By ANN STILLWATER Columnist ARS29I@PSU.EDU Spring has sprung! Fruits and vegetables are starting to come back into season. Eating at least five servings a day has been shown to increase health and decrease disease. Eatingavarietyoffruitsandvegetables provides different micronutrients called phytochemicals. Only a small percentage of known phytochemicals have been studied. Phytochemicals are powerful anti-cancer agents, each working in a unique way to prevent or stop cell mutation. In other words, the more types of fruits and vegetables eaten, the more ways the body has of staying healthy. Unfortunately, many fruits and vegetables are grown with chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Most students do not prioritize the extra financial burden of purchasing organic. Sometimes organic produce is a similar price to conventionally grown, especially if on sale. The 5- pound bag of organic carrots is often the same or a similar price to non organic. There are ways to decrease the chemical residue on non-organic produce. Produce departments often have special washes to use on produce, but there is a less expensive technique to accomplish the same ends. About a decade ago, the magazine Consumer Reports published that by washing the produce in slightly soapy water, 75-90% of chemical residues were removed from the skin of produce. More recent research, however suggests that the dish detergent is absorbed by the produce. Vinegar or lemon juice has also been shown to be more effective than plain water. Never use bleach to cleanse produce. Vinegar is the least expensive. Use half vinegar and half water in a large pot or dishpan. Soak the produce for about 5-15 minutes for maximum’ effectiveness. A colander or strainer can be placed in the container to make it easier to soak and rinse. Higher pesticide produce, such as strawberries, green peppers, and (2) Information booklet available at the Fait® Questions? Contact Career Services, W 117,948-6260 or cmntl@nsn.edu foreign-grown grapes have more residues to remove and a high surface area, so should be soaked the full 15 minutes. Be sure to rinse all produce well with clean water before eating. Mushrooms absorb water so should only be rinsed quickly with plain water, not soaked. Apples, other fruits, and cucumbers often have a waxy coating to protect them. When washed, they may have a white residue on them. This wax is food grade and safe to eat. While it keeps the produce crisp longer, some folks prefer to buy non- waxed produce. Some folks wash their produce after shopping before putting it in the fridge. Then it is ready for use when needed, without the extra step of washing then. Some people even cut up vegetables after washing and store in an airtight container so that they can ‘grab ‘n go” or “grab ‘n cook” more easily. By taking a few extra minutes ahead of time, produce can be healthier and easier to use. Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables have almost as much nutrition as fresh. Since local fruit will not be in season for at least a month or so, focus on increasing canned and frozen fruits while waiting for the delicious fresh berry flavor. Save the washing procedure above for fresh fruits. In the next issue, the focus will be on vegetables. Below are fruity recipes with spring like colors, and the health benefits of at least some fruits. The more sugary ingredients in the recipe, the less healthy it will be. Watergate Salad is so pretty and delicious that it is included, despite the preponderance of sugar! Watergate Salad from Jeanette Christofic 15 oz can undrained pineapple 1 small box pistachio pudding mix 8-9 oz. cool whip 12 oz bag of mini marshmallows Mix dry pudding and pineapple. Fold in' cobl Whip and marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate till serving time. Pineapple Jello Salad from Sue Croumer 15 oz. can drained crushed (illlleet recruiters from various departments and agencies of state government (filearn about full-time and internship opportunities (fiCMI Service and non-Civil Service positions wS /but, T Thursday, march 29,2997 llam-3pm Special Events Room pineapple Small box Jell-O, any flavor 8-9 oz cool whip 16 oz. cottage cheese Mix dry Jell-o, pineapple and cottage cheese. Fold in cool whip. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Pick a Jell-o color to match the event if possible, such as lime on St. Patrick’s Day, or cherry to match or contrast with serving dishes. Fruit Smoothie Assorted frozen, canned, or fresh fruits such as Blueberries, Raspberries, Peaches, Pears, Fruit cocktail Optional ingredients: Plain or flavored yogurt, Frozen yogurt or ice cream, Milk, Sugar or honey Mix and match the ingredients depending on what you have and your individual preferences. Blend ingredients until smooth, starting with milk and fruits you wish to be more liquefied. Gradually add fruits that you wish to have in larger chunks. Taste test towards the end and add sugar or honey only if needed. Serve immediately or freeze for a sorbet-like treat on a hot day. Fruit dip from Linda Eban 8 oz. container of any flavor of : yogurt | 8 oz. block of cream cheese (lower I fat Neufchatel cheese works fine) Soften cream cheese for several hours at room temperature. Mix softened cream cheese and yogurt. Add spices or sugar to taste, if j desired. Serve with apple slices or other fresh fruits. Other ways to use fruits Add chopped apples or frozen berries to pancakes. A few bits can be place on each pancake immediately after it is poured onto the griddle, or fruit can be stirred into batter. Serve apple or banana slices with peanut butter. Mash peanut butter and bananas together for a spread on toast or crackers. Freeze grapes for a delicious sensation on a warm Spring day. Carry fruit for a snack, instead of stopping at the vending machines —your wallet and health will appreciate it! tate Government (off the Food Court] Penn State Harrisburg will host the 9th Annual Conference of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Na tional Association for Multicultural Education on March 30 and 31. The conference is free to Penn State Har risburg faculty, staff, and students. Contact Continuing Education at 948-6505 or e-mail kskl@psu. edu. Read about the conference at http://www.hbg.psu.edu/news/mul tiEd2oo7.html. Dr. George E. Stev ens, Dean of the College of Business Administra tion at Kent State University, will discuss “Achieving Excellence as an Underrepresented Faculty in Aca demia” Thursday, March 29 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Gallery Lounge. For information, contact cqms@psu.edu. The Learning Center is recruiting Strawberries, The Alpha Sigma Lambda Adult Education Foundation announces applications are available for its $ 1,200 national scholarships for 2007-2008. Applicants must be cur rent students age 24 or older work ing toward undergraduate degrees, have already completed at least 30 credits prior to the current semes ter, and have a GPA of at least 3.2. Students do not have to be members of the campus ASL chapter to apply. Applications and further informa tion are available on the ASL web site at: www.alphasigmalambda. org or from the Student Assistance Center, W-117 Olmsted. Deadline for submission of all information is Monday, April 16 in the Student As sistance Center. Contact Charlotte Spector, 948-6260 or cspector@psu. edu. The Learning Center offers online scheduling for any writing or math course up to and including Calculus 11. Reserve a time at https://www. richls.com/psuh. For other courses: Job Fair C