Amanda Dyson Asheville's Schools

• University of North Carolina at Asheville Bachelors in Biology

Amanda Dyson Asheville's Publications

• The Santa Pal Project, Amanda Dyson Asheville February, 2011 by Amanda Dyson Asheville Together with my husband, I donate to the Santa Pal project, a charitable initiative that provides toys to families in need during the Christmas season. Established in 1936 in Asheville, North Carolina, the Santa Pal project aimed to bring happiness to underprivileged children whose parents lacked the means to make Christmas “the most wonderful time of the year.” Continuing its mission today, the Santa Pal project remains committed to bringing joy to boys and girls in Asheville and the surrounding areas, utilizing the gifts and financial assistance provided by donors to strengthen communities one family at a time. For families struggling to make ends meet, Christmas often brings stress and worry, a situation that the Santa Pal project aims to change. Devoted to maintaining the joyful, celebratory spirit of the holiday season in every way possible, the Santa Pal project currently collaborates with Eblen Kimmel Charities, a non-profit organization whose outreach efforts touch the lives of thousands of families in North Carolina. In partnership with the Santa Pal project, Eblen Kimmel Charities utilizes its resources to ensure that those in need obtain access to proper healthcare when a medical issue or emergency arises. Maintaining a firm belief that every family deserves a merry Christmas filled with laughter, smiles, and love, the Santa Pal project and Eblen Kimmel Charities continually strive to expand their organizational capabilities, a goal that can only be accomplished with the generosity of people like you and me. The current economic downturn has taken its toll on far too many families. In 2009, the Santa Pal Project gave new toys to more than 3,000 children; a number the organization hopes to increase as the years pass. With an approximate fundraising goal of $50,000 each season, the Santa Pal project and its sponsor, the Optimist Club of Asheville, North Carolina, accept donations via mail. To contribute to this worthy cause, mail your gift to: Santa Pal P.O. Box 1912 Asheville, N.C., 28802 To learn more about the Santa Pal project and its affiliates, visit www.santapal.org.

• Asheville, North Carolina, Amanda Dyson February, 2011 by Amanda Dyson Asheville The largest city in Western North Carolina, Asheville boasts a growing population of more than 76,000 residents. The seat of Buncombe County, the city takes its name from former North Carolina Governor Samuel Ashe. Colonel Samuel Davidson first settled the mountainous area in 1784, and Asheville earned incorporation in the following decade. The Civil War initially had little impact on the town’s expansion, but pillaging after the war created a period of economic hardship and slow rebuilding. A line of the Western North Carolina Railroad began operating through the city in 1880, commencing a period of industrial growth and establishing Asheville as a manufacturing center. Residents of Asheville prospered in the early 20th century, but the Great Depression hit the area extremely hard. The city required five decades to pull itself out of debt. As a result, most buildings around the town remained untouched during this period, and Asheville currently holds renown for its high concentration of Art Deco-style structures. Today, Asheville serves as one of North Carolina’s centers for the arts and comprises a progressive, liberal population. The town has garnered attention for its high energy, strong culture, and welcoming atmosphere. In 2007, travel guide Frommer’s North America ranked Asheville one of the top-7 places to live and top-12 places to visit in the United States. Asheville hosts multiple large, seasonal music festivals for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike, and many venues provide nightly live-entertainment events. Several prominent local musicians have transformed Asheville into a center for bluegrass and folk music. The Asheville Community Theatre, the North Carolina Stage Company, Asheville Vaudeville, the Asheville Arts Center, and the Asheville Lyric Opera all call the city home. Sports enthusiasts regularly travel to Asheville for its whitewater recreational areas, which are some of the best in the Eastern United States. Whitewater kayaking is particularly popular due to the proximity of many key kayak manufacturers.

• Encouraging Children to Try New Foods, Amanda Dyson March, 2011 by Amanda Dyson Asheville North Carolina Anything new might seem frightening to young children, but new foods may seem especially intimidating. After all, they like their normal foods; what if they do not enjoy something new? To introduce your children to fresh tastes and textures, try the following tips. Keep in mind that these tips work just as well for adults, too. 1. Limit Snacks Many children, especially teenagers, snack throughout the day, leaving them unwilling or unable to eat much at dinner. Ask your children to cut back on their snacking so they are hungrier at mealtime, which might prompt them to try that new meal you whipped up. 2. Offer New Foods at Optimal Times Children tend to display more resistance and aggression to anything when they grow tired or fussy. Wait until your children’s spirits are high before asking them to sample a new dish. 3. Introduce New Foods Slowly Everyone, even those who claim to embrace change, find security in routines. When changes are introduced slowly, we have time to acclimate. The same rule applies to food: instead of stunning your family with a table filled with never-before-seen foods, inject side dishes, appetizers, main courses, and desserts over a stretch of time. Fix your family’s favorite entrée, then slip in your new side course and ask them to give it a try. If they do not care for it, at least they have tasted it. 4. Introduce New Foods as Options, Not Requirements Never force your child to try a new food. Being forced to eat something will set them against it from the beginning, and that resistance sticks with them over the course of their lives.

• Homeopathic Medical Uses for Honey April, 2011 By Amanda Dyson As a beekeeper, I’ve come across dozens of different uses for raw honey in cooking and elsewhere in the home. I’ve also discovered several age-old recipes for homeopathic medicines requiring honey, cinnamon, and other common ingredients in the kitchen. Scientists believe that for several medical conditions, the nutrients, enzymes, pollen, and other elements of raw honey can provide some relief. Read some of my favorite honey-based medicinal concoctions below. Research suggests drinking tea or coffee mixed with small doses of honey and cinnamon in the morning and before bed every day can help restore hearing and heal arthritis. One hypothesis: mixing one teaspoon of honey and one of cinnamon in your twice-daily tea or coffee will restore hearing loss. Mix in two teaspoons of cinnamon, and just one of honey, to cure common arthritis, reportedly. Lastly, combining two tablespoons of cinnamon with one teaspoon of raw honey in lukewarm water will supposedly kill off germs in the bladder and consequently relieve bladder infection. Some scientists believe that the sugar content of honey can boost energy levels, particularly for senior citizens. An equal amount of raw honey and cinnamon, ingested daily, will reportedly increase physical stamina and mental astuteness of older people. For others, cinnamon and honey aids in weight loss, specifically when an individual consumes one cup of equal parts honey and cinnamon twice daily prior to meals and on an empty stomach. Other honey-based homeopathic remedies include a mouthwash (swish a teaspoon of raw honey mixed with cinnamon around the mouth) and a facial cream (apply a paste made of 75 percent honey and 25 percent cinnamon to rough, pimply skin). Some people swear by one teaspoon of cinnamon/four-teaspoon honey concoction’s ability to soothe upsets stomachs, clear up sinuses, and cure colds and the flu. By Amanda Dyson

• Amanda Dyson Asheville - Lost Pet, Oliver - Lost Pet August, 2011 One of Amanda Dyson’s (from Ashvelle, NC) beloved pets has now been missing for almost three weeks. Amanda Dyson believes it might be time to say goodbye to Oliver. He was a beautiful long haired calico cat. Amanda Dyson was lucky to have found him seven years ago. He has been a beloved pet. He is the third cat to go missing within a two week period from Asheville, NC. Amanda Dyson and her family had gone on vacation for a week. They had someone stay at their home while they were gone to take care of the animals. Oliver went missing during this time With black bear scat and bobcats around everyone is wondering what is happening. The neighbor told Amanda Dyson that there has also been a sighting of a mountain lion right below them. There is no trace of him and sadly the family knows in their hearts he is gone. He will be missed terribly. Amanda Dyson_Lost Pet.txt

• Amanda Dyson Asheville's Pork Tenderloin August, 2011 Amanda Dyson Asheville Recipes Amanda Dyson Asheville – Pork Tenderloin 1 lb. pork tenderloin 1/2 c. soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger 1/2 c. honey 1 Tbs. sesame oil 2 Tbs. brown sugar 4 Tbs. sesame seeds Combine soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and ginger. Place tenderloin in gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Pour soy mixture over tenderloin. Seal bag and make sure soy mixture coats the meat. Let marinate either up to three hours at room temperature or stick the bag in the refrigerator and let it marinate overnight or longer. Remove pork from marinade and pat dry. Mix together honey and brown sugar in a plate or shallow dish. Place sesame seeds on separate shallow plate. Roll pork in honey mixture coating well then roll in sesame seeds. Roast in shallow pan at 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly and serve. This is a wonderful roast and goes well with either rice or potatoes! Marinade can also be used on steaks. I use the same ingredients minus the sesame seeds. Just add all the ingredients together (including honey mixture). Add some sliced scallions and marinate the steaks in the bag for 24 hours or so. Grill them and enjoy! Serve with homemade mashed potatoes with garlic and cream cheese added to the potatoes, and a spinach salad.

• Amanda Dyson Asheville declares war on raccoons, Amanda Dyson Asheville declares war on raccoons August, 2011 It is a war that Amanda Dyson will not win. For over a year now Amanda Dyson and her husband have daily refilled one of their bird feeders with black oil sunflower seeds. Each night this feeder gets a visit from one of four racoons. Last year, three of the racoons were babies. Amanda thought they were so cute. All three babies could fit around the tray of this feeder and enjoy the sunflower seeds. This year, they are so big they have to eat one at a time! The feeder is quite large and filling it each day for the birds, only to have it emptied by the racoons has become a problem. Amanda’s husband borrowed a steel humane trap to catch them in and relocate them. They baited the trap with smelly stuff like tuna and canned cat food and set it each night. So far, they have caught a gigantic opossum and two of the racoons. Amanda Dyson and her husband took the animals to the bottom of the mountain that they live on and turned them loose. They felt comfortable in the fact that within a couple of nights their racoon problem would be over. The next evening they looked out on their back porch and the young racoons were back! Somehow they found their way back to the feeder! All three were there with the big parent racoon directing the show! Amanda Dyson swears that they all four grinned at her when they saw her looking at them! She and her husband are now trying to figure out how far they need to take them so as not to have them find their way back. This is racoon vs human. I’m sure the racoon will win!

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