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Breast milk cheese

Posted by Andrea On March - 17 - 2010

breast-milk-cheeseNew York chef and restaurateur Daniel Angerer has turned his wife’s breast milk into cheese. The Manhattan restaurant owner said that his over-stuffed home freezer and his natural cooking instincts made him think of making cheese out of mother’s milk. Angerer then posted the results on his blog: a formula for maple caramelized pumpkin encrusted cheese.

According to the Toronto Star, customers at Angerer’s restaurant Klee have been asking to try the cheese and he has prepared some amus-bouche – canapé of breast-milk cheese with figs and Hungarian pepper although he has no plans to sell it. The New York Post writes that city authorities have told the restaurant not to serve its cheese to customers, whether sold or given away.

The taste of the breast milk cheese is affected by what Angerer’s wife has had to eat: of the two batches he has made thus far, the first tasted salty-sweet and the second was slightly spicy.

The full recipe is on Angerer’s blog. Here are the ingredients:

My Spouse’s Mommy Milk Cheese Making Experiment
(basic recipe using 8 cups of any milk – yields about ½ pound cheese)

4 cups mother’s milk
1½-teaspoon yogurt (must be active cultured yogurt)
1/8-tablet rennet (buy from supermarket, usually located in pudding section)
1 teaspoon sea salt

Source: Guardian.co.uk

New research proves that the more germs a child is exposed to during early childhood, the better their immune system in later life

grubby-babyA recent study completed by researchers at the School of Medicine at the University of California found that being too clean could impair the skin’s ability to heal. The research gives gravitas to the “hygiene hypothesis”, first proposed in the 1980s, which suggests that early childhood exposure to bugs might “prime” the immune system to prevent allergies. It has been used to explain why increasing numbers of children in developed countries, where antibacterial sprays and wipes are common, suffer from allergies such as hay fever and eczema. One in three people in Britain suffer from allergies according to research conducted by the charity Allergy UK has found.

The San Diego-based team of researchers, led by Professor Richard Gallo, discovered that normal bacteria that live on the skin trigger a pathway that helps prevent inflammation when we get hurt. These bugs dampen down overactive immune responses which can cause cuts and grazes to swell or lead to rashes. Gallo claims that the common bacterial species, known as staphylococci, which can cause inflammation when under the skin, are “good bacteria” when on the surface, as they can reduce inflammation. By studying mice and human cells, researchers discovered that staphylococci reduce inflammation by making a molecule, called lipoteichoic acid (or LTA), which acted on keratinocytes, the main cell types found in the outer layer of the skin. Read the rest of this entry »

Childbirth charity launches controversial pregnancy campaign

Posted by Andrea On November - 19 - 2009

The Jentle Childbirth Foundation has launched a controversial advertising campaign featuring naked pregnant women

pregnant-women-are-beautiful With the use of images taken from photographer Joth Shakerley’s forthcoming book Pregnant Women, the campaign aims to highlight the stigmas associated with the public’s perception of pregnancy and childbirth. Jenny Smith, midwife, mother and founder of the Jentle Childbirth Foundation, says pregnancy is often turned into a process rather than a celebration of motherhood and that there is still a stigma attached to breastfeeding. Read the rest of this entry »

Premier League star seeks placenta treatment

Posted by Andrea On November - 18 - 2009

Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie is reportedly travelling to Serbia to have his injured leg treated with placental fluid

robin-van-persieThe Holland forward damaged the ligaments in his right ankle during Saturday’s friendly against Italy and is likely to be out of action for six weeks according to Arsenal FC. Van Persie has since returned to London to continue with rehabilitation but has subsequently received consent from Arsenal FC to fly to Serbia to receive alternative treatment. Aiming to recover in a month, Van Persie will meet with female doctor Marijana Kovacevic who previously treated an injury of Danko Lazovic (PSV Eindhoven midfielder). According to Van Persie, Lazovic has been vague about Kovacevic’s methods but claims that treatment involves massage using fluid from a placenta – horse placenta according to sources. Placentas are thought to contain proteins that when rubbed into the skin will reach the damaged ligaments and have a healing effect. Read the rest of this entry »

Too posh to push

Posted by Andrea On November - 13 - 2009

Experts have voiced concerns about the unchanging high average rate of 24.6% for caesarean sections across England

Pregnant bellyAccording to Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb, the current C-section rate is nearly double that recommended by the World Health Organisation. Healthcare professionals have voiced concern over the fact that the figures reveal that women are being subjected to unnecessary medical interventions. Although most caesarean sections are straightforward, the operation is major and bears the potential for serious complications for women and their babies.

NHS Information figures reveal that a third (33.3%) of babies born at London’s Chelsea and Westminster NHS trust are delivered by caesarean section, with nearly half of the caesareans planned rather than an emergency. The Sherwood Forest NHS trust in Nottingham posted the lowest caesarean rate, of 15.8%, in the country – a figure less than half that in the aforementioned London boroughs. The discrepancy emphasises a regional divide between north and south, and informs the supposition that the England’s C-section rate is determined largely by wealthy women dubbed ‘too posh to push’. Read the rest of this entry »

Gordon Brown’s plan to alter the current childcare scheme has been attacked by nine former ministers in a letter to Downing Street

childcareThe prime minister was warned that his decision to cut childcare would not stand well with hard-working parents and is likely to result in an untimely loss of support in the runup to the election. The former ministers, including Patricia Hewitt, Estelle Morris, Hilary Armstrong, Beverley Hughes and Caroline Flint, urged the government to reconsider the decision in light of the impact that removing tax relief will have on parents, employers and the childcare sector. Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping Motherhood Real

BrazenMom is a site dedicated to moms with attitude: moms who love their babies but wish to remain independent and assertive without succumbing to the momness of pastel colours, poofy carry bags, perfume ala baby powder and tracksuit pants. The site aims to keep motherhood real by providing information relevant to moms in an opinionated, satirical, entertaining and completely biased manner. Expect to laugh, cry, anger, and most importantly, VENT, without judgment. The site includes feature stories; product and clothing news, views and information; book reviews; and personal accounts relating to being a mom. It is a forum for discussion, comment and argument, and is a way to learn from the experiences of other moms who wish to share. Comments are encouraged, swearing is appreciated and guest authors are most welcome. Let's be bold. Let's be shameless. Let's be BRAZEN.

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