7th Gen Blog

Strawberries seem to light up any table. They were heralded as a symbol of wealth and well-being during the medieval ages, making them extremely popular. French nobility were known to bathe in strawberries, and the fruit is still used today to soothe certain skin ailments. The Seneca Indians associated the sweet red treat with spring and rebirth as it was the first fruit of the season.

Last week, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works stood up for protecting public health and making chemicals kid-safe by passing the Safe Chemicals Act out of committee -- an important first step in fixing our nation's broken chemical policy.

Watermelon is a fruit that absolutely defines the summer. Every picnic, barbecue, or garden party seems to offer up the brightly colored juicy melon. And while it always feels so new and fresh, this member of the cucurbitaceae family has been with us a long time. It is reputed to have been cultivated more than 4,000 years ago by the ancient Egyptians, and there are even reports of its seeds being found in the tomb of King Tut. From Africa, it made its way to the Mediterranean, then on to India and China, leading to China’s now being the world’s greatest producer of watermelon.

In a recent article, Anne-Marie Slaughter, the first woman Director of Policy Planning at the State Department in the Obama administration, argues that it's time we stopped fooling ourselves that women who have managed to be both mothers and top professional are superhuman, rich or self-employed.