My Experience with Pistachios & Salmonella

Reuters June 23, 2009 FDA: Salmonella risk seen in California Pistachio brands ........

Last week, I had a morning appointment with my new doctor, who is wonderful by the way. Afterwards I headed over to our local Walgreens to fill my new prescriptions. While I was waiting, I filled up my basket with a few bathroom articles, and a bag of pistachios. Actually, I picked them up because I was thinking about Grampy Bigelow. He loved the red shelled pistachios. I picked up a bag of fire roasted Deerfield Farms California naturally opened pistachios with the Walgreens quality guaranteed symbol. Best of all they were two 10 oz. bags for $7. I only bought one bag.

It was just before dinner when I opened the bag and started to shell the pistachios popping them one by one in my mouth. Later that evening, I started feeling queasy. I mentally took an inventory of what I had for dinner and couldn't think of anything unusual I'd eaten. Perhaps it was my new medication. The doctor did say it might make me feel dizzy or drowsy, that's why I had just taken it before bedtime. Before I knew it I was sweating and feeling chills, vomiting, and not myself. I went to bed hoping I'd feel better in the morning.

Next morning, I still had queasiness but instead of vomiting, I had severe cramping followed by spastic bowels. This went on for seven days. I ate very little, but drank lots of water. What little I did eat, made me feel nauseous and immediately was purged by my body. I thought I had a stomach or intestinal virus. I took only one day off of work, hoping that each day would get better. I didn't until the last two days, even then......I was hungry, but when in front of the meal my stomach did flip flops.

Finally, knowing that I had a follow-up appointment with my doctor, I asked her about my symptoms. After we discussed my meal, the medications, etc. on the day at Walgreens she heard me say pistachios.

"Ahhhhh! The culprit" she said. Since, I was back to my regular appetite and free from my symptoms I didn't need to worry. However, she told me about the pistachio recall and salmonella poisoning and was very lucky it hadn't progressed since my immune system is compromised by Diabetes.

Salmonella poison symptoms start 6 to 72 hours after exposure and can include:

Watery diarrhea
Fever
Cramping abdominal pain
Nausea
Vomiting
Chills
Headache

These symptoms usually last about four to seven days and often go away without treatment. Some children, younger infants and toddlers, and those with compromised immune symptoms may develop more severe, life-threatening symptoms and may need to be hospitalized.

Little Italy in Delaware? Mrs. Robino's Restaurant

When I was 18 years old Jim took me to Mrs. Robino's Restaurant on Union Street in Wilmington, Delaware. It is located in the heart of Little Italy. It was my first real genuine Italian meal and restaurant. It was his families tradition to dine here since it's opening. Matthew tasted his first clams here. I love the traditional paper placemats that have the "old time" classic cocktails listed (stinger, manhattan, creme de menthe frape). Best of all, I still remember trying wedding soup for the first time! To this day, Jim still loyally orders the wedding soup followed by linguine with red clam sauce and two meatballs! Isn't it great when some things never change.

A family tradition since 1940s, this truly authentic Italian restaurant is located in the heart of Wilmington’s Little Italy. Mrs. Tresilla Robino not only looked after her husband and family but also cooked for many husbands and fathers who were on there own in America waiting for the rest of their families to immigrate. Tresilla always had company at her house at dinner time. Someone suggested she open a restaurant and it was then that Mrs. Robino’s was established. At 1903 Howland Street with only a few tables set up in her basement, lines of people started to form out her front door! When her home on Howland Street became to small to meet the demands of the business she and her husband bought 520 North Union Street where the restaurant is located today. Her family moved upstairs and the business was set up downstairs. Looking around the room, you will see many of the same features from 1940s.

When Mrs. Tresilla Robino passed away in 1967 the restaurant was taken over by her daughter Josephine (Pina) Robino Minuti and her grandson Joseph F. Minuti. Josephine and Joseph worked hard to expand the business and over the past 30 years bought the properties where Mrs. Robino’s Restaurant sits today.

When you enter the restaurant, there is a wall completely covered with photos of family, friends, famous entertainers, and patrons that are always happy to come for a delicious plate of homemade pasta, friendly service, and always good hearty meal!

Delaware All-State Theatre at the DuPont Theatre

A new tradition for Matthew, Jim and I, including our friends Walter and Joanne Moore is seeing a Broadway musical performed by local students Dupont Theatre. Before going, we enjoy a dinner at Mrs. Robino's on Union Street in Wilmington. More on Mrs. Rubino's in my next blog. .....

Last year, the students did Les Miserables. It was the first year they held tryouts for high school students. This year, the theatre group accepted a Smyrna High School performer. Both Jim and I had a student we worked with previously. He worked with her in his summer theatre program and I, in Once Upon a Mattress at the high school.

The Delaware All-State Theatre was created to give elementary, middle, and high school theatre "geeks" the unique opportunity work on a large-scale musical production in partnership with the world famous DuPont Theatre. Full-time students (up to age 19) from across Delaware and the immediate surrounding area are eligible to participate either as a performer or behind the scenes in a technical capacity. They got the chance to work with industry professionals from the Director down to the Props Mistress.

Six performances were presented of this beloved Broadway musical performed entirely by students. From the first notes to the final breath, WEST SIDE STORY was performed with every bit of energy as seeing it on Broadway. In fact on many occassions during the performance, we all agreed we simply forgot that they were high school students.

As I grow older, I appreciate the young adults even more as I watch them dream and perform with passion. To truly see them at their best, doing what they love to do is truly a blessing for me. They inspire me!

Relief Society Event-Nemours Mansion & Gardens

This past cool, rainy, cloudy, Saturday, June 20th, about 30 sisters from the LDS Relief Society Smyrna Ward carpooled up to Wilmington to see Nemours Mansion & Gardens. We first stopped at the visitors center where we viewed a film about the life of Alfred Irenee duPont. Also a wonderful timeline of history including his families births and deaths was stationed along the glass walls which allowed the viewer to enjoy the natural surrounding woodlands. We were wisked away by a tour bus to the estate. Inside the three floors of the estate were so many beautiful and exquisite art works, antiquities, and amazing views of the property. You really see what it was like to live on a grand scale at the beginning of the 20th century, including the estate's billiard room and bowling alley, and necessities like the ice-making and bottling rooms. The tour took about 2 hours and also included a bus tour of the amazing 300 acres of formal landscaped gardens, and 800,000 gallon reflecting pool and fountain.

Nemours, the former 300 acre estate of Alfred I. du Pont, is named after the du Pont ancestral home in north central France.The Mansion is an excellent example of modified Louis XVI French château. It was designed by Carrere and Hastings of New York City and was built between 1909 and 1910 by Smyth and Son of Wilmington, Delaware. The mansion has 102 rooms and is furnished, as you would expect, with fine period antiques, rare oriental rugs, tapestries and paintings dating back as far as the 15th century.The gardens, their design influenced by Mr. duPont's many trips to Europe, are beautifully landscaped and include a working carillon tower, natural woodlands and extensive formal French gardens.

After the amazing day of culture, we gathered our troops and headed back to our church. We had a nice light luncheon complete with salad, sandwiches, and fruit. It was a day of fellowship and friendship that I will cherish.