Target Pulls Valentine’s Toys Over Lead Concerns

OAKLAND, Calif.
Target Corp. is pulling its Valentine’s Day “Message Bears” from store shelves after California’s attorney general raised concerns that the toys have illegal levels of lead.

The announcement Tuesday comes after a letter sent by Attorney General Jerry Brown said that testing revealed lead levels that violate federal law.

Target spokeswoman Beth Hanson says the Minneapolis-based company will pull the bears, which were made in China, from store shelves while it investigates.

Hanson says Target’s initial investigation indicated the bears “had compliant testing results” when the toys shipped.

The products were identified as a pink stuffed bear with “XOXO” across its chest and a brown stuffed bear with “I Love
U” across its chest, with the word “love” represented by a heart.

Brown’s letter says an investigator for a nonprofit watchdog group bought the toys at stores in California.

For additional information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com—Where Accuracy Matters.

Cribs recalled after 3 deaths-from Yahoo News

By NATASHA T. METZLER, Associated Press Writer Natasha T. Metzler, Associated Press Writer – Tue Feb 9, 3:17 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Government safety officials Tuesday announced a recall of more than 500,000 drop-side cribs sold at Buy Buy Baby, Kmart, Wal-Mart and other stores after the death of three infants.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says plastic hardware on Generation 2 Worldwide and ChildESIGNS cribs can break and allow the drop side to detach. In addition, the mattress supports can break away from the crib frames. Both defects create gaps where a small child can be trapped and suffocate or strangle.

The agency has received three reports of children who died after getting trapped in gaps between the drop sides of their cribs and their mattresses.

An 8-month-old boy from Newark, Ohio, suffocated in July 2007 after the drop side of his crib detached due to a broken stop tab on the lower track. An 8-month-old boy from Richmond, Ind., suffocated in October 2003 after broken hardware allowed the drop side to detach from his crib's headboard in one corner. A 6-month-old boy from Staunton, Va., suffocated in September 2002 after two missing screws allowed the lower drop side track of his crib to pull away from the headboard post.

Consumer advocates have complained for years about the problems associated with drop side cribs.

ASTM International, an organization that sets voluntary industry safety standards for everything from toys to the steel used in commercial buildings, approved a new standard last November that requires four immovable sides for full-size cribs. The industry groups refusal to certify drop-side cribs is a big step toward eliminating the manufacture of new cribs in this style.

The CPSC has received 20 other reports of incidents involving detached drop sides and eight reports of incidents involving detached mattress supports.

The cribs were made by Generation 2 Worldwide, which went out of business in 2005. The CPSC believes that more than 500,000 cribs were sold. They were available nationwide at furniture and other stores, including Buy Buy Baby, Kmart, Wal-Mart.

Crib owners should contact the place of purchase for information on remedies including refunds, replacements and store credit. CPSC says owners should contact the agency if they have difficulty getting a remedy.

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Website with Abundant Amount of Bean Recipes

Sometimes I come across a few websites that have abundant recipes for great bean, rice, and other healthy food stuffs...but none So IMPRESSIVE as these two. I will be featuring a couple of the recipes I found today, in my Cooking with Beans and Rice class on Saturday February 27th from 10-12 noon at the Gateway Bldg. Relief Society room. But I would encourage you to explore the recipes on these sites and get excited about some new and healthy cooking ideas!

Here they are:
For the food network, punch in search term, bean recipes.
www.foodnetwork. com/food/ cda/recipe and http://cheaphealthy good.blogspot. com/2008/ 01/italian- white-bean- and-spinach- soup.html and while you are there, click on the recipes button and there you will find a whole host of other ideas you may like! ~Lori

SNOWMAN SOUP by Jennie D.

SNOWMAN SOUP makes 1 cup

2-3 tablespoons instant hot chocolate mix
1 tablespoon chocolate chips
2 large marshmallows (or lots of little ones)
1 tablespoon crushed candy cane (or cinnamon red hots, butterscotch or
other hard candy)

Combine all ingredients in a mug. Add one cup hot water. Stir until
chocolate chips are melted.

Great after sledding since you did all that walking back up the hill!
Serve with peanut butter toast or a muffin.

Snow Day, Now What???!!!!???

Snow days can be magical, but also pose the threat of power outages,
heart attacks and close encounters with snowplows, mailboxes and ditches!


What is the first thing you do when your children (or you) have a snow
day? Besides big plans for a neighborhood snowball tournament, making
snowmen and sipping hot chocolate--- take a minute to:

Throw something yummy like a roast or chicken breasts in the crockpot, or
a meatloaf or casserole in the oven or a big pot of soup or stew on the
stovetop now! If you lose power you'll still have some warm food for the
energy you'll need to dig out, bail out, help out or hunker down!
If you don't lose power, then dinner for today and tomorrow are already
made!

Check all your flashlights. Know where they are and if they work.

Put a shovel, blanket, jumper cables, boots/sturdy shoes & socks and
other recommended winter car kit items in your vehicle if you plan to
travel. Take your cell phone. Let a family member know your destination,
route and what time you expect to arrive or return.

Shovel two or three times. Don't wait until the snow stops to get
started with the shoveling. It is healthier on your heart to shovel two
inches of snow twice than four inches once if you are out of shape, older
or have heart problems. (Everyone is running out of places to stack the
snow, but remember it is illegal to throw it back into the streets or to
block the public sidewalks.)

Now that you're better prepared---get that pot of hot chocolate simmering
and go check the snow to see if it is snowman snow! If not, bundle up
anyway and check on your neighbors. Make a few snow angels with the
earth angels in your life! Taste snowflakes! Take pictures to send to the
warm weather relatives in California, Arizona, Hawaii or Florida! Don't
think about global warming; at least for today! Wash your face with snow
(or someone else's!) Look for and try to identify animal tracks in the
snow!

Today I see the glass as half full;with hot chocolate! Enjoy the day!

SNOWMAN SOUP makes 1 cup

2-3 tablespoons instant hot chocolate mix
1 tablespoon chocolate chips
2 large marshmallows (or lots of little ones)
1 tablespoon crushed candy cane (or cinnamon red hots, butterscotch or
other hard candy)

Combine all ingredients in a mug. Add one cup hot water. Stir until
chocolate chips are melted.

Great after sledding since you did all that walking back up the hill!
Serve with peanut butter toast or a muffin.