Talk of the Town: Forget the caffeine and try peppermint power instead

Can’t resist those fat-packed holiday goodies? There’s a seasonal treat that just might keep you from packing on the pounds this year.

Pick a candy cane from the tree and let yourself go.

According to the folks at Shape.com, a new study from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia found that adults consumed about 2,800 fewer calories per week when they were regularly exposed to peppermint.

“Smelling or eating peppermint seems to increase activity in the area of the brain responsible for alertness,” says study author Bryan Raudenbush. “So you won’t experience a slump that prompts you to seek out a snack.”

Here’s a cookie that just might combat cancer.

Two recent studies have shown that the compounds in ground ginger?, the kind used in most gingerbread recipes, help battle two major types of cancer in women.

“The spice seems to inhibit breast cancer cells from spreading,” says Woo Kyung Kim, a professor at Eulji University in South Korea.

In another study from the University of Michigan, ground ginger caused ovarian cancer cells to attack themselves and die. It’s unknown exactly how much is needed to get disease-fighting benefits, but incorporating ginger into everyday dishes, like carrots for example, is a good start.

Ginger Fresh Carrots

1 pound fresh carrots

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/16 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoon butter

Pare carrots and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place in buttered baking dish. Combine lemon juice and seasoning and sprinkle over carrots. Dot with butter. Cover and bake 30 minutes or until tender in 400 degree oven. Serves 5.

There’s always time for cookies!

Mom’s Ginger Cookies

2 cups sifted flour (unbleached preferred)

1 tablespoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter or margarine

1 egg (fresh as possible-this recipe originated on a farm)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses (dark kind is best)

Cream margarine and sugar together. Add egg and molasses. Add flour, ginger, cinnamon, soda and salt. Shape into balls and dip in bowl of sugar. Put into pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes (for chewy) or 10 minutes for crunchy.

Friends and Admirers of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra begins the season Dec. 14 with TSO’s "William Tell and Beethoven’s 7th" concert.

Ten years ago, a small group of local symphony lovers gathered together to support and promote the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in Green Valley. They knew they wanted to be a “stand alone” group and not part of a Green Valley chapter of a symphony organization. Thus began the Friends and Admirers of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, better known as FATSO.

The group starts its annual five-concert Tucson Symphony Orchestra (TSO) series Friday, Dec. 14, 8 p.m., in Tucson Music Hall with George Hanson conducting.

The program will feature Gioacchini Rossini’s Overture to ” William Tell,” Suites No. 1 and 2 from Manuel de Falla’s “Three Cornered Hat” and Ludwig van Beethoven’s “7th Symphony.”

“For five pre-selected concerts, we provide round-trip transportation from a local parking lot to the restaurant of choice, drop members off within walking distance of Tucson Music Hall, and provide refreshments on the return trip,” says Art Woodard, FATSO president.

“We take the hassle out of driving and parking on a symphony night.”

Annual dues are $25 per person. Becoming a FATSO member entitles you to attend the dinner-concerts at a price of $62 per person per event.

“In addition to the dinner-concert events, FATSO also supports the arts in our community by sponsoring the TSO Green Valley Ensemble series in four Sunday afternoon concerts at the Desert Hills Lutheran Church,” Woodard explains.

For more information, call membership directors, Bill and Jane Bryant, 530-207-2277. For more information and to download a membership application, check out the group’s Web site, www.azfatso.org. or contact Helen Symes at 393-1828 or e-mail: hfsymes@cox.net.

Area resident Anthony Bruno, formerly the Amado Community Food Bank manager and now the Community Food Bank’s government resources manager, has been awarded the Parent Aid 2007 “Teddy Award” for community leadership. He received the award Nov. 2 at a ceremony at the Arizona Inn in Tucson.

Bruno was recognized for his contributions to Tucson and the surrounding communities in the area of child welfare.

He was nominated by the Arizona Rural Human Services Network and the Community Food Bank.

Bruno served on the Sahuarita School Board for eight years and founded a mobile 4H-Club to reach kids in rural areas.

Through his work with the Community Food Bank, he has been instrumental in starting a summer meals program and negotiating with the Tohono O’Odham nation to expand the Child Nutrition Initiative to their community.

He has also been involved with Arizona Youth Soccer and Therapeutic Riding of Tucson.

The Teddy Awards were started by Parent Aid more than a decade ago to recognize outstanding community leaders for their work to better the lives of children and families. The mission of Parent Aid is to strengthen families and prevent child abuse.

Founded in 1976, the Community Food Bank provides food to almost 200,000 people annually by working with 300 agencies, schools and churches in Tucson, Ajo, Amado, Green Valley and Marana.

For more information, contact Jack Parris at (520) 622-0525 x 215 or at jparris@communityfoodbank.com.

Well done to Green Valley residents Michael Case and Gerald Near and their Siberian Husky, Razzy, 10, who placed 28th nationally in the top 83 20-inch dogs (all breeds) in the prestigious American Kennel Club Agility Invitational Dec. 1-2 in Long Beach, Calif.

“Razzy has never run better - ever!,” Case said. “Out of four runs, we had one error on the first run and that was our one and only error for the whole weekend. The other three runs were perfect.”

A clean run was worth 100 points. Out of a possible score of 400 points, Razzy finished the weekend with 380 points, coming in 28th.

“A friend who was there at the invitational who had another friend working at the scoring table found out that if we had not had that one goof, we would have been in the final televised round,” Case added. “But that’s OK with me. We got to go. We ran well together. We had fun and that’s really what it’s all about and all that matters to me. I sure was proud of our little 10-year-old Siberian Husky!”

I must dash away, dash away, dash away all—to the mall!

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740