The Wichita Eagle from Wichita, Kansas • 35

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 20 2006 THE WICHITA EAGLE SMALLM'3 What do you do with that old Capilene? Bagged spinach would he missed by this cook ne of those good-fbr-you foods turned out not III to be last week I II The news that fresh spinach contaminated Vm by coli was being blamed for at least one death and more than 100 illnesses across the country caused health officials to warn people not to eat any more until the source of die problem is found Right now suspicion centers on bagged spinach from a California grower No illnesses traced to spinach have been reported in Kansas But because the health advisory covers Capilene is the brand name for the mols-ture-widdng polyester that Patagonia uses in its dothing and a favorite base-layer fiber for people who spend a lot of time outdoors Now the company is taking it all back Not until wearers are finished with it though Patagonia has a Common Threads Recycling Program In which it accepts dean Capilene base layer dothing chopped granulated purified polymer- -ized melted and spun into new fibers to become new clothing We quite understand the whole process but we think it's IdndofcooL If you have Capilene to be recycled you can take it to a participating Patagonia dealer (Backwoods ana Mountain High in Wichita) or visit wwwpatagoniacomrecyde for more information wi-i-S-i niwi anKNNr spinach been for sale anywhere in the country since early to mid August more than a few Kansans are mentally backtracking through their menus to see if eaten fresh spinach during that period In my own case Td guess the answer is yes probably eaten more fresh spinach in die past five years of my life than in the previous 40 combined and mainly because of bagged spinach ARE YOU STUDYING OR SCANNING GENERIS? spinach was a brilliant marketing move making it Instantly accessible to cooks who might not have bothered with it otherwise (It should be noted that bagging is not sfbr An onine survey conducted for Aetna and the Financial Plsnning Association showed that moat young professionals barely glance at their health benefit plana Detals from the survey which included 700 1 8- to 24-year-old employees: 29: Percentage who said they spent more than a half-hour reviewing their benefits after en ruling in a health insurance plan 2ft Percentage who said they took 11 to 30 minutes 43: Percentage who said they took less than 11 minutes a in 13 percent of the cases no time at al ---1 On af wuninom rose SOME SERIOUS FACE TIME WHU SPIKED THE TABASCO? of your face at oryourl 'Upload a photo Web sites and see fur your- wwwjymmetwcomsyrTifacerhtni: Upload an image of yourself using SymFace and the nilty Web feature show you what you bee would look like if each side were perfectly symmetrical wwwmorphaseacom: Squish the eyea together Make the noee longer Scrunch the jaw The options are endleea The Mcttiemy Ca did -with chipotla Tasters Bred what the rchli adds to this i pepper sauce and its vinegar-mtenaive fla- growing process) The earthy vegetably taste of fresh spinach a welcome for someone who grew ith iceberg lettuce as nis frame of reference for greens (not counting gruesome canned spinach) I use it in salads of course but also in pasta and soup as a topping for bruschetta and pizza and as a filling for various dishes The irony In die current situation is of course that spinach is also considered one or those that we should make a bigger part of our diet As Eagle health writer Karen Shideler noted in an article just this month low in calories rich in caldum and vitamins and packed with antioxidants that help protect against cataract The warning against eating any fresh spinach is one of die most comprehensive for a food that I can recall That stems from the fact dial so much of the production is centered on one company Natural Selection Foods It makes me wonder whether sales of fresh spinach will recover when declared safe to eat again In own case have no hesitation in buying it tot to sound Pollyannaish but I consider our nation's food supply system and die system in place to safeguard one of the wonders of the modem world It's a function of just how well that system works that we naturally assume die food we buy is safe and it becomes big news on those occasions when not wr We tried it on flautaa but itwihavelotaofKfein marinades and sauces as wel as in myriad foods Women can upload an image of their face and then try (Efferent hairstyles oojors makeup and accessories Give yourself a virtual makeover without the fuse mess and expense MoCMchy Newspapers Chicago Tribune COMPItEOBBYltAGtEBSTAfF COMING TO WICHITALK i -v -1 WHMBDAY Reach Joe Stumps at 31 6-269-6752 or tstumpaOwtchltaesgteicoiTi '41 THURSDAY fer i tt Sy Classic oocktaib: How to make 'em and shake 'em Local woman seeks to win bip in nationwide recipe contests.