Photo: A March 11th Scanwich of the day

Food News, Things We Crave, Resources, Green Your Eats, and Tips, Tools & Techniques. Check out this week’s picks.

Food News

• “Going meat- and dairy-less one day a week is more environmentally beneficial than eating locally every single day.” Read more: Organic vs Local? Neither is Sustainable! (via Tree Hugger)
• Factory farms must report emissions under new EPA rule (The Food Times via Bittman on Twitter)
• Michelle Obama’s Agenda Includes Healthful Eating (via NY Times)
• Suffolk County, NY to ban BPA! (via Families.com)
• The dairy crisis intensifies. Some believe Milk Protein Concentrates–an ingredient NOT approved by the FDA, but increasingly used in processed foods sold here–are the problem (via The Ethicurean)
• Oooh… gotta say, I’ve been waiting for this: Skeptics Press Marketers for Proof of Acai Berry’s Benefits (via NY Times)

Things We Crave

• Naturally Nora all natural cake mixes (via Slashfood)
• Food-Inspired Fashion by Agatha Ruiz de la Prada (via Eat Me Daily)
• The dino-themed BamDino collection by Bambu–adorable!! (at GreenFeet)
• Scanwiches makes me crave sandwiches every day. Today? A big ass Jersey-style Italian hero, like the ones I grew up eating
• Who doesn’t need a measuring gaggle? (from Anthropologie)

Resources

• Get crafty and edumacate the kids: How to make rainbow pasta to use in fun, educational games (via Eensies)
• No Crumb Left Behind: 33 ways to use leftover bread (via San Francisco Chronicle)
• (Inspiration more than a resource) I HEART David Chang. And if you ever eat his food, you will too. He’s the 2009 USA Network Character Approved winner in the food category. Watch and read here.
• Turning to food more under the stress of a crap economy? Then this guide to new food sites is for you. (via Wall St Journal)

Green Your Eats

• Practical tips for farming in a city (via Tree Hugger)
• 10 Food Visionaries Delivering Local, Organic & Healthy Foods to the American Mainstream (via The Daily Green)

Tips, Tools & Techniques

• Live in a “food desert”–someplace where it’s hard to find healthy, fresh, reasonably priced food? Try to locate a grocery delivery service. While this is not yet feasible nationwide, a quick Google search led me to several major chains that deliver: A&P, Peapod/Stop&Shop/Giant, and Safeway. (Idea via World Changing)
• 31 awesomely fun cake designs from Parenting mag (via Oh Dee Doh)
• Apparently, Everyday with Rachel Ray does a Centerpiece of the Month with prominent designers. Here are some great food-centric centerpieces: Veggie Garden, Fresh Squeezed, All Choked Up, and Greens to Envy (via Hostess with the Mostess)

Bonus! Feeding Hack: French Toast or Pancakes in a Hot Second

This post on Lil Sugar reminded me of a hack that I must take for granted. It never occurred to me to share here, until now!

Next time you make french toast or pancakes, make a big batch. Let leftovers cool, then freeze. I’ve never done this with french toast, but it seems you can just toss them in a zip lock. I put little pieces of parchment paper between pancakes to keep them from sticking to each other. To thaw, just pop as many pieces as you want into the toaster, toaster oven, or (in the case of pancakes) the microwave. Ready in just minutes! Try Christina’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip pancakes for a real treat.