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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Lentil Brown Rice Soup

Nov 27, 2020 09:30AM ● By Mackenzie Burgess
Jar of lentil brown rice soup dry mix

photo by Mackenzie Burgess, RDN

Yield: 6 servings

If presenting the soup mix as a gift, layer dry ingredients in a Mason jar and print recipe to attach to the jar.

1 cup green or brown lentils
½ cup uncooked brown rice
½ cup green split peas
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 large vegetable bouillon cubes (1 cube should be equivalent to 1 Tbsp of granulated bouillon)
8 cups water

Optional:
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, no salt added

Optional: Sauté onion in oil in a large stock pot over high heat for 3 minutes. Add can of diced tomatoes.

Add dry soup ingredients and 8 cups of water to the same large stock pot (unless starting with this step). Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, covered with a lid. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with crusty bread and parmesan cheese, if desired.

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.


Recipe from Mackenzie Burgess, Cheerful Choices.


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Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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