1987, but after practicing for several years, became frustrated with what he saw as shortcomings of conventional veterinary medicine: treating symptoms and sickness instead of focusing on overall wellness and prevention.

In a presentation about holistic pet care that he’s given to hundreds of vets at conferences around the country, Dr. Doug said he supports an “integrative” medical approach, that is, an equal combination of both traditional and alternative therapies. I found this interesting, because this is what I have come to believe about health care for myself; that all body systems are connected and function together as a whole; that natural is better.

It’s an approach that is gaining in popularity, although Dr. Doug is still one of the only holistic vets in western Pennsylvania. Indeed, several people who came to the healthy pets program vocalized frustration about not being able to find vets that support holistic care.

According to one survey conducted in 2006, 76 percent of people reported using some type of alternative therapy for a pet, such as a dietary supplement like glucosamine for joint health. However, more than 70 percent of vets do not offer their clients any type of alternative medical care. So, there is disconnect between what people want and what is available. For all you humans seeking alternative medical care, does this sound familiar?

People seek alternative care for their pets for the same reasons they seek it for themselves: some type of personal experience with their own health, a referral or suggestion from a friend, or when standard care has failed.

Central to holistic care is proper nutrition, and Dr. Doug, along with Jackie Hill of Answers Pet Food and Scott Freeman of Nature’s Logic Pet Food, emphasized the importance of natural and raw food (frozen pellets comprised mostly of meat) for pets.

“Ninety percent of an animal’s health issues are related to its food; allergies, digestion, infection, inflammation, even cancer,” Hill said. “More than 80 percent of an animal’s immune system is in the gut, so if you heal the gut, you heal the animal.”Dr. Doug recommends feeding dogs and cats raw food because it’s closer to their natural diet. To know what to feed animals, you need only look at the shape of their teeth – pointed teeth are for tearing meat. Flat, rounded teeth are for grinding grain. Commercial pet food is inappropriately comprised mostly of starch and carbohydrates (30-50 percent) because it is cheap, convenient and binds together easily.

“Dogs and cats never asked us to cook or process their food,” Hill said. “We did it for our convenience, not their optimal health.”

Using the example of “People Chow,” Dr. Doug adds that it’s not good to feed an animal the same commercial food over its entire life because it can lead to nutritional deficiencies, obesity, dehydration and other problems, just as when we humans eat too many cheap, processed foods and carbohydrates.

In the wild, wolves and other close cousins of dogs and cats only eat about 2-14 percent grains. They are carnivores, not corn-ivores, as Dr. Doug said. Thousands of years of domestication haven’t changed that. A high protein diet is better for animals than one that’s high in carbohydrates. So while the meat/protein rich Atkins Diet may be questionable for you, it’s the BEST diet for your dog or cat.

Disturbingly, much of the “meat” added to commercial pet food comes from animals that are unsuitable for human consumption, or as some say, the 4D’s – dead, dying, diseased or disabled animals. Additionally, when the meat is processed into kibble, it’s heated and dried at super-high temperatures creating byproducts such as hydrolyzed protein or MSG. Recent pet food recalls also have involved dangerous additives like melamine, or too many added synthetic vitamins and minerals.

“I heard an old granny once say, ‘if it ain’t real, don’t eat it,’” Freeman said. “That’s good advice for people and for pets.” His Nature’s Logic line of pet food is free of chemical additives, colorings, flavorings, preservatives and synthetic vitamins and minerals. Instead, he uses ground fruits and vegetables to add nutrients.

All the pet professionals at the Healthy Pet expo said the results of feeding animals a natural raw diet include decreased allergies, weight control, improved dental hygiene, improved coat and skin, less shedding, stable energy level and a longer, healthier life. (Hmm…sounds similar to the benefits described when we humans eat a natural, balanced diet of whole, fresh foods.)

“There are now 50 manufacturers of raw pet food, so the word is spreading,” Hill said.

“It’s the single most important thing you can do for your pet’s health,” Dr. Doug added.

For information about healthy pet products and natural pet food, visit www.healthypetproducts.net

For information about holistic pet care, visit www.beaveranimalclinic.com.

BTW…Yes, I totally caved and bought a 3.3 lb. bag of Nature’s Logic Feline Formula natural cat food ($13.99) for my fur balls. They’re worth it.

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