"cold" news and stories

California has been hit by an unusually bad cold snap this year and the effects of the freezing weather have really taken a toll on crops - and the bad weather isn't even over yet. Some estimates say that at least 75% of the citrus crop has been destroyed and others say even more, drawing from the more than 80% that was ruined the last time the state suffered a severe cold snap. The weather is so bad that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in the 10 agricultural counties that have been hardest hit by the weather.

86% of the lemons and 21% of all the oranges sold in the US are grown in California, which makes it the largest citrus-producing state in the country. The loss of crops is devastating to the farmers, but it will also hit consumers hard at the grocery store. Orange and lemon prices are already increasing and the wholesale price has more than doubled in the last seven days alone. Juice prices will increase as well. "The price spike is expected to hit supermarkets in the next two weeks, when the present inventory dwindles."

While citrus is taking the biggest hit, basically every winter crop in California has been damaged, from avocados to lettuce, and consumers across the country will feel the effects of doubling and tripling prices in the produce department, especially if they want to buy US-grown fruits and vegetables.

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I started to feel lousy the day after Thanksgiving (stuffy head, dry throat, tired), and I've been eating a lot of chicken soup (chicken noodle soup, specifically), and I was wondering why we are supposed to eat the stuff when we are sick and why I immediately craved it once I got sick. Does it really have the power to cure you, or is it just an old wive's tale passed down through the decades?

Yahoo! Answers has the, well, answer. Sort of. There is no conclusive proof that chicken soup helps when you're sick, but Dr. Stephen Rennard tested his grandma's recipe and came to the conclusion that the soup inhibits inflammation in the nasal cavity. Drkoop.com and others say it has amino acids that help. Another doc says that it creates mucus that soothes the throat. Mmmmm...think of that the next time you're eating chicken soup. I've also heard that the starch in the noodles helps in some way.

Me? I just think it tastes really good, and really makes me feel good when I'm sick, especially on a chilly, late fall day.

Jonathan was exactly right to point out that hot chocolate season is just picking up and, of course, there is no better way to get it started than with some new ideas for making some at home. Hot Chocolate: 50 Heavenly Cups of Comfort is a book full of indulgent renditions of a favorite treat, featuring high-quality chocolates and many twists that will keep the drink interesting night after night. At the beginning of the book there is some basic information to start you off on the right track, such as an overview of the basic types of chocolate and a reminder that cocoa is, in fact, good for you - just in case you were having any second thoughts about some of the richer recipes. The drinks include regional recipes, such as Ecuadorian Heirloom Hot Chocolate, spirited recipes that include Mint Julep Hot Chocolate and Hot Chocolate Nog, and ones that are just plain delicious, like Peanut Butter Dream Hot Chocolate, Vanilla Hot Chocolate and Classic American Hot Chocolate.

Don't forget the marshmallows!

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Last week, I posted about the problems that heightened airline security measures were causing for those trying to carry wine with them on their flights. The gel packs often used to keep live lobsters cool during their travels are also a problem. To get around this, Clearwater Seafoods in Nova Scotia, Canada, has replaced their usual gel packs with bags of frozen vegetables like peas, carrots and corn, according to a recent CBC story. One Clearwater manager told the CBC that the veggies actually stay colder for longer than the gel packs.

[Via Fark]

It's 98 degrees in Brooklyn. The Weather Channel website says it "feels like" 107, but I say it "feels like" hell. If I could, I'd curl around the base of the toilet with my panting dog. But I can't, so I find more conventional, homo sapiens ways to cool off: straddling fans, sticking ice cubes in the waistband of my underwear, and visiting ice cream parlors.

I love ice cream any day of the year, but this August, the creamy delight cools like central air. Never mind that my midsection has noticeably thickened since Sunday; we're having a heat wave, and I don't care if I'm too fat to can-can. I watch the kind scoopers stack sugar cones with tears in my eyes. Even my lactose intolerance can't stop me.

What is it about ice cream anyway? It's cited as a comfort food, right up there with mashed potatoes. Ice cream socials please kids and their parents equally, and a cute date will split a cone with you from the truck outside the restaurant while you ponder how to invite them over. Wherever there is ice cream, life seems happy and positive.