Zucchini for Days: What To Do When You’ve Got a Ton of Zucchini

What can you do when you have too much zucchini? A whole lot, it turns out!
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So. I have a teeny problem. Well, okay… a great big problem. You see, this year, I started my first in-earnest gardening season. I have three raised beds, and I’ve filled them all with what I hope will be delicious homegrown fruits and veggies. I’ve got beets, chard, onion, beans, peas, strawberries, raspberries, artichokes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, blueberries… and WAY TOO MUCH ZUCCHINI!

You see, when I first moved in to my new place, I saw an adorable little broad-leafed seedling poking up amongst the weeds in the raised beds. One I pulled everything else out, I took (what I thought was) a close look at the little guy. Then, I went to the store and looked for a similar plant to see if I could figure out what it was. The answer, or so I thought: cucumber. I even found an old cucumber plant care tag in the soil.

“Perfect,” I thought. “I love cucumber! You know what else I love? Zucchini. Oh, look, I’ll buy this adorable zucchini plant to go with my cucumbers!” So I did. I planted the zucchini I bought and started caring in earnest for the rogue cucumber plant in the garden. Pretty soon, a second plant popped up. “Yay!” I thought. “More cucumbers! I’ll learn how to make pickles!”

This is where my problems started. You see, I had no idea how quickly both cucumber and zucchini plants go from tiny and adorable to taking up your entire garden. Lacking foresight, I planted lots of other things near the plants. When it became obvious the three large plants were too close to each other, I moved the zucchini over to the other bed. “Phew,” I thought. “Crisis averted!”

Then the blossoms started. They are so bright, enormous, and stunning when they bloom in the morning. But something wasn’t quite right. The cucumber plant was getting way bigger than it should have, and the cucumbers were looking rather large… and zucchini-like. Too zucchini-like.

And now you’ve guessed it – the “cucumber” plants are not cucumbers at all. They are also zucchini plants. And the problem with zucchini, besides how much space they take up? It’s how much zucchini just one plant will produce (especially in fertile soil). I’ve got at least 15 blossoms on each of the plants, and more pop up every day. That’s a heck of a lot of zucchini for three people to eat.

So, now I’ve been on the lookout for ideas on what to do with zucchini. Of course, I plan to freeze some, as well as give a lot of it to neighbors and coworkers—but I’m sure we’ll still have a ton of it all summer long.

Here are some of my favorite ideas for using up excess zucchini – just in case any of you have my same problem or just happen to love zucchini!

• Blueberry Zucchini Muffins:
• http://cookingalamel.com/2012/09/blueberry-zucchini-muffins.html
• Spicy Zucchini Frittata:
• http://www.wholeliving.com/180971/spicy-zucchini-frittata
• Zucchini Summer Skillet:
• http://www.howsweeteats.com/2013/07/zucchini-summer-skillet-with-poached-eggs-garlic-brown-butter-baguettes/
• Zucchini Cornbread:
• http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/zucchini-cornbread
• Zucchini Pizza Bites (this also works with eggplant!):
• http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/07/zucchini-pizza-bites.html
• Ratatouille (I’ve always wanted to try this):
• http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/07/rat-a-too-ee-for-you-ee/
• Zucchini Lasagna:
• http://www.chow.com/recipes/30280-noodleless-zucchini-lasagna

Did you know you can also make some pretty rad desserts from zucchini? Check out these magnificent sounding zucchini desserts:

• Pineapple Zucchini Cake:
• http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/pineapple-zucchini-sheet-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/
• Zucchini Brownies:
• http://carpeseason.com/zucchini-brownies/
• Zucchini Bread:
• Regular: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-zucchini-bread-157748
• Double Chocolate: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-double-chocolate-zucchini-bread-recipes-from-the-kitchn-206460

Not seeing something you love? Check out some more options for zucchini at The Kitchn, one of my all-time favorite resources for recipes!

The New York Genome Center Uses DNA Research to Develop Personalized Cancer Treatments

NYGC is at the forefront of research into the human genome, or the complete set of nucleic acid sequence encoded as DNA.
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The New York Genome Center (NYGC) is at the forefront of research into the human genome. Leaders in technology, science, and medicine form this consortium. Their goal is to combine genomic data and industrial innovation into treatments for people suffering from serious disease. Business leaders like NYGC Board of Directors member William Ford, CEO of General Atlantic, provide the insight and experience required to discover, build, and maintain productive partnerships.

Each human cell contains our genome. Composed of DNA, the genome contains instructions for making our bodies. Strands of DNA form chromosomes, found in the nucleus of each cell. Our genes are sections of DNA within our chromosomes and control traits like eye color and height. The human genome is made of 3.2 billion bases of DNA. Enough data to fill a stack of paperback books reaching 200 feet high.

Vast amount of scientific research into cancer is being conducted and published each year. “The real challenge before us is how to make sense of massive quantities of genetic data and translate that information into better treatments for patients,” said Robert Darnell, M.D., Ph.D., CEO, President and Scientific Director of the NYGC.

Traditionally an oncologist searching for a DNA-based treatment for a patient’s specific type of cancer would have to invest crushing amounts of time and money coordinating reams of data to find the right treatment. Luckily the clouds have parted and there is hope on the horizon. That hope is based on the cloud computing capacity of IBM Watson working in partnership with the NYGC’s data. “Applying the cognitive computing power of Watson is going to revolutionize genomics and accelerate the opportunity to improve outcomes for patients with deadly diseases by providing personalized treatment.”

The Human Genome Project (HGP) completed the mapping of the human genome n 2001. This data provides detailed information about the structure and organization of a complete set of human genes. "It's a shop manual, with an incredibly detailed blueprint for building every human cell. And it's a transformative textbook of medicine, with insights that will give health care providers immense new powers to treat, prevent and cure disease," said Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute.

For more information about the New York Genome Center and the innovative work it does, visit www.nygenome.org.

What She Learned from Being Sober for 2 Months

How would your life change if you stopped drinking?
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Today’s blog post is a guest entry from a friend. Earlier this year, this friend of mine did something a bit unusual for someone in their early- to mid-twenties: she intentionally gave up alcohol. This friend is someone who lives in a city with a vibrant nightlife, where going out and socializing with friends without involving alcohol seemed impossible.

Here’s what she had to say about her experience:

The older I get the more I realize there is more to life than just binge-drinking with random people and Sunday hangovers. So, I decided to give my body a break for two months and here is what I learned from my temporary sobriety.

1.     I learned how to go out and not always have a drink in hand. It’s okay to be “that girl” who sips on water with lemon, and I promise it’s not as difficult as it seems. Plus, you get to see how alcohol slowly begins to affect others. Words start slurring, people became more outgoing. You don’t notice these things when you are going through the same transition as everyone else.

2.     You learn how to socialize away from the bar. While being at a bar isn’t terrible, it shouldn’t have to be your first place for socializing. Yoga and coffee with friends became my favorite new socializing activities, and neither of them were a great leap from activities I already enjoy. You begin to remember what life is like without late nights and drunken conversations that don’t really mean much.

3.     No more drunk texting! You never will wake up and look at your phone only to discover how many apologies you’d have to make to all the exes and friends you called before bed.

4.     I realized that alcohol has the power to make me a negative, angry person. When I would drink, I relied on things like superficial gossip as my way of socializing. But when I didn’t have booze on the table, I wanted to discuss my goals, dreams and my friends’ futures.

5.     You learn how to have just a few drinks and then stop. You suddenly appreciate alcohol again and realize it no longer needs to be a lifestyle. I enjoy now having a drink or two with a friend, being in bed before midnight and enjoying all the time I now have in the next day – and I get to leave the hangover out of it.

Have you ever cut alcohol out of your social life? What did you take away from your own experience?

Why I’m Still Struggling To Love My Body

Self-love is hard when self-hate is the norm.

I’ve been trying harder than ever these past few years to really love my body. And though I think I’m in a pretty good place right now, I still catch myself internally criticizing because I still don’t have a flat belly, nonexistent “muffin tops,” or a smaller chest.

I found myself puzzled time and again at how I could still be having toxic thoughts like that after all this time of positive thinking and research into nutrition and holistic health.

I thought back to try and pinpoint where these negative patterns of behavior might have started – and that’s when I realized that I’ve always had them. They were engendered in me from the moment I started comprehending language. These patterns of thought and behavior have been exemplified in nearly every aspect of my life—by my mother, sister, friends, exes, coworkers, celebrities, and people I have never even met.

If you asked me to, I probably couldn’t point to an example of a time when my mother didn’t think she was fat. I remember her gazing dreamily up at a photo taken when she was about 25 years old and in prime shape. Tall, thin, long-legged, and after her first child but before the next two. It was her “goal” picture. And though she has never met that goal, I have a feeling that even if she did, she’d still find something about herself to dislike.

I don’t really blame her; it’s hard not to pick apart your body when the beauty standards society throws in front of us have been made impossible by the magic of programs like Photoshop and the fact that most of our job descriptions don’t include hours a day at the gym or a personal nutritionist. We expect perfection of ourselves and others, but that’s an impossible goal.

Now more than ever, I notice my mother doing the same thing she’s always done every time I go home to visit. We’ll be chatting about something, and she’ll casually bring up how fat she feels, and how she needs to lose weight. It’s the same conversation we’ve had for years, no matter what type of shape my mother was in.

But now, my 6-year-old niece is there, listening quietly to the adults talk. Learning that tearing yourself down for being even a little bit imperfect is something that you’re supposed to do. It tears my heart in two

It’s not just at home, though. I experience this everywhere I go. Visiting friends, at work, and even while commuting, I hear women and men talk about how they need to lose weight, how they are on a new diet or cleanse, how they had a “bad” food day, or how if they just had so-and-so’s hair or waistline or eyes, they’d be so much happier with themselves. And if it’s not people talking about themselves, it’s people talking about others.

It’s insidious. It’s toxic. And it needs to stop.

How are we supposed to learn to love ourselves if everywhere we turn, the example is self-hate?

Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing Slow to Catch on in German

NIPT analyzes fetal DNA to screen for genetic disorders like Down syndrome.
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In my last post, I explored some of the most common fertility myths out there. I'm going to be continuing on that chain of thought today by discussing non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), which analyzes fetal DNA in order to screen for some of the most common genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome. It can be used for any pregnancy, but is most useful for pregnancies in women above the age of 35. NIPT test results are not 100% guaranteed, but they are highly accurate.

Despite its non-invasive nature and high level of accuracy, however, NIPT hasn’t quite caught on in some countries. For example, Germany has been slow to embrace the idea; however, diagnostic labs are beginning to push the idea more frequently as technology improves and the potential need grows. In 2012, for instance, there were almost 675,000 births in Germany, many of which were of “above average risk.”

Companies such as Amedes, whose board includes prominent members like Rene Kern, and LifeCodexx, run by chairman and co-founder Peter Pohl, are moving forward with options based on the latest technological advancements, making them safer and easier to use than ever before.

NIPT is primarily used to test high-risk pregnancies that might develop any of the common fetal trisomy disorders (Down syndrome, trisomy 18, and trisomy 13) during the first and second trimesters.  The test has to be completed early on by an experienced ultrasound examiner.  Unlike previously used tests, NIPT is, as its name implies, noninvasive. It also doesn’t run the risk of miscarriage, since it only involves taking a small blood sample from the mother.

NIPT must be done within 11 weeks of gestational age.  The currently approved indications are advanced maternal age (35 or over at the time of delivery), positive results on other prenatal screenings, fetal abnormalities in the ultrasound, or a previous pregnancy with chromosomal abnormality.  The tests available right now in Germany are LifeCodexx’s PrenaTest and Amedes’s Panorma Test.

So why hasn’t NIPT taken Germany by storm?  The difficulty lies in the emotional and psychological issues surrounding the testing.  The results could potentially lead parents to decide to terminate a pregnancy, depending on the level of genetic abnormality.  Consequently, a significant amount of psychological counseling is required before parents decide to move forward with the test.

On the other hand, NIPT offers the parents a chance to get the support and information they need to deal with a possibly challenging birthing process.  And with advances in technology, the whole process is far less invasive than it has been in the past.